The Muon is a particle in the Lepton family, of which the Electron also belongs. Mostly everyone has heard of the Electron, but the Muon? OK, that particle, not so much air-play, but it does "exist".
A recent discovery coming from Fermi Lab has been feeding an incredible amount of secondary stories in the media lately. Apparently our understanding of the sub-atomic particles of the universe has been all wrong, and we'll need to reinvent our map of fundamental components of the universe.

Well, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water just yet...

Here's a nice diagram of where we are in understanding matter. Basically, normal matter (which is stable) consists of the lower energy state Quarks (Up/Charmed/Top) and Leptons (Electrons/e-Neutrinos), and you tend to see the rest when you start colliding particles together in the magnetic containers at CERN (East-European)  and Fermilab (West-American) labs.

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What I find REALLY interesting are Boson particles, the ones responsible for exchanging the forces as we understand today, which are the Strong, Weak, Electromagnetic, and Gravity forces, but this is NOT about them, at least, not so much.

So, back the Muon...

Bear with me a moment as we are going to get a bit deep into some specifics to explain this new "discovery".

As per many calculations, and measurements taken at (Brookhaven in 2001/Fermilab in 2021), the magnetic field of the Muon was postulated to be at a specific value  (which results in a "wobbling" behaviour when it is travelling within the magnetic containers of these massive particle colliders). However, when they actually managed to measure this wobble via an experiment, the magnetic field was slightly off in strength from the expected calculated value. The difference in 2001 was explained by some spooky quantum physics behaviour referred to as "quantum foam" where (known) particles can appear/disappear randomly near orbit about the Muon, effectively popping in and out of existence momentarily, just enough to cause a variation in the magnetic field strength of the Muon.

Fermilab's testing is able to accumulate many more Muons than previously, and the recent measurements were (of the wobble) were found to be significantly different than the Berkeley findings. This means that something is occurring within this quantum foam effect that is not expected (perhaps another a new type of particle or force interaction), we just do not know.

Are we really upending the existing standard model with this finding? My take, not a all. Seems to me, the closer we look into what we think the universe is made of, the more unexpected things we find. This recent experiment is yet another example solidifying this as a fundamental truth.

I DO think we are far from understanding the true nature of the force (boson) side of the model - especially with gravity and gravitons - so stay tuned - we have a lot more to learn....  :)

Unfortunately things are changing a little faster than I expected geologically around our planet.
More than a few blog entries back I had stated that as the ice melts, it redistributes itself around the worlds oceans, and not always in a nice-even pattern, mind you.
One important factor to consider is that the ice melt of concern is LAND MASS ice, which is predominately Greenland/Iceland/Antartica.  Here's a good summary on Antartica: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146322/antarctica-melts-under-its-hottest-days-on-record

When then occurs, the tectonic plates experience additional pressure upon them. Some would say this to be negligible. Now we are not discussing minor melting here. This involves ice melts in the rate of gigatons per year.  That's a bit hard to get one's mind around when the numbers get that high. 

So let's continue down the action/reaction logic here.
If this redistribution of weight is causing geological instability, then we should see this in the form of an increase in earthquake and volcano activity.
Some would like to argue that we see the planet move through peaks and  valleys in activity throughout the decade, that one year can be quite active and another, well, not so much.  My argument to this is we have a "root cause" that does not "go away".  This means such events start small and continue to grow in intensity.

So what's going on now?
In the last few months earthquakes are up in frequency, and so are volcano eruptions.
We have 52 active volcano events going on this morning. What's the average per year?  It's around 60-70, so well within range...  But as we are in march, maybe something's up... take a boo at the 2020 numbers here: https://volcano.si.edu/faq/index.cfm?question=eruptionsbyyear
Something to be concerned about, weeeellll,  let's consider trends back to awhile. Here's a good set of data from the Smithsonian: https://volcano.si.edu/faq/index.cfm?question=historicalactivity The problem here is that we are INDEED on a rise of activity (or maybe that's just reflective of our ability to track such activity across the globe with greater accuracy now than before...
Great, just more confusion.... not so much.  We've been witness some pretty significant melting since the 1980's on, so if I'm right about a correlation, we should be seeing a spike, however small, but a spike nonetheless.  Just take another look at that graph...



