The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore came as quite a shock. After a massive container ship struck one of the bridge’s pillars‚ the entire span quickly fell apart‚ costing several lives. It’s hard to overstate the bridge’s importance‚ particularly for the automobile industry. In addition to handling 11 million vehicles per year‚ it provided a vital way for trucks to access the Port of Baltimore while avoiding the dense city core. The impact on the region will be felt for months‚ if not years. The question is‚ what now? President Joe Biden has said that the federal government would foot the entire bill for rebuilding the bridge and demanded that Congress make it happen. While the collapse came as a surprise‚ nobody should be surprised that Biden’s immediate response was to call for more federal spending. Since taking office‚ Biden has signed trillions of dollars of spending increases into law and imposed more than $700 billion of additional costs through administrative decisions. This reckless approach to budgeting has whipped up inflation and driven the gross national debt to $34.6 trillion—about $265‚000 for every household in the country. Fortunately‚ it’s possible for Washington to help Maryland rebuild the bridge without driving the nation deeper into debt. First‚ all officials must be clear that the cost of rebuilding should mostly or entirely fall on the owners and operators of the ship‚ even if the incident was purely accidental. While litigation on such an important matter could take time to resolve‚ taxpayers shouldn’t be responsible for the cost of a privately caused disaster. Second‚ there’s no need for Congress to authorize new funding to begin the process of clearing the channel and rebuilding the bridge. In 2021‚ Congress passed a five-year‚ $1.2 trillion infrastructure package‚ the largest portion of which is devoted to roads and bridges. Rather than simply adding to the long-term debt‚ Congress has many options to repurpose funds from the 2021 bill‚ including: Canceling the administration’s $3.1 billion grant to California’s wildly dysfunctional high-speed rail project. Reducing federal spending on programs for low-priority‚ local-only infrastructure such as hiking trails‚ bike paths‚ and sidewalks. Pulling forward highway and bridge funds from allocations for 2025 and 2026 so they are available for the project starting in 2024. Then‚ if the federal or state government receive payment once litigation is settled‚ the proceeds could either be used to reduce the federal deficit or put back into infrastructure funds. Congress and the administration can help reconstruction further by cutting burdensome red tape that adds delays and costs to federally funded projects. These include mandates on labor‚ material procurement‚ shipping‚ port dredging‚ environmental reviews‚ and even “diversity and equity.” While reforming or eliminating these outdated and ineffective laws would be preferable‚ a special exemption would be enough for now. Washington has a longstanding bad habit of responding to every piece of bad news by reaching for Uncle Sam’s credit card. However‚ with federal finances quickly approaching a point of no return‚ responsible governance means looking for prudent solutions. Bottom line: It’s possible to rebuild the bridge without breaking the bank. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency‚ LLC. The post How to Repair the Key Bridge Without Breaking the Bank appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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There is a reason some people chase solar eclipses around the world: this is definitely not a phenomenon where if you’ve seen one‚ you’ve seen them all. Instead‚ each solar eclipse is different‚ and the April 8 North American total solar eclipse will likely come with a few extra features‚ including an abundance of red‚ pink‚ and possibly white streamers and loops.The upcoming solar eclipse will be longer than most and will occur when several planets‚ and maybe even a comet‚ are in the sky‚ adding to the show at totality. However‚ perhaps the most distinctive feature of this eclipse is that it is happening so close to solar maximum‚ when the chances of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are highest.Solar storms are hard to predict‚ certainly more than a week in advance‚ so we don’t yet know if there will be activity while the Sun is blocked by the Moon‚ offering us a chance to see its corona. However‚ we know that‚ statistically‚ the chances are much higher now than during the last total solar eclipse in the US in 2017‚ when solar activity was on the decline from a peak much lower than this one.Red prominences from Chile during the 2019 total eclipse. The prominences can only be seen during eclipses or using hydrogen alpha filters‚ which hide the red color.Image credit: