DShomshak

The October, 2021 issue of Scientific American has a brief article that mentions a potential method of detecting life on exoplanets.
 
It starts with the fact that some molecules can occur in mirror-image forms. Many of the key molecules of Earthlife have this property -- and only use one version, not the other. "DNA molecules, for example, always have a 'right-handed' curl, while all known life uses only 'left handed' amino acids to build proteins."
 
When light reflects off molecules that are all of a given handedness, some of the light becomes circularly polarized: the light waves corkscrew, clockwise or counterclockwise. A new instrument called FlyPol uses this to assess the presence and health of life in an are: You fly the instrument over a region, it teases apart the light reflecting from below, and uses this to assess the density of plant life and even the health of the plants, from subtle details in the polarized portion of the light.
 
Here's the space bit: There is no intrinsic reason this could not be done over interstellar distances. The engineering is generations in the future, but scientists don't know of any process besides life that can generate complex, circularly polarized light signals. If you can find such a signal in the light reflecting off an exoplanet, there must be life with 'handed' biomolecules.
 
It is of course not certain that alien life would use 'handed' molecules. But at least there could be no false positives.
 
Dean Shomshak

The October, 2021 issue of Scientific American has a brief article that mentions a potential method of detecting life on exoplanets.
 
It starts with the fact that some molecules can occur in mirror-image forms. Many of the key molecules of Earthlife have this property -- and only use one version, not the other. "DNA molecules, for example, always have a 'right-handed' curl, while all known life uses only 'left handed' amino acids to build proteins."
 
When light reflects off molecules that are all of a given handedness, some of the light becomes circularly polarized: the light waves corkscrew, clockwise or counterclockwise. A new instrument called FlyPol uses this to assess the presence and health of life in an are: You fly the instrument over a region, it teases apart the light reflecting from below, and uses this to assess the density of plant life and even the health of the plants, from subtle details in the polarized portion of the light.
 
Here's the space bit: There is no intrinsic reason this could not be done over interstellar distances. The engineering is generations in the future, but scientists don't know of any process besides life that can generate complex, circularly polarized light signals. If you can find such a signal in the light reflecting off an exoplanet, there must be life with 'handed' biomolecules.
 
It is of course not certain that alien life would use 'handed' molecules. But at least there could be no false positives.
 
Dean Shomshak

Handed, finned, tentacled ...

The October, 2021 issue of Scientific American has a brief article that mentions a potential method of detecting life on exoplanets.
 
It starts with the fact that some molecules can occur in mirror-image forms. Many of the key molecules of Earthlife have this property -- and only use one version, not the other. "DNA molecules, for example, always have a 'right-handed' curl, while all known life uses only 'left handed' amino acids to build proteins."
 
When light reflects off molecules that are all of a given handedness, some of the light becomes circularly polarized: the light waves corkscrew, clockwise or counterclockwise. A new instrument called FlyPol uses this to assess the presence and health of life in an are: You fly the instrument over a region, it teases apart the light reflecting from below, and uses this to assess the density of plant life and even the health of the plants, from subtle details in the polarized portion of the light.
 
Here's the space bit: There is no intrinsic reason this could not be done over interstellar distances. The engineering is generations in the future, but scientists don't know of any process besides life that can generate complex, circularly polarized light signals. If you can find such a signal in the light reflecting off an exoplanet, there must be life with 'handed' biomolecules.
 
It is of course not certain that alien life would use 'handed' molecules. But at least there could be no false positives.
 
Dean Shomshak

The October, 2021 issue of Scientific American has a brief article that mentions a potential method of detecting life on exoplanets.
 
It starts with the fact that some molecules can occur in mirror-image forms. Many of the key molecules of Earthlife have this property -- and only use one version, not the other. "DNA molecules, for example, always have a 'right-handed' curl, while all known life uses only 'left handed' amino acids to build proteins."
 
