I Don't Know Where To Put This, But...

[SubGod22]

It's truly amazing how little we know

More Than 5,000 Ocean Species Entirely New to Science Discovered by English Expedition in Pacific

More than 5,000 new marine species have been discovered by an English expedition in the Pacific.

They include strange shellfish, carnivorous sponges, sea cucumbers, worms, and urchin-like spiny invertebrates.

The research published in the journal Current Biology supports the notion that we know more about space than we know about the deep ocean.

They were found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ)—a region covering nearly four million square miles between Mexico and Hawaii.

“There’s some just remarkable species down there,” said team member Muriel Rabone, a deep-sea ecologist at London’s Natural History Museum.

“Some of the sponges look like classic bath sponges, and some look like vases. They are just beautiful.

I'm not going to say that the ocean shares the same fascination as space for me, but I have always been intrigued by it and the discovery that this region is home to so many unique species is interesting and definitely warrants more research. We do have an amazing planet when we stop and truly look at it.

[SubGod22]

Here's something you definitely don't see every day.

Mom Became Pregnant While Already Pregnant, Conceiving Twins 28 Days Apart in Age

An extra fertile mother was overjoyed when she discovered she was pregnant again—while already pregnant—after apparently conceiving her ‘twins’ 28 days apart.

Sophie Small conceived Holly and Darcy one month apart due to an incredibly rare phenomenon known as superfetation, where a new pregnancy occurs after the first one.

Sophie and her accountant husband Jonathan, who already have a 6-year-old son named Oscar, were trying for another baby.

Although the 30-year-old had an inkling that she was pregnant, the couple decided to keep trying just in case. The swimming instructor was thrilled when she took a pregnancy test and discovered it was positive. But, after extreme morning sickness landed her in the hospital 7 times, a seven-week scan showed she was pregnant with twins.

The two babies were different sizes and doctors were stumped as to why, until they realized she’d ovulated twice.

The couple only discovered the tots weren’t conceived at the same time after the birth in August 2020 when Darcy was born weighing 4lbs 2oz and her sister followed two minutes later weighing 6lbs 1oz.

“I was carrying two babies who were growing at different stages, but we didn’t know that,” explained Sophie, from Herefordshire, England.

Of course it's England.

Twins because they were born at the same time, even though one was a 36 week pregnancy and the other 32. I did enjoy the following quote from mom.

“I say Darcy is two minutes older and four weeks younger, while Holly was born two minutes after but is four weeks older.

What are the odds?

[WstateU]

[SubGod22]

Hays Post - Evergy slashes planned renewable energy additions, proposes more natural gas

Two years ago, Evergy announced plans to retire the Lawrence Energy Center by the end of this year and add 700 megawatts of solar power by the end of 2024.

Now, it doesn’t plan to add any solar power until 2026 and will keep the Lawrence coal plant open until 2028.

Evergy, which serves 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, revealed the plans in filings with regulators in both states. By 2032, Evergy plans to add 3,100 megawatts of renewable energy, down from the 3,540 megawatts of renewable generation it planned to add as of last year’s filing.

In a news release, the company says it will add more than 3,300 megawatts of renewable power by 2035.

It also plans to add more than 1,440 megawatts of natural gas power by 2028.

The company said the update reflects a plan “that will most effectively serve customers in both states and provide reliable and affordable power over a long-term planning horizon.”

There's a lot more in the article.

I have nothing against renewable sources if done right and it doesn't jack up pricing because we phase out other sources too soon.

It appears, that Evergy is at least considering some of that as they move forward and aren't giving into the demands and rhetoric of organizations like the Sierra Club or KCMO politicians. The pace at which these people want them to move, according to Evergy, would cost over $3B more in the next five years or so and you know that kind of cost would be passed on to customers in a big way.

So, at least on some level, they're trying to be smart about it but still have some ambitious goals. I'm fine with cleaner sources of energy as long as we have power and aren't paying out the ass for it. Let's do it at a smarter pace and make sure we have everything we need covered.

Also, I believe natural gas is plentiful, relatively cheap and burns clean if I'm not mistaken. That's not a bad alternative to help while transitioning. I'm still a big fan of the potential of nuclear, but it's something.

[WstateU]

[SubGod22]

This could just be the nerd in me, but I find this kind of fascinating. I hope that I find out more about this after the restoration process and whatnot is completed.

Divers Are About to Pull a 3,000-Year-Old Shipwreck From the Depths

If you have ever taken an interest in underwater archaeology, you’ll know that this is a truly astonishingly well-preserved shipwreck.

It must be 200 or 300 years old to look like that right? Try 3,000 years old—the oldest hand-sewn boat ever found in the Mediterranean.

Named the “Zambratija boat” because of its location in the Bay of Zambratija, the artifact was first investigated after reports from local fishermen. It’s a lasting testament to an “ancient naval tradition” of the regions of Istria and Dalmatia.

