Science & Technology News

[GordMay]

To put the Earth’s temperature rise in perspective, consider human fever:

The average normal human body temperature is usually given as 98.6 F (37 C)
For an adult, a fever [anything above normal] is a medical cause for concern when it reaches about 103 F (39.4 C) or higher [± 4.5% above ‘normal].

For the entire U.S., the yearly normal temperature is now 11.8 C, based on weather station data, from 1991 to 2020.
Twenty years ago, normal was 11.3 C, based on data from 1971 to 2000 [+4.5%].
The average U.S. temperature for the 20th century was 11.1 C [currently 6.3% above previous].

The planet has a serious fever.

[GordMay]

“COVID-19 has caused 6.9 million deaths globally, more than double what official reports show” ~ IHME

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused nearly 6.9 million deaths across the world, more than double the number officially recorded, a new analysis [1] from the University of Washington, DC’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimated.

Deaths go unreported, as most countries only record those that occur in hospitals, or of patients with a confirmed infection, the report which came out on Thursday, revealed.

Current reported estimates showed more than 155 million infections worldwide, with at least 3.25 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

IHME estimated total COVID-19 deaths, by comparing anticipated deaths from all causes, based on pre-pandemic trends, with the actual number of all deaths caused during the pandemic.

In the United States, the analysis estimated COVID-19 related deaths of more than 905,000. Official figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Wednesday, estimated 575,491 deaths due to the novel coronavirus.

The IHME report [1] only includes deaths caused directly by the virus, not deaths caused by the pandemic’s disruption to healthcare systems and communities.

[1] IHME Report ➥ COVID-19 has caused 6.9 million deaths globally, more than double what official reports show | Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

IHME Statistics ➥ https://covid19.healthdata.org/unite...aths&tab=trend

IHME Home ➥ Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation |

[SailOar]

Originally Posted by GordMay

To put the Earth’s temperature rise in perspective, consider human fever:

The average normal human body temperature is usually given as 98.6 F (37 C)
For an adult, a fever [anything above normal] is a medical cause for concern when it reaches about 103 F (39.4 C) or higher [± 4.5% above ‘normal].

For the entire U.S., the yearly normal temperature is now 11.8 C, based on weather station data, from 1991 to 2020.
Twenty years ago, normal was 11.3 C, based on data from 1971 to 2000 [+4.5%].
The average U.S. temperature for the 20th century was 11.1 C [currently 6.3% above previous].

The planet has a serious fever.

Maybe the Earth is more like a cold-blooded animal than a warm-blooded animal?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by SailOar

Maybe the Earth is more like a cold-blooded animal than a warm-blooded animal?

If so, maybe we [our CO2 emissions] are the 'pathogen' that caused the Earth to become endothermic, then feverish.

“Did pathogens facilitate the rise of endothermy?” ~ by Michael Logan
Open PDF ➥ https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index...cle/view/13342

About:
Animals first developed fever as a response to infections: the higher body temperatures primed their immune systems. At the time, 600 million years ago, virtually all animal species were cold-blooded. They had to spend long periods of time in warm areas of their habitat to achieve fever-range body temperatures. A researcher believes that pathogens may be the reason why warm-blooded creatures first emerged.
➥ https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0604172659.htm

[newhaul]

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021...eate-sea-doubt

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by newhaul

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021...eate-sea-doubt

An interesting article worth reading...

[SailOar]

Originally Posted by newhaul

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021...eate-sea-doubt

This article exemplifies one of the characteristics of science that I appreciate. Multiple eyes looking at the same topic help to minimize both intentional fraud, as well as unintentional mistakes. It speaks well of the science community that this article is published in Science.

It certainly is not unheard of that there has been science fraud. The Piltdown Man hoax is well documented. The famous cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead was accused of doing very poor science. Even Newhaul's hero Roy Spencer has had trouble with his science.

Science is conducted by imperfect people. In my opinion its power is both in how much it gets correct, as well as its ability to self-correct when it does make a mistake.

