Wake Shield Facilty Project

Back in the early1990s, scientists looked at the possibility of creating high quality semiconductors in space. They did this by creating a wake behind a satellite and using the vacuum to do so. 

You can read more about the program here

 

https://www.uh.edu/svec/wsfp-desc.html

Or check out this pretty good overview

https://youtu.be/LenEdfclil8?si=2Wi1S635ryIMlVPq

2026 Eco-Hero Arjun Jain | Action For Nature

Mad respect to this young man. He is a true eco hero, even if he only placed third in the competition this year. 

He started growing hydroponic fruits and vegetables, and selling them locally at low prices, to help with food insecurity.

He saw an opportunity and seized on it. Starting off as an individual who wanted to help, and growing that business while encourages others to do similar things. 

Excellent. 

 

https://actionfornature.org/eco-hero-winners/arjun-jain

The Florida Everglades Have a Python Problem. High-Tech Stuffies Are Helping Get Rid of Invasive Snakes

I was reading the attached article about how state officials are using toy rabbits to lure o it pythons, who can be captured and sent to the python afterlife. 

And among the first things I thought of was the Caerbannog rabbit. You know the “killer rabbit” from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 

Because it all kind of weirdly fits. 

https://people.com/florida-everglades-python-problem-bunny-stuffies-helping-rid-invasive-snakes-12136728

Animal Monitoring Patent

Keeping an eye on Disney's patents, here's another interesting one.  The idea stems from the fact that animals in the savannah area come and go as they please, so guests don't always get those "Kodak moments" where they see an animal - either at the hotel or while on the safari.

Disney has always looked for ways to enhance the experience, mostly by herding the animals out and providing food closer to the guests.

But here's a novel concept: to use various detectors including sensors and cameras to see the animals and report on their position.  And then, they can alert cast members, safari vehicles, and even guests directly through their connected devices.  

Its bringing some technology and a form of machine learning together to create something new that really does serve a simple (yet possibly important to the experience) purpose.

https://wdwnt.com/2026/09/ai-animal-monitoring-system-could-alert-disney-guests-cast-members-to-animal-activity/

George Washington and vaccines

We're taught a version of the Revolutionary War that is somewhat incomplete.  One aspect that is often overlooked is the time at Valley Forge.  

Washington set up a camp there at the end of 1777, and remained there through the summer of 1778.  The very high-level general purpose was to prepare for the future of the war, to train the troops while he waited for reinforcements, word on the French, etc.  The British knew full well they were there, and just let them be - but kept an eye on them.

Things were definitely rough for the Continental Army, but Washington did two very important things that ultimately led them to victory.  The first was that he brought on Prussian Inspector General Baron von Steuben to organize and train the troops.

The second thing was something that's still relevant today.  To this point, Washington might be considered "anti-vax" by today's standards.  His rationale was that exposing his men to the diseases took them out of commission for a few days to a few weeks while their bodies developed an immune response.  He wanted them to be ready to engage at any time.

But Washington saw the error of his ways as Small Pox was ravaging the Americas.  There was an inoculation available, and he decided to take advantage of it, thus protecting his troops from falling ill.  

Yes, he ordered vaccines be administered to  everyone in his army.  And that left his troops healthy as they fought the British.

You can read more about Washington's stance on vaccines in the attached links.  The second one - somewhat surprisingly because I would not expect such a thing from this admistration - is from the National Parks Service.    

https://historyofvaccines.org/blog/washingtons-war-against-smallpox-revolutionary-inoculation-campaign/

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/smallpox-inoculation-revolutionary-war.htm

Inside the Armed Incursion to Cuba

A lot of news is merely a short statement, or a headline, without any context. And when we do get news, its often slanted to meet a particular set of interests.

I prefer to get my news from many sources, to try and get to something meaningful.

Here's a story that I don't recall seeing get coverage; its about 10 men who wanted to invade Cuba - and attempted to (foolishly) do so.  5 died in a battle with a Cuban naval vessel, and the other 5 were taken into custody in Cuba.

I appreciated the comment, which I believe can be applied to many situations these days, and not just Cubans:

“The advice I’d give other Cubans is stop consuming so much trash [on social media]. Keep your jobs and don’t come to Cuba to do anything because it’s not going to turn out well,” 

The attached story is long form, and thorough.  It talks about policy and the history of Cuba and its relationship with the United States. 

https://open.substack.com/pub/dropsitenews/p/inside-the-armed-incursion-from-florida

First Hispanic woman in space shares memories of historic NASA career with Idaho Falls crowd | KSL.com

This is a kind of fun human interest story about the first Hispanic woman in space. 

