Earth's Core, Magnetic Field Changing Fast, Study Says
Topic: Local Information
1:57 am EDT, Jul 20, 2008
Rapid changes in the churning movement of Earth s liquid outer core are weakening the magnetic field in some regions of the planet s surface, a new study says.
What is so surprising is that rapid, almost sudden, changes take place in the Earth s magnetic field, said study co-author Nils Olsen, a geophysicist at the Danish National Space Center in Copenhagen.
The findings suggest similarly quick changes are simultaneously occurring in the liquid metal, 1,900 miles 3,000 kilometers below the surface, he said.
The swirling flow of molten iron and nickel around Earth s solid center triggers an electrical current, which generates the planet s magnetic field.
Learn more about Earth s interior.
The study, published recently in Nature Geoscience, modeled Earth s magnetic field using nine years of highly accurate satellite data.
Flip-Flop
Fluctuations in the magnetic field have occurred in several far-flung regions of Earth, the researchers found.
In 2003 scientists found pronounced changes in the magnetic field in the Australasian region. In 2004, however, the changes were focused on Southern Africa.
The changes may suggest the possibility of an upcoming reversal of the geomagnetic field, said study co-author Mioara Mandea, a scientist at the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam.
Earth s magnetic field has reversed hundreds of times over the past billion years, and the process could take thousands of years to complete.
Related story: Magnetic Field Weakening in Stages, Old Ships Logs Suggest May 11, 2006
Upper Atmosphere Radiation
The decline in the magnetic field also is opening Earth s upper atmosphere to intense charged particle radiation, scientists say.
Satellite data show the geomagnetic field decreasing in the South Atlantic region, Mandea said, adding that an oval-shaped area east of Brazil is significantly weaker than similar latitudes in other parts of the world.
It is in this region that the shielding effect of the magnetic field is severely reduced, thus allowing high energy particles of the hard radiation belt to penetrate deep into the upper atmosphere to altitudes below a hundred kilometers 62 miles , Mandea said.
This radiation does not influence temperatures on Earth. The particles, however, do affect technical and radio equipment and can damage electronic equipment on satellites and airplanes, Olsen of the Danish space center said.
I-Team: Injection Used To Subdue Prisoners - Nashville News Story - WSMV Nashville
Topic: Society
1:28 am EDT, Jul 20, 2008
The city s policy to use the method, which calls for the injection of a drug into a person, came as a total surprise to people most would expect to know all about it.
For almost two years, Metro police have had the option of calling for a needle loaded with a strong sedative to control the most unruly people they encounter on the street.
Why not just get them stoned? If we're going to resort to using drugs to fight crime, why not let the criminals drug themselves and let the cops find something real to do for a living?
George W. Bush Sewage Treatment Plant renaming qualifies for November ballot.»
Topic: Current Events
11:53 pm EDT, Jul 19, 2008
The Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco has just recently submitted signatures to city election officials “hoping to place on the ballot an initiative that would rechristen the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant as the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.” SFist reports that the initiative has now officially qualified. From the Commission’s press release:
Officials at the Department of Elections announced today that the citizens’ initiative to rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant has qualified for the November 4th San Francisco ballot. Voters will decide on the measure in the general election alongside the presidential election, numerous statewide initiatives, and an expected 20 to 30 local measures.
RE: As the name implies, the Friday Grab Bag is a collection of community questions taken from the official Dark Age of Camelot forums. Add some announcements into the mix and you have a good read.
Topic: Arts
10:54 pm EDT, Jul 19, 2008
george1455 wrote: As the name implies, the Friday Grab Bag is a collection of community questions taken from the official Dark Age of Camelot forums. Add some announcements into the mix and you have a good read.
Q. Is Quillan Muire in Muire's tomb supposed to drop any loot? It seems like he is the "boss" of the dungeon but she drops nothing different from his surrounding guards. I know he has a quest associated with her, but the other named Muires along that quest can drop items. Thanks!
