Short Straws

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"Suppose an event has two possible explanations. The explanation that requires the fewest assumptions is usually correct. Another way of saying it is that the more assumptions you have to make, the more unlikely an explanation."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68515515

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7cgRMY4opc&ab_channel=80%27s90%27sMusic...

https://metamodel.blog/posts/texas-heat-wave/

 

19 Comments

'No Mans Land'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"Fiction reflects cultural anxieties at large. Last week, the Times’ Matthew Parris lamented the skills being lost to information technology: map reading, handwriting, mental arithmetic. Our ability to remember any information that can be Googled is often added to such lists. A second concern is that automation is making our lives less healthy, and more artificial."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/09/cannot-read-a-map-...

"Officials working for Gove, the secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, have drawn up plans for “trailblazer” departments to pilot the scheme, according to documents that have been circulated."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dt7JpN7Bv0

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/mar/09/legal-row-banksy-re...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo&ab_channel=RareEarth

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/08/pentagon-ufo-report-hiding...

"The transition to station life was “not that hard” since both had previous stints there, said Williams, who will soon take over as station commander. “This is my happy place. I love being up here in space,” she said."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/sep/14/we-retraced-captain-cooks-...

"This huge road trip, including encounters with crocodiles and dingy motels, formed the spine of a book, but the book itself is not our story. It is the stories of the 70 or so people who shared their lives, history and perspectives with us."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/13/stuck-astronauts-boeing-...

'Resolutions'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"More than 2.5 tonnes of food, clothing, equipment and scientific experiments are due to launch atop a SpaceX rocket from Florida at 16:55 local time (20:55 GMT).

On arrival, SEN's camera payload will be prepped by the station crew and then put through an airlock to be placed on the Bartolomeo deck - a piece of exterior structure connected to the European Columbus science module."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20240308-talking-on-the-moon-the-qu...

"On 20 July 1969 an estimated 600 million people watched a live broadcast that was both out of focus and of extremely poor quality."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOxMylotEZM&ab_channel=JohnPaulYoung

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68579681

"Again, it's a mix of wide and narrow-angle views."

The Shackleton Crater.

"On the far side of the Moon, there is also the problem of maintaining communications with the Earth when it is no longer within line of sight. The only way to achieve this is via a relay satellite."

'Advanced Astronomy'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"The prime locations are free from ground vibration, shielded from Earth’s noisy broadcast signals or profoundly cold – making them uniquely well-suited for sensitive equipment that could make observations impossible from elsewhere.

But the pristine spots, known as sites of extraordinary scientific importance (Sesis), are in danger of being ruined by an imminent wave of missions such as lunar navigation and communications satellites, rovers and mining operations, with experts warning on Monday that safeguarding the precious sites was an “urgent matter”."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK_M_XhocXo&ab_channel=Lumen

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/mar/25/scientists-call-for-prot...

""You have to constantly talk, which isn't a problem for me," she said. "It's when your feet start to hurt and you rock side to side. But I absolutely love it.""

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68631692

"So what are these ghostly particles and why was a new approach needed to detect them?

The current theory of particle physics is called the Standard Model. It says that everything in the Universe is made up of a family of 17 particles - well known ones such as the electron and the Higgs boson - as well as the lesser known but wonderfully named charm quark, tau neutrino and gluon."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy47g4FtiSU&ab_channel=Happi3r

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68653311

Meanwhile:

"Archaeologists have concluded that they could have been Amazon women who lived 4,000 years ago. These fearsome women were famed for their male-free society and their prowess on the battlefield, particularly with a bow and arrow."

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/mar/24/truth-behind-the-myths-a...

'Extreme Ends'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"Sightings of marsupial moles usually occur only a few times each decade."

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/09/silver-coin-boom-in-medi...

"The burrowing animals live within sand dunes in isolated deserts and spend very little time on the surface.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-L9gXDjQIY&ab_channel=Mis-Teeq-Topic

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-68720246

""I go along to farmers' doors with my portfolio of previous finds and show them what I do and ask them for permission to detect on their land," he said.

"You try to make yourself presentable, you put gel in your hair and wash your car and turn up in nice clothes."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/09/can-you-smell-what...

"“Quite often they end up in museums very close to where they were discovered and that’s particularly important because it helps shed light on local history for people.”"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-68659675

Ooops...

"Under the current definition, an item is treasure if it is at least 300 years old and made at least in part of precious metal, such as gold or silver, or part of a hoard. This will be amended to cover exceptional finds of at least 200 years old, regardless of the type of metal they are made of.!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIO6ZjlvvB0&ab_channel=NOWSCARING

Bugs Bunny.

https://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/24288508.keane-duncan-labour-slams-...

I particularly liked this bit ...

“This eye-watering spending spree, drawn up on the back of a fag packet, will leave a black hole in the mayoral budget and potentially bankrupt the new mayoral authority.”

