After analyzing the temperature data from 2023‚ NASA has concluded that it was the hottest year on record. This will surprise almost nobody. If you live in one of the regions stricken by drought‚ forest fires‚ or unusually powerful weather‚ you don’t need NASA to confirm that the planet is warming. NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies produced the analysis that led to this conclusion. They looked at temperature anomalies rather than strictly at temperatures. Temperature anomalies show how much hotter or colder than normal it is at a specific place and time. In this case‚ normal means the average over a 30-year period between 1951 and 1980 for a time and place. The analysis‚ which makes use of extensive satellite data‚ showed that 2023 was the hottest year on record. In fact‚ every month from June to December 2023 was the hottest month compared to the same months in previous years. Not only that‚ but July was the hottest month ever recorded. This image shows the global temperature anomalies for July 2023. Image Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio How much hotter was 2023? “Global temperatures in 2023 were around 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA’s baseline period (1951-1980)‚” NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) said. Anyone who follows news from around the world knows the world is facing more severe weather. In the USA‚ a mega-drought meant that parts of the Southwest suffered from a water shortage. Reservoirs were reduced to historically low levels. In Canada‚ massive‚ numerous‚ and stubborn forest fires dominated the summer‚ with smoke moving south and enshrouding some of America’s largest cities for days. Many of those fires are still burning as zombie fires that will spring back to life after this winter. The Donnie Creek fire of 2023 in British Columbia‚ Canada‚ was the largest-ever fire in that province. It covered over 600‚000 hectares. Image Credit: BC Wildfire Service. In Asia‚ a record-breaking heat wave struck India‚ China‚ Vietnam‚ and other countries. In India‚ major cities exceeded 45 Celsius‚ schools and other places were shutdown‚ and rolling blackouts‚ triggered by air conditioner use‚ made things even worse. In the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia‚ the temperatures reached 49 C in some places. In Europe‚ the Cerberus Heatwave brought temperatures above 40 C to many countries‚ including Spain‚ where temperatures reached 45 C. Hundreds of millions of us faced extreme temperatures during the summer of 2023. Millions of us watched helplessly as forest fire smoke clouded our skies and damaged our lungs. Farmers struggled‚ and food prices rose. But climate change isn’t just about heat‚ smoke‚ and fire. It’s also about extreme rainfall‚ flooding‚ and hurricanes. Whatever the consequences‚ it’s not something humanity has seen before. “The exceptional warming that we’re experiencing is not something we’ve seen before as a species‚” said Gavin Schmidt‚ director of GISS. “It’s driven primarily by our fossil fuel emissions‚ and we’re seeing the impacts in heat waves‚ intense rainfall‚ and coastal flooding.” Most of what the Earth is going through is due to human-caused climate change. But other things still contribute to the climate‚ like El Nino and El Nina. Climate scientists consider all these things when trying to understand what’s happening. This image shows how the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affects global temperatures. There are three phases in the South Pacific’s ENSO: El Niño‚ La Niña‚ and neutral‚ or average. El Nino is a weakening of trade winds that blow from east to west in the South Pacific‚ allowing the sea surface to warm up and rise. La Nina is the opposite: the winds become stronger‚ and sea temperatures become cooler than normal. La Nina can help offset some of the effects of climate change‚ but only temporarily. Image Credit: NASA But we have no control over El Nino. Our carbon emissions are the only thing we have control over. Vegetation and the oceans only absorb about 50% of our emissions‚ and the rest persists in the atmosphere. This visualization shows the atmosphere in three dimensions and highlights the accumulation of CO2 during a single calendar year. It’s not just Earth’s atmosphere that warms. Our oceans absorb most of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases‚ about 90% of it. The oceans are a gigantic heat sink‚ and they’ll continue to warm as the atmosphere does. That changes the biochemistry and the overall health of the oceans and also accelerates the melting of our major ice sheets. “Just like global temperatures‚ ocean temperatures are on the rise‚” said Josh Willis‚ a climate scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “They have been rising for the last century or more‚ and they are not slowing down. If anything‚ they are speeding up.” This image shows anomalies in the sea surface temperature. These temperatures reached new record highs in 2023. Image Credit: NASA. The world will keep warming for the next several decades or more‚ no matter what changes we make today. But the future is still in play. Scientists still need as much detailed climate data as we can gather‚ even though we know we’re responsible for the warming world. We can still prepare for the worst of it while developing and implementing solutions. “We are very interested in the weather and extremes of any particular year because those are the things that impact us‚” said GISS Director Schmidt. “But the key difference between this decade and the ones before is that the temperatures keep rising because of our activities‚ principally the burning of fossil fuels.” NASA’s results show the future we face. More heatwaves‚ more devastating forest fires‚ more pressure on agriculture and food prices‚ and a bleak future for some of the world’s poorest people. But it’s not foreordained. There are solutions‚ and they’re being implemented. Renewable energy use is on the rise‚ for example‚ and people around the world are demanding that governments implement more changes. And while arcane scientific arguments about atmospheric chemistry and physics are not that impactful for many people‚ extreme heat is a much more effective alarm bell. So are the things that extreme heat brings‚ like flooding‚ fire‚ smoke‚ heat waves‚ rising sea levels‚ and higher food prices. Let’s hope the next generations and the politicians that accompany them don’t keep pressing the snooze button like we have. The post NASA Confirms that 2023 was the Hottest Year on Record appeared first on Universe Today.

