THAR BE HELIUM IN THEM THAR HILLS!

Helium is the second most abundant element in the Universe, but it's relatively rare on Earth – so much so that some have called for a ban on party balloons to ward off a worldwide shortage. However, a team of scientists led by Diveena Danabalan of Durham University conducted a new study that indicates that there may be vast new sources of the gas in the western mountain regions of North America.

First detected in the spectrum of the Sun, in a century and a half helium has become a key resource in our high-tech world. The noble gas is used in cryogenics, MRI scanners, semiconductor manufacturing, welding, deep-sea diving, and blimps and balloons – though the latter makes up a surprisingly small fraction of the demand.

The problem is that even though helium makes up almost a quarter of all matter in the Universe, it's very rare on Earth with the main supply coming from natural gas wells in North America. This is because helium is a very light element that, once it escapes into the air, floats off into space. Hydrogen is lighter, but it's common on Earth because hydrogen is captured in molecules of water or organic compounds. Helium, on the other hand, forms no compounds even with itself except a few highly unstable ones under extraordinary laboratory conditions.

Recent studies have pointed to a drastic decline in known helium reserves and no large discoveries to replace them. This being the case, the fear is that we may run out of helium so soon that some scientists, such as Cambridge University chemist Peter Wothers, are calling for an end to its use in party balloons.

For the new study, a team of scientists from Durham and Oxford Universities looked at natural gas regions in North America, where they subjected gas samples from 22 wells in the United States and Canada to mass spectroscopy. By analyzing the isotopes of helium, neon, and argon, they were able to gain a better understanding of how helium is produced, transported, and trapped in the Earth.

Most helium on Earth is helium-4 (4He), which is produced by radioactive decay deep inside the planet. Over hundreds of millions of years, it migrates up to the crust, where it is released during periods of tectonic activity. By comparing the ratios of 4He with neon-20 (20Ne) in the helium-rich Hugoton-Panhandle gas field running through Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, the team found that released helium dissolves in groundwater, which transports it to natural gas deposits. According to Danabalan, This mechanism indicates that much more helium is waiting to be tapped than previously thought.

"We identified neon isotope tracers which show a strong association between helium and groundwater," says Danabalan. "This means that in certain geological regions, groundwater transports large volumes of helium into natural gas fields, where trapping potential is greatest. This suggests that we have probably underestimated the volumes of helium which are actually available to explore.

link.

Ukraine War Update: лягушачий хрипит "О нет! Меркель, нет!"

Less humorous side. 

A Russian magazine leaked the Russian government compensated families of armed service members in January 2015. 

Two *THOUSAND* were compensated for KIA. 

3,200 for permanent disability.

This predates Debaltseve.

Long Range Strike Bomber News: Multiple Sources Reporting Northrop Grumman has won the Contract

Multiple sources are reporting Northrop has won the contract.  However, it's a rumor until if and when the fat contract award sings.

OTOH, Congress is more than a little peeved about the cost reporting screw ups by the Blue Beanies, ahem, US Air Force and wants answers.

If the USAF pisses off congress too much, the reputed Nothrop victory could be ryrrhic. 

Robopocalypse Report #15: 3d Printing the drones to scout for the self driving cars

Welcome to the latest Robopocalypse Report!  News has been light this past week and change, so this report has been compiled over time and once it reaches a threshold, will get published.  As with most times, we lead with the drones!  

Duke Energy has started using drones for power line and other inspections.  Elsewhere drones are being used to inspect oil rigs.

Scientific American discusses the problems with rogue drones.  The incidences of drones getting in the way of important operations or in restricted airspace has increased 3 fold in the past year.  This is a growing problem.  What is to be done?  E Fencing?  GPS delineated no fly zones?  Or...?  And this is NOT just an American problem!

An American small arms ammo maker has started advertising anti drone shotgun rounds. That's one way to deal with the problem drones.

The FAA prefers to ban their flight if necessary, like say the Pope's visit to Philadelphia. 

Apple has stolen Telsa's lead for self driving car tech.  Project Titan is the rumored name for Apple's car.

Consumer WatchDog is calling for amending the DMV regulations for self driving car accidents.  Currently, they must be reported to the DMV, but not investigated by the police.  the consumer group wants them all investigated.

