Category Archives: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: August 7, 2013

SHOW AUDIO: kpfthd3_2013-08-07

Welcome to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (every Wednesday from 2-3PM CT) on KPFT-HD Channel 90.1-3. One of our mottos is that you’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts, so we try to get our facts right.

If you don’t have an HD (‘Hi-Definition’) radio, you can hear KPFT-HD 90.1-3 at KPFT.org, listen online by going to KPFT.org and clicking on “Listen Live”, and then one of the HD3 links: HD3 (32k) HD3 (64k) . Or go to ‘HOW TO LISTEN’ and get the graphic on how it works.

TOPICS:

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Some of the links used for this show are as follows:

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KPFT IS the Pacifica station in Houston, Texas

Billion-Pixel View of Mars Comes From Curiosity Rover (Hi-Res Photo)

Billion-Pixel View of Mars Comes From Curiosity Rover

June 19, 2013

This is a reduced version of panorama from NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity with 1.3 billion pixels in the full-resolution version. It shows Curiosity at the “Rocknest” site where the rover scooped up samples of windblown dust and sand. Curiosity used three cameras to take the component images on several different days between Oct. 5 and Nov. 16, 2012. Viewers can explore this image with pan and zoom controls at http://mars.nasa.gov/bp1/. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
› Full image and caption › Curiosity gallery › Curiosity videos

PASADENA, Calif. – A billion-pixel view from the surface of Mars, from NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity, offers armchair explorers a way to examine one part of the Red Planet in great detail. Continue reading →

SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: “Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig” will feature DB Grady, co-author of “Deep State”, Inside the Government’s Secrecy Industry (June 25th & 26th, 2013)

SHOW AUDIO: (in 3 parts, totaling 2 hours): Open JournaL_2013-06-25_DB GRADY, Pt1 (30 min.); Open JournaL_2013-06-25_DB GRADY, Pt2 (30 min.); kpfthd3_2013-06-26_DB Grady Book Open (60 min.)

KPFT, the Pacifica station in Houston, Texas, is ‘relaunching’ their HD3 broadcast channel. Programming on KPFT HD3 will also be simulcast online. At this time, you can hear KPFT HD3 at KPFT.org.

“Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig” premiered on May 1, 2013 and will be on every Wednesday from 2-3PM (CT).

Welcome to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig on KPFT HD Channel 3. One of our mottos here is that you’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts, so we try to get our facts right. You can also listen online by going to KPFT.org and clicking on one of the HD3 links: HD3 (32k) HD3 (64k)

If you’re on Twitter, send tweets during the show to #Thinkwing.

TOPIC (Tentatively scheduled): “Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig” will feature DB Grady (aka David Brown), co-author (with Marc Ambinder) of “Deep State”, Inside the Government’s Secrecy Industry (June 25th & 26th, 2013). We’ll be discussing his some history of espionage, and modern correlations with the security leaks the US has seen over the past few years.

The conversation will begin on Tuesday June 25th at 9am CT on KPFT 90.1 FM’s “Open Journal”. David and I will continue a longer and more detailed discussion the following afternoon on “Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig” on KPFT HD3 at 2pm CT. This program will be live on the HD3 band, and will also be livestreamed as well as archived On-demand at KPFT.org

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June 25th, 2013: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Deep State, by Marc Ambinder, D,.B. Grady

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REMARKABLE: 3D Printing Using A Solar Furnace and … Sand [VIDEO]

An amazing glimpse into one possible future for 3D printing.

“Dead” Satellites Can Be The Newest (And Nearest) Valuable Resource To Harvest From Space [VIDEO]

In an era when companies are seriously talking about mining asteroids, there is an enormous untapped resource in space which is as close as low Earth orbit (LEO), and which is otherwise classified as ‘space junk’: Dead satellites. Continue reading →

People of the Lake – Al Jazeera English [VIDEO]

The Aral Sea, located between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, was once the fourth-largest lake in the world – an immense body of fresh water covering a surface area of 68,000 square kilometres.

Two port cities were located on it – Aralsk in Kazakhstan and Moynaq in Uzbekistan. Both featured thriving fishing communities and the lake itself held some 22 different varieties of fish – four of which could only be found in the Aral.

“This is a crime against nature. The drought of the Aral Sea is a man-made tragedy.“– Sergei Azimov, a film producer

But then the Soviet Union decided to boost cotton farming by constructing dams

on the two large rivers that flowed into the Aral Sea, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya rivers.

This diverted these two giant rivers away from the sea into the deserts further south to irrigate large tracts of land. It proved disastrous for the Aral Sea.

