David Tennant is leaving the series? Say it isn't so! Just when you get used to a new Dr. Who, they go and mess with our emotions by killing off the doctor, or rather, he regenerates so they can replace the actor and go on with the show.
A lot of us were very disappointed by the loss of the intense and mysterious Dr. #9 played by Christopher Eccleston. It was a very dramatic season finale in 2005 when Rose nearly sacrifices her life for his and he, in turn, died for her. But minutes later, thanks to regeneration, the doctor is well again, albeit with a new face and body. I stomped around for a while, unable to watch this new actor take over. How could he ever compare?
Eventually I came to appreciate David Tennant's new doc. His stylish slim suits paired with Converse sneakers and disheveled hair defined him as a hipper version of the character. He wasn't as tough as Eccleston but he still had the energy level to pull off the iconic doctor.
I'm not sure that we are about to lose Dr. #10 but knowing this series, I wouldn't be surprised. I caught this new of the latest doctor departure at syfyportal.com . You can read more about the rumors here. Yes, I am such a nerd for rumor-mongering about science fiction shows.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Climate Change Brought in for Questioning
Suspect #1, a.k.a. Global Warming, a.k.a. Climate Change, was brought in for questioning regarding its role in our increasingly scary hurricane seasons.
Researchers Greg Holland of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Peter Webster of Georgia Institute of Technology analyzed a century of storm data to uncover whether the increasing storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic—observed by scientist and layman alike—are a result of natural cycles or human induced climate change. The authors of the study concluded that the frequency of tropical storms are increasing with the rising rising sea surface temperatures (SSTs). In turn, the cause of the warming SSTs looks like human produced greenhouse gases. So it isn't looking too good for C.C. (climate change) who is already up for charges for melting ice in the Arctic, and consequently adding to the mortality of polar bears in the region as well as economic instability for the local humans.
Image courtesy Steve Deyo, ©UCAR
Holland and Webster gathered storm and temperature statistics for the North Atlantic from 1900 to 2005 and found that they had increased in two sharp step functions (around 1930 and since 1995) separated by periods of relative stable activity. (Shown in graphic). They measured an increase in ocean temperature by approximately 0.7 degrees Fahrenheit before each period of increased storm activity. This last period has not yet ended so we could be looking at a few more interesting storm seasons up ahead.
This isn't the first report to link higher hurricane activity with sea-surface temperatures. Now, I haven't checked into every paper published on the subject, by I found at least one other report in Science online here. The paper by Holland and Webster contains a comprehensive list.
This information will no doubt make most of us wonder about Hurricane Katrina and just where we can lay the blame for that one. So far, no one has proven Climate Change to be solely responsible for the storm, as intense storms occur during every natural cycle and the ratio of major hurricanes to tropical storms still sits at around 55%. However, the frequency of these major hurricanes have increased with the increase in overall cyclones. A major hurricane is categorized as having over 110 mph 177 (km/h) winds. Katrina's winds reached up to 170 mph 274 (km/h) and its landfall speeds reached 125 mph (201 km/h).
The full report by Holland and Webster is published online in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London on July 30th. A detailed press release from the Georgia Institute of Technology is available here. Tell me if I missed anything.
If you want to learn more about climate change in general, the New Scientist has an interesting roundup of the 26 most common myths about climate change. Check it out.
Researchers Greg Holland of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Peter Webster of Georgia Institute of Technology analyzed a century of storm data to uncover whether the increasing storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic—observed by scientist and layman alike—are a result of natural cycles or human induced climate change. The authors of the study concluded that the frequency of tropical storms are increasing with the rising rising sea surface temperatures (SSTs). In turn, the cause of the warming SSTs looks like human produced greenhouse gases. So it isn't looking too good for C.C. (climate change) who is already up for charges for melting ice in the Arctic, and consequently adding to the mortality of polar bears in the region as well as economic instability for the local humans.
