Up At The Ranch And Beyond

[Bluegreen]

Nikon Small World Photo Contest 2025




German photographer and chemist Jan Rosenboom photographed hundreds of algae cells moving through a single water droplet. He used a 50-year-old microscope that he purchased at age 14 and LED lights to capture the image.




Anatomist Igor Siwanowicz captured a vibrant cross-section of fern spores.

Spores are reproductive vessels like seeds, dispersed by wind or small animals. This photo, lit up by fluorescent lasers in a confocal microscope, showcases three podlike structures, known as sporangia, where spores are housed and developed.




Stella Whittaker, who took this photo as a biophysicist at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Md., studies the structure of sensory neurons. The wispy, rootlike arms help humans sense what is around them, she says. 

The stunning photo highlights the swirling branches of sensory neurons, which can be found in the arms, legs and spine.




Most people put sunflowers in water. But Marek Miś, a photographer and longtime nature lover based in Poland, couldn’t resist sticking slices of their bristly tissue under his microscope. 

These skeletal protrusions are trichomes, tiny hairlike structures that help protect sunflowers against invaders.




A staged snapshot of a rice weevil spreading its wings on a grain of rice won first place in the 2025 Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. Zhang You, a member of the Entomological Society of China, serendipitously stumbled upon the insect while cleaning his house.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/...o-contest-2025

[Bluegreen]

10 Moments People Were Saved Seconds From Disaster



Rescue mission successful.

(19:27)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=wd5O78hwTDs

[Bluegreen]

China Sends Youngest Astronaut to Space




A crew of three Chinese astronauts, including the country's youngest-ever, docked early Saturday at the Tiangong (“Heavenly Palace”) space station, accompanied by four lab mice. The Shenzhou-21 spaceship docked at 3:22 am (1922 GMT Friday), China's state news agency Xinhua reported.

The Tiangong space station -- crewed by teams of three astronauts that are exchanged every six months -- is the crown jewel of China's space programme, into which billions of dollars have been poured in a bid to catch up with the United States and Russia. China has bold plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by the end of the decade and eventually to build a base on the lunar surface.

Mission commander and veteran space pilot Zhang Lu is accompanied by 32-year-old flight engineer Wu Fei, China's youngest astronaut to undertake a space mission, and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang, 39. The three astronauts waved goodbye to colleagues and family members at the remote launch base in the Gobi Desert as a band played a patriotic song.

Zhang Lu told reporters on Thursday he was confident his team would "report back to our motherland and its people with complete success".

Space first-timer Wu told a news conference Thursday that he felt "incomparably lucky".

Four mice -- two male and two female -- join them as the subjects of China's first in-orbit experiments on rodents.

Published 31st October 2025 – Space Daily
https://www.spacedaily.com/afp/25103....tdnrxy1x.html

Update

Stranded Chinese astronauts finally escape station… but at a cost

Three astronauts who were stranded in space for over a week have returned to Earth – but their escape plan has left a new group of explorers without a way to get home.

Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie were trapped on the Chinese station Tiangong for nine days after an unknown object damaged their spacecraft so severely that it was deemed unsafe to fly in.

The astronauts from the Shenzhou–20 mission were seen landing safely in the Gobi Desert in northern China early Friday morning after their six–month mission on board the space station.

When the crew discovered cracks in the window of their Shenzhou–20 capsule, officials decided to bring the three men home in the Shenzhou–21 space capsule instead – the craft which carried their replacements to the station on October 31.

However, that decision has now left the crew of Shenzhou–21, astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang, without a vessel to return to Earth in case of another space emergency.

Published 14th November 2025 by Chris Melore – Dailymail
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...bdd12c27&ei=83

**

Welcome home

[Bluegreen]

#cgi/ai

The Del Rio UFO Crash // 3D CGI Animation



Another “labor of love' from creator Robert Jacobs.

