Celebrate the Opportunity to explore Mars

Our sister planet Mars has always held a special place in the human heart and imagination. Most of our alien fiction alien attacks have originated from Mars and it's inhabitants have fondly been labelled Martians. It was a long held theory that there was life on Mars and the discovery of the so called river beds, enhanced the theory. This has since been disproved but the planet still holds a dear place in the heart of Astronomy and space exploration.

Despite many failed attempts by both the then USSR and the USA, the American Mariner 4 passed Mars on 14 July 1965, sending back the first close up photos of the Red planet. The Soviet's Mars 2 and 3 and the USA's Mariner 9 were the first to send back detailed photos, leading to the strong belief that water once flowed on Mars (and therefor life could have once flourished).
The Russian Mars 2 and 3 each carried a lander, however despite being the first landers on Mars, were unable to send any decent data back to earth due to technical problems. The American Viking missions, which consisted of two landers and two satellite,s proved successful and send back invaluable data.

I am not going to dwell on other earlier missions to Mars so we will fast forward to January 2004 when the Rovers Opportunity and Spirit landed on Mars safely within 21 days of one another. The Little robot rovers were supposed to operate for around 92 Earth days (90 Martian days). As of 26th January 2012 Opportunity celebrated it's 2 805th operating day on Mars. Sadly, it's sibling Spirit became embedded in the Martian sand after travelling only 7.7 km in May 2011. Many attempts were made to free Spirit but they failed and then it's communications died.
In contrast, Opportunity has traveled 334 km and no end is in sight. Time has taken a toll though- one of the 6 wheels does not work anymore and as such, the rover travels backwards. Furthermore, one of the robotic arms is also showing signs of wear. Various instruments are aging as well, and it may be a matter of time before the little robot also ceases to work.

The rover is the size of a gold cart and pretty maneuverable. In it's time it has fully explored various craters, from the rim to the floor, send back invaluable data from air and earth samples as well as taken photographs that NASA describe as 'breathtaking'. The achievements and discoveries made by these remarkable little explorers is enough for another entry and as such, I will not go into detail now.

This entry is to celebrate a man made project that has exceeded all expectation and still is. This must rank as one of NASA's outstanding achievements.

The next rover heading to Mars, named Curiosity (Pic below), is the size of an SUV, laden with the latest in human technology. Should it land safely on Martian soil, we can only hope it follows the spirit of Opportunity and exceeds it's mission specs as well as it's expected life.

Another Close Call

Our little planet travels through the universe, littered with dangerous moving objects. Our atmosphere protects us from possible rock invaders and burns them up on impact. Many of these objects are pretty small and we see them as shooting stars as the atmosphere takes care of business.

However, know and then an Asteroid of significance comes to our attention. One such Asteroid is 2012 BX34 (Not the most creative name..but still) passed our planet at a distance of 60 000KM (37 300 Miles). The moon is some 384 633KM (239 000 Miles) away. So in space terms 60 000KM is pretty close. In fact, this Asteroid makes it into the top 20 near earth misses.

What is of little comfort is Asteroids are often only discovered when they are very close- in this case, on the 25th of January 2012-2 days before it tried to sneak passed us.
Luckily for us, this one was roughly the size of 'a school bus' ( between 6-19m in diameter) and thus posed no threat to existence on earth.  In 2011, a similar sized Asteroid, 2011 MD, passed us at 12 200KM ( 7 600 Miles).

And here is the worrying bit of news- In September 2011, The NEOWISE Project announced that it had completed it's task of mapping near Earth objects-consisting of Comets, Asteroids and Meteoroids .
The Wide Field  Infrared Project (Or WISE) identified about 19 500 medium sized Near Earth Objects. Now, considering these objects would be enough to obliterate a city on impact, this is not comforting. And if you are not trembling yet, it is estimated that they have only discovered 90%- which leaves 10% secretly stalking us.
Of the bodies they are tracking, only , yes ONLY (like this is not enough) 911 (ironic number) are considered 'Killer' Asteroids- and by definition, Killer would be defined as large enough to wipe out large portions or all life on earth! Note, the Chicxulub meteorite had a diameter of 177 KM (or 110 Miles)- and this friendly fellow is thought to have snuffed out the Dinosaurs some 65 Million years ago.