Image courtesy Steve Deyo, ©UCARThis isn't the first report to link higher hurricane activity with sea-surface temperatures. Now, I haven't checked into every paper published on the subject, by I found at least one other report in Science online here. The paper by Holland and Webster contains a comprehensive list.
This information will no doubt make most of us wonder about Hurricane Katrina and just where we can lay the blame for that one. So far, no one has proven Climate Change to be solely responsible for the storm, as intense storms occur during every natural cycle and the ratio of major hurricanes to tropical storms still sits at around 55%. However, the frequency of these major hurricanes have increased with the increase in overall cyclones. A major hurricane is categorized as having over 110 mph 177 (km/h) winds. Katrina's winds reached up to 170 mph 274 (km/h) and its landfall speeds reached 125 mph (201 km/h).
The full report by Holland and Webster is published online in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London on July 30th. A detailed press release from the Georgia Institute of Technology is available here. Tell me if I missed anything.
If you want to learn more about climate change in general, the New Scientist has an interesting roundup of the 26 most common myths about climate change. Check it out.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Operation Banner Ends
From the BBC: The British army's operation in Northern Ireland will come to an end at midnight on Tuesday after 38 years. They are reducing their presence from N.I. from 27,000 soldiers to 5,000.
From the International Herald Tribune: The British Army, for 38 years a prominent symbol of the sectarian antagonisms of Northern Ireland, closed down its operations there Tuesday.
Just in case you missed it! I've been relying on too many American news sources and almost missed it too.
From the International Herald Tribune: The British Army, for 38 years a prominent symbol of the sectarian antagonisms of Northern Ireland, closed down its operations there Tuesday.
Just in case you missed it! I've been relying on too many American news sources and almost missed it too.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Brunch and Celebs on Sunday
Elijah Wood looks like a normal kinda guy. We saw him leaving a local diner in Brooklyn with a few other youngish folks. Of course I wondered, is that Elijah Wood, my favorite hobbit or does that man look too much like him to be true? Once he lit his cigarette and flashed those baby blues, I knew for certain that it was Elijah. It was mid-afternoon on Sunday, rather late for second breakfast, so he was probably finishing up his brunch.
Is it just me, or do all of the normal celebrities stick to NYC while all of the basket cases tend to make their homes in LA? I've been celebrity spotting for ten years and have yet to be flashed, screamed at, or insulted by any of these people. Although, you could you count the time a large body guard belonging to P. Diddy (or whatever he is called) tried to intimidate a friend and me so that we kept the appropriate distance from his table at Joe's Pub.
My man and I were on our way to our own brunch-scapade with 14 friends of friends. It was our second time at Patois but I will return again soon. Lovely food. And the fritatta with artichokes, potatoes, and tomatoes simply hit the spot. My IMDB research informed me that artichokes are a favorite of Elijah's as well, so I would recommend he try it too. The only complaint from our group- the egg dish (hollandaise?) with smoked salmon was a bit too light on the salmon. The Paupered Chef went so far as to call it the best brunch in Brooklyn.
Is it just me, or do all of the normal celebrities stick to NYC while all of the basket cases tend to make their homes in LA? I've been celebrity spotting for ten years and have yet to be flashed, screamed at, or insulted by any of these people. Although, you could you count the time a large body guard belonging to P. Diddy (or whatever he is called) tried to intimidate a friend and me so that we kept the appropriate distance from his table at Joe's Pub.
My man and I were on our way to our own brunch-scapade with 14 friends of friends. It was our second time at Patois but I will return again soon. Lovely food. And the fritatta with artichokes, potatoes, and tomatoes simply hit the spot. My IMDB research informed me that artichokes are a favorite of Elijah's as well, so I would recommend he try it too. The only complaint from our group- the egg dish (hollandaise?) with smoked salmon was a bit too light on the salmon. The Paupered Chef went so far as to call it the best brunch in Brooklyn.
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