Month: July 2021

Sport

Comparability of the vertical soar of the US swimmer Caeleb Dressel with NBA stars

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

Caeleb Dressel is known for his achievements in the pool, but could the five-time Olympic champion have made it in the NBA?

Well, if his vertical jump is any indication, he has more than enough athleticism to make it into the league. According to Golf Digest, Dressel has a registered vertical jump of 43 inches; and in this video it is breathtaking to see how high he can stand up from the floor.

MORE: When does Caeleb Dressel swim?

Undoubtedly, his ability to toss his 6-3 frame nearly 4 feet in the air gave him a quick start in the blocks when he took a dip, but how much would that help him in the NBA?

According to Top End Sports, the average vertical jump of an NBA player is 28 inches, which means Dressel would be roughly a foot and a half in the jumping ability of the average player.

The guys in the same conversation as Dressel – and even some who aren’t – are impressive. According to EPOK Performance, LeBron James can reach 44 inches, Andrew Wiggins can reach 44, Shannon Brown can reach 44.5, Zion Williamson can reach 45, Spud Webb can reach 46, Darrell Griffith reach 48 and Michael Jordan reach 48.

The same report lists some of the NBA stars under Dressel’s 43-inch jump: Dwyane Wade, 36, Russell Westbrook (36.5) and Kobe Bryant, 38, all check in under Dressel’s 43-inch jump.

Star swimmer Nathan Adrian told The Athletic that Dressel’s ability to jump is a “God given gift” and that “if anyone could find a way to instill a 40-inch vertical in athletes, they would become a billionaire.”

With the success he’s had in the pool – he already won three Olympic gold medals before the last day of racing on Saturday – don’t expect to see the 24-year-old Dressel on an NBA court anytime soon.

Science

Anticipate the prices of a solar-powered energy grid with out fossil reserves?

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

From the MANHATTAN CONTRARIAN

July 29, 2021 / Francis Menton

Yesterday’s post made it clear that states or countries aiming for 100% “renewable” electricity cannot seem to go over the 50% mark, no matter how many wind turbines and solar panels they build. The reason for this is that in practical operation, due to the so-called “skip time”, there is no power available from the sun and wind sources at many times of high demand; therefore, other sources must supply the juice during these times. This practical problem is most evident in California, where the “renewable” strategy is based almost entirely on solar panels with very little wind. Daily graphs published by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) show a clear and obvious pattern where solar production drops to zero every night just as the peak demand time starts from about 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Commenter Sean believes he has the answer: “Given the predictable daily power generation cycle of solar power in sunny locations like California and the predictable daily demand that peaks in the evening, solar generators should potentially have a storage capacity equivalent to the daily generation of their PV system . “

I thought it might be instructive to play through Sean’s idea to see how much solar capacity and storage it would take to build a system from these two elements that is sufficient to meet California’s current electricity needs. Note: This is a math exercise. It’s not complicated arithmetic. There is nothing here beyond what you learned in elementary school. Few, on the other hand, seem willing to bother to make these calculations or see the consequences.

We start with the current consumption that needs to be delivered. Consumption is currently between a low of around 30 GW and a high of around 40 GW over the course of the day. For this exercise, let’s assume an average usage of 35 GW. Multiply by 24, the rough estimate is that the system has to deliver 840 GWh of electricity per day.

How much solar collector capacity do we need to provide the 840 GWH? We start with the sunniest day of the year, June 21st. California currently has approximately 14 GW of solar capacity. Go over to these CAISO charts and we find that on June 21, 2021, which was apparently a very sunny day, these 14 GW solar panels were being produced at a rate of around 12 GW maximum from around 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., roughly that Half of it from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the rest of the time basically nothing. Optimistically, they produced around 140 GWH for the day (10 hours x 12 GW plus 2 hours x 6 GW plus a little more for dawn and dusk). This means that you will need to produce your 840 GWH of electricity on a sunny 21st. When it is 7:00 p.m., you will need enough energy in the storage to get it to the next morning around 8:00 a.m. when production resumes exceeds consumption. This is around 13-14 hours with an average of 35 GW or around 475 GWH storage.

This is June 21st, your most beautiful day of the year. Now let’s look at a bad day. A good example for the past year would be December 24th, 2020, which was not only one of the shortest days of the year, but must also have been quite cloudy. The production from the existing 14 GW solar capacity averaged only around 3 GW and that only from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. That is 18 GWH in this window (3 GW x 6 hours). Then another 1 GWH was produced from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and another 1 GWH from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. About 20 GWH for the whole day. You need 840 GWH. If 14 GW solar panels produced only 20 GWH for the day, you would have needed 588 GW modules to produce your 840 GWH. (14/20 x 840) That 588 GW of solar panels is roughly 42 times your existing 14 GW of solar panels. And if this 588 GW capacity doesn’t produce anything at all around 4:00 p.m., you will also need at least 16 hours of average usage in storage to get to 8:00 a.m. the next morning. That would be around 560 GWH of storage.

So you can easily see that Sean’s idea of providing storage “according to the daily generation of the PV system” doesn’t really get to the heart of the problem. Your main problem is that you need a capacity nearly 15 times peak usage (nearly 600 GW capacity for a peak usage of about 40 GW) to handle your slowest production days of the year.

Costs? If you (non-profit) assume that the “tiered costs” of the energy from the solar collectors are the same as the “tiered costs” of the energy from a natural gas system, then this system with 15 times the capacity costs 15 times as much. Plus storage costs. In this scenario, that’s relatively modest. At current prices of around US $ 200 / KWh, the 560 GWH storage will cost around US $ 112 billion, which is about half of the California government’s annual budget.

