One of the better ways to tell if a model works at predicting the future is to run it in reverse to see how well it predicts the past. Climate change models so far have had their limitations. Most current models have significantly underestimated the rate of climate change. But where does one find accurate climate data for the last century or two? For more than a decade climate scientists have been using weather observations from ship’s logs to build the database they need to track climate conditions over time.
Thousands of ships logs with millions of weather observations have been collected and have provided a veritable treasure trove of climate data. One problem, however, is how to convert information recorded in pen and ink on paper in the old logs into a form that can be used for analysis in computer models.
In addition to more than 24 people who have died in the terrible Australian bushfires, an incredible number of animals have also perished. Estimates of wildlife deaths range from 
The Winter 2020 edition of 
Good ideas are rarely new. Container ships revolutionized liner shipping in the 1960s and 70s. Nevertheless, the idea of carrying cargo in easily handled standardized containers goes back at least 2,000 years.
Shortly after winning the Sydney Hobart Race for the third time, the 
An interesting new technology, involving special fibers that change color when they are under strain, is allowing scientists to analyze the efficiency of knots. The technology is described in a recent paper by a team lead 
Just before the New Year, 
As we have 
Six men have become the first to 
The temperatures in Australia have been hotter than ever recorded in history. Wildfires are raging, filling the air of several cities, including Sydney, with acrid smoke. Drought is choking a significant portion of the country.
The five 100′ long maxi yachts dominated the 75th sailing of the 
When Category 4 
We recently posted about the 105th anniversary of the