Astronomers tell us the odds of a large strike are very remote, as they have pretty much mapped the massive bodies' orbits. The smaller objects are more difficult to predict as their paths alter and we often do not pick them up in time. Consider that an object measuring 200 Meters in diameter striking the Atlantic Ocean, would cause a tsunami that would flood both The United Kingdom and the entire East Coast of the United States in minutes. A 1km object could wipe out 1/4 of earth's life.

Doomsayers love the above scenarios and yes, they are pretty frightening. But the truth is, we are vulnerable and yes, there is a chance we could be hit by an object that may cause unbelievable death and destruction.  But, there really is nothing we can do about it is there? As far as I am aware there is no 100% plan to divert or vaporize near earth objects nor is there a 100% method of finding them all. Yes, we have some untested theories and plans, but no guarantee any will work.

The bottom line for me is- why worry about something that you cannot change or about something that may not happen. If it happens and you are not a ball of fire, then you can worry.

Ghosts

I am currently looking for real life Ghost stories to place on my new blog. Should anybody have anything to contribute, please send the details to ghost.hunter970@gmail.com. All information will be handled with complete discretion. The other blog is : ghosttimes.blogspot.com

I really need as much input as I can get, so please help me.

Thanks

Stupid Criminals

Criminals are obviously those to lazy to look for a real job, so it comes as no surprise that some are lazier than others. In Maryland, a daft brother and sister combo decided to rob the M&T bank. After proudly giving a demand note to a teller and after being given a substantial amount of money, they ran out of the bank. There was no waiting get away car- there was no need for one. These idiots robbed a bank on the same block in Forestville where they lived and simply walked home.

Their foolproof plan was turned upside down when Shakir and Kadija Taylor were turned in, thanks to tips from neighbors. Now they are being investigated for a spree of bank robberies in the area.

Our second story takes us to London, England. It is both short and out of a slap-stick movie. An unnamed would be bank robber made a brave attempt to rob the Halifax bank on Cheapside.
Our would be professor of crime,demanded the money and in a swift move, handed the teller his firearm instead of a bag in which to stash his soon to be riches.

He manged to regain control of his robbery tool, but by this stage the bank staff had triggered the alarm and the safety shutters had come down. He did mange to steal something though- a bank employees bike to make a speedy get away- something which he seemingly did not plan for either.
There is a reward being offered for his capture.

Finally we have a story from the states that seems so ridiculous, I could not have even made it up. Now, I am sure people who live in America are well aware that the largest denomination you get it the $100 bill. However, our brilliant criminal in question though perhaps people, especially those working at Walmart in Lexington,may not know this.

Michael Anthony Fuller, 53, decided to purchase a vacuum, a micro wave and other items for the grand total of $476. To everybody's amazement, our wanna be millionaire, presented a $1 000 000 bill to pay for his purchases. This would have afforded him $999 524 in change.

He was obviously arrested and charged. Although he looks deranged, there was some method to this nutty crime I guess. Lexington police describe the crime as 'Rather strange'....there is a slight understatement.

Another side of the CO2 assassin

A disturbing new finding from study by Professor Philip Munday and his team from the  ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, show that increasing Carbon Dioxide levels in the seas could ultimately kill off all our sea fish.
It would seem high concentrations of CO2 in sea water disrupt a key brain receptor, resulting in a marked change in sensory ability as well as behavior. Prof Munday says that elevated CO2 levels directly interferes with the fish's neurotransmitter functions The fish lose the ability to  hear, turn, smell and evade predictors.

This in turn leads to them being able to evade predators, who seem less affected at this stage. The study was mainly done on baby coral fishes. It is thought that fish who use more oxygen than other's will be affected first and as such, certain species may decline faster. This may include species targeted by the fishing industry.

Prof Munday states over 2,3 billion tonnes of human created CO2 dissolve in our oceans annually, changing the chemical make up of the water thus damaging the delicate environments fish live in. Sadly, although fish requiring high oxygen levels will vanish first, eventually it will create havoc with all sea life. The end result will mean the end of all life on earth.

Amazing Aurora Photos

As we all know, we had a magnetic storm from a solar flare. Here are some photos I found on National Geographic's website. Words do not do the justice!!