But you could say that nobody would build the system like this, with gigantic overcapacities, just to cover the few days of the year with the lowest solar output. So why not build a lot less solar capacity and save electricity in the summer to cover the winter? Since the average output of solar panels in California is about 20% of the annual averaged capacity, you should be able to get enough power for the year with a capacity about 5 times the peak load rather than 15 times a year to generate scenario above. All you have to do is save electricity from summer to winter. Oh, and you will need many times more storage space than the day-to-day scenario. If there is less production than is consumed on 180 days per year and the average loss of production on each of those days is 300 GWH, you need batteries worth 54,000 GWh (180 x 300). At $ 200 per GWH, you get over $ 10 trillion. That would be roughly three times the annual GDP of the state of California.

But don’t worry, there are no batteries to store electricity for six months or more and to sell it on the exchange without losses. Maybe someone will invent them in time for California to meet its renewable electricity targets by 2030.

Full article here.

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Entertainment

‘LHHATL’ Star Sierra Gates & Boyfriend Eric Whitehead Give Us A Sneak Peek At Their New Atlanta Mansion—And Additionally Spill The Tea About Their Relationship! [Exclusive]

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

#Roommates, “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” star Sierra Gates is no stranger to sharing the ups and downs of her life with fans and following a recent messy breakup, she’s moved on with a new love…and now a brand new home! Sierra gave us an exclusive first look at the lavish home 8,000 square foot home she and boyfriend Eric Whitehead just purchased in Atlanta.

While Sierra and Eric haven’t shared the full look at their new 7-bedroom/8-bathroom home, they did provide us some details about what we can expect to see when it’s completely revealed. Speaking about how they were able to merge their design styles in their new mansion, Sierra explained that she lets her boo Eric take the lead.

“The craziest part about it is that I’m the simple one in this house decoration situation. I just need a bed, a couch, and a place to make some money. He has a lot of ideas, so I’m just letting him do his thing…He’s definitely taking the lead. This is Eric’s third house and his New York house is decorated so nicely, and is so comfortable. Because of his New York home, I let him take over, ‘cause baby I just need my Sade, my candles and the pool,” she said.

Sierra also explained the lengthy and stressful process of looking for a home for the two. She elaborated, saying “We were looking for our house for months and it was a crazy process. The house we wanted suddenly went under contract, then the contract fell through so we were able to buy the house. It took a lot of patience but we knew this wasn’t a small decision. Ultimately it was long but the process was worth it. This is my first home so I wouldn’t change anything about what we’ve been through.”

Now that they officially have their new love nest, we had to get the tea about the state of their relationship—specifically how Sierra knew that Eric was the one and if we can expect an engagement or wedding bells in the future. She told TSR, “Eric and I met each other when he delivered my new Bentley truck from his car dealership. From the moment I met him, it was an instant connection. He was so attentive, and had such a strong personality I was immediately attracted to him, no lie. I remember one moment when he picked me up to put me in my car for a picture and I was like BOO BOO, this the one!”

As for those potential wedding bells, well Sierra is leaving it up to Eric but made one thing clear, “Babyyyy you’ll have to ask Eric that question; but if there’s one thing you know about me is that I can get a ring!!!”

Want tea directly in your text inbox? Hit us up at 917-722-8057 or click here to join!

Health

6 Covid circumstances have been found on board a ship, in line with Royal Caribbean; Shares fall

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

In an aerial view, the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas (L) prepares to set sail from Port Miami during the first U.S. test cruise to test COVID-19 protocols on June 20, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

Joe Raedle | Getty Images

Royal Caribbean Cruises’ shares fell about 4% on Friday after six passengers aboard its Adventure of the Seas ship tested positive for Covid-19.

The four of these guests were fully vaccinated and did not travel together. The cases were discovered during routine testing.

Three of the four fully vaccinated passengers had no symptoms and the fourth passenger had mild symptoms, Royal Caribbean said in a statement. The two unvaccinated guests are minors, travel in the same group and are asymptomatic.

The six guests were immediately quarantined and their close contacts identified and tested. They all tested negative, Royal Caribbean said.

“Each guest and their immediate tour groups disembark in Freeport, The Bahamas today and travel home separately on private transportation,” said the cruise operator.

When the cruise left Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday, the guests had to prove a negative PCR test. Unvaccinated minors were required to take another test upon check-in. All had tested negative before boarding, said a company spokesman.

Due to the rapidly spreading delta coronavirus variant, the shipping company will expand its test procedures for cruises from the United States of five nights or more. Passengers must undergo a negative test before boarding, CEO Michael Bayley said in a Facebook post. He added that the tests can be taken within 3 days of embarkation. The new policy applies from July 31 to August 31.

“Even if the vast majority of our on-board population is heavily vaccinated, we are seeing more Covid-positive cases with vaccinated guests,” Bayley said in the Post. “The Delta variant is now spreading rapidly with over 92,000 new infections in the US alone yesterday and in Florida, one of the most important markets in the industry, there were over 17,000 cases yesterday.”

“We are aware that this will not make many guests happy, but rather that it will comfort many guests. We are trying our best to provide a safe, healthy, and fun vacation to all of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit during these challenging times, ”said Bayley.

The stock closed 3.9% at $ 76.87. Shares are up nearly 3% year-to-date, bringing the company’s market value to $ 19.57 billion.

Sport

Winners, losers, surprises and daring predictions

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

The first three picks of the 2021 NBA draft went as planned: Cade Cunningham to the Detroit Pistons, Jalen Green to the Houston Rockets and Evan Mobley to the Cleveland Cavaliers. But then, starting with the fourth pick, chaos ensued, with intriguing selections and draft-night trades taking over the spotlight.

