You are browsing the archive for November 2011 - Dan's Wild Wild Science Journal.
28 November 2011
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is
The next line of that Chicago song is “Does anybody really care”. The answer is yes somebody does, and the “somebody’s” are those who keep your GPS working. If you have not seen any of the Minute Physics videos on YouTube, they are a real treat and very informative. Check out this one on GPS and relativity: You probably know that the atomic clocks have to be adjusted because of …
27 November 2011
World’s Biggest Science Conference Begins Dec. 5th.
I’ve long wanted to attend the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, and I’ll finally get my chance in ten days. I’m also looking forward to meeting John Cook who writes Skeptical Science, and Dr. Richard Alley of Penn. State University. There’s a workshop on Wednesday, that will include all three of us actually, and if you’re in San Francisco it’s free and open to the public! Dr. Alley is …
24 November 2011
It May Not Seem Like it, But Scientific Truth Is Slowly Winning The Day.
It’s just not been a good year for those who think climate science is a plan for one world government, or taxing them to death. With one study after another indicating that mainline climate change predictions are solid, it’s not really surprising that another batch of emails stolen in 2009 from climate researchers was released this week. The media reaction (a big yawn) to this latest release seems to have …
23 November 2011
First True Color VIIRS Image from NPP
NASA released the first image taken with the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer on the new NPP satellite today. It was taken yesterday (Nov 21,2011), and for those who have never been to the Bahamas, the water there is really that blue! NPP promises to deliver some great science in the coming years, and will play a big role in improving our knowledge of forecasting and climate. Below is the full …
22 November 2011
Spooky: Today’s Weather Is Amazingly Similar To 22 Nov. 1963
The map below is the 500 millibar chart for 22 Nov. 1963. The new chart uses a different scale with fewer lines but this does not change the shape of the flow. A lifting short wave trough from Kansas City to Shreveport, with a weak ridge over the Southeast U.S. is apparent. Now look at the 500 mb flow for today, exactly 48 years later. Below are the …
21 November 2011
Human’s Do Indeed Change The Face of Earth
This is a photo taken from the ISS on 3 Nov. 2011. Can you guess what it is? Go here.
20 November 2011
12 Year Old App Developer- TEDx Youth
I made a short talk today at our first TEDx youth event here in Huntsville, and one of the videos they showed was amazing. I wanted to share it, and encourage you to look for a TEDx/TEDx Youth event near you. Meet Thomas Saurez: You can learn more about TEDx Youth here. PS I talked about the secret ingredients for tornadoes and will share that soon. Sorry for the lack …
16 November 2011
Auburn, Alabama Hit by Probable Tornado
First it was Tuscaloosa, and today Alabama’s other major university city gets hit with a tornado. At least it looks that way right now. The Maxwell, AFB. radar shows a strong rotation passing just south of the campus, and there are reports of considerable damage. We won’t know for sure that the tornado touched down until a storm survey is done, but that is likely already in the planning stages. …
NOAA: Despite Growing La Nina, October 8th Warmest
Here is what NOAA/NCDC had to say about it: The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for October 2011 was the eighth warmest on record at 14.58°C (58.14°F), which is 0.58°C (1.04°F) above the 20th century average of 14.0°C (57.1°F). The margin of error associated with this temperature is +/- 0.07°C (0.13°F). Separately, the global land surface temperature was 1.10°C (1.98°F) above the 20th century average of 9.3°C …
15 November 2011
Three Things About Physics That Blow Neil de Grasse Tyson’s Mind
Spotted on Reddit here. What never fails to blow your mind in physics? Answer: 1) The fact that an electron has no known size — it’s smaller than the smallest measurement we have ever made of anything. 2) That Quarks come only in pairs: If you try to separate two of them, the energy you sink into the system to accomplish this feat is exactly the energy to spontaneously create …
Dan Satterfield has worked as an on air meteorologist for 32 years in Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama. Forecasting weather is Dan's job, but all of Earth Science is his passion. This journal is where Dan writes about things he has too little time for on air. Dan blogs about peer-reviewed Earth science for Junior High level audiences and up.