When light reflects off molecules that are all of a given handedness, some of the light becomes circularly polarized: the light waves corkscrew, clockwise or counterclockwise. A new instrument called FlyPol uses this to assess the presence and health of life in an are: You fly the instrument over a region, it teases apart the light reflecting from below, and uses this to assess the density of plant life and even the health of the plants, from subtle details in the polarized portion of the light.
 
Here's the space bit: There is no intrinsic reason this could not be done over interstellar distances. The engineering is generations in the future, but scientists don't know of any process besides life that can generate complex, circularly polarized light signals. If you can find such a signal in the light reflecting off an exoplanet, there must be life with 'handed' biomolecules.
 
It is of course not certain that alien life would use 'handed' molecules. But at least there could be no false positives.
 
Dean Shomshak

"Poetic" I can accept.  While I one-hundred-percent cannot see anti-vax and anti-mask sentiment as anything less than a conscious, willful decision to embrace total ignorance, fueled by both the misguided desire to be seen as some sort rugged individual and play the odds to look as if you never had any doubt (and because of this very thing, being dome by so many, those odds have gotten far, far worse) and the truly reprehensible drive to be seen as fitting into part of some clique of tough guys or cool kids-- the whole thing is bogglingly nonsensical-
 
And while I have fanciful moments of a world twenty years on future with so many of this sort of person effectively dead by their own hands-
 
Well, the fact is that I don't want people to die, especially not od monumental stupidity or of willful ignorance.  And I certainly can't stand that the people who have chosen to play games with death want to chicken out after it is too late, and brong death to others by clogging limited medical resources.
 
I get the current trend of blaming extroverts via memes and stand up comedy, but damn, that's just feeding more misinformation and causing problems, too. I am an extrovert, as are,obviously,most of the people I know,  yet everyone in my social circles has done "what you are supposed to do:"  no social contact other than the grocery store and paying bills and going to work.  Masks all the time, every time,
 
Even meeting with Chris- my first social anything since Day 1,would not have happened if even one of us was without either masks or vaccines.  Other than that, I have suffered through every palpable moment of the "quarantine" with the understanding that if everyone else would, then things could be normal again.  I am starting to think that will never happen, because there will always be "those people."
 
There isnt any one group of types of people- it is not "just extraverts" or "just racists" (though that wouldnt be so bad I kid,of course: I genuinely dont want people to die, even if it means massive social improvements).
 
The problem is that for some reason, people believe the nonsense.   Until we can cure that, it isnt going anywhere except around and around again. 
 
 

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/season-11-episode-12/
 
this episode pf Freakonomics discusses the similarities and differences in corruption between the US and PRC, and how it relates to political and business culture. The professor who studies this stresses that "corruption" -- the abuse of public power for private benefit -- occurs in multiple modes, and surveys that purport to rate the relative corruption among countries can thus obscure more than they reveal. Notably, the US scores quite low in outright theft of state monies or simple bribery... but in subtler, more high-level forms of corruption such as corporations writing the laws by which they do business, or paying for access to the halls of power? That's another story. And the situation is not so simple in China, either.
 
Dean Shomshak

In the spirit of the recent holiday, I'd like to offer this utterly terrible idea for a Christmas TV special, maybe done by the animated puppet guys: The JWST has a problem after launch, that must be fixed immediately. NASA turns to Santa Claus as the only person who can get to the telescope in time. But this would interfere with Santa's deliveries for Christmas. Can NASA take up the slack so that both science and Christmas can be saved?
 
t's a good thing I'm not in charge of programming anywhere.
 
Dean Shomshak
 
 
 

First image from the recently launched James Webb telescope!
 
 

Likewise, this past year has sadly shown that some folks aren't trolling -- they really are that ignorant!