Some are wondering if the self driving car will be the doom of the insurance companies.

Some are stating self driving cars will save you money.

3d Printing is a topic I only rarely touch on here for the Robopocalypse Reports.  This is mainly because while it is a disruptive technology, its so full of niche spaces its hard to discern what is really being that impactful.  When its about 3d printing houses, definitely.  A new material...not so sure.  That said!

CNET looks at the 3d Printing startup culture in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

GLASS from Mediated Matter Group on Vimeo.

MIT has figured out how to 3d print glass.  Here is a pop sci write up and here in the paper.

China confirms a torpedo-like UUV caught in a fisherman's net a few years ago off of Hainan is an intelligence device.

In more general robotics, we have the return of the Makr Shakr robobar.

The review of Buddy the robot from Blue Frog Robotics is pretty down.

Popular Science profiles the delivery bots for hotels of Savioke.  I wonder if the PopMech aerospace curse will hold true for PopSci and robotics.

Fanuc, a major industrial robotics company in Japan, has taken a stake in Preferred Networks as a follow-up to its earlier cooperation agreement.  The intent is to make more flexible, even self repairing robots.

Robohub takes a look at the robotics market in China.  China seems to be embracing the robopocalypse in manufacturing at least, being the largest market for robotics in the world now.

Financial Times claims the problems of robotics and their impact on jobs is a myth.

HULK! MAD!

Something happened there last night.  Must be the Hulk.

Seconded: Terrestrial Plants NOT Responsible for Climate Change During Ordovician (and Silurian)

Could land-based early photosynthesizing ecosystems have bioengineered the planet in mid-Palaeozoic times?

Authors:

Edwards et al

Abstract:

The Ordovician and Silurian periods were times of major geological activity as regards palaeogeography, volcanism and climate change, the last of these evidenced by a series of cooling episodes and glaciations that climaxed in the Hirnantian (Late Ordovician). The presence of cryptospores in the Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) marked the advent of higher plants on land. A critical survey of direct (mega- and microfossils) and some indirect evidence in succeeding rocks indicates the presence of algae, Bacteria, Cyanobacteria, Fungi, probable lichens, cryptophytes and basal tracheophytes. Similar associations of photosynthesizers and decomposers occur today in cryptogamic covers (CCs), for example biological crusts, except that bryophytes replace cryptophytes (basal embryophytes) and tracheophytes are absent. Thus, extant CCs, which make significant contributions today to global carbon and nitrogen fixation and prevention of erosion, provide an excellent analogue for the impacts of early land vegetation on both lithosphere and atmosphere. As a prerequisite to assessing impacts in Ordovician–Silurian times, with particular consideration of parameters used by climate modellers, the effects of a number of abiotic factors on the growth and survival of extant cryptogamic ground covers and their environmental impacts are reviewed. Factors include photosynthetically active radiation, ultraviolet radiation, temperature, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, surface roughness and albedo. A survey of the nature and extent of weathering facilitated by such vegetation concludes that it was limited based on depth of weathering when compared with that from rooted tracheophytes today, with minor effects on carbon dioxide drawdown. As global net productivity from Ordovician–Silurian CCs was very probably lower than today, and while the small fraction of intractable material in their organic carbon would have resulted in a more rapid turnover of terrestrial biomass, we conclude that there was decreased possibility of long-term organic carbon burial. Hence, there would have been very limited increase in atmospheric oxygen and decrease in carbon dioxide resulting from carbon burial.

note previous paper from earlier this month.

Ukraine War Update: лягушачий, стук перед наброситься?

After days of a comparative, but not complete lull in the artillery bombardments and infantry skirmishes, the Ukrainian frontline has opened up.  Artillery is lashing from one end to the other.

Today seems to have something of an interesting twist.  The power is being reported as taken out at several locales.  This happens occasionally.  However, this time its happening in several places all at once.  The informal network of reporters in the eastern Ukraine, intentionally or otherwise, are being forced off-line as a result.  This may be an unintended consequence, but on the other hand, it almost makes sense.

