Feb

Global Dimming

Posted by Catfish as enviornment, science, survival

It turns out we aren’t dealing with global warming, but also with global dimming. Wikipedia defines “global dimming” as follows:

Global dimming is the gradual reduction in the amount of global direct irradiance at the Earth’s surface that was observed for several decades after the start of systematic measurements in 1950s. It is thought to have been caused by an increase in particulates such as sulfur aerosols in the atmosphere due to human action. The effect varies by location, but worldwide it has been estimated to be of the order of a 4% reduction over the three decades from 1960-1990. The trend reversed during the past decade. Global dimming has interfered with the hydrological cycle by reducing evaporation and may have caused droughts in some areas. Global dimming also creates a cooling effect that may have partially masked the effect of greenhouse gases on global warming.

This video is scary but we need to know.

1 Comment »

Feb

Human Electric Hybrid Vehicle

Posted by Catfish as Tech, enviornment, robotics, science, survival, videos

This video is narrated by an almost sultry speak and spell female voice synthesizer. In concept I love the idea behind these vehicles, but if they look like that no one’s gonna want them. Make the technology that is going to save the world sexy, and it probably will save the world.

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Jan

Kid WAS deaf for NINE years, regains hearing after cotton bud pops out of his ear

Posted by Catfish as enviornment, science

This is one of those stories that is too funny to be true. I mean you got to be kidding me. How does the doctor not see the cotton in this kid’s ear? I guess when they say, Take the cotton out of your ears!, they actually mean it. Link below.

For nine years, Jerome Bartens had to cope with the handicap of being half deaf.

Ever since he was a toddler, the 11-year-old had been unable to hear anything on his right side and doctors said they were unable to help.

Then suddenly the reason for his problems became clear - when the end of a cotton bud popped out of his ear.
His family believe that he must have poked the bud in the ear at the age of two and the tip must have broken off the plastic stem.

The result was that he has always struggled at school, was constantly forced to turn up the volume of the television and music, and became used to everyone shouting at him.

But now he is waking up to a whole world of noise - while his father Carsten is demanding to know why medical experts failed to identify the problem for so long.

Yesterday Mr Bartens, 45, told how Jerome was playing with his friends in a church hall when he heard a popping sound in his right ear.

He put his finger in and found the tip of a cotton wool bud.

“It was just incredible - his hearing returned to normal in an instant.

“He was cured as suddenly as he became deaf. I had always suspected Jerome had stuck something in his ear when he was little and that was causing the problem.

“But the doctors and hearing specialists said it was wax and he would probably grow out of it.

“I am amazed they didn’t spot something as obvious as a cotton wool bud.”

Mr Bartens, an HGV driver from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, has now complained to his GP and hearing specialists who examined Jerome over the years.

More at -

Link to Original Story

just dont grow up to be this guy!