Special Cloud Formation Moving South

Interesting fact about noctilucent clouds (pictured below) making their way further south than ever in known history... check out the write-up below that appeared July 6, 2011 on SpaceWeather.com

ELECTRIC BLUE CLOUDS: When noctilucent clouds (NLCs) first appeared in the 19th century, they were a high-latitude phenomenon. You had to travel toward the poles to see their electric-blue glow. Not anymore. Just this past weekend, NLCs spilled over the Canadian border into the lower United States as far south as Denver, Colorado. Flying 33,000 feet over the Mile High City on July 2nd, Brian Whittaker snapped this picture from the window of a passenger jet:

Whittaker is a long time observer of NLCs from planes flying much further north. "I was amazed to see them at 39 degrees latitude over the USA," he says.

Another long time observer, University of Colorado atmospheric sciences professor Richard A. Keen was located just underneath the storm clouds in Whittaker's photo. "Rats!" says Keen. "I was watching for NLCs, but all I saw was rain."

During the peak of the display on July 1-2, NLCs were seen in Washington state, Oregon, Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado and Kansas. Keen notes that the sightings in Colorado (lat 39.8N) and Kansas (lat 38.9N) are among the most southerly sightings ever. "The lowest-latitude sighting I know of was by Craig Coutlee in Ignacio, Colorado on June 22, 1999, the same day as my sighting near Boulder," recalls Keen. "Craig was at 37.1N latitude, just north of New Mexico."

The latest outbreak continues a trend in recent years of NLCs spreading to ever-lower latitudes. Is this a sign of climate change? Some researchers think so. Sky watchers everywhere are encouraged to be alert for electric blue just after sunset or before sunrise; observing tips may be found in the 2011 NLC gallery.

Fukushima: It's much worse than you think - Features - Al Jazeera English

Little by little we are learning that the nuclear disaster in Japan is far from over. Some officials are noting that as the situation progresses Fukushima will turn out to be far worse than that of Chernobyl.

Fukushima: It's much worse than you think - Features - Al Jazeera English

Fatal floods hit China forcing over 500,000 to flee

First terrible drought, now floods... this will affect food prices around the world. China has already invested a great deal to secure crops around the globe. One such project is a huge dam on the Nile that will be used to irrigate land in Ethiopia for the purpose of growing produce for the ever growing Chinese population. China, like the rest of the globe has been hurt by the volatile weather patterns which seem to have become the norm rather than the exception.

BBC News - Fatal floods hit China forcing over 500,000 to flee

How’s the Weather on the Sun? - NYTimes.com

The sun is not so predictable these days...

How’s the Weather on the Sun? - NYTimes.com

Incredible Winds Rob Star Nurseries

Wire-Service Stories - SkyandTelescope.com

BBC News - UN votes to give European Union special rights

The centralized government of the EU rather than the rotating Presidency will now speak at the UN representing all member states. This interesting change may lead to other 'unions' being recognized as well, such as the Arab and African leagues.

BBC News - UN votes to give European Union special rights

Saturn's Strange Magnetic Field: Electical link to Saturn's moon

There is a visible link between Saturn and its moon Enceladus. Check out this article.


Wire-Service Stories - SkyandTelescope.com

Cosmic Blast of Energy Being Tracked by NASA

New mysterious energy burst in our solar system.

Wire-Service Stories - SkyandTelescope.com

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in India Could Spread, Experts Say

Going to India... don't drink the water! This is the second news piece about human waste getting into the water supply and infecting people. The first news piece was about herpes simplex surviving water treatment somewhere here in the states. Makes one wary of drinking from the faucet and more inclined to drink bottled water, that is until I read the label on my bottle and it noted it was from the Fort Worth Municipal water supply....

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in India Could Spread, Experts Say

The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can't Have - BusinessWeek

We are 26th in the world when it comes to education and perhaps this is why in a time when gas prices are rising, Ford has a car that gets 65 mpg but cannot sell it in the US. Check out the article below:

The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can't Have - BusinessWeek

Mystery signal at Fermilab hints at 'technicolour' force - physics-math - 07 April 2011 - New Scientist

Here is a better and more in-depth article regarding the probable find of a new "force" that will help explains how particles get their mass.
Mystery signal at Fermilab hints at 'technicolour' force - physics-math - 07 April 2011 - New Scientist

Electricity From a Vacuum: How to turn the vacuum into a superconductor - physics-math - 08 April 2011 - New Scientist

Interestingly enough, I heard several people over a year ago speak of the viability of creating a self-sustaining source of electricity using a vacuum but they were severely ridiculed by 'men of science'. And then here is this article... still with naysayers as to being able to harness this "lightening in a bottle" but I would keep my ear out for future articles using this now proven technique. Oil companies will hate it and perhaps that is why we won't see it seriously pursued for several years.

This idea really is not new as Tesla worked on an electricity source that would not require fossil fuels. The thing is it would have meant essentially free electricity for everyone once they bought the device. Unfortunately his benefactor, J.P. Morgan, was not interested in something with low profit margins so he pulled his backing and went with Edison who was arguably not as bright nor noble. Today we are slaves to a finite energy source, whose use is not beneficial for our biosphere. Question is will we ever be willing to pursue something for the good of all if it does not make someone ridiculously wealthy?

