JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
Jo appreciates your support to help her keep doing what she does. This blog is funded by donations. Thanks!
Follow Jo's Tweets To report "lost" comments or defamatory and offensive remarks, email the moderators at: support.jonova AT proton.me
Statistics
Like Skylab: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-05-08/kosmos-482-tracking-data-soviet-venus-space-probe-atmosphere/105269940
Will these soon become an annual or more frequent event? – night skies v. full these days…
50
Under international space law, space debris is the property of the original launcher.
However the Soviet Union no longer exists.
The Venera probes were launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan (where Borat comes from and whose children have a higher level of educational achievement than Australia’s), now an independent country.
It poses an interesting legal question who owns any debris which lands.
150
David, sister and hubby recently returned from Kazakhstan. Their observations versus what people think about these far away places, where simply chalk and cheese.
Some points they mentioned.
1/ A muslim country that does NOT teach religion in schools. If parents want their kids educated in religion they do it at their own expense after school hours.
2/ This country is tolerant of other religious beliefs
3/ Crime is comparatively low.
4/ As geriatric travellers they did not feel unsafe or threatened at any time.
5/ It appears that there is also a very efficient public health system
All up they thought it a fascinating place, happy and courteous people, progressive in the old way, you know keen to improve all aspects of their lives and certainly very different to other “Stan” countries they had visited over the years.
190
Sambar,
looking at 80 to do https://www.tripadeal.com.au/deals/4416-best-of-the-stans
Best of The Stans 2025
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan & more
50
Interesting comment in the narrative. The exact time and place of reentry will be determined by the sun. Apparently a solar storm can cause earths atmosphere to “fluff. up” and therefore reach further into space affecting the the crafts speed.
Wow, who would have thunk that the sun could cause the whole of earths atmosphere to expand and in the space of a couple of days. This same sun couldn’t possibly affect our weather could it?
190
It all comes down to the point I keep making about the Left and that is that they have an Aristotlean world view, that is they believe in a static earth theory in which the world never changes.
It is incomprehensible to them that there could be variations in the climate or the world in general due to variations in solar activity from the sun, a variable star, Milankovich cycles, plate tectonics, cosmic ray variations leading to variations in cloud formation, volcanic activity, continental drift causing changes in ocean circulation (long term), meteorite impacts (rare) etc..
All these effects are well known and I remember learning about them in school, back in the day.
Now they call a hot day “catastrophic global warming” and panic.
Scientific ignorance is an appalling thing.
210
Waiting for updates.
Every Australian capital city seems to be threatened!
30
If the satellite still had communications AND propulsion…..
We could post addresses, like Spring St. The most popular, or needy wins.
AFAF
50
Jordan Peterson
Joe Rogan Experience episode #2308 @ 1:17:30
281
India shot down a Pakistani JF-17 fighter, as things continue to escalate. The pilot was killed.
India claims at least two have been shot down so far.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/operation-sindoor-pakistan-admits-india-shot-down-2-of-its-fighter-jets/articleshow/121004497.cms
80
And in news just at hand, the newly re-elected Australian government has agreed to purchase 172 of these latest and greatest, invincible aircraft. The government spokesman said that with their reported flying range and being based in central Oz, they were very unlikely to ever be shot down over India.
The spokesman confirmed that the funding for these stealthy craft will come from the treasury. Money will be printed as required to cover the cost. They should be delivered just after the last submarine arrives in 2123.
/s IF you hadn’t picked it.
200
Just to think that Pakistan makes it own fighter jets and sells them overseas, India has its own space rockets and satellites, and Australia can’t even build cars..
I expect we will fade into the background as a quarry that buys everything it needs from other countries.
50
Its getting serious, the have postponed the IPL Cricket tournament
00
(Bumped.)
Why do 7 out of 15 Greens in Federal Parliament have hyphenated surnames?
https://greens.org.au/mps
120
I treat anyone with a hyphenated surname with suspicion…they could be a Green. I think it was designed this way so we can spot them.
190
We know a girl who boasts that she lost her hyphen at 15.
Geoff S
40
They should texhnically include the indistinguishable “teal independents” on that list.
Now with Adam Badnt gone, someone like Sarah Hanson young might become leader. Someone that unhinged will surely deimate the party vote, like Kamala harris dedimated the democrat vote.
