Tuesday, August 27, 2013
A Flight through the Hubble Ultra Deep Field
Video Credit: NASA>, ESA, F. Summers, Z. Levay, L. Frattare, B. Mobasher, A. Koekemoer and the HUDF Team (STScI)
Explanation: What would it look like to fly through the distant universe? To find out, a team of astronomers estimated the relative distances to over 5,000 galaxies in one of the most distant fields of galaxies ever imaged: the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF). Because it takes light a long time to cross the universe, most galaxies visible in the above video are seen when the universe was only a fraction of its current age, were still forming, and have unusual shapes when compared to modern galaxies. No mature looking spiral galaxies such as our Milky Way or the Andromeda galaxy yet exist. Toward the end of the video the virtual observer flies past the furthest galaxies in the HUDF field, recorded to have a redshift past 8. This early class of low luminosity galaxies likely contained energetic stars emitting light that transformed much of the remaining normal matter in the universe from a cold gas to a hot ionized plasma.
NOTE: All those little dots are entire galaxies in just a very small part of our universe. This is the Super Natural that I believe in as opposed to supernatural (as in fantasy and superstition). Whether or not mankind ever gets to contact other people on other worlds, I firmly believe there are hundreds of billions of worlds out there that are filled with intelligent life. We are not so special as to be the only world with intelligent life. And we are a very long way away from being intelligent enough to do any significant space travel and we may never be. I think we'll destroy ourselves before we can even get close to discovering other more intelligent life.
Friday, April 19, 2013
World Population Clock
In the 20th Century alone, world population went from 1.65 billion to 6 billion.
The world's population birth rate is 1-1/2 times the death rate. More people are being born than are dying. By 2050, it is estimated the world population will reach or exceed 9.2 billion. There will be problems with feeding the people and providing fresh water for everyone. Keep in mind that there is already a huge hunger problem around the world and quickly disappearing glaciers and fresh water aquifers. As the need for more food and water (and space), costs for the necessities of life will rise dramatically. You can close your eyes and your mind to it for now but not for long. Whether or not you admit it, it Will happen.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Update to Previous Post
National Geographic photographers take some of the most amazing photos I've ever seen.
The link in this update is a series of photographs of how agriculture on our planet is destroying our world. Do you care? Or would you rather not know about it? Do you think Any Government, including ours, will do anything about it?
Of course, they won't. The people want Food and the Corporations want to make the windfall while they can! So the Corporations and Farmers will continue farming as they are, insidiously eating away at our environment and pocketing their profits. Politicians will continue to be elected even if they do Nothing to avert the coming disaster.
This is what will happen. One day, the world will learn that the food worldwide is running out and there will be no way to get it back. By the time the people begin to pressure their governments, we'll be past the point of no return. Everyone will be angry at their governments for doing nothing. But it isn't just the fault of the Governments and Corporations, they were doing only what the people wanted and it served their purpose.
Do you think they are preparing for the coming famine and drought? Of course they are. They're not fools even if the general populace is.
Check out the photos at the National Geographic link and tell yourself we have nothing to worry about...that you really believe our governments will take care of us, that they give a damn.
The link in this update is a series of photographs of how agriculture on our planet is destroying our world. Do you care? Or would you rather not know about it? Do you think Any Government, including ours, will do anything about it?
Of course, they won't. The people want Food and the Corporations want to make the windfall while they can! So the Corporations and Farmers will continue farming as they are, insidiously eating away at our environment and pocketing their profits. Politicians will continue to be elected even if they do Nothing to avert the coming disaster.
This is what will happen. One day, the world will learn that the food worldwide is running out and there will be no way to get it back. By the time the people begin to pressure their governments, we'll be past the point of no return. Everyone will be angry at their governments for doing nothing. But it isn't just the fault of the Governments and Corporations, they were doing only what the people wanted and it served their purpose.
Do you think they are preparing for the coming famine and drought? Of course they are. They're not fools even if the general populace is.
Check out the photos at the National Geographic link and tell yourself we have nothing to worry about...that you really believe our governments will take care of us, that they give a damn.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Hundreds of Groups Worldwide
There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of groups and organizations worldwide trying to Fix the World. The trouble is, each of them is only focusing on one tiny part of the world's problems.
I take a more simplistic view. For me, there is only One Problem and no one wants to address or even voice that problem. No one wants to see it as a problem. The way I see it, every problem the human race faces today has only One Source. That Source is the ever-exploding Population Growth.
We humans in our huge numbers are at the bottom of every problem we have--no matter where in the world we happen to be or what the problem is. Rampant environmental pollution, rapidly disappearing resources, housing, education, law enforcement. The more our population increases, the more problems we have. There is overcrowding everywhere--in our neighborhoods, on the roads, in the air, in the schools, hospitals, prisons, at the malls, restaurants, at every public event.