On May 6, 1955, a routine Air Force training flight over Texas turned into one of the most mysterious UFO incidents of the Cold War. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Willingham witnessed a fast-moving object on radar, pursued it, and watched it crash just across the Mexican border. What followed was a secretive recovery, a fragment that defied analysis, and a letter that arrived years later — unsigned, but unforgettable.

(21:07)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=zYv4TdVy1Rg

Space Age Retro-Futurism | 1950s Sci-Fi Musical Film w/ Big Band AI Jazz



Echoing Mark (Star Mariner)'s earlier sentiment: I'm embarrassed to say I can't tell the difference between real jazz and fake.

(1:28:26)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=LmUSK1IjoQg

[Bluegreen]

Message In A Bottle

Century-old messages in bottle penned by WWI soldiers washes up on remote Australian beach





Two messages in a bottle written by World War I soldiers more than a century ago washed up on a remote Australian beach, according to a report.

Debra Brown and her daughter Felicity discovered two letters, dating back to 1916, rolled inside a glass bottle in the dunes of Wharton Beach. The first letter written in pencil by South Australian soldier Malcolm Alexander Neville to his mother was signed off “somewhere at sea.”

Neville had been aboard the HMAS Ballarat ship, which set sail on Aug. 12 from Adelaide, just three days before he wrote the letter, records showed. He told his mother that the food at sea was “really good,” except for one meal that was “buried at sea,” without elaborating further.

“[The Ballarat] is Heaving and Balling, but we are happy as Larry. Your loving Son, Malcolm,” the soldier wrote.

He was killed in battle in France in April 1917 when he was 28 years old.

Brown discovered a second letter written by Private William Kirk Harley after allowing the water-logged papers to dry. The letter penned by Harley said the soldiers were “somewhere in the Bight.”

He survived the war and went on to have children.

Brown plans to mail the letters back to the soldier’s relatives. She has since been able to connect with Neville’s great-nephew online and Harley’s granddaughters.

“It’s absolutely wonderful,” she said.

“We get to keep the bottle, and Malcolm’s cover letter that was addressed to the finder.”




Published 28th October 2025 by Zoe Hussain – NY Post
https://nypost.com/2025/10/28/world-...tralian-beach/

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mkXFQr0t1yE

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Bluegreen (here)
Stranded Chinese astronauts finally escape station… but at a cost

Three astronauts who were stranded in space for over a week have returned to Earth – but their escape plan has left a new group of explorers without a way to get home.

Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie were trapped on the Chinese station Tiangong for nine days after an unknown object damaged their spacecraft so severely that it was deemed unsafe to fly in.

The astronauts from the Shenzhou–20 mission were seen landing safely in the Gobi Desert in northern China early Friday morning after their six–month mission on board the space station.

When the crew discovered cracks in the window of their Shenzhou–20 capsule, officials decided to bring the three men home in the Shenzhou–21 space capsule instead – the craft which carried their replacements to the station on October 31.

They clearly never saw Matt Damon in The Martian.

(Duct tape would have fixed it )

[Bluegreen]

The Times Astronauts Were Saved By Duct Tape





Normally, duct tape is the miracle material to fix nearly any mishap. However, the substance is not merely Earth-bound. NASA surprisingly swears by the capabilities of duct tape as well, as it has made its way into critical mission fixes for many years of space exploration. There is presently a supply on the ISS.

The first tape repair was conducted Dec. 11, 1972 with astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt. Their lunar module, Challenger, just landed in a mountain-ringed valley named Taurus-Littrow bordering the edge of the Sea of Serenity.

Moon Buggy Repair

Schmitt: “Batteries look good. Oh, man! Look at that rock out there!”

Curious about an unusual rock lurking in the distance, the team began to quickly unload and pack equipment into the moon buggy.

Cernan: “Oh, you won’t believe it. There goes a fender.”

Schmitt: “Oh, shoot!”

Cernan: “And I hate to say it, but I’m going to have to take some time to try … to get that fender back on. Jack, is the tape under my seat, do you remember?” (He’s referring to a roll of ordinary, gray duct tape.)

Schmitt: “Yes.”

