RichC | May 27, 2025
FYI, I have zero understanding of climate science beyond knowing that it is a politically loaded topic. I’ve tried to remain balanced on pollution vs economic issues my entire life — advocating for saving the whales, birds and manatees and for clean water and air in the 1960-70s when human offensives were clearly noticeable … […]
RichC | May 4, 2025
Rogue planets, also known as free-floating planets, are planetary bodies that drift through the Milky Way without orbiting a star. Unlike typical planets bound to a stellar system, these objects roam interstellar space, untethered by a parent star’s gravity. They’re intriguing because they challenge our understanding of planetary formation and survival in the harsh environment […]
RichC | March 30, 2025
Over the weekend, a friend of mine sent me a link and asked for my thoughts on an article in the New Atlas, titled “Alien life might glow in the dark on infrared waterworld planets, says James Webb study” (published March 19, 2025). Perhaps even those of us who question the existence of “extraterrestrial life,” […]
RichC | March 8, 2025
This is strictly a future hopeful and something I’ve read Tesla engineers are working on (Graphite Aluminum-Ion Batteries), but I can’t help but get excited about another new battery technology … yes again (see my 2005 post and unfortunately fallout and A123 bankruptcy in 2012). If it is truly going to be in the next […]
RichC | November 19, 2024
According to Brian Roemmele on X.com: Magnetic North is now drifting faster than 30 miles per year. It has already moved back past geological north, a place it has not been for 1000s of years. … and Elon Musk added: We live on a thin crust of solid rock, beneath which is vast ball of […]
RichC | October 22, 2024
Brenda and I have been working hard to walk the beach while on our annual October vacation to Florida. This year the ocean weather has been windy, a bit rainy … but warm. We’ve found the longer than usual walk challenging as the waves and tide has shrunk the beach and churned the water. We’ve […]
RichC | August 31, 2024
The folder labelled “MyCubby” on my Microsoft OneDrive is a place I collect images, links, photos, etc that might be worth looking at again … or perhaps used on the blog. Each month I try to start fresh with a relatively empty space … so to prepare for September 2024, I’ll archive a couple items […]
RichC | July 3, 2024
Yes it is hurricane season … and yes, the water temperatures are above historic norms … but climate change alarmists pretending to be CNN journalists are blaming fossil fuels directly. This isn’t factual or sound science. There are those who study climate change and global warming who hypothesize that the use of carbon-based fuels and […]
RichC | April 28, 2024
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RichC | December 16, 2023
NASA’s Perseverance rover continues on its Mars exploration mission that I’ve followed from the start. The Twitter feed along with the geology exploration and rock sample collection is space science at its best. For those not following the mission as closely, a YahooNews/CNN story last week that summarized the 1000 days of “roving” and of […]
RichC | December 6, 2023
Read the full article in Phys.org Ok … so it is not “manned,” but check out these physics facts from Discover Magazine anyway 😉 Q: Why does the moon always present the same face to us? I find it impossible to believe that this could happen by chance. — Michael Connelly, Toronto A: Nope, not […]
RichC | October 20, 2023
At first glance, a comet THREE TIMES the size of Mount Everest speeding towards earth is enough to get my attention. After a little more reading about this “horned” cryovolcanic comet … it will supposedly pass us by without incident. Whew. That said, it will pass close enough to earth next year (closest point on […]
RichC | September 20, 2023
What do you remember from Physics class? How about Bernoulli’s principle (something mentioned before). Physics teacher shows Bernoulli's principle pic.twitter.com/AUKpechMKA — Mind Blowing (@blowingfactz) September 17, 2023
RichC | August 16, 2023
Deep down … I think most people know that there is something corrupt when it comes to climate science, grant money and politics. Still we are hesitate to question anything because “who am I to question these complicated issues?” It has always bothered me that so many things become an immediate, high priority “crisis” when […]
RichC | June 25, 2023
Someone shared a National Geographic map on climate from a “years ago” issue and I found the discussion of the Hadley, Polar and Ferrel Cells interesting … I even had to look them up. The atmosphere transports heat throughout the globe extremely well, but present-day atmospheric characteristics prevent heat from being carried directly from the […]
RichC | March 11, 2023
When I was in high school, I headed off to Ohio Northern University to become an engineer although veered off into industrial technology, facility design and then teaching when offered a Miami University instructor position when in graduate school. Now putting that education redirection aside … and the other career moves that followed … I’m […]
RichC | February 18, 2023
Brenda commented that I didn’t link any information on the the large numbers of Portuguese Man O’ Wars earlier this week, so figured I would share a beach photo of a bourgeoning Portuguese Man O’ War spawn that were washing up all over the beach this past week (click above). The interesting colored spot on […]
RichC | January 27, 2023
As a boy growing up enamored with the NASA Apollo program and going to the moon in the 1960s, I’m still a little peeved at Pluto’s demotion from planet status. Nevertheless, I’m amazed at the New Horizon spaceship’s video flying over the mountains of Pluto. Amazing and a worthwhile Friday Filler.