She recounts a few stories and shares some accomplishments. 

https://www.ksl.com/article/51626399/first-hispanic-woman-in-space-shares-memories-of-historic-nasa-career-with-idaho-falls-crowd

Third-Party Pin Trading App Blames Meta for AI Ad Altering Creator's Likeness Following $85,000 Legal Demand - WDW News Today

I found this to be an interesting example of the relative dangers of AI. The summary goes a little like this: 

A company developed an app for pin trading. They hired an influencer to make a few videos promoting the app. She did and that was that. 

Then, she discovered that a version of her was appearing in new ads. There was the obvious problem of AI producing content with her likeness. But there was a secondary issue that the AI had slightly adjusted her likeness to make her appear “more white.”

She asked them to take them down, and it seemingly got contentious. They said it wasn’t them who produced the new ads, and blamed meta for the problem. 

So shes suing to get it to stop. In reading through it, it seems meta has this baked into their agreements. They can, will, and do continue to make content without consent of the owner by default. And just who is the owner since she was hired to do ads?

https://wdwnt.com/2026/09/third-party-pin-trading-app-blames-meta-for-ai-ad-altering-creators-likeness-following-85000-legal-demand/

The Macklemore problem

This … for lack of a better word … nonsense ... surrounding Ed Sheeran and one of his opening acts - Macklemore - is just another example of how messed up we are as a society.

Let me preface this by saying that the entire situation in the middle east as it relates to Israel and Palestine is complex.  I don't think there is a "right" answer, and support or distrust of one element doesn't automatically mean that you are taking a stand.  And to be clear, no matter what, there is a humanitarian crisis.  

So, Macklemore says something.  And people lose their minds.  Doesn't he have a right to free speech, too?  Yes, he has a public forum, and maybe he's abusing it in a way.  But IMHO the conversation should be about whether that's the right forum - not whether he should be saying such things. And arbitrating that he's wrong.

Then Robert Kraft got involved, and it blew up.  He told Sheeran that "you can't use my stadium"  - which is also a complicated statement.  The world of professional stadiums is just a mess.  Like all stadiums, he took public funds to build it, and continues to get tax incentives and other considerations to continue to operate it.  So while he will tell you he owns it, it's not quite that simple since it was a very nebulous "public-private partnership"... I would argue that he's speaking on behalf of the taxpayers who contributed to it.  Which just makes this all somehow worse.

In the end, we all just need to settle down. Stop focusing on *what* the guy said and the kneejerk to it (seemingly based on politics by the way) - and focus instead on there being a large humanitarian crisis with no easy answers... but where people are dying based on actions outside of their control, with no way out.

BASF sues Apple in US, says iPhones infringe face authentication patents | Reuters

The world of corporate intellectual property is always interesting to me. 

Here’s a case where BASF created a means to detect people’s faces, and patented it. 

And Apple is accused of having stolen it for use in iPhones. They filed suit and the most likely outcome is that Apple winds up licensing it from BASF. Of course it’s also possible they created a new piece of technology, and they get the case dismissed.  

But one thing to keep in mind: when Apple first invented the iPhone, much of their camera technology was “likely” infringing on some things Kodak had developed. But Kodak was a little disorganized at that time and also had some financial difficulties. So they chose not to pursue legal action. Thus letting Apple “steal” some of their work (or so would seem). 

https://www.reuters.com/world/basf-sues-apple-us-allegedly-infringing-its-face-authentication-patents-2026-09-03/

Never Forget the Space Monkeys That Made It All Possible

Although the stories are not well chronicled, and they aren’t all that well known, monkeys played a critical part in understanding human space flight. 

This story summarizes their contributions. I would like to note that among them, Bonnie is perhaps the most interesting one. And that’s because they wanted to study longer term effects in space, but Bonnie’s condition deteriorated rapidly and they had to abort the mission - and this was concurrent with the moon landing. Surely this was a concern among scientists. 

And second, the public reaction to using Bonnie in this situation caused nasa to re-think how they handle primates in experimentation. 

https://www.vice.com/en/article/five-important-ape-o-naut-moments/

Farmers let 200 wind turbines go up across their corn ground in Iowa, and instruments in the rows found the crop running a degree and a half cooler by day and up to three degrees warmer at night

Well, would you look at that?

In addition to creating clean (and at least mostly free) energy, the wind turbines have a net positive effect on the crops where they stand. 

The still layer is stirred out. Heat leaves faster, moisture leaves faster, and gases exchange with the atmosphere faster in both directions.

A little science, yo!

A flow of air is good for the crops. So in the end we also get better yields. 

Why are people opposed to this? Are we that dumb?

https://www.ecoportal.net/en/farmers-let-200-wind-turbine-cornfield/30378/

Flocking cameras!

Technology has evolved to the point where cameras and data are all connected to provide surveillance literally everywhere.   We are, for all intents and purposes, a police state.  

The information is used for some legitimate purposes, but its also misused, too.  By organized groups, factions of government, and even what might be considered rogue police officers.

And there's not much we can do to stop this.  Sure, there are moves to limit the use of flock cameras, but the companies that run them are working to undo those limits and in some cases to simply re-brand as another name; make no mistake, they're still installing them just with a different logo.

