SCIENCE and things like that

[Daehawk]

A thread for science and all the stuff thats scientific.

A 5km high skyscraper that eats smog

So its a giant air filter?

[Max Peck]

Moth with 'golden flake hairstyle' named after Donald Trump

A tiny moth with a very recognisable "hairstyle" has become the first creature named after the soon-to-be 45th president of the United States.

The Neopalpa donaldtrumpi was discovered in California by researcher Vazrick Nazari, of Ottawa, Canada.

The name was inspired by the striking golden flakes covering its head, which he likened to Donald Trump's famous mop.

[Moliere]

Sorry, Neil deGrasse Tyson, But We’ve Done Amazing Things Since The Moon Landing

Perhaps gene splicing isn’t as theatrical as moon walking, but it’s probably got a better upside for mankind. Nanotech advances may change our lives in ways that are still incomprehensible. What sort of crimes has DNA testing stopped? What sort of diseases will mapping the human genome (declared finished in 2003) help cure? How many millions will be saved by genetically modified crops from hunger?

For its time and place, the space race was an amazing and revolutionary moment. We are experiencing another moment right now. Robotics are changing the world. Self-driving car might eliminate traffic and save hundreds of thousands of lives we now lose to vehicular accidents. What about the Large Hadron Collider, which is measure Higgs boson, an integral particle for explaining how the universe can exist. Seems like a big deal, but, then again, I’m not astrophysicist, just an observer.

And the best tweet response?

[AWS260]

Science reporter David Perlman is retiring from the San Francisco Chronicle later this year. At age 98.

It's amazing to think about the discoveries and milestones he's covered in his career -- moon landings, the eradication of smallpox, the discovery of Lucy and other human ancestors, the HIV epidemic in San Francisco...

I've had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Perlman a couple of times (the last was maybe 15 years ago), and he's pretty much your ideal science journalist -- smart, dogged and curious.

[Moliere]

Apparently we need a GoFundMe money drive to prove the earth is not flat.

[Max Peck]

Nobel Prize in Physics awarded for detecting gravity waves.

The 2017 Nobel prize in physics has been awarded to three US scientists for the detection of gravitational waves.

Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne and Barry Barish will share the nine million kronor (£831,000) prize.

The ripples were predicted by Albert Einstein and are a fundamental consequence of his General Theory of Relativity.

The winners are members of the Ligo-Virgo observatories, which were responsible for the breakthrough.

The winners join a prestigious list of 204 other Physics laureates recognised since 1901.

Prof Weiss gets half of the prize money, while Barish and Thorne will share the other half.

Gravitational waves describe the stretching and squeezing of space-time that occurs when massive objects accelerate.

The warping of space resulting from the merger of two black holes was initially picked up by the US Ligo laboratory in 2015 - the culmination of a decades-long quest.

Three more examples have been detected since then.

[Daehawk]

Ya liked seeing that.

As for that B.o.B post...ya I can explain it..you're a moron.

[Zarathud]

My daughter was at a Northwestern event where a member of the team spoke. Pretty deep for 10-13 year olds but his excitement in making it understandable was pretty cool.

[Paingod]

Ya liked seeing that.

As for that B.o.B post...ya I can explain it..you're a moron.

If looking out at the horizon over an ocean and seeing the edges curved slightly isn't enough, tell Bob to invest in a GoPro with GPS and a weather balloon. When the camera records the upper atmosphere and distinct curvature of the earth before the balloon pops and sends the camera back down, he can STFU. Can't claim conspiracy there.

[Daehawk]

He is looking at 16 miles and wondering why no curve lol. 16 is like a fart in the universe of size scale of the Earth. ok that made no sense but Im sleepy.

[Unagi]

16 miles on Earth is the same radians the tip of the minute hand makes over 7 seconds.

[Isgrimnur]

16 miles on Earth is the same radians the tip of the minute hand makes over 7 seconds.

Were units really needed for that statement?

[Max Peck]

Apparently we need a GoFundMe money drive to prove the earth is not flat.

To be fair, crowdsourcing such an effort (let's call it Project Eratosthenes) wouldn't require a lot of money.

[Max Peck]

16 miles on Earth is the same radians the tip of the minute hand makes over 7 seconds.

Were units really needed for that statement?

No, but specifying radians signals that he's one of the elite; degrees are the unit of the hoi polloi.

