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Earthquake Lights: The Mystery has Been Solved
Earthquake lights remind me that everything will always be calm and okay… http://www.jimonlight.com/ ‘Earthquake lights,’ or earthquake luminosity, is the name of a phenomenon that occurs just before, during, or right after an earthquake. Earthquake lights are lights that appear from seemingly nowhere, and disappear just as mysteriously. They come in many colors and forms. People have reported seeing them for hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until now that scientists believe they may finally understand why strange lights are seen during an earthquake.
A report from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in 1975 about the Kalapana earthquake on the Big Island of Hawaii described the earthquake lights that were seen during and immediately after the quake. The report stated that,
During and immediately after the main shock, ‘earthquake lights’ of white to bluish flashes or glows lasting several seconds were reported by a number of observers… The lights are believed to be results of earthquake-induced distortions of the atmosphere.
An earthquake-induced distortion of the atmosphere is scientific jargon for “we have no idea.”
Related Article: Science Says “Smart People Are Idiots”
Aliens have the inalienable right to hang out near earthquake sites. http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/ Earthquake lights can last for hours at a time and have been spotted many miles away from the epicenter of earthquakes. They are certainly strange, but researchers believe that a new study is the most likely hypothesis for why and how earthquake lights form.
The study, published in Seismological Research Letters, represents a whole new approach to understanding earthquake lights. The study explains that earthquake lights are a phenomenon that have been known about for hundreds of years, explaining that,
With the beginning of seismology as a science in the 19th century, many scholars devoted time to reporting luminosities associated with earthquake activity. To name a few, the Irish engineer Robert Mallet, the “founder of seismology”, published a five part catalog entitled “On the Facts of Earthquake Phenomena”… in which numerous reports on earthquake luminosities can be found. His catalog, first presented to the British Association of Science, covers the years 1606 B.C. to 1842 A.D.. Ignazio Galli, an Italian priest who graduated in Natural Sciences, published in the early 1900s a catalog of 148 seismic events associated with different types of luminosities. His catalog covers the years 89 B.C. to 1910 A.D.
Looks like both religion and science have been aware of earthquake lights for some time. The study goes on to explain the past theories for earthquake lights. There are two major past theories, and another fringe theory:
Old Theory 1: Earthquake lights are the result of intense electric fields which cause atmospheric disturbances. These fields are created through piezoelectricity, a charge that accumulates in crystals undergoing stress. Because there are a great deal of rocks in the earth that contain quartz crystal, this theory is plausible. Thrown violently about by tectonic plates, the quartz crystals release piezoelectricity and could be creating a luminescent stir in the atmosphere.
Old Theory 2: Earthquake lights are caused by local disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field within the ionosphere. These disturbances are caused by tectonic stress. A glow can be seen as the magnetic field and particles in the ionosphere recombine and reform. This theory is the least likely of the two because the described effects on the ionosphere have not been notably observed.
Related Article: Pooping Dogs Perceive Earth’s Magnetic Field
Old Theory 3: Earthquake lights are created using government technology under the authority of a project called the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, or HAARP. HAARP’s aim is to better understand the ionosphere and how it can be manipulated and used to provide better communication and surveillance for civilian and military use. Many believe that HAARP is used to create natural disasters by disrupting Earth’s magnetic field. They also think it could be a mind control device. This theory is the most likely to remain a theory for a very long time.
This is where Big Brother makes weather for the proles. New Theory: Earthquake lights are caused by the release of negatively-charged oxygen atoms created through high intensity stress. These atoms slip through cracks in the earth and reach the atmosphere even before an earthquake can be felt. Dense groups of these atoms ionize pockets of air, creating a plasma that emits light.
The new theory on earthquake lights is the most likely to be true as it explains why the lights can be seen for up to days before the earthquake begins. Tectonic stress gradually builds up over an extended period of time, and according to the theory, so do the lights.
Despite earthquake lights occurring 85% of the time at earthquake sites that account for only 5% of all earthquakes, researchers are hopeful that the lights might one day be used as an early warning system.
Sources:
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/earthquakes/destruct/1975Nov29
http://srl.geoscienceworld.org/content/85/1/159
http://jjap.jsap.jp/link?JJAP/37/5016/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/view.php?id=22089
http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-space/article/2008-06/militarys-mystery-machine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Frequency_Active_Auroral_Research_Program
crystals stress energy, earth quake lights haarp, Earthquake, earthquake lights, earthquake lights cause, earthquake lights china, earthquake lights japan, earthquake lights source, earthquake luminosity, earthquake orb, epicenter, glowing, hawaiian volcano observatory, kalapana earthquake, light, lights, magnetic field, orb, phenomenon, piezoelectric, piezoelectricity, plasma, quartz crystal, seismology, tectonic plate, tectonic plate earthquake, warning system -
Pooping Dogs Perceive Earth’s Magnetic Field
Earth’s magnetic field is the reason you’re reading this. In the first study of its kind researchers were able to prove that dogs are able to perceive Earth’s magnetic field. Although it is still unknown exactly how dogs exhibit magnetosensitivity (magnetic sensitivity), the evidence speaks for itself. Observation of defecation and urination preferences of seventy different dogs led to conclusive answers. Recent studies have even led scientists to believe that humans may have the ability to perceive Earth’s magnetic field in a similar way.
Earth’s Magnetic Field and Dog Crap
According to the researchers of the study,
Several mammalian species spontaneously align their body axis with respect to the Earth’s magnetic field (MF) lines in diverse behavioral contexts.
Dog poop will lead the way to understanding the magnetic field. motherboard.vice.com It was this body alignment that researchers from all around the world speculated they might see in dogs. 70 dogs from 37 different breeds were chosen to take part in the study. No animal cruelty took place; the only thing the dogs had to do was number one and two. For two years scientists observed dogs defecate 1,893 times and urinate 5,582 times. Each time a dog did its business the research team took note of the geomagnetic conditions at the time, taking into account the intensity of Earth’s magnetic field at the time, as well as the direction of the dog relative to magnetic north.
Related Article: Dogs Can Predict Earthquakes by Hearing Them
The results irrefutably show that as long as the Earth’s magnetic field is calm and stable, dogs prefer to align themselves perfectly along the north-south polar axis. When the field is unstable, alignment no longer occurs. Researchers are unsure why dogs behave this way as it has nothing to do with navigation. In truth, bird and mammalian perception of Earth’s magnetic field is still a total mystery.
What is the Magnetic Field?
The magnetic field is like a Romulan force field. http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/ Although the magnetic field is a wildly debated topic in various fields of science, scientists do agree on one fact: it is the only reason we’re alive. The sun ejects ionized gases filled with charged particles, called a “solar wind,” in all directions at a velocity of about 250 miles per second. This solar wind would leave Earth as barren as Mars were it not for our magnetic field.