[To read this entire article and see the video, click on link: People of the Lake – Al Jazeera World – Al Jazeera English]

The Cat On The Rack Meows Back [Photo]

Okay, this looks like a modern case of the Feline Inquisition, but it’s actually a common medical procedure for dogs and cats. It just looks creepy as hell.Read on. ~ Mike

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NPPA [Photo] award winner

La Shinda Clark,
©The Philadelphia Inquirer

In the photo, volunteer Cameron Tarzwell, 13, cleans loose hair that has been shaved from an anesthetized cat, Princess, in preparation for an operation.

La Shinda Clark, photographer at The Philadelphia Inquirer and 1995 Scholar, won third place for feature photos in the National Press Photographers Association 2003 Best of Photojournalism contest. In the photo, volunteer Cameron Tarzwell, 13, cleans loose hair that has been shaved from an anesthetized cat, Princess, in preparation for an operation. Tarzwell has been assisting a veterinarian for four years. The photo was one in a picture story on a spaying and neutering program in Chester County in Pennsylvania.

Why Good Writing Matters [in Science and elswhere], by Kathleen Taylor

A woman after my own heart. ~ Mike

“In the fierce competition for readers’ attention, clarity is crucial — and clarity comes from using language well. Ease of reading is also important, because I (and I suspect most readers) are less inclined to struggle through an abstract, let alone a whole paper, if the authors make it hard work. I like to read in a smooth, fast flow, sucking up meaning without having to stop and think about how to interpret every sentence; if I wanted that kind of intellectual workout I’d read French. Translating from science into English can be quite hard enough even if the writing’s limpidly transparent, given the jargon and surfeit of acronyms.” ~ Kathleen Taylor, “Why Good Writing Matters” (January 9, 2013)

http://neurotaylor.com/2013/01/09/why-good-writing-matters/ Continue reading →

KITTYCAM: What Your Sweet, Harmless Little Kitty Is Doing When You’re Not Watching [VIDEO]

Your cat has a secret life when it’s outside. The Kitty Cam project is an attempt to see the world they way your cat does when you’re not watching. The videos are ‘rough’ (cats make poor cinematographers), but as a peek into an unknown feline world, are fascinating.

The National Geographic & University of Georgia

Kitty Cams (Crittercam) Project

“A window into the world of free-roaming cats”

http://www.kittycams.uga.edu/photovideo.html

Curiosity has shown us one of the best reasons to go to Mars: Such a beautiful world should not be dead. [VIDEO]

This color panorama shows a 360-degree view of the landing site of NASA’s Curiosity rover, including the highest part of Mount Sharp visible to the rover. That part of Mount Sharp is approximately 12 miles (20 kilometers) away from the rover.

This image is from a series of test images to calibrate the 34-millimeter Mast Camera on NASA’s Curiosity rover. It was taken on Aug. 23, 2012 and looks south-southwest from the rover’s landing site.
The gravelly area around Curiosity’s landing site is visible in the foreground. Farther away, about a third of the way up from the bottom of the image, the terrain falls off into a depression (a swale). Beyond the swale, in the middle of the image, is the boulder-strewn, red-brown rim of a moderately-sized impact crater. Father off in the distance, there are dark dunes and then the layered rock at the base of Mount Sharp. Some haze obscures the view, but the top ridge, depicted in this image, is 10 miles (16.2 kilometers) away.
Scientists enhanced the color in one version to show the Martian scene under the lighting conditions we have on Earth, which helps in analyzing the terrain. A raw version is also available.
The 34-millimeter Mastcam takes images with lower resolution, but a much wider field of view than the 100-millimeter Mastcam. A sharper version of the same scene from the telephoto 100-millimeter Mastcam can be seen at PIA16104.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

A chapter of the layered geological history of Mars is laid bare in this postcard from NASA’s Curiosity rover. The image shows the base of Mount Sharp, the rover’s eventual science destination.
This image is a portion of a larger image taken by Curiosity’s 100-millimeter Mast Camera on Aug. 23, 2012. See PIA16104. Scientists enhanced the color in one version to show the Martian scene under the lighting conditions we have on Earth, which helps in analyzing the terrain.
For scale, an annotated version of the figure highlights a dark rock that is approximately the same size as Curiosity. The pointy mound in the center of the image, looming above the rover-sized rock, is about 1,000 feet (300 meters) across and 300 feet (100 meters) high.
› Annotated version
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Gun Rights Discussion (From Aug. 6, 2012) [AUDIO]

On Monday’s show, we had to listener comments which I felt deserved a little more research.

