The Cosmic Tusk

June 17, 2010

Breaking: Dirt balls -- not diamonds?

(Press Release, Royal Holloway, University of London) — A team of scientists – led by Professor Andrew C Scott of the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London – have revealed that neither comet nor catastrophe were the cause for abrupt climate change some 12,900 years ago. Theories of impacts and their influence on animal extinctions and climate…

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Random Tusks

June 12, 2010

Younger Dryas Impact debate rocking to and fro' in PNAS

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Random Tusks

June 4, 2010

THREEPEET!!!: Jupiter takes third hit in two decades; second in a year

Astronomers around the world are shocked — shocked! — to once again witness a world busting impact on Jupiter. Regular readers of the Tusk know better. Notwithstanding patronizing dismissals urging us all to “move along, nothing to see here,” we know that the solar system is a far more dangerous place than acknowledged by the wise men and their calculations. We know…

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May 26, 2010

Perigee Zero: Carolina Bays in the Midwest

I had the good fortune to meet Michael Davias, the author of the Perigee Zero website, at the AGU Fall meeting last December. Mike has taken the Bay phenomena on-line better than anyone — including me. He has also been fearless in his (well considered) speculation. I have long intended to get Perigee Zero properly linked and posted on the Tusk. I am particularly interested in posting…

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May 24, 2010

New Study: Impact frequency on Jupiter wrong by order of magnitude

More proof the emperor is buck naked from Physics ArXiv Blog: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 The strike on Jupiter last year raises the likelihood of future impacts by an order of magnitude, says a new study. But what does it mean for the Earth? Last July, an amateur astronomer noticed that a mysterious dark bruise about the size of the Earth had suddenly appeared on the surface of Jupiter. Within…

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May 14, 2010

Journal of Cosmology Part II: Terry Jones

Archaeological Perspectives on the ExtraTerrestrial Impact Hypothesis, 12,900 B.P.: A View from Western North America Terry L. Jones, Ph.D. Abstract The 12,900 B.P. extraterrestrial impact hypothesis has been introduced into American archaeology at a time when longstanding explanations for the Paleoindian archaeological record encompassed by the Clovis-first and Pleistocene Overkill theories have…

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May 14, 2010

Journal of Cosmology (Part I): Napier

Crumbling Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 Approaches Today I added a link to the ‘Great Link’s on the right sidebar to a fine ET extinction and Younger Dryas Boundary round-robin thrown last year by the Journal of Cosmology. The Journal solicited a number of distinguished contributers both supportive and dismissive of the idea the earth encountered a game-changing cosmic…

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May 8, 2010

Blinded By Debate: Steve McIntyre's Climate Audit and AGW Skeptics direct fire on friendly Baillie

I often find myself privately obsessed with comparing the Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) debate with the far more obscure ET Climate Catastrophe (ETCC) debate — particularly the nature and role of The Skeptic of Mortal Peril in each. The Skeptic of Mortal Peril in the AGW debate is defined by the fearless pajamaed retirees like Steve McIntyre at Climate Audit. While The Skeptic of…

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Random Tusks

May 4, 2010

Deep-time Impact Induced Volcanism: A Colloquy

The Tusk is going slightly off-topic to cover the fascinating discussion of Citizen Castastrophists Hermann Burchard and Han Kloostermann concerning their belief that volcanic hot-spots are caused by impacts in deep time (deep time being the off-topic part). I’m in Austin, Texas all week at the national swamp swappers conference, which makes me a busy bee. So please excuse the formatting…

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April 27, 2010

Guest Blog: Rodney Chilton author of 'Sudden Cold: An Examination of the Younger Dryas Cold Reversal'

Rod Chilton, author of the most recent (and perhaps only) comprehensive review of Younger Dryas science, was kind to contribute this fine critique of David Morrison’s recent paper in Skeptical Enquirer. I am reading Rod’s excellent book and look forward to reviewing it soon: The debate continues as to the cause of the more than 1,000 year-long cold interval known as the Younger Dryas.

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The archives

Breaking: Dirt balls -- not diamonds?

Younger Dryas Impact debate rocking to and fro' in PNAS

THREEPEET!!!: Jupiter takes third hit in two decades; second in a year

Perigee Zero: Carolina Bays in the Midwest

New Study: Impact frequency on Jupiter wrong by order of magnitude

Journal of Cosmology Part II: Terry Jones

Journal of Cosmology (Part I): Napier

Blinded By Debate: Steve McIntyre's Climate Audit and AGW Skeptics direct fire on friendly Baillie

Deep-time Impact Induced Volcanism: A Colloquy

Guest Blog: Rodney Chilton author of 'Sudden Cold: An Examination of the Younger Dryas Cold Reversal'

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