A. I would probably haggle a bit with Muire. I would say, "Hey, we got the same last name. Or maybe my last name is your first name. Suppose we are related! After all, how many Muires have you met in your life? Gimme a dollar off that piece of shit thing, there."
Q. I have noticed that the blunt weapon given to druids by the trainer is called an "Arch Mace". But it is actually a hammer. Is it supposed to be a hammer and is mislabeled or is it a mace with the wrong graphic?
A. It is neither. Rather, it is a vibrator. The whole thing was fucked up. Still is, as a matter of fact.
Q. How do I add the guild ranks to the house friends list so I can set the different permission levels?
A. That is an excellent question. Thank you for asking it. I would actually approach the house of friends list, and I would ask them what they are. I assume you are better acquainted with the house of friends list. You may want to ask them if they would hold onto your guild ranks for awhile. Even if you never intend on going back for them, just do that. That will fool them, enough. Offer to get them high as an incentive.
Q. My question involves the Alchemy drop items. Why does the Ancient Crushed Focus Stone only drop one at a time, while the Ancient Troll Blood, Ancient Giant Blood, Ancient Mirror, Ancient Pure Mercury, and the Enriched Quicksilver drops off the same mobs in stacks of 5? The Ancient Necrotic Brain Fluid and the Ancient Lich Tooth will drop in stacks of 3. There doesn't appear to be a level variation between the drops, and they are all used with Alchemy of 1000+. Shouldn't they all be dropped in the same quantity?
A. In a perfect world, that is indeed what would occur. However, people have had thousands of years to build a decent society with fair, pragmatic rules. Literally all our planet's best minds have come and gone, all trying to perfect this civilization and they've not yet succeeded. So what makes is think that this thing was gonna be any better? That's actually a better question than yours.
Q. I've been looking for a trophy mob - a pig called Jari. I've tried for many game-days to get it to spawn, either in the Abbey Farm or the Bandit Camp, by killing Wild Sows nearby. No luck so far. Is there any way you can confirm that it still exists or any advice you can offer?
A. Yes, dead things can't fuck or inseminate or be imprenated. That's the first thing you have to ... [ Read More (0.3k in body) ]
http://www.ted.com Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt...
Neil Patrick Harris vs. Nathan Fillion (the captain in firefly)
ONE WEEK ONLY! AN INTERNET MINISERIES EVENT!
"Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog" will be streamed, LIVE (that part’s not true), FREE (sadly, that part is) right on Drhorrible.com, in mid-July. Specifically:
ACT ONE (Wheee!) will go up Tuesday July 15th.
ACT TWO (OMG!) will go up Thursday July 17th.
ACT THREE (Denouement!) will go up Saturday July 19th.
All acts will stay up until midnight Sunday July 20th. Then they will vanish into the night, like a phantom (but not THE Phantom – that’s still playing. Like, everywhere.)
You've seen some weird marine creatures in our previous articles "Out-of-this-world Fishing" and "Big Fish Extravaganza". Now we present more, and probably the weirdest bunch yet. Article by our guest writer Chan Lee Peng and Avi Abrams.
They exist. Don't ask "why", just accept their unbelievable strangeness and the fact that other surreal creatures (who knows how many!) may inhabit the oceanic depths, of which we have only explored a tiny fraction.
Some of these look like they'd make really cool pets.
Dark Roasted Blend: "Most Dangerous Roads in the World" Series
Topic: Recreation
9:56 pm EDT, Jul 18, 2008
This is the original series, as it was started on DRB in November, 2006. Articles are written by Avi Abrams, all rights reserved. Please send us tips and pictures of other hair-raising roads you encountered
Where Are They Now: 6 "Stars" of Embarrassing Viral Videos | Cracked.com
Topic: Humor
7:12 pm EDT, Jul 15, 2008
According to BET, the "dispute" was that during a commercial break, Scott referred to a co-worker as a Negro. When that co-worker asked him not to use that word, Scott, in an act of mind-blowing asshattery, decided to use the, um, other N-word and was fired shortly thereafter.
