Up At The Ranch And Beyond

[Bluegreen]

Jupiter's Clouds in High Definition from Juno by Thomas Thomopoulos



http://apod.nasa.gov

How complex is Jupiter? NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter is finding the Jovian giant to be more complicated than expected. Jupiter's magnetic field has been discovered to be much different from our Earth's simple dipole field, showing several poles embedded in a complicated network more convoluted in the north than the south. Further, Juno's radio measurements show that Jupiter's atmosphere shows structure well below the upper cloud deck -- even hundreds of kilometers deep.

Jupiter's newfound complexity is evident also in southern clouds, as shown in the texture and color enhanced featured image taken in December 2025. There, planet-circling zones and belts that dominate near the equator decay into a complex miasma of continent-sized storm swirls. Juno continues in its looping elliptical orbit, swooping near the huge planet every month and exploring a slightly different sector each time around.

[Bluegreen]

UFO Lights Caught on Camera | Encounter UFO 107



Researchers, ufologists, and witnesses take a closer look at a surprising UFO hotspot: a small valley in Norway. Could the Earth's magnetic fields be drawing the visitors?

Published 10th January 2026 (11:52)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=419SJFLNtuw

[Bluegreen]

Unsettling Ways Aliens Could Understand the Universe | Daniel Whiteson

Do Aliens Speak Physics?





Mr Godier's guest, noted physicist Daniel Whiteson, talks about “my favorite subject – aliens”. The pair propose first contact happening under multiple and diverse scenarios.

Physicist Daniel Whiteson joins John Michael Godier to explore whether alien civilizations might perceive and understand the universe through entirely different physics—asking if math, logic, and even the laws of nature are truly universal or just human.

Published 30th October 2025 (1:25:37)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=a2CqnWdectE

[Bluegreen]

useless box after the fall of civilization



A useless box after the fall of civilization.

(1:00)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=CWVu-dKbzgA

[Bluegreen]

The Night Sky

Moon




January


http://earthsky.org

[Johnnycomelately]

Hey BG. The fable is not true, because fast and steady is what wins races.

But sometimes the tortoise can win, kind of by redefining “win” lol.

TIL that in Europe kids as young as 14 can drive basically golf carts on public roads with no papers. Speed governed “Quadricycle”. Bizarre.

Ligier JS50 historic performances at NÜRBURGRING

Ligier
7.04K subscribers

Apr 15, 2025

Ligier Group celebrates innovation, passion and performance with a never-before-realized project: to drive from Paris to the Nürburgring in the all-new Ligier JS50 REVO D+, and then to set
unprecedented lap times on the legendary German circuit in cars without a license.
A vibrant tribute to the brand’s sporting DNA.

Three Ligier JS50s took to the starting grid in front of the stunned crowd of motoring enthusiasts
present that day, sporting symbolic numbers that hinted at Ligier’s glorious history in Formula 1:

Ligier JS50 L6e REVO D+ : 28:25,814
Ligier JS50 L6e Electric : 27:55,580
Ligier JS50 L7e Electric : 19:53,367

To make this feat possible, the Ligier Group has given the three vehicles a unique preparation, combining style, sportiness and cutting-edge technology, under the ‘Ligier Ultimate Racing Experience’ label.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xnh1yGqOiUg

Vid is from here:

https://www.thedrive.com/news/a-new-...t-8-horsepower

Entire text:

A New Nurburgring Lap Record Was Set With Just 8 Horsepower.
Ex-Formula One constructor Ligier set a new record for the slowest Nurburgring lap with its JS50 diesel microcar.

STEPHEN EDELSTEIN
PUBLISHED JAN 10, 2026 12:00 PM EST

Setting a Nurburgring lap record that lasts isn’t easy. Records are made to be broken, and manufacturers are eager for the glory that comes with the fastest lap at the Green Hell for a given type of car. So French automaker Ligier went for a record no one else wanted to touch: the slowest lap around the ‘Ring.

Ligier had the perfect car for the job. The JS50 D+ is a microcar powered by a 0.5-liter diesel engine churning out 8 horsepower and 20 lb-ft of torque. It’s governed to a top speed of 28 mph, but that allows it to be sold in Europe as a quadricycle, meaning it can be driven without a license by people as young as 14. That puts it in the same category as the Fiat Topolino. It’s also efficient: French journalists Nicolas Meunier and Martin Coulomb managed 78 mpg (likely as measured by more lenient European standards, admittedly) on the drive from Paris to the track.

To help boost its chances, Ligier brought three versions of the JS50 to the Nurburgring. The D+ was joined by two electric versions, including one with a higher governed top speed of 47 mph (sacre bleu!), but the diesel was the “winner.” Its lap time of 28 minutes and 25.8 seconds was the slowest, beating the standard EV’s 27:55.6 time and the 19:53.4 of the JS50 Electric 75 KM/H (the name refers to its top speed in kph). Its name may invoke below-average performance, but the D+ demolished the previous record of 16:01, set by a Trabant in 1960.

