tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post5258160862774253425..comments2024-02-07T22:52:15.919-07:00Comments on Partial Ellipsis of the Sun: A Blog for Scientists who like Words and Writers who like Science: Smoking Smoke Rings: Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy, and MoreWord Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-24654679374404223322017-04-02T18:04:04.315-06:002017-04-02T18:04:04.315-06:00They probably got rid of Mickey Mouse around the s...They probably got rid of Mickey Mouse around the same time the astronomers dumped Pluto, right?<br /><br />I think cat whisker clouds are Cirrus fibratus.<br /><br />That Cavum picture looks like what pilots call a "sucker hole, luring the unsuspecting non-instrument rated into clear air above a cloud layer or, if you're already there, into what looks like a good path to the airport. Amazingly, visual flight rules flight above clouds is legal, but you have to have great confidence in a weather prediction that you'll be able to descend in clear air before your destination. It's called "VFR on top", and has led to many fatalities due to run-ins with cumulogranite (clouds with rocks in them), as well as the inevitable "I Like It On Top" t-shirts at pilot shops.janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-48417140378391990862017-04-02T17:00:56.348-06:002017-04-02T17:00:56.348-06:00Clouds are great. I don't see any Mickey Mouse...Clouds are great. I don't see any Mickey Mouse or puppy dog or cat whisker clouds listed though. . <br />Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-31225484970895680672017-04-02T16:58:13.377-06:002017-04-02T16:58:13.377-06:00New post on "Seven Unusual Landforms from the...New post on "Seven Unusual Landforms from the Giant Blue Eye of the Sahara to the Carnallite Salt Mines of Russia" is now up.Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-40321200869993448732017-04-02T15:59:57.047-06:002017-04-02T15:59:57.047-06:00Who knew there was such a thing as an Internationa...Who knew there was such a thing as an <a href="https://www.wmocloudatlas.org/home.html" rel="nofollow">International Cloud Atlas</a>? And, just as paleontologists can rearrange the dinosaur family tree, and astronomers can kick Pluto out of the solar system, the World Meteorological Organization can, in their just-released update, declare whole new species of clouds.<br /><br />Their names sound like Professor Flitwick's spells at Hogwarts. (Can you see Hermione waving her wand, shouting "Volutus! Asperitas! Flammagenitus!"?<br /><br />I like <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/HolePunchCloud.jpg" rel="nofollow">Cavum, commonly termed "hole in a cloud"</a>, largely because CAVU is an old aeronautical term, meaning "ceiling and visibility unrestricted".janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-23007974422234320292017-04-01T09:03:35.851-06:002017-04-01T09:03:35.851-06:00I know. Isn't it fun? Did you hear the "D...I know. Isn't it fun? Did you hear the "Dirt Chefs" on NPR this morning? April, thy name is mud.Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-19564384013009888312017-04-01T09:00:18.371-06:002017-04-01T09:00:18.371-06:00It's April 1. Google Maps lets you play Ms Pa...It's April 1. Google Maps lets you play Ms PacMan on your street grid. All sorts of odd phenomena abound. Beware fake news!janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-72880736706534173072017-04-01T08:26:31.942-06:002017-04-01T08:26:31.942-06:00REGULUS: Whoa!<a href="http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2017/04/odd-structure-near-regulus.html" rel="nofollow">REGULUS: </a>Whoa!Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-66062825895848147812017-03-31T20:54:37.204-06:002017-03-31T20:54:37.204-06:0040% were steam-powered and a mere 22% were gas-pow...40% were steam-powered and a mere 22% were gas-powered. . .Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-46735144584633785962017-03-31T20:52:01.823-06:002017-03-31T20:52:01.823-06:00Colorado and the Fritchle: 38 percent (!) of cars ...<a href="http://www.cpr.org/news/story/fritchle-electric-car-100-years-ahead-its-time-parks-history-colorado" rel="nofollow">Colorado and the Fritchle: </a>38 percent (!) of cars in the U.S. were electric in 1900. Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-70944091017433667342017-03-30T18:34:35.402-06:002017-03-30T18:34:35.402-06:00I hope so . . .I hope so . . .Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-42447907394885418122017-03-30T17:22:07.661-06:002017-03-30T17:22:07.661-06:00Sonar Taxlaw--that's awesome.Sonar Taxlaw--that's awesome.Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-27586825639535823442017-03-30T13:52:31.398-06:002017-03-30T13:52:31.398-06:00What's that Roomba doing on Of Course I Still ...<a href="http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/03/22/spacex-equipment-spotted-port-canaveral-florida-falcon9-reddit-drone-ship-ses10-kennedy-space-center/99457762/" rel="nofollow">What's that Roomba doing on <i>Of Course I Still Love You</i>?</a> We may find out tonight...janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-79642845871010445052017-03-29T11:47:13.663-06:002017-03-29T11:47:13.663-06:00Speaking of venerating reference works, I'm fi...Speaking of venerating reference works, I'm finally getting to the end of Stephenson's <i>Seveneves</i>. There's a character named Sonar Taxlaw, for the volume of the <i>Encyclopaedia Britannica</i> that's her bailiwick.janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-19812766788381050462017-03-29T09:25:19.636-06:002017-03-29T09:25:19.636-06:00A Love Letter to Dictionaries
Don't miss the...<a href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/03/22/books/merriam-webster-dictionary-kory-stamper.html?" rel="nofollow">A Love Letter to Dictionaries </a><br /><br />Don't miss the story of the "Backwards Dictionary," a compendium of over 300,000 words typed out backwards.<br /><br />{Kory Stamper, the featured writer, is a Smith College graduate who is originally from Colorado.}Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-80900889236670710632017-03-28T21:59:36.779-06:002017-03-28T21:59:36.779-06:00Ocean conundrum.Ocean conundrum.Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-58889222496911591682017-03-28T21:25:11.922-06:002017-03-28T21:25:11.922-06:00?<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=imgres&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjdhKGP4frSAhVF6CYKHSfjCF8QjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBrain_coral&psig=AFQjCNHVBDqBI8DREO6Ww7dnJOC_4H6CHQ&ust=1490844078112880" rel="nofollow">?</a>Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11114786604125384958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-21456359452452808442017-03-28T15:20:16.394-06:002017-03-28T15:20:16.394-06:00This seems related to the above coral "planti...This seems related to the above coral "planting" thread:<br /><br />"The juvenile sea squirt wanders through the sea searching for a suitable rock or hunk of coral to cling to and make its home for life. For this task, it has a rudimentary nervous system. When it finds its spot and takes root, it doesn't need its brain anymore, so it eats it. It's rather like getting tenure."<br /><br />--Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (born March 28, 1942)--Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-71377154115669307552017-03-28T15:14:05.806-06:002017-03-28T15:14:05.806-06:00"Planted," how about that, Paul?
