The Weather Outlook

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Bertwhistle
28 January 2025 11:45:46
Cretaceous vomit fossil

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp82jle12j7o 

Sick with fear at the pending KT asteroid event?

Bertie, Itchen Valley.

Retire while you can still press the 'retire now' button.

+2
Roger Parsons
28 January 2025 12:25:14

Cretaceous vomit fossil

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp82jle12j7o 

Sick with fear at the pending KT asteroid event?

Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle 

Thanks Bert - excellent story. Reminds my of a friend who did a tour of the Carlesberg brewery in 1971. We found him sitting in a gutter. I knew an American "rockhound" who made classy earrings for his wife from the curly bits of 2 agatised dinosaur turds. She called them her "dung earrings". Fossil puke would not have the same charm.

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Ulric
16 February 2025 14:07:29
I'll be honest, I didn't know where to put this. It's Sabine being very frank indeed about what she sees as the unacceptable situation in particle physics.

Solar is only worth it if your roof has toenail fungus.
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
06 March 2025 07:44:56
It turns out that there is a structure in the cell which recycles redundant protein molecules into antibiotics. Israeli scientists hope that they can identify and manufacture these 'natural' antibiotics at scale.

Scientists discover new part of the immune system

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpv4jww3r4eo 

Very useful, if it all works out, as bacteria have mutated to resist all the antibiotics otherwise discovered. But the question that intrigues me is why, with millions of years of evolution, bacteria have not evolved a defence to these 'natural' antibiotics, not just these but e.g. lysozyme which protects eyes against infection.

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

+1
Roger Parsons
21 March 2025 05:37:09
Every second, almost 50 bolts of lightning zig-zag across the skies of Earth. Despite centuries of study, however, researchers still aren't sure how the bolts get started. Electric fields in thunderclouds are often too weak to ignite a powerful discharge.

"We believe that that most lightning flashes in thunderstorms are ignited by cosmic ray showers," says the study's lead author Xuan-Min Shao, a senior scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

https://spaceweather.com/ 

https://spaceweathergallery2.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=204474 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Roger Parsons
25 March 2025 06:24:45
This could kick off a new Diseases thread if folks wanted that, DEW.

"The UK has a new watch list of 24 infectious diseases that could pose the greatest future threat to public health.

Some are viruses with global pandemic potential - like Covid - while others are illnesses that have no existing treatments or could cause significant harm.

Avian, or bird, flu is on the list, as well as mosquito-spread illnesses that may become common with rising temperatures from climate change, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)."

UK draws up new disease-threat watch list

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr72d7p5dl2o 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

+1
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
03 May 2025 06:11:16
'Unparalleled' snake antivenom made from man bitten 200 times

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5d0l7el36o 

Offering the possibility of a broad spectrum antivenom, rather than having to identify the species of snake before treatment. About 14,000 people die from snakebites annually and three time that many left with life-changing injuries.

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

+1
Roger Parsons
03 May 2025 06:45:46

'Unparalleled' snake antivenom made from man bitten 200 times

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5d0l7el36o 

Offering the possibility of a broad spectrum antivenom, rather than having to identify the species of snake before treatment. About 14,000 people die from snakebites annually and three time that many left with life-changing injuries.

Originally Posted by: DEW 

Yes - caught that on R4 this morning - very interesting indeed, not least the wide possible of species it may apply to.

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Roger Parsons
02 July 2025 16:51:29

The ‘Great Dying’ wiped out 90% of life, then came 5 million years of lethal heat. New fossils explain why

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/great-dying-wiped-90-life-090025845.html 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

+1
Roger Parsons
05 July 2025 16:19:39
Liked this Nature article - as far as it goes....

Everyday painkiller made from plastic - by E. coli

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01986-0 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Devonian
05 July 2025 16:27:29

The ‘Great Dying’ wiped out 90% of life, then came 5 million years of lethal heat. New fossils explain why

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/great-dying-wiped-90-life-090025845.html 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

I need a 'CO2Coalition' mindset reset. Denial of an obvious reality is the way to go 👍

Roger Parsons
05 July 2025 16:38:23

I need a 'CO2Coalition' mindset reset. Denial of an obvious reality is the way to go 👍

Originally Posted by: Devonian 

It may be unnecessary to say, Dev, but Earth does not care what humans think or reason. It does what it does - it is up to us to adjust or die. That has always been so for every species. Can you think of any organism better at self-destruction than we are? A Scottish mate used to toast:

"Here’s tae us! Wha’s like us? Gey few, and they’re a’ deid! Nae wonder!"

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Devonian
05 July 2025 16:52:27

It may be unnecessary to say, Dev, but Earth does not care what humans think or reason. It does what it does - it is up to us to adjust or die. That has always been so for every species. Can you think of any organism better at self-destruction than we are? A Scottish mate used to toast:

"Here’s tae us! Wha’s like us? Gey few, and they’re a’ deid! Nae wonder!"

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

Actually, Roger, I rather disagree (unusually). The Earth is doing what we say, in the sense it is us changing the biosphere, the atmosphere, geology, biology - the list goes on. It is us that do not care, or do not know what we do, or do know but put it to the backs of our mind, or are just plain DK or stupid.