The magnetic field is a constantly changing and shifting field of magnetic influence surrounding the planet. The field extends for hundreds of miles in one form or another. Although the evidence is still debated, most scientists accept dynamo theory, which is a theory describing the dynamo effect, as the source of the field’s origin. The dynamo effect is an explanation for the creation of planetary magnetic fields which claims that it is produced by the movement of electrical currents in the spinning liquid metallic outer core of the Earth, which is made of iron and nickel.
Related Article: Martian Spiders: Seasonal Life on Mars
The magnetic field shield! Although we usually refer to space as a vacuum, or utterly empty, this is not exactly true. A colossal amount of plasma and ionized gas which we call a solar wind is constantly being ejected from the sun. The solar wind is slowed down from a super-sonic speed to a sub-sonic speed when it hits the bow shock, the outermost area of influence of the magnetic field. This area is also called the magnetopause. The entire area of space between the magnetopause and the Earth is called the magnetosphere, or Earth’s magnetic field. All planets except for our neighbors Mars and Venus have a magnetic field.
Fun Fact: The magnetic field deflects the ionized particles like a windshield deflects rain. A very small amount of these gases break through the bow shock and get stuck in the field. These charged particles from the sun are what cause the aurora borealis (northern and southern lights).
Related Article: MIT Discovers New State of Matter and Magnetism
Perceiving the Magnetic Field
There are three ways in which Earth’s magnetic field can be perceived:
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Mechanical Reception – This is the principle behind a compass needle. A magnetic field exerts a torque on a ferromagnetic material or on a material with diamagnetic anisotropy. Only ferromagnets will be able to produce a response to a field as weak as 0.5 Gauss that is detectable against thermal motion. In animals, the use of small magnetic particles (e.g., magnetite) as magnetoreceptors has been suggested. The use of magnetite has been shown in magnetotactic bacteria that are rotated by a magnetic field because of the torque exerted on their magnetite particles.
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A peek a the magnetic field. http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/ Electric Induction – Movement in a magnetic field will result in an induced electric field. Elasmobranch fish have a special sensory organ to perceive electric fields with high accuracy and can use this organ also to detect magnetic fields. However, such an organ can not be found in all animals capable of magnetoreception.
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Chemical Reception – Chemical reactions that involve transitions between different spin states can be influenced by magnetic fields, so that one of the possible products is favored due to the influence of the magnetic field. Usually, magnetic fields much stronger than the geomagnetic field are necessary to see a significant change in products. For a particular type of chemical reaction, radical-pair reactions, it has recently been shown experimentally that 0.5 Gauss magnetic fields produce a small, but measurable change in product ratios.
Perception of the magnetic field allows an animal to perceive their direction, altitude, and location in an environment. Magnetoreception allows an organism to create a regional map of the area they live in, as well as incredibly precise navigation. It’s like having an internal compass, gps, and google maps all at the same time. I like to think of perceiving the Earth’s magnetic field as having a video game-like mini map on your existential interface.
Animal Perception of the Magnetic Field
There is only one organism with a magnetic field perception scientists are sure they fully understand. The organism is a bacteria called a magnetotactic bacteria, and it has a very remarkable sense of the magnetosphere.
Inside magnetotactic bacteria cells there are organelles which contain magnetic crystals. The fixed magnets in the bacteria force it into polar alignment. This occurs with cells even if they are dead.
Although many can do it, scientists still have no unanimously accepted explanation for how the magnetic field is perceived by animals. The ability has been observed in a wide variety of species. According to a study published in the journal of comparative physiology,
A magnetic compass is widespread among animals, magnetic navigation is indicated e.g. in birds, marine turtles and spiny lobsters and the use of magnetic ‘sign posts’ has been described for birds and marine turtles.
Although in most cases we don’t know how, or why some animals have the ability to perceive the magnetic field, we are certain it is widespread. A great example of an animal with a magnetosensitivity we mostly understand is the chicken, an animal we all know and love. Hens have tiny magnets in their beaks which help them navigate. It is standard practice to cut the end of the beak off to avoid pecking. Doing this, however, also greatly disrupts a hen’s ability to navigate. Maybe that’s why chickens always seem so confused.
Related Article: Immortal Animals and the Human Link
Another classic example I’m sure you’ve heard of is the homing pigeon. This is a perfect example of an animal that proves time and time again it can perceive the magnetic field, and in fact depends on it for its precise navigation and homing ability. In fact, bird migration as a whole greatly depends on perception of the magnetosphere. The cause of the ability still eludes scientists though.
Too much declination to read the magnetic field right now! misadventuresofwidowhood.blogspot.com Human Perception of the Magnetic Field
Some studies have claimed that magnets in the bones of human sinuses allow for magnetosensitivity to take place in humans. Magnets in the cells of our eyes have been found as well.
There is currently a project which attempts to emulate the experience of magnetic navigation as a sensory experience. Feel Space uses a belt which emits ongoing vibrations which train the wearer to recognize when they are aligned north to south, or in other directions. Could magnetosensitivity be a sixth sense humanity unlocks for itself? For those brave enough to try it, you could always implant magnets into the tips of your fingers in order to ‘feel’ changes in electromagnetic fields around you.
Sources:
http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/10/1/80/abstract
http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/pdf/1742-9994-10-80.pdf
http://www.phy6.org/earthmag/dynamos2.htm
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/29dec_magneticfield.html
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1002/1002.1860.pdf
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/earth/magnetic.html
http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/magsense/
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2001/20010702/living_lodestones.shtml
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=magnetoreception
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15886990
http://jeb.biologists.org/content/210/13/2300.full
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9317262
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6823284
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13809144
http://gizmodo.com/5895555/i-have-a-magnet-implant-in-my-finger
bow shock, chemical reception, compass, compass magnetic field, dog poo magnetic field, dogs magnetic field, dynamo effect, dynamo theory, earth magnetic field, earths magnetic field, electric induction, feel space, hens magnet beak, homing pigeon magnet, human magnetic field, humans magnet eyes, humans magnet nose, humans magnetic field, magnet tip finer, magnetic field, magnetic field brain, magnetic field mystery, magnetic field navigation, magnetic field of earth, magnetic field planets, magnetic north, magnetic sensitivity, magnetic south, magnetopause, magnetosensitivity, magnetosphere, magnetotactic bacteria, magnets fingers, magnets tip of fingers, mars magnetic field, mechanical reception, perceive earth magnetic field, sixth sense, true magnetic north -
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Fuel Cell Cars: A History In Motion
Fuel Cell Cars, the 21st century mount! bmwblog.com From November 20 thru December 1st, the Tokyo Motor Show went off without any backfire and showcased a display of all types of vehicles. Everything from the cube-like DECA DECA super space vehicle to the quirky convertible X-Lander was displayed with vigor and intrigue. One notable display at the 2013 show was the Toyota FCV Concept Car. This car is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.