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/season-11-episode-12/
 
this episode pf Freakonomics discusses the similarities and differences in corruption between the US and PRC, and how it relates to political and business culture. The professor who studies this stresses that "corruption" -- the abuse of public power for private benefit -- occurs in multiple modes, and surveys that purport to rate the relative corruption among countries can thus obscure more than they reveal. Notably, the US scores quite low in outright theft of state monies or simple bribery... but in subtler, more high-level forms of corruption such as corporations writing the laws by which they do business, or paying for access to the halls of power? That's another story. And the situation is not so simple in China, either.
 
Dean Shomshak

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/season-11-episode-12/
 
this episode pf Freakonomics discusses the similarities and differences in corruption between the US and PRC, and how it relates to political and business culture. The professor who studies this stresses that "corruption" -- the abuse of public power for private benefit -- occurs in multiple modes, and surveys that purport to rate the relative corruption among countries can thus obscure more than they reveal. Notably, the US scores quite low in outright theft of state monies or simple bribery... but in subtler, more high-level forms of corruption such as corporations writing the laws by which they do business, or paying for access to the halls of power? That's another story. And the situation is not so simple in China, either.
 
Dean Shomshak

Agent J: Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it.
 
Agent K: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow.

Roman dinner guests got menus. Here is ours — a proper meal, "from eggs to apples."
(Nota Bene: My sister’s family is vegetarian, so not everything is quite as it would have been in ancient Rome… But close.)
 
          AB OVO...
 
PATINA OVI
Laura's egg lasagne
 
TOFULLUM ASSUM
roast toficken
 
PULS HORDFUM
Barley
 
LENTICULA ET TOMACULUM
lentils and sausage
 
CAROTAE
carrots (orange carrots weren't invented yet)
 
ACETARIA CAULIS
Greek style cole slaw
 
PANEM, BUTYRUM, CICER, DULCIA CITREUM
bread, butter, chickpea dip, citron preserves
 
CARDUI, OLIVAE
artichokes, olives
 
GLIRES (mock) dormice, a great Roman delicacy
 
MUSTACEI
traditional spice cakes, the Roman version of gingerbread. It wouldn't be Saturnalia without mustacei.
 
LATERCULI
filled cookie "birds"
 
DULCIA SESAME
Sesame candy
 
ENKYTHAI
honey cake
 
GLYKINAI
grapej uice crackers
 
DACTYLOS ALEXANDRINE
stuffed dates, sweet-and-salties
 
CASEUS
Cheese
 
NUCES
Nuts
 
MALA GRANATA, MALA
pomegranates, apples
 
          ...USQUE AD MALUM
 
AQIJA, LAC. VINUM
water, milk, and best Falemianwine (or, you know, sparkling cider and cran-raz juice)
 
Dean Shomshak
 
 

RES SOPHISTA (nerdy stuff)
 
"... the last age has come... again the great millennial aeon dawns... Kind Saturn reigns; and from high heaven descending comes a new offspring... smile softly on this babe. For in his time the age of iron shall cease and golden generations fill the world."
(from Virgil's Fourth Eclogue, circa 40 BCE)
 
The Romans were waiting for a savior— a child who would become a divinely chosen king and bring in the new Age of Saturn, of peace and equality. To the devout, this was the True Meaning of Saturnalia.
 
When Christianity arrived in Rome, the Roman Christians naturally felt that Jesus was the "heaven-sent babe" bringing in the new age. It was logical to celebrate his birthday on Saturnalia. Their beloved Saturnalia customs became Christmas customs: feasting and gift-giving, candles and holly. (The Romans even decorated Saturnalia trees outdoors, like American community trees, not in the living room. Still, fancy trees.)
 
The little clay manger scene on the end table has its own history. If we believe the internet, manger scenes have been documented to the time of imperial Rome... and popular Saturnalia gifts were miniature clay figures, their version of Precious Moments figurines.
 
And as you may know, all the men wore pointy hats (freedmen's caps) to symbolize equality. So bring on the Santa hats.
 