{Spok..."Planted," how about that, Paul?<br /><br /> {Spoke the bot(anical), evermore. . .}Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-11709465080320140012017-03-28T06:06:02.935-06:002017-03-28T06:06:02.935-06:00Coral is an animal, so why is it being planted, an...Coral is an <b>animal</b>, so why is it being <b>planted</b>, and why was this brought to my attention by a <b>geologist</b>?Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11114786604125384958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-47834188286346645322017-03-27T19:50:37.930-06:002017-03-27T19:50:37.930-06:00It's a week for WOW WOW WOW: Planting Corals B...It's a week for WOW WOW WOW: <a href="https://youtu.be/ue-v8kF8c9k" rel="nofollow">Planting Corals Back on the Reefs </a>.Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-10379910182459744862017-03-26T21:56:09.276-06:002017-03-26T21:56:09.276-06:00Yes. Aa and pahoehoe are both basaltic lavas.
Nic...Yes. Aa and pahoehoe are both basaltic lavas.<br /><br />Nice smoke ring memories, lego.<br /><br />And, yes, insurance just cracks me up, too, jan.Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-77163014890070781202017-03-25T18:13:35.386-06:002017-03-25T18:13:35.386-06:00Yes, good point, jan. For home insurance that is p...Yes, good point, jan. For home insurance that is probably the more prudential choice.<br /><br />LegoWhoBuiltHisHomeOnAFoundationOfShiftingSilicaAndMoltenLava(ByTheWayDoesNonMoltenLavaExist?) legolambdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18081014756741740081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-67308131016777838822017-03-25T14:17:45.743-06:002017-03-25T14:17:45.743-06:00> Can people who live in the vicinity of Mt. Et...> Can people who live in the vicinity of Mt. Etna buy home insurance?<br /><br /><a href="https://www.aetna.com" rel="nofollow">Health insurance</a>, maybe. If you want home insurance, <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Rock_of_Gibraltar_northwest.jpg" rel="nofollow">it may more <i>prudent</i> to live in a less geologically active place</a>.janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-2970854270403724822017-03-25T13:35:33.483-06:002017-03-25T13:35:33.483-06:00Re: "Have you seen a spectacular geologic or ...Re: "Have you seen a spectacular geologic or meteorologic image this week? Please share a link!..."<br /><a href="http://www.funzu.com/index.php/Crazy-pics/this-is-why-meteorologists-shouldnt-wear-green-1205.html" rel="nofollow">Yes</a>.<br /><br />Can people who live in the vicinity of Mt. Etna buy home insurance?<br /><br />Thanks for the "Seven Extraordinary Women Scientists" link, Steph. YouYou Tu? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qrKjywjo7Q" rel="nofollow">Yo-Yo Ma</a>!<br /><br />LegoWhoHasFondMemoriesOfHisFather<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7xOCQIl2VI" rel="nofollow">BlowingSmokeRings</a>...TheSolePositiveSideOfHis"SmokingLikeVesuvius"Habitlegolambdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18081014756741740081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1915875085991225575.post-20866921009068346152017-03-24T20:03:12.048-06:002017-03-24T20:03:12.048-06:00Wow, that's cool. Thanks, jan.
Interesting yo...Wow, that's cool. Thanks, jan.<br /><br />Interesting you brought up the clear skies. We've been studying famous scientists in kindergarten all month and today was Neil DeGrasse Tyson. We moved into the realm of live scientists today after Mary Somerville, Rosalind Franklin, and Bob Boyle.<br /><br />One kid's mom picked him up early and he was telling her about Rosalind Franklin.<br /><br />"Franklin Roosevelt?"<br /><br />"No, mom, <i>Rosalind Franklin!!"</i><br /><br />It made my heart happy to hear how adamant he was. . .<br /><br />Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.com