'Pointless Posts'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"The art installation – a depiction of a house tumbling into the sea – was created to highlight the threat posed by the climate emergency to British coastlines. But some residents have compared the piece placed on a lawn outside Salisbury Cathedral to a pile of fly-tipped debris or an unlit bonfire and called for it to be removed, saying it is spoiling the view of one of England’s most magnificent buildings."

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jun/19/stonehenge-spray...

"Walking is a low-cost, widely accessible and simple exercise that almost anyone can engage in, regardless of geographic location, age or socioeconomic status.”"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMnGmoLS6zo

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/19/walking-three-ti...

"Taking regular steps also improved their quality of life, and the time they had to take off work almost halved, he added."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG7jKUHsLfY

"Effective retention involves competitive benefits, a positive work environment, and growth opportunities."

'Aimless Passersby'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"It’s instinct, of course, to make life smoother and easier – but the impulse to create boredom extends even into our fantasy futures. When we try to design perfect places – suburbs with their identical squares of grass, utopian new towns with their ideally spaced houses and wide, regular avenues – we end up in nightmares of monotony."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/24/riots-shoo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0jBwk71Qcw

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/24/up-to-70mm-of-ra...

'Smart Masks'?

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"While politicians have shown that no one is above a night out, those seeking to avoid the glare of cameras in the foggy smoking area may be out of luck. Rayner’s lively getaway came as Keir Starmer signalled support for plans to restrict smoking outside pubs and restaurants, including in designated areas on-site and pavements."

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/30/angela-rayner-r...

The War of the Roses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WbvhTzitN4

"A number of independent experts have argued that the fiscal rules are not the best way to set out a path for government spending, and that the measures the government has to do to meet them are not necessarily the best decisions."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvdv4pKU8Qw

Sugar Cubes.

A 'Bristle Cone' Pine

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"“The public has the right to express their views over how their money is spent. Gathering at a camp to express these views is not a crime. Police taking equipment to prevent this camp going ahead is an unreasonable restriction of free speech and is highly oppressive.

“The UK has seen 15 years of falling living standards, a cost of living crisis and decades of blaming migrants for the UK’s problems. But the real cause of our economic problems is the corrupt relationship between the state and corporations like Drax, who receive state support while profiting from sky-high energy bills, and who seem to be using the police as their own private security.”"

https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/25/police-acting-a...

"Even the needles on these fascinating trees live up to 30 years long. This allows the trees to conserve energy by not having to reproduce new ones. It takes about two years for the bristlecone pine cone to reach maturity, which is unique amongst trees in the conifer family. The bristlecone pine gets its name from the cones whose scales appear to have a claw-like bristle."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUWPctuaXzA

https://www.treesatlanta.org/news/the-oldest-tree-in-the-world/

"Two possibilities sprang immediately to mind. One was the people who wrote the code – coders – long depicted in pop culture as a clan of vaguely comic, Tolkien-worshipping misfits..."

How Convenient.

“The subsidies for large-scale biomass generators will end in 2027 and we are reviewing evidence on potential support beyond this.”"

'Mini Moons'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"“Under these conditions … the object may become a temporary moon of Earth,” he said, adding it would happen to the asteroid in question starting next week and last about two months."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/19/mini-moon-asteroid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlcFgg6fiU4

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/19/evening-standard-l...

"The distant and cold Voyager 1 spacecraft did a clever thruster trick to help it phone home."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99p35Dk8EV4

"Engineers at JPL plan to keep the Voyager twin spacecraft running until at least the 50th anniversary of the mission in 2027."

https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasa-s-voyager-1-pro...

"Have you ever wondered how fast your daily ride is? Now is your chance to find out!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sduM3VEhRcU

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/sep/18/huge-plasma-jets-spotted...

"Very soon the only constellations we will see will be human-made."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4dnr8zemgo

'The Rational News'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"... the magazine has always been perfectly pitched somewhere between The X-Files and a parish council newsletter."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/28/fortean-times-maga...

Hmmm ...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/26/nazca-lines-peru-new-geogl...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abifktfBNgg

lol

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/31/morbius-review-ludicrously-...

Eeek..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cz04z0155kko

'Space Permitting'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"An Illustrated History of All World Events Ever, Space Permitting. We caught up with the amateur historian and presenter turned author to chat ghosts, politics and Monster Munch …"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clylvz1ppdmo

"Dickens is a ghost now. Shakespeare is a ghost. Everything that gets taught for GCSE is written by a ghost"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4y7q2dyndo

"I think you should stop teaching reading at the point that a child is able to read. Otherwise the child will find it a bit patronising."

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/sep/28/philomena-cunk-history-w...

"There isn’t a BBC cafe any more: everything’s been turned into a meeting room named after a Del Boy or a Teletubby or whatever."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tto_nmsND_o

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3w4nld5e3o

'Terms of Endearment'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"A noble mention as well to “pet” in the north-east. And don’t get me wrong, I’ll take any term of endearment from anyone, and be very grateful for it, but I’d rather be someone’s duck than someone’s anything else."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn8jdwxdl5no

"You can find them begging to turn back time, so that they can have a second chance to make things better. To do something relatively sane for the first time in ages."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph-B_dLZhKM

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/10/love-bab-pet-duck-...