Copyright National Geographic. Used without kind permission. 

Prehistoric Nursery

A brilliant and I guess ever so cute discovery was made in the Golden Gate National Park in the Free State. Tiny baby Massospondylus (when an adult, a 6 metre long dinosaur) footprints have been discovered in slabs of sedimentary rock on a cliff. The footprints are dated at some 190 million years before today. As a matter of interest in their era, Massospondylus were considered to be the sheep of their time due to their abundant numbers.

Dr Adam Yates ( Bernard Price Institute for Palae-ontological Research at Wits University) revealed that the footprints range in size and are though to be prints of hatchlings as well has older offspring of Massospondylus. This indicates that the young dinosaurs did not leave the nest until an age when they were ready to do and that Massospondylus was a caring parent. From fossils evidence, it seems the babies were toothless and the parents had to feed them. (Probably regurgitated food).

This is thought to be the oldest know dino nesting site, 100 million years older than any other known nesting site.


Amazingly ten nests were found, each housing around 34 eggs. The eggs were packed in tight clusters. It is thought that not only did the dino parent return to the site of long periods, but they could well have assembled in groups to lay these eggs, which were believed to be fragile and therefor carefully constructed nests were formed by the old parent. The scientific team thinks that there could be further finds in the area like this one.

Solar Eruption

All the media is abuzz with the latest in news to make us shudder. A coronal mass ejection or EME is speeding towards earth at a speed of some 2 200km/s. It was reported by SpaceWeather.com that NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory noticed the M9- class flare erupting from a sunspot at around  3:59 GMT.
This is said to be the largest plasma eruption since 2005. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) rates solar storms on a scale of 1-5. % are extreme and cause major disruptions. The 2005 was a class 3. This one is predicted to be about the same.
The sun has an 11 year cycle and is on the up at the moment. Solar Maximum is expected around 2013. This means solar activity will increase until then before winding down again.

How will it affect earth-the EME will result in charged particles bombarding our planet from today (24th January 2012) at around 14:18GMT. Of course something like this does not come without consequences. A flare of this size could disrupt communication networks and could even disable satellites and electricity grids. This is extreme though and as I am sure will will have our usual doomsdayers, I am sure this event will pass without much or any disruption.
It is also advisable to stay out of direct sunlight for this period due to the increase in ultra violet rays.

Because of the magnetic particles flooding earth, the aurora will be even more intense so should anybody be thinking of somewhere to go for the next couple of days, I hear Alaska will be breathtaking.

Shaik out the truth

I read an interesting article in The Star of 23rd January 2012.
For those of us who require some background on the case- In June 2005, Shabir Shaik is convicted of corruption and fraud and sentenced to 15 years as a guest of the state, behind bars.
What made this case stand out was that the corruption and fraud involved none other than Jacob Zuma-oh yes, South Africa's current president. The court found (the now famous words) 'a mutually beneficial symbiosis' relationship between the two high profile best buds.

During November 2006 the esteemed Shaik starts serving out his invitation to the state's hospitality. On the other hand, his BBF is fighting his own corruption battle, which after some clever political play and wise appointments, is miraculously thrown out of court during September 2008. (And this is despite old JZ saying on numerous occasions he wants his day in court). To make things very clear- Jacob Zuma was never cleared of corruption nor cleared of fraud. The charges were dropped-not due to lack of evidence nor that there was no case, but because it helps to be able to use state resources as you wish. JZ was a powerful figure then and his being head of the ANC assured his presidency. Being on his side was a clever move.

After serving most of his jail time in private hospitals, with many perks he would not have enjoyed in the Chookie, Shaik is controversially released on medical parole during March 2009. He served on 2 years and 4 months of his sentence. 
After that he is seen playing golf, going out to dinners and living the social life- despite heavy parole conditions- oh yes, and the fact that he was released as death was around the corner- apparently. ( In the public's defense though- we all knew we were being lied to. Parole was a sort of payback for taking one on the chin)

Okay, now back to the article. In it our ex con laments that his BBF, JZ, has had no contact with him since becoming president and this is working on him, that he feels used and cheated. Mr Honest claims Zuma has only paid him back R500 000 of the R2 Million that he 'borrowed'. (The court saw it as a bribe-semantics I guess.)
 In the article Shaik tries to appear down and out and as sick as someone sitting next to The Reaper, so I will not even touch on that.