The DNR has reported Ukraine will be bombarding Donetsk with heavy rockets tomorrow (today for those in Ukraine reading this).  I've seen several references claiming Donnie Reb even knows the time of day.  Again, ominous, given their past pronunciations and then the subsequent events.

 In support of the reasons to be concerned, the DNR and LNR have been moving a lot of equipment up to the front.  Tanks have been crossing from the Russian border with increasing frequency, even sending some of the more recent tank designs (T-90s, frex).  500 new Russians showed up in Lugansk and were signed up for the LNR forces.  Russian standard jamming equipment has shown up all along the front line now.

Rumors are suggesting keeping an eye on the Zholobok area on the contact line between the LNR & Ukraine.

Rumors are also DNR Leader Zakharchenko and family are missing. It IS August. On the other hand, it was an unannounced disappearance and with the claims the Ukrainians are going to attack more than a little odd.

Tomorrow (Today for those of you in Ukraine reading this) is Ukraine's Independence Day.  Some say this is the reason for the flair up.  The DNR/LNR are trying to 'ruin' the day.  Others are saying the DNR is planning an offensive.  we shall see.

As an interesting note, one of the unintended consequences is all the tourists who would have gone to Crimea are hitting up Odessa instead.  Those Ukrainians and Russians with money are generally leaving for Western Europe instead though.  Crimea still claims they will have three million visitors.  Very few seem to remotely believe that number.

These are NOT the Fossils you Were Looking for: PaleoArchean Microfossils may Only be Mineralogical Artifacts

3.46 Ga Apex chert ‘microfossils’ reinterpreted as mineral artefacts produced during phyllosilicate exfoliation

Authors:

Wacey et al

Abstract:

Filamentous microstructures from the 3.46 billion year (Ga)-old Apex chert of Western Australia have been interpreted as remnants of Earth’s oldest cellular life, but their purported biological nature has been robustly questioned on numerous occasions. Despite recent claims to the contrary, the controversy surrounding these famous microstructures remains unresolved.

Here we interrogate new material from the original ‘microfossil site’ using high spatial resolution electron microscopy to decode the detailed morphology and chemistry of the Apex filaments. Light microscopy shows that our newly discovered filaments are identical to the previously described ‘microfossil’ holotypes and paratypes. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy data show that the filaments comprise chains of potassium- and barium-rich phyllosilicates, interleaved with carbon, minor quartz and iron oxides. Morphological features previously cited as evidence for cell compartments and dividing cells are shown to be carbon-coated stacks of phyllosilicate crystals. Three-dimensional filament reconstructions reveal non-rounded cross sections and examples of branching incompatible with a filamentous prokaryotic origin for these structures.

When examined at the nano-scale, the Apex filaments exhibit no biological morphology nor bear any resemblance to younger bona fide carbonaceous microfossils. Instead, available evidence indicates that the microstructures formed during fluid-flow events that facilitated the hydration, heating and exfoliation of potassium mica flakes, plus the redistribution and adsorption of barium, iron and carbon within an active hydrothermal system.

Evidence of a Stenian MesoProterozoic Impact Discovered in Scotland

Precambrian reidite discovered in shocked zircon from the Stac Fada impactite, Scotland

Authors:

Reddy et al

Abstract:

Terrestrial impact events have had a profound influence on Earth's geological, geochemical, and biological evolution. However, the record of Precambrian impacts is poorly constrained due to the dynamic nature of plate tectonics, erosion, and deposition of younger rocks that may destroy or cover the evidence. Here we report the first Precambrian occurrence of the rare mineral reidite (ZrSiO4) within grains of shocked zircon in the ca. 1.18 Ga Stac Fada Member (Stoer Group), northwestern Scotland. The reidite, preserved as less than 2-μm-wide lamellae, is unambiguous evidence of shock pressures in excess of ∼30 GPa and confirms the impact origin for the Stac Fada deposit. The reidite lamellae are locally deformed, and sites of deformation record its decomposition to baddeleyite (ZrO2) and amorphous silica, the first natural example of this transformation. The findings demonstrate that reidite and baddeleyite may form and be transported in high-energy ejecta without physical or chemical breakdown and are stable during sedimentary diagenesis and low-grade metamorphism. Thus, reidite may be preserved over time scales exceeding 1 b.y., establishing the use of reidite within detrital shocked zircon from Precambrian strata as a viable and valuable means of recognizing and characterizing ancient terrestrial impact events.