ESA/CESARSolar maximum is a product of the 22-year cycle of the Sun’s magnetic field‚ during which two peaks occur around 11 years apart. Right now‚ that magnetic field is tangled‚ producing sunspots‚ flares‚ and the CMEs that cause auroras.Even when solar activity is at a minimum‚ prominences can be seen around the edge of the Sun‚ either using hydrogen alpha filters or when the Moon blocks most of the Sun’s light. This time‚ however‚ they should be much longer and more abundant‚ looking like streamers pointing away from the Sun‚ often appearing red and pink. If a flare times itself well‚ you may see it lifting off the Sun. CMEs are rarer‚ but can be visible for much longer; if any occur before the eclipse‚ they could still be seen.A solar prominence in 2010 compared to the size of the Earth.Image credit: NASA Solar Dynamics ObservatoryThe 2023 solar eclipse that touched the coast of Australia included a fine display of prominences. The Sun was less active at that point than it is today‚ and the eclipse was also a great deal shorter.Prominences are usually longer than the diameter of the Earth‚ and some have been as long as the width of the Sun. Most often one end is tethered to the Sun‚ creating a streamer effect‚ but sometimes occurs as an arch‚ often with both ends anchored to sunspot regions. Although there is some uncertainty about their causes‚ prominences are composed of hydrogen and helium like the Sun itself‚ and are held up against gravity by magnetic fields. Rarer coronal loops can resemble an arched prominence in shape‚ but are much hotter.Prominences emit light in the red part of the spectrum as a result of the hydrogen alpha transition. However‚ combined with white light from ordinary thermal emissions‚ it can produce a pink effect.The diamond ring seen during the 2017 eclipse from Oregon State Fair Grounds.Image credit: Dominic Hart/NASAAll of these are separate from the regular eclipse phenomena of the Diamond Ring effect‚ caused by a thin slither of unblocked Sun‚ and Baily’s Beads‚ visible when valleys between lunar mountains allow pockets of sunlight to stream through.

Animals get a pretty bad rap when it comes to spreading viruses. After all‚ some of the most well-known infectious diseases in humans – think COVID-19‚ Ebola‚ or swine flu – are the result of viruses that naturally circulate in animals. But a new study might just salvage that reputation‚ with researchers having found that viruses jump from humans to animals more than they pass viruses to us.Diseases where viruses have passed from animals to humans‚ known as zoonosis‚ have a pretty big impact on human health‚ as many will have become acutely aware of in the last four years. In an effort to be prepared for future virus outbreaks‚ the study team took to analyzing nearly 12 million viral genomes across 32 viral families‚ pinpointing how they had evolved and mutations they’d acquired when jumping to different hosts.“By surveying and monitoring transmission of viruses between animals and humans‚ in either direction‚ we can better understand viral evolution and hopefully be more prepared for future outbreaks and epidemics of novel illnesses‚ while also aiding conservation efforts‚” explained study co-author Professor Francois Balloux in a statement.What the team discovered in their survey was unexpected. “Surprisingly‚ we find that humans are as much a source as a sink for viral spillover events‚” they write. In fact‚ out of the 599 recent host jumps they examined‚ 64 percent were from human to domestic or wild animals (known as anthroponosis) – that's nearly twice as many than from animals to humans.This finding is significant for both the future of human and animal health‚ the researchers suggest. “When animals catch viruses from humans‚ this can not only harm the animal and potentially pose a conservation threat to the species‚ but it may also cause new problems for humans by impacting food security if large numbers of livestock need to be culled to prevent an epidemic‚ as has been happening over recent years with the H5N1 bird flu strain‚” said lead author Cedric Tan.“Additionally‚ if a virus carried by humans infects a new animal species‚ the virus might continue to thrive even if eradicated among humans‚ or even evolve new adaptations before it winds up infecting humans again.”The study also identified that jumping to different hosts tends to come with an increase in mutations in viruses‚ though viruses that can already infect lots of different animals show weaker signs of this. Having this kind of knowledge in hand could help researchers to pinpoint the next big viral threat.“Understanding how and why viruses evolve to jump into different hosts across the wider tree of life may help us figure out how new viral diseases emerge in humans and animals‚” concluded Tan.The study is published in Nature Ecology &; Evolution.

