Sciencedude

Bet you can’t identify this photograph

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:00:11 +0000

I’ll give a nice science book to the first two readers who can identify specifically what this photo shows and where it is located. You can email your answer to grobbins@ocregister.com, or place your answer in the Comments section. If you’re certain you know the answer, please do not include a web link to the image; I may expand the contest and give away more books, as I did last week. I suppose you want a hint. Well, they not buttons.

Tiny quake near Disneyland | Forecast: Above average rain for O.C.|Life through a Microscope slide show |Earth from Space photos

Follow Sciencedude on Twitter at grobbins and add Gary Robbins as a friend on Facebook. Please.

Post from: Sciencedude

Tiny earthquake near Disneyland

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:46:15 +0000

A magnitude 1.9 microquake occurred at 3:19 p.m. near the intersection of Cerritos Avenue and South Brookhurst Street in Anaheim, roughly four blocks from Disneyland, the U.S. Geological Survey says. The earthquake, which doesn’t appear to have been felt, happened 16 miles deep, which is unusually far down for a shaker in Southern California. The quake occurred on an unidentified fault that’s located between the Whittier and Newport-Inglewood faults. The shaker was too tiny to have any impact on Disneyland. But the 5.4 Chino Hills quake in July 2008 briefly caused Disneyland to shut down its rides to determine if any damage had been done. (Click map to enlarge.)

Live OC quake map | Microquake east of RSM | Look for Taurid meteor fireballs tonight

>> Join the OC Register Wiki and help add information to the quakes section.

Sneak preview of our gallery of weather photos taken by readers. Truly beautiful

Post from: Sciencedude

Begin watching for Taurid fireballs tonight

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:54:50 +0000

LOOK, UP IN THE SKY: The meteors will appear to come from Constellation Taurus. Map courtesy of Spaceweather.com

Most people have heard of the annual Perseid meteor shower, which reaches its peak during a night-long period every August. But what about the Taurid meteor shower, which occurs when Earth passes through tiny debris shed by Comet 2p/Encke? Are you familiar with it? In many ways, the Taurids, which begins a week-long peak period tonight, is more interesting than the Perseids. As Spaceweather.com notes, “At most, only about 5 Taurids per hour streak across the sky, but what they lack in number they make up for in dazzle. Taurid meteors tend to be fireballs, very bright and slow. Look for them falling out of the constellation Taurus during the hours around midnight.” Some astronomers refer to the Taurids as slow, which they are, compared to some other meteor showers. But the Taurids is caused by debris from a comet strikes Earth’s upper atmosphere at about 37 miles per second, says NASA. Put another way, the meteors could cover the 41 mile length of the Orange County coastline in just over one second.

Follow Sciencedude on Twitter at grobbins, and add him as a friend on Facebook.

Don’t miss …

Post from: Sciencedude

Dreyfuss picks UFOs over kids during Chapman talk

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:34:47 +0000

REUNION: Richard Dreyfuss (right) and film producer Michael Phillips. Image by Adam Ottke, Chapman University

As much as I love the sci-fi classic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” I’ve always been bothered that the film’s main character, Roy Neary (portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss) abandons his wife and kids about half way through the movie. It’s as though he simply forgets they exist.

This odd plot development was briefly the topic of conversation Monday night at Chapman University in Orange when Dreyfuss appeared at Marion Knott Studios to field questions about “Close Encounters” after the movie was screened for the public. An audience member asked Dreyfuss whether Neary’s behavior was, so to speak, out of character.

Michael Phillips, who produced the film, was seated next to Dreyfuss and took up the question first, saying that “it was weird” that director Steven Speilberg didn’t have Neary express his feelings about leaving his family behind to join the benevolent aliens. Dreyfuss disagreed, noting that, “I think it would be silly to have Teri (Terri Garr, who portrays Neary’s wife in the film) to pack a bag” and come along. “This guy was so obsessed” with finding out about the aliens.

Dreyfuss and Phillips also noted that the profound point of the film — that humans have nothing to fear from space aliens — overwhelmed such things as Neary’s behavior toward his family.

Hmm.

The two men also agreed that Columbia Pictures made a bad decision when it later released a “special edition” of the film that showed the inside of the alien space ship. The peek inside “hurt the film,” said Dreyfuss, whose opinion is shared by Spielberg. (The earlier version of the film was screened at Chapman.)