[Max Peck]

Penguins die in 'catastrophic' Antarctic breeding season

All but two Adelie penguin chicks have starved to death in their east Antarctic colony, in a breeding season described as "catastrophic" by experts.

It was caused by unusually high amounts of ice late in the season, meaning adults had to travel further for food.

It is the second bad season in five years after no chicks survived in 2015.

Conservation groups are calling for urgent action on a new marine protection area in the east Antarctic to protect the colony of about 36,000.

WWF says a ban on krill fishing in the area would eliminate their competition and help to secure the survival of Antarctic species, including the Adelie penguins.

[Holman]

Flat-Earth NASA is a Go!

Seeking to prove that a conspiracy of astronauts fabricated the shape of the Earth, a California man intends to launch himself 1,800 feet high on Saturday in a rocket he built from scrap metal.

Assuming the 500-mph, mile-long flight through the Mojave Desert does not kill him, Mike Hughes told the Associated Press, his journey into the atmosflat will mark the first phase of his ambitious flat-Earth space program.

Hughes’s ultimate goal is a subsequent launch that puts him miles above the Earth, where the 61-year-old limousine driver hopes to photograph proof of the disc we all live on.

“It’ll shut the door on this ball earth,” Hughes said in a fundraising interview with a flat-Earth group for Saturday’s flight. Theories discussed during the interview included NASA being controlled by round-Earth Freemasons and Elon Musk making fake rockets from blimps.

This thing. 500 MPH. Saturday.

[Daehawk]

I just dont understand stupidity well. I have no idea why anyone would think we live on anything but a globe.

In that vehicle he is more likely to be a member of the Ouch Thats Damn Hard Earth Society.

[Kraken]

I christen thee the USS Hold My Beer.

[Daehawk]

Id love to watch the launch. Id be playing Katy Perry's Fireworks

[Holman]

Flat-Earth NASA is a Go!

Assuming the 500-mph, mile-long flight through the Mojave Desert does not kill him, Mike Hughes told the Associated Press, his journey into the atmosflat will mark the first phase of his ambitious flat-Earth space program.

OMG. I didn't even catch that when I posted.

Google suggests that this is not a standard flat-earther term. I nominate this WP journalist for the Snark Pulitzer.

[Kraken]

Flat-Earth NASA is a Go!

Assuming the 500-mph, mile-long flight through the Mojave Desert does not kill him, Mike Hughes told the Associated Press, his journey into the atmosflat will mark the first phase of his ambitious flat-Earth space program.

OMG. I didn't even catch that when I posted.

Google suggests that this is not a standard flat-earther term. I nominate this WP journalist for the Snark Pulitzer.

Flatmosphere would have been better.

[Stefan Stirzaker]

Looks like too much kerbal. Are those kerbal science canisters there!!!

[Max Peck]

I just dont understand stupidity well. I have no idea why anyone would think we live on anything but a globe.

In that vehicle he is more likely to be a member of the Ouch Thats Damn Hard Earth Society.

I'm not convinced that he's a true-believer. The timeline laid out in the story makes it seem plausible that he adopted Flat Eartherism as a gimmick in order to tap into enough stupid people's money to get his project off the ground. Personally, I think he'd have been better off to cut some sort of cross-promotion deal with Star Citizen. They could have raised a million bucks, easily, by selling a steampunk rocket JPEG.

[Unagi]

Flat-Earth NASA is a Go!

Assuming the 500-mph, mile-long flight through the Mojave Desert does not kill him, Mike Hughes told the Associated Press, his journey into the atmosflat will mark the first phase of his ambitious flat-Earth space program.

OMG. I didn't even catch that when I posted.

Google suggests that this is not a standard flat-earther term. I nominate this WP journalist for the Snark Pulitzer.

Flatmosphere would have been better.

sounds better, but's missing the point...

Atmosplane would be best.

[Holman]

I just dont understand stupidity well. I have no idea why anyone would think we live on anything but a globe.

In that vehicle he is more likely to be a member of the Ouch Thats Damn Hard Earth Society.

I'm not convinced that he's a true-believer. The timeline laid out in the story makes it seem plausible that he adopted Flat Eartherism as a gimmick in order to tap into enough stupid people's money to get his project off the ground. Personally, I think he'd have been better off to cut some sort of cross-promotion deal with Star Citizen. They could have raised a million bucks, easily, by selling a steampunk rocket JPEG.

I suspect this is it. I'll be very surprised if the launch isn't scrubbed on Saturday, followed by a massive crowd-funding campaign to make it REALLY HAPPEN NEXT TIME.

