March 24, 2022

What We Know About The New Omicron Subvariant BA.2 Spreading Around The World

Some scientists have called BA.2 a "stealth" variant because, unlike the BA.1 variant, it lacks a particular genetic signature that distinguishes it from the Delta variant. While standard PCR tests are still able to detect the BA.2 variant, they might not be able to tell it apart from the Delta variant.
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It is worth noting that while BA.1 has dominated case numbers around the world, it causes less severe disease compared to the Delta variant. Recent studies from the UK and Denmark suggest that BA.2 may pose a similar risk of hospitalization as BA.1.
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A recent study suggested that people previously infected with the original BA.1 subvariant have robust protection against BA.2.

https://www.sciencealert.com/two-scientists-answer-all-your-questions-about-the-new-ba-2-variant

Those are the main takeaways. The article is readable but there is some alphabet soup in it. They are hoping the vax is as effective as it was against BA1, producing only mild illness in most people who got breakthrough cases. Vaccine studies have been done in Europe but are not yet peer reviewed.

So not to worry, it's not going to be 2020 all over again, so stop panic buying toilet paper. Please.

Oh, and there's also a BA3 variant, but nobody seems to be particularly worried about it, it doesn't seem to be spreading rapidly.

March 17, 2022

This Beautiful Reconstruction of a Stone Age Woman Feels Almost Like Time Travel

A Stone Age woman who lived 4,000 years ago is leaning on her walking stick and looking ahead as a spirited young boy bursts into a run, in a stunning life-size reconstruction now on display in Sweden.

Although her likeness is new – it debuted last month in an exhibit about ancient people at Västernorrlands Museum – researchers have known about this woman's existence for nearly a century.

During the construction of a road in the hamlet of Lagmansören in 1923, workers found her skeletal remains buried next to the remains of a child, likely a 7-year-old boy.

https://www.sciencealert.com/stunning-reconstruction-of-a-stone-age-woman-captures-a-beautiful-moment-in-history

March 16, 2022

New Experiments Hint Human Language Likely Didn't Start With Grunts

Two groups of 30 volunteers across different cultures (Australian and Vanuatuan) had to try and convey specified meanings using either gestures or non-verbal vocalizations – a bit like a game of charades.

The same exercise was repeated with 10 sighted and 10 blind volunteers, who were tasked with producing the gestured or non-verbal communications, while a group of undergraduates tried to understand what they meant.

https://www.sciencealert.com/experiments-suggest-human-language-burst-onto-the-scene-with-gestures-not-grunts

Interesting take on things that are hard wired. Doesn't cover verbal communication, but interesting. I'd always thought the earliest homonin verbal communication was clicks and whistles. It would have blended with bird calls and not called attention to a species that was still a few million years away from being apex predators.

Chimps have been found to use a combination of lip smacks and blowing in face to face communication.

March 16, 2022

Science Has Devastating News About Pollen Season as The US Climate Keeps Changing

Brace yourselves, allergy suffers – new research shows pollen season is going to get a lot longer and more intense with climate change.

Our latest study finds that the US will face up to a 200 percent increase in total pollen this century if the world continues producing carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles, power plants and other sources at a high rate. Pollen season in general will start up to 40 days earlier in the spring and last up to 19 days longer than today under that scenario.

https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-allergy-sufferers-can-expect-as-our-climate-changes

Great video showing the increase over time. I've already noticed it here in NM, my nasties are mulberry and grass.

March 15, 2022

Something happening near Kyiv

Cameras swap around, but there are a lot of bright flashes in one particular spot on the outskirts and a lot of noise tonight. Dogs are all going nuts, something they haven't done on previous noisy nights.

If I had to make a wild guess, given the concentration of the flashes, I'd say Ukraininan forces are stopping another regrouped convoy.

I just hope it doesn't get worse, poor doggies.

March 9, 2022

Radical Plan to Make Earth's Deepest Hole Could Unleash Limitless Energy

Since its launch in 2020, a pioneering energy company called Quaise has attracted some serious attention for its audacious goal of diving further into Earth's crust than anybody has dug before.

Following the closure of first round venture capital funding, the MIT spin-off has now raised a total of US$63 million: a respectable start that could potentially make geothermal power accessible to more populations around the world.

https://www.sciencealert.com/confidence-grows-in-mit-spin-off-aiming-to-make-the-deepest-hole-for-limitless-energy

Still highly speculative at this point, but non mechanical drilling could make geothermal energy accessible everywhere.

Right now, it's possible only in active systems, the main problem being "active." Pockets of high pressure gases can exist near magma intrusions and be highly unpleasant or even catastrophic.

https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.536.8456&rep=rep1&type=pdf