The Elusive Hydrogen Fuel Cell
The idea behind the hydrogen fuel cell is simple. When hydrogen and oxygen combine they create H2O, heat, light, and a loose electron. This loose electron is captured and used as a power source.
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/power/1-what-are-fuel-cells.html How Did Groves Battery Work?
Sir William Robert Grove is considered to be the father of the fuel cell. In 1839 he created a “gas voltaic battery.”
He based his experiment on the fact that sending an electric current through water splits the water into its component parts of hydrogen and oxygen. So, Grove tried reversing the reaction – combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water. This is the basis of a simple fuel cell.
The idea of reverse engineering got other scientists thinking. How did he figure that out? Though it is a simple concept, the use of hydrogen fuel cells has long been naught but an alchemist’s dream. Scientists have spent the last 150 years negotiating the delicate balance of cost efficiency. With the yield being far less than the cost of production, the experiments performed by Charles R. Alder Wright and C. Thompson led them to this conclusion:
our results were sufficiently good to convince us that if the expense of construction were no object, so that large coated plates could be employed, enabling currents of moderate magnitude to be obtained with but small current density, there would be no particular difficulty in constructing [cells] of this kind, competent to yield currents comparable with those derived from ordinary small laboratory batteries; although we concluded that the economical production of powerful currents for commercial purposes by the direct oxidation of combustible gasses did not seem to be a problem likely to be readily solved, chiefly on account of the large appliances that would be requisite
Or… “we don’t have enough money and resources.”
Related Article: Technological Advancements: A Detriment to Our HearingNASA’s Use of Fuel Cells In Space
NASA has been using fuel cell technology since the Gemini missions, which was a stepping stone to the Apollo missions. The Gemini missions gave NASA the opportunity to test, develop, and refine their space faring abilities.
Since then NASA has continued to pursue three different types of fuel cell technology: Proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), regenerative fuel cells (RFCs), and solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).
PEMFCs: In theory these cells should last the longest out of the three. The only emissive byproduct of this cell is water. This water is said to be so pure that NASA plans to use it as drinking water for astronauts.
While the future of these cells is bright they are definitely in need of further refinement.RFCs: What a wonder that such a thing exists. These fuel cells create electricity, water, and heat. After the process the water is then introduced to a solar-powered electrolyzer. This takes the water and turns it back into its basic components: hydrogen and oxygen.
SOFCs: These cells are the most efficient of the three. They take energy from directly oxidizing fuels. The type of fuel is flexible and the cell is a long term champion. The only downside is that these cells need to operate at temperatures between 600-1000°C (1112-1832°F). Which… is something to sweat about.
From the Stars to the Garage
NASA has been quite generous in helping to provide the technological state we live in, from awarding the grant to the inventor of the mouse (the one you’re likely using right now) to aiding in the aerodynamic creation of the Nerf Glider. With the fuel cell it isn’t any different. Heck, they’re currently working with the Cleveland RTA using a hydrogen fuel cell powered bus to transport commuters to and fro.
The technology has even left the research labs of NASA and made its way into other industries. As I mentioned earlier, cars too are now being conceptualized with Zero emissions. Well, there’s water of course.
2013 has shown us Toyota’s first attempt at the hydrogen fuel cell car. This new year already has its promises! In California, Hyundai plans to introduce a “free fuel” program that will start with 1000 cars and only a few dealerships. American car companies are also planning to release their own fuel cell powered vehicles but you may have to wait a little bit longer. By 2017 Ford intends to introduce its own Hydrogen Car.
It seems that 150 years of experimentation is starting to bear fruit- Not the kind that laypeople have to watch distantly orbiting our planet. Rather, we will begin to see a transformation of our society away from haste and waste and move toward longevity and thoughtfulness.
Related Article: Waking Up: New State of Consciousness ProposedSources:
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/power/1-what-are-fuel-cells.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_vehicle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell_vehicle
http://americanhistory.si.edu/fuelcells/origins/origins.htm
http://paultan.org/2013/11/21/tokyo-2013-daihatsu-deca-deca/
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/suzuki/2013-suzuki-x-lander-ar160981.html
http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Biographies/GroveBio.htm
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/gemini/index.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/fuel_cells.html
http://www.siei.org/electrolyzers.html
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/technologies/spinoffs.html
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/510416/ford-daimler-and-nissan-commit-to-fuel-cells/
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The Rise of Labiaplasty: Having the Perfect Vagina
Labiaplasty: Society’s new fad. http://www.mte101.com Labiaplasty is now the fastest growing form of plastic surgery women ask for. It involves the surgical alteration or removal of the inner lips of the vagina. Labiaplasty, also commonly called labioplasty, labia minora reduction, and labial reduction, is a $4,000 – $5,000 operation requested by women of all ages, and from all different cultures. Even girls as young as 16 years old are having their labia lips removed in the hope of having “the perfect vagina.” Is this growing trend something to be concerned about? Why are so many women cutting up their private bits?
Warning: This article is not safe for work (NSFW)
The Rise of Labiaplasty
Most women who undergo labiaplasty are aiming for the same, very specific vaginal look. They want a vagina that is “clean, tucked in, and tight.” They are looking to have little to no lips, complete symmetry, and clear visibility of the clitoris. For these reasons labiaplasty routinely involves cutting off the labia minora (inner lips that hang) right up to the body, and slicing away part of the clitoral hood so that the clitoris can be easily seen. Furthermore, the operation usually only involves local anesthesia, so women remain awake. It sounds like a horrific and unnecessary procedure, but the numbers speak for themselves: women don’t like the look of their vaginas.
Related Article: Teens Give Head at Unprecedented Rates: Oral Sex On the Rise
Easy as 1,2,3. http://www.medicalandlegal.co.uk/ In the documentary The Perfect Vagina (NSFW) a woman from the UK sets out to understand why women are going under the knife to alter the look of their genitalia. She notes that labiaplasty is the fastest growing cosmetic surgery in the UK, and one of the fastest growing operations in the United States. Plastic surgeons all around the world are seeing up to 300% increases in labiaplasty requests in the last two years alone.
According to gynecologist Linda Cardozo, requests from the UK’s National Health Service for what she calls a “designer vagina” have doubled in the last five years. Cardozo is concerned about the well being of women because a labiaplasty means being subjected to a largely unregulated procedure, one that involves the risk of permanent scarring, infections, bleeding and irritation, as well as major changes in vaginal sensitivity. According to the documentary, a labiaplasty procedure can take up to three months to fully heal. In the worst cases, post-operative clitoral hood deformity can occur.
Cardozo noted that it isn’t rare to have three generations from the same family come into her office all looking for the same type of labia reduction. She comments that women are looking to have a vagina that looks like that of a little girl, which will never truly come to fruition because these women aren’t and will never be little girls again.
