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
Read on:
https://escapekey.substack.com/
100
Pope Leo goes green
https://dailysceptic.org/2025/07/17/worlds-poor-in-for-hard-time-as-pope-leo-backs-green-agenda-and-net-zero/
60
It was baked in or he would not have been elected. See today’s post 1.
90
I think the last pope has probably gone green by now.
Too soon?
110
Renewables ARE cheaper than fossil fuel power. Provided you are a BBC adjudicator who knows nothing about how the prices are calculated
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2025/07/18/up-is-down-and-renewables-are-cheaper-its-jackanory-time-at-the-bbc/
Renewables must be truly remarkable products if they are cheaper bearing in mind they only work when the weather gods are smiling. In the UK ,Solar has 10% efficiency, On shore wind 22% and off shore 33%.
We have obviously misjudged their mighty energy generating ability if they can operate at such low efficiency, such low energy density, so infrequently and still be cheaper than conventional power sources..
180
I’m confident that math skills and general political decision making in the UK will improve now that 16 year olds can vote.
221
Imagine waking up every morning for a year and the first thing you do is set fire to a £50 note.
Buy a relatively midrange EV and that’s what your doing.
“Industry experts are already warning that Labour’s electric car grant will be a drain on taxpayers and will lead to huge numbers of EV’s rapidly losing 40% of their value in just one year.”
https://x.com/NetZeroWatch/status/1946215021530304777
90
EV drivers freeload on the rest of us. No wonder Ev’s are said to be cheap to run what with grants to buy,, cheap road tax and no fuel tax equivalent that costs the average ICE driver about £1500 a year.
Why should they use our road infrastructure without paying towards them?
171
Now the EVs have started coming back off leases and the high levels of depreciation are being realized, the leasing companies are struggling. Apparantly they are offering lease extensions to kick the can down the road, ratcheting up lease costs to account for depreciation and bleating to the government to support the second hand EV market also.
80
Excellent! That falls into my plan to buy a few EVs dirt cheap, chop the battery/chassis off them and put them in a garden-shed on the back lawn to act as house batteries for when I get solar! Off-grid will be the only way to go soon.
The Tesla Powerwall cost $16k and gives 13.5KWh
The Nissan Leaf costs $12-$20K, and has 40KWh
70
KP,
Lovely to read a kindred soul, typical of the once-great Aussie Larrakin class.
Good luck with your innovative ideas. Any more to make us chuckle?
Geoff S.
10
Current offer from VoltX is 30kWh LiFePo4, with inverter for Au$5950 ,.. installed !
10
Nothing like a taxpayer-funded adventure holiday…
There appears to be no consideration being given to volcanoes or other geothermal events leading to the anomalous melting of the Denman Glacier (misspelled in article).
And as most of us know, the earth is not a static system. It undergoes constant changes. it heats. It cools. Glaciers come and go. Oceans rise and fall. Forests grow and dry out. Etc.. And there is nothing mankind can do to influence it.
140
Ex landlady down in Tassie captained the Nuyina. It’s operated by Serco, that amorphous blob that has many tentacles, relying on gummint funding for it’ operations – prisons, immigration detention and more that soaks up our taxes. She said they were buggers to work for, frequently cancelling contracts, crushing disputes with lawfare and blacklisting you if you dared try. International company and all.
It’s not too much of a stretch to think they’re importing problems to benefit Serco. Someone cleverer than me needs to follow the money trail.
90
A glacier located “just south of Perth”.
What, near Mandurah? Bunbury? Margaret River? Augusta? I know it gets cold down there but…
There’s snow forecast for Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges, WA tomorrow night and into Monday, perhaps they could’ve studied that climatic phenomenon right on their doorstep … oh right, overseas boat cruise all-expenses paid to save the children’s children: $C!ENC3™️.
130
4,600 km — no big deal when using other people’s money
100
And no passports needed: I take it this delicate fragile precious endangered glacier is within Australia’s Antarctic ‘Dependency’?
Surely all the gin and tonic one can drink is on the house, Serco being such a fine, upstanding, British institution of renown, tallyho!