Cernan: “Okay. I can’t say I’m very adept at putting fenders back on. But I sure don’t want to start without it. I’m just going to put a couple of pieces of good old-fashioned American gray tape on it … (and) see whether we can’t make sure it stays.”

Fortunately, despite the massive gloves, Cernan was able to unroll and tear off the pieces of tape required. However, the moondust caused the first attempt to fail.

Cernan: “… good old-fashioned gray tape doesn’t want to stick very well.”

Following a successful second attempt, Cernan reported his DIY tape fix was finished.

“I am done! If that fender stays on … I’d like some sort of (mending) award.”





Shoe Repairs

The tape has also been used as a secondary foot-latching mechanism to keep astronauts grounded to the craft, making navigation easier. While the shoes feature cleats, not all areas had easily accessible locks to latch the astronauts in place. The obvious solution? Use the sticky side of duct tape to hold them in place.





Defective Alarm Systems

Fixing and Modifying Tools

Before NASA implemented their 3D printer in space, tools had to be repaired or fabricated completely using what was available.

Fixing Pipes to Fit in Places They Don’t Belong

All-Purpose Fastener

Surely an Earthly practice.




Duct tape used to secure hoses in place, bi-passing barrels.

Published 4th July 2025 by Hüseyin KILIÇ – Interesting Engineering
https://interestingengineering.com/i...aved-duct-tape

[Bluegreen]

The Night Sky

Monday, Nov. 17 - Leonids meteor shower peak



The annual Leonids Meteor shower, derived from material left by repeated passages of periodic Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, is active from Nov. 6 to Nov.30. The peak of the shower, when up to 15 meteors per hour can be seen — many with persistent trains — occurs while Earth is traversing the densest part of the comet's debris field. This year it is predicted to be on Monday afternoon, Nov. 17, in the Americas. Early mornings are best.


Thursday, Nov. 20 - New Moon



The moon will reach its new phase on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 1:47 a.m. EST or 06:47 GMT, which converts to Wednesday at 10:47 p.m. PST. At its new phase, our natural satellite will be located in eastern Libra and 5 degrees south of the Sun. While new, the moon is traveling between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight can only reach the far side of the moon, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the Sun, the moon becomes unobservable from anywhere on Earth for about a day (except during a solar eclipse). On the evenings following the new moon phase, our planet's partner will return to shine in the western sky after sunset.


Friday, Nov. 21 - Uranus at opposition (all night)



On Friday, Nov. 21, Uranus will reach opposition, the night of the year when it is closest to Earth. On the evenings around opposition, Uranus will be at a distance of 1.73 billion miles, 2.77 billion km, or 154 light-minutes, and will shine at a peak brightness of magnitude 5.6 as it crosses the sky all night long, making it readily visible in binoculars and backyard telescopes, especially with the new moon.

[Johnnycomelately]

Here’s some crazy history, reported by a legit historian, Lance Geiger the history guy.

Maybe was fake, but the records are convoluted and Lance can’t tell and I can’t tell if these reports are true. 1896 and 1897 were strange years.

1896: Mysterious Airships

The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered

1.6M subscribers

Nov 17, 2025

Before Roswell and the term "Unidentified Flying Object,” there was a spate of sightings of mysterious lights and strange ships that created a national obsession, and left behind conflicting evidence, sensational conspiracy theories, and maybe even an enduring mystery.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=nThHfFdS8b4

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Johnnycomelately (here)
Here’s some crazy history, reported by a legit historian, Lance Geiger the history guy.

Maybe was fake, but the records are convoluted and Lance can’t tell and I can’t tell if these reports are true. 1896 and 1897 were strange years.

It doesn't seem fake at all. Here's Walter Bosley at the 2015 Secret Space Program Conference on exactly this: (also see the Avalon Thread titled Secret Space Program Conference 2015)

Walter Bosley - Origins - The Emergence of the Breakaway Civilization

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=SmwKh2gnzxs

[Ivanhoe]

HOORAY FOR DUCT TAPE!
I have two must have tools I keep in my ol' truck,... a 3 lbs. hammer and a roll of duct tape.