All three cars ran on Nankang RC semi-slick tires, putting an asterisk on this otherwise impressive feat. It’s unclear if customers will be able to achieve the same level of slowness on the stock tires. Ligier didn’t release a full in-car video for verification either, opting for a dramatically scored sizzle reel, but that’s probably for the best.

Ligier is no stranger to on-track glory. It ran an F1 team from 1976 to 1996, winning a few grands prix here and there. It remains a major constructor of LMP2 chassis for sports car racing, and supplied the backbone for the Lamborghini SC63 LMDh prototype. The Lambo hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory, but it’s still a heckuva lot faster than the JS50.

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by Johnnycomelately (here)
TIL that in Europe kids as young as 14 can drive basically golf carts on public roads with no papers. Speed governed “Quadricycle”. Bizarre.

Thanks to a bit of a quirk in New York State laws, and a bit of a wrinkle in the roads and rivers going through my father's farm was I was young, I legally drove the family station wagon on (a short stretch of) a state highway when I was 9 or 10 years old. I drove more aggressively then than I do now ... those were the days!

[Johnnycomelately]

Haha, wow. Cool. Thanks.

My first motor vehicle was a moped, lent at a small dirt oval in either Italy or Spain, camping travelling in the summer late 60’s. I didn’t understand the thing, couldn’t find the brakes, and an adult jumped out and snagged me.

Same-ish but different, one time I picked up a hitchhiker when going into Toronto, major highway 401 iirc. Was tired on the end of a long drive, and asked if he wanted to drive. Soon he asks “How am I doing for my first time driving”. So then all that brief scariness made sense, and got fixed by a bit of driving instruction.

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)

Posted by Johnnycomelately (here)
TIL that in Europe kids as young as 14 can drive basically golf carts on public roads with no papers. Speed governed “Quadricycle”. Bizarre.

Thanks to a bit of a quirk in New York State laws, and a bit of a wrinkle in the roads and rivers going through my father's farm was I was young, I legally drove the family station wagon on (a short stretch of) a state highway when I was 9 or 10 years old. I drove more aggressively then than I do now ... those were the days!

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Bluegreen (here)
Unsettling Ways Aliens Could Understand the Universe | Daniel Whiteson

Do Aliens Speak Physics?

A fascinating piece of pure trivia I've often thought about — when tying my shoelaces.

Knots have to be a universal common factor in the physical universe. All these are probably used by ETs on their ropes (or laces!), which they surely must have, or must have had in their history.

[Johnnycomelately]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by Bluegreen (here)
Unsettling Ways Aliens Could Understand the Universe | Daniel Whiteson

Do Aliens Speak Physics?

A fascinating piece of pure trivia I've often thought about — when tying my shoelaces.

Knots have to be a universal common factor in the physical universe. All these are probably used by ETs on their ropes (or laces!), which they surely must have, or must have had in their history.

My fav knot has been the shoelace type of uncommitted overhand, leave a tail out, an easily releasable knot for tent lines.

[Johnnycomelately]

“Take flight, travel on the very air. Kiss the Hand of God if you want. But don’t fly too close to the Sun, like that Greek guy did, at least during daylight.” - me and professor Simpson.

This vid has only a minor ground loop incident of a Dyke Delta, and the BD-5 jet aborted its takeoff. No Icarus-level misjudgement and tradgedy here, but word does need to get out.

Hey check out that fat spawn of a (iirc) Quickie (Burt Rutan homebuilt design). Rutan’s original Quickie, and I think a later variant, were “conventional” gear, taildraggers. The front two wheels are mounted on either end of the front wing. This evolution uses a normal current standard tricycle gear. Solves a couple problems.

Me I’d make mine bigger, dozen friends and fuel to Vegas, once I get rich and famous enough. The double lifting wings, different than the normal layout where the tail feathers force downward, is more efficient, faster or uses less gas. I could get some turbofans and make me a bizjet. But I’d sweep the wings, more speed to get some CEOs onboard.

Homebuilt Aircraft Showcase - EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025

AirshowStuffVideos
382K subscribers

Jan 12, 2026

Various homebuilt aircraft are featured during the homebuilt showcase during the Tuesday airshow at EAA AirVenture 2025 in Oshkosh, WI.

The BD-5J Microjet aborted takeoff and did not fly. Later, the Dyke Delta suffered a ground loop on landing and sustained some damage but the pilot was uninjured.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=I39mtfLmj6A

[Bluegreen]

Living Things Literally Shine With Visible Light Until Death



Not only do our bodies emit heat as a light we can't see, a number of cellular reactions may generate photons of light in a visible part of the spectrum. Weirder still, this 'unearthly glow' stops when we die.