 
 
Dean Shomshak

Roman dinner guests got menus. Here is ours — a proper meal, "from eggs to apples."
(Nota Bene: My sister’s family is vegetarian, so not everything is quite as it would have been in ancient Rome… But close.)
 
          AB OVO...
 
PATINA OVI
Laura's egg lasagne
 
TOFULLUM ASSUM
roast toficken
 
PULS HORDFUM
Barley
 
LENTICULA ET TOMACULUM
lentils and sausage
 
CAROTAE
carrots (orange carrots weren't invented yet)
 
ACETARIA CAULIS
Greek style cole slaw
 
PANEM, BUTYRUM, CICER, DULCIA CITREUM
bread, butter, chickpea dip, citron preserves
 
CARDUI, OLIVAE
artichokes, olives
 
GLIRES (mock) dormice, a great Roman delicacy
 
MUSTACEI
traditional spice cakes, the Roman version of gingerbread. It wouldn't be Saturnalia without mustacei.
 
LATERCULI
filled cookie "birds"
 
DULCIA SESAME
Sesame candy
 
ENKYTHAI
honey cake
 
GLYKINAI
grapej uice crackers
 
DACTYLOS ALEXANDRINE
stuffed dates, sweet-and-salties
 
CASEUS
Cheese
 
NUCES
Nuts
 
MALA GRANATA, MALA
pomegranates, apples
 
          ...USQUE AD MALUM
 
AQIJA, LAC. VINUM
water, milk, and best Falemianwine (or, you know, sparkling cider and cran-raz juice)
 
Dean Shomshak
 
 

Roman dinner guests got menus. Here is ours — a proper meal, "from eggs to apples."
(Nota Bene: My sister’s family is vegetarian, so not everything is quite as it would have been in ancient Rome… But close.)
 
          AB OVO...
 
PATINA OVI
Laura's egg lasagne
 
TOFULLUM ASSUM
roast toficken
 
PULS HORDFUM
Barley
 
LENTICULA ET TOMACULUM
lentils and sausage
 
CAROTAE
carrots (orange carrots weren't invented yet)
 
ACETARIA CAULIS
Greek style cole slaw
 
PANEM, BUTYRUM, CICER, DULCIA CITREUM
bread, butter, chickpea dip, citron preserves
 
CARDUI, OLIVAE
artichokes, olives
 
GLIRES (mock) dormice, a great Roman delicacy
 
MUSTACEI
traditional spice cakes, the Roman version of gingerbread. It wouldn't be Saturnalia without mustacei.
 
LATERCULI
filled cookie "birds"
 
DULCIA SESAME
Sesame candy
 
ENKYTHAI
honey cake
 
GLYKINAI
grapej uice crackers
 
DACTYLOS ALEXANDRINE
stuffed dates, sweet-and-salties
 
CASEUS
Cheese
 
NUCES
Nuts
 
MALA GRANATA, MALA
pomegranates, apples
 
          ...USQUE AD MALUM
 
AQIJA, LAC. VINUM
water, milk, and best Falemianwine (or, you know, sparkling cider and cran-raz juice)
 
Dean Shomshak
 
 

In the Before Times, my oldest sister hosted our family's Christmas. Every year, she chose a different cultural theme: Norwegian Christmas, Polish Christmas, South African Christmas, etc. Her last was IMO the best: Saturnalia, the Roman predecessor to Christmas.
 
We had a Saturnalia feast, somewhat modified (vegetarian, and no vomiting in a tub to make room for more feasting). She handed out swag bags of traditional Roman gifts. She made a mix tape (well, CD) of suitable music to play during dinner. There were even a couple pages about the Roman attitudes to Saturnalia.
 
We love being nerds!
 
Here is the menu and other material, to help you conduct your own Saturnalia. Enjoy!
 
Incidentally, as part of the research my sister read a book on the history of Christmas. One thing she found: A standard part of Christmas is to claim it used to be better. Even the Romans would opine that people had forgotten the True Meaning of Saturnalia.
 
Dean Shomshak