The Toronto Raptors surprised many by selecting Florida State’s Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 pick, and the Oklahoma City Thunder used their high lottery pick, No. 6, to make the first international selection of the draft, selecting Australia’s Josh Giddey.

Then, the blockbuster: The Los Angeles Lakers added former MVP Russell Westbrook to their roster in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, along with future draft picks.

Which teams get an A grade? Who impressed most with their deal-making? Which teams underwhelmed with their selections? Our NBA experts answer the biggest questions — and make bold predictions — coming out of the 2021 NBA draft.

More: Trade grades and details for every offseason deal in 2021

What lottery pick fit do you immediately like?

Kevin Pelton: Jalen Suggs in Orlando. More than anything, the Magic are starved for the perimeter star they haven’t had since Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson. Orlando has some interesting young guards in former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz and 2020 first-round picks Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton, but none have as much upside as Suggs to become the kind of dominant playmaker contending teams usually have.

2 Related

Ohm Youngmisuk: Cade Cunningham. It has been a long, long wait for Detroit to get an exciting and elite playmaker like Cunningham. It has been 27 years since the Pistons had a franchise star to build around, as they last did when they took Grant Hill third overall in 1994. Like Hill, Cunningham comes into the league as a 6-foot-8 player with point guard skills who can defend multiple positions and take over games. He might not be as explosive as Hill, but he should bring excitement to Detroit, which is growing a core of young prospects.

Jonathan Givony: I love that Orlando took advantage of Jalen Suggs’ surprising slide, but in getting Franz Wagner, the Magic have two of the best defenders in this draft. Wagner can make teammates better without needing the ball or requiring plays to be called for him. He’s a high-level off-ball defender blessed with elite instincts in protecting the rim, closing out on shooters or digging down on the post and mucking up opposing offenses. There’s a simplicity to his game on both ends of the floor, as he keeps the offense flowing with intelligent touch passes, bounce passes to the post, or by pushing ahead in transition off the defensive glass. With Wagner and Jonathan Isaac as the forwards, along with Suggs and Markelle Fultz in the backcourt, the Magic could have one of the better defensive units in the NBA.

What team gets an ‘A’ grade from this draft?

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2:04

The Rockets select Jalen Green with the second pick of the NBA draft, saying he is already focused on putting in the work.

Bobby Marks: It would have been easy for the Golden State Warriors to trade either one of their lottery picks for much-needed bench help. Instead, they took Jonathan Kuminga, who could turn out to be the best player in a loaded draft. Moses Moody has top-10 potential, and Golden State picked him up at 14. Because Kuminga is more of a development project, expect the established Moody to see more playing time in 2021-22. One thing to remember is that the Warriors have limited financial flexibility due to the contracts of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins. Kuminga and Moody are on four-year contracts that total $42 million in combined salary.

Myron Medcalf: The Detroit Pistons. This is an NBA draft full of high-ceiling guys but few guarantees. You could even put most of the players in the top five in that category. Not Cade Cunningham. He’s a 6-8 savvy playmaker who is ready to compete and excel in the NBA right now. He made 40% of his 3-pointers last season as a do-it-all player for Oklahoma State. Cunningham has the makings of a star who will have a long and fruitful NBA career. And second-round pick Isaiah Livers is an intriguing prospect.

Andrew Lopez: The Houston Rockets finished with the worst record in the league last season and needed an influx of talent right away. Mission accomplished. The Rockets landed Jalen Green with the No. 2 pick, and he can be the star the team needs to get back into contention sooner rather than later. They also picked up two standout big men from overseas at No. 16 and No. 23 with Turkey’s Alperen Sengun and Spain’s Usman Garuba. And with their final first-round pick, they picked up Arizona State’s Josh Christopher. On a team that needed talent, the Rockets found some at each pick.

What team underwhelmed with their draft selection(s)?

Bobby Marks: The New York Knicks. I mentioned during the draft that New York was going to get two players at 19 and 21 who would have been selected in the lottery (possibly Jalen Johnson and Cam Thomas) last year. Unfortunately, the Knicks would trade the 19th pick to Charlotte for a future protected first and move four spots back from 21 to 25 (they would select guard Quentin Grimes) in a trade with the Clippers. The Knicks should get high marks for the selection of Rokas Jokubaitis, Jericho Sims and Miles McBride in the second round. The real work for New York now starts in the offseason. The Knicks are sitting in the pole position with a projected $50 million in cap space.

The 2021 NBA draft is in the books, with Cade Cunningham going No. 1 to Detroit.

• Winners, losers, bold predictions
• Recap, analysis of every pick
• Cunningham No. 1; Suggs to Magic
• Social reaction, fashion statements

Tim Bontemps: The San Antonio Spurs stretched a bit to take Josh Primo with the 12th overall selection. Now, this could certainly work out just fine in the long term — remember, it was only a few years ago that the Phoenix Suns were derided for taking Cam Johnson 11th overall, and he recently was a key player for the Suns in the NBA Finals. Primo is an interesting prospect and the youngest player in the draft. But he was ranked 26th by ESPN coming into the draft, meaning the onus is on the Spurs to prove this selection will work out in time.

Royce Young: The 76ers. For as much building buzz as there was going into the night that the Sixers might make a splash move, it ended up going pretty chalk. It’s not necessarily a bad thing that they played it patiently and didn’t bite on what were surely many Ben Simmons offers, but they stayed with their lone first-rounder at No. 28 — Jaden Springer — and did some light shopping in the second round.

Which non-lottery pick will make an immediate impact next season?