160
I don’t understand how the Teals are allowed to keep calling themselves “independents” and thus exempt from laws governing political parties, including funding disclosure, when they are obviously a party with the same branding and beliefs etc..
240
It would seem that the Australian electoral rules are deeply susceptible to pettifogging by those high falutin’ operators who can afford the advice; o tempora o mores!
60
Let’s hope Sarah gets the nod.
10
They all should be called Dunning-Kruger.
90
What’s wrong with “Sea Food Sarah” or is that “Sea Patrol Sarah”. Hope she wins the Leadership role, it should condemn the greens to irrelevance for decades!
151
It’s all, simply pasturing . .
30
“7 out of 15 Greens in Federal Parliament have hyphenated surnames”
Parents weren’t married.. Explains a lot about them!
40
Probably because they are generally the sort of people who would think a lady taking a man’s name on marriage is a hideous outdated sexist tradition.
130
So they keep their father’s name but not take their husband’s? Yet to see the three surname child though.
130
Yes, I was very concerned for years what will happen the progeny of parents with 2 surnames each. Would they take a quadruple surname?
Also, is Hanson Young one and the same person as Young Hanson ?
It is a fact that white, middle-age men always put themselves in front of promising ladies, the glass ceiling must be broken !
40
h p, the three surname is old school, long gone, ie. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha whatever they were, which was modernised simplified Anglofied down to the one Family™️ brand, ‘Windsor’, plucked from the name for one of their castles of the realm.
Yesterday the other Family selected their 267th king, Pope Bob, an American from southside Chicago who has a BS in maths and reputedly is a Master of Divinity – whatever they are.
2025 and now we have Bob the Vicar of Christ? Who said Italy lost the war…
20
Pope Bob is not an all encompassing name. A change to Pope Billy – Bob would be more in keeping & the additional hyphenated name would fit in with today’s trends!
😇😇
10
I once knew a female who in a fit of anti-male psychosis changed her name to her mothers maiden name, all good for a while until someone reminded her it was her maternal grandfathers name.
131
Gotcha!
40
Yep, LOL.
10
FWIW
“How media often gets it wrong on livestock emissions”
https://www.beefcentral.com/news/how-media-often-gets-it-wrong-on-livestock-emissions/
80
Two points of interest on Methane and livestock:
1. I believe that the amount of methane from livestock is calculated not by estimating the numbers of livestock, but by the acreage that COULD support livestock grazing. Is this correct? If yes, surely this would always result in an over-estimation, as not all grazing land is used.
2. If the grazing land grass is not eaten by livestock, then surely it would eventually decompose, still emitting methane.
120
And termites are said to emit more methane than grazing animals.
Also, there is a greatly “estimated” belief that methane is much more a Greenhouse gas than actual.
110
The problems with methane.
Methane, bloody methane, the alleged green house gas that, well, refuses to do as it’s told. Livestock eat grass and produce methane. Termites eat grasses and timber etc and produce methane. So eliminate these pesky critters and lo and behold the grasses and woods etc are decayed by anaerobic bacteria to produce METHANE.
its a problem alright, lets kill off all bacteria, that will fix it. Oh wait don’t we need some of this “good” bacteria to survive? Curse those other humans, they produce methane!
150
FWIW
“US STATE DEPARTMENT CALLS OUT AUSTRALIA FOR ONLINE CENSORSHIP”
https://richardsonpost.com/staff-writer-cauldron-pool/39538/us-state-department-calls-out-australia-for-online-censorship/
70
Only the start…
“I’m Australian, but live in Iceland: a country that already has an all-encompassing digital ID system…In Iceland, the digital ID system is linked to each person’s kennitala, or social security number. I sign into everything with my electronic ID (rafræn skilríki) via my phone. Any time I access my bank account, phone services, accounting, tax, insurance, credit score, manage my assets (car/house), power bill, medical record, when I vote, or even want to pull up a store receipt of something I’ve bought, it’s all linked to my digital ID.
