Science

A massive solar storm in May 2024 gave scientists an unprecedented look at how Earth’s protective plasma layer collapses under intense space weather. With the Arase satellite in a perfect observing position, researchers watched the plasmasphere shrink to a fraction of its usual size and take days to rebuild. The event pushed auroras far beyond their normal boundaries and revealed that a rare “negative storm” in the ionosphere dramatically slowed the atmosphere’s ability to recover. These observations offer valuable insight into how extreme solar activity disrupts satellites, GPS signals, and communication systems.

About 4.5 billion years ago, the most momentous event in the history of Earth occurred: a huge celestial body called Theia collided with the young Earth. How the collision unfolded and what exactly happened afterward has not been conclusively clarified. What is certain, however, is that the size, composition, and orbit of Earth changed as a result—and that the impact marked the birth of our constant companion in space, the moon.

The surface of the Earth is finite. We can measure it. If it was expanding, then its size would grow with time. And once again, good ol’ Earth helps us understand what the universe might be doing beyond our observable horizon.

I don’t go to poetry readings, but I read a fair amount of poetry—mostly older stuff. (To me, poetry ceased to be good when it became unrhymed prose with variable line spacing.)  So my title really refers to the three immortal poets whose recorded readings I’ve put in this post.

Ths other day, in connection with something I’m writing, I came upon William Butler Yeats reading aloud one of his great poems, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” To me the lyrical beauty of the work was ruined by Yeast’s monotonic, his lack of pauses, and pompous intonation, which you can hear below.

And it’s not just Yeats, but his near contemporaries T. S. Eliot and Dylan Thomas. Here, for instance is Eliot reading another great work, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.”  He rushes through the poem with the same monotone as Yeats.  It’s almost as if Eliot doesn’t feel what he wrote.

Finally, another favorite, Dylan Thomas reading his great classic, “Fern Hill,” a remembrance of his childhood.  Same issue! All three poets are of different nationality: Yeats was Irish, Eliot American with an adopted accent, and Thomas Welsh. (I have to admit that of all these renditions, Thomas’s is best, as he shows at least a modicum of emotion.)

It’s not that these poems can’t be recited without feeling, as there are examples of better renditions all over YouTube (listen to Jim Meskimem reading “Fern Hill”).  So I’m still baffled by the three readings above, and I’m wondering what Oscar Wilde sounded like when reading his poems (I can’t find recordings).

Researchers discovered that copper oxide catalysts form metallic copper mid-reaction, triggering a dramatic boost in ammonia output. The insight offers a roadmap for designing cleaner, more efficient ammonia-production technologies.

While cats inhabit or live around most mosques in Istanbul, they haven’t been regular residents of the Topkapi Palace, the residence of the sultans for four centuries and center of the Ottoman Empire. If you’re ever in Istanbul, this is a must-visit place, where you can see the sultans’ jewels, the harem, and many accoutrements of the Empire, not to mention the lovely tiled architecture.  However, until recently there were no cats—a woeful lacuna.

This has now been remedied, as the Daily Sabah reports:

An excerpt. The cat door mentioned in the article is shown in the title above (click to read):

The cat door in the Karaağalar Quarters of the Harem at Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace, originally built during the Ottoman period to allow palace cats to move freely, has been fully restored, bringing life back to the palace’s feline residents, including Şerbet, the granddaughter of Mülayim, a cat that had been missing for three years, and other palace cats.

The cat door, which opens into the Karaağalar Quarters, was restored according to its original design, allowing cats to move through the Harem as they did centuries ago. The historic passage has been part of palace life for centuries and serves as a symbol of the Ottomans’ care for pets.

The small door in the Karaağalar Quarters is in the section that once housed the Darüssaade Ağas, high-ranking officials. With the restoration complete, the silent footsteps of cats have again echoed through the palace’s historic stone floors.

Cats, which are among the palace’s silent witnesses, continue to roam the Harem’s stone floors as they did centuries ago, passing through the small door to reach different corners of the palace. After the restoration, Şerbet, the granddaughter of Mülayim, along with other cats, revived the historic passage by following their ancestor’s path, bridging the past with the present.

This small detail, hidden within the Harem’s elegant architecture, reflects the care shown to animals during the Ottoman period and serves as a living part of Topkapı Palace’s history.

. . . . . [Head of the Palace Ilhan] Kocaman emphasized that pets were an integral part of palace life, moving freely and living within the Harem. “Among the palace’s pets, cats stood out more prominently. As a sign of compassion and mercy, these animals were brought into the palace and allowed to stay close to humans. People kept them nearby. To allow easy access, a special door for cats was placed under the main door.”