What I will mention that is of interest, is that there is nothing worse than a Shaik scorned and our budding author is writing a tell all book- with 'the truth laid bare'!
He states that he was offered a plea bargain but took one for the team due to his fear of being assassinated and loyalty to his 'comrades'.
He goes on to say-'I was (Zuma's) economic adviser and then his financial adviser. I could have said so much about so many people and brought so many down.' This admission is worrying in so much as he is admitting that there are many in charge who are tainted, yet protected. It is almost like a 'reveal' from somebody who used to trawl the depth with these crooks.

He also thinks JZ's call for a probe into the arms deal now is just a ruse and that he should not have tried to snuff one out earlier when the then Scorpions were probing high profile people if his conscience was clear.

What does Shaik want- a presidential pardon, for which he applied for some years ago. IF JZ grants it to him, it will be an obvious 'thank you for covering for me' but if he does not, he stand to have some dirty washing aired. Having said that, the latest bunch of government leaders do not seem to worry much about the public's opinion nor their concerns. 

I hope that Shaik publishes his book and that is goes on sale to the public. The ripples from this would be interesting. Having said this- I have my doubts if it will be allowed to go that far.

Sharks, the unknown frontier

Shark attacks is serious news. Any news of a shark attack creates instant panic and over reaction.
Recently a surfer died after an attack off Port St Johns in Kwazulu- Natal, South Africa. Shark attacks createa fear that is not rivaled by much else, even spiders.
Sadly films like Jaws and numerous other scare films that have been made to prey on our fear of all things shark. Their portrayal of sharks as evil human mass murderers,  further reinforces this fear. It also creates an image of a shark as a silent serial killer, lurking in the depths, waiting for a human to enter his dark world so that he can attack and kill the helpless victim.

As is a terrible human trait- we tend to ignore little things like the facts. Annually there are between 60-80 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide. Now that is WORLDWIDE for those who missed it! Most do not result in death.
To put this in perspective, so far this year alone some 40 people have drowned off South African beaches alone. Yet people still flock to the sea like summer birds. We do not ban cars or driving, yet tens of thousands die from motor vehicle accidents. Yet after a shark attack there is over-reaction, fear panic and sadly some call for revenge hunting.

Not only are our chances of being attacked really tiny, but we also have to look at our own actions. In this case, the water appears to have been warm and murky. A couple of reasons water could be murky- due to rains inland, the rivers wash down dirt and pollution into the sea, thus causing sharks to seek food. The second could be pollution from a sewage plant, which would attract shark attention as well. I am guessing of course as I am not there to investigate myself. The point though, is humans will jump into the water, no matter what it looks like. Often swimmers enter the water bleeding or hurt themselves on rocks whilst swimming- blood attracts sharks, as does urine, as it contains traces of blood. So that innocent wee in the sea, could be a large HI I AM HERE to a shark's senses.
Furthermore, thanks to scuba diving and other shark related adventures, humans and sharks are interacting more. This gives humans a false sense of security and often divers see sharks as playthings- and when the shark retaliates, the diver is suddenly innocent. They are wild animals and should be respected from a distance.

Now, if you are reading this and are on the other side- if you have gills and a large dorsal fin, then I am sure you have more reason to hear the pink fish wanna be amphibious creatures than they do you. Millions of sharks are killed each year by humans. There is no comparison between how many people sharks take compared to what we are doing to their numbers. Human greed is probably the most destructive force on the planet.

Sharks are not just killing machines, but highly developed apex predators who have over millions of years, become close to perfect hunters. Often their prey is selective and lucky for humans, we are not on the menu. Due to a shark not having hands, it must bit to explore and in doing so, damages whoever it bites.   If sharks wanted to kill humans, there would be hundreds if not thousands more shark related deaths and due to the sharks being made for the ocean (unlike us), there would be very few who make it out alive. Point is- there is not. We have little to fear from sharks and they should be respected as when we jump with abandon into the sea, we are in their domain and we should not only respect that, we should respect ALL sea creatures.

A cousin from a long time ago

A discovery has been made using Google Earth that sheds some light on humans of today- well in my view.