The skulls of two baby predators found littered among a nest containing the near-complete embryo of an Oviraptor puzzled scientists when they described the find back in 1994. Why were these Velociraptor-like animals in such close association with what appeared to be the nest of its prey? The juiciest among several explanations is that it could’ve been an example of brood parasitism. Snarling‚ toothy jaws‚ and killer hooked claws‚ the mental image the word “Velociraptor” brings to mind is a frightening one‚ but the more we learn‚ the more relatable they become. They were feathered theropod dinosaurs‚ about half the size they were depicted in Jurassic Park‚ closer to that of a turkey than the Deinonychus the original JP raptors were based on.There are two known species: Velociraptor mongoliensis and Velociraptor osmolskae‚ and they both join the Dromaeosauridae as feathered carnivores. As for what they were like as parents? Well‚ that’s where some dromaeosaurid remains become very interesting.It centers around Oviraptors‚ and whether or not they were the egg thieves their name suggests. Fossils of Oviraptors incubating and brooding their eggs tell us that‚ actually‚ they were caring for eggs rather than trying to steal them‚ but one such nest led to a very curious discovery.The Flaming Cliffs site in Mongolia‚ where the curious weathered nest was found.Image credit: travelmag.com via Flickr‚ CC BY 2.0Among the eggshell remnants found in the same heavily weathered nest that contained the nearly complete skeleton of an embryonic oviraptorid dinosaur (aka‚ baby Louie) were the partial skulls of two tiny dromaeosaurids. Their size indicated they were either embryos or hatchlings when they died‚ with one “preserved with eggshell adhering to it‚” so what on Earth were they doing next to an Oviraptor egg?Brood parasitism is perhaps the most alluring explanation. The parenting approach is adopted by cuckoos today‚ who will lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and leave them to it. The creator of the nest will lovingly tend to its invader until it hatches and shoves the native eggs out of the nest. The murderous invader ensures it gets all the resources from its adopted parent‚ who will carry on feeding the chick even after it grows bigger than the bird itself. It's a savage approach to parenting‚ but you can’t knock the results. The cuckoo gets to continue its bloodline without lifting a finger after the egg-laying is over. Brood parasitism is seen in several bird species alive today‚ suggesting it’s a successful reproductive strategy that’s also an example of convergent evolution‚ with the trait appearing in unrelated birds. So‚ if birds evolved from dinosaurs‚ could some of their ancient ancestors have done the same thing?Unfortunately‚ when it comes to dromaeosaurids‚ we have very little evidence to work from. Without well-preserved nests of dinosaurs like Velociraptor‚ it’s difficult to infer nesting behavior. That’s what makes the appearance of two dromaeosaurids next to an Oviraptor egg so exciting‚ but there are several explanations as to how they could have got there.  “Skulls of non-avian theropods this small are rare‚” wrote Norell et al in their 1994 paper on the Oviraptor embryo and the two dromaeosaurid skulls‚ “and the close association of two specimens with the egg of another taxon is unlikely to be due to chance alone.”“Although they are certainly from animals close to hatchling age‚ it is unclear whether they are embryos or neonates; the possibility that the dromaeosaurids are from an adjacent nest‚ were prey items of adult oviraptorids‚ were predators on the oviraptorid eggs‚ or even that one of the two taxa was a nest parasite‚ cannot be discounted. In any case‚ their intimate association with the oviraptorid eggs provides another reason for caution in identifying eggs on the basis of their associations with embryos not actually enclosed within them.”What is it they say about not counting your Oviraptors until they’ve hatched? Another curious clue as to whether or not brood parasitism was a trait that evolved before birds is egg coloration‚ especially among theropods like Velociraptor that are thought to have open nests. Dinosaurs known to bury their eggs were found not to have any pigment‚ while open-nesting eggs had the same pigments we find on bird eggs today. It's possible‚ then‚ that egg coloration served a function for above-ground nesting dinosaurs. Whether that function was camouflage‚ temperature regulation‚ or an attempt to hoodwink other parents into thinking your egg is their egg? We don’t yet know‚ but it’s just another reminder that the birds living today aren’t so far from extinct dinosaurs as we might think.