Many of rock's biggest stars ended the decade with strong statements. Continue reading…

Capitol building CCTV footage shows Capitol Police Special Agent David Lazarus was not where he testified he was at key moments of the January 6 riot.

The U.S. Navy on Tuesday announced what's considered the first seizure of Iranian weapons bound for Yemen since Houthi rebels began their campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping in the Red Sea two months ago – yet the two Navy SEALs lost at sea during the mission carried out last week still remain missing amid search and rescue efforts.  On Jan. 11‚ 2024‚ while conducting a flag verification‚ U.S. CENTCOM Navy forces "conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow...

The U.S. military was searching for two Navy SEALs lost at sea during an operation that seized Iranian-made missile parts bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen‚ as the U.S. launched another series of strikes against the group. The waters off the Yemen coastline have become a zone of increasing geopolitical turbulence since the repercussions of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel spread into the wider region‚ drawing in Washington and Iran-backed groups such as the Houthis. The SEALs‚ reported...

Two members of the Navy SEALs who were reported missing last week off the coast of Somalia were part of a nighttime commando operation that seized a small boat carrying lethal aid from Iran to the Houthi militia in Yemen‚ the U.S. military said on Tuesday. Navy commandos‚ backed by helicopters and drones hovering overhead‚ boarded the small boat‚ called a dhow‚ on Thursday and seized Iranian-made ballistic-missile and cruise-missile components bound for Yemen‚ the Pentagon’s Central Command...

For many‚ even those that proudly wave the flag of self-love‚ the sight of that first gray hair is anxiety inducing. That single strand is a harbinger of the doom of our youth. More than one‚ and you might as well weave them together to create yourself a noose. It’s time to kiss your beauty—and therefore‚ your value—goodbye.But what if‚ instead of marking the end of our glory days‚ we could see this change as a new chapter with equally glorious reveals? Something worth presenting‚ rather than hiding? Back in July 2021‚ actress Andie MacDowell made headlines for rocking the silver vixen look at the Cannes Film Festival. MacDowell’s hair has always been a defining feature‚ but previously she had been coloring her raven locks to maintain her signature look. This was at the behest of her managers‚ according to an interview with Vogue. See on Instagram But after her kids officially declared the salt-and-pepper look was “badass‚” MacDowell started to see going natural as a “power move.” So she followed the impulse‚ and you don’t need me to tell you it was a bit of a social media sensation.MacDowell reflected on how freeing the experience was in a conversation with Interview Magazine. “I feel better like this. Honestly‚ it’s exhausting to have to be something that you no longer are…I was finally like‚ ‘You know what? I’m not young. And I’m OK with that..I feel so much more comfortable. It’s like I’ve taken a mask off or something.”’Isn’t this a battle so many of us fight? Instead of basking in how far we’ve come‚ we spend so much effort trying to wind back the clock. And in all the rigamarole of trying to delay the inevitable‚ we forget that aging is a glorious gift. One that’s not guaranteed. See on Instagram Even when we use terms like “embrace the gray‚” there’s this connotation that aging is this frightening tidal wave that we simply need to bolster ourselves for. Where’s the grace in that? I mean‚ yes‚ as the end of life approaches‚ it is scary to think about the impending unknown. But the process of getting there? Perhaps not so much.In the same article‚ MacDowell reflected that she‚ too‚ “hates the word 'embrace‚' because it always sounds like you’re having to accept something‚ and I don’t feel like that.” I love this viewpoint. Accept it? Why not value it? Let’s come back to the original meaning of the word … and welcome it warmly.MacDowell continued “We do have something unique to offer. You can’t be young forever‚ but you can always be considered beautiful‚ fashionable‚ and glamorous.”The cynical voice in your head might say‚ “sure easy for someone who’s already glamorous to say that.” But MacDowell isn’t the only one who made this discovery. Tons of “real” women have had the same revelation.Once the pandemic caused salons across the country to close down (coupled with major pay cuts and job losses)‚ a surge of women chose to stop coloring their hair. But—as with many life aspects affected by COVID-19—what started as a forced restriction became an opportunity for reinvention. In ditching the hair dye‚ many women found that their silver strands were not only tolerable‚ they were empowering. See on Instagram Now you could even say gray hair is “in” and making a comeback tour. And trust‚ these dames are definitely glamorous. This is not just an experience for A-listers. See on Instagram See on Instagram See on Instagram See on Instagram See on Instagram Of course‚ this movement is not just about aesthetics. There is a bigger idea here. It’s no secret that our society has some deep-seated stigmas when it comes to aging‚ for women in particular. We place a high value on those "30 Under 30" lists‚ seek out the strongest retinol to erase all signs of life and stand mouth agape in horror at the first mention of the word “ma’am.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. All chapters of life are precious‚ and worth celebrating.I’m a firm believer that glamor is only a result of confidence. And as we grow older‚ we only become more dynamic‚ more nuanced‚ more interesting. If that’s not a confidence booster‚ I don’t know what is. See on Instagram Going gray won’t be the answer for everyone. I certainly don’t plan on trading in my signature red anytime soon. But the real call to adventure is: How can you feel good about yourself at every stage of life? How can you throw away the (false) notion that you somehow lose your shine with every passing year? As the saying goes‚ “beauty is truth‚ truth beauty.” I think we can really see that in stories like these. To age gracefully is to age fearlessly. Radical self-acceptance is gorgeous.This article originally appeared on 02.25.22