Labiaplasty and the Legendary ‘Perfect Vagina’
Surgeons actually split women seeking cosmetic genital surgery into two main groups: those with an actual congenital condition, and those with no underlying conditions or physical discomfort. A 2008 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine reported that 32% of women who underwent the procedure did so to correct a functional impairment, 31% to correct a functional impairment and for aesthetic reasons, and 37% for aesthetic reasons alone. This shows that the majority of women who choose to undergo labiaplasty surgery are doing so for purely aesthetic reasons.
Related Article: All Your Kids are Sexting: Sex, Nudity, and Violence
There is beauty in all flowers. http://www.youbeauty.com The authors of a recent study on the growing rate of labiaplasty noted that,
patients consistently wanted their vulvas to be flat, with no protrusion beyond the labia majora … some women brought along images to illustrate the desired appearance, usually from adverts or pornography that may have been digitally altered.
Women are using digitally altered pictures, that is, fictional vaginas, as an example of what theirs should look like. These digitally modified vaginas, along with female models and pornstars who have been chosen specifically for the way their body (including their vagina) looks, are warping the self-image of women all around the globe. This type of aesthetic ideal is nothing new of course, but what is new is the idea of a perfect looking vagina.
Ours is a society that glorifies violence but shuns sex and nudity. We deny ourselves as sexual beings and think of the body, especially our private areas, as a taboo subject. For this reason, most women grow up with something far worse than a warped image of their body. They grow up being ignorant of their own body.
Women are taught not to think or talk about their bodies. Ignorance regarding what is normal naturally leads to insecurities, and subsequently more ignorance. For example, just as many women believe in the myth of the perfect looking vagina, many people believe in the myths surrounding loose versus tight vaginas. Here’s a hint: it’s all rubbish.
Related Article: Menstrual Cups: The Sustainable Period
To this day, descriptions of what a ‘normal’ vagina looks like are not taught in the sad excuse for “sex education” that is available to our children. Little girls grow into womanhood learning about the way their vagina should look from the only source that openly discusses it: the media.
Labiaplasty can easily be linked to the media’s effect on women. If you think this is far-fetched, check out this haunting video below that provides some insight into the global onslaught of advertisements designed to exploit girls’ insecurities.
A recent study examined the effects that exposure to images of digitally altered vulva had on women. The results indicated that even minor exposure the images significantly influenced a woman’s perception of what is normal. The reason is due to a lack of discussion regarding what is and isn’t normal. So, let’s talk.
The Normal Vagina
One of the major reasons women want labiaplasty is because they are led to believe that there is such a thing as a ‘perfect vagina.’ The truth however, is that vaginas are like snowflakes: They are all unique and different, and they are all beautiful.
Vaginas come packaged in a surprising number of different ways. The size, color, and shape of labia varies significantly from woman to woman, just like our bodies do. The size of labia can vary from 2 – 10 centimeters. It is also common for each side of the labia to be a different length. Additionally, events such as childbirth, puberty, and general aging can greatly alter the look of a woman’s vagina, especially the labia. Simply put, all vaginas are normal, and the same goes for labia. All labia are normal.
This is a random sample of vaginas. Can you find two that are even remotely similar? http://www.greatwallofvagina.co.uk Labiaplasty: Problem or Solution?
Although there is a great deal of negativity surrounding labiaplasty, women consistently report that it makes them happier and more confident. According to a 2011 review published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, overall patient satisfaction for a labiaplasty procedure is in the 90 – 95% range.
According to one of the patients interviewed in the documentary The Perfect Vagina, she was teased by her sister for being an ‘outtie.’ She also said that past boyfriends had made fun of her, calling her labia a “hanging ham.” Having labiaplasty surgery allowed her to gain self confidence in life. She reported being extremely happy with the outcome of the surgery.
Related Article: Safe, Reversible, Cheap, Proven to Work Male Birth Control
Womans News interviewed a 20 year old girl who said that it wasn’t until late in life that she had actually looked at her vagina. She reported being horrified by what she saw, stating that,
I looked in like, those magazines, and saw that inner labia shouldn’t stick out like mine did. So I had a labiaplasty and now I love the way I look; nice and neat and new. My vagina looks perfect.
Let’s not forget that there are women who get labiaplasty due to extremely large lips that legitimately get in the way of daily life. All of this self confidence has to be a good thing right? If this procedure is making women happy and more secure in themselves then what’s the problem?
With the exception of women who have labiaplasty for medical reasons, the original reason they seek out the treatment is usually due to devastatingly poor self-image. Stopping the practice of labiaplasty is pointless, what we need to stop is the ignorance that causes self-image issues.
These lines make surgery more fun. http://www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com Talking about these issues couldn’t come at a better time since cosmetic surgery in general is on the rise. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2012 alone there were 14.6 million plastic surgeries in America, a 5% increase over 2011. It’s a figure that continues to rise year after year. These surgeries include breast augmentation, gluteal implants, liposuction, face lifts, and of course, labiaplasty.
Related Article: Fooling People into Passionate Belief
The key is open communication, and eventual acceptance of who we are physically and mentally. Los Angeles gynecologist Dr. David Matlock reiterates where women are getting the notion of a perfect vagina from, saying that,
Women want to be tight. They don’t want sagging or loose labia. I can’t tell you how many pages and pages of pornographic material woman have brought into me saying ‘I want to look like this.’
There is a serious denial of reality happening when a woman chooses labiaplasty to reconstruct her vagina based on a digital creation made to look 30 years younger and infinitely more ‘societally perfect’ than her vagina. Altering your body through surgery is by no means harmful in and of itself. What is harmful is the potential psychological conditions that lead to the decision to have labiaplasty.
A study from Cambridge University found that there is often a great deal of insecurity involved in the decision to have labiaplasty. It has been reported that a good number of plastic surgeons take advantage of insecure and ill-informed women by pointing out the ‘potential’ faults of a woman’s vagina. This is an easy way to persuade women that labiaplasty is right for them.Related Article: Awareness and Dealing with Rejection
Everyone should have the right to do as they please, as long as it does not harm anyone else. That is why I would never propose an outright ban on labiaplasty. What I propose instead is a ban on being taboo. Let an open dialogue about sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll begin the moment kids are curious. No more baby-delivering-storks and cooties nonsense.
If you want your child to grow into a knowledgeable, capable, self-confident adult, don’t handicap them by making everything an unexplained mystery. Help your daughter to understand and accept herself. Consider, do you want your daughter, or any woman for that matter, to feel that they need labiaplasty in order to be beautiful?
To each and every woman on the planet: There is no such thing as normal. There is no such thing as perfect. Your vagina is beautiful, and so are you.