He continued, “The Darüssaade Ağa held the highest rank among the Karaağalar. The rooms connected to this door were used by officials of lower rank before the Darüssaade Ağa. Since they brought pets with them, the cats personally used these rooms.”

. . .The restoration of the cat door on the second floor of the Karaağalar Quarters has been completed, he said. The ground floor is open to visitors, while the second floor is not yet accessible. Other floors will gradually open, but due to the historic structure, visitor access must be limited. Narrow stairways and the challenging architecture limit the number of visitors allowed on upper floors.

Mülayim, the cat that had lived in Topkapı Palace for many years but had been missing for three, had long used the quarters’ cat door. Now, Şerbet, her granddaughter and other cats continue to pass through it.

“Pets may leave certain areas temporarily, but others take their place. Our staff ensures the needs of cats in the courtyards are met, allowing them to live comfortably. We want to showcase this Ottoman practice and we believe it will attract interest,” Kocaman said.

Here’s a video showing the cats and their new cat door:

Read the Wikipedia article on Islam and Cats, A quote from that one:

The cat is considered “the quintessential pet” by many Muslims, and is admired for its cleanliness.

Unlike many other animals, Islamic Law considers cats ritually pure and that cats possess barakah (blessings), and allows cats to freely enter homes and even mosques. Cats are believed to be the most common pet in Muslim countries.

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Here’s an article about “Bone Jovi,” a cat resident at the Bone Museum in Brooklyn. If you’re a New Yorker, you can go see him NOW.

Click to read:

An excerpt:

At first glance, a museum filled with human bones might not seem like the ideal home for a cat. But for Bone Jovi, the resident feline of the Bone Museum in Brooklyn, it’s a perfect match.

Originally from a shelter in Georgia, Bone Jovi made a 900-mile journey to the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York. The tuxedo-wearing cat immediately stood out.

Calm, confident, and unbothered by new environments. That unique temperament landed him an unexpected opportunity, a chance to become the next face of one of New York’s quirkiest museums.

Before Bone Jovi came along, a cat named Chonky Boy had been the beloved mascot of the Bone Museum for five years. Chonky Boy, now partially blind and mostly deaf, was ready for retirement. The museum team went in search of a worthy successor, and they found it in Bone Jovi.

The team gave him a trial run, letting him roam the museum freely. He passed with flying colors. According to the museum, “he quickly proved himself as the perfect fit.” Soon after, Bone Jovi was adopted and officially joined the museum staff as their new mascot and professional mouser.

Visitors can often find Bone Jovi curled up in a chair at the front desk or exploring exhibits like Phantom and Odd Fellow. Though surrounded by bones, he moves with ease and charm. He’s become more than just a museum cat. He’s a cultural ambassador, a social media darling, and a fan favorite.

If you want to see Bone Jovi (or visit the Bone Museum), you can find information here.  And below is a video of the Museum’s “Head of Security”.

And another video (I think more people come to the Museum to see the cat than the bones, but Bone Jovi facilitates learning, too):

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And Greycoat Research has some good news for cat owners, particularly those with senior cats. As you may known, older cats often die from kidney failure.  But now there’s a potential therapy that can give extra years to your moggy. Click to read:

An excerpt:

After decades of research and rising hope, a potential cure for feline chronic kidney disease (CKD) is finally within reach. The long-anticipated AIM injection drug—designed to restore the kidney’s natural cleaning mechanism—is set to enter clinical trials in April 2025, with completion targeted before year-end. Applications for regulatory approval are planned for 2026, and if successful, the drug could be available to the public as early as spring 2027.

This marks a historic moment in veterinary medicine. The drug was developed by Dr. Toru Miyazaki, the Japanese immunologist who discovered the AIM (Apoptosis Inhibitor of Macrophage) protein in 1999 and revealed its critical role in clearing waste from the kidneys. Unlike other species, cats lack the ability to activate AIM, which leads to a gradual buildup of waste and eventual kidney failure. Dr. Miyazaki’s breakthrough was not only in identifying this process, but in formulating a method to correct it—culminating in the development of an injectable drug that delivers active AIM directly to the kidneys.

To bring the therapy to life, Dr. Toru Miyazaki established the Institute for AIM Medicine  (IAM) in 2022 with the help of widespread donations from cat lovers who shared his vision of curing feline kidney disease. This public support allowed him to transition AIM research from academic theory into practical application.