How to turn the vacuum into a superconductor - physics-math - 08 April 2011 - New Scientist

Short Sharp Science: Black hole unleashes enduring cosmic blast

A huge explosion 3.8 billion miles from earth and we are still capturing pictures a week later. This is another one of those events for which we can only come up with our best guess while we look on in awe.

Short Sharp Science: Black hole unleashes enduring cosmic blast

New Force In Nature?

Check out this article from BBC News.  Seems that while smashing atoms in the Tevatron Accelerator they may have not only found a new particle but the existence of this new particle would mean that there is a new "force" to add to the gravity, electromagnetism, weak and strong forces. The article noted:

"If proved, it will be a completely new, unanticipated particle; researchers say it cannot be the much sought-after Higgs boson.

It could also signal a new fundamental force of nature, and the most radical change in physics for decades."

BBC News - Tevatron accelerator yields hints of new particle

For all those working to find a theory of everything there may be a new "force" to deal with:

BBC News - Tevatron accelerator yields hints of new particle

Starting over: Coining a new dollar - tech - 01 April 2011 - New Scientist

Did you know we pay more for the raw materials that go into the penny and nickle than their market value? Read this article from New Scientist which notes that we would not only save tax dollars by doing away with small coins but by making the dollar bill into a coin. Interesting quick read and seems to be something Congress may consider in trying to cut costs.

Starting over: Coining a new dollar - tech - 01 April 2011 - New Scientist

New Reserve Currency: G20 considers wider role for China's yuan

The SDR (see previous posts on SDR under 'Financial Stability')  closer to becoming the reserve currency: Amidst worries of the US defaulting due to political wrangling, a stronger push for a new reserve currency grows.  The SDR would allow a number of nations to participate and keep any one nation's economy from impacting it in a crisis, unlike it is now with the reserve currency being hinged on the US economy.  One of the large participants to sway is China.  In order for China to get closer to the goal of opening the door to being a part of a reserve currency, all they have to do is to give up sovereignty over their central banking system, the way so many other countries have done.  The question is what will it take to entice China further into the world banking system?  Some analysts say it will be years to get China into the SDR basket.  China has stated that it intends to become 'the' reserve currency in ten years time.  One wonders if the IMF can make their offer of the SDR basket sweet enough to bring China's banking system fully into the fold.

Excerpts from a BBC article which discusses the latest G20 meeting in China:

The G20 is to study whether to include the Chinese yuan within the basket of currencies that make up the IMF's Special Drawing Right.  The Special Drawing Right, or SDR, is a quasi currency used within the IMF by its member countries.

Some economists believe the SDR could one day become a global reserve currency alongside the US dollar.

 "Without rules and supervision, the world runs the risk of being condemned to increasingly serious and severe crises," said President Sarkozy.

"It is clear that we must evolve toward a more flexible exchange rate system that will allow us to withstand shocks," he added.

His comments were backed by US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner who said he supported a change to SDR composition.

"Over time, we believe that currencies of large economies heavily used in international trade and financial transactions should become a part of the SDR basket," he said.

Currency control
However, Mr Geithner said that for this to happen, governments would have to loosen their control of currencies.
...

Read full article:  BBC News - G20 considers wider role for China's yuan

The Syrian Time Bomb - By Patrick Seale | Foreign Policy

This is an interesting article regarding all the facets of what unrest in Syria may mean to the United States:

The Syrian Time Bomb - By Patrick Seale | Foreign Policy

Seven New Laws of the G-20 Era - By Colin Bradford | Foreign Policy

Here is an article outlining the Council on Foreign Relation's take on the usefulness of the G20:

Seven New Laws of the G-20 Era - By Colin Bradford | Foreign Policy

G-20 Criticism of Fed and Release of Fed Documents on Discount Window

Interesting that the Fed releases documents it has been adamant about keeping private while the G20 (IMF) puts pressure to change the balances in currencies...essentially relegating the dollar to a lesser role as the world's reserve currency.

Here are excepts from an article which ran on the Bloomberg site:

A Chinese state economist called for an end to the dollar’s dominance in a paper posted on a website yesterday, blaming the U.S. for fueling inflation. 

Officials including French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde will discuss topics including “shortcomings in the international monetary system” and dealing with volatile capital flows, according to the schedule for the conference in Nanjing, a city on the Yangtze River about 170 miles (270 kilometers) from Shanghai.

Tomorrow’s event also reflects the French leader’s desire to organize a new “Bretton Woods” during his presidency of the G-20 to address what he has called imbalances in the global monetary system. He first raised the possibility of such a meeting in August and pressed the Chinese to act as hosts.

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, was the site of a 1944 meeting which led to the establishment of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

“I think in some sense maybe the axis of discussion for this G-20 is going to be helping the Chinese assume a bit more prominence at the global table,” said Cliff Tan, head of emerging-markets research at Societe Generale SA in Hong Kong.

--Michael Forsythe. With assistance from Rebecca Christie in Washington and James Hertling, Zheng Lifei and Rainer Buergin in Beijing. Editors: Paul Panckhurst, Nerys Avery.

Check out the full article:
G-20 Criticism of Fed Easing May Be Muted at Meeting in China - Businessweek