The evening was interesting for other reasons. Dreyfuss mocked the minimalist directing style of George Lucas, who directed him in “American Graffiti.” (It’s worth noting that Lucas got great performances out of Harrison Ford in the “Star Wars” films.) Dreyfuss didn’t take the bait when an audience member asked him about portraying “war criminal” Dick Cheney in Oliver Stone’s film, “W.” The actor talked about the joy in portraying complex people. And Dreyfuss turned things around again when a different audience member asked if it was true that he and the late Robert Shaw didn’t get along while they were making “Jaws.” Dreyfuss talked about Shaw’s well-documented problems with alcoholism. But he also told a heartbreaking story about how Shaw sobered up and delivered the famous speech in which his character (Quint) recounts the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, a tale from World War II that is actually true.

I thought the Chapman audience was going to cry. The crowd in Folino Theater went absolutely silent.

Don’t miss …

Post from: Sciencedude

Fog, clouds, cool air moving ashore

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:00:53 +0000

Fog moves into Dana Point on Wednesday, obscuring the coastline and making the moon look fuzzy. Image courtesy of Martin Smith.

We’re not quite done with the fog yet.

The National Weather Service says fog will flow all the way to the eastern foothills this evening, then will fade away and be replaced by a thick marine layer that will last into Thursday morning. The low pressure system that’s been moving into Southern California today will linger into the weekend, keeping coastal daytime high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60s through Saturday. Inland areas, for the most part, will only be in the 70s. In other words, we’ll have seasonal weather after going through a warm spell in which the temperature rose more than 10 degrees above normal in places.

As noted earlier, there’s no rain in the immediate forecast. But there’s a evolving storm in the Gulf of Alaska that’s giving local forecasters fits. “The models have been flip-flopping,” says Stan Wasowski, a weather service forecaster.

Live OC weather map

Live OC traffic

Forecast: Above normal rainfall through January

Post from: Sciencedude

Forecast: Above average rain through January

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:17 +0000

Federal forecasters said this week that Orange County is unlikely to receive significant rain through Nov. 15. But, there’s some good news. Or, rather, some potentially good news. The U.S. Climate Prediction Center says that Southern California is likely to receive above average rainfall between Nov. 1 and January 31st. CPC doesn’t predict how far above normal the precipitation might be. Instead, the agency forecasts general trends based on long-term models of climate. Readers should look at the prediction as an educated guess. CPC also says that an El Nino remains active in the eastern equatorial Pacific. But the agency says in an Oct. 15th analysis, “The models disagree on the eventual strength of the El Nino.” The forecasts reflect the limited understanding of the complexities of global and regional climate and weather patterns.

The only thing that doesn’t remain uncertain is the need for rain. John Wayne Airport has received 0.38” of precipitation since the rainy season began on July 1, or about a half-inch below normal. Since Jan. 1, the airport has received 3.17”, or 6.63” below normal. The county has received below normal rainfall for the past three years, and the region is current listed as being in a severe drought.

Live OC weather map

Don’t miss …

Post from: Sciencedude

Fog lingering in north O.C.

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:35:46 +0000

Updated at 9:20 Wednesday

Patches of dense fog continue to linger in north Orange County and may stick around until just before noon, says the National Weather Service. South County has largely cleared. But there is a large bank of clouds just offshore and it is edging its way to the east. The clouds should limit temperatures from rising above the mid-70s in most areas today.

Live OC weather map

Live OC traffic

The fog has not delayed flights out of John Wayne Airport.The morning flight schedule begins at 7 a.m. (Departures/delays).

Carl Sandurg:

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

(Email me photos you take of today’s fog: grobbins@ocregister.com). Include your full name, hometown and the location the shot was taken.

Forecast: Above average rain through January

Don’t miss …

NEW: From the College Life blog

Chapman strips publicity from ‘undie run’

Click through weather photos taken by our readers.

Post from: Sciencedude

UCI: Plastics may help make you fatter

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:33:43 +0000

UCI's Bruce Blumberg is investigating the link between industrial chemicals and weight gain. Image courtesy of Steve Zylius, UCI.

Scientists at UC Irvine, among other universities, are finding evidence that a class of commonly consumed chemicals that have been dubbed ‘obesogens’ may be contributing to weight gain in humans. We discussed the matter with one of the field’s experts, Bruce Blumberg, a developmental biologist at UCI.