One caller cited an alleged quote from President Obama in which he claimed that Obama favored well-armed civilian militias:

“We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”

I expressed doubt as to either the veracity or context of the quote. He later emailed me this link on YouTube. The video contained no larger context for the quote. I then did a little more research Continue reading →

Looks Like Nuclear Weather… Men watch 2-kiloton nuke detonation, from underneath it! [VIDEO]

George Yoshitake, Don Luttrell, and four other officers stood directly underneath an exploding nuclear warhead 55 years ago — and lived to tell their tale.

The blast was just a test, a bit of Cold War marketing designed to make the concept of nuclear war less scary for the public, but the 2-kiloton atomic explosion set off over the Nevada nuclear test site (and over the heads of those six men) was very real.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/07/27/how-does-it-feel-to-stand-under-nuclear-bomb/#ixzz22PD57bqh

Landing on Mars: “7 Minutes of Terror: Curiosity Rover’s Risky Mars Landing” | Video

John F. Kennedy Moon Speech - Rice Stadium

John F. Kennedy Moon Speech – Rice Stadium

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.~ President John F. Kennedy at Rice University (September 12, 1962), John F. Kennedy Moon Speech – Rice Stadium

The Curiosity Rover is scheduled to land on the Mars on August 5, 2012. This date is not optional. If it doesn’t land, it will crash; game over.

This is the riveting and pulse-thumping video which NASA has released to explain the process of getting this probe from a speed of 13,000 mph to -0- in just 7 minutes.

Published on Jun 22, 2012 by VideoFromSpace

NASA’s Curiosity rover is a 1-ton robot that will make an unprecedented Mars landing on Aug. 5, 2012. See how the risky maneuver will keep rover team members in suspense for 7 fateful minutes. Credit: NASA

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Note: I originally mis-stated the Mars atmospheric entry speed of Curiosity as 1300 mph. – Mike

Florida Government Complicit in Negligent Homicide?: Worst TB outbreak in 20 years kept secret

Worst TB outbreak in 20 years kept secret

State rushes closure of its only TB hospital in Lantana

Updated: 6:10 p.m. Sunday, July 8, 2012 | Posted: 10:52 a.m. Sunday, July 8, 2012

By Stacey Singer

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

JACKSONVILLE — The CDC officer had a serious warning for Florida health officials in April: A tuberculosis outbreak in Jacksonville was one of the worst his group had investigated in 20 years. Linked to 13 deaths and 99 illnesses, including six children, it would require concerted action to stop.

That report had been penned on April 5, exactly nine days after Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill that shrank the Department of Health and required the closure of the A.G. Holley State Hospital in Lantana, where tough tuberculosis cases have been treated for more than 60 years.

(See full article here)

Microwave Ovens vs. Microwave/Convection Ovens vs. Microwave/Halogen Ovens

4 Replies

[12/8/2013: This article was modified for clarity.]

For about 10 years, I sold appliances, among other things. While model-specific knowledge has passed me by, I’m still familiar with many points relating to technology, applications, useful features, features to avoid, and user errors which create some problems.

For my Chinese in-laws, I sometimes suggest appliances which may be helpful to them, but which may not be common in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In such cases, I write ‘helpful hints’ emails to assist them in finding equivalents. In many cases, they must educate the Chinese sales people with whom they deal, who themselves may not be familiar with Western-style appliances which we take for granted. (As an example, only 1% of Chinese households have automatic dishwashers, and sales people are usually unfamiliar with how to use them effectively and safely, let alone what features are useful for solving a customer’s needs or desires.)

Below my bullet points, I’ve pasted some examples. If you live outside the United States, you will probably have to look for comparable domestically-available units.

Continue reading →

SpaceX Next – Commercial Crew [VIDEO]

Increasingly, SpaceX is looking like the real world version of science fiction’s space entrepreneurs.

UPDATE (4/9/2012): Energy Independence, Topic for APRIL 11th SHOW ON KPFT 90.1 FM (Houston)

<UPDATE, 4/9/2012>: Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig continues with my next scheduled show on April 11th (Wednesday at 9:30-9:55 am CT) on KPFT in Houston (90.1 FM). You can listen live when the show is on-air by clicking here: Listen Live (32k)

My confirmed guests will be Edward Hirs and Michael Skelly. The topic we’ll begin to explore is “Energy Independence: We Talk About It, But What Does It Mean?”