While viewing Brazil's dense vegetation on Google Earth searching for possible dig sites, an open area was found, which led a team to go to this patch and search for fossils, as one does.
Juan Cisneros and Cesar Schultz were in luck and discovered a scull of what has been identified as The Pampas killer. (or Pampaphoneus Biccai for those who are interested.)
Now, Pampas is simply means the open plains found in South America and thus the name is not that creative but it is descriptive of the long dead carnivore.
Of course, as in the case where a whole skeleton is not unearthed, some sleuth work, some research, some comparing with existing records and I am sure, a bit of guess work is used to determine the look and create a profile of our long lost cousin. This takes time of course and that is why we are only learning of the 2008 discovery now.

Based on the above and using records found in South Africa (it's close relative Australosydon was discovered in South Africa) it was established that these mammal like creatures probably moved in herds or packs and were fierce hunters. Roughly the size of a leopard and it is thought were cold blooded. It is presumed to have lived some 265 million years ago- long before the Dinosaurs ruled the Earth. As such it is also one of the earliest land-living predators and thus, makes it one of our earliest relatives. (See the link now in some of our living relatives)
The brains on the project, are of the opinion that our little long lost cousin used to tear the flesh from it's prey, probably while it was still alive, once it had downed it. Not very clinical.

Scientists are comparing Therapsids found accross South America, South Africa, China and Russia to attempt to plot the migration of land-living animals across Pangaea (when all the land mass was one happy place).

The Reaper and the roads

This seems it will be an annual piece for me to write about as it is a worrying subject and one that needs to be looked at urgently. Many had their holidays during December but The Grim Reaper did not.

During the December holidays, holiday makers flock to holiday destinations by the millions. Due to the large volumes and South African driving, accidents are aplenty. As of 16th of January 2012, the official death toll stood at 1475 - and this could still rise slightly.

It is obvious a figure like this is unacceptable. The Transport Department puts the causes down to: Driving under the influence, speeding, pedestrians behaviour, weather conditions and reckless or inconsiderate driving.
To further ensure The Grim Reaper had a busy December,  it was also found that many people did not make use of the seat-belts that they received free with the car.

On average, 40 people die per day on South African roads. This is largely due to the fact that often public transport vehicles are full or even over packed, so one accident could kill some 12-18 people. Yes-ONE accident.
Unroadworthy and reckless driving of public transport vehicles are the biggest cause of mass deaths.

It was stated that in 2012 the focal point will be reducing the fatality rate. Sadly we hear this EVERY year after the Final December death toll is released and each year we lose roughly the same amount.
Granted the metro and traffic police did conduct lots of road blocks and issue loads of fines, but obviously this is not enough. Personally I did not see the 'high visibility' that they undertook to show. Often police ignore reckless driving and speeding, unless they are conducting a speed trapping exercise. Not all, but a worrying amount of cops also are open to bribes..and the public are just as guilty for paying them. Bribes could get one out of anything from a speeding fine to being caught drinking and driving. So, as illegal as it is and despite sting operations, corruption reporting lines and so on, this trend continues. As I said, I will not point fingers at all cops, as there are those who do us proud.

The South African public needs a massive shift in responsibility. The horrors of accident are drummed into us, yet it does not seem to curb our behavior. For every drunk caught, there are probably 50 odd who get away with it. The speed limit is 120 kph of highways, however it is not uncommon to see cars and motorbikes driving in excess of 150 kph, some even in excess of 200 kph.
Perhaps once the demerit system kicks in, drivers may change as they stand to lose their licenses.Lets hope this route works as I do not see much else working.
In South Africa Mr Reaper never has a moment to sit and relax.

The Royal Leeches

One of my favourite gripes as many well know are the Royal families. I do not mean just the British Royal family, but pretty much all of them. And sadly there are many.

Here we have a family that does very little, yet gets paid millions annually. It is estimated that the British Royal family costs around 118 000- 180 000 pounds per year to maintain. This includes travel, accommodation, security etc. The Spanish Royalty costs the country some 9 million Euros, the Dutch Royals cost around 40 million Euros. I am not going to list all the royal families because I am sure we get the drift of my conversation. In South Africa we have Royal families as well as tribe leaders who get paid from tax money.

