Why 3 billion Birds Have Lost in North America?

Colorful bird, painted bunting for illustration

Scary facts showed that billion birds lost in North America during last 50 years. The number around 3 billion birds.

Of 529 species, 19 bird species lost around 50 million for each species, as reported by Cornell university recently.

Examples of species lost are following:

- red-winged blackbird

- dark-eyed junco

- sparrows

- European starling

- warblers,

- blackbirds

- finches.

- meadowlarks

- horned larks

- red-winged blackbirds

- thrushes

- swallows

Carolina chickadee as illustration

The question then, Why 3 billion Birds Have Lost in North America? The answer is combination factors, but mostly relate to:

- decreasing of bird habitats

- using of pesticides that killed insects as food sources for birds

- eaten by predators such as wild cats

- accident like glass collisions

- climate changes

Habitat is great important for birds, not only to live, but also to find food, rest and raise the chicks.

Loss of habitats mainly due to agricultural expansion, and might also because of property and industry development, especially in sub urban areas.

Now, my wonder about reduction of bird population in my backyard is getting answer. 6 years ago, I saw a quite lot of birds.

In the last few years or this year around, especially during spring season, I just see couple of hummingbirds, and I did not see any woodpeckers at all.

How about you? Do you aware that less birds in your backyard or any where else? 

The oldest human Ancestor is Discovered

The face of the oldest man (credit to Daily Mail)

Many mainstream medias reported about the finding of the oldest human ancestor from Ethiopia, Africa recently.

We already knew that the 3.2 million years old Lucy was believed to be our oldest ancestor. The scientific name of Lucy is Australopithecus afarensis.

Lucy is different with ape (ancient ape) in terms of:

- start to walk on two legs

- brain

- body size

- strong jaws

The similarity that Lucy’s face is look like apes, and previously live on the trees. Even though Lucy able to walk then, but they still use their hands to hang on the trees.

Skull of the oldest human ancestor

Now, scientists found the oldest human ancestor. 3.8 million years old, Australopithecus anamensis who is older than previous discovered, Lucy.

With new finding, scientists have two hypotheses:

1. Australopithecus anamensis was Lucy’s parents. Then, Lucy had evolved to be an ancestor of Australopithecus hominins. This evolutionary line led to Homo sapiens, modern human, our selves.

2. Australopithecus anamensis had directed evolutionary line to the ancestor of Australopithecus hominins, then Homo sapiens, modern man. Lucy was not involve in this evolution process.

To find out which one is true, scientists needed to assemble reliable data of specimen from:

- different time periods

- different geographical locations

- different evolutionary trajectory.

Hope, we could settle doubt soon and understand more of our ancestors, include the way they evolved to become modern human.

Why the Moon Has Thousands of Small Aliens?

Water bear (credit to CNN)

It was surprising me to know that our lunar surface is believed to occupy by thousands of tardigrade, also called as water bear or piglet like creatures.

These small aliens are part of mission “Noah Ark Mark II” to provide a library in the space craft, then landed on the moon.

In addition to tardigrades, the repository includes:

- human blood

- living DNA

- information about human civilization (30 million pages)

- almost all of English Wikipedia

- classic books

The library was belong to a non profit organization (Arch Mission Foundation), and sent to the moon by Beresheet, Israeli spacecraft. 

Alien (credit to NBC)

In case of hypothetical condition where all human being and living things destroyed in the world, because of:

- flood or natural disasters like story of prophet Noah in holy books

- wars (nuclear wars)

- whatever caused

Hopefully, other highly intelligence creatures from other planets might find the lunar library, let’s say in the next hundred or thousand years. They could learn something from man civilization on the earth.

Tardigrades (credit to NewsBeezer)

What attract attention is less than 1 mm microorganism, Tardigrades or water bear or piglet like animals.

This microorganism is toughest living microorganism on the earth:

- may survive in the freezing north pole

- found in the deepest ocean

- grow well on the highest mountain

- survived in the space.