Sources:
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/perfect-vagina/
http://aes.sagepub.com/content/33/7/1030.abstract
http://www.newviewcampaign.org/userfiles/file/BJOG%2005-normal-genitalia.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=18355172
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201109/the-rare-truth-about-tight-and-loose-women
http://www.newviewcampaign.org/userfiles/file/BJOG%2005-normal-genitalia.pdf
http://www.labialibrary.org.au/your-labia/are-my-labia-normal/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21492397
http://womensenews.org/story/health/041114/more-women-seek-vaginal-plastic-surgery#.UsNeGvRDtk1
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8913693
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Alcohol in Moderation Strengthens Immune System
January 17, 1920. A day to remember, a day to forget, but mostly a day that made America dry. At 12:01 A.M. America entered its age of Prohibition. Alcohol was no longer sold anywhere legally and everyone relied on bootleggers to keep the nectar flowing. Flash forward to 2014 (Happy New Year!!!), alcohol has become a very vibrant part of our culture and lifestyle. With drunken people mostly kept in check by laws, we now are able to enjoy our alcohol to whatever extent we wish.
But is that such a good thing? Maybe there should be a limit or maybe we should cut out alcohol from our diets?
Related Article: U.K. Chief Advisor on Drug Policy Fired for Showing Danger of Alcohol and Tobacco
Not completely of course; in fact it may be wise to keep a little bit of it in your diet. A recent study finds that by consuming moderate amounts of alcohol, like a glass of wine with dinner, you can boost your body’s immune system. The research suggests that moderate drinking may increase cardiovascular health as well as boosting immune functions to help fight off infections. Moderate consumption is considered around 2 drinks per day for men, and 1 drink for women.
The study found that heavy drinkers had diminished responses to a vaccine that was administered. As it turns out, those that consumed moderate amounts of alcohol also boasted an enhanced response to the administered vaccine in the study.
Related Article: Beer is the Way
The author of the study, Ilhem Messaoudi, says:
If you have a family history of alcohol abuse, or are at risk, or have been an abuser in the past, we are not recommending you go out and drink to improve your immune system, but for the average person who has, say, a glass of wine with dinner, it does seem in general to improve health and cardiovascular function. And now we can add the immune system to that list.
Not such a bad idea seeing that there is a lot of sickness going around lately.
Related Article: A Pill That Makes You Sober
So go ahead! Have that glass of wine with dinner! Drink that ice cold brew on a hot summer day! Enjoy that baileys and coffee or sweet port with dessert! Your body approves, just as long as you don’t over do it! Cheers!
Research:
YouTube: ABBA – Happy New Year
Study: Moderate Alcohol Consumption Boosts Body’s Immune System
Wondergressive: Beer is the Way: Humanities Secret Weapon for Survival and Health
Wondergressive: U.K. Chief Advisor on Drug Policy Fired for Showing Danger of Alcohol and Tobacco
after dinner drinks, alcohol, alcohol health, bourbon, brandy, cheers, cocktail, cocktini, good, health, healthy alcohol, healthy beer, healthy wine, healthyheartbeatz, ilhem messaoudi, is alcohol healthy, martini, moderate, oregon, oregon health and science university, port, portland, scotch, tequila, vodka, whiskey, wine -
Reading Books Alters Brain Biology for Days After
Reading books on the first date is so sexy. http://www.brainpickings.org/ A recent study has revealed that reading books significantly heightens brain activity. This heightened activity lasts for up to five days after reading. Most amazingly, it doesn’t even have to be your favorite book. The participants in the study weren’t reading books they chose, the researchers chose for them.
Researchers from Emory University published the study in the journal of Brain Connectivity. Gregory Berns, lead author of the study and the director of Emory’s Center for Neuropolicy, explains that the reason for performing the study was
to understand how stories get into your brain, and what they do to it.
The trick is reading books and writing books at the same time. http://www.lil-miss.com Previous studies have shown which areas of the brain are affected by reading books, but never before has a study revealed any biological long term effects. After all, we all know that reading books is just plain old good for the brain, but what this study showed us that it is far better than anyone had ever realized.
Related Article: Brazilian Prisoners Read Their Way to Freedom
The researchers asked a group of 21 Emory undergrads to undergo fMRI scans daily and read portions of the book Pompeii over the course of 19 consecutive days. Berns stated that they chose the book because
It depicts true events in a fictional and dramatic way. It was important to us that the book had a strong narrative line.
The study was split up into three sections. For the first five days the participants underwent fMRI scans in a resting state. No books were read during this time. The next 9 days the participants spent reading books. They were given about 30 pages of the book to read overnight. They would then be scanned in the morning. During the remaining 5 days the participants were once again scanned and were asked not to read books.
The results revealed that even though the participants were no longer reading any books, their brains still had heightened connectivity in the left temporal cortex, an area associated with language. Berns describes this effect as being very similar to muscle memory.
Related Article: Read for Pleasure to Significantly Boost Intelligence
The most interesting result was that greater connectivity was also seen in an area of the brain called the central sulcus. This area of the brain is responsible for grounded cognition, which is the process of creating a representation of sensation. What this means is that if you imagine climbing Mount Everest, the central sulcus will be a good sport and activate neurons that would be activated if you were actually climbing Mount Everest.
This finding suggests that there is physical evidence that a person who enjoys reading books will biologically feel that they are in the shoes of the protagonist in the novel. As Bern excitingly states,
We already knew that good stories can put you in someone else’s shoes in a figurative sense. Now we’re seeing that something may also be happening biologically.
Reading books allows your mind to be transported to another universe, and your body to be transformed into another state of being.
Sources:
http://news.emory.edu/stories/2013/12/esc_novels_change_brain/campus.html
http://esciencecommons.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-novel-look-at-how-stories-may-change.html
http://www.futurity.org/mri-reveals-brain%E2%80%99s-response-to-reading/
http://news.emory.edu/stories/2013/12/esc_novels_change_brain/campus.html
http://esciencecommons.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-novel-look-at-how-stories-may-change.html
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Optogenetics: Your Brain Controlled by Light
Follow the light! http://www.extremetech.com Optogenetics rules A relatively new field of study called optogenetics is affording scientists the ability to activate and deactivate individual neurons of the brain using only light. This light-switch method is paving the way to an exponentially brighter future in neuroscience.
In April 2013 President Obama announced that he would ask congress for $100 million in 2014 in what he called The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. The initiative seeks a more thorough understanding of the human brain. According to Obama, the goal is to “better understand how we think and how we learn and how we remember.” Optogenetics will undoubtedly play a vital role in attaining this goal.
Related Article: Electronic Brain Implants Increase Intelligence
While Obama’s goal seems straightforward, the brain is one of the most complex structures humans have ever come across. According to Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health,
It’s an amazingly ambitious idea. To understand how the human brain works is about the most audacious scientific project you can imagine. It’s the most complicated structure in the known universe.
Until a few years ago, before the method of optogenetics had been created, scientists depended on fMRI technology to scan areas of the brain and observe which areas are most active. If an area of the brain was found to be inactive, the only way to activate it was by using a wire probe. While the probe was invasive, it still gave scientists a powerful and effective tool, and allowed them to activate individual brain cells. But, what if we want to investigate and understand a single neuron, or a group of neurons, or different groups all at once?