[Lake-Effect]

^ ^ ^

Well-said. Bravo. Science will survive even CF

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by GordMay

To put the Earth’s temperature rise in perspective, consider human fever:

The average normal human body temperature is usually given as 98.6 F (37 C)
For an adult, a fever [anything above normal] is a medical cause for concern when it reaches about 103 F (39.4 C) or higher [± 4.5% above ‘normal].

For the entire U.S., the yearly normal temperature is now 11.8 C, based on weather station data, from 1991 to 2020.
Twenty years ago, normal was 11.3 C, based on data from 1971 to 2000 [+4.5%].
The average U.S. temperature for the 20th century was 11.1 C [currently 6.3% above previous].

The planet has a serious fever.

These percentages are not valid. Maybe if you do it in Kelvin?


In C, this is a 4.3% difference. In F, it's a 6.1% difference. It's not meaningful.

[KnightSailor]

Perhaps there is another possibility.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

These percentages are not valid. Maybe if you do it in Kelvin?
In C, this is a 4.3% difference. In F, it's a 6.1% difference. It's not meaningful.

Thanks, good point!

[SailOar]

New study ties solar variability to the onset of decadal La Nina events

• Researchers have long tried to find correlations between the sun's energy cycles and Earth's weather patterns
• The waxing and waning of the number of sunspots takes place over approximately 11-year cycles, but these cycles do not have distinct beginnings and endings
• However, the more precise 22-year "clock" for solar activity derived from the Sun's magnetic polarity cycle is very distinct
• Magnetic bands migrate towards each other from the Sun's poles and terminate each other when they meet at the equator
• Researchers found that terminator events coincide with a flip from El Nino (warmer sea surface temperatures) to La Nina (cooler sea surface temperatures)
• The paper does not explain what physical connection between the Sun and Earth could be responsible for the correlation

The research was published in Earth and Space Science

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

These percentages are not valid. Maybe if you do it in Kelvin?


In C, this is a 4.3% difference. In F, it's a 6.1% difference. It's not meaningful.

Well it is if it’s my retirement fund, pretty significant to me to that percentage above average.
So why is it not significant?
Also pretty sure kelvin is not where you want to live if zero is no molecular motion

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

... So why is it not significant?
Also pretty sure kelvin is not where you want to live if zero is no molecular motion

Dockhead is right, & I was wrong, because using different temperature scale(s) results in different percentage changes, based upon differing denominators.

Twenty years ago, normal was 11.3 C, based on data from 1971 to 2000, now it’s 11.8 C, a rise of 0.5 C [4.4%].
However:
11.3 C = 284.45 Kelvin
11. 8 C = 284.95 K
284.95 - 284.45 = 0.5 K Rise
0.5 ÷ 284.45 = 0.00176 - or - 0.175% Rise

HOWEVER:
The analogy works, as long as one keeps the units of measure consistent, as is arithmetically required.

You sucked me in there, for a while, Dockhead.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Dockhead is right, & I was wrong, because using different temperature scale(s) results in different percentage changes, based upon differing denominators.

Twenty years ago, normal was 11.3 C, based on data from 1971 to 2000, now it’s 11.8 C, a rise of 0.5 C [4.4%].
However:
11.3 C = 284.45 Kelvin
11. 8 C = 284.95 K
284.95 - 284.45 = 0.5 K Rise
0.5 ÷ 284.45 = 0.00176 - or - 0.175% Rise

HOWEVER:
The analogy works, as long as one keeps the units of measure consistent, as is arithmetically required.

You sucked me in there, for a while, Dockhead.

Well going by kelvin what is the range of human habitation under normal conditions? And I don’t mean like a space station

And at some point you can’t grow food outside. To hot, to cold, to wet, to dry.

So sure use kelvin but consider what conditions are required for people and food
to survive.

So yes the scale matters but what does it look like if you factor in the range of human habitation.

Well Bach to remounting deck hardware.