A recent study by geophysicists at Washington State University offers insight into how nutrients may reach the subsurface ocean of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons and a leading candidate for extraterrestrial life in the solar system.
Knock, knock... mapping comedic timing with a computational framework
Jan. 20th, 2026 09:34 amResearchers propose a computational method to reveal the hidden timing structure of live performance. Vanessa C. Pope and colleagues present a framework, called Topology Analysis of Matching Sequences (TAMS), that algorithmically detects repeated material across performances and maps its timing to visualize performance dynamics. The work is published in PNAS Nexus.
Seismic 'snapshot' reveals new insight into how the Rocky Mountains formed
Jan. 20th, 2026 09:30 amNo one ever thought the birth of the Rocky Mountains was a simple process, but we now know it was far more complex than even geophysicists had assumed.
Shortcut General Tso’s Chicken (Ground Chicken!)
Jan. 20th, 2026 01:57 pm
Ground chicken is the key to making a Shortcut General Tso’s Chicken that cuts out extra chopping and deep-frying steps without compromising on the sweet tangy sauce and satisfyingly craggly texture! We have a simple step-by-step recipe as well as a YouTube video showing you how to make it! Ground chicken to the rescue! When […]Howler monkey roars exaggerate body size but are truthful to other howlers
Jan. 20th, 2026 09:10 amHowler monkeys are relatively small primates known for their incredibly loud, low-frequency roars that sound as if they come from a much larger creature. This is useful in the animal kingdom because sounding big can deter predators and may discourage rivals before they get a glimpse of the caller's true size. But what do these noises say to members of their own species?
The last spiny dormouse in Europe
Jan. 20th, 2026 09:00 amToday, only one species of the spiny dormouse survives, in southern India. However, the oldest spiny dormouse in evolutionary history, a member of the rodent family, was found in sediment dating back 17.5 to 13.3 million years in Europe.
How shifting tectonic plates drove Earth's climate swings
Jan. 20th, 2026 08:57 amCarbon released from Earth's spreading tectonic plates, not volcanoes, may have triggered major transitions between ancient ice ages and warm climates, new research finds.
Ion trap enables 1 minute in the nanocosmos
Jan. 20th, 2026 08:55 amAt the Department of Ion Physics and Applied Physics at the University of Innsbruck, a research team has succeeded for the first time in storing electrically charged helium nanodroplets in an ion trap for up to one minute.
In a study published in the journal Iraq, Dr. Troels Arbøll analyzed medical prescriptions from ancient Mesopotamia to understand and re-evaluate the role sanctuaries played in the healing process. The study found that specific ailments, particularly those linked to the ear and spleen/pancreas (ṭulīmu), were associated with prescriptions instructing the patients to seek out sanctuaries of deities to receive good fortune.
Fast Food Facts
Jan. 20th, 2026 01:47 pm Wimpy's came to the UK in 1954- well ahead of McDonald's and KFC. Burger King followed in 1957. In 1989 the company which owned Burger King (Grand Metropolitan) took over Wimpy's. Both companies are currently owned by a South African conglomerate.
KFC came to the UK in 1965. Unlike its rivals it it didn't immediately go to London or even a major city- but opened its first branch way up north in Preston, Lancashire.
As of the present moment the number of UK outlets belonging to each of the (originally) American Fast Food giants is
McDonald's- 1494
KFC- 1016
Burger King- 574
Wimpy's- 61
KFC came to the UK in 1965. Unlike its rivals it it didn't immediately go to London or even a major city- but opened its first branch way up north in Preston, Lancashire.
As of the present moment the number of UK outlets belonging to each of the (originally) American Fast Food giants is
McDonald's- 1494
KFC- 1016
Burger King- 574
Wimpy's- 61
Surprisingly in sync: Sunlight and sediments reveal climate history of Antarctica
Jan. 20th, 2026 08:22 amThe remnants of ice attached to the coast offer astounding insights into the climate history of past millennia. An international research team led by the CNR Institute of Polar Sciences (Italy) and involving the University of Bonn has applied a new method of analyzing sediment drill cores to show the climate history of the past 3,700 years in Antarctica. Surprisingly, it is connected to the natural fluctuations in solar activity. The study has now been published in the journal Nature Communications.
Gaia data release reveals four substructures in open cluster NGC 752
Jan. 20th, 2026 08:00 amBy analyzing the data from ESA's Gaia satellite, Chinese astronomers have investigated the structure of a nearby open cluster known as NGC 752. The new study identified four substructures and delivered evidence for mass segregation in this cluster. The findings were presented Jan. 12 on the arXiv preprint server.