60
‘ … the transportation of warm water from the deep Southern Ocean to the base of the ice shelves.’
Upwelling caused by meridional transport, oceanic oscillations are the main drivers of climate change.
https://notrickszone.com/2025/07/18/new-study-the-north-atlantic-has-not-been-cooperating-with-the-global-warming-narrative
41
There are Blobs everywhere. They are in every facet of society in which humans are involved from government to employment to church to social clubs. Even young children protect their “turf”.
We are born selfish and some never grow out of it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uTmfwklFM-M&t=20s&pp=2AEUkAIB
70
Blob- Work involving people who can force others to pay them.
All else is voluntary exchange, otherwise known as Capitalism.
The big change involves the conmen who have convinced Govt to pass laws that enrich either the conmen, or both parties involved in stealing people’s money. In the past this was never so prevalent or visible.
Anyone remotely connected to the global warming scam with its ruinables, coloured steel, hydrogen, the whole electricity grid system, the de-agriculturing of Australia or the environment. Basically the number of people involved in primary production has fallen and those left are being feasted on by the vultures with Govt backing.
10
Laissez faire capitalism, unhindered by government, is fraught with problems. In the same way that anarchy cannot take root if the masses prefer democracy.
Energy policy will be determined by the electorate on price, if renewables don’t cut it then government is out of office. One thing for sure, Dutton stopped nuclear power becoming an election talking point.
02
FWIW
“World’s Gone Mad: British teacher pushes for ‘decolonisation’ of school curriculum”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlznjjtaj0E
41
FWIW
“Storm Chasing with Michael Mann: How to Stay in the Climate Spotlight”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/07/18/storm-chasing-with-michael-mann-how-to-stay-in-the-climate-spotlight/
Concludes
“In summary, this paper offers a case study in climate science as performance art. There’s an obligatory nod to uncertainty, a parade of statistical significance at thresholds so generous even carnival barkers might blush, and a supporting cast led by Michael Mann, the maestro of the climate anxiety industrial complex. For policymakers and the public, the lesson is simple: always read the fine print—and if the numbers look scary, check who’s holding the calculator.”
50
The end of Lithium batteries?
Tesla is preparing to upend the battery world once again—this time with a radically cheaper and faster-charging aluminum-ion (Al-ion) battery, expected to cost just $1,750 per pack.
Full recharging in under 15 minutes, a fraction of current EV charging times.
Lifespans exceeding 10,000 cycles, dramatically outpacing standard lithium batteries.
Higher energy density, both gravimetric and volumetric, meaning smaller, lighter, longer-lasting batteries.
Significant safety improvements, due to lower risk of thermal runaway or fires.
Near-total recyclability and lower environmental impact.
https://www.helleniscope.com/2025/07/12/aluminum-ion-teslas-1750-battery-breakthrough-could-end-the-lithium-era/
Vapourware or looming reality.
We’ll know this year.
If real, imagine the nightmare in the Lithium battery world…
70
EVs arent really going anywhere as a global consumer product with the current technology so some sort of next step is required. May nudge rewables closer to usefullness also. Time will tell, there have been so many announcements of the next big thing , yet they dont appear commercially. Clearly sabotaged by “Big Oil”
60
Maybe have a read of this
“Why Your EV Won’t Fill Up In Five”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/07/04/why-your-ev-wont-fill-up-in-five/
And then have a look at that “15 minute charging rate”
50
Filling a bulk ore carrier with bunker oil in five is no less doable, prolly easier.
20
But a large ship is, typically, in port for twelve to twenty-four hours, so the time constraints are not as severe.
Auto
10
“If real, imagine the nightmare in the Lithium battery world…” Yes.
Imagine, also, the uproar in the electricity distribution world.
Filling a car with 75Kwh in 12 minutes – 375 Kw.
My domestic system doesn’t approach that by at least an order of magnitude.
And if all my neighbours hope to charge at 1800 hours …
Auto
30
China unveils robot that can change its own batteries
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_szm1iqEJBI1z23obp.mp4
20
Breaking- WHO International Health Regulations Rejected!
