4.28 Billion Year Old Rock
Researchers in Canada have found 4.28 billion year old rocks, probably the world’s oldest, and which may be remnants of a portion of the first crust that formed at the surface of our planet, known as the primordial crust.The ancient rocks were found in Northern Quebec, along the Hudson’s Bay coast, 40 km south of Inukjuak in an area known as the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt.The researchers who made the discovery estimated the age of the terrestrial rocks using isotopic dating, which analyzes the decay of the radioactive element, neodymium-142, contained within them, a technique that can only be used to date rocks roughly 4.1 billion years old or older.The Earth is 4.6 billion years old, and remnants of its early crust are extremely rare - most of it has been mashed and recycled into Earth’s interior several times over by plate tectonics since the Earth formed.The discovery team included McGill University earth scientists, Jonathan O’Neil and Don Francis teamed up with Richard W. Carlson, a researcher at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., and Ross K. Stevenson, a professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).The discovery, whose results are published in the September 26 issue of the journal Science, pushes back age of most ancient remnant of Earth’s crust by 300 million years, according to the researchers.O’Neil said: “Our discovery not only opens the door to further unlock the secrets of the Earth’s beginnings. Geologists now have a new playground to explore how and when life began, what the atmosphere may have looked like, and when the first continent formed.”
How is the creationist museum going to spin this one?
New Photos: 20090804 - 20090811 Florida
I just got back from a vacation in Sarasota, Florida and here are some of the photos I took while down there.
Enjoy!
Too True
From here.
Watching Wind
Found the video on Geeks are Sexy.
Last Day Dream
http://www.chrismilk.com/42/
09-05-08 DeCordova Sculpture Park
Hirsute
Hirsute from A.J. Bond on Vimeo.
Synopsis: A young time traveler is confronted by an arrogant and hairless future version of himself. The award-winning short film written and directed by A.J. Bond, produced and shot by Amy Belling. www.thesiblings.ca
Too Fat for the Scouts?
Part B is required with parts A and C for any event that exceeds 72 consecutive hours, a resident camp setting, or when the nature of the activity is strenuous and demanding, such as service projects, work weekends, or high-adventure treks. It is to be completed and signed by a certified and licensed health-care provider—physician (MD, DO), nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant as appropriate for your state. The level of activity ranges from what is normally expended at home or at school to strenuous activity such as hiking and backpacking. Other examples include tour camping, jamborees, and Wood Badge training courses. It is important to note that the height/weight chart must be strictly adhered to if the event will take the unit beyond a radius wherein emergency evacuation is more than 30 minutes by ground transportation, such as backpacking trips, high-adventure activities, and conservation projects in remote areas.
Part B refers to a height/weight requirement that the Scouts took directly from federal health guidelines. The requirements are as follows:
If you do not meet the above criteria you are not allowed to participate in certain activities that will take you further than 30 minutes away from emergency care by ground transportation.
I don’t have any issues with this, but many do. A story on abcnews.com (here) has two obese men talking about how they are now unable to participate in activities they used to enjoy.
I think this is a good step by the Scouts and although I don’t agree with a lot of things they do, specifically kicking out/blocking gay boys from participating, I think the fact that they are going to try to uphold some form of physical conditioning a step in the right direction.
On a more humorous note. You also have to get a doctor’s exam to go on trips that last longer than 72 hours. The doctor is required to fill out this part of the form:
I just have one question. Why they hell do they need to know if your genitalia is abnormal? For a group that is severely homophobic, I think the condition of the boy’s genitals is not much of a concern.
The entire PDF of the information needed and the guidelines can be found here.
SNP Guru
Original location is here.