Givony: Alperen Sengun has a chance to be rookie of the year, or at least put up the type of numbers that will put him firmly in the conversation. Sengun was the most productive 18-year-old prospect in European basketball history, winning MVP of the strong Turkish league by scoring with incredible efficiency and being a playmaker defensively, while inhaling rebounds and making an impact as a passer. Sengun will likely walk into 25-30 minutes a game for Houston, and there’s no reason to think he won’t put up big numbers, even if that will likely come mostly in losing efforts with an overmatched Houston team.

Medcalf: I think the Brooklyn Nets got a steal with Cameron Thomas at No. 27. He averaged 23.0 PPG at LSU, and he’s a pure scorer at any level. Sure, he’ll have to wait his turn on a team with James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. But injuries have hurt this team over the past two seasons, which has opened the door for young players to get opportunities. In that swift, high-scoring offense, Thomas will fit right in.

Lopez: The Pelicans traded down seven spots in the first round and were still able to land one of their primary targets in Virginia wing Trey Murphy III. The 6-9, 206-pound Murphy — who is actually three weeks older than Pelicans star Zion Williamson — provides an immediate need for the Pelicans with his shooting. Murphy shot 50.3% overall, 43.3% from 3 and 92.7% from the line at Virginia last season, and he’s also solid defensively. He should find minutes right away.

Which draft-night trade impressed you the most?

Youngmisuk: The Lakers-Wizards blockbuster. GM Rob Pelinka adds a playmaking third star to help LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook brings much-needed intensity and relentless drive that the Lakers lacked last season. Frank Vogel will have to figure out how to make the trio work, as Los Angeles still needs to add shooters and perimeter defenders. For the Wizards, the Westbrook era lasted only one year. They were able to add defense and future cap space around Bradley Beal with Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Plus, they traded the Lakers’ No. 22 pick for Indiana point guard Aaron Holiday.

The NBA’s 2021 free-agent signing period is set to begin on Aug. 2, just days after the 2021 NBA draft.

• Latest free agency and trade news and buzz
• 10 questions that will define the offseason
• Biggest decisions for all 30 teams
• Team-by-team FA lists for 2021 and 2022
• Tradeable draft assets for every team

Marks: I like what the Charlotte Hornets did before and during the draft. They addressed a glaring need at center when they acquired veteran Mason Plumlee from the Pistons. The Hornets were projected to have $22 million in cap room and used $8.8 million of that on Plumlee, leaving them with $14 million in free agency to upgrade their bench. The trade with New York for the No. 19 pick, an uncharacteristic move for their generally conservative front office, got them Kai Jones, a player who had lottery potential and fills a need. And selecting James Bouknight was not a trade, but the guard is an insurance policy for the likely departure of free agent Malik Monk.

Bontemps: The Washington Wizards not only moved Russell Westbrook without having to give up a first-round pick or take on bad money, but also netted a first-rounder in the deal. Just terrific work by general manager Tommy Sheppard, who turned arguably the worst contract in the league, John Wall, into long-term flexibility — and did so without being at a draft-pick deficit. On the other hand, let’s just say I don’t think this is going to work out for the Lakers, as Westbrook heads to his fourth team in as many seasons.

Which second-round pick will most likely be an All-Star first?

Givony: Sharife Cooper had a historic season, becoming the second freshman in the past 30 years — along with Trae Young — to average over 20 points and eight rebounds. Cooper has a chance to exceed his draft slot significantly, as he’s one of the best ball handlers in this draft, has a blazingly fast first step and simply gets anywhere he wants on the floor. Cooper’s size did not prevent him from leading college basketball in points created per game (40), showing a strong ability to create offense against high-level defenders. Cooper will remain in his hometown of Atlanta, where he’ll likely see playing time in the G League, waiting for his opportunity to prove NBA teams wrong.

Medcalf: The Milwaukee Bucks just won the NBA title with Jrue Holiday, a 6-3 defensive stalwart who made 39% of his 3-pointers this season. Jared Butler, a 6-3 guard who will turn 21 next month, led Baylor to a national title last season after making 42% of his 3-pointers. If he can develop into a more consistent defender — Baylor’s opponents committed turnovers on one-fourth of their possessions with Butler on the floor — and maintain his shooting stroke, he can become a high-level NBA player.

Young: Second-rounders are immensely difficult to project, but 31st overall pick, Isaiah Todd, is a decent one to bet on. He played for the G-League Ignite last season and was one of the top high school prospects in 2020. He slipped back into the second round, but on many boards was slotted as a first-rounder with his unique combination of size and skill. He’s stepping into a situation in Washington that is desperate for frontcourt depth, and though he’s a project-type pick, he could get an early opportunity to develop.

What surprised you most from this draft?

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0:32

Paige Bueckers congratulates Jalen Suggs after he is picked No. 5 overall in the NBA draft by the Magic.

Pelton: Josh Primo being the first SEC guard selected. He was behind three others — Tennessee’s Keon Johnson, Arkansas’ Moses Moody and Auburn’s Sharife Cooper — in ESPN’s Top 100, and only one spot ahead of a fourth in LSU’s Cameron Thomas. I thought I was high on Primo, who finished 14th in my consensus projections. Yet the San Antonio Spurs were evidently higher, taking him at No. 12.

Lopez: Didn’t think the NCAA tournament’s most outstanding player would slide that far into the second round, but that’s what happened when Jared Butler fell to No. 40 overall, where he was picked by Utah by way of Memphis and New Orleans. Butler had a medical issue flagged at the NBA combine, but was ultimately cleared by a medical panel. Still, his college resume speaks for itself: third-team All-American in 2020 and a consensus first-team All-American in 2021 as he led the Bears to a national championship.