The amended IHR would give the WHO the ability to order global lockdowns, travel restrictions, or any other measures it sees fit to respond to nebulous “potential public health risks.” These regulations are set to become binding if not rejected by July 19, 2025, regardless of the United States’ withdrawal from the WHO.
https://www.malone.news/p/breaking-who-international-health
Not mentioned, but Israel has rejected it too…
50
The Gateway Pundit’s article on this is worth reading:
Top US Officials Reject Amendments to International Health Regulations
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/07/top-us-officials-reject-amendments-international-health-regulations/
Trump is protecting the interests of US citizens, but who is protecting ours?
40
Exhausted man defeats AI model in world coding championship
“Humanity has prevailed (for now!),” writes winner after 10-hour coding marathon against OpenAI.
The final contest results showed Psyho finishing with a score of 1,812,272,558,909 points, while OpenAI’s model (listed as “OpenAIAHC”) scored 1,654,675,725,406 points—a margin of roughly 9.5 percent. OpenAI’s artificial entrant, a custom simulated reasoning model similar to o3, placed second overall, ahead of 10 other human programmers who had qualified through year-long rankings.
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/07/exhausted-man-defeats-ai-model-in-world-coding-championship/
It’ll be the final win though.
30
Thought for the day
Be careful following the masses.
Sometimes the “M” is silent.
50
Saturday DYK
The sea squirt digests its own brain after attaching to a rock: Once it finds a permanent home, it no longer needs to think or move.
Just like being elected in politics then. 😆
110
FWIW
“Growing Up”
“So, Once Great Britain is going to grant the vote to sixteen year olds.”
“Upon reading this a friend pointed out it was the opposite of the reason to give the vote to eighteen year olds. After all, eighteen year olds could drink, get married, go to war, but not vote.
I’ll note since that justification was brought up, eighteen year olds have lost the right to drink. And the fact that they lost it because supposedly their brains aren’t yet fully developed must, of necessity, cause one’s eyebrows to go up in questioning wonder. So, their brains aren’t fully developed, but they’re developed enough to vote? Of course, it makes us wonder about the other things too.”
More at
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2025/07/18/growing-up-2/
(Sarah Hoyt grew up in Portugal)
Goes with the reminder about not being mature enough for social media at 16 too
50
Agree.
The UK, certainly, needs a reconsideration of ALL age-limits – also at the end I am now at, the experientially-gifted end of the age spectrum.
Auto
20
FWIW
“Scotland’s Tidal Bet: Net Zero, Net Loss”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/07/10/scotlands-tidal-bet-net-zero-net-loss/
In commments
“About 18 months later, it cost them about, £100K to have it scrapped. Perhaps they should’ve remembered this old saying:
They all said it couldn’t be done
But he said he knew it
So he tried the thing that couldn’t be done
And couldn’t bl**dy do it!”
50
FWIW –
“More Evidence of a Global Offshore Wind Project Collapse”
Read it all to find how Trump has cut off the Oz free ride –
“Inflation Reduction Act set to allocate billions to Australia’s energy sector
Energy
24th May 2023
Australian mining and energy companies are set to access billions of dollars in funding as part of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – this could significantly contribute to the clean energy transition.
This allowance follows deals to grant special status to the country’s defence manufacturing and critical minerals industries under the IRA.”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/07/18/more-evidence-of-a-global-offshore-wind-collapse/
30
Does anyone have a link to the meme of Melania in her inauguration black hat and dress with a cigarillo in her mouth and bandolier slung over her shoulder?
I thought it real bad-ass.
10
Melania is the coolest woman on the planet, only a few of us have noticed so far however!
20
Mathematically-inclined Jonovians perhaps you can comment on this.
I saw a recent comparison of AI models in a scatter plot with the AI’s score on an Intelligence index (y-axis) versus the cost to run the model (x-axis).
https://x.com/ArtificialAnlys/status/1945961449907683759#m
The first question I had was “which one is the best value for money?”