Just think about it, how many places have you gone to recently that wasn't crowded or have a long line of people. How many traffic gridlocks have you been in in the last month? While traveling, how crowded were the places you visited, how crowded were the planes, buses, highways and streets? How far away did you have to park to go to some event or restaurant?
How do you measure your quality of life? Do you measure it by how many electronic gadgets you have, by the car you drive, the house you live in? Are you young enough to see nothing wrong with huge crowds, rude customer service, standing in long lines everywhere you go? Is that exciting to you?
As our dependency on electronics grow, personal relationships suffer. With the advent of electronic networking, we lose the human touch. We're losing it by degrees so not many people are even aware of it. Most people are too anxious and impatient to get on to the next thing.
Overpopulation is making everyone impatient. Take note the next time you're out and about. Watch and listen to your children. Take note of your own emotions as you go through your typical day--commuting, going to lunch, doing your shopping. Are you in a hurry? Are you becoming impatient with the driver in front of you, the person in line in front of you?
Although many do know that our population is on the verge of becoming unmanageable, no one wants to or is brave enough to voice it as a major problem. We blame hunger on the weather or on a war. The truth of it is, in many places around the world there are more people than food. That problem is growing and will soon be at our own doorsteps in the larger countries--we'll have food and water shortages, not to mention fuel shortages. Our cities and towns will become denser with each generation. In the next few decades, single family dwellings will become a thing of the past as our population demands more housing.
So you get a decent job. You'll still need to live in a crowded building somewhere with hundreds of other people. Public transportation will be very crowded if it isn't already. You can't buy a car because parking will be too expensive and insurance and all the other expenses that come with vehicle ownership will be prohibitive...if you want to eat well and sleep in a safe place.
If you're honest in your assessment when you look around you and ponder the future, you'll see that many of these things are already happening. But because it isn't Really Bad yet, you'll choose to ignore the signs of Over-Population. And worse, you'll contribute to the overpopulation crisis. You'll do your part to exacerbate the problem.
Over population is the One Biggest Problem the world faces today and in the foreseeable future.
Not "gonna" happen, you say? We'll just move to the next planet. Which planet? It would take hundreds of years to transform even Mars and only a few hundred thousands will be able to go. After all, Mars is only 1/3 the size of Earth with scarcely any water. There are 7 billions of us today. How many do you think there will be in 10 years or a 100 years or several hundreds of years? We will need millions of acres of land to raise the farm animals and produce we'll need to feed the billions. Our dilemma will be: Do we use the land to house people...or do we use the land to grow our foods? What about water. Many of the glaciers that feed the great rivers of the world are disappearing. Glacier National Park will need a new name. From where will the fresh water come?
I can see where our world Will become a world of Haves and Have-Nots. To which group will You belong? Think about it.
The World needs a Serious Population Management Plan and we need it today! We need world leaders who are courageous in facing public displeasure. We need world leaders who are morally courageous with honest characters to match their courage, with the determination to follow through no matter how tough it gets. Are there any? As of Today, I think there are None. The politicians and the wealthy are too concerned with their own well-being and are focused only on acquiring more power and more wealth. They are the Future Haves. The rest of us and our children make up the Future Have-Nots.
Even sadder, there are not enough people out there who are smart enough to Not have children. After all, sex is the cheapest and easiest entertainment form for the majority of us. Having children bolsters our egos when we have nothing else. Even an idiot can have children with no problem. It's caring for the billions of children that is the problem and will continue to be far into the future of mankind.
No one alive has the courage to say NO MORE. So, what will happen to humans? We'll just continue to screw ourselves to the death. We don't care about the future of our descendents or the human race. We only care about today. Do we have a nice car? Do we have our magical cell phones, our computers, can we dress nicely, and can we go out several times a week? That's what drives the majority of the population. Most of the western world is driven by insatiable consumption of everything. And we won't stop until there is nothing left to sustain us.
I take a more simplistic view. For me, there is only One Problem and no one wants to address or even voice that problem. No one wants to see it as a problem. The way I see it, every problem the human race faces today has only One Source. That Source is the ever-exploding Population Growth.
We humans in our huge numbers are at the bottom of every problem we have--no matter where in the world we happen to be or what the problem is. Rampant environmental pollution, rapidly disappearing resources, housing, education, law enforcement. The more our population increases, the more problems we have. There is overcrowding everywhere--in our neighborhoods, on the roads, in the air, in the schools, hospitals, prisons, at the malls, restaurants, at every public event.
Just think about it, how many places have you gone to recently that wasn't crowded or have a long line of people. How many traffic gridlocks have you been in in the last month? While traveling, how crowded were the places you visited, how crowded were the planes, buses, highways and streets? How far away did you have to park to go to some event or restaurant?
