from the desk of Bob Siederer
Happy Autumnal Equinox, or, for any readers we have south of the Equator, the Vernal Equinox.
Hello again friends of Science!
Early Monday morning (12:50 to be exact) is the Vernal Equinox, marking the start of the fall season. Another trip around the sun, another start to the fall.
Things are very busy in Schmooze land, with 138 events currently on the list for the next 2 weeks, with more sure to come. Here are my picks:
- California’s Changing Ecosystems: As Observed from Space – 09/24/2019 06:30 PM in Menlo Park
- Nerd Nite Silicon Valley #8: Sarah Winchester and Bay Area Sharks – 09/24/2019 07:00 PM in San Jose
- Astronomy on Tap: Saturn’s Rings, Star Birth, and Exoplanets – 09/25/2019 07:30 PM in San Jose
- Bats in the West: Discoveries, Questions, and Future Research – 09/26/2019 07:00 PM in Menlo Park
- Sharktoberfest – 09/28/2019 11:00 AM in San Francisco
The Green Film Festival will be held at various venues in San Francisco, with most of the events taking place next weekend. We’ve listed most of the films.
I’m sure you have come across someone who denies climate science and climate change. They often quote “facts” that are only half of the picture, or not based in science. This article takes on the five most common misconceptions about our changing climate.
My aunt was a grade school teacher. She would come to visit us most Sundays, often bringing interesting things from her classroom for me to see. One day she came with a film strip (remember those?) series on volcanoes. The visuals were amazing to me and I developed a fascination with these relics of the planet’s formation. Tech is now helping predict volcanic eruptions.
Remember Oumuamua? This is the name given to the first known interstellar visitor to our solar system. Astronomers have now discovered a second one and it is even more interesting. And we have a picture of it.
One of the biggest threats to our environment comes from “forever” chemicals, those that don’t break down over time. A bacteria found in the soil in, of all places, New Jersey shows promise in changing such chemicals into less damaging compounds. Having been born and raised in New Jersey, I have to say I’m not surprised.
Have a great week in Science!
Bob Siederer