The following year, he launched IAM Cat as a dedicated platform to accelerate feline-specific clinical development. Beyond the laboratory, Dr. Toru Miyazaki has worked tirelessly to raise awareness, build infrastructure, and push the treatment toward real-world use. A full production pipeline has now been secured, including a dedicated manufacturing base in Taiwan, ensuring that the drug can be scaled for broad distribution once approved.

Here’s a photo of Miyazaki’s book, The Day Cats Live to Be Thirty:

The site already sells supplements in the form of pills, but the wonder cure is to be an injection. Check with your vet before trying any of this stuff.

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Lagniappe: A new short of Simon’s Cat and Simon’s kitten, who learns to use the scratching post:

And a second lagniapp: parrot and cat have a chinwag:

h/t: Erik, Merilee

New measurements of radio galaxies reveal that the solar system is racing through the universe at over three times the speed predicted by standard cosmology. Using highly sensitive data from multiple radio telescope arrays, researchers uncovered a surprisingly strong dipole pattern—one that challenges longstanding assumptions about how matter is distributed across cosmic scales. The results echo similar anomalies seen in quasar studies, hinting that something fundamental about our universe’s structure or our motion through it may need rewriting.

New measurements of radio galaxies reveal that the solar system is racing through the universe at over three times the speed predicted by standard cosmology. Using highly sensitive data from multiple radio telescope arrays, researchers uncovered a surprisingly strong dipole pattern—one that challenges longstanding assumptions about how matter is distributed across cosmic scales. The results echo similar anomalies seen in quasar studies, hinting that something fundamental about our universe’s structure or our motion through it may need rewriting.

I have pretty much run out of contributions, but am also allowed to plunder the wonderful photos of Scott Ritchie from Cairns, Australia. Here are some more from his trip to Western Australia. Scott’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them. (Scott’s Facebook page is here.)

An update on the WA trip, part III. Here are some of my favourite birds and mammals from my travels through Denmark and Albany. I will also provide an in depth look at the aquatics from Lake Sepping, Albany in the next post. It’s a great area, wonderful trees, intriguing flowers, dramatic landscapes, brilliant cool climate wines and outstanding birds!

Golden or Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa):

A White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis) declares his patch:

Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) has to dodge the surf.

That was close!:

Heh, I was first! A Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) stares down an incoming bee at a nectar bar:

While the ever agro honeyeater, the New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), shows off his diving form chasing any other bird that shows up:

Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang). “Red, red robin goes bob, bob bobin away!”:

A Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) shuffles out the rain:

Then flies down for a tasty slug:

I love the icy blue head on the Red-winged Fairywren (Malurus elegans)!:

A Red-eared Firetail (Stagonopleura oculata) lights his afterburner:

 

Before going into high speed orbit!:

Pelicans at Ocean Beach. Turn around or you’ll miss the rainbow!:

A Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) hovers above Green Pool at Denmark, enjoying a grasshopper for brekkie:

“Watch out, here he comes!”  The kestrel then flies to Elephant Rocks where he is given a rude welcome by a Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena):

Heavy winter rains made for quite a itchy visit! Local mozzies were driving the Western Grey Kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) crazy:

Australian Ringneck (AKA 28 Parrot; Barnardius zonarius) enjoys the flowers in the field:

Material science plays a critical role in space exploration. So many of the challenges facing both crewed and non-crewed missions come down to factors like weight, thermal and radiation tolerance, and overall material stability. The results of a new study from Young-Kyeong Kim of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and their colleagues should therefore be exciting for those material scientists who focus on radiation protection. After decades of trying, the authors were able to create a fully complete “sheet” of Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTs).

Scientists have achieved a breakthrough that seemed impossible just months ago, they have simulated our entire Milky Way galaxy down to each of its 100 billion individual stars. By combining artificial intelligence with supercomputer power, researchers created a model that captures everything from galactic arms to the explosive deaths of individual stars, completing in days what would have taken conventional simulations 36 years. This fusion of AI and physics represents a significant shift in how we model complex systems, with implications reaching far beyond astronomy.

Water trapped inside tiny molecular cavities behaves in a surprisingly energetic way, pushing outward like people crammed in an elevator. When a new molecule enters these narrow spaces, the confined water forces its way out—boosting the strength of the molecular bond that forms in its place. Researchers from KIT and Constructor University have now proven this effect both experimentally and theoretically, showing that these "highly energetic" water molecules can dramatically influence how other molecules interact.

Scientists from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have uncovered new evidence that water once flowed beneath the surface of Mars, revealing that the planet may have remained habitable for life much longer than previously thought.