My intuition was that better value was not defined by their green box but by a gradient which would be maximum at the top left and minimum at the bottom right. If you can imagine the top left being white and the bottom right being black, there would be grey diagonal lines of constant value-for-money running from bottom left to top right, with brighter lines at the top left. Or at least that’s what it would be if the x-axis was a linear scale. I wasn’t sure what it would look like when the x-axis is logarithmic (like this case).
Question for the mathematically-inclined: Does the logarithmic axis make the lines of constant value-for-money into curves, or else do these regions remain linear but with a slight rotation of direction?
Anyhow back to the practical question…
I calculated other points with the same value for money as Solar Pro 2, roughly plotted them by eye, and joined them to make the constant intelligence-per-dollar line in the chart here:
https://imgur.com/a/ai-value-money-2025-07-19-7J8imqD
Notice if you draw a line at right angles to the pink dashed line until it meets Llama 4 Maverick (i.e. the geometric altitude of Llama 4 Maverick relative to the pink line), that line would be longer than the altitude of DeepSeek V3. That becomes relevant in a few seconds.
If you only compared these models against the green box you would arrive at these conclusions:
• Solar Pro 2 is better value for money than both DeepSeek V3 and Llama 4 Maverick.
• DeepSeek V3 is closer to being good value for money than Llama 4 Maverick.
But when you compare these models against the line of constant intelligence-per-dollar you conclude:
• DeepSeek V3 and Llama 4 Maverick are both much better value for money than Solar Pro 2.
• Llama 4 Maverick is better value than DeepSeek V3 (because it is further to the top left of the Solar line than DeepSeek).
That is totally the opposite of what their green box would lead you to believe.
Isn’t that interesting?
00
Just seen this – on chips, potato chips. perhaps a three minute read.
It is the BBC … but still: –
“Spud-tacular: How India became a french fry superpower” [sic]
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ced2zpvv179o
And it includes these paragraphs:
“Transportation is a problem as well. “There is a notable shortage of specialised refrigerated trucks and containers, making temperature-controlled transportation extremely difficult and increasing the risk of spoilage,” he says.
A reliable electricity supply is also essential. “Frequent power outages in many parts of the country increase the chances of spoilage and make running a reliable frozen food supply chain a daunting task,” says Mr Nayak.”
My bold.
Yet the BBC continues to push unreliables in the UK along with the Mad Mr. Miliband …
Auto
20
I don’t want to connect my coffee machine to the Wifi network.
I don’t want to share the file with OneDrive.
I don’t want to download an app to check my car’s fluid levels.
I don’t want to scan a QR code to view the restaurant menu.
I don’t want to let Google know my location before showing me the search results.
I don’t want to include a Teams link on the calendar invite.
I don’t want to pay 50 different monthly subscription fees for all my software.
I don’t want to upgrade to TurboTax platinum plus audit protection.
I don’t want to install the Webex plugin to join the meeting.
I don’t want to share my car’s braking data with the insurance company.
I don’t want to text with your Al chatbot.
I don’t want to download the Instagram app to look at your picture.
I don’t want to type in my email address to view the content on your company’s website.
I don’t want text messages with promo codes.
I don’t want to leave your company a five-star Google review in exchange for the chance to win a $20 Starbucks gift card.
I don’t want to join your exclusive community in the metaverse.
I don’t want Al to help me write my comments on LinkedIn.
I don’t even want to be on LinkedIn in the first place.
I just want to pay for a product one time (and only one time), know that it’s going to work flawlessly, press 0 to speak to an operator if I need help, and otherwise be left alone and treated with some small measure of human dignity, if that’s not too much to ask anymore.
– Robert Sterling
110
Borrowed and spread! Thanks
10
The only product I can think of, which worked flawlessly after I purchased it, was a trailer load of firewood.
Even the various Toyota’s I’ve owned have not been flawless … although overall not too bad.
50
FWIW
“WELL! THAT SURE DONE SHOWED US, DIDN’T IT? To prove California isn’t currently a “s h i t – hole,” Newsom’s office posted: Two 8 year old pictures of CA. An 11 year old picture of CA. And a picture of Nevada.”
https://xcancel.com/SonofHas/status/1945320823067156829
https://instapundit.com/732893/#disqus_thread
Music by “Dire Straits”?
40