Q: Most people think that over-eating and a lack of exercise are largely responsible for obesity. But you’re saying that something called obesogens may contribute to weight gain in some people. What are obesogens?
A: Obesogen is a name we gave to chemicals that can inappropriately stimulate either the development of fat cells or the storage of more fat in pre-existing fat cells. This is a finding we first published in 2006, and it is starting to catch attention. We show that a class of chemicals called organotins are obesogens. Other labs have shown that Bisphenol-A and PFOA (a carboxylic acid used for such things as non-stick coating) are obesogens. There may be others. No one has really looked before. We encounter obesogens in a lot of different ways. They leach out of plastic food and beverage containers (things like plastic bottles that contain bottled water). So they enter our food supply.

Q: Is everyone who is exposed to obesogens? And to what extent do they contribute to weight gain across the American population?
A: There is no data on relative contribution of these chemicals to weight gain. I couldn’t say that Americans are X percent fat and that obesogens are responsible for some percentage of that. We do know that if you give a person or an animal more fat cells those fat cells tend to want to be filled. So the steady-state weight will tend to drift up. You can died rigorously and exercise; you can control your weight. But it is harder for some people than others. They may be more exposed to obesogens, which can change a person’s metabolism.

Q: Is there anything we can do to minimize our exposure to obesogens?
A: I tell people to do sensible things like try to avoid plastic.Buy water that’s in glass bottles instead of plastic ones. Glass doesn’t leach chemicals into the way. I also urge people to eat as much organic food as they can afford.

Q: Is there likely to be a lot more research into how obesogens are affecting people?
A: We hope so. But there is an enormous industrial lobby that doesn’t want their chemicals to be regulated. Industry fights really hard to muddy the waters. If I say there is a problem, industry says there isn’t.

Related story …

Water bottles: Which ones to you use?

Sneak preview …

Click through the stunning weather images taken by our readers on our beta site

Don’t miss …

Post from: Sciencedude

Fog to slow traffic on PCH through 9 a.m.

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:10:35 +0000

Patches of dense fog exist along Pacific Coast Highway in northern Orange County, and it will likely linger in places until about 9 a.m.., slowing traffic in some areas. At 6 a.m., the fog was especially thick at Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, although farther south, Dana Point was clear, says the National Weather Service. In spots, the fog exists as far inland as the 405 Freeway in the region of the 55 Freeway. But forecasters say that it will break up early and will not affect flights at John Wayne Airport. Daytime highs will hit the 80s inland and 70s at the coast.

Live OC weather map

Also on Sciencedude …

Sneak preview …

Click through the stunning weather images taken by our readers on our beta site

Post from: Sciencedude

How to photograph tonight’s full moon

Gary Robbins, science writer-editor — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:34:32 +0000

FULL MOON RISIN': Altocumulus clouds drift in front of a full moon earlier this year. Photo by Kathleen Shannon of Costa Mesa

There will be a full moon this evening shortly after sunset. The “beaver moon,” as the full moon of November is sometimes called, will rise in the east-northeast at about 5:15 p.m. The moon will progressive move east as it climbs above the horizon. The Farmers Almanac says the moon was given its name because, “This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon.”

PHOTOGRAPHING TONIGHT’S FULL MOON

Here are some photography tips from photokaboom.com

Focal Length

Use a focal length from 200mm to 500mm.

If you want to fill the frame with the moon, you must use the largest (longest) focal length that you can.
Which Phase is Best?

While a full moon is dramatic, the surface appears somewhat featureless, as there are no shadows.

During the other phases, the moon is illuminated from the side, creating texture revealing shadows.
Altitude of the Moon & Exposure

Besides phase, exposure depends on the altitude of the moon above the horizon, due to the amount of light absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere.

The moon is dimmer at the horizon than when it is high in the sky.
Apparent Motion

The moon will show apparent movement (the Earth’s rotation) at shutter speeds, roughly, slower than 1/15th of a second.

The slowest shutter speed that won’t blur the moon is dependent on the focal length.

At 200mm, the movement will not be as evident, compared to the movement at 500mm.
Suggested Exposure Settings
ISO 400 & f/8
Full Gibbous 1st Quarter Fat Crescent Narrow Crescent
1000th 500th 250th 125th 60th
Do the following

1) As mentioned, use the largest (longest) focal length that you can.

2) Use a tripod.

3) Use manual exposure mode (M).

4) Use the exposure settings below, and bracket.

You can also jot down some exposures from the Shaytech Moon Exposure Calculator.

5) If you can lock up the mirror in your camera, do so, to reduce vibration.

6) Trip the shutter with a remote release or use the self-timer feature.

Follow Sciencedude on Twitter @grobbins, become a fan on Facebook, and watch his videos on theocsciencedude channel of YouTube.

Post from: Sciencedude