Looking through some old comments that I’d left to moulder in the moderation queue, I cam across this gem:

why will we never know how dinosaurs died because we never knew what they were like i think that we will never know what and how they went extinct and you scintist stop tring so hard

First things first, this comment was left on a page listing 15mm scale miniature dinosaurs. Yes, a page about toy dinosaurs that doesn’t discuss the science of dinosaurs or the reason for their extinction at all.

It is true that we may never know with 100% certainty what caused the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs some sixty five million years ago. However, their is a large and growing body of evidence that lets us form a number of hyoptheses. Falling sea levels, increased volcanic activity and a massive meteorite impact probably all played their part.

Further study into the K-T extinction will not only tell us more about the end of the dinosaurs but will provide us with insights into the effect that climate change can have on the Earth and the creatures that live here. A subject that is of obvious importance to all of us.

…Dinosaurs

As tagged by snapesbabe. Post a comment with “top ten” or “top five” and I’ll give you a subject to base your list around.

1. Stegosaurus

   Maybe because we start our names with the same three letters but I’ve always liked Steggy. One of the classic dinos that all the kids know, and one of the most fantastically strange looking creatures to ever walk on land.

   

2. Allosaurus

   A big mean predator, not as unbalanced to look at as T.rex but still big enough and toothy enough to give you nightmares.

3. Brachiosaurus

   Of Lofty as we call him round our way. Not only is it one of the biggest dinos but it’s also unusual in having longer legs at the front than at the back (hence the name).

4. Anklyosaurus

   Walking tank. My default user icon.

5. Deinonychus

   Velociraptor : Deinonychus = Hobbit : Human

Very True Mood: tired

About half the moon is in shadow now. South London isn’t the best place for sky watching, especially with the moon right over the floodlights of the bus garage, (so no chance of photos from here) but at least the sky is clear so I’m getting the best view I can.

[Update 22:47] - Nearly totally in shadow now, I can see the the reddish hue on the shadowed parts quite clearly. I tried to take some pictures anyway but the camera just whirred as if to say “there’s nothing there mate” and refused to do anything.

Very True Mood: impressed

Your Squid Quotient = 156.25

Interpreting your results: An average Squid Quotient is around 100. A SQ of 100 means you have a normal affinity for squid. A SQ above 100 means you have an attraction or fondness for squid. Below 100 means that you should probably stay away from the deep ocean.

find out your squid quotient

You scored as Sgt. Benton. You are Sgt. Benton! Calm, fixed, resolute: for being such a nice person you have a bit of cynicism that you keep hidden. It helps you sort out the good from the bad when you deal with people. Not easily fooled by mere charm or facade, you are, all the same, a simple soul. You long for love but don’t quite comprehend romance. you recognize that a stable home, longterm friendships, and trust and respect are the foundations of a happy life.

Sgt. Benton		68%
Captain Mike Yates		57%
Jo Grant		57%
Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart		50%
The Master		46%
Doctor Who (Third Doctor)		29%

Which Doctor Who Character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Very True Mood: mellow

When I saw the trailers for yesterday’s episode of Primeval I wondered whether they were going to give any explanation of how the giant arthropods could survive in our atmosphere, and pleasantly they did - oxygen rich air leaking through the rift anomaly from the Carboniferous.

Then they go and spoil it by having the good looking bloke use a blowtorch right in front of the rift anomaly with no side effects what so ever. If the oxygen levels were high enough to affect the soldiers then wouldn’t any flames also be affected?

Oh, and they doubled the size of Arthropleura. There could be a larger species that simply hasn’t been found in the fossil record yet…

Science aside, it’s fun tea time nonsense, but the geek is very annoying and only Douglas Henshaw shows any signs of actually being able to act.

