Tour of the Solar System: Ceres

On November 27, 2023December 4, 2023 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

Guess what’s back, back again?
Some Geek Told Me’s Tour of the Solar System, tell a friend,
Guess what’s back? Guess what’s back?
Guess what’s back? Guess what’s back?
Guess what’s back? Guess what’s back?
Guess what’s back?

The world’s worst Solar System tour is back for another week, it’s Some Geek Told Me’s Tour of the Solar System! As always, if you want to catch up on our previous inadequate tour stops, you can find them here:

1.) Meet the Family

2.) The Sun

3.) Planets vs. Dwarf planets

4.) Mercury

5.) Venus

6.) Earth

7.) The Moon

8.) Mars

9.) The Asteroid Belt

If you remember from last month, we had left Mars and journeyed into the vast expanse of the Asteroid Belt. It’s within this region that we arrive at our destination: Ceres.

“Ceres? What in the hell is Ceres? There’s no planet in our Solar System named Ceres!”

I don’t need to be a Omega Level Mutant or have access to a TARDIS, to know what you’re thinking. Yes, you are 100% correct. There is no planet in our Solar System named Ceres. The catch is that Ceres is actually a dwarf planet.

If you’re confused about the differences between planets and dwarf planets, our third tour stop was about that very topic.

So…Ceres. Where do we begin? Apart from Bizarro World and using a DeLorean time machine, let’s start at the beginning. At our best understanding, Ceres was formed around 4.5 billion years ago, which puts it near the time of the formation of the inner or terrestrial planets.

Scientists believe that Ceres didn’t form in the Asteroid Belt, or even inside Mars’ orbit, but rather somewhere between Jupiter and Saturn. Over hundreds of millions of years, Ceres migrated and settled in the Asteroid Belt, after taking out a long-term lease.

Fast forward to 1st January 1801, where an Italian Catholic priest called Giuseppe Piazzi, discovered Ceres. This has sparked debate over the years, as to what Ceres is and how it should be classified, which has included planet, asteroid, and comet; with the final classification of a dwarf planet in 2006. This makes Ceres the only dwarf planet inside Neptune’s orbit, and the closest to our local star.

Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture, which is also the origin of the word cereal. Someone really needs to name a planet Coco Pops, because that would be cool. Ceres is also single, as it has no rings, as well as no moons.

As you can clearly imagine, Ceres is a lot smaller than Earth, Mercury, or the Moon. Ceres has a diameter of 939 km, which means out of the five recognised dwarf planets in our Solar System, Ceres is the smallest. Having just said that, Ceres makes up 25% of the total mass of the Asteroid Belt.

Given Ceres’ poky size, it still orbits the Sun, with an average distance of 413 million kilometres, which takes 22 minutes for the Sun’s light to reach Ceres; as opposed to Earth’s eight minutes. Ceres’ orbital speed is 17.9 km/s, which is still slower than UMC2 running to eat chocolate.

1,682 Earth days, or roughly 4 years and 6 months, is the length of time it takes Ceres to orbit the Sun, which equals one year. However, one day on Ceres is only 9 hours, because of its rotation. Imagine a day that’s only 9 hours!

Ceres also has a few quirky aspects to it. Its axis of rotation is slightly tilted compared to its orbit around the Sun. This allows Ceres to avoid experiencing seasons, unlike Earth and other tilted planets, which is quite bizarre. Given its small size, Ceres is also covered in more craters, than pimples on a teenage boy’s face. I’m allowed to say that because I’ve lived that experience.

Ceres does have an atmosphere, but it’s very thin. Traces of water vapour were detected by the Dawn spacecraft in 2015, though the leading hypothesis is that it’s caused by cryovolcanoes, which is an awesome term for “ice volcanoes.” Instead of lava spewing out of the vents, cryovolcanoes erupt methane, ammonia, or water, but because of the cold environment, the vents eject plumes and vapour. This geological process also occurs on many other moons in the Solar System, so it’s not unheard of.

If any microorganisms do live on Ceres, they would have to be able to survive the crippling temperatures. They can range from −73 °C (−100 °F) in the daytime on the surface, to -143 °C (225 °F). That’s not exactly holiday weather, is it?

Scientists are curious about Ceres for multiple reasons. It’s estimated that Ceres has a mantle of water ice, which means, potentially, Ceres could be made up of 25% water. Using the latest gadgets from NASA like Dawn, gave us information and images about Ceres’ ice craters and cryovolcanoes. This gives us the tiny chance there could be organic life in the form of microorganisms, living in the water ice.

This is exciting for two reasons:

1.) Just like the Moon, having another planetoid like Ceres with ice reserves is invaluable for a spacefaring civilisation. This is because the water could be mined and used for either rocket fuel or liquid water for astronauts and their crops.