Do you have any idea how many there are in your community?  Well, here are some tools to find out.  The first is information about how much is being spent and where they are located.  The second tracks the details of where they are installed.  You can also get a sense of how quickly the number of them is growing.

I live in a small town near Ft. Lauderdale.  5 years ago, we had zero cameras.  Today, we have 48!  The city and police tell us its for safety.  The city was relatively safe 5 years ago - and appears to be about the same today.  So please enlighten me on why this surveillance is needed?

 

https://mytownview.com/flock-cameras-near-me

https://maps.deflock.org/

Strange times

The mid-term election may still be more than a month away, but "the machine" is in full swing.  What I find strange, though, is that all of the things I see are from one point of view.  Yeah, I pretty much only see "stuff" from the MAGA-aligned groups and candidates.

This election feels different than others.  I don't know what to make of it exactly, and the question I have is *why* so many ads are essentially hating on one person, distorting the truth, and fear mongering.  

And then there's the matter of the FCC not allowing for a democratic candidate to be interviewed on network television, while allowing his opponent to go on unfettered and say whatever he wanted.  

Of course, you also have captain tangerine poopy pants offering $5,000 to every adult if his party retains the house.  I mean, he's promised money to Americans several times, and of course reneged every time.  Why should this be any different?  And let's not forget that its not up to him; congress must approve it and appropriate the funds.  And if you do the math, this would be nearly a TRILLION dollars removed from the treasury.  Meaning we move further into a deficit.  Couldn't that money be used for some other good?  And isn't the party (and him) *against* welfare?  I mean that's what this is, isn't it?

Sigh.  Here's to hoping people have indeed already made up their minds, and this election swings the pendulum back a little.  

But don't rest on that!  Remind people you know to check on their voting status and to make a plan to actually vote.  

Simon Weckert creates Digital Camouflage to avoid AI surveillance

Stylish (!!) and hides you from surveillance. That’s remarkable. 

https://www.dezeen.com/2026/08/25/digital-camouflage-shirt-ai-video-surveillance-simon-weckert/

Lambs grazing beneath an Oregon solar array gained weight at statistically similar rates despite 38 percent lower pasture production, as higher forage quality helped offset the smaller crop

Hmmmm. From an agriculture perspective, the pasture did better with the solar array, due to shade and other factors. 

Maybe we should use more of these arrays to provide a clean power source AND helps the environment, and by extension could help with food production. 

Just saying. 

https://spacedaily.com/b-lambs-grazing-under-an-oregon-solar-farm-had-38-percent-less-grass-in-front-of-them-than-lambs-in-the-open-field-alongside-and-they-put-on-the-same-weight-to-the-gram-because-shade-makes-a-pasture-g/

Bad Bunny Wins First Primetime Emmy for 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show

Suck it, people who hated the show. 

It was a beautiful, and heartfelt performance by an American citizen by birth … who speaks Spanish as his first language.  

https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/bad-bunny-wins-primetime-emmy-super-bowl-halftime-show-1236334994/

Texas Alzheimer’s patient who saw brain plaque disappear shares story in national campaign - YouTube

While I am encouraged by this news, I find it odd that it hasn’t gotten much attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87yKM-A0ua4

Even the organization that’s said to be using her story for national awareness isn’t quite doing that.  

https://www.brightfocus.org/home/hope-after-an-alzheimers-diagnosis-teri-and-gails-story-of-resilience/

The drug company isn’t saying that they have a cure, but are having encouraging results in early trials, with repeated treatments. Here’s a doctor summing it up: 

https://www.facebook.com/BrightFocusFoundation/videos/for-decades-alzheimers-disease-treatment-meant-managing-symptoms-thats-changing-/758293067241697/

Again, it’s a cautious note to look beyond the headline and understand the nature of the story itself. 

This El Niño Will Be Unlike Any in the Past Eight Decades - The Atlantic

This story is about the climate event called el niño. It is an area in the pacific that has a direct effect on the global weather. Understanding it is an important part of planning for the weather. It delves into some of the science behind what it tells us - and the reality is that our worth will be “worse” this year. 

But there’s a little subtext. While the US lags behind in climate science, the rest of the world is picking up the slack. 

The article is behind a paywall, but you can read it here. 

https://archive.is/2026.09.01-021630/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/2026/08/el-nino-effects/688429/

Luca McGill - Society for Science

Here’s a student who wanted to know more about CO2 emissions. Was there a higher concentration at different altitudes? Was it different in rural versus urban settings?

So he used a drone and a raspberry pi fitted with a detector to find out. 

I won’t spoil the results, but will tell you he learned something along the way. 

Curiosity and a little effort made for an interesting experiment that was well thought out and he did a good job of conducting it. 

https://www.societyforscience.org/jic/2025-student-finalists/luca-mcgill/