Seeing Sad Sal

Walking  this morning, I saw this little desiccated salamander.  I didn't see it the night before when I walked that way.  

The salamander seemed smashed a bit, but I was not sure if that was the cause of death or being dried out.  There was no sign of innards anywhere.  Perhaps it died and then was squished a bit later?

Anyone know what kind of salamander Sad Sal is?

huh.  Sad Sal looks like a del norte salamander.  Wrong habitat area though and the coloring doesn't quite look right.

How Different was the Ediacran NeoProterozoic Ecosystem at Mistaken Point?

A new ecological model for the ∼565 Ma Ediacaran biota of Mistaken Point, Newfoundland

Authors:

Antcliffe et al

Abstract:

Ediacaran macrofossils immediately precede the first animal ecosystems of the Cambrian Period and have excited much attention for potentially containing ancestors of the modern animal phyla. Ediacaran fossil surfaces have been variously interpreted as vertically tiered census populations comparable to animal ecosystems, or as osmotrophic ecosystems exploiting turbulent flow regimes. These hypotheses are highly dependent upon the taphonomic interpretation of Mistaken Point, Newfoundland as a consensus population representing the associations of the organisms in life. Reanalyses of these surfaces, however, indicate that this taphonomic model is inconsistent with the range of preservation states seen in each taxon. We present a new taphonomic model, for Mistaken Point surfaces in Newfoundland Canada, and describe it using an index of decay. This reveals a complex history of life, death, and decay at these sites. Data gathered from large scale casting projects in Newfoundland show that only 15–40% of individuals were killed by ash flows, rather than the whole population as previously interpreted. This shows that Ediacaran organisms at Mistaken Point, Newfoundland, had a diverse range of ecological relationships with the microbial mat system. Frondose organisms are engaged in chemical exchange with the sediment and the water column with the stem penetrating through the microbial mat. Reclining forms, such as Fractofusus, lived exclusively above the microbial mat and drew nutrients from the dead organisms on which they typically grew. The ecology is based on organism interaction with the sediment–water interface quite unlike that of modern vertically tiered metazoan communities that have developed since the start of the Cambrian Period.

Did Mars NEVER Have a Thick Atmosphere? Nili Fossae on Mars Only Seems to Sequester 12 mbar of CO2 (max)

Carbon sequestration on Mars

Authors:

Edwards et al

Abstract:

On Earth, carbon sequestration in geologic units plays an important role in the carbon cycle, scrubbing CO2 from the atmosphere for long-term storage. While carbonate is identified in low abundances within the dust and soils of Mars, at less than 1 wt% in select meteorites, and in limited outcrops, no massive carbonate rock reservoir on Mars has been identified to date. Here, we investigate the largest exposed carbonate-bearing rock unit, the Nili Fossae plains, combining spectral, thermophysical, and morphological analyses to evaluate the timing and carbon sequestration potential of rocks on Mars. We find that the olivine-enriched (∼20%–25%) basalts have been altered, by low-temperature in-situ carbonation processes, to at most ∼20% Fe-Mg carbonate, thus limiting carbon sequestration in the Nili Fossae region to ∼0.25–12 mbar of CO2 during the late Noachian–early Hesperian, before or concurrent with valley network formation. While this is large compared to modern-day CO2 reservoirs, the lack of additional, comparably sized post–late Noachian carbonate-bearing deposits on Mars indicates ineffective carbon sequestration in rock units over the past ∼3.7 b.y. This implies a thin atmosphere (≲500 mbar) during valley network formation, extensive post-Noachian atmospheric loss to space, or diffuse, deep sequestration by a yet-to-be understood process. In stark contrast to Earth's biologically mediated crust:atmosphere carbon reservoir ratio of ∼104–105, Mars' ratio is a mere ∼10–103, even if buried pre-Noachian crust holds multiple bars.

Another Chemical Warehouse Explosion in Shandong, China

An explosion has been reported at a chemical plant in China's eastern province of Shandong.