Thank you algea… http://www.cobolt.se/Filer/bilder/opto1.png There are approximately 84 billion neurons in the human brain. This number has always seemed daunting, especially with the relatively limited tools of the past. Optogenetics, however, throws this hurdle aside in a blaze of innovation.
Related Article: Doctors Communicate with Vegetable Through Brain Scans
The method of optogenetics involves using only light to activate neurons based on their genetic type. Optogenetics is non-invasive and can even be performed on freely moving animals while still retaining exceptional precision.
Elizabeth Hillman, a biomedical engineer at Columbia University, is very excited about the optogenetic breakthrough, explaining that,
[Through optogenetics] you can select that very specific genetic cell type, and you can tell that specific cell type to react when you shine light on it.
For example, in the video below, scientists selected a specific motor neuron in a mouse to be affected by light. Just by shining a blue light on its head, they tell the mouse to start running. When the blue light disappears, so does the mouse’s movement.
While the methodology is opening doors left and right, optogenetics does not come without faults. Because neurons don’t naturally respond to light, it is necessary to alter the gene with additional genetic material so that it reacts to the optogenetic process. Genetic engineering in humans isn’t exactly mainstream right now. We know that using viruses to alter genes in humans works very well, but there are obvious risks associated with that process.
Related Article: Controlling Dreams and Implanting Memories
Another issue is that the light cannot reach the deepest cells in the brain. Additionally, optogenetic precision still has much room for improvement. Despite these concerns, optogenetics is still heralded as one of the top ten scientific breakthroughs of the decade. One of the most recent breakthroughs in optogenetics was the ability to influence cell types in the pre-frontal cortex.
So, how will optogenetics personally influence your life when it is commercialized? Depression, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, and even fear may one day be flipped off with a simple flash of light. Consequently, these illnesses could be activated with a flash of light as well.
The future is clear: multicolored laser pointers will become the new standard tool for doctors and soldiers alike.
Sources:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/02/176060875/obama-s-brain-map-plan-a-most-audacious-project
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23340416
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19226510
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2820367/
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/330/6011/1612
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3597095/
http://www.neuro-cloud.net/nature-precedings/baratta
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Politicians Go Pop: The Rise of Pop Politics
Oh, pop politics is so avant-garde! http://www.smithsonianmag.com Our nation is moving toward a phenomenon we can understand as “pop politics”. We are seeing our political culture and our popular culture merge in ways it never has before, resulting in new and problematic attitudes regarding important issues faced by our country.
During the 2013 People’s Choice Awards, host Kaley Cuocco announced to viewers that 475 million people participated in voting for the show’s award winners. That is 3 times more than the amount of people who voted in the 2012 presidential election. Cuocco went on to say that according to a loophole in the Electoral College, our new president should be Taylor Swift. Although no such loophole exists, what does exist is our country’s growing need to be entertained, even when facing issues that we wouldn’t normally perceive as needing to have an “entertainment value”. The tidal wave of pop politics has reached our shores.
Related Article: An End to the Electoral College
Those moobs are hypnotizing… http://www.visualnews.com Although we may ‘never ever ever’ seriously consider a ‘Swift 2016” presidential campaign, the idea of pop-culture icons having a place in the political world is nothing new. What is new, however, is the amount of pop-culture we are continually saturated with, and how this saturation is affecting the way we relate to political and social issues.
According to Nielson Ratings, the first presidential debate between President Barrack Obama and republican challenger Mitt Romney drew in 67.2 million viewers, the most viewers for the first of the three debates since 1980.
Who would have thought that Romney’s attack on Big Bird and Obama’s nap could make for such riveting T.V.? But pop politics strikes again, and that’s what we remember, and that’s what viewers unconsciously tune in to see. The slips ups, the mishaps, we watch the debates and discuss them with the same “omg tone” that we use when discussing the latest elimination on American Idol.
Consequently, due to pop politics, the line between what is important and what we keep in our lives for entertainment value has become increasingly distorted. This distortion is problematic as pop politics becomes more important than regular politics.
Related Article: Team Red=Team Blue, the Syria Episode
According to a Pew Center for the People and Press study published in September 2012, those in the 18-to-29 age demographic are the biggest consumers of satire and entertainment, but score the lowest for consumption of news and factual information. Our pop-culture has always had fun at the expense of politics, but due to the new and overly pervasive nature of our popular culture, our country faces a crisis of changing priorities.
No one. abcnews.go.com A change in priorities to the tune of pop politics doesn’t have to be a bad thing though. For example, when my favorite reality show comes on, I always make sure I stop whatever I’m doing so I can watch it. My favorite reality TV show is the presidential debates. I loved the part during the last episode when Romney talked about having binders full of women, but I think my favorite part was when Obama got all aggressive and told Candy Crawly to check the transcript. If the evening’s twitter feed was any indication, my favorite parts were pretty much the same as everyone else’s favorite parts. Seemingly, pop politics affords an incentive for staying up to date with politics.
However, while all of the commentary was entertaining, did anyone remember what they actually debated? This is part of what contributes to our larger issue. This new pop politics method of political participation runs the risk of causing us to base our vote not on what really matters, but on the superficial aspects of each candidate that our popular culture encourages us to focus on.
During an October 2012 broadcast on National Public Radio, author and television critic Bob Mondello argued that,
We have spent the last decade training the public to watch contests on television and then vote. American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, they all start with a field of candidates who compete against each other and then the TV audience determines who’s won.
The debates are set up similarly to reality competition shows. In both situations we are encouraged to watch for the purpose of reacting, but in only one situation does our reaction have the power to impact our paychecks, jobs, and personal liberties. The debates have always been set up this way, but only in the last 15 years have we experienced this onslaught of competition reality television.
Related Article: Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan Are the World’s Biggest Liars: Fact
Now, we talk about debate performance, but not the issues debated on, and performance is what our culture has been conditioned to remember. Were they smiling or smirking? On a scale of Paul Ryan to Marco Rubio, how much water did each of them drink? Why do we care? As Mondello goes on to state,
We’ve left serious political discourse and entered White House Idol territory.
America’s most cherished educators. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com Could it be that pop politics has left our minds warped? Now all of this isn’t to say that satire and social media are negative additions to society’s political conversation. In a 2009 survey conducted by the USC Annenburg School of Communication and Journalism,
Those individuals who got their news from sources like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report were actually the most informed individuals in the survey.
This makes sense because the jokes in these shows aren’t funny if you don’t know what they’re talking about. While shows based on satire shouldn’t be the only tool we use for information, they are a great stepping stone to get the public engaged in issues that really matter. Thanks to technology, we have many avenues of information available to us, but we need to make sure we are choosing the source of the information wisely, and not solely based on the pop politics trap.