RichC | October 1, 2022
Another interesting story tied to scientific development during World War 2 has crossed my email inbox from WSJ+. This one is about the virtually unknown Mary Sears, “the first oceanographer of the Navy.” Her groundbreaking oceanographic research led the U.S. to victory in the Pacific theater during World War II, according to the summary. I’m […]
RichC | September 24, 2022
In order to ensure sufficient oxygen within their burrow, prairie dogs use the Bernoulli’s principle. One of the entrances is built with a raised mound of dirt, while the other is not. This determines different wind velocities and different pressures. (Massimo – @Rainmaker1973) Bernoulli flow and viscous entrainment were identified by the researchers as the […]
RichC | August 4, 2022
One never knows who will stop by to join me by the pool on a hot evening (it is hot this week). On Wednesday it was an American Green Crab Spider (Misumessus oblongus). These little “almost luminous” vivid green spiders move like crabs but don’t spin spider webs. They spend their time climbing through green […]
RichC | July 19, 2022
This is what the Andromeda Galaxy would look like from Earth … IF it were a little brighter. Very impressive.
RichC | June 21, 2022
On Tuesday’s solstice, everywhere north of the equator will receive at least 12 hours of daylight and everywhere south of that point will get less than 12 hours. The continental U.S. will get 14 to 16 hours of daylight, compared with eight to 10 hours on the winter solstice. “All the planets orbit the sun […]
RichC | June 9, 2022
There are days we humans need to be reminded that we are small in relation to the universe, but unique (Genesis 1:27) and loved (John 3:16) in relation to God’s magnificent creation. TIDBITS: Voyager 1 continues into heading into our outer solar system as the space probe continues to communicate with the Deep Space Network […]
RichC | May 22, 2022
It is difficult to ignore the success of the private space industry and admire companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX as it launches and re-launches rocket after rocket. From satellite launching to shuttling astronauts to and from the International Space Station, SpaceX definitely has the potential to land astronauts back on the moon and to be […]
RichC | March 24, 2022
It was exciting to see the new Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion capsule move toward Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B this month as space-nerds anticipate NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission. The sight of such a large rocket “crawling” toward the launch pad brings back the Apollo program of my youth and the Space […]
RichC | December 21, 2021
The planetary astronomer and science guru, Dr. James O’Donoghue, that I follow on Twitter posted a great video illustration that explains today, December 21st … or more appropriately a couple of days that occur as the seasons change. Today is the winter solstice and it marks the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. On December […]
RichC | December 17, 2021
It has been interesting following NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover “virtually” since the launch on July 30, 2020 and landing on Mars February 18, 2021. Since that time, Perseverancehas sent back hundreds of photos from the surface, collected (core samples) rocks and spent time “off-roading” on the surface. The terrain photo above (click it for larger) […]
RichC | December 4, 2021
The scientific community which tracks asteroids has known about the “potentially hazardous” asteroid 4660 Nereus, which is the size of the Eiffel Tower, since it was discovered in 1982. It will pass at its closest point in 20-years on December 11, 2021, although still a safe distance from earth. The “egg shaped” asteroid may contains […]
RichC | November 25, 2021
It has been a challenging couple of years for most of the country and the world in not only combatting the Coronavirus pandemic’s loss of life and economic impact, but the psychological stress. I am thankful we in America have medical care and the pharmaceutical science able to rapidly develop antiviral medicines and vaccines. Let’s […]
RichC | October 1, 2021
What once was a weekly or at least bi-monthly lunch with my friend Jeff, has shifted to once every 3 months or so since COVID19. It’s not all due to the pandemic as changes in work habits and eating out habits has contributed to neglecting getting together. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to spend an hour […]
RichC | September 21, 2021