There's probably not even an engine in there.

[Jaymann]

Ya liked seeing that.

As for that B.o.B post...ya I can explain it..you're a moron.

If looking out at the horizon over an ocean and seeing the edges curved slightly isn't enough, tell Bob to invest in a GoPro with GPS and a weather balloon. When the camera records the upper atmosphere and distinct curvature of the earth before the balloon pops and sends the camera back down, he can STFU. Can't claim conspiracy there.

Curved lens! Curved lens!

[The Meal]

I just dont understand stupidity well. I have no idea why anyone would think we live on anything but a globe.

In that vehicle he is more likely to be a member of the Ouch Thats Damn Hard Earth Society.

I'm not convinced that he's a true-believer. The timeline laid out in the story makes it seem plausible that he adopted Flat Eartherism as a gimmick in order to tap into enough stupid people's money to get his project off the ground. Personally, I think he'd have been better off to cut some sort of cross-promotion deal with Star Citizen. They could have raised a million bucks, easily, by selling a steampunk rocket JPEG.

[Isgrimnur]

[The Meal]

Also, what's a thinglike science. I'm troubled by the extra-inclusive thread title and my lack of knowledge of these other things.

[GreenGoo]

Also, what's a thinglike science. I'm troubled by the extra-inclusive thread title and my lack of knowledge of these other things.

Alchemy?

[Isgrimnur]

Also, what's a thinglike science. I'm troubled by the extra-inclusive thread title and my lack of knowledge of these other things.

Alchemy?

[Holman]

Also, what's a thinglike science. I'm troubled by the extra-inclusive thread title and my lack of knowledge of these other things.

Exploding on the launch pad to prove the Earth is flat is like science, but for idiots.

[KDH]

...

.. Rocket launch will prove Earth is flat, California man says

FOX News playin' to the base again

Spoiler:

A California man intends to launch himself 1,800 feet high on Saturday in a home-built rocket to prove that astronauts faked the shape of the Earth.

Mike Hughes, a 61-year-old limo driver, said his stunt will be the first phase of the flat-Earth space program, sponsored by Research Flat Earth, a group that believes Earth is, well, flat.

The rocket should travel about a mile at a speed of roughly 500 mph.

“If you’re not scared to death, you’re an idiot,” Hughes said. “It’s scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive. I like to do extraordinary things that no one else can do, and no one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched himself in his own rocket.”

He claims to have built the steam-powered rocket out of scrap metal parts in his garage. The project cost around $20,000, including the purchase of a motor home off Craigslist that was converted into a ramp.

The daredevil’s aim is to get miles above Earth and snap a photo, proving that astronauts conspired to fabricate the shape of the planet.

“I don’t believe in science,” Hughes said. “I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust. But that’s not science, that’s just a formula. There’s no difference between science and science fiction.”

During an interview with a flat-Earth group in June, Hughes said his project will “shut the doors on this ball Earth.” But he acknowledged that he had much to learn about rocket science.

“This whole tech thing, I'm really behind the eight ball," he said.

Hughes, however, is not an absolute amateur when it comes to rocket science. He built his first rocket in 2014 and flew a quarter-mile in Arizona, though the flight left him injured.

But the Saturday’s planned launch will pose a challenge to the daredevil. Not only was the 2014 flight a quarter of the distance he expects to fly this Saturday, the previous rocket was based on round-earth technology, the Washington Post reported.

The project received the backing of the flat-earth community in America after Hughes became a flat-Earth supporter.

"We were kind of looking for new sponsors for this. And I'm a believer in the flat Earth," Hughes told the host of a flat-earth web show, the Post reported. "I researched it for several months."

According to the host, Hughes was a real explorer of scientific secrets and “not compromised by the government.”

“John Glenn and Neil Armstrong are Freemasons," Hughes said. "Once you understand that, you understand the roots of the deception."

I am disappointed that he's from California .. when he dies, the state will have to raise everybody's taxes to cover the loss of his share

[$iljanus]

...

.. Rocket launch will prove Earth is flat, California man says

FOX News playin' to the base again

Spoiler:

A California man intends to launch himself 1,800 feet high on Saturday in a home-built rocket to prove that astronauts faked the shape of the Earth.

Mike Hughes, a 61-year-old limo driver, said his stunt will be the first phase of the flat-Earth space program, sponsored by Research Flat Earth, a group that believes Earth is, well, flat.