It is assumed that the outer space intelligent also able to regenerate:

- human being from human blood sample

- plants and animals from living DNA

- microorganism from dormant “water bear”

We, human being and other living things could re-emerge on the earth. Exactly, like holy books story of prophet Noah in futuristic version.

Do you believe it?

Will Electric Cars Take Over Gasoline Car in Near Future?

An affordable electric car

Electric cars or Electric vehicles (EVs) are getting popular in recent days. From thousand only last decade, it was estimated 2 million Evs sold in 2018.

EVs Production is quite low compared to 85 million of conventional cars (fossil fuel) in 2018.

In the next 20 year (2038), Electric cars will overtake fossil fuel cars. Of 97 million, EVs will be produced 50 million in the world. Production increases to 57 million in 2040.

What are the reasons people fall in love to electric cars? Here some of them:

- worry about air pollution and global warming

- technology (improvement in battery)

- low cost

- range improvement

- shorter battery charge time

- plenty of charging stations

- no oil change

- no smog test

- minimum or no repair service at all

In addition, some countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden and even China are planning to ban using of fossil fuel cars at all in near future.

One of Tesla supercharge stations.

Electric cars prices are cheaper day by day, not luxury car anymore. By coming years, affordable price will be around US$ 30,000 (Euro 27,000) or less.

Term of kilowatt per hour for Evs is comparable to a Mile per gallon for traditional cars. The cost of battery charge is US$ 2.64 to reach 70 mile.

Brand new Tesla able to travel 250 miles per one charge of batteries. Thus we need:

- (250 miles/70 miles) x US$ 2.64 = US$ 9.4 per charge for 250 miles.

Based on 2018 calculation, comparison costs between Evs and gasoline cars are following:

- US$ 485 for Electric car per year.

- US$ 1,117 for gasoline car per year.

Maintenance for electric vehicle is much more cheaper than traditional gasoline ones.

Do you plan to have Electrical Vehicle in the near future?

Why Many Big Cities are Sinking?

Jakarta, Indonesian capital

Many big cities which have roles as business centers, historical tourist destinations and capitals faced what we call as “sinking cities.”

The cities are spreading from industry to developing countries, they are:

- capitals (Jakarta – Indonesia, Lagos – Nigeria, Washington – USA, and Beijing - China)

- historical city (Venice – Italy)

- business centers (Houston – Texas, Long Beach – California).

The sinking rate is astonishing, from 0.4 inches (1 cm) to 10 inches (25 cm) per year.

Jakarta have been sinking for 4 meter (12 feet) since 1970. The rate of sinking could reach at speed of 10 inches (25 cm) per year on some parts of city. The highest in the world.

The sinking leads to damages of sewage and drain systems, thus, vulnerable to flood. Then, flooding is endemic in every even drizzle (small rains).

The questions then:

- what caused sinking?

- how to prevent sinking further? 

Long Beach, California

The main factor to cause sinking is over using of groundwater. Include exploiting of oil and gas in close by regions in several cities.

There are several ways to stop subsidence:

- Limit or stop groundwater exploiting

- Injecting water into deep underground 

Venice, Italy

Tokyo, Japan formulated the law to halt the sinking by limiting to pump groundwater. This effort was success story where the sinking rate of 9 inches (24 cm) per year reduced to 0.4 inches (1 cm) per year.

Injecting technique has been done by Long Beach, California. After sinking by 30 feet (10 m) for decades, injecting has stabilized the surface dropping.

In addition, surface elevation up to 30 cm was seen in several areas of Long Beach.

Finally, combinations of program to groundwater reducing and injecting have been success to halt further sinking in Venice, Italy. 

China Turns Military Robots to Help Civilians

A Robot resembles to half spider and human

(credit to Ethan Gorstein)

Chinese used to create robots to military purposes, but now turn to multi purposes, include economy and help civilians in natural disaster areas.