An electrically powered source of entangled light on a chip
Jan. 20th, 2026 07:30 amQuantum technologies are cutting-edge systems that can process, transfer, or store information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, particularly a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement. Entanglement entails a correlation between two or more distant particles, whereby measuring the state of one also defines the state of the others.
SFFest38: Fest Nearing An End!
Jan. 20th, 2026 07:50 amI can't believe it's almost the end of January already! There’s just about 12 days left to get your fanwork submission or pimp posted this round! (Or make another claim. *g*) Good luck!
Enoshima - Monorail - Ofuna
Jan. 20th, 2026 09:34 pmDunno if I'm over flu yet; since my supply of tests that can actually detect my levels ia apparently irreplacable, I'm conserving them. Feel good.
Got out, took train to Enoshima station, thinking of walking around. But there's a monorail I'd found on the map, and its station was right there -- on the 5th floor, not 2nd or 3rd like usual. I went up, found a terrace that should have a good view of Fuji, but it was cloudy.
( Read more... )
The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, Jan 19)
Jan. 20th, 2026 07:25 amI hit Walmart while I was downtown and Stewart’s on the way home.
I did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, went for a walk with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter.
I made a pumpkin pie because mom asked me to. (I make it in a small shell, so put some of the pumpkin filling in a small pyrex dish. I took her that dish. She had it when I made it before Thanksgiving and really enjoyed it.)
I went with one of my own teas again this morning, Celestial Seasonings’ Mandarin Orange Spice. This blend combined the tart flavor of mandarin oranges with aromatic spices, cloves, and coriender to create a bright. lively brew that transports tea drinkers to exotic destinations with every sip. I wouldn’t say I was transported anywhere, but it tasted good.
My stomach tried to rebel on me again this morning. ( cutting for those who don't care to read )
We went to Texas Roadhouse with friends for supper, yay! I managed to write ~300 words on my SFBB fic and Zoo Tampa was my background tv in the evening. I wish I’d gotten more written, but between going downtown, visiting mom, and eating out, there wasn’t much time for it.
Temps started out at 19.4(F) and dropped to 15.6 before I left the house! There was sun in the morning, but then it was overcast. Temps reached 27.3. The roads were good in the morning, but the wind picked up, so we ran into some snow blown into the road on our way to Texas Roadhouse.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing ~okay when I saw her. She seemed tired. She’d already eaten, but even so she had some of the pumpkin pie filling I took her. Sister A was there when I arrived and Ian showed up after. Her BFF showed up later in the afternoon and Sister S was there when I called in the evening. She had a nice string of visitors, which she likes.
I did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, went for a walk with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter.
I made a pumpkin pie because mom asked me to. (I make it in a small shell, so put some of the pumpkin filling in a small pyrex dish. I took her that dish. She had it when I made it before Thanksgiving and really enjoyed it.)
I went with one of my own teas again this morning, Celestial Seasonings’ Mandarin Orange Spice. This blend combined the tart flavor of mandarin oranges with aromatic spices, cloves, and coriender to create a bright. lively brew that transports tea drinkers to exotic destinations with every sip. I wouldn’t say I was transported anywhere, but it tasted good.
My stomach tried to rebel on me again this morning. ( cutting for those who don't care to read )
We went to Texas Roadhouse with friends for supper, yay! I managed to write ~300 words on my SFBB fic and Zoo Tampa was my background tv in the evening. I wish I’d gotten more written, but between going downtown, visiting mom, and eating out, there wasn’t much time for it.
Temps started out at 19.4(F) and dropped to 15.6 before I left the house! There was sun in the morning, but then it was overcast. Temps reached 27.3. The roads were good in the morning, but the wind picked up, so we ran into some snow blown into the road on our way to Texas Roadhouse.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing ~okay when I saw her. She seemed tired. She’d already eaten, but even so she had some of the pumpkin pie filling I took her. Sister A was there when I arrived and Ian showed up after. Her BFF showed up later in the afternoon and Sister S was there when I called in the evening. She had a nice string of visitors, which she likes.
Stretch, Stretch, Snack!
Jan. 20th, 2026 11:14 am
Via Alaska SeaLife Center, which writes:
Let’s all stretch with Un’a for her physical therapy exercises. If able to, spread your arms out wide above your head. Feel the stretch!
Now, as Un’a does, you get a snack as a reward 🤣