Next time you’re bracing for a long-haul flight‚ spare a thought for Robert Timm and John Cook. In 1958-1959‚ the two pilots set the record for the world’s longest-ever flight when they flew non-stop for 64 days‚ 22 hours‚ and 19 minutes over Las Vegas‚ landing on February 7‚ 1959. In total‚ the journey clocked 240‚000 kilometers (150‚000 miles)‚ equivalent to over six journeys around the Earth. Their endurance flight record has stood for 65 years. In fact‚ it hasn’t even been beaten by uncrewed autonomous aircraft. In 2022‚ a solar-powered drone called Zephyr came close‚ but it ended up crashing down after 64 days‚ 18 hours‚ and 26 minutes – less than 4 hours away from breaking the record.The story behind the world’s longest flight is an aptly strange and incredible one. In 1956‚ the Hacienda Hotel and Casino opened its doors on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise‚ Nevada. To promote its grand opening‚ its owners agreed to pull off a publicity stunt of epic proportions: paint the hotel’s name on the side of a plane and use it to complete the longest flight endurance record.The ambitious plan was placed in the hands of Timm‚ a former World War II bomber pilot who recently joined the hotel’s staff as a slot machine mechanic.The chosen plane was a Cessna 172‚ a small single-engine aircraft that was mass-produced. Numerous modifications were made to ensure the plane was fit for purpose‚ including the installation of a 95-gallon belly tank for extra fuel. “The important thing‚ however‚ was to create a way to refuel. There had been a lot of experiments up to this point with aerial refueling‚ but there really was no way to modify a Cessna 172 to be refueled in midair. So they set up an extra tank that could be filled from a truck on the ground‚” Janet Bednarek‚ an aviation historian and professor at the University of Dayton‚ told CNN in 2023. “When they needed to refuel‚ they would come down and fly very low and just above stall speed‚ then the truck came along and winched up a hose and then used a pump to transfer the fuel into the airplane. It really was a dramatic show of airmanship‚ because they had to do it at night sometimes and that required some precision flying‚” added Bednarek.Timm and Cook's Cessna 172 aircraft is on display in the passenger terminal at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.Image credit: AdolfGalland/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED)Timm’s first three attempts ended in failure due to several mechanical failures‚ including  – perhaps unsurprisingly – issues with refueling. Not deterred‚ however‚ Timm decided to set out on a fourth attempt alongside Cook‚ an airplane mechanic. On December 4‚ 1958‚ the duo set off from McCarran Airport in Las Vegas and would not set foot on the ground again for over 64 days.Each refueling session would take place on a dead straight road along the California-Arizona border where the plane could fly low and a vehicle could run alongside their path. They’d also use these opportunities to pass food‚ water‚ and other supplies.If you’re wondering about toilet trips‚ the pair would simply head to the back of the aircraft cabin and use a foldable toilet made for camping. The used bags would then be unceremoniously tossed out of the window into the desert. A mattress was situated in the back of the small cabin and the pair slept in turns – although that’s easier said than done while flying on a noisy‚ small aircraft. Cook made daily entries in a diary‚ which reportedly became more delirious as the mission went on‚ likely owing to lack of sleep‚ stress‚ physical fatigue‚ and sheer boredom.Lack of sleep almost became the death of the two pilots. On the 36th day of the flight‚ Timm fell asleep at the wheel of the plane and it flew by itself on autopilot for over an hour at an altitude of 1‚200 meters (4‚000 feet). A few days later‚ the autopilot system was kaputt‚ underlining that this sleep-induced screw-up could never happen again. When approaching the 65th day‚ Timm and Cook decided to call it quits. After all‚ the record was well and truly theirs – and would remain so even until this day. Robert Timm died in 1976 and John Cook in 1995‚ by which time the piloting pair had firmly established themselves in the aviation history books. Their record-breaking flight in 1959 is even more remarkable when you consider they were closer in time to the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903 than today.Clearly‚ however‚ achieving such bold feats comes at a price. “Next time I feel in the mood to fly endurance‚ I’m going to lock myself in a garbage can with the vacuum cleaner running‚ and have Bob [Timm] serve me T-bone steaks chopped up in a Thermos bottle. That is‚ until my psychiatrist opens for business in the morning‚” Cook told a reporter when asked if he’d consider another endurance flight‚ as per CNN.