One last thing. We’ve all been conned. On the ITV web site for the series there’s a list of creatures. Have a look and see if you spot whats missing:

• Coelurosauravus
• Scutosaurus
• Gorgonopsid
• Giant Spiders
• Arthropleura
• Mosasaur
• Hesperonis
• Dodo
• Parasite
• Pteranodon
• Agnurognathus
• Predator

Not one of those is a dinosaur. No dinosaurs. Weren’t we promised dinosaurs? But all we get is arthropods, synapsids, and birds (I know birds are dinosaurs). Give us some proper dinos!

Very True Mood: irritated

Just watched the first episode of Primeval. Hmm, The X-Files (the lead character even has a family member who vanished in mysterious circumstances) meets Jurassic Park (academics versus “dinosaurs”).

Fairly predictable stuff all round. The creatures are presented in a now-familar fashion - on the technical side this is from many of the same people as Walking with… and Prehistoric Park - and it doesn’t look like the plot is going to find a cliché it doesn’t like.

Oh well, there’s nothing else on the telly on a Saturday evening for the next few weeks. Let’s see, six episodes takes us to March 17th and the 24th is the rumoured start date for Doctor Who. Not taking any chances with the ratings on this one are we ITV?

Quick post before I dash off the work Christmas party.

Today there’s a blogathon marking the tenth anniversary of the death of Carl Sagan.

My parents had the large colourful hadcover of Cosmos and it was one of those books that I was always taking off the shelf and reading, understanding more and more of it as I got older. Probably one of the formative influences that led me to read physics at university. Very simply, he was one of the greatest communicators and popularizer of science that there has ever been.

This morning I had a conversation with Lettice about the difference between methodological naturalism and philosophical naturalism. Somehow, somewhere between my brain and her brain, it got turned into this.

Very True Mood: thoughtful

The reason I don’t post so much at the moment is partly that my brain is a bit frazzled at the moment and partly that when I write a long post (like version one of this one) it get’s eaten by the computer-interweb-monster.

Anyway, here’s some of what I wanted to tell you all.

Wordie “Like Flickr, but without the photos.” Silly but funny.

A Preacher TV series? OMG. How fucking cool would that be if they did it right?

Speaking of TV (oh I’m smooth I am). Is Robin Hood the gayest programme on the box at the moment? Can you point at any one of the regular characters and say “Yes, they’re 100% heterosexual”? Let’s look at them all:

• Robin - ran off to the Holy Land rather than marry Marion; homo-erotic wrestling match with Guy last week.
• Much - follows Robin around all the time making puppy dog eyes
• John - left his wife to live in the forest with a bunch of men
• Alan - did you see him trying on the women’s jewellery a couple of episodes back?
• Will - claims to love Djaq, who…
• Djaq - man’s name, men’s clothes, short hair
• Marion - creeps out of the house at night disguised as a man
• Guy - all that tight black leather and generally being the Sheriff’s bitch
• The Sheriff - has a gimp called Guy; seemed equally interested in the nun and the serving boy

So much denial. They must have cut down Sherwood Forest to make all those closets. Still good to see this getting airtime at 7pm on BBC1. And the only complaints are about the historical accuracy. That’s progress for you.

Built my first AJAX powered web thingy. It’s very Web 2.0 - even got popup message box things with semi-opaque backgrounds.

Back on Web 1.33333 I’ve updated the Dinosaurs in Miniature web pages. Added 10mm and 6mm listings and updated the existing lists.

Oh, and that fuckwit who thinks MI5 are stalking him through the telly has spammed radw, presumably thanks to some cross posted threads from a uk. group. Still it makes a change from the normal moronic trolling. Why do I still read? Must be some form of masochism.

Going to see Mitchell and Webb tomorrow. In Cryodon, but it’s okay - I’ve had my innoculations. That’s the start of a long weekend and we have big plans. Take in a film or two, do the Christmas shopping, visit the British Museum, giroscope’s birthday curry, clean the flat from top to bottom. Come Tuesday I’ll be glad to be back at work.

Hey gleet! You’re in the Guardian’s Bad Science column today. Your media whoredom has been recognised at last.

Very True Mood: silly