If you get your news mostly from conservative or liberal centered news sources, why not change the channel or open another internet window and check out what a news source from the other side has to say? Better yet, read anything and everything you can get your hands on for a more well-rounded view on the issues.
A natural born leader. malialitman.wordpress.com In addition, we need to remain cognizant of the line between the things we say to poke fun at candidates, and the comments the candidates actually make. For example, Tina Fey’s impersonation of 2008 vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, made quips like, “I can see Russia from my house” part of the cultural lexicon. Unfortunately, many Americans actually believed that Sarah Palin had said those words.
Related Article: TVs, Brains, and Zombies Oh My: TV’s Effect on the Mind
As in the case of Tina Fey and Sarah Palin, we may misunderstand information that has the power to change our entire perception of the candidate. We need to pay attention to what the candidates actually say and believe, and then we can listen to all the satire we want without fear of being misinformed. We will be able to embrace “pop politics” and make our new cultural reality something that works for us, not against us.
As we reflect back on the role pop-culture plays in our political consciousness, here is one last thing to consider. A January 4th 2013 petition posted on the official white house website is calling for the Obama Administration to authorize a recurring C-SPAN reality show featuring Vice President Joe Biden and his interactions with elected officials, foreign dignitaries, and everyday American families. Personally, I think this all sounds like a bunch of malarkey, but it certainly proves that the relationship between politics and popular culture has reached a new level. As the 2016 election season approaches and political parties consider who they want to represent them, the best choice to me seems pretty clear: vote Biden/Swift 2016.
http://www.npr.org Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaley_Cuoco
http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/peoples-choice-awards-2013-the-hunger-games-victorious-with-five-awards/
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2012/first-presidential-debate-draws-67-2-million-viewers.html
http://responsibility-project.libertymutual.com/articles/mixing-pop-culture-and-politics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdDqSvJ6aHc
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/joe-biden-reality-show-petition_n_2411185.html
c-span, cspan, Electoral college, entertainment value, host, joe biden, kaley cuocco, nielson ratings, obama, obama romney debate, obama vs. romney, people’s choice awards, political politics, pop culture, pop-politics, president, presidential election 2016, Romney, sarah palin, taylor swift, tina fey -
Real Life Hobbits Discovered
Reconstructing a hobbit from Earth. The Lord of the Rings world of Middle Earth seems quite magical with wizards, hobbits and elves, but almost every day, archaeologists and anthropologists are redefining the way we think of our own world, our history, and ourselves. Advancements in DNA extraction and sequencing have lead to a more intricate and thorough understanding of human origins.
Recently, scientists discovered through DNA sequencing that the ancient world our human ancestors lived in hundreds of thousands of years ago was very similar to the world of Middle Earth including the existence of hobbit like humans. There were many different sub-species and earlier evolutionary ancestors of modern day humans (scientists have dubbed you and I ‘homo sapien sapien’) all living on the earth at the same time. These separate sub-species lived alongside one another, made love, traded, and went to war.
Related Article: Old World Similar to Lord of the Rings
If these little guys were alive today filming the Lord of the Rings would have been so much easier. http://www.livescience.com One likely sub-species of human that scientists have discovered fossil evidence of is named homo floresiensis. Scientists have nick named homo floresiensis “hobbit,” due to their tiny, yet proportionate body structure. Standing at an average height of three feet, six inches tall, homo floresiensis is the smallest human sub-species ever found. It is believed they lived during the periods between 95,000 years ago and 17,000 years ago. All physical samples of these hobbit like creatures, homo floresiensis, have been found on the island of Flores, Indonesia.
Some interesting tidbits that we know about our hobbit-esque cousins:
- Tiny brains.
- Disproportionately large teeth.
- Relatively large feet.
- Used relatively unadvanced stone tools.
- Hunted dwarf elephants.
- Because they lived together, they likely battled komodo dragons, which at that size, would be like fighting mythical dragons!
What we don’t know about the hobbits:
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Which hominin species made the 800,000 year old stone tools found on Flores?
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How did these early humans manage to get to the island of Flores?
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Did H. floresiensis have language, make art, and have other forms of cultural expression?
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Did H. floresiensis and our species, H. sapiens, ever come into contact with one another?
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Was a volcanic eruption on Flores the reason H. floresiensis went extinct?
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How similar is the DNA of H. floresiensis to the DNA of other human species? So far, no DNA has been retrieved from the bones of a H. floresiensis individual.
The lesson we should all take out of this is that hobbits walked our Earth. How exciting! There have even been discoveries of small humans on Palau, Micronesia. Next up is the discovery of cave trolls and old bearded men that walked the Earth and taught ancient people how to build civilization.
Related Article: Native Americans are From Europe
Fantasy Human Stat Chart. http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/ Scientists are unsure whether homo floresiensis were already a small species before they came to Flores, or if they evolved into fun-size humans due to insular dwarfism. Insular dwarfism is when the body of an organism decreases in size due to living in isolation and without predators. This occurs often on islands with limited resources. Some species experience a growth-spurt and actually increase in size. This is called island giganticism.
Once such species that experienced a decrease in body size due to island living was the dwarf elephant that homo floresiensis hunted on Flores. It is possible our hobbit brethren even hunted these elephants to extinction on Flores, the same way the Maori hunting the moa birds to extinction on New Zealand.
The case of tiny hobbit-like humans represents a necessary paradigm shift in the way we view what is and isn’t possible. The truth is, anything is possible. Hopefully scientists are able to learn more about homo floresiensis and find out if, like hobbits, they had hearty feet and no need for shoes. Priorities, scientists, the geeks of the world demand you remember your priorities.
Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=198867
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-floresiensis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_gigantism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_dwarfism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_elephant
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0001780
ancient human, anthropologist, archaeologist, big feet, body structure, brain size, flores, flores indonesia, hobbit human, homo floresiensis, homo sapien sapien, human origins, insular dwarfism, island giganticism, komodo dragons, large feet, little humans, maori, maori moa extinct, micronesia, middle earth, moa bird, sub-species, tiny human -
More Green Energy: Climate Denial Funders Caught Red Handed
Some men just like to watch the climate burn, it’s called climate denial… mediamatters.org I have good news and bad news. Let’s start with the bad news first. Dr. Robert J. Brulle, professor of sociology and environmental science at Drexel University in Philadelphia, conducted a study which exposes the syndication and massive funding of the climate denial movement. This study is the first peer reviewed analysis ever conducted on the climate denial funders.
The Bad News
Brulle expected many well known conservative groups to be heading the mast of the climate denial ship, but he claims to have found some very unexpected sources as well. 75% of the funding turned out to be from concealed sources.
Their money fuels the voluntary ignorance van. Are you on board? ingienous.com Brulle calls the money from these particular sources “dark money.” He notes that,
Koch Industries and ExxonMobil, two of the largest supporters of climate science denial, have recently pulled back from publicly funding countermovement organizations. Coinciding with the decline in traceable funding, the amount of funding given to countermovement organizations through third party pass-through foundations like Donors Trust and Donors Capital, whose funders cannot be traced, has risen dramatically.