There was an emotional exchange on TikTok between two people who lost their fathers to cancer. One was actor Mandy Patinkin‚ the other was TikTok user Amanda Webb.Patinkin currently stars on "The Good Fight" but one of his most famous roles is Inigo Montoya in the 1987 classic "The Princess Bride." In the film‚ Montoya is a swordsman who is obsessed with confronting a six-fingered man who killed his father.Webb recently lost her father Dan to mantle cell lymphoma. She had heard a rumor that Patinkin used his father's death from cancer as motivation in a pivotal scene where he confronts the six-fingered Count Rugen (Christopher Guest) in a duel.Rugen tells Montoya he will give him anything he wants after being bested by Montoya who passionately replies‚ "I want my father back‚ you son of a bitch." @mandypatinktok @alaska_webb thank you for finding us and sharing this! ✨ Sending big love and light to you and yours. More in comments. #grieving #cancer #dads ♬ original sound - Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn G Webb's father was a big fan of Montoya's performance in the film so she reached out to TikTok to learn if the rumor was true."I saw on the internet the rumor that when Mandy Patinkin said that line‚ he was thinking of his own father who had passed away from cancer‚" Webb said while crying. "And it was a very raw emotion. Ever since then‚ it's kind of really stuck with me."Patinkin‚ who is a TikTok user‚ heard that the woman had reached out to him and he gave a heartfelt response."First of all‚ your dad is taking care of you‚" he said. "Secondly‚ it is true‚ 100% true. I went outside in this castle and walked around and I kept talking to my dad.""The minute I read the script‚ I knew‚ I said to [his wife]‚ I said‚ 'I'm going to do this part because in my mind‚ if I get the six-fingered guy‚ that means I killed the cancer that killed my dad and I'll get to visit my dad‚" he said."That moment was coming‚ and I went and I played that scene with Chris [Guest]‚ and then I went back out there and talked to my dad‚" Patinkin said.He then told Webb that she has the power to talk to her father‚ too."And so‚ you can talk to your dad anytime you want‚ anywhere you want‚" he said. "If you could somehow let me know your dad's name because I say prayers for anyone I've ever known. Now I feel like I know you‚ and therefore I know your dad‚ and I will list his name in my prayers every day‚ and they make me feel like they're with me‚ wherever I go‚ and I'd like your dad to hang out with me."Webb responded with a video where she's so emotional she can hardly speak.This story originally appeared on 08.25.21

An unforgettable record. The post Azuma Kabuki Musicians‚ 1954: The Japanese masterpiece that inspired modern experimental first appeared on Far Out Magazine.