Bontemps: Jalen Suggs falling outside of the first four selections. I know going from fourth to fifth doesn’t seem like a huge drop, but heading into the NBA draft lottery a month ago it felt like there was a clear consensus at the top of this draft: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley and Suggs. To see Suggs sitting there for the Toronto Raptors and then being passed over in favor of Florida State forward Scottie Barnes definitely was a surprise. That said, Suggs finds himself in a situation with the Orlando Magic where he will be given the keys to the Magic Kingdom from day one and will be the immediate face of the franchise. He showed he’s capable of handling the spotlight with his spectacular silver suit Thursday night.

Who will end up as the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year?

Cade Cunningham averaged 20.1 points in his one season at Oklahoma State. Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images

Pelton: Both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green should be well-positioned to compete for Rookie of the Year, but I’d give the slight edge to Cunningham. He’s in position to have success with the ball in his hands on a team that should be more competitive than Green’s Rockets.

Youngmisuk: Jalen Green. Green already got a taste of playing against men in the G-League, and that should help his transition to the pros more than some of his college counterparts. He also should have plenty of opportunities to score. Even with John Wall and Kevin Porter Jr. in the backcourt, Green’s explosiveness and scoring ability should stand out.

Young: Jalen Suggs. With the Magic in a full-on rebuild, Suggs will get the keys to the car almost immediately and have the opportunity to establish himself early. Suggs is an intense competitor and a culture-setter. He will enter the Magic franchise with an eye to flip the script. The same is true, of course, for Cade Cunningham in Detroit, but with a knack for big plays, Suggs could produce the kind of moments that build award hype.

Science

Unhealthy information. These underground lakes on Mars? They’re most likely simply frozen clay

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

If you were planning an ice fish excursion to the South Pole of Mars and its underground lakes watched by radar in 2018, don’t pack your parka or ice snail just yet. In a Geophysical Research Letters by IB Smith et al. published research letter it seems that the Mars lakes could be nothing more than smectite, i.e. a kind of clay. Should the findings of the paper, entitled A Solid Interpretation of Bright Radar Reflectors Under the Mars South Polar Ice (a solid title if you ask me) prove to be correct, it would be a major setback for those hoping to live find the red planet. Why were these supposed lakes so important in the search for life on Mars? How were they discovered in the first place? Why did our dreams of ice fishing on Mars turn to dust (or more correctly: clay)?

In 2018, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that its orbiter Mars Express had detected evidence of liquid water lakes beneath the surface of Mars’ South Pole. Understandably, the discovery boosted hopes of finding extremophilic organisms that survive in icy water, similar to bacteria that survive under 4 kilometers of ice in Lake Vostok in Antarctica.

Lake Vostok, roughly the size of Lake Ontario, is buried under several kilometers of ice in Antarctica, but has been found to be life-sustaining. Photo credit: Nicolle Rager-Fuller / NSF

Like Mars, Antarctica had a warm and humid past. When geological and tectonic processes migrated the great continent to the South Pole, it experienced extreme glaciation. Microbes adapted to radical climate change and eventually gave birth to the ecosystem that thrives there today. While the glaciation of Antarctica was driven by the tectonic effects of continental drift, climate change on Mars was global and likely due to the loss of the atmosphere from erosion by the solar wind. It is not unreasonable to imagine microbes adapting to this extreme climate change and stubbornly clinging to life in subterranean lakes in the Martian Poles.

Computer generated image showing ESA’s Mars Express in orbit over the surface of Mars. As is well known, the MARSIS instrument on Mars Express showed indications of underground lakes in the southern polar region of Mars in 2018. Source: NASA / JPL / Corby Waste

Mars Express used Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding Instrument or MARSIS. The radar was pulsed and carefully surveyed, revealing reflectivity data for the surface and below to a depth of 1.5 kilometers. An exceptionally bright area about eight miles wide was what one would expect if there was a large amount of liquid.

The authors of the recent article, which denies the validity of Marsseen claims, raise some questions that cannot be answered by radar reflectivity alone. They claim that the amounts of salt and heat required to maintain the supposed lake are implausible. Mars is too cold, and while there is salt on the planet, no mechanism is known that would focus it on the salinity required for liquid water to persist. They also estimate that the local geothermal flow (would Mars thermal flow be a more apt term?) Is one sixth, which is also needed to maintain the fluid.

The South Pole of Mars as seen by Mars Express. Credit ESA / DLR / FU Berlin

In science, especially when it comes to identifying possible biomes for extraterrestrial life, finding the simplest explanation for an observation is critical. The authors believe that a particularly reflective clay called smectite, which is abundant on Mars, is the more likely culprit for the radar results displayed by MARSIS than that part of the South Pole has highly anomalous salinity and warming values.

Ironically, it is believed that the formation of smectite was caused by various weathering processes that involve groundwater, hydrothermal systems or surface water. The clay probably also contains water, but critically frozen and dispersed in the layer of extremely cold smectite. The mineral is common on Mars and was even discovered by the Curiosity rover!

This is not the first time in the history of Mars (or rather, in the history of terrestrial observation of Mars) that an enticing trait is absent. It is known that observers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries such as Giovanni Schiaparelli and Percival Lowell observed so-called channels on the surface of the planet. These were presented as engineering works built by a civilization of highly developed Martian life forms. The widespread belief in life on Mars from this period inspired countless science fiction works, including HG Wells’ work The War of the Worlds.

Illustrations by Percival Lowell showing alleged canals on Mars. It was later found that these features are optical illusions and do not exist on the planet. Photo credit: Percival Lowell

While it is easy to get carried away with the excitement of imagining extraterrestrial civilizations or even just subterranean lakes on Mars, doing good science in our explorations of the solar system is important. The discovery of Mars for what it really is is, in reality, an extraordinary achievement and our results tell us about the nature of the solar system. While we have dashed our hopes for liquid water masses, it is not to be underestimated how extraordinary Mars Express is, and the incredible sophistication required to analyze the data presented by the team in this recently published article is not of this world.