When I was a kid, I remember studying the illuminated glass globe in my bedroom and my grandparents pre-WW II atlas and then stumbling across the science theory showing the Alfred Wegener proposed supercontinent called Pangaea. The other day I saved the image overlay of today’s international borders on top of the globe image (click […]
RichC | August 4, 2021
TIDBIT: Although Jupiter and Saturn can look “relatively close” from our perspective, they are actually 456 million miles apart. Saturn is nearly twice as far away as Jupiter. We have had a few unusually cool evenings for early August (50-60F degrees) and the clear skies have me looking up. For stargazers and amateur sky watchers, […]
RichC | June 16, 2021
So why do I always end up trying to open the wrong end of a trash bag? With human intelligence and adaptive learning being what it is, one would think knowing which end of the trash bag to open when pulling one out of the box or roll would favor me getting it correct? I’m […]
RichC | May 25, 2021
The final new “half-moon” window was installed on Monday this week with the proper wagon-wheel spokes (photo below) .. which coincides with this week’s “Super Moon.” What makes this one somewhat unique is that there will also be a lunar eclipse where the earth shadows the moon. A total lunar eclipse completely blocks the moon, […]
RichC | April 13, 2021
You can take the boy out of school, but you can’t take school (and learning) out of the boy ( or older man at this point). Over the weekend, I was talking to Brenda about how I’ve been following the NASA feed (tweet below) and waiting for the helicopter to take flight on Mars. The […]
RichC | March 25, 2021
For the most part, I’m a conservative investor, although a regular channel trader, and I rarely speculates on risky upstarts, IPOs, zero-profit tech stocks, pharmaceutical long-shots or the latest crazy … cryptocurrency trend. Since most “risk” involves speculation, I see it more akin to gambling than eyes-open informed value or growth investing … both which […]
RichC | February 11, 2021
After reading about the Dzhanibekov Effect and seeing a demonstration, I just had to know more. The tennis racket theorem or intermediate axis theorem is a result in classical mechanics describing the movement of a rigid body with three distinct principal moments of inertia. It is also dubbed the Dzhanibekov effect, after Russian cosmonaut Vladimir […]
RichC | December 27, 2020
There was an interesting article in Prevention Magazine that explains what the COVID19 or generically the Coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna do … AND what their ingredients are. It also details the differences between the two from the standpoint of how cold storage temperatures need to be. Check out the article for the ingredients […]
RichC | December 20, 2020
For those who enjoy astronomy, space exploration or just looking at the night sky, an event know as Saturn and Jupiter’s Great Conjunction is happening on December 21st (although look in the southern sky shortly after sunset any night this month). A “conjunction” is an event that happens every 20 years for these two planets […]
RichC | December 9, 2020
No … not a pandemic (like Covid19) … or 45 years of Global Warming … or the current adopted term – Climate Change – according to Green New Deal Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or environmental activist Greta Thunberg … but an asteroid concluded the late Stephen Hawking. Also, there’s some real history, not a political ideology, […]
RichC | September 8, 2020
It is disturbing that someone actually tried this, but “for science” (cough, cough) … the result is eye-opening. I don’t think I’ll ever look into the end of pipes when working plumbing projects again. 😮
RichC | March 25, 2020
It may not come from space in the form of meteorites as mentioned in the story below, but I think the biggest advancement in this decade will be in superconductivity. Physicists have made fantastic advancements in reducing electrical resistance ever since Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes experimented with ferromagnetism in 1911, but getting superconductivity state […]
RichC | February 6, 2020
It has been a shockingly mild winter, at least in Cincinnati this year. Generally I don’t put the snow blower on the John Deere 330 tractor until it is needed, yet this year I prepared early … and may have frightened the snow away? Having a winter without much snow is not totally unheard of, […]
RichC | January 31, 2020
A wide-angle view of the solar surface from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope is the highest-resolution image of the Sun ever taken, showing details as small as 30 km wide. Seen here are granules, the tops of giant convection cells. Credit: NSO/NSF/AURA Whether it is gazing at the millions of stars night sky (the […]
RichC | October 29, 2019