Large flames could be seen from the site after the blast in the city of Zibo. Nine people are reported injured.

The People's Daily said a warehouse at the Runxing chemical plant exploded. There is a residential area about 1km from the plant.

link.

Xenopermian Biota of the Ural Sea: Psittacops makradens, a walrodont dicynodont

The Xenopermian is a collaborative effort between Scott, Raven, Zach and myself to outline a very different, speculative world. In some ways this is not all that different than the exercises of Dougal Dixon, After Man and The New Dinosaurs. Rather than speculating on what the dinosaurs would be like if they had not gone extinct, much like his New Dinosaurs or the Spec World Project, or project into the future with After Man or The Future is Wild, our team asked the question of ‘what if the Permian Extinction did not happen?

This is the next post about the fauna of the Xenopermian in the Ural Sea region. We have talked about a ‘fossil’ and a faux controversy associated it with. We have talked about the geological staging differences in the XenoPermian timeline, and have even talked about the differences in the world in general under such a different period. We have generalized about the fauna, but now we want to get into specifics. In our first post, we talked about the first faunal member of the Xenopermian, Graviloricanasus roma, a pseudochelonid and very derived pareiasaur. Then we talked about Elyardia hensonii, a very derived anomodont. Then we talked about the alternate pterosaur, Maralae whittoni.  Last time we talked about the trematosaurine temnospondyl Chronoperifronius thassalicus.

Today we return to the therapsids.  Specifically, we are returning to the anomodonts and one rather peculiar branch of the most famous of anomodonts (dicynodonts) called we, their creators, have been affectionately calling the 'walrodont:' Psittacops makradens.

Psittacops makradens: Parrot face Walruses, erm, long teeth of the Ural Sea

Psittacops makradens is an example of a derived anomodont. Anomodonts are one of the major clades of therapsids, very derived synapsids that superceded the pelycasaurs like Dimetrodon. Other famous derviced clades are the gorgonopsids, therocephalians and cynodonts (of which mammals – and you! – are a part of).

During the Great Churn, when the Siberian Traps long erupted long and slow at the start of the XenoPermian, rather the short and quick according to our timeline, some of the dicynodonts actually adapted to being semiaquatic.  The irony is that the dicynodonts have been called semiaquatic for a long, long time, but generally were not.

This branch of dicynodonts became what the cross time paleontologists would call the Thassalotheres.  These in turn would develop clades which were more derived and specialized as forms that would be labeled based on their general form as Hippodonts, desmodonts and walrodonts.  These were not their scientific names, but work well enough for our purposes.  The hippodonts became the dominant forms in lakes and rivers.  The more gracile desmodonts became dwellers of the swampy lands.  Finally, the walrodonts would take to the open oceans.

P. makradens is modestly sexually dimorphic species having a lot of parallels with our own pinnipeds and walruses.  They come onto the beach to sun and bare their young.  They bare live young, which they take care of, but are relatively developed.  They could give birth at sea, but the sea is a dangerous place, in some ways more than land.  However, even so land is still dangerous and the the walrodonts will form colonies to protect each other and the young. 

On land, they must protect against raids by the giant gorgonopsids, gracile canid and venomous felid-like therocephalians, Xenosuchus and temnospondyls.  The latter are often a problem as the walrodonts transition from land to water or vice versa.  However, none of these are nearly as dangerous as the hovasaurs.  These newt-ish basal diapsids have developed into mosasaur-like predators in the sea where they are a real danger to the young.  They didn't develop the fish-like tail though.

The walrodonts are herbivores.  They dive to eat the kelp-like algae forests.  P makradens eats the ones growing throughout the Ural Sea, even becoming something of a deep diver since the Ural Sea is so well mixed.  They will occasionally take a shelly bivalve for the mineral supplement.  They have coevolved with the local marine forest algae where the algae grows rather fast and sometimes had been called sea kudzu.  A colony of walrodonts might mow their way through the algae forest only for it to be largely regrown in a matter of weeks.  