Leading image: Radar images provided by Mars Express that show a supposed liquid body of water underground. It is now believed to be a mineral layer of smectite clay. Credit Context Card: NASA / Viking; THEMIS Background: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Arizona State University; MARSIS data: ESA / NASA / JPL / ASI / Univ. Rome; R. Orosei et al. 2018

Follow Ralph Crewe on Twitter @RalphCrewe.

See Ralph Crewe research unusual and interesting topics on YouTube.

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Mars Express
A solid interpretation of bright radar reflectors beneath the south polar ice of Mars

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Science

Forest degradation an essential driver of world warming, research outcomes. CO2-induced tree development cools down? – Watts with that?

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

Reposted from the NoTricksZone

By P. Gosselin on July 30, 2021

A new study published in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence shows that forestry has a significant impact on the cooling capacity of forests.

Our cooling forests. Photo: Copyright P. Gosselin

Also the results of the study suggest that the additional growth of the tree

The study shows why burning trees in “sustainable” biomass plants with wood chips imported from around the world and deforestation for wind farms are really bad ideas. Deforestation leads to warming.

And then imagine what effect trees have in sprawling megalopolises. One could easily argue that poor urban planning has been a major driver of warming over the past 100 years. See cities with the most trees here and here.

Forest ecosystems influence the climate on a global and local level, say the scientists in the new study. An important feature of forests is the regulation of the microclimate of ecosystems.

The original press release on the study is here.

Dismantling the canopy leads to warming

Shading by trees, evaporation of water, storage of heat in biomass and energy conversion through photosynthesis cause forests to cool themselves and their surroundings in hot weather. This can prevent harmful maximum temperatures, especially in the case of persistent heat waves, say scientists from Eberswalde (EUSD) in the study.

The responsible scientist Jeanette Blumröder from the University for Sustainable Development EUSD says: “Increased logging and a correspondingly stronger opening of the treetops drive the maximum temperatures in the forest up.”

0.5 ° C warmer with 10% fewer trees

An extensive series of measurements in beech and pine forests in northern Germany from the hot summers of 2018 and 2019 confirms that if the treetops open by 10%, the “average maximum temperatures rise by about half a degree Celsius”.

In a heavily thinned forest with a broken canopy and interspersed with wind turbine entrances, the microclimatic regulation characteristic of forests is lost. This leads to severe heat and drought damage and, in particular, to the death of old exposed trees, according to new study results. Photo: Copyright P. Gosselin

9 ° C warmer with 67% less biomass

In the biomass-poor pine plantations (177 m3 per hectare), the average maximum temperature was 9 ° C higher than in relatively biomass-rich beech forests (> 565 m3 per hectare).

About 13 ° C warmer in the open pine forest

If one looks at the pine plantations alone, the intensity of use also has a significant influence: On the hottest day of 2019, the temperature difference between those with a relatively dense canopy (72%) and those with particularly open canopy (46%) was over 13 ° C, found the authors.

Deforestation for wind farms leads to severe heat and drought damage and to the death of old exposed trees. Photo: Copyright P. Gosselin

Do trees protect against extreme weather?

Project leader Prof. Dr. Pierre Ibisch sums up: “The conclusion is that in the case of climate change, forest managers have a certain control over how much the forests entrusted to them are heated up and possibly damaged as a result. Higher biomass stocks and a closed roof are an insurance against extreme weather. “

The article also discusses and questions the hitherto common silvicultural recommendations for promoting thinning. With dilution, water losses and the risk of heat damage increase. The authors recommend keeping the tree canopy as closed as possible (at least 80%) and using the forests accordingly carefully. In addition, they confirm the well-known demand to develop the simply structured conifer monocultures as quickly as possible into structurally rich mixed deciduous forests.

CO2 cools the planet?

What the scientists are addressing, however, is the influence of CO2 on forest growth: more CO2 means more tree growth, which leads to cooling.

Original press release here.

Original study: Blumroeder, Jeanette S., Felix May, Werner Härdtle and Pierre L. Ibisch (2021) In the extreme summers of 2018 and 2019, forestry contributed to the warming of forest ecosystems in northern Germany. Ecological solutions and evidence. DOI 10.1002 / 2688-8319.12087. Link to the article and the journal.

Authors:

Jeanette Silvin Blumröder & Prof. Dr. Pierre L. Ibisch
Center for Economics and Ecosystem Management, University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde

Dr. Felix May
Working group Theoretical Biology, Institute for Biology, Free University of Berlin

Prof. Dr. Werner Härdtle
Institute for Ecology, Leuphana University Lüneburg

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Sport

Olympics swimming outcomes: Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel shine as every win gold medals

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel came into the 2021 Tokyo Games as the stars of the American swimming team. On Friday, they proved why that’s the case.

Dressel started the night off by setting a world record in the 100-meter butterfly, finishing the race at 49.45 to top his previous world record mark of 49.50. Two events later, Ledecky won her second Olympic gold medal at this year’s games and her seventh overall when she held off rival Australian Ariarne Titmus in the 800 freestyle, winning the race with a time of 8:12.57.

But the night wasn’t over for Dressel. He earned the top seed in the men’s 50 freestyle final on Saturday with a time of 21.42 and then nearly helped power the United States to a medal on the mixed 4×100 medley relay, but could only bring the team up from eighth to fifth on the final 100 meters. Great Britain, China and Australia took home the three medals. American Abbey Weitzeil also clinched a spot in the women’s 50 freestyle when she placed second in the second semifinal of the race.

