Take a look at today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day.  It’s of a green aurora over Lake Superior.

As the climate heats up and permafrost thaws, we’re discovering more feedback problems in relation to global warming.  For instance, the latest study of the thawing lakes in Siberia shows they are now releasing “up to five times as much methane as previously thought.”  Because methane is an even more potent greenhouse gas than is carbon dioxide, more thawing around the globe as temperatures rise could produce even more methane, and therein lies the feedback loop in global warming: the worse it gets, the faster it gets worse.

Take a look at these nature galleries.  There are two of deep sea creatures and one of sea otters.  [via Craig at Deep-Sea News]

And yet another reason why overmedication and improper use of antibiotics present a significant danger: “A ‘virtually untreatable’ form of [tuberculosis] has emerged, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).”  Cases have “been seen worldwide, including in the US, Eastern Europe and Africa, although Western Europe has had no cases.”  Currently, regular TB causes about 1.7 million deaths per year around the globe, but this new strain could dramatically increase that number.

The furor over ABC’s election-year Republican propaganda piece about 9/11 continues to grow.  Now Representatives from the House have contacted Disney/ABC about its flaws.  In addition, it’s being pushed to schools as a learning aide despite it being full of lies and distortions.  Oh, and even better is that a counter-terrorism official from the Bush administration has even spoken out about it being untrue.  The list goes on: ABC only sent advanced copies to folks like Rush Limbaugh and conservative bloggers; it has denied screenings for Clinton and Berger (both of whom are dishonestly depicted in the film); it places full blame for 9/11 on Clinton and his administration and makes Bush out to be a victim of circumstances well outside his control or knowledge; it claims the Clinton administration had Usama bin Laden surrounded in Afghanistan and decided not to kill him (a part of the film that already has been shot down by conservatives and liberals alike); it misrepresents what we know about the crash of United 93 in Pennsylvania; the list goes on.  Whatever you do, don’t watch the garbage, and better yet you should write to ABC and voice your displeasure with their billing it as “based on the 9/11 Commission Report” when in fact it is only based on the opinions of conservatives and a Republican member of the commission (all Democrats and liberals were excluded from its making, and it contradicts the Commission Report in many ways).  This is a case of ABC using lies described as factually based in order to sway the rapidly looming election.  And did someone say the media was liberal?

Christians are still throwing hissyfits about the hominid fossil display in Kenya.  This time, they’re stomping their little feet and saying, literally, that it’s an “insult” and they “can’t stand it”.  As Ed Brayton said, tough shit.  This collection represents the most complete fossil record of the evolution of Homo sapiens.  It proves Kenya is the cradle of the modern human species.  The display represents factual truth as told by fossils dating back millions of years; it is not, much unlike Christianity, some lunatic’s superstition manifest as cult.  To stand and look this evidence in the face and deny it so blatantly is as dishonest and misleading as one could possibly be.  Is this the “truth” religions are trying to teach us: if it doesn’t agree with a belief, hide the facts?  I’m sorry that the evidence shows creation myths are absolutely wrong.  I’m sorry it contradicts a fairy tale and childhood cult indoctrination that distorts science and teaches people to ignore whatever is inconvenient.  But none of that has anything whatsoever to do with putting the collection on display.  We will not stand in the presence of such profound scientific evidence and utterly betray our quest for knowledge by denying it even exists.  If you want to believe Earth is flat, go right ahead, but stop pushing that bullshit stupidity on the rest of the world, especially in a case like this where what has been found is of such significant importance that every person on the planet needs to see it.  How infuriatingly wretched these people are.