We have the capability to sort out our mess. But, we are going in the other direction. It's madness.

Roger Parsons
20 July 2025 16:40:20

BBC In-depth piece. Well worth a look.

How the rise of green tech is feeding another environmental crisis

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c30741j351go 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Roger Parsons
20 July 2025 16:45:49

Actually, Roger, I rather disagree (unusually). The Earth is doing what we say, in the sense it is us changing the biosphere, the atmosphere, geology, biology - the list goes on. It is us that do not care, or do not know what we do, or do know but put it to the backs of our mind, or are just plain DK or stupid.

We have the capability to sort out our mess. But, we are going in the other direction. It's madness.

Originally Posted by: Devonian 

Actually we don't disagree, Dev. We have the capability to clean up our act. The sad thing is we will probably choose, as you suggest, to ignore the issues and fail to take sufficient action. As has happened before, The Earth and its biology will change. The plague species we belong to will survive in the fossil record. A lesson for future intelligent life? 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Roger Parsons
26 July 2025 08:08:27

Negative social ties, like frenemies, could be ageing you

Having someone in your life who hassles you or causes problems could be adding 2.5 months to your biological age

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2489921-negative-social-ties-like-frenemies-could-be-ageing-you/ 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Saint Snow
12 August 2025 15:07:21

Not sure this totally belongs in here, but I found it a very touching story

British man who perished in Antarctic glacier found 65 years later

The bones of a British man who died in a terrible accident in Antarctica in 1959 have been discovered in a melting glacier.

The remains were found in January by a Polish Antarctic expedition, alongside a wristwatch, a radio, and a pipe.

He has now been formally identified as Dennis "Tink" Bell, who fell into a crevasse aged 25 when working for the organisation that became the British Antarctic Survey.

"I had long given up on finding my brother. It is just remarkable, astonishing. I can't get over it," David Bell, 86, tells BBC News.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g034yx4gjo 

Martin

Home: St Helens (26m asl) Work: Manchester (75m asl)

A TWO addict since 14/12/01

"How can wealth persuade poverty to use its political freedom to keep wealth in power? Here lies the whole art of Conservative politics."

Aneurin Bevan

DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
12 August 2025 15:12:26

Less touching, the story of a body found because of  a Red Bull can

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9d0j2y3w3eo 

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

+1
Roger Parsons
12 August 2025 15:38:46

Not sure this totally belongs in here, but I found it a very touching story

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g034yx4gjo 

Originally Posted by: Saint Snow 

Indeed. I spotted it too and put in the Obituary thread. 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
13 August 2025 06:40:54
The interesting idea behind this 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ypkrzyxd1o 

is the shift from the thinking of, say, 50 years ago, that all cancers were the same - a clump of rogue cells lodged somewhere  and created the cancer where they happened to land - to the concept that cancers in different parts of the body  are different in nature. Hence different and specific treatments are possible for each.

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

Roger Parsons
16 August 2025 06:17:19

A piece in New Scientist has taught me a new word.

"Introvert, extravert, otrovert? There's a new personality type in town. Psychiatrist Rami Kaminski says he has observed a previously unrecognised personality type – the "otrovert". Here is what he thinks these people can teach us."

I googled it and found it touches on some disturbingly-familiar characteristics! 😬 See what you think.

A Deeper Dive into Otrovert Traits

https://www.othernessinstitute.com/in-other-words/a-deeper-dive-into-otrovert-traits/ 

 I must read his book!

The Gift of Not Belonging: How Outsiders Thrive in a World of Joiners

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1917189222/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=AZOJ9MXURY497&psc=1 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Gandalf The White
16 August 2025 09:37:00

BBC In-depth piece. Well worth a look.

How the rise of green tech is feeding another environmental crisis

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c30741j351go 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

This solitary sentence says everything about what we are doing to this planet in so many ways: "Maybe I won't see it because of my age, but our children, our grandchildren will."

☹️☹️

Location: South Cambridgeshire

130 metres ASL

52.0N 0.1E



+2
Roger Parsons
27 August 2025 06:06:04

Some cracking photos here... Enjoy!

Wasp 'riding a broomstick' wows photography judges

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70r7plrdndo 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

+3
Roger Parsons
26 September 2025 04:28:26
BBC In Depth: Rats and Rising Temperature piece. [I don't know where that rogue "o" at the start of the link came from!]

Ratmageddon: Why rats are overrunning our cities

ohttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gvk397j80o 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

NMA
  • NMA
  • Advanced Member
26 September 2025 06:34:43

BBC In Depth: Rats and Rising Temperature piece. [I don't know where that rogue "o" at the start of the link came from!]

Ratmageddon: Why rats are overrunning our cities

ohttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gvk397j80o 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

Often in these kinds of article you see a reference to 'rats as big as cats'. Not in this one which was great. One unanswered question why was John Gladwin keeping a bag of soil under his sink?

Seriously the key would seem to be banning filled bin bags in the open +more use of large plastic segregated bins.

Vale of the Great Dairies

South Dorset

Elevation 60m 197ft

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