There are few things we enjoy hearing of more than a rediscovered species. Since the rare Santa Marta sabrewing (Campylopterus phainopeplus)‚ a beautiful blue and green hummingbird‚ was unexpectedly rediscovered in 2022 after 64 years as a lost species‚ researchers have been studying this striking bird to learn more about this extremely rare population."The moment when I first found the Santa Marta sabrewing was very emotional‚ I really couldn't believe it. The adrenaline‚ the thrill of that moment of rediscovery‚ it's hard to fully describe just how exciting it was‚" said Yurgen Vega‚ one of the authors of a new study revealing insights into its range‚ habitat‚ and behavior‚ in a statement.Since the rediscovery in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of northern Colombia in 2022‚ another research group found more individuals in different locations within the same broad area. The species was listed on the Search For Lost Birds and since being found‚ an international team has been monitoring these birds for the last two years.The researchers monitored the behavior of these birds‚ learning that the species has year-round territories rather than migrating across the altitude as was previously thought. They also found that the birds have an extremely restricted range‚ only seen using four out of five known areas along the Guatapurí river basin.            “Our findings show that this amazing hummingbird may be an example of microendemism‚ as it seems to be restricted to a limited area within the world’s most important continental center of endemism‚” said Esteban Botero-Delgadillo‚ lead author of the study and Director of Conservation Science with SELVA: Research for Conservation in the Neotropics. The team also found out more about the ecology of the species‚ which suggests that the males form leks and aggressively chase intruders out of their territories. Looking closely at past historical records‚ and those from museums and Indigenous communities‚ they paint a clearer picture of the lives of these critically endangered hummingbirds. The proximity to the water seems an important point in the ecology of this species and the presence of riverbanks near the leks could indicate female nest sites‚ note the authors. The researchers also highlighted what a collaborative effort the new knowledge took‚ and it was especially important to work with the local Indigenous communities who coexist with the hummingbirds.  “Unveiling the Santa Marta Sabrewing's story was not only possible through a joint effort between academia‚ local‚ and international organizations‚ but also by collaboration with the local Indigenous communities who coexist with the species‚" said Professor Carlos Esteban Lara of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in a separate statement. "We are grateful for their help as our partnership and research continue to expand‚ to help implement conservation actions that benefit both the local people and the birds.”The paper is available on the preprint server BioRxiV and has not yet undergone peer review. 

Nikola Tesla revealed that an earthquake which drew police and ambulances to the region of his laboratory at 48 E. Houston St.‚ New York‚ in 1898‚ was the result of a little machine he was experimenting with at the time which “you could put in your overcoat pocket” Nikola Tesla is today famous for his work on electricity and energy. He developed the alternating current system‚ making it possible to transmit electricity over large distances‚ and worked also on wireless communication and energy transfer. He was a brilliant thinker‚ but also very eccentric. Maybe the more enigmatic parts of his personality make him such an interesting subject for conspiracists. Tesla is credited to have worked on unknown energy-sources‚ to be contacted by UFOs‚ caused the Tunguska explosion by a death-ray‚ and even worked on an earthquake-generator. In 1896 Tesla was working on oscillations to be used for energy transfer. The idea was to create a steam-powered oscillator‚ able to create various frequencies. If the frequency-matched the resonance frequency‚ a receiving device should transform the mechanical oscillations back into an electric current. It was a quiet day in 1898 when the residents of several blocks of buildings in the crowded Chinese and Italian neighbourhoods of Manhattan began to experience a tremor that soon began to shake all buildings and shatter glass‚ causing people to run scared on the streets of New York. The police were forced to rush in to assess the situation. After checking that the quake was confined to that small part of the city and suspects who could be the cause‚ the police sent two of their agents to 46 East Houston Street. Just before entering the building‚ they noticed that the tremor stopped‚ and when they passed through the door of a laboratory‚ they were