Posts

Science is Fun Fridays!

Image
 This is the cotton bollworm - an agricultural pest, but a potential hero in biodegradation. Polyesterene is a huge problem in our landfills, and scientists have found plenty of insects capable of eating the plastic, but it was unclear how they were breaking it down. Biochemists have discovered four types of fungi in the guts of cotton bollworm larvae which appear to play the part. After testing each with a film of Styrofoam over 60 days, they were especially surprised by Taloromyces, which was able to grow on the film, meaning it used it as a carbon/food source. Researchers will be seeking to learn the chemical processes involved, including which enzymes, to determine if the fungi is actually digesting the plastic or just breaking it down into smaller pieces, and what the byproducts of those reactions might be.
Post a Comment
Read more

Spotlight - Stevie Nicks

Image
  First and foremost, today is the anniversary of her first solo album, 1981. As a kid I had a single on vinyl, and I still love this song. The B side. "Kind of woman that'll haunt you," I think speaks to her own enigmatic presence. She's mystical, witchy, bohemian, ethereal.... This was the third single from the album, and is considered her "signature solo anthem." Now let's go back to 1973, when she and her then boyfriend, Lindsey Buckingham released their first album as a duo, to little success.  In 1975, they joined Fleetwood Mac - which had started in 1967, with drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, as a British blues band. The self-titled 10th album was a global pop-rock hit. Her look, her sound, and her songwriting helped transform the band. Their next record, Rumours, would become one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Post a Comment
Read more

Hump Day History

Image
  On this day in 1957, the Bandstand went national. It started back in 1952 on Philadelphia's WFIL.  Dick Clark didn't come on board until 1956, and he brought bigger ambitions.  He lobbied for the slot when ABC polled affiliates for suggestions. So 66 other markets got a taste, and it became an iconic expression of teen culture. I can't seem to find premiere video, but the first performance was this: It was a daily weekday show until 1963, when they moved to Los Angeles and started taping weekly, where it ran for 24 years. In 1972, Clark started his New Year's Rockin' Eve in New York City, and the name remains for celebrations today, hosted by Ryan Seacrest.
Post a Comment
Read more

My Shots - Live LAHF Love

Image
  Larry and His Flask came back to town after 8 years! Seriously, one of the best shows. Cool venue too. LAHF
Post a Comment
Read more

Best Dressed!

Image
 Colman Domingo filling in for Jimmy Kimmel. Tommi Rose Florence Pugh Zendaya Sadie Sink Zoe Saldaña Charlize Theron Hayes Warner Emmy Rossum
Post a Comment
Read more

Science is Fun Fridays!

Image
  You may have seen some images or video of this last week, rare supercilium clouds in Santa Cruz. "Supercilium" means eyebrow in Latin, identifying the arc shapes. They develop in turbulent mountain air rushing downwind. But it's an unofficial classification, not formally listed in the International Cloud Atlas.  It is a more recent proposed supplementary feature of already established altocumulus, stratrocumulus, or cirrocumulus clouds.
Post a Comment
Read more

A Glorious Dawn

Image
  But a busy day for me. Back in 2016, Jack White's Third Man Records launched a "space-proof" turntable 94,000 feet up using a high-altitude balloon. The first vinyl to play in space was Symphony of Science composer John Boswell's song from Carl Sagan's Cosmos.
Post a Comment
Read more