[Bluegreen]

When all else fails ...

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

[Bluegreen]

Thx Bill. A lot I didn't know from Walter, amazing history lesson. Starts @ 4:30 with Jay Dyer. I actually liked the music beforehand.

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by Johnnycomelately (here)
Here’s some crazy history, reported by a legit historian, Lance Geiger the history guy.

Maybe was fake, but the records are convoluted and Lance can’t tell and I can’t tell if these reports are true. 1896 and 1897 were strange years.

It doesn't seem fake at all. Here's Walter Bosley at the 2015 Secret Space Program Conference on exactly this: (also see the Avalon Thread titled Secret Space Program Conference 2015)

Walter Bosley - Origins - The Emergence of the Breakaway Civilization

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=SmwKh2gnzxs

[Bluegreen]

Global rise in ultra-processed foods poses major public health threat, experts warn





The increase of UPFs (ultra processed foods) in diets worldwide and increasingly in the East, presents an urgent challenge to health that demands coordinated policies and advocacy action to address, says a new three-paper Series authored by 43 global experts and published in The Lancet. The Series exposes the tactics UPF companies use to drive consumption and prevent effective policy. It outlines a roadmap for change towards impactful government regulation, community mobilization, and accessible and affordable healthier diets.

Professor Carlos Monteiro, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, says, "The growing consumption of ultra-processed foods is reshaping diets worldwide, displacing fresh and minimally processed foods and meals. This change in what people eat is fueled by powerful global corporations who generate huge profits by prioritizing ultra-processed products, supported by extensive marketing and political lobbying to stop effective public health policies to support healthy eating."

Professor Camila Corvalan, University of Chile, Chile, adds, "Addressing this challenge requires governments to step up and introduce bold, coordinated policy action—from including markers of UPFs in front-of-package labels to restricting marketing and implementing taxes on these products to fund greater access to affordable, nutritious foods."

Dr. Phillip Baker, University of Sydney, Australia, adds, "We need a strong global public health response—like coordinated efforts to challenge the tobacco industry. Including safeguarding policy spaces from political lobbying and building powerful coalitions to advocate for healthy, fair and sustainable food systems and stand-up to corporate power."

UPFs, as defined by the Nova classification, are novel branded products made from inexpensive industrial ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, protein isolates or glucose/fructose syrup, and cosmetic food additives (e.g. dyes, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers). They are designed and marketed to displace fresh and minimally processed foods and traditional meals, while maximizing corporate profits.




Full article published 18th November 2025 by Sadie Harley – Lancet/MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-...ses-major.html

[Bluegreen]

The Euclid Space Telescope Observed 1.2 Million Galaxies in Just 1 Year

Here's what we've learned





After only one year of operations, the European Space Agency's Euclid mission has begun to unravel the mystery of why galaxies take on different shapes and how these different shapes relate to each other. Answering this question involves tracking how galaxies and their central supermassive black holes grow together over time.

Having only launched in July of 2023, the Euclid space telescope has used its extraordinary field of view to observe a staggering 1.2 million galaxies. These galactic subjects are cataloged in the spacecraft's first data release, which dropped in March of 2025. It is estimated that, by the end of its 6-year primary mission, Euclid will have studied tens of millions of galaxies. It is therefore little wonder that astronomers are expecting it to make major waves in our understanding of how galaxies evolve.

"Euclid offers an unprecedented combination of sharpness and sky coverage — it will map the entire extragalactic sky," Maximilian Fabricius, scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), said in a statement. "For the first time, we can systematically study how the shapes and central structures of galaxies relate to their formation history on truly cosmic scales."

Scientists are aware that the distinct morphology of galaxies, ranging from vast spirals like the Milky Way to featureless ellipticals like Messier 87, results from the course of their evolution. Euclid data has been used to create a "galactic tuning fork" diagram that shows blue star-forming galaxies on the right, moving to the left as they grow and exhaust their star-birthing gas and dust, merge with other galaxies, and eventually form vast elliptical galaxies.