What about earthquakes?  I found this data to be a bit challenging. Lots of detailed info for current and last year or so, but trending in total numbers over a given magnitude - little more tricky. This was a good site: https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-data?maxYear=2021&minYear=1980&minEqMagnitude=6 - so not as definitive as volcanoes per se.
Do we have a problem or not?

In my opinion, this ball is rolling, geological instability has already started. It's pretty evident in the numbers, and no one is reporting this  (of course not).
IF I am correct, this activity will continue to increase until melting stops, and mother nature is satisfied with it's new balance. As far as I'm concerned, the writing is on the wall.

Can't do anything about it anyway - which is true - but if you are in a possible risk area (for either) I'd suggest getting your disaster planning sorted and get prepared. Don't live in fear, just be wary for signs, and be ready.


Here's a nice summation of today's activity on youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClSCOxhRXd4
Keep an eye out on the ones in Antarctica as they can cause significant havoc.
Note the HIGHER the sulfur-dioxide the more substantial the cooling effect - fairly quickly.  So we "should" see another cold spell set in before it warms up in the northern hemisphere.

Firstly, to my readers, I do hope you truly enjoyed your holidays, and managed to being in the new year well.

Personally, I am not sorry to see 2020 go, and I remain much more optimistic about 2021. So keeping up with this optimism, I'd like to think we are approaching our last (worldwide) peak of covid infections. Indeed, this is a very tenuous time for many of our medical support systems - or more correctly - the people that provide these services. They have given so much during this very long year, and experienced suffering few may understand. If you get a chance to find a way to thank them, please take advantage and do so. It matters...

What's worked for me during this trying time is to re-frame my thinking, my perspective if you will, to being grateful. Every day run through that mental list for what I have, who I have, where I am, what I can do. Simple things, really.
Try it.
Add an item to that list every day, go deeper in meaning, and you may find something that is not attainable to everyone - an encompassing and compelling feeling of peace. Notably, this is something that you can control.

Beware the fear-mongers and the sensationalists (ie: the news). Things always seem worse in the middle of the night than when you awake the next day - and "our" new morning is approaching  ;) .

2021 will bring with it many wonderful things, and we can all be part of this grand story.

As always, my interests like where science-fiction evolves to science-fact. We are inching our way closer to colonizing the moon, mars and in the process building a support network to achieve this.
These projects are catalysts to shaping our futures. Consider we do not need war to drive innovation, nor need we rely on the restrictions of profit-driven justification. These are the challenges that drive true, positive, and meaningful change.

As an update from me, my apologies as I am behind on my latest novel. It's in progress, but I'll refrain from guessing completion until I get closer. Fingers-crossed.

Stay safe,

Patrick MJ Lozon

  ,

Some of us need to feel superior over others.
We fuel that process daily with a righteous self-talk that drives down the view of the "other",  whether that other is Black, Asian, Indian, or White. That "other" is a target, and made to suffer, as the "other" is seen as less, not deserving, a diminished human. Ironically this behaviour compensates for some internal need - usually one that artificially props one up above another.
This is all a mental game.
This is not reality.
There is no "other", there is no "them", but there is an "us".
We are all just human beings trying to make our way through life.

Well, I do write science fiction, so allow me to open up an alternative view for consideration. Perhaps a view from the outside in:

Currently, we are a race that manages on whole to hate one another very efficiently, often achieving deplorable violence.  The evidence is clear and undeniable.

Unknown to us we have witnesses. Our observers are not the typical stereotyped little green men, no, they are a people that have evolved over millennia, have learned the nature of the universe, and have discovered the glorious mysteries of biological machines of life. 

They study us. Why? We are something rare. We are sentient.