You cannot NOT have a digital ID to live in Iceland. It’s impossible. You can’t get power turned on, get a phone number, buy or register a car, rent or buy a house, or even buy certain items without having a kennitala or digital ID. You need one…there is no privacy at all in Iceland. The Icelandic government and tax office has access to my bank accounts and knows every transaction I make, what I spend, and what I earn. They don’t need a warrant, or anything else to access it—it’s theirs. They just need probable cause to look at it…”
A comment from last year’s article about ‘South Australia is moving to ban social media for children under the age of 14, as parents and legislators grow increasingly alarmed about the pernicious effects of digital platforms on the development of children.’
https://richardsonpost.com/davidhiscox/36023/south-australia-to-ban-social-media-just-in-time-for-wwiii/
Lets see how they go with banning cash to force everyone to have a transparent financial record. I figure that will affect some people with power in a political party run by unions.
90
FWIW – a caustic look at the medical/legal system in USA
“What Is This C a r p?
Opens with
“Oh, children have the right to direct their own health care — but force their parents to pay for it, including the harms from it?”
And much more
https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=253246
20
Jacinta Price is a member of the Country Liberal Party, so what is the problem with her sitting with the Liberals in parliament, a load of waffle is going around that she has ‘defected’, plus she won her seat three years ago thus didn’t have to stand for pre-election this time around, her time comes in 2028.
120
Ronin, I did see that whining woman Bridget McKenzie whingeing about Jacinta’s “defection” last night. They should be happy they have converted someone with talent and ability and will be a leader in due course. Petty fools are the Libs. No wonder they got trounced………..
100
The senate positions for the NT are only a three year term. Unlike the States which are six year. So she was up for election at this ballot.
Yes, she is a Country Liberal Party member who had sat with Nationals. Country Liberal Party members can typically choose which party room they belong to. But either way they are in the coalition so there’s no real switching sides or defecting because she’s still embedded in the same group of opposition or government.
I think the issue for the Nationals is that they supported her campaign, which includes dollars. There may also be certain power triggers in terms of numbers of each party.
50
The Senate in the U.S. is (well, sort of anyway) similar to here in Oz.
The election Cycle in the U.S. is every two years, and here in Oz, (ostensibly) every three years.
In the U.S. Senators come up for re-election every third cycle, (one third of all Senators every two year cycle) so they effectively get six year terms.
Here in Oz, half Senate election every three years, so they get six year terms, same as for U.S. Senators.
Tony.
60
Gates Foundation open office in Singapore
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/gates-foundation-to-open-office-in-singapore
31
Another magnificent coincidence. He is a very dangerous individual……
60
Singapore goes full medical tyranny
https://cairnsnews.org/2025/05/08/singapores-descent-into-medical-tyranny-jab-or-jail/
30
Would not have expected that from the Singaporean government.
Times change.
10
Its always been very regulated, it had economic freedom but was regulated socially. The riots of the locals against the Chinese running everything didn’t help either.
Do we need more Govt force as population density increases and there is nowhere to escape the neighbours that you hate with a passion?
20
Not what I expected of Singapore.
And then, I see another article that says the he, BG, has just got a foot in there.
Suspect that Lee Kuan Yew would be turning in his grave.
10
If you want to hear what Labor and the Left in general REALLY want to do now the election is over and they have a mandate to do whatever they please, you can find our at:
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/the-economy-stupid/the-economy-stupid-what-albanese-could-do-now/105192584
It’s sickening!
20
Over the past 15 years we have experienced what its like living through a Gleissberg Minimum, now the world is really going to heat up.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/05/08/the-suns-little-known-100-year-gleissberg-cycle-is-waking-up/
11
That’s not good. The climate alarmists will blame anthropogenic causes and demand even more extreme measures especially as the Official Narrative says that there are no solar or other influences, apart from man, on the climate.
60
Exactly, but then we’ll say Antartica is cooling and sea ice is increasing for no apparent reason.
https://notrickszone.com/2025/05/09/new-study-43-years-of-an-increasing-antarctic-sea-ice-trend/
11
The other thing, according to NASA two-thirds of sea level rise in 2024 was from thermal expansion. A good talking point at a family gathering.
20
Optometrist prices exposed as rip-off, online glasses revolution takes hold
Consumers are waking up to the massive price gap between optometrist offices and online retailers. Instead of paying $400 for a new pair, shoppers are finding high-quality prescription glasses for as little as $29 from reputable online manufacturers. The only requirement is a printout of your prescription, which any optometrist is legally required to provide upon request.
https://citizenwatchreport.com/optometrist-prices-exposed-as-rip-off-online-glasses-revolution-takes-hold/
Sooooo many industries are the same, 200/300/400/500% markups for Chinesium.