Psittacops makradens is not the only species of walrodont.  There are four others.  Two others are of the same genera and live in Tethys.  Psittacops erythros is common in the western Tethys on the shores of the mainland and Psittacops corvus resides in the islands and archipelagoes of the eastern Tethys.  In the Panthalassa, on the northern mainland of Pangaea coast resides Ododenodon millerensis, a very robust and heavily tusked species (pictured above).  A cogeneric species, O. amos is on the southern coast of Pangaea.  

The walrodonts would survive through the XenoPermian-Jurassic Extinction.  However, they would not make it past the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition, save for a single species.  It would die out though by the time of Middle Cretaceous during the anoxic events.  Their form would not be replicated by Juxtarodentia in the Allozoic, the surviving lineage of dicynodonts would not return to the sea.  Therocephalians would have a chubby descendant that would like vaguely like a walrus, but without the tusks in the Allozoic glaciations though.

Report: Rafale Procurement Deal by India Could be Concluded Within 10 Days

India's purchase of French Rafale fighter jets could be concluded in about 10 days, a source with knowledge of talks on the deal told Reuters on Friday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in April he had ordered 36 Rafale fighters to modernize his country's warplane fleet, though detailed terms and conditions remained to be settled.

Modi had opted to deal directly with the French government after three years of inconclusive negotiations with the plane's manufacturer, Dassault.

"Things are getting better with India," the source said. "An agreement could be seen in about 10 days."

link.

Ukraine War Update: Газообразования лягушку

Something in the extraordinary claim regime just happened in Artemivsk. 

Ten 'Santa Maria' Battalion (another volunteer battalion, iirc) reported ten of its soldiers are hospitalized from chemical effects. They are claiming chemical weapons were used. I am hoping some chemical plant was hit and leaking.

Ukraine War Update: плакала так трудно лягушачий смеялись

As Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces took over Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in early 2014, the interim Ukrainian government was debating whether or not to fight back against the "little green men" Russia had deployed. But the message from the Barack Obama administration was clear: avoid military confrontation with Moscow.

link.

You fscking idiots.  How could you possibly misunderstand the culture as to do this?!

Wait! What?! Scientists Create Magnetic "Wormhole"

This device can transmit the magnetic field from one point in space to another point, through a path that is magnetically invisible," said study co-author Jordi Prat-Camps, a doctoral candidate in physics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain. "From a magnetic point of view, this device acts like a wormhole, as if the magnetic field was transferred through an extra special dimension."

link.

More like a magnetic cloaking device. Using materials.

How Russia Might Fight its Future Wars

Given the amount of attention paid over the last year to the capabilities of the Russian military, it is worth considering how the evolving character of warfare over the next 10-20 years is likely to affect Russia’s military capabilities when compared to leading Western states.

The trend toward greater automation, including the use of remote control weapons and AI-driven autonomous warfare, will increasingly put the Russian military at a disadvantage. Russia does not have the technology to match Western automated systems and lacks the capabilities to develop such systems on its own in the foreseeable future. Russia’s defense industry is well behind Western militaries in automated control systems, strike drones, and advanced electronics of all kinds.

The Russian government has recognized these gaps and, until recently, was attempting to rectify them through cooperation with the Western defense industry. However, the freezing of military cooperation between NATO member states and Russia in the aftermath of the annexation of Crimea and the concurrent imposition of sanctions by most Western states will preclude the rapid acquisition of advanced military and dual-use technology by Russian defense firms for the foreseeable future. Financial constraints resulting from the budget crisis that has occurred because of the decline in oil prices will also hinder the development and deployment of weapons using new technologies.

As a result, Russia will have to look for alternative ways to counter Western automated technologies.

link.

Also, bonus link about how the PAK-FA is planned to be used in combat.

Ukraine War Update: Предупреждение война, лягушачий

The Ukrainian government has stated an offensive by the rebels in the east by the 24th.

The Russians and rebels have stated they have found the plans the Ukrainians are planning on surrounding Donetsk and retaking Debaltseve. Its either just boring propaganda or plausible pretext.

Then again, there's the belief in August being Russia Friday the 13th.  August was when the Russians intervened directly in the Donbass.

Also keep in mind, 4 Ukrainian soldiers died in the last 24 hours.

And the DNR is threatening to kill the OSCE observers.