Buresh

"Buresh Blog": Cool NASA mission to asteroid - Sept. 7th

By Michael Buresh
By Michael Buresh

Sept. 7, 2016 — Remember: Daily updates on the tropics - "Talking the Tropics With Mike".... First Alert Hurricane Center....

15 years since 9-11..... a day that will live in infamy in U.S. history....

NYC:

Pennsylvania:

Pentagon:

Great collaboration between Jacksonville U & our Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens:

Scientific concepts will become clearer and the area scientific community will become more accessible to residents with a unique new online digital video magazine produced by Jacksonville University in collaboration with the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

The Science Of -- click ** here ** will explain, illustrate, and demystify scientific concepts while telling stories on scientific topics in Northeast Florida and will open the fascinating world of science to all in an interesting and engaging way.

The focus of the magazine will be to tell scientific stories through a series of individual videos which may be tied together in a theme. For example, the website’s initial offerings have two themes, sea turtle conservation which features one video of about 25 minutes and several related videos three to four minutes long, as well as Natural History of Dinosaurs, which has one eight-minute video and four shorter videos. The natural history videos were in collaboration with the Jacksonville Museum of Science & History and the curators of the Darwin & Dinosaur exhibit, which closed Monday.

Future videos will cover current issues in the news, demonstrations of small experiments and scientific instruments and “how-to” videos aimed at middle school and high school students.

“We have a small selection of videos now, but the goal of the project is to be a resource for Northeast Florida,’’ said Dr. Anthony Ouellette, Professor of Biology, who is the program director. “We want people to be able to go there to learn and we want teachers to be able to use some of the videos and incorporate them into lesson plans. If we can work with teachers for them to incorporate some of this content so we can connect learning with local activities, local nature, local topics, that’s what we want.’’

The magazine came about almost two years ago after Ouellette appeared on the local television talk show The Chat, and saw a void in disseminating scientific information to the community.

“It occurred to me that on that show I was reaching an audience I wouldn’t reach in my class room,’’ he said. “I was thinking the region could stand to know a little more about what goes on in science and technology; the active people, the activities, the research that is going on that I think is underappreciated.’’

Ultimately, the program has been funded through a grant via JU’s EPIC initiative and once funding was secured Ouellette went about recruiting JU colleagues for production.

The videos have original music and animations by Tony Steve, Eric Kunzendorf, and David Smith, and also have Media Services Manager Greg Minton leading the videography end. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Conservation Program Officer Lucas Meers (JU ’12) is the lead for the Conservation series, and Lee Ann Clements, Associate Provost, is the lead for the Art series, with the science of glassblowing videos to come out later this semester.

“One of the things I’ve always enjoyed is taking complex topics and breaking them down into digestible, more easily understandable ways of thinking for my students,’’ Ouellette said.

With nearly unlimited topic possibilities, Ouellette said new content will post throughout the year and plans are to get several topics up this semester.

“Ideas are the easy part,’’ he said. “In conservation, the next one is going to be the Species Survival Plan for Sumatran Tigers in the United States and will feature what the Jacksonville Zoo does with its new tiger exhibit and talk about how species survival plans are so important because of the dwindling numbers of that animal in their natural territory.’’

“We’re doing the videos (which already are being translated to Spanish with hopefully more languages to follow) with the idea they will be timeless,’’ Ouellette said. “They’re for people in Northeast Florida and we’re hoping they are of general interest to people all over the world.’’

COOL NASA mission: September 8th at 7:05 p.m. EDT, NASA will launch -- from Cape Canaveral --  its first-ever mission to return samples from an asteroid for study here on Earth. NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer – or OSIRIS-REx – spacecraft will travel to a near-Earth asteroid named Bennu. Asteroids are rocky debris left over from the dawn of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago. They've changed little over time, making Bennu a pristine time capsule of the building blocks of our solar system.  NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis photo:

EARTH GAUGE (NEEF):

Ready, Set, Prepare!...........

Wildfires in California forced evacuations, flooding in Louisiana devastated homes and businesses, and 21 tornadoes swirled in Ohio and Indiana on a single day in August. Extreme weather can occur anywhere, at any time. September is National Preparedness Month(link is external), a reminder that everyone needs to prepare for the natural disasters and emergencies that impact us where we live, work, and play. Luckily, there are things you can do right now to make sure your family, friends, and community are ready for whatever Mother Nature has in store.

Make a Plan 

If a disaster strikes, how will you get in touch with members of your household? Where will you go if you need to leave your home? Do you have the supplies and information you need? Don’t be caught off-guard: make a plan and make sure every member of your household knows what to do in an emergency. These tips and tools will get you started:

  • Create an emergency communication plan so that everyone has the information they need to get in touch.
  • Plan for your risks. Get the facts on disasters where you live and know what you will do if you need to evacuate. 
  • Build an emergency supply kit. Collect basic items you may need in an emergency.
  • Tailor your plan. Kids, older adults, pets, people with disabilities, and people with health conditions may need special assistance or supplies during a disaster.  

Lend a Hand

How can you help your community prepare and respond to natural disasters and other emergencies?

  • Participate in National PrepareAThon! Day on September 30 and join millions of Americans taking action to prepare.  
  • Volunteer. Many community organizations offer free education and training for volunteers. Learn more about opportunities with Certified Emergency Response Teams, American Red Cross, Medical Reserve Corps, and others.

Increase in Coastal Flooding, Nick Bradford......

DID YOU KNOW?

  • More than 8.6 million Americans live in areas susceptible to coastal flooding.
  • More than $1 trillion of property and structures is within a few feet of current sea level.
  • By 2050, a majority of US coastal areas are likely to be threatened by 30 or more days of flooding each year.

Changes in our climate are increasing the risk and frequency of flooding for coastal communities in the United States. Rising sea levels, changes in precipitation, and increased rates of storm surges and erosion are increasing the vulnerability to flooding for coastal ecosystems, communities, and water and energy infrastructures. For example, areas of New York City could be flooded by several feet of water during strong storms with projected rates in sea level rise.

Coastal flooding usually occurs during seasonal high tides and storms that push water toward the shore. However, as sea levels are rising, floods in coastal communities are increasingly occuring on days with less extreme tides or little wind, even on sunny days. Impacts of coastal flooding may include frequent road closures, reduced stormwater drainage capacity, deterioration of infrastructure, and intrusion of saltwater to drinking water. These impacts can also affect human health—for example, deterioration of water infrastructure and saltwater intrusion may put people at risk of being exposed to pathogens and harmful chemicals. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

  • September is National Preparedness Month. Make a plan to prepare for disasters, such as flooding, and learn how you can help your community prepare and respond to natural disasters. 

Sources

Rip Currents - "Wave & Yell, Swim Parallel!" -- ** here ** for more info.

Cox Media Group

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