But at least if you join their “club” you get a reduced ripoff price.😆
90
Many years ago, to my deep regret, I saw a colleague “bought a business” in a remote country town.
We were making very reasonable money on equipment maintenance at mines and the like, understandably some move upwards was desired.
But the franchise he put his savings in was Blockbuster.
As you call a ship so it will sail…
10
Friday wtf: a flowering insect
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_svxdxnEFqj1z23obp.mp4
!!!
00
Checked, and it appears that there are many fake videos of “flowering” insects being generated. Seems that we have to check these types of “strange” videos now.
10
Who’d be a miner
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_svvmnrL7eC1z23obp.mp4
Someone give them solar!
00
It very Green & environmentally-friendly, almost sustainable! It should be encouraged for every Green supporter, they can practice their pronouns with each other..
People should think of this when they say we must bring manufacturing back to Australia! That is our competition!
10
Friday funny: the failure of Trumpet of patriots
https://youtu.be/c0IZrMLEfN0?si=Gk95YRjFNzMFhLY7
Back to robotic dinosaurs? 😆
00
Figure many here also eschew television – a delightful series from when the BBC made great TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx2V-rerX7c&list=PLcOKn2Ebnf7m-rdy2_GTmJ6zVpsfN0F08
10
Australian Museum website:
02
No more pronouns, no more climate change obsession, no more emergency vaccine mandates, no more dudes in dresses.
The Pentagon will immediately begin moving as many as 1,000 openly identifying transgender service members out of the military and give others 30 days to self-identify under a new directive issued Thursday.
https://rumble.com/v6t1e1r-defense-sec-pete-hegseth-no-more-dudes-in-dresses-were-done-with-that-sh#t.html
Replace the # with you-know-what letter.😉
30
JC II
Put an * in there instead of the # and it will search OK and probably not get moderated. At least this used to work with the “clusterf* nation site”.
The post will tell
00
FWIW – worth watching IMO
“Where’s the Beef? It’s in Trump’s Unprecedented Trade Deal With Britain”
“The announcement allows the sale of U.S. beef into the U.K. for the first time in decades”
https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2025/05/08/wheres-the-beef-its-in-trumps-trade-deal-with-britain-n4939594
20
https://sanityunleashed.substack.com/p/german-manufacturers-products-contaminated
It is hard to believe that any products could become contaminated in this way in a company with any proper manufacturing control system, let alone such a wide range.
10
https://biologyphenom.substack.com/p/newscottish-covid-19-inquiry2-may
‘‘We had a service with a piper and you were were’nt allowed wind instruments in the crematoria and he just waited till the service started and said ‘‘you will not tell me i will not pipe at this funeral’’ and came in and piped at the funeral and people clapped.’’
‘‘It was difficult to police the public. I remember on one occasion after the funeral service was finished…they left without shaking hands, as they were asked to do and they all went to the car park where they started to immediately embrace one another.’’
Pipers and Huggers – some true heroes of the Covid pandemonium
20
https://doorlesscarp953.substack.com/p/just-say-dmso
Dimethylsulfoxide
(DMSO)
The smelly solvent that may have a variety of medical uses
It’s just a smelly solvent, isn’t it?
Yes, and no. It is a good solvent which is frequently used for reactions involving salts, especially nucleophilic substitutions. But it has the unusual property that it can pass through membranes and rubber gloves quite easily, and penetrate the skin. After contact with it on the skin, some people find that DMSO is secreted out onto the surface of the tongue causing a garlic-like taste in the mouth, and garlic breath!
…
You can buy a half-litre of the stuff, at pharmaceutical grade, for around $35
….Another problem with clinical testing is that its main side-effect, garlic-smelling breath, makes double-blind experiments difficult, because the patients (and doctors) can always tell who had been given DMSO and who had the placebo!
00
FWIW – more trouble for Miliband’s domino wall
“Drax Pull Cruachan 2, In Another Blow To Mad Miliband’s Net Zero Plans”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/05/09/drax-pull-cruachan-2-in-another-blow-to-mad-milibands-net-zero-plans/
10
Some reading for “ElBowen” in comments there (IMO)
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/05/09/drax-pull-cruachan-2-in-another-blow-to-mad-milibands-net-zero-plans/#comment-4070536
Which will likely be missed in the current euphoria
10