Canada’s Kylie Masse picked up her second silver medal at the Olympics, as she finished second in the women’s 200 backstroke behind Australian Kaylee McKeown (who also previously came away with the top spot in the 100 backstroke).

Sporting News provided live updates and highlights from each event during the seventh day of Olympic swimming finals.

MORE: Watch the 2021 Olympics live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Olympics swimming results

Time (ET)	Event	Winner	2nd	3rd
9:30 p.m.	Men’s 100 Butterfly (Final)	Caeleb Dressel (United States)	Kristof Milak (Hungary)	Noe Ponti (Switzerland)
9:37 p.m.	Women’s 200 Backstroke (Final)	Kaylee McKeown (Australia)	Kylie Masse (Canada)	Emily Seebohm (Australia)
9:46 p.m.	Women’s 800 Freestyle (Final)	Katie Ledecky (United States)	Ariarne Titmus (Australia)	Simona Quadarella (Italy)
10:11 p.m.	Men’s 50 Freestyle (Semifinal 1)	Florent Manaudou (France)	Bruno Fratus (Brazil)	Thom de Boer (Netherlands)
10:16 p.m.	Men’s 50 Freestyle (Semifinal 2)	Caeleb Dressel (United States)	Kristian Gkolomeev (Greece)	Benjamin Proud (Great Britain)/Michael Andrew (United States)
10:32 p.m.	Women’s 50 Freestyle (Semifinal 1)	Pernille Blume (Denmark)	Sarah Sjoestroem (Sweden)	Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Netherlands)
10:37 p.m.	Women’s 50 Freestyle (Semifinal 2)	Emma McKeon (Australia)	Abbey Weitzeil (United States)	Katarzyna Wasick (Poland)
10:43 p.m.	Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay (Final)	Great Britain	China	Australia

Live swimming updates, highlights from 2021 Olympics

Mixed 4×100 medley relay (final)

10:51 p.m.: Great Britain wins gold at 3:37.58 with a world record. China takes the silver (3:38.86) and Australia (3:38.95) wins the bronze. Dressel swims the United States up to fifth place at 3:40.58.

10:50 p.m.: Dressel will swim with the United States in eighth place.

10:50 p.m.: The U.S. down to seventh with 150 meters left.

10:49 p.m.: Lydia Jacoby’s goggles have fallen off during the breaststroke and the U.S. falls down to sixth at the halfway point. Italy leads the field.

10:48 p.m.: The U.S. takes the lead with Murphy swimming the backstroke after the first 100 at 52.23 in a tie with Italy.

10:44 p.m.: Time for the first mixed event in Olympic swimming history. The U.S. will send out Ryan Murphy on backstroke, Lydia Jacoby on breaststroke, Torri Huske on butterfly and Caeleb Dressel on freestyle.

Women’s 50 freestyle (semifinal 2)

10:41 p.m.: Weitzeil will swim as the fourth seed in the 50 free final on Saturday. Manuel misses the final.

10:40 p.m.: Australia’s Emma McKeon finishes first at 24.00 for an Olympic record. Weitzeil finishes second at 24.19 and Poland’s Katarzyna Wasick places third at 24.19. Simone Manuel is tied for sixth at 24.63.

10:39 p.m.: Two American women competing in this with Abbey Weitzeil and Simone Manuel racing in Lanes 6 and 7.

Women’s 50 freestyle (semifinal 1)

10:34 p.m.: Denmark’s Pernille Blume wins the first semifinal with a time of 24.08. Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestroem takes the second spot at 24.13 and Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo finishes third at 24.29.

Men’s 50 freestyle (semifinal 2)

10:21 p.m.: Dressel earns the top seed in the 50 freestyle final on Saturday. Andrew will also qualify as he and Proud are tied for the fifth seed.

10:19 p.m.: Caeleb Dressel wins the second semifinal easily with a time of 21.42. Greece’s Kristian Gkolomeev finishes second at 21.60 and, in a tie for third, Great Britain’s Benjamin Proud and U.S.’s Michael Andrew finish at 21.67.

Men’s 50 freestyle (semifinal 1)

10:14 p.m.: Manaudou finishes first at 21.53 with Brazil’s Bruno Fratus second at 21.60 and Netherlands’ Thom de Boer third at 21.78.

10:14 p.m.: France’s Florent Manaudou wins the first heat of the 50 freestyle after leading the entire race.

Women’s 800 freestyle (final)

9:59 p.m.: Ledecky takes the gold at 8:12.57, Titmus finishes with the silver at 8:13.83 and Quadarella wins bronze at 8:18.35. Grimes places fourth at 8:19.38.

9:57 p.m.: Italy’s Simona Quadarella wins the bronze.

9:57 p.m.: Ledecky has won the gold medal in the 800 freestyle. Titmus will take silver.

9:56 p.m.: Ledecky is starting to pull away here with one last lap. She is up 2.43 seconds over Titmus.

9:55 p.m.: With four more lengths to go, Ledecky leads over Titmus by 1.72 seconds.

9:53 p.m.: Ledecky is now up by about a body length on Titmus — 1.22 seconds — halfway through the race.

9:51 p.m.: Ledecky’s lead is now up over a second at 1.08 ahead of Titmus through 250.

9:51 p.m.: Through 200 meters, Ledecky leads Titmus by 0.95 seconds.

9:50 p.m.: The top three remains the same at the end of the first 100.

9:49 p.m.: Ledecky finishes the first 50 just ahead of Titmus and Grimes.

