Night panoramas

Some nice night photos.

Almost inspires one to go camping.

Independent confirmations that dark energy is driving our universe apart

I find Dark Energy repulsive as well.

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer Finds Dark Energy Repulsive

It looks like it is now better understood and these results back up Einstein.

New and more economical version of the jumbo jet, the 747-8

New jumbo jet performs ultimate aborted takeoff

The Boeing 747-4 is longer, has new engines, a new wing, aerodynamics, 16% better fuel economy, 30% less noise foot print, new cabin. More people, cargo, further, faster, and more economically.

453-year-old wooden "tally stick" used to keep track of debts

Ancient credit system found.

The antiquated debt counter measures 30 centimetres in length and displays 23 notches, with both a name and the date 1558 visible.

More scientists want real science

UK Professor Emeritus of Biogeography Philip Stott of the University of London decried the notion that CO2 is the main climate driver. "As I have said, over and over again, the fundamental point has always been this: climate change is governed by hundreds of factors, or variables, and the very idea that we can manage climate change predictably by understanding and manipulating at the margins one politically-selected factor is as misguided as it gets," Stott wrote in 2008.

More than 1,000 scientists “have now challenged man-made global warming claims

“Global warming is the central tenet of this new belief system in much the same way that the Resurrection is the central tenet of Christianity. Al Gore has taken a role corresponding to that of St Paul in proselytizing the new faith...My skepticism about AGW arises from the fact that as a physicist who has worked in closely related areas, I know how poor the underlying science is. In effect the scientific method has been abandoned in this field.”

Wow 52 scientists supported global warming?

The 52 scientists who participated in the 2007 IPCC Summary for Policymakers had to adhere to the wishes of the UN political leaders and delegates in a process described as more closely resembling a political party's convention platform battle, not a scientific process

And now these 1,000 skeptical scientists?

While the scientists contained in this report hold a diverse range of views, they generally rally around several key points. 1) The Earth is currently well within natural climate variability. 2) Almost all climate fear is generated by unproven computer model predictions. 3) An abundance of peer-reviewed studies continue to debunk rising CO2 fears and, 4) "Consensus" has been manufactured for political, not scientific purposes.

Cosmic rays affect the Earth's climate

Some very interesting historical data matches very well with past climates.
As the Sun's activity varies so does it's magnetic field allowing more or less cosmic rays to interact with the Earth's atmosphere.

India's leading space physicist,U R Rao, has analysed 45 years of data and declared that the forcing from charged particles is higher than previously thought, at 1.1Wm-2, and human-forcing lower than the IPCC "consensus" of 1.6Wm-2.

The influence of charged particles on climate is controversial, not least because it's based on observation and physics experiments, rather than trick cycling computer modelling.

Very funny, when actual data become controversial in science and a model, however flawed has more consensus then a fact. I say society is to blame.

History Never Repeats? The 1980's video time machine

Every wonder back to the 1980's and music videos?
What was that song? who was that band? How did I lose an entire decade?

An 80s MTV video channel on YouTube may help you answer those questions and more. Many people spent hours if not days waiting and watching MTV just to see a particular video. Video tape recorders were rare and it was a very cheep form of entertainment. In the 80s not every city had cable television or even the same channels. In the great video war people fought for truth, justice, and their MTV.

Make sure you check out the 59 videos from the first day of MTV:
Split Enz - History Never Repeats Isn't it ironic?
Split Enz - One Step Ahead A young Neil Finn showcases his writing ability
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime One of the most iconic 80s music videos and songs
Kate Bush - The man with the Child in his Eyes A song she wrote years before that landed her a recording contract even as a demo
Rupert Hine - Surface Tension also featured on USA's Night Flight a weekend show for those of us deprived of our MTV

Some very interesting stuff, Hine is a well known producer, Spit Enz morphed into Crowded House, and Kate Bush was just starting her career.

Watch learn and marvel. Remember those that do not learn from the lessons of history are condemned to repeat it, or at least get a bad grade in it.

And I did not see the first video ever played on MTV, "Video Killed the radio Star" by The Buggles, with two of the women in that band later forming Elastica. Careers were made, fortunes were won and lost, it was a time of mimes, street performers and for those days fasts cuts.

A key innovation with solar panels

Up to 60% more power per rooftop

increase the amount of solar power generated on rooftops by 25 to 50 percent, and also reduce the overall cost of solar power by changing the way solar cells are wired together and adding inexpensive reflectors to gather more light.

Found out about this at Futurepundit, a great technology blog.