11 Aug
Weather
Expectations
Week 33
Day
223 Flag Today 84°/61°
Wind 4 mph
Gusts 8 mph
Risk of fire Moderate Active Fire: 132 miles away
Nearest Lightning: 1 miles
away Humidity: 35%
Air Quality: Moderate Sunshine Partly Cloudy Rain
July Averages: Temps: 82°\51° 9
days with rain
Today’s Observances:
Global
Kinetic Sand Day Link
Ingersoll Day
National Align Your Teeth Day Link Link Link
National Hip Hop Day Link
National Sons and Daughters Day
Popsicle Day Link
Presidential Joke Day
World Steelpan Day
Weekly Observances:
Sturgis
Rally: 7-16 Link
Elvis Week: 8-16 Link
Assistance Dog Week: 9-15
National Resurrect Romance Week: 9-15
Weird Contest Week: 9-15
National Bargain Hunting Week: 9-15
World Karaoke Championships:
10-13 Link
Safe + Sound Week: 10-16 Link
Fresh Quotation:
Today’s Reflection:
It’s another day of clouds, thunder, lightning, rain. Much needed
for sure.
It was the same yesterday, so today is just a repeat. Our forest
really needs moisture.
It looks like Ultra-processed food is finally under scrutiny. It is
really hard not to be overwhelmed by the amount of ultra-processed food we put
in our bodies and the bodies of our pets.
I hope this leads to more study of some of these foods and if they are
good for us or dangerous for our long-term health. I know I had eaten much less
fresh food before my recent illness than I am now. I feel better with the fresh
stuff. It’s not always as convenient, but it is so much more healthy.
Historical events
Cool to know about language:
The Oscars used to give out an award to child performers.
The award show discontinued the Academy
Juvenile Award in 1960 after famous names like Shirley Temple and Judy Garland
nabbed the honor. Also no longer on the ballot? Best Dance Direction and Best
Title Writing.
Today in
Science:
Ticklishness is a
distinct, specialized body sensation, and how people experience it seems to be
consistent across cultures, two neuroscientists have found. The study,
published on 10 August in Nature Human Behaviour1, lays the groundwork for
standardized, systematic research into tickling.
Humans are not the only
ticklish animals: other great apes tickle
each other, and rats and
meerkats (Suricata suricatta) respond to tickling by humans — suggesting
that the sensation has been preserved across evolution. Known as gargalesis,
the kind of tickling used in the study is associated with play and involves
using strong, repetitive pressure to elicit laughter and squirming. A different
type of tickling, known as knismesis, uses a feather-light touch and doesn’t
trigger laughter. Knismesis has attracted research attention because of its
similarity to itching, a feature of several medical conditions, says Ziliang Xiong,
a neuroscientist at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and first
author of the study.
But for a long time,
gargalesis was taken seriously only by a few scientists, and as a result, it is
“really a very poorly understood sensation,” says Michael Brecht, a
neuroscientist at Humboldt University in Berlin who studies ticklishness in
rats and in humans.
Picture of the Day:
Also the winner of the
“Planets, Comets, and Asteroids” category, Gerald Rhemann now bears the title
of Astronomy Photographer of the Year with his image, Disconnection
event. The picture shows Comet Leonard’s gas tail being swept away by solar
wind.
“Rhemann’s astonishing
image of Comet Leonard, a long-period comet first identified in January 2021,
was captured by the Austrian photographer in Namibia on Christmas Day. Comet
Leonard was the brightest comet of the year in 2021 but won’t be seen from Earth
again,” the jury writes.
“When I first saw this
image of Comet Leonard, I was blown away. This picture of a recent visitor to
our Solar System has been captured beautifully. The stars in the background
give the comet’s tail a magical appearance. I could stare at this image all day,”
commented Melissa Brobby, judge and Social Media Officer for the Institute of Physics.
Harper’s Index from Funny Times:
Minimum number of international trips given as
gifts to US House of Represtrentatives and their staffers last year: 351
Number of those trips that were to Israel: 156
Today’s Birthdays:
Chris Hemsworth Movie Actor
43 years old
Birthplace Melbourne, Australia
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Hulk Hogan [Terry Gene Bollea] Wrestler
[1953-2025] @71 heart attack
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Joe Rogan Podcast Host
59 years old
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Viola Davis Movie
Actress 61 years old
Birthplace St. Mathews, SC
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Ian McDiarmid Movie Actor
82 years old
Birthplace Carnoustie, Scotland
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That’s
All for Now