9:44 p.m.: Katie Ledecky broke onto the world stage with a win in the 800 freestyle in the 2012 London Games. She won it again in 2016, when she set the world and Olympic records. She’s set to go for her third straight Olympic gold in the race as she swims from the fourth lane. American teammate Katie Grimes, a 15-year-old distance swimmer, takes the fifth lane as the second seed.

Women’s 200 backstroke (final)

9:42 p.m.: McKeown powers home for the gold at 2:04.68. Masse takes silver at 2:05.42 and Australian Emily Seebohm takes the bronze at 2:06.17. White finishes fourth at 2:06.39 and Bacon finishes fifth at 2:06.40. McKeown has now swept the women’s backstroke events.

9:41 p.m.: Masse holding onto the lead with 50 meters left to go. McKeown and Bacon are in second and third.

9:41 p.m.: Masse and McKeown still in first and second, but Bacon moves up to third.

9:40 p.m.: Masse leads the field at 29.30 after the first 50 with Australian Kaylee McKeown in second and White in third.

9:39 p.m.: Masse with the quickest reaction time at 0.54 second.

9:38 p.m.: There will be two Americans and two Canadians swimming for gold in the women’s 200 backstroke: Phoebe Bacon and Rhyan White (USA); Kylie Masse and Taylor Ruck (Canada). Bacon will swim in lane five and White will be in lane three. Masse will swim in lane six and Ruck will swim in Lane 1.

Men’s 100 butterfly (final)

9:34 p.m.: Milak comes in second at 49.68 and Switzerland’s Noe Ponti is third at 50.74.

9:34 p.m.: It’s a new world record for Dressel and his third Olympic gold medal of the race. 49.45 from the American.

9:33 p.m.: Dressel hits the wall first at 23 seconds. Kristof Milak is second behind him.

9:33 p.m.: Dressel is the quickest off the wall at 0.60.

9:30 p.m.: This will be the first of three events for Caeleb Dressel to swim tonight. He has the chance to leave today with two gold medals and a spot in the final in the 50 freestyle tomorrow.

Caeleb Dressel anchors US mixed medley relay, so he has three swims in 80 minutes. Struggling to think of another swimmer who tripled at an Olympics. Phelps never did. Dressel has done it at worlds.

9:30pm ET 100 butterfly final
10:16 50 free semis
10:43 Mixed medley relay

— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) July 31, 2021

Olympics swimming schedule 2021

With the exception of July 31, each day will begin with heats starting at 6 a.m. ET and will end with finals races starting up at 9:30 p.m. ET each day. The USA Network will carry the heats in the United States and NBC will have the finals, while CBC will provide coverage of both events in Canada.

Those in the United States hoping to see replays of the qualifying heats can tune into NBC every afternoon to see how swimmers performed earlier in the morning.

Friday, July 30

Event	Time (ET)	Channel (U.S.)	Channel (Canada)
Heats	6 a.m.	USA	CBC
Finals	9:30 p.m.	NBC	CBC

Saturday, July 31

Event	Time (ET)	Channel (U.S.)	Channel (Canada)
Finals	9:30 p.m.	NBC	CBC

Entertainment

Outer Banks’ Madison Bailey reveals what’s in her bag

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

We interviewed this celebrity because we think you will like her selections. The products shown are from the celebrity’s own line of products or a brand they are paid for. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may receive a commission if you buy something through our links. Items are sold by the retailer, not E !.

When it comes to accessories, Madison Bailey doesn’t always stick to the rules.

Whether she’s going to the set of Outer Banks or documenting her life on Instagram for her 3.8 million followers, the 22-year-old actress prefers to carry one particular bag than anything else.

“I have a lot of handbags, but I use the same black book bag everywhere,” Madison shared exclusively with E! News. “It’s just more convenient to have a book bag over a handbag!”

Health

WHO officers are attempting to determine why Delta is a lot extra harmful than earlier strains of Covid

Post author By Mans Life Daily
Post date July 31, 2021

This photo image shows a World Health Organization (WHO) logo on an Android phone.

Avishek Das | Getty Images

World Health Organization officials said they are still trying to understand why the Delta variant is more transmissible and potentially making people sicker than the original strain of coronavirus.

“We’re really trying to better understand why the Delta variant is more portable,” said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical director for Covid-19, at a press conference on Friday. “There are certain mutations in the Delta variant that allow the virus, for example, to attach itself to a cell more easily. There are some laboratory studies that suggest that there is increased replication in some of the human respiratory systems modeled.”

In the past few weeks, new data on the highly transmissible strain has emerged around the world as scientists try to better understand the new threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned lawmakers Thursday that new research suggests the Delta strain is more contagious than swine flu, the common cold and polio. It’s as contagious as chicken pox. It also appears to have a longer transmission window than the original Covid-19 strain and can make the elderly sicker even if they have been fully vaccinated.

Thursday’s warning came in a confidential document that was reviewed by CNBC and authenticated by the federal health authority.

“The virus itself is, as it begins, a dangerous virus. It is a highly transmittable virus. The Delta variant is even more, ”said Van Kerkhove. “It is twice as transferable as the ancestral tribes.”

WHO officials expect other dangerous variants to emerge as countries struggle to distribute the life-saving vaccines to their populations.

“They get fitter the more they circulate, and therefore the virus is likely to become more transmissible because they develop in such a way that they change over time,” said Van Kerkhove.

She said it is imperative that nations follow public health measures like social distancing and the wearing of masks as nations distribute more vaccines around the world, especially those with the lowest vaccination rates.

We need “around 70% coverage worldwide to really slow down transmission and reduce the risk of new variants appearing,” said Dr. Bruce Aylward, Senior Advisor to the WHO Director General.

However, given current trends, health professionals are not optimistic. “This will not be the last variant of the virus you will hear us talk about,” said Van Kerkhove.