'Unaffordable & Irrelevance'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"No one could quite work out what was going on. Tory backbenchers looked pained. A rare feelgood opportunity had gone begging. Labour MPs couldn’t believe their luck. In a way it was quite reassuring to see that Sunak had a serious side. After all, he had never shown much interest in international relations when he was prime minister."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp9535mndexo

"There again, I seem to be about the only person in Westminster who wasn’t offered a freebie – or maybe I was, and just deleted the email as I really wasn’t that bothered. Three hours is a long time to stand up and watch a dot move about on stage."

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/16/rishi-sunak-starmer-sta...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BAXBPHBHsE

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgv8lwlyljo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_Y-9lgYID8

https://www.channel4.com/news/why-lithium-is-set-to-revive-cornwalls-min...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuF4oYRktcA

"“It's the old story - if you the user, aren't paying, then the chances are that you are the product."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/wallace-and-gromit-teaser-trailer

'Meteor Showers'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"Since the start of the space age, we’ve had a throwaway culture – a bit like plastics in the ocean,” says Nick Shave, managing director of Astroscale UK, an in-orbit servicing company headquartered in Japan."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cd7xqqnv5eno

“We’re putting up tens of thousands of satellites, and we’re putting up increasingly bigger satellites into low Earth orbit – bigger in terms of cross-sectional area and mass – we’re finding that we’re having perhaps some unanticipated impact on things like collision risk.”

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/19/humanity-would-watch-hel...

"“A fashion toward ethical feeding could ensure future cats are healthier, happier and free to enjoy natural feline behaviour like climbing, jumping and lounging in the sun. We should let cats be cats.”"

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/20/elon-musk-promises-to...

Gremlins...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/cd98329yx51o

"Nomination papers must be delivered by hand to the Returning Officer at North Yorkshire Council, Town Hall, St Nicholas Street, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 2HG on any working day from the publication date of this notice but no later than 4pm on Friday 25 October 2024. If any election is contested, the poll will take place on Thursday 21 November 2024."

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd20j2Hb-0Y

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/your-council/elections-and-voting/election...

Linseed Oil.

'Light or Shade?'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"More to the point, nearby Acton’s derelict industrial acres are to become the Canary Wharf of the western metropolis, one of Europe’s most dynamic “new towns”. To link the Midlands to Acton rather than the British Museum and London zoo will one day seem perfectly reasonable."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/01/hs2-euston-canary-...

"While it can handle average indoor humidity, it thrives best in slightly more humid conditions."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrkD1l7IxIc

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/nov/01/houseplant-of-the-w...

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx_SNvHgXSA

'Raised Eyebrows'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"The company helped build Nasa’s mighty Saturn V rockets that put man on the moon; it was a key contractor during the space shuttle era and international space station operations; and its engines are powering the agency’s next leap for the stars..."

https://fselite.net/content/worldflight-2024-takes-off-this-weekend/

"“Boeing has always had a great sense of pride from being involved in the space industry, and something that the public looked on as an example of the company’s technical prowess and capability, so it’s definitely surprising from that perspective,” said Dr Donald Platt, professor of aerospace, physics and space sciences at Florida Tech, and director of the university’s Spaceport education center."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssVe0FaBhUU

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/nov/03/boeing-space-sale-reports

"Throughout the event, teams will be live-streaming their flights on Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook so you can easily follow along."

'Zero Gravity'

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"Morris dancing is a form of traditional English folk dance that takes a variety of styles depending on where the group has come from."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c245nq3r29qo

"As we await take-off, any nerves I felt have been replaced by excitement, my confidence bolstered by the spacesuit I have been issued and a generous injection of antinausea medication."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsXPy4g8Mw

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/nov/16/my-trip-on-zero-gravity-...

""The key things that you'd need to enjoy are moving around a lot and looking a bit funny," Sam advises aspiring beginners."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx28g1vxkreo

"However with the next supermoon not until October 2025, it's worth capturing a glimpse of this one if you can."

A 'Red-Headed' Read

Submitted by Captain Qalypso on

"He has flown straight from Texas in his Gulfstream to bask in the adulation of his new lord and master. He has also paid several hundred million dollars, plus a month of his time, to be here. But now his time has come."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwygxe102ydo

"Thomas Cromwell made himself indispensable to Henry VIII in the 1530s and – as viewers of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light are soon to discover – ultimately that was not a great career move."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2e71pl4yrjo

"Gavin allegedly came up with the scheme after reading a Sherlock Holmes story, The Red-Headed League. In it, Arthur Conan-Doyle's hero waits in a vault for burglars planning to tunnel in."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jp7JzaOrao

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/16/elon-musk-donald-trum...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gB3U70zE5g

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dABcmAbm-fk