Full article published 18th November 2025 by Robert Lea – Space.com
https://www.space.com/astronomy/the-...t-weve-learned

[Bluegreen]

. . .

200 Actors Real Names

Jesus said (paraphrasing): "The truth comes out."

(13:55)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=V6gu0PX8xYM

[Johnnycomelately]

Posted by Ivanhoe (here)
HOORAY FOR DUCT TAPE!
I have two must have tools I keep in my ol' truck,... a 3 lbs. hammer and a roll of duct tape.

I understand that when all one has is a 3# hammer, then everything looks like an old truck that needs adjusting. Duct tape, on the other hand, works on anything. Apollo 13 went to the moon with that.

Red and green are fundamentally different vibes. Stop and go, communism and pearl-clutching misinformed environmentalists, healthy blood and sickly puke. But duct tape can bind them in a way that only speed-tape/100-mph-tape/Gorilla-tape©️ can improve on. Hehe. L = 1:31:33

Red Green TV show episodes informed my youth. Just found this feature length film, haven’t watched it yet, can’t say it’s as good. All I know is, if the women can’t find me handsome, at least I’ll be looking handy. 😎

Red Green's Duct Tape Forever (Full Movie) | The Red Green Show 🎬

RedGreenTV

510K subscribers

Apr 12, 2025

Premiering for the first time on YouTube on the launch date anniversary April 12, 2002. Red Green's Duct Tape Forever - the movie.

The Possum Lodge is in trouble! When their beloved lodge faces demolition, Red Green and the gang embark on an outrageous cross-country adventure to win a duct tape sculpture contest and save the day—because if the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!

Watch as Red, Harold, and the Possum Lodge crew hatch the stickiest plan ever in this full-length feature film from The Red Green Show. Packed with classic humor, DIY disasters, and plenty of duct tape, this is one hilarious ride

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=l6wq2aQiYDE

[Bluegreen]

The Sun & The Moon

Sun news: New sunspot region comes out swinging


A B

C D


A - November 18-19, 2025. An as-yet-numbered active region just over the eastern horizon released an almost-M flare (a C9.9) this morning.

B - November 18-19, 2025. The GOES-19 SUVI instrument captured the near M-class eruption over the eastern limb, showing the ejecta heading into space.

C - November 18-19, 2025. The GOES-19 CORR1 coronagraph, designed to show the sun’s wispy outer atmosphere, captured a rare view of the near-new moon this morning. We can’t see the moon from Earth during this phase, as its unlit side faces us in the daytime sky. But the coronagraph is so sensitive to light that the near-new moon appears full, even though the side we’re seeing is actually only being lit by earthshine.

D - This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 2 UTC on November 19, 2025, as seen from Learmonth Solar Observatory in Australia. Why are east and west on the sun reversed?


The Moon & Friends




Published 19th November 2025 by C. Alex Young, Raúl Cortés, Armando Caussade – EarthSky.org
https://earthsky.org/sun/sun-news-ac...urora-updates/

[Bluegreen]

Jetson ONE





Let the Jetson Air Games begin

For the first time ever, Jetson executed a 4-ship formation flight, followed by a high-speed pylon race, culminating in a solo aerial display by Jetson Co-Founder and CTO Tomasz Patan.


Published 13th October 2025 (3:10)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ysE8FMhAPH0

[Bluegreen]

15 Natural Substances More Valuable Than Gold

Throughout history, gold has symbolized wealth, stability, and power — but in the modern world, it’s no longer the ultimate measure of value. Scientists, investors, and industries now pursue other natural substances that make gold look almost cheap by comparison. Some are essential to advanced technology, others are created in the hearts of stars or found in places so rare they defy imagination. These are 15 natural substances more valuable than gold — materials so scarce, useful, or extraordinary that they’ve redefined what “precious” really means.

Published 29th October 2025 (39:46)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=cKj7WBb6T8E