How do you measure your quality of life? Do you measure it by how many electronic gadgets you have, by the car you drive, the house you live in? Are you young enough to see nothing wrong with huge crowds, rude customer service, standing in long lines everywhere you go? Is that exciting to you?
As our dependency on electronics grow, personal relationships suffer. With the advent of electronic networking, we lose the human touch. We're losing it by degrees so not many people are even aware of it. Most people are too anxious and impatient to get on to the next thing.
Overpopulation is making everyone impatient. Take note the next time you're out and about. Watch and listen to your children. Take note of your own emotions as you go through your typical day--commuting, going to lunch, doing your shopping. Are you in a hurry? Are you becoming impatient with the driver in front of you, the person in line in front of you?
Although many do know that our population is on the verge of becoming unmanageable, no one wants to or is brave enough to voice it as a major problem. We blame hunger on the weather or on a war. The truth of it is, in many places around the world there are more people than food. That problem is growing and will soon be at our own doorsteps in the larger countries--we'll have food and water shortages, not to mention fuel shortages. Our cities and towns will become denser with each generation. In the next few decades, single family dwellings will become a thing of the past as our population demands more housing.
So you get a decent job. You'll still need to live in a crowded building somewhere with hundreds of other people. Public transportation will be very crowded if it isn't already. You can't buy a car because parking will be too expensive and insurance and all the other expenses that come with vehicle ownership will be prohibitive...if you want to eat well and sleep in a safe place.
If you're honest in your assessment when you look around you and ponder the future, you'll see that many of these things are already happening. But because it isn't Really Bad yet, you'll choose to ignore the signs of Over-Population. And worse, you'll contribute to the overpopulation crisis. You'll do your part to exacerbate the problem.
Over population is the One Biggest Problem the world faces today and in the foreseeable future.
Not "gonna" happen, you say? We'll just move to the next planet. Which planet? It would take hundreds of years to transform even Mars and only a few hundred thousands will be able to go. After all, Mars is only 1/3 the size of Earth with scarcely any water. There are 7 billions of us today. How many do you think there will be in 10 years or a 100 years or several hundreds of years? We will need millions of acres of land to raise the farm animals and produce we'll need to feed the billions. Our dilemma will be: Do we use the land to house people...or do we use the land to grow our foods? What about water. Many of the glaciers that feed the great rivers of the world are disappearing. Glacier National Park will need a new name. From where will the fresh water come?
I can see where our world Will become a world of Haves and Have-Nots. To which group will You belong? Think about it.
The World needs a Serious Population Management Plan and we need it today! We need world leaders who are courageous in facing public displeasure. We need world leaders who are morally courageous with honest characters to match their courage, with the determination to follow through no matter how tough it gets. Are there any? As of Today, I think there are None. The politicians and the wealthy are too concerned with their own well-being and are focused only on acquiring more power and more wealth. They are the Future Haves. The rest of us and our children make up the Future Have-Nots.
Even sadder, there are not enough people out there who are smart enough to Not have children. After all, sex is the cheapest and easiest entertainment form for the majority of us. Having children bolsters our egos when we have nothing else. Even an idiot can have children with no problem. It's caring for the billions of children that is the problem and will continue to be far into the future of mankind.
No one alive has the courage to say NO MORE. So, what will happen to humans? We'll just continue to screw ourselves to the death. We don't care about the future of our descendents or the human race. We only care about today. Do we have a nice car? Do we have our magical cell phones, our computers, can we dress nicely, and can we go out several times a week? That's what drives the majority of the population. Most of the western world is driven by insatiable consumption of everything. And we won't stop until there is nothing left to sustain us.
Friday, January 18, 2013
What I've Learned in 2012
Climate Change. I'm not speaking globally but from the perspective of an American.
A recent NASA report states that in the last several decades, the temperatures in America have risen every decade. Apparently, we aren't doing enough to slow down global warming. Solar power, hybrid/electric vehicles, recycling, etc., are way too little and too slow.
The general public seems to feel that changing the type of lightbulb they use, recycling their trash, buying hybrid or electric vehicles or vehicles with a high MPG is enough for them to say they're doing "their share."
Aside from vehicle emissions, what contributes to climate change? Top of the list is Population Growth. Just the mere number of people expelling their breath, gases, and body products add a lot. Population growth worldwide is doubling faster. We are now at Over 7 Billion. Add to that all the animals we need to survive. Their numbers have grown to keep up with the human population growth. Animals add their carbon dioxide to the human's and that number is humongous! More people means more vehicles, more wild lands to house the people (less oxygen production and replacement), more carbon dioxide, more electronics (humans are insatiable in this category). All of these and More contribute to climate change. And it all begins with the human population.
