Paul Krugman:
"It has been clear for a long time, to anyone willing to see, that the people running the federal government — Trump, Miller, Noem, Bovino and more — are monsters. It has been equally obvious that ICE and the Border Patrol are now filled with sadistic thugs. Yet many people — almost the entire GOP, everyone serving in the Trump administration, some Democrats, a significant part of the media — were too cowardly to admit the obvious."
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/monsters
1/n
As others have pointed out, Australia has been in the grip of severe heat waves, with temps over 40C in Melbourne and Sydney and higher in other regions.
A report by World Weather Attribution (WWA) suggests that the climate crisis raised temps by ~1.6C , while the La Niña likely lowered max temps by 0.3C to 0.5C.
With current global temps 1.3C above preindustrial average, Australia can expect similar heatwaves every 5 years; every 2 years with another rise of 1.3C.
https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-eclipses-la-nina-cooling-in-australia-to-drive-extreme-heatwave-and-heightened-fire-risk/
2/n
Is Winter Storm Fern related to climate crisis?
Yes, according to several experts cited in this article.
Contributors to the storm's intensity and southern track - a marine heat wave from the northern Pacific, a warm and strong high-pressure system near Alaska and moisture from the Gulf.
All exacerbated by above normal ocean temps - 2-5°F above normal in the northern Pacific and the Gulf. Plus a disrupted Polar Vortex, which is forecast to get even worse in Feb.
https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/environment/article314412696.html
3/n
Much of the U.S. is bracing for winter storm Fern which will hit 34 states across the south and east with a combination of snow, ice and brutally cold temperatures this weekend.
The cold temperatures will continue into next week. We can expect downed tree and major power outages due to the ice.
Let's stay informed and be prepared.
https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/2026-01-23-winter-storm-fern-historic-ice-snow-forecast-south-northeast-midwest
Tips for safety and preparations: https://weather.com/safety/winter/index
1/n
As others have pointed out, Australia has been in the grip of severe heat waves, with temps over 40C in Melbourne and Sydney and higher in other regions.
A report by World Weather Attribution (WWA) suggests that the climate crisis raised temps by ~1.6C , while the La Niña likely lowered max temps by 0.3C to 0.5C.
With current global temps 1.3C above preindustrial average, Australia can expect similar heatwaves every 5 years; every 2 years with another rise of 1.3C.
https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-eclipses-la-nina-cooling-in-australia-to-drive-extreme-heatwave-and-heightened-fire-risk/
2/n
Much of the U.S. is bracing for winter storm Fern which will hit 34 states across the south and east with a combination of snow, ice and brutally cold temperatures this weekend.
The cold temperatures will continue into next week. We can expect downed tree and major power outages due to the ice.
Let's stay informed and be prepared.
https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/2026-01-23-winter-storm-fern-historic-ice-snow-forecast-south-northeast-midwest
Tips for safety and preparations: https://weather.com/safety/winter/index
1/n
Some more intelligent and adaptive behavior among farm animals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRSuQSym7aY
2/n
The authors of the paper conclude that -
"Given that Bos taurus and Bos indicus diverged more than 500,000 years ago, the capacity for tool use in cattle is unlikely to be a byproduct of domestication alone but may instead reflect a deeper, latent propensity for physical problem-solving within the bovine lineage.
Perhaps the real absurdity lies not in imagining a tool-using cow, but in assuming such a thing could never exist."
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01597-0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_tools
3/n
This is not an AI-generated animation of a Gary Larson cartoon.
This is a rare observation of the use of a multipurpose tool in a non-primate.
Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown cow living in rural Austria, seems to have mastered the technique of using a deck-brush broom to scratch herself. She strategically employs both the broom and stick ends to reach different body regions.
This shows that cows and other animals deserve more respect 🐮
🙏
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGVo41MuLiQ
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01597-0
1/n
Some more intelligent and adaptive behavior among farm animals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRSuQSym7aY
2/n
This is not an AI-generated animation of a Gary Larson cartoon.
This is a rare observation of the use of a multipurpose tool in a non-primate.
Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown cow living in rural Austria, seems to have mastered the technique of using a deck-brush broom to scratch herself. She strategically employs both the broom and stick ends to reach different body regions.
This shows that cows and other animals deserve more respect 🐮🙏
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGVo41MuLiQ
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01597-0
1/n
Hisdesat confirms that SpainSat NG II is not recoverable.
The space particle that collided with the satellite was estimated to be millimetric in size and weighed only a few grams, but the high speed particle impacted a vital area of the satellite.
The satellite was insured for $400 million.
The satellite is in a highly eccentric orbit and won’t interfere with other satellites.
A replacement SpainSat NG III satellite is planned.
https://www.indragroup.com/en/news/hisdesat-gives-the-go-ahead-to-the-launch-of-the-spainsat-ng-iii-satellite
2/n
The defunct SpainSat NG II satellite is currently in a highly elliptical orbit with -
Apogee = 69,655 km
Perigee = 3,825 km
Inclination = 15.48°
Far away from LEO spacecraft and does not cross GEO orbit.
https://www.satcat.com/sats/66144
https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2025-239&SHOW-OPS
3/n
SpainSat NG II satellite, owned by Hisdesat and launched on 23 October, 2025, was hit by a "space particle" during orbit raising.
The extent of the damage is unknown but the Jan 2 press release says that "If necessary, SpainSat NG II will be replaced as soon as possible."
The impact occurred at 50,000 km, not LEO. 50,000 km is odd since geostationary orbit altitude = 35,786 km (42,164 km from center of earth).
Space debris or space rock?
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social
https://www.indragroup.com/en/news/the-spainsat-ng-ii-satellite-suffers-an-external-impact-during-transfer-to-its-orbital-position
Hisdesat confirms that SpainSat NG II is not recoverable.
The space particle that collided with the satellite was estimated to be millimetric in size and weighed only a few grams, but the high speed particle impacted a vital area of the satellite.
The satellite was insured for $400 million.
The satellite is in a highly eccentric orbit and won’t interfere with other satellites.
A replacement SpainSat NG III satellite is planned.
https://www.indragroup.com/en/news/hisdesat-gives-the-go-ahead-to-the-launch-of-the-spainsat-ng-iii-satellite
2/n
A pair of crawler-transporters (nicknamed “Hans” and “Franz”) were built in 1965 to move the massive Saturn V rocket from Kennedy’s VAB to Launch Complex 39. After the Moon landing and Skylab programs ended, the crawlers were used to transport the space shuttles.
CT-2 was upgraded for the Artemis program around 2012.
CT-1 was originally planned for commercial launch vehicles but its future remains uncertain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawler-transporter
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/exploration-ground-systems/the-crawlers/
4/n
Here are a few vital specs of the unique NASA crawler-transporter vehicles. No other vehicle comes close.
Each CT is larger than the size of a baseball infield and powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines.
The crawlers are designed to roll underneath the mobile launcher (ML) along with assembled rocket, pick it up, and steadily carry it 4.2 miles to Launch Pad 39B.
https://www3.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/combined_crawler-transporters_fact_sheet_final.pdf
5/n
AkaSci 🛰
️