For this fee, the Royals are expected to attend a few public functions, do some charity work, show face at some gala events and so on. Not much payback for the multi- million investment they are.
Once they used to serve a purpose- they ruled the country and as such were like governments. it was up to them to make the difficult decisions.
 However, gone are the days when they are needed in the day to day running of a country, gone are the days that they have to make any country changing decisions. The ruling monarch is only included in government matters out of tradition and not because they need him/ her to do anything.
What we often see is their inherited ability to have wonderful holidays all over the world at the expense of the tax payer, a tax payer who actually works for the taxes he or she pays to the government who in turn pays the Royals their hefty portion. A tax payer who will not see any of the wonderful places these crown wearing leeches go to. (Unless it is those smiling photos in magazines and newspapers)

Traditionalists support the retaining the royals for what ever reason and many people from non royal nations see it as this wonderful fairy-tale. The royal wedding and coronations are massive events, watched by millions world-wide. Who knows why?

But in my non royal supporting view, all they really are are rich leeches who were lucky enough to be born into privilege. Pure and simple. They have not earned any of the wealth and respect they have.
Do they work hard enough for their millions-no way. Do they love the limelight- without a doubt. They love the lavish lifestyles and the constant attention. Would there be a massive hole should they be wiped off the planet- maybe for a while. But it would soon close and life would simply go on.

The truth is, as fun as it may be to have these real life Queens, Kings, Princes and Princesses, they do not really serve much function and are in effect, a bad investment. Due to their wealth, they have the chance to study (unlike millions of their subjects) and should not find it difficult securing a job where they will have to actually work for their money. The whole idea about monarchy is old fashioned and I do not see it having any serious place in the world today. With their already gained wealth, they could buy companies or invest the money so it generates income for them. Then, the money the State wastes on them could be better used to help the needy and improve infrastructure.

In short- dissolve the royals and let them live as normal people.

Sad State of Education in South Africa

Following on to my post about education and cost, an article in The Star newspaper during December stated the cost of university studies at some institutions.

Roughly to study this year for a degree will set you back between R20 000 to R34 000. This fee excludes study material. If you would like to go by way of a diploma, you are looking at around R15 000.  However, a Diploma in Business Management and Enterprises will set you back some R49 000 and a Diploma in Information Technology in Software Development R52 000.

In a country that is screaming out for decent education this is nothing short of criminal. Who can afford these ridiculous fees? Well, the rich can, so they continue to secure the good jobs that require higher education, the poor are lucky enough should they secure a bursary....and the people in the middle have to either resort to desperate measure or just do not study further. (some people go as far as to take second bonds on their homes).

In South Africa unemployment is one, if not the biggest problem. I firmly am of the view that education is the answer to many of our problems. Educated people are more likely to begin businesses that will in turn employ people. There are many entrepreneurs in South Africa, but due to lack of education and funding, are unable to grow their businesses. Having said that, not everybody is a business starter. Some people are workers (no disrespect meant). To fill many posts, there are minimum education levels and due to cost and facilities, millions of South Africans of all races, fail to meet these requirements.

We have loads of potential. When I see an arrogant Doctor who thinks he is above those who are not, I always ask myself how many people, if given the opportunity, would have also been become a doctor. How many brilliant brains are wasted due to lack of finances? Sadly this is a reality. Millions of people with very good brains, work in dead end jobs or are unemployed- due to them not being able to study further! What a waste for a country to allow this to happen.

A solution? As I always believe, education should either be free or very affordable for ALL! Not just a chosen few who are lucky enough to be born into wealth. Will this happen in South Africa- nope. The government is to happy to squander our tax money on their own luxuries (cars, houses, overseas travel, parties etc) ! As a result of this tax wastage, there is no money to push into education (or health or basic needs for the poor for that matter).
When the ANC took power, on of their election promises was free basic education. This was yet another promise they failed to keep and even basic education is ridiculously priced. Furthermore, the quality of teachers and facilities has a lot to be desired.

What we need is a complete overhaul of education. The government must consult experts in the field and not decide what they think will work, as seems to be the case with most things they do. Education is the back-bone of a country. Our back-bone is breaking. We desperately need decent schools, dedicated teachers and a decent syllabus. We need government commitment.

It is way overdue now that our self enriching politicians work for the people that pay their inflated salaries.