The big names are starting to close the veils on us onlookers. Their climate denial agendas demand privacy!
Related Article: Only 90 Companies Responsible for Climate Change Since Industrial Revolution
The amount of money that climate denial groups receive in funding each year is close to $600 million. The climate denial movement represents a collective of corporations, organizations, and politicians actively hampering and blocking the U.S. government’s ability to pass laws to lower emissions. The movement also supports and actively campaigns to destroy America’s faith in globally reviewed and accepted climate science.
A single movement isn’t something to make such a big deal out of, but this movement has a free multi-million dollar lifeline, media outlets to use as megaphones, and the backing of people in positions of enormous power. As Brulle poignantly explains,
The real issue here is one of democracy. Without a free flow of accurate information, democratic politics and government accountability become impossible. Money amplifies certain voices above others…Powerful funders are supporting the campaign to deny scientific findings about global warming and raise public doubts about the roots and remedies of this massive global threat. At the very least, American voters deserve to know who is behind these efforts.
The livelihood of the entire planet and countless generations depend on the decisions we make in the next 20 years regarding our planet and the sustainability of our lifestyles. Climate denial is dangerous, but still going strong.
The Good News (kind of)
I’m not a fan of any mainstream party, but come on! You don’t believe in science? en.paperblog.com Now for the good news. For the entire month of November all additional electricity-generating capacity added to the U.S. was from renewable sources. That’s 394 megawatts of green electrical energy added to the country’s generating capacity. Despite all of America’s climate denial, but the news gets better. In October more than 99% of the energy capacity added was also renewable. This is remarkable news, until we broaden our view a bit. (It was slightly good news at least.)
35.5% of the electricity-generating capacity added from January to November 2013 was from renewable sources. During the same period in 2012 50% of the added capacity was from renewable energy sources. That is a 30% drop from 2012 to 2013, mostly due to a colossal 86% reduction in wind power production.
Despite the oft-spoken of advantages of renewable energy, the majority of the new energy capacity in the U.S. produced in the last two years was from non-renewable sources. In light of the endless research regarding humanity’s role in climate change, climate denial is not so much worrying as it is alarming.
Related Article: Fracking Worse Than You Think: Delusional America and Special Interest Gangs
Oh the humanity! newenergynews.blogspot.com In 2012 only 13.2% of the country’s energy consumption came from renewable sources. Currently only 16% of the total energy capacity in the U.S. comes from renewable sources, which makes it frustrating and strange that the country continues to expand its energy capacity with 65% non-renewable sources. To make matters worse, fossil fuel companies across the globe received $544 billion in subsidies in 2012, almost 7 times as much as renewables received the same year.
A recent study examined the cumulative amount of energy subsidies in the U.S. from 1918 to 2010. They found that historically, and to this day, the U.S. just blatantly does not care that it is spewing pollutants into everyone’s atmosphere and climate denial flourishes. The U.S. is second only to China in CO2 emissions. The difference between the energy policy of the U.S. and China is that China is currently leading the world in green energy investments. According to Chinese officials, the country invested $294 billion dollars into renewable energy over the last 5 years in an attempt to battle climate change. The U.S. doesn’t even come close.
From 1918 to 2010, the U.S. spent a total of $670.61 billion dollars in the form of energy subsidies.
- $446.96 billion to oil and gas
- $185.38 billion to nuclear
- $32.34 billion to biofuels
- $5.93 billion to renewables
Now, to be fair, oil and gas has existed substantially longer than any of the sectors listed above. So, let’s take a look at a comparison of what each sector received in the fist 30 years of their respective lives.
A good ol’ rigged game. http://www.dblinvestors.com/ Renewable energy has been, and continues to be hampered, even at the federal level. Keep in mind that many companies, including Exxon-Mobil, spend a great deal of money on the climate denial movement, yet receive substantial subsidies via the taxpayers’ collective wallet.
Related Article: New Greenhouse Gas Discovered: 7,100 Times Worse Than Carbon Dioxide
Unlike the 67 countries with renewable energy targets, the U.S. has no federal renewable energy targets whatsoever. Some examples of the energy targets I am referring to are:
- European Union: 20% renewable energy usage by 2020
- China: 15% by 2020
- Australia: 20% by 2020
- Canada: 90% by 2020
- Germany: 35% by 2020, 80% by 2050
Seems legit. climatedenial.org While no federal targets exist, many state targets and incentives do. Thirty U.S. States currently have some type of renewable energy mandate and six other states have a renewable energy goal. Unfortunately, only half of those states are on track to meet their goal.
As usual, what you can do to alter the destructive path of the U.S. is to make sure to do research thoroughly and vote appropriately. Even more importantly, “be the change you want to see in the world.” Observe your behavior and activities. Don’t get caught up in all the hype that is climate denial. Ask yourself how you are affecting your surroundings. Be honest. Just ensure the answer you give yourself is grounded in the aforementioned thorough research you have done. Don’t join the climate denial movement.
Sources:
http://www.drexel.edu/now/news-media/releases/archive/2013/December/Climate-Change/
http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2013/nov-energy-infrastructure.pdf
http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2013/oct-energy-infrastructure.pdf
http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/resources/energysubsidies/
http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_1_1
http://www.dsireusa.org/http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/renewable-mandates/
https://wondergressive.com/news/90-companies-responsible-climate-change/
https://wondergressive.com/news/new-greenhouse-gas-discovered-7100-times-worse-carbon-dioxide/
Climate denial is bad mmm’kay?
america climate change, biofuels, brulle, c02 emissions, climate change us government, climate denial movement, dark money, democracy, doctor, dr. robert j. brulle, drexel university, exxonmobil, fossil fuel subsidies, fossil fuels, funding, government accountability, oil and gas, peer reviewed analysis, renewable energy subsidies, renewable sources, study, subsidies, us climate change
Wonder about your world…
Take the plunge down the rabbit hole of insanity and wonder in this fast-paced, nonstop psychological thriller that will leave you questioning the very nature of reality and beyond. Part thriller, part romance, part existential horror, A Dream of Waking Life delves into lucid dreaming, psychedelics, existential ontology, video games, the nature of love, the nature of reality, and more.
Mendel’s Ladder delivers an adrenaline-fueled journey set on a dystopian future Earth, brimming with high-stakes action, adventure, and mystery. This epic series opener plunges readers into a world filled with diverse cultures, heart-pounding battles, and characters who will captivate your heart and imagination.
“E.S. Fein is raising the bar for quality as it’s a very well-written and thought-provoking book…There are points and themes in the story that could be discussed for eons as people will have their own idea on where it leads. It’s a book I would highly recommend.” – Andy Whitaker, SFCrowsnest
Wondergressive 