But the events they observe is often disturbing to them. It is WE that are the true aliens. Mind you though, they are not ignorant of understanding true violence. They've witnessed black holes tear planets to rubble that had previously been teeming with life.  They've watched  supernovae corona expand and blast through adjoining systems, bathing planets in unrelenting swaths of gamma radiation, and burning whole civilizations to dust.

They have decided to observe us, and if needed, to protect us, for as I described prior, the nature of the universe is truly violent.

But will they stay resolute in their commitment? Do they see promise in us? What do they see in our nature, projected far into the future?

Perhaps what they see translates into an obvious danger to them. After all, despite our ignorant proclamations, we are far from civilized now. The truth, distilled, is that we are yet unable to care for one another, much less develop a relationship with another race.

Inevitably our family may be much larger than we know.  Our family extends to all sentient life.

If we are unable to evolve, unable to ascend to the next state of a true civilization, unable to truly care for all others, remain committed to our poisoned thoughts aligned to insanity, we may remain alone.

And I say again: the universe has a violent, dangerous nature.

There will come a time. We will need their help.


Enjoy this thought exercise? Could this be reality or is this just an insane yarn? 

Well...

Other life? Do the math.

Evidence of other advanced life here, on Earth, already?
Consider if they want to stay hidden, they will. Yes, we have some interesting pics, some interesting stories. It is relevant to understand that the act of effective observation requires one NOT to affect the observed.

Unknown interstellar dangers to us?  Unfortunately just a matter of time. The past is exposed in our geological record, and the past is a very strong indicator of the future.


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Well we are in it deep now...

COVID-19: It's by the definition a pandemic. It's  loss of containment, loss of control, and it's spreading.

What I find strange in the news flowing through the mulitple channels is the variance of the mortality rate being reported on this virus. It makes one think there is more than one strain (mutation) at work here.

Case and point - acknowledging China's 3% published mortality rates, we are now seeing reports of up to 9% in certain regions within Italy.  Is this due to a specific population? Are these souls lost because they fall within some high risk group or is it because of a change in the veracity of this contagion?  I really hope my theory of multiple strains is way off base here...

Regardless, considering the nature of this virus I know there are far worse possibilities out there. I truly hope we all learn from this.

What I find most difficult here is the ethical tug-of-war we have to contend with in such situations. For example the following is a hypothetical that I'm sure is already playing out across the world at this very moment:
1). Your extended family, say your elderly parents, fall ill - expressing the symptoms of the virus - but the health teams are unable to test and confirm it is truly that virus because the testing capability is simply unavailable.
2). Do you step in to help (assuming of course you even have a choice), and possibly risk your immediate family, including your newly born son or daughter?  Or do you remain at a distance and hope your loved ones fare through this on their own.

It's a vexatious dilemma, one in particular, that if you compared it to some other situation, you would consider the virus to be evil in nature.
But nature is not evil is it?  It just is.
 
Add to the scenario above, another situation, where you are the health care provider with limited resources (such as isolation rooms, ventilator equipment, and medicines (ie: diuretics to reduce fluid buildup in the lungs)). 
Due to the pandemic you simply do not have enough resources to contend with all the cases coming into the treatment center. You start making judgement calls - the younger are preferred treatment - the older are simply made as comfortable as possible.
The problem is, as time passes, the sick keep coming, and it is up to you to perform more (and more) difficult decisions.

Mankind has contended with these situations throughout history, but this does not mean that you have direct experience with this. This leaves little comfort at best.

It's at times such as this that science and technology provide us little support, and we turn to our religions to help us.

In such times of suffering, when we are truly stripped down to our very essence, tested and stressed beyond limits that we could never have imagined, perhaps we are at our weakest. But I would propose at the same time we have also, desperately and determinedly, been able to find that internal well of strength - and we are also at our strongest.

So stay strong, keep a level head and do not lose it to fear, and when it begins to look futile do not lose hope.

Above all, cherish your humanity and help others where you can.