Areas of the world that depend on annual rains/monsoons are drying up, getting less rainfall every decade. Rivers that provide sustenance to millions of people are drying up because the glaciers that feed them are shrinking faster.
As temperatures around the world change, our weather patterns change. That fact directly impacts on the world's food production.
At the base of all of these negative factors? The Human Population which grows unchecked, faster and faster every decade. Our population growth is destroying our world. And No One wants to admit it...no one.
Economy:
I've learned that America's money is based on Nothing. In the past, our dollars were backed by silver and/or gold. Now it's not backed by anything. If our government needs more money, it just prints it--kinda like counterfeiting. Then it creates an IOU for the amount it printed. Then the IOUs are sold to anyone who wants to buy them, such as China and other smaller countries. Right now China owns most of the US's IOUs. Will they ever foreclose on the US? Maybe eventually.
Of note is the fact that many European countries have followed America's lead.
What will happen to the world's economy when the holders of the IOUs demand redemption? The experts in world economy say the economies of the world will fall like dominoes, one country after another. I know America cannot possibly buy back their IOUs. Will that mean that China and/or other countries holding American IOUs become the new "owners" of America? What about the European IOUs? Will the holders of those IOUs also demand redemption? Of course they will.
Burning Question: Who will save us from Us? True, the Earth has gone through many global climate changes. However, it progressed through them slowly over thousands/millions of years. The current climate change is being spurred on by Us and we're speeding up the process to take only 1 or 2 centuries. We want what we want NOW. We don't give a hoot about the world's future. We want our toys and enjoyments Today and we want as much as we can get and as quickly as we can get it.
Trash: Look around you. EVERYTHING you see that's man-made is Future Trash. Everything! In my neighborhood, trash and recycle material is picked up every week. Many of the trash and recycle receptacles are filled to overflowing. That's every week--52 weeks every year.
A recent NASA report states that in the last several decades, the temperatures in America have risen every decade. Apparently, we aren't doing enough to slow down global warming. Solar power, hybrid/electric vehicles, recycling, etc., are way too little and too slow.
The general public seems to feel that changing the type of lightbulb they use, recycling their trash, buying hybrid or electric vehicles or vehicles with a high MPG is enough for them to say they're doing "their share."
Aside from vehicle emissions, what contributes to climate change? Top of the list is Population Growth. Just the mere number of people expelling their breath, gases, and body products add a lot. Population growth worldwide is doubling faster. We are now at Over 7 Billion. Add to that all the animals we need to survive. Their numbers have grown to keep up with the human population growth. Animals add their carbon dioxide to the human's and that number is humongous! More people means more vehicles, more wild lands to house the people (less oxygen production and replacement), more carbon dioxide, more electronics (humans are insatiable in this category). All of these and More contribute to climate change. And it all begins with the human population.
Areas of the world that depend on annual rains/monsoons are drying up, getting less rainfall every decade. Rivers that provide sustenance to millions of people are drying up because the glaciers that feed them are shrinking faster.
As temperatures around the world change, our weather patterns change. That fact directly impacts on the world's food production.
At the base of all of these negative factors? The Human Population which grows unchecked, faster and faster every decade. Our population growth is destroying our world. And No One wants to admit it...no one.
Economy:
I've learned that America's money is based on Nothing. In the past, our dollars were backed by silver and/or gold. Now it's not backed by anything. If our government needs more money, it just prints it--kinda like counterfeiting. Then it creates an IOU for the amount it printed. Then the IOUs are sold to anyone who wants to buy them, such as China and other smaller countries. Right now China owns most of the US's IOUs. Will they ever foreclose on the US? Maybe eventually.
Of note is the fact that many European countries have followed America's lead.
What will happen to the world's economy when the holders of the IOUs demand redemption? The experts in world economy say the economies of the world will fall like dominoes, one country after another. I know America cannot possibly buy back their IOUs. Will that mean that China and/or other countries holding American IOUs become the new "owners" of America? What about the European IOUs? Will the holders of those IOUs also demand redemption? Of course they will.
Burning Question: Who will save us from Us? True, the Earth has gone through many global climate changes. However, it progressed through them slowly over thousands/millions of years. The current climate change is being spurred on by Us and we're speeding up the process to take only 1 or 2 centuries. We want what we want NOW. We don't give a hoot about the world's future. We want our toys and enjoyments Today and we want as much as we can get and as quickly as we can get it.
Trash: Look around you. EVERYTHING you see that's man-made is Future Trash. Everything! In my neighborhood, trash and recycle material is picked up every week. Many of the trash and recycle receptacles are filled to overflowing. That's every week--52 weeks every year.
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