Dry ice snow on Earth?

 

The following article states that ” It Only Happens on Mars: Carbon Dioxide Snow is Falling on the Red Planet. ”

However, according to a quote in this article, “ Certainly, at least some of the CO2 in the atmosphere at the [Earth’s] poles does freeze out (of the air) during the winter. ”

So, it seems possible that frozen carbon dioxide (“dry ice”) might fall at Earth’s poles. Which is an interesting thought.

Something on the smoothness of Titan’s hydrocarbon lakes

If you are interested, go here:

A discussion session on a suggestion of mine on how “azotosomes” might increase the viscosity and therefore flatness of the hydrocarbon lakes on Saturn’s moon Titan.

 

From “Organic Compounds in Titan’s Seas and Lakes.”

 

(“Titan’s Lakes are Nice and Calm. The Perfect Spot for a Landing.”)

Acrylonitrile emulsions and the smoothness of Titan’s lakes

The small organic chemical acrylonitrile is abundant on Saturn’s moon Titan:

NASA DETECTS MORE CHEMICALS ON TITAN THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO LIFE

 

This molecule could be abundant in Saturn’s lakes:

“Finally, they calculated that within every cubic centimeter (cm³) of its volume, Ligeia Mare could form as many as 10,000,000 azotosomes. That roughly ten times the amount of bacteria that exists in the waters along Earth’s coastal regions.”

Titan’s lakes are known to be extremely smooth:

Surface of Ligeia Mare, Titan, from Cassini altimeter and radiometer analysis

I wonder if this smoothness could be partially explained by a large number of “azotosomes” in the liquid methane, making it more viscous.

 

An azotosome:

” … they had to find a molecule that was known to be abundant on Titan and could self-assemble into an azotosome.

Eventually they found a promising candidate in acrylonitrile, a small organic nitrogen compound that on Earth is colorless, poisonous and used in the manufacture of acrylic fibers. 

But on Titan, “it makes a nice, stable membrane structure that has elasticity to it,” said Lunine. “It hit the sweet spot.”

Computer models suggest that in order for acrylonitrile to organize itself into an azotosome in cold methane lakes, it has to be in a high enough concentration that its molecules collide with one another.”

Quote and illustration here:

How life could develop in the methane lakes of Saturn’s moon Titan

 

 

Intellectual Cuties: No. 9 in a series: mathematics girl

I am pretty sure this is the same woman (talking about maths). She looks so much better to me in the second video. It’s the hair being up and her makeup. She also seems perkier in the second video. In any case, she is a worthy addition to my series of “intellectual cuties”.

 

 

 

Lauren Southern subjected to MakeApp

The app (which is claimed to use neural net intelligence) needs some more work. As somebody pointed out, her eye colour has apparently changed.

On the positive side, Lauren Southern looks quite good in the right hand picture.

My wife rarely wears or wore makeup. Some women can get away with it.

Fembot in the workforce

“Luv is loyalty personified”:

The actress remarks that Luv, her character, doesn’t have to be somebody’s girlfriend or mother and she doesn’t have to look sexy. Maybe, but she puts a lot of effort into the latter. And, is she a strong independent woman? Not really. She is a kind of robot Girl Friday. She works for the top man, Niander Wallace.

” … executing violent orders with the sort of calm efficiency you’d expect from a bio-engineered humanoid designed for subservience … “ [my emphasis]

This Is the Actress Behind Blade Runner’s Terrifyingly Calm Villain, Luv

As I argued before, Rachael, an earlier female replicant from the original Blade Runner movie, left workplace employment by a powerful man, Tyrell, and became effectively a wife to the cop Deckard. In the latest movie we learn she had a daughter.

This new fembot or female replicant, Luv, doesn’t leave the corporation to follow K or “Joe”, the male protagonist. Instead she becomes the corporation’s most ruthless employee, and in the process she dies.

I am sure this movie and its meaning will be debated as heavily as the original. But, in my opinion, both the original and this new sequel can be read in a very non-feminist way.

[A point I forgot to make above was that it is mentioned that Wallace named Luv. And that he must have seen her as special. Naming is traditionally seen as a sign of authority. So Adam named Eve. There is an echo of this in the way wives typically receive their husbands’ surnames.]

Blade Runner reprised

We just saw Bladerunner 2049.

It helps obviously to have seen the first one, although the sequel makes more sense than the first film.

I think it’s a good film. But a cult film, with the usual long set pieces, some of which work, and some of which don’t.

There have been complaints about the character of Joi, the hero’s holographic girlfriend, but I got the impression that he renounced such “imaginary girlfriends” in the end.

One of the most interesting characters was a replicant (robot) villainess called Luv. By comparison, the most important female character was a little bland really.

I don’t think it was as good as the original movie, but it will, as they say, keep fans happy.

The iconic “Rachael” character makes a sort-of appearance. But not a very happy one. It’s interesting that the movie obsesses over her shiny red lipstick. Ridley Scott did too when he directed the original film. One addition to the canon is that supposedly Tyrell set up the meeting in the original movie between Deckard and Rachael precisely so that they would become a couple and have a child.

This is the recreated Rachael from the new film (it is such an irony that the original actress Sean Young is too old to play Rachael but technology has recreated her nonetheless):

I think it could have lost at least half an hour.

I would give it at least 7 out of 10. But it’s a bleak, violent movie and that would limit its appeal.

Three more points.

There is a theme of lying and deception throughout the film. The replicants may be more compliant but they are better liars.

Luv flirts with the male replicant/robot protagonist. In some ways this is the story of Deckard and Rachael again, but entirely negative.

The theory that Deckard himself is a replicant is strengthened but I am not sure it is quite conclusive.

Luv, the stylish replicant villainess:

————————————————————————

Luv, as people have noted, was the most interesting new character. It’s a shame that they killed her.

This is my old blog piece on the sexual politics of the first film. It has been heavily read.

Technology to help men

More details on this new “app” here.

As I have written before, as technology advances, it gives men new opportunities to fight back against misandrist views and behaviours. Personally, I have never been much concerned about women using makeup, but this app does demystify another female tactic.

The above supposed tweet from Ana Kasparian is probably not real. However, it makes the point.

Commentary:

‘Problematic’ Makeup Removing App ‘MakeApp’ Causes Mass Triggering

———-

This was my wife when we were young. After a swim. I think she looked good without makeup. (I assume that’s my thumb on the left!)

———-

Here she is with makeup:

 

Here is a good example of makeup off and on:

[Katherine Ross Ridenhour was arrested Wednesday for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a male student.  (Concord Police Department/Facebook)]

 

“Interesting assumption”

James Doyle on lordosis in women

 

Arching the Back (Lumbar Curvature) as a Female Sexual Proceptivity Signal: an Eye-Tracking Study

 

I wrote about lordosis here recently and speculated on the more general role of curves as sexual releasers.