Backup Blog for KaiYves

Radio set "Pop 70", 1969,

System designed by Hans Vagt and Peter Bannert for Blaupunkt, Hildesheim, Germany,

Wood, plastic, metal,

Radio: 47cm / 18.5” wide, 19cm / 7.5” deep and 14cm / 5.5” high.

Orion over the Central Bohemian Highlands

So, uh

Sam Neill passed away.

A lot of people know him as Dr. Grant from Jurassic Park, but Sam Neill has an incredible catalogue of film and television, stretching back to 1975 on the big screen, but he cut his teeth in university productions of Shakespearean dramas.

All this to say, Sam Neill never let himself get pigeonholed as an actor. He was an incredibly versatile actor with a plethora of roles and genres to his name.

And that's not even touching upon his interests outside of acting. He was a passionate vintner (of the Two Paddocks winery) and an outspoken environmentalist who frequently spoke out against political policy that negatively affected indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand.

Jurassic Park is an incredible film, and I know many people have fond memories of the original trilogy.

The Grid Compass: The First Laptop in Space

The Grid Compass debuted in 1982 and revolutionized the world of portable computers. On November 28, 1983, the first unit launched aboard NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia, making it the first laptop to reach space. British industrial designer Bill Moggridge created the iconic clamshell design, which became the foundation for all modern laptops. NASA used the device as SPOC (Shuttle Portable On-Board Computer) for onboard navigation and telemetry purposes.

Technical Specifications:

Processor: Intel 8086 16-bit

RAM: 256 KB

Non-volatile memory: 384 KB bubble memory

Display: 9.5-inch electroluminescent, 25x80 characters

Modem: 300/1200 baud

Case: magnesium alloy

Weight: approximately 11 pounds (5 kg)

Price: USD 8,150 (1982)

HiPOD: The Richness of Layers

This stunning image features dozens of layers in the walls of a graben on the flanks of Arsia Mons. These layers could be yet unmapped volcanic units (lavas or ash deposits) and their identification can lead to a greater understanding of the history of this volcanic terrain. Material from this wall likely mantled the ice-rich deposits on the graben floor, and a 3D model can also characterize erosion patterns on the wall.

Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km across; grayscale is less than 5 km. For full image including scale bar, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_077124_1725 date: 8 January 2023 altitude: 256 km

Finding globular star cluster Omega Centauri’s first known stellar-mass black hole required time and the united efforts of the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes.

Models suggest that Omega Centauri, which is composed of 10 million gravitationally bound stars, should also contain about 10,000 stellar-mass black holes. However, observational evidence of their existence has remained scarce … until now.

2026 July 13

Auroras from Space Image Credit: ESA, NASA, ISS Expedition 74; Capture: Sophie Adenot; Music: Circle of Light (Patrick Hawes & Grace Davidson)

Explanation: What do auroras look like from above? Behold! From the ground, auroras dance high above clouds, frequently causing spectacular displays. From space, they look a bit different. As the International Space Station (ISS) circles the Earth every 90 minutes, it sometimes sees auroras below that are active on the night side. A one-hour time-lapse video showing auroras from above was captured about two weeks ago from the orbiting ISS. The ISS -- and all objects in low Earth orbit -- will pass well above green auroras but just a bit above red glowing auroras. The auroras' electron and proton streams are too thin to be a danger to the ISS, just as clouds pose little danger to airplanes. From orbit, as magnetic fields change, auroras can appear to squiggle and crawl like giant snakes. The featured one-minute video was captured by French astronaut Sophie Adenot of the ISS Expedition 74 crew.