2.) The possibility of finding life outside of Earth is strong, if liquid water can be found. One of the best places in our Solar System for this is in the form of interior oceans and cryovolcanoes, and Ceres is a great place to look.

The funny thing is, whenever I think of humans drinking water from another source, other than Earth, I think of the Doctor Who episode, The Waters of Mars. Even now, The Flood is still terrifying!

Ceres gets a bum rap, as it’s often left off Solar System charts or diagrams, which to this geek, is utterly crazy, purely because Ceres was discovered 45 years before Neptune! Anyway, there’s a lot more to Ceres, but alas, our time is up for this week. What’s your favourite Ceres fact? As always, please let me know.

We are making a slow and steady march to Christmas, which is always equal parts interesting, and insanity. I’ve a got Christmas blog coming soon, but not next week. This is because on 1st December, Some Geek Told Me will be turning three years old…and I don’t know what that means.

Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, bend your knees when picking up your comic box, and I’ll see you next week.

Will the real Cricket World Cup trophy please stand up?

On November 20, 2023November 27, 2023 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Sports

I love cricket, even though I’m a crap batter. Cricket is a crazy and confusing sport at the best of times. Seriously, it really is, because everything in the video below is true.

I told you, cricket is crazy. Have you ever tried to explain the rules of cricket to someone; especially someone from a country where cricket is not popular? It’s madness!

But do you know what is also madness? The Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy. On Sunday 19th November 2023, Australia lifted the Men’s Cricket World Cup for a record 6th time. The 2023 Cricket World Cup was the 13th edition of the competition, but it was only the 7th time the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy had been used. In total, there have been five different Cricket World Cup Trophies!

I told you that cricket is crazy!

1975-1983 (Prudential World Cup Trophy)

The first Men’s Cricket World Cup was hosted by England in 1975, and the main sponsor of the tournament was Prudential, which is a British multinational insurance company. This won’t come as a huge surprise that the trophy was named The Prudential Cup, so the tournament and trophy were known as the same thing.

The West Indies won the tournament in 1975, beating Australia in the final, thus being the first team to win the World Cup and lift the trophy. England hosted the tournament again in 1979, with the West Indies defeating England in the final, and in 1983, India defeated the West Indies in the final, to become world champions for the first time.

The trophy now sits at the Lord’s cricket museum, London, England.

1987 (Reliance World Cup Trophy)

The 1987 World Cup tournament was moved outside of England for the first time because India and Pakistan were the co-hosts. This World Cup had another change, which was over the sponsorship rights. Reliance Industries, which is an Indian multinational conglomerate was the new sponsor.

This resulted in the World Cup being known as the Reliance World Cup, as well as getting a brand new trophy; which you guessed it, was known as the Reliance World Cup Trophy. This trophy was gold-plated and covered in diamonds, which was estimated to have cost around 600,000 Indian rupees, and adjusted for inflation, around 8 million rupees at today’s price.

Australia became world champions for the first time by winning the final against England, and they remain the only country to have won this trophy. I’m unsure of its location, but I would guess it would be held in some cricket museum in Australia.

1992 (Benson and Hedges World Cup Trophy)

The 1992 World Cup moved to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time, with Australia and New Zealand co-hosting the tournament. History likes to repeat itself because the sponsorship and naming rights changed again.

Benson & Hedges, a cigarette conglomerate of all things, became the new sponsor, along with renaming the tournament and a new trophy. The Benson & Hedges World Cup Trophy is a Waterford crystal globe on a wooden base, which was accompanied by the logos of all nine teams. This trophy was rumoured to have cost around £8,000, and adjusted for inflation, around £16,900 at today’s price.

Pakistan won the final, defeating England by 22 runs. There are three facts from the final:

1.) This was Pakistan’s first and only World Cup title.

2.) Pakistan were the only team to have ever won the Benson & Hedges World Cup Trophy.

3.) The trophy is situated at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore, Pakistan.

The Benson & Hedges World Cup Trophy Credit: ICC

1996 (Wills World Cup Trophy)

In 1996, the Cricket World Cup returned to the subcontinent, with India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka co-hosting the tournament. By now you would have noticed the tournament’s new name; Wills World Cup, named after another cigarette company, Wills, after they won the sponsorship and naming rights.

The newly named and designed Wills World Cup Trophy was won by Sri Lanka, defeating Australia in the final by 7 wickets. Just like the 1992 tournament, some facts are important about this trophy.

1.) This was Sri Lanka’s first and only World Cup title.

2.) Sri Lanka were the only team to have ever won the Wills World Cup Trophy.

3.) The trophy is situated at the Sri Lanka Cricket Museum, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Wills World Cup Trophy
Credit: Sri Lanka Cricket

1999-Present (ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy)

24 years after the first tournament, the ICC (International Cricket Council) decided to change things up and award their own trophy. With England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands co-hosting, the ICC