It has been 26 years since the U.S. Supreme Court decided on Roe v. Wade. In 1973, our nine justices decided that pregnant women should have the right to legally choose an abortion (would it be different today?). Our national debate has continued non-stop for decades, but the call is getting louder to re-address the issue […]
RichC | July 28, 2019
Who wants to go swimming? The Great White Shark can detect blood in the water up to 3 miles away! Just look at those expensive teeth. I watched several science programs regarding space and the Apollo 11 moon landing these past couple of weeks … and one the other night explaining the Big Bang theory […]
RichC | June 15, 2019
Brenda and I watched the movie Interstellar (2014) once before, but we watched it again this past week, and as often happens, we picked up on a few more interesting facts that made our brains hurt … well at least mine: General relativity, The Science of Interstellar, Black Holes and Time Warps. Thankfully I could […]
RichC | June 14, 2019
With the colder weather and clear sky over Cincinnati late Thursday evening and Friday morning this week, I took my Lumix GX-8 camera and 100-300mm lens out in the backyard to see what I could photograph. Not much as expected from Jupiter, but I think I could make out a couple moons in the pixelated […]
RichC | June 12, 2019
Just north of Cincinnati the sky was perfect for viewing the rise of Jupiter as the sky darkened about 9:30PM. The bright dot (photo below from my iPhone) rose in the SE sky and arched slowly until reaching its highest point due south at about 12:30AM and then moved lower well after I was in […]
RichC | February 12, 2019
Having worked on my family tree with Ancestry.com back in 2010 and then ignored returning 9 years later, it has been interesting to look into it again now that DNA testing has grown in popularity. My results came back a few days ago and they were “as expected” (although the map a bit deceiving). From […]
RichC | January 17, 2019
One of my favorite YouTube channels is Engineering Explained and in this video car guru and mechanical engineer Jason Fenske explains just how BMW used water injection to increase power at full throttle and high manifold pressures. Great stuff. And if this kind of "automotive engineering stuff" interests you and you like aviation like me, […]
RichC | December 13, 2018
While this article (PDF version) may not necessarily garner front page news, it is something I wanted to read and archive because it was researched and published by my nephew Aaron Howard. Well done. The consequences of altered flowering dates due to climate change can be severe, especially for plants that rely on coordinated flower […]
RichC | November 17, 2018
Last week while clearing off our bookshelves I came across a ticket to The Music Man from 18 years ago when my nephew Ben played the lead in his high school musical. It occurred to me that his birthday was this month and that I should post it to his Facebook page while sending him […]
RichC | September 1, 2018
Some interesting results using my birth town and the "number of 90 degree days" in a New York Times "tool" which I interpret as wanting to alarm us into action over the "human induced climate change" projections. If you haven’t already dug your heels in with an opinion (likely influenced by politics either way) … […]
RichC | December 19, 2017
Although I have the traditional conservative view that one’s gender is in our DNA and one that we are born with, I understand there are those who differ. Let’s at least try to agree as a nation that we should at least protect young kids and early teens from the irreparable damage parents and doctor […]
RichC | December 3, 2017
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RichC | December 9, 2016
I helped fund the Raspberry Pi based computer Kickstarter project known as the RaspberryShake networkingworking a large number of inexpensive earthquake monitoring station around the world (www.raspberryshake.org/quick-start-guide). The idea of connecting hundreds if not thousands of independent volunteer monitoring stations isn’t new, but it is a growing force in data collection. Hopefully I’ll be able […]
RichC | November 2, 2016
Our go-to pain killers are addictive and over prescribed … that’s a given. The problem is what can be done besides better management and stiffer penalties (debatable) to solve the near epidemic problem with Opioid addiction (PDF). Enter the lowly venomous snake. Toxins in the venom of poisonous snakes have the properties of triggering nerves […]
RichC | September 28, 2015
A few of my photos on Sunday night of the Super Moon Solar Eclipse in the sky over Cincinnati, Ohio. Very cool. Graphic from skyandtelescope.com and usatoday.com below.