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Hump Day History

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  The first known painting of Paris, from 1432, by Jean Fouquet. Today the city celebrates 2,075 years - having been founded around 250 BC. History can be traced back to the Gallic tribe known as the Parisii, who settled an island in the Seine River. By 52 BC, Julius Caesar had taken over, calling it Lutetia.  From the island, the city spread.  The name of the area gradually transitioned into being called Paris during the 4th century. The Arenas de Lutece are among the most important Roman remains in France. In the year 987, Paris became the official capital of France. The home of Nicolas Flamel, a French alchemist believed to have created the philosopher's stone, was built in 1407 and is recognized as the oldest surviving house in Paris. It is now a restaurant. Auberge
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Best Dressed!

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Zendaya LAUNCH ALL THE SHIPS!  Lupita Nyong'o Anne Hathaway Mia Goth Matt Damon And a few more from other places. Auli'i Cravalho Rashida Jones Lexi Minetree Ekin-Su Culculoglu
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Weekend 250

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  Despite the ridiculousness in the White House right now and a strong desire to not celebrate these United States, this weekend is a pretty big deal. "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." -Mark Twain Open Thread since I'll be off tomorrow and Monday.  We're going down to Vegas - not for the 4th in particular, but other scheduled plans. For Science is Fun Fridays: Benjamin Franklin is widely considered the first American scientist, which was rooted in natural philosophy.  He founded the American Philosophical Society with the purpose of "promoting useful knowledge." Site
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Book Club - July

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  From the collection, A Warning to the Curious, I finished this story yesterday. And it actually spooked me. The ones before it were subtle hauntings, told as stories heard from someone else, of some perceived curse or disruption of a spirit. But this one contained a true horror trying to hide itself within a ghost story. I still shudder to think of it. So what have you been reading?
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International Asteroid Day

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  Eyes on Asteroids This day marks the anniversary of the Tunguska event in Siberia, 1908. It was the largest impact in recorded history, but as we touched on before, it never actually hit the ground.  It exploded in the air, sending a shockwave that flattened millions of trees across 830 square miles. The largest confirmed impact crater is the Vredefort in South Africa, formed about 2 billion years ago. The Chicxulub crater is buried underneath the Yucatan Peninsula, from 66 million years ago.
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Best Dressed!

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 Lauryn Hill wins the Living Legend Icon Award at the BET Awards. Teyana Taylor Kelly Rowland Queen Latifah Millie Bobby Brown Zendaya Ali Larter Zoey Deutch Milly Alcock
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Science is Fun Fridays!

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  Often called the "rainforests of the sea," coral reefs are just as important, supporting over 25% of marine life.  If an area of the Amazon turned white, we would be concerned. But scientists have been fighting for years to make us understand the global red flag of dying reefs. When they collapse, it's not just a loss of biodiversity, it's a loss of human food security and coastal safety. The  Allen Coral Atlas  is powered by Arizona State University, originally conceived by Paul Allen. Teams have mapped reefs across the globe, and continue to monitor for bleaching events.  All it takes is a 2 degree rise in water temperature for the corals to stress react by purging the algae that lives within it. The algae is what produces 90% of the coral's energy through photosynthesis.  Without the algae, the polyps turn clear, so all we see is the skeletal structure.  Without enough energy to eat, the coral will eventually die. Okay, so not fun-filled informati...
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