While we may drift as the conversation develops, I think that these are the topics I’ve settled on and, briefly, the reasons why.
Continue reading →

Wind Turbines: “It’s always something” [VIDEO]

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UPDATE, 4/30/2012: Along the lines described in this piece: NASA Satellite Measurements Imply Texas Wind Farm Impact On Surface Temperature

UPDATE: 4/9/2012: On Wednesday, April 11th, I’ll be doing a show on Energy Independence on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). You can read about the show and how to hear it here.

Since wind energy will be a topic of discussion, it seemed like a good time to re-post this piece, originally written by me in April of 2010.

– Mike

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It seems that wind turbines change how heat dissipates in the areas downwind of them, because they slow the wind as it spins their propellers. Once one begins to think about it, this domino effect makes perfect sense.
Continue reading →

UPDATE, Guests & Background: Energy Independence, Topic for APRIL 11th SHOW ON KPFT 90.1 FM (Houston)

1 Reply

Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig continues with my next scheduled show on April 11th (Wednesday at 9:30-9:55 am CT) on KPFT in Houston (90.1 FM). You can listen live when the show is on-air by clicking here: Listen Live (32k)

My confirmed guests will be Edward Hirs and Michael Skelly. The topic we’ll begin to explore is “Energy Independence: We Talk About It, But What Does It Mean?”

The show runs less than a half hour, so I’m providing some additional background for listeners who want more depth on the guests and topics.

Below are autobiographical sketches of my guests, and below that are links to articles and background material which they have suggested.

Continue reading →

Energy Independence, Topic for APRIL 11th SHOW ON KPFT 90.1 FM (Houston)

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My exciting new relationship with KPFT in Houston (90.1 FM), Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig is continues with my next scheduled show on April 11th (Wednesday at 9:30-9:55 am CT). It will be both timely and intriguing.

My confirmed guests will be Edward Hirs and Michael Skelly. The topic I’ll begin to explore is “Energy Independence: We Talk About It, But What Does It Mean?” The sorts of questions I’d like to discuss: Continue reading →

Sign this [new] petition for The White House to increase the NIH budget for 2013

1 Reply

[UPDATE (April 2, 2012): We now need 9,333 more signatures to hit 25,000 by April 17. If you have not yet signed the petition, please do so, and ask your friends and co-workers to log into the site and sign.]

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A new petition has been initiated (the first one failed by just 88 signatures!), and needs 25,000 signatures by April 17, 2012. As of this date (March 25), it is more than halfway there at 12,574.

The NEW petition can be found here: https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/#!/petition/increase-nih-funding-33-billion-proposed-flat-307-billion-dollars-will-hurt-econmy-and-medical/FNr0kRbj

The original petition needed 25,000 signatures by March 18th. It fell short by just 88 signatures!

The new announcement is below. The original petition announcement, with arguments for its support, is below that. ~ Mike

Continue reading →

The Dragon, The Falcon, and SpaceX [VIDEO]

I think that the 60Minutes story and the photo (below) make a nice story when put together. The video runs about 16 minutes, with a short commercial embedded.

19 MarSpaceX‏@SpaceX: In case you missed it, here is the full video of SpaceX on @60Minutes last night. What did you think of the story? http://t.co/WROGm7Pe

Click on photo to see full size version
NASA (@NASA): News from NASA. | We typically post in Eastern Time (ET). To convert to UT/GMT, add 5 hours (4 hours during Daylight Saving Time).

Thinkwing Radio, New Shows: April 11 and May 29. Details below.

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As the next steps in my exciting new relationship with KPFT in Houston (90.1 FM), Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig is currently scheduled to do 2 shows. The topic for May 29th (Tuesday at 9:30-9:55 am CT) is still TBD.

However, the April 11th show (Wednesday at 9:30-9:55 am CT) is taking shape, and will be both timely and intriguing.

The topic I’ll begin to explore is “Energy Independence: We Talk About It, But What Does It Mean?” The sorts of questions I’d like to discuss: Continue reading →

NASA reveals how fiery magma disfigured the moon [Cool VIDEO!]

NASA’s CGI-animated history of the Moon. It’s had a tough life.

Read more via Wired Science.

Support Improved Human Health AND Boosting Our Economy! Sign this petition to support increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Update, March 25, 2012: The petition announced below has expired. Outdated links have been removed. Please see the post for the new petition at http://wp.me/p12dO4-1eX

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There’s a lot of interesting and important science waiting to be done in this country. Doing it, however, is becoming financially impossible.

Government support for research which has no immediate payoff is essential, or basic research often doesn’t get done. Yet over a decade or more, federal funding of research in ‘real’ dollars has been almost continually ‘flat’ or cut. Continue reading →