The rocket should travel about a mile at a speed of roughly 500 mph.

“If you’re not scared to death, you’re an idiot,” Hughes said. “It’s scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive. I like to do extraordinary things that no one else can do, and no one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched himself in his own rocket.”

He claims to have built the steam-powered rocket out of scrap metal parts in his garage. The project cost around $20,000, including the purchase of a motor home off Craigslist that was converted into a ramp.

The daredevil’s aim is to get miles above Earth and snap a photo, proving that astronauts conspired to fabricate the shape of the planet.

“I don’t believe in science,” Hughes said. “I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust. But that’s not science, that’s just a formula. There’s no difference between science and science fiction.”

During an interview with a flat-Earth group in June, Hughes said his project will “shut the doors on this ball Earth.” But he acknowledged that he had much to learn about rocket science.

“This whole tech thing, I'm really behind the eight ball," he said.

Hughes, however, is not an absolute amateur when it comes to rocket science. He built his first rocket in 2014 and flew a quarter-mile in Arizona, though the flight left him injured.

But the Saturday’s planned launch will pose a challenge to the daredevil. Not only was the 2014 flight a quarter of the distance he expects to fly this Saturday, the previous rocket was based on round-earth technology, the Washington Post reported.

The project received the backing of the flat-earth community in America after Hughes became a flat-Earth supporter.

"We were kind of looking for new sponsors for this. And I'm a believer in the flat Earth," Hughes told the host of a flat-earth web show, the Post reported. "I researched it for several months."

According to the host, Hughes was a real explorer of scientific secrets and “not compromised by the government.”

“John Glenn and Neil Armstrong are Freemasons," Hughes said. "Once you understand that, you understand the roots of the deception."

I am disappointed that he's from California .. when he dies, the state will have to raise everybody's taxes to cover the loss of his share

I remember this TV movie called Salvage 1. Andy Griffith was a salvage guy who decides to build a rocket to embark on the ultimate salvage job, a trip to a moon landing site. But while that movie had a sense of adventure this guy is just an idiot. Or I've been had by the Freemasons.

[Isgrimnur]

.. Rocket launch will prove Earth is flat, California man says

Cancelled

A man who believes Earth is flat, and was ready to launch himself from a rocket in California on Saturday afternoon to prove it, has canceled his plans. At least for now.

Not having the required federal permits plus mechanical problems with his "motorhome/rocket launcher" forced self-taught rocket scientist "Mad" Mike Hughes to put his experiment on hold.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) "told me they would not allow me to do the event ... at least not at that location," Hughes said in a YouTube announcement, amid international attention over his plans to launch into the 'atmosflat.'

"It's been very disappointing," he said.
...
Plans had been in the works for more than a year and Hughes said he was initially told by BLM "that it was up to the (Federal Aviation Administration)" to approve the launch. The FAA, Hughes said, told him "We can't honestly approve it, we just know that you are going to do it there."

News of his plans began to spread Monday and gained worldwide attention, which Hughes believes is why BLM began to push for permits.
...
Plus, as he and his team were preparing to leave Wednesday, the motorhome/rocket launcher broke down in his driveway, he said.

[Moliere]

"the motorhome/rocket launcher broke down in his driveway"

[Daehawk]

I remember this TV movie called Salvage 1. Andy Griffith was a salvage guy who decides to build a rocket to embark on the ultimate salvage job, a trip to a moon landing site.

I loved that tv series! Only lasted one season.

So far Holman you've nailed it!

I suspect this is it. I'll be very surprised if the launch isn't scrubbed on Saturday, followed by a massive crowd-funding campaign to make it REALLY HAPPEN NEXT TIME.

[Paingod]

1800 feet into the air is a pathetic goal. He could climb a tower in several locations to reach that height. He could strap himself to a bunch of balloons and do better.

What'll be better is when he sees the truth and has to doctor the evidence he collects to fit his theory, turning his science experiment into science fiction.

[stessier]

1800 feet into the air is a pathetic goal. He could climb a tower in several locations to reach that height. He could strap himself to a bunch of balloons and do better.

What'll be better is when he sees the truth and has to doctor the evidence he collects to fit his theory, turning his science experiment into science fiction.

He could just tie a GoPro to a balloon...or watch the youtube video from the students who did. Or he could ride on a commercial airline and look out the window.

[coopasonic]

So I guess this guy falls into the "things like that" side of the topic?

"Atmosflat"