received by a tall and thin man‚ with a moustache‚ elegantly dressed‚ and armed with a hammer. The man calmly told them‚ “Gentlemen‚” he announced‚ “I am sorry. You are just a trifle too late to witness my experiment. I found it necessary to stop it suddenly and unexpectedly in an unusual way. However‚ if you will come around this evening‚ I will have another oscillator attached to a platform and each of you can stand on it. You will‚ I am sure‚ find it a most interesting and pleasurable experience. Now‚ you must leave‚ for I have many things to do. Good day.” The cause of that incident had been a small electromechanical oscillator (Earthquake Machine) with which Tesla was experimenting that day for his research into mechanical resonance. After placing it on a pillar of his laboratory‚ the vibration caused by the instrument began to spread through the underground of the building to neighbouring buildings creating chaos among its neighbours. So absorbed and fascinated was Tesla that did not decide to end the experiment until he noticed that his entire laboratory was shaking vigorously. Another of his experiments he would tell a few years later to a journalist. This time Tesla decided to experiment outside his laboratory and after locating a building under construction in the Wall Street neighborhood which was still a metal skeleton‚ he placed the oscillator on one of the beams and activated it. In a few minutes‚ the entire structure of ten floors of the building began to vibrate‚ frightening the workers and causing the police to make an appearance again. Before anyone could realize what was happening‚ Tesla deactivated the device‚ put it in his pocket and continued on his way. An oscillator that was among the exhibits Tesla demonstrated at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. In the same interview the inventor said that in less than an hour he could knock down the Brooklyn Bridge‚ and he even claimed that with a suitable machine and dynamite‚ he would be able to split the Earth in two. “I was experimenting with vibrations. I had one of my machines going and I wanted to see if I could get it in tune with the vibration of the building. I put it up notch after notch. There was a peculiar cracking sound. I asked my assistants where did the sound come from. They did not know. I put the machine up a few more notches. There was a louder cracking sound. I knew I was approaching the vibration of the steel building. I pushed the machine a little higher. “Suddenly all the heavy machinery in the place was flying around. I grabbed a hammer and broke the machine. The building would have been about our ears in another few minutes. Outside in the street there was pandemonium. The police and ambulances arrived. I told my assistants to say nothing. We told the police it must have been an earthquake. That’s all they ever knew about it.” Some shrewd reporter asked Nikola Tesla at this point what he would need to destroy the Empire State Building with his Earthquake Machine and the doctor replied: “Vibration will do anything. It would only be necessary to step up the vibrations of the machine to fit the natural vibration of the building and the building would come crashing down. That’s why soldiers break step crossing a bridge.” Tesla later explained this principle to reporter Allan L. Besnson‚ who published in February 1912 an article about Tesla’s resonator in The World Today magazine: “He put his little vibrator in his coat-pocket and went out to hunt a half-erected steel building. Down in the Wall Street district‚ he found one‚ ten stories of steel framework without a brick or a stone laid around it. He clamped the vibrator to one of the beams‚ and fussed with the adjustment until he got it. Tesla said finally the structure began to creak and weave and the steel-workers came to the ground panic-stricken‚ believing that there had been an earthquake. Police was called out. Tesla put the vibrator in his pocket and went away. Ten minutes more and he could have laid the building in the street. And‚ with the same vibrator‚ he could have dropped the Brooklyn Bridge into the East River in less than an hour.” On the occasion of his annual birthday celebration interview by the press on July 10‚ 1935‚ in his suite at the Hotel New Yorker‚ Tesla announced a method of transmitting mechanical energy accurately with minimal loss over any terrestrial distance‚ including a related new means of communication and a method‚ he claimed‚ which would facilitate the unerring location of underground mineral deposits. At that time he recalled the earth-trembling “quake” that brought police and ambulances rushing to the scene of his Houston Street laboratory while an experiment was in progress with one of his mechanical oscillators. The post Nikola Tesla Earthquake Machine: Electro-mechanical Oscilator appeared first on Anomalien.com.