I believe that robots are great important in the vulnerable areas due to such as earthquake.

Robots are needed to conduct the following missions:

- searching and finding the victims underneath damaged buildings

- rescue the survivors

Chinese robots have been succeed to search and rescue of many victims and survivors in Chinese Yunnan province earthquake recently. 

A flying robot as a future ambulance

(credit to Valerie Hamilton).

In addition to China, many countries are using robots to cope with disasters in last few years. The results are quite remarkable. Natural disasters include:

- tsunami

- hurricanes

- earth quake

- floods

- landslides

- volcanoes

Good news that from assistance only, then, the USA and Japan have developed Robots to have autonomous.

Robots may able to make own decisions in dangerous environments. Robot would act such as to jump, run or crawl in order to avoid hurdles.

Flying robots are designed to be function as ambulances which could bring injured survivors to nearest hospitals.

Hope, victims of natural disasters could be reduced in near future.

What colors of Lobsters are Rare in Nature?

Blue lobsters (credit to Google)

The colors are important in several marine animals such as crustaceans (crabs, shrimp and lobsters) to hide from to be targeted of predators.

The common color of lobsters in American water are:

- greenish brown

- blackish brown

These colors are perfect adaptation colors, blended to ocean floor in order to conceal from predators.

Surprisingly, fish are common predators of lobster. Crabs are predators too, they eat young lobsters.

Several fish which consume lobsters naturally are:

- cod

- flounder

- tench

- wolfish

- eel

- monkfish

- ocean pout

- dogfish

Yellow lobster, a rare color.

Almost all mainstream medias reported about finding rare color (blue color) of lobster from Maine water recently.

The question then: What colors of Lobsters are Rare in Nature? There are three rare colors:

- blue, 1 in 2 millions

- yellow, 1 in 30 millions

- white or albino, 1 in 100 millions

Common color of American lobsters

Three colors (blue, yellow and white) are bright in the water, thus they are spotted easily by predators.

The white or albino color is the most contrast to the environment, then the most vulnerable. Consequently, the albino lobsters are extremely rare in nature, 1 in 100 millions.

Are rare lobsters expensive? No, not at all. A fisherman offered a blue lobster for US$ 500, but no body interested to bid it.

Normal price is around US$ 40 per lobster in many markets in the USA. Cooked lobsters are little bit expensive.

Have you ever seen rare colors (blue, yellow and white) of lobsters?

Do You Know the Meaning of Your Dreams?

Illustration, Edvard Munch’s painting

All of us have experienced dreams. Some experts said that dreams are have no meaning at all. It is just brain impulse taken from memory.

Others believed that dreams relate to our daily psychological conditions. Some dreams are happy dreams, others are include:

- anxiety dreams

- nightmare dreams

- normal dreams

- lucid dreams

I myself always have “anxiety dreams” when I was a teenager. The anxiety dreams defined as troublesome dream that more “damaging” compared to a nightmare dream.

Edvard Munch’s painting of a woman

The anxiety dream could have several characteristics, some of them are:

- disquiet

- distress

- restlessness

Painting of Edvard Munch

My anxiety dreams are about:

- chased (my case is chased by usually angry dogs and ghosts)

- falling down from the height

- losing important stuffs

Scientist could “decode” my anxiety dreams now. Dream of being chased is meaning that I am avoiding something in my real life.

I may don’t like with people, locations and decisions, thus, I want to run away from the reality. 

A rural house, painted by Edvard Munch

The meaning of “falling” dream that “dreamers” face negative incidents in her or his daily life. It is including bad and fear to important events.

The events could be:

- fail grade in the school

- get fire from the job

- bad evaluation in job performance

My anxiety dream of losing important stuffs was meaning that my motivation or eagerness to success is leading to down in real life.

What kinds of dream did you face during your kid, teenager, adult or current age?