Published 23rd September 2025 (1:16)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=J205COcFU3U

Read more:
https://www.sciencealert.com/we-emit...ing-study-says

[Bluegreen]

Allison

[Bluegreen]

Chinese Taikonauts Hone Extreme Cave Survival Skills



Astronauts Simulate Deep Space With Deep Caves

A team of Chinese astronauts have successfully undergone a round of harsh training under a CAVES training program administered in a mountainous area of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, which has been the country's first such program similar to the Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behavior and performance Skills (CAVES) training organized by the European Space Agency (ESA).

(5:16) English subtitles

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Yo5mX7tMZLc

The Sailors

Astronaut, Cosmonaut and Taikonaut are all terms for the same thing, someone who travels into space. The common part of all three naut which comes from the Greek for sailor. The Americans, Canadian, Europeans and the Japanese use the term Astronaut meaning Star Sailor with the first part meaning star. Those three terms are the most commonly used/heard terms for those who travel into space.

Lesser known terms include Spationaut and Vyomanaut. Some Europeans use Spationaut, mainly the French to indicate an European astronaut. A Vyomanaut is used by some Indians for those who travel in the Indian Space Program.

Russia uses the term Cosmonaut, meaning Universe Sailor and the Chinese use the word Taikonaut meaning Space Sailor.

[Bluegreen]

Astronaut: NASA Basic Requirements





Being an astronaut is a tremendous commitment. Astronaut candidates — who tend to be selected in their 30s and 40s — usually leave prestigious careers for a chance at being an astronaut, starting again at the bottom of the rung. Training means long days at work and lots of travel. There's also no guarantee they'll make it into space.

While the public mostly pays attention to astronauts while they're in space, in reality the astronauts will spend only a fraction of their careers up high. Most of their time will be spent training and supporting other missions.

First, the astronaut candidates will have about two years of basic training, where they will learn survival training, language, technical skills and other things they need to be an astronaut. Upon graduating, new astronauts can be assigned to a space mission, or assigned to technical roles in the Astronaut Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.





Here's what it takes to be a NASA astronaut and what happens after the selection.

The agency's basic requirements are a bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science or mathematics, followed by three years of professional experience (or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft).

Candidates also must pass NASA's rigorous physical examination, as well as learn to speak Russian.

There are many other skills that can be an asset to selection, such as scuba diving, wilderness experience, leadership experience and facility with other languages (such as French, Spanish, and Russian, which all astronauts are required to learn today.)

The new astronauts may begin their careers traveling to the International Space Station, or they may find themselves flying farther. It all depends on where United States space policy goes in the coming years, and what programs NASA finds itself involved in.





While the astronaut candidates selected by NASA will be principally working with that agency, they also will find themselves embedded in a network of international partnerships. Along with commercial partners in the United States developing spaceflight hardware and the various NASA centers that work in human spaceflight, there are 16 nations participating in the International Space Station — each with its own realm of expertise.




https://www.space.com/37110-becoming...ing-facts.html

[Bluegreen]

Robot Smaller Than a Grain of Salt Can ‘Sense, Think, Act’





For decades scientists have dreamed of building a microrobot less than 1 millimeter in size, a barrier that corresponds to the smallest units of our biology.

For comparison, a human hair has a diameter of about 70 microns, while human cells are about 20 to 40 microns across.

Solving a technical challenge that has stymied science for 40 years, researchers have built a robot with an onboard computer, sensors and a motor, the whole assembly less than 1 millimeter in size — smaller than a grain of salt.

The feat, accomplished by a partnership of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan, advances medicine toward a future that might see tiny robots sent into the human body to rewire damaged nerves, deliver medicines to precise areas, and determine the health of a patient’s cells without surgery.

“It’s the first tiny robot to be able to sense, think and act,” said Marc Miskin, assistant professor of electrical and systems engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, and an author of a paper describing the work published this week in the journalScience Robotics.

The device, billed as the world’s smallest robot able to make decisions for itself, represents a major step toward a goal once rooted in science fiction.

In the 1960s, the story and movie “Fantastic Voyage” imagined a medical team placed aboard a submarine and shrunk to the size of a microbe. The microscopic medical crew was then injected into the body of a dying man in order to destroy an inoperable blood clot.

During the summer, the scientists invited a group of high school students to come in and test the new microrobots. The students were able to track the movements of the robots using a special low-cost microscope.

“They loved it,” said Miskin. “It was definitely a little bit challenging at first, just getting oriented to working with something that small. But that’s part of the appeal. Once they got the hang of it, they were all in.” Miskin said the version of the robot the students used cost only about $10.

Researchers are working now to develop the microrobot so that it can work in saltwater, on land and in other environments.




(Actual size: Insect wing: 3 microbots)


Published 17th December 2025 by Mark Johnson – WAPO/MSN
https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...olar-computer/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/ar-AA1Sd9xS
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adu8009

[Bluegreen]

Space Rock | WingMakers



WingMakers - Hakomi Project - Chamber 3 (P1+P2+P3) (HD)

(1:14:15)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=LuhnMdE5FDE