“Its architecture and its construction, the assembly technique of the strakes, as well as the waterproofing system of the hull, have no equivalent in the Mediterranean area,” per a statement from the Camille Jullian Center, a research organization connected to the CNRS.

Now, archaeologists with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), are getting ready to raise the boat from its watery tomb. A 23-foot section of the 39-foot-long boat is in pristine condition, and special care will ensure it survives the journey to the Archaeological Museum of Istria where it will be desalinated.

The scientists will notably reconstruct the boat in 3D, they will also try to date its construction more precisely, identify the fibers used for sewing, and study the techniques used for shaping the wood. Handling remains of this caliber is a delicate matter, each stage of the process requires the greatest precautions to preserve this exceptional vessel.

[SubGod22]

Just came across this on Twitter and found it interesting.

[SubGod22]

Can you imagine pulling up and seeing this happening?

[JVShocker]

Just came across this on Twitter and found it interesting.

Both my kids were competitive swimmers. I will comment on this.

Just having a good racing swimsuit can take 1-4 seconds off a swimmer's time per 100 meters (depending on their training and taper). Also, there's no substitute for technique and good coaching - none at all (I coached my daughter in the off-season and her high school coach is as knowledgeable and as skilled as any coach I ever met). Finally, I wish WSU had a swimming and diving team.

[WstateU]

No $hit Sherlock!

[SubGod22]

Thought this was kind of cool. I'm curious to see where this technology ends up and if it's as durable as they claim it is.

World's Largest 3D Printed Building is a Horse Barn That Can Endure Florida Hurricanes

The world’s largest 3D-printed building has been completed by Florida-based Printed Farms—a luxury horse barn spanning 10,100 sq. feet, which they claim is almost 50% larger than the previous record-holder in the Middle East.

The firm used the COBOD BOD2 construction 3D printer to create the structure in Wellington in Southern Florida.

The building has been constructed to endure the extreme weather challenges of the hurricane-prone, horse-loving region, with a “focus on structural integrity and occupant safety.”

“The versatility and benefits of 3D printing technology are also demonstrated through the structure’s 3D printed walls that create a cavity and air gap which provides natural cooling to the building,” COBOD said in a statement.

The building is 155 feet and 83 feet wide. The build process involved five repositionings of the printer, with the two sides completed twice and the middle section executed once.

COBOD printers have now created the world’s tallest 3D-printed building (33 feet) the world’s fastest (3 buildings in 8 days in Oman), and now the world’s largest 3D-printed building.

“Printed Farms has done a remarkable job in completing this massive structure and the project demonstrates again how 3D printing is transforming the construction industry for the better,” said Philip Lund-Nielsen, COBOD Co-founder and Head of Americas.

[SubGod22]

Here's a cool, but expensive, way to repurpose an abandoned military base. A lot of cities could use more green areas and this will be a large one when completed.

California Military Base is Being Transformed Into the Largest City Park in the U.S.

Construction of a massive municipal park—over 20 years in the making, is finally underway in the city of Irvine.

They say if California became its own country, it would have one of the world’s largest economies. The new Great Park of Irvine is a reflection of the always lofty ambitions of the state, and is expected to dwarf Central Park by more than 500 acres.

It was on May 23rd this year that the “Great Park Project” broke ground on the long-derelict El Toro Marine Corps Base, 21 years after voters approved a ballot measure ordering the state to create a park on the site.

Expected to take another 10 years to complete, the park will span 1,300 acres and include several museums, an amphitheater, a veterans memorial garden, an aquatics center, a sports complex, and not one but two lakes.

“After many years of community input and after the last year of intensive planning and design, we are excited to be launching what is a $1 billion investment to establish the world’s next great metropolitan park,” said Irvine City Councilman Michael Carroll who serves as Chairman of the Great Park Board.

$455 million was raised for the project through 30-year municipal bonds that will pay off $1 billion to investors and comes after repeat failures from past governments to find money and time to kick start the work.

Also, the only reason I know of El Toro is because that's where Will Smith's character in Independence Day was stationed.

[WstateU]

Also, the only reason I know of El Toro is because that's where Will Smith's character in Independence Day was stationed.

I loved that 'flicker show'...

[SubGod22]

I loved that 'flicker show'...

One of the best movie speeches of all time. Maybe the best.

The only other one I can think of is based off the actual speech of Lou Gehrig in Pride of the Yankees. As much as I hate the Yankees, I love Gehrig and that movie.

[WstateU]

One of the best movie speeches of all time. Maybe the best.

The only other one I can think of is based off the actual speech of Lou Gehrig in Pride of the Yankees. As much as I hate the Yankees, I love Gehrig and that movie.

I gotta add this to my all-time top 5...