An expanding universe complicates this picture just a little bit, because the universe absolutely refuses to be straightforward.

I honestly don’t have a decent analogy for you to explain how the universe is expanding without a center and without an edge. It just does, whether we can wrap our minds around it or not. But I CAN give you a way to think about it.

The distant universe might be littered with supermassive stars between 1000 and 10,000 times the mass of the sun, which could solve a cosmic mystery about the origins of extremely large black holes

Spinning vortices of water trapped under the Thwaites glacier ice shelf account for 20 per cent of the ice melt. They’re expected to get worse as the world warms

Satellite megaconstellations are quickly becoming the backbone of a number of industries. Cellular communication, GPS, weather monitoring and more are now, at least in part, reliant on the networks of thousands of satellites cruising by in low Earth orbit. But, as these constellations grow into the tens of thousands of individual members, the strain they are putting on the communications and controls systems of their ground stations is becoming untenable. A new paper from Yuhe Mao of the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and their co-authors hopes to alleviate some of that pressure by offloading much of the control scheme and network decision-making logic to satellites themselves.

Well, this is it, people: the last batch of photos I have on hand. Please send in yours if you have good ones. Thanksgiving break would be a good time to get those snaps together.

Today’s pictures come from Paul Handford, who sent photos of thrushes from British Columbia and Ireland. Paul’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.

Here’s a sampler of members of the Family Turdidae, the thrushes et al.  Some are from our decade living in south central British Columbia, while others are from around here now, in Ireland.

First, BC. As before, all images are from the area around Kamloops, mostly from our yard.

American robin, Turdus migratorius: IMG_7029.

Almost everyone living in North America is familiar with this bird, dubbed “robin” on account of its brick-red underparts, recalling to early European immigrants their familiar Old World robin, a much smaller bird, from a different avian family.  Its vocalizations and general behaviour strongly resemble those of the Eurasian blackbird in the same taxonomic genus, Turdus merula (see below):

Mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides.

A bird of higher-elevations in western parts of the continent.  The males are the very bluest of the three North American. bluebird species.  Like other Sialia species, they are cavity-nesters, and feed primarily on ground invertebrates, spotted from elevated perches on fence-posts and local vegetation.

Females are generally a more subtly beautiful beige & ashy, with blue restricted to wings, rump and tail.

Male:

Female:

Townsend’s solitaire, Myadestes townsendi.

Like the mountain bluebird, this is a species of the mountainous west.  It is a year-round resident in southern BC, but its breeding range extends way north into Yukon and Alaska.  Almost exclusively insectivorous in the breeding season, it overwinters in our area on diverse berries—as here on rowan (Sorbus):

Swainson’s thrush, Catharus ustulatus.

Other than in the mountains and coasts of the western US, this is a breeding bird of forsts and woodlands of Canada and Alaska.  More often heard than seen, this secretive bird has a distinctive haunting, flute-like song [JAC: you can hear its songs here.]

Varied thrush, Ixoreus naevius.

Another strictly western bird, one typical of the deep forest, where its one-note songs, usually repeated at slightly different pitches, provide for a rather eerie ambience.  Though mainly a summer breeder in BC, individuals often would overwinter, subsisting on berries, again in our dependable rowan tree:

Eurasian blackbird, Turdus merula:

This species is the rough counterpart of the American robin:  a familiar songster in parks and gardens pretty much all over.  As Paul McCartney memorably told us, they often do produce their lovely fluting song “in the dead of night”. [JAC: A variety of song recordings is here.]

Male.  The male is the one that gives the vernacular name. Apart from crows et al, this is the only common jet black bird in these parts, so the name offers no room for ambiguity:

Female:  The female’s plumage is mostly a rather sooty brown, and it lacks the striking crocus-yellow bill and eye-rign of the male:

Mistle thrush, Turdus viscivorus.  

A large, rather pale greyish thrush, with round spots on the white breast and belly, that forms noisy little gangs during the winter, often giving their distinctive rattling calls.  They have a typical thrush invertebrate + fruit diet, though their names derive from a presumed predilection for the beries of mistletoe, Viscum album:

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos.  
This is the thrush that most closely resembles the form of the typical North American thrushes, with brown-russet back, with streaky-spots on pale under-parts that becoming buffy on flanks and near the throat.  A familiar denizen of gardens and parks, as well as in woodland and forests, this thrush has a distinctive song comprising sequences of repetitions of short whistled phrases:

Around 1000 markings on a slab of rock that was once a seafloor during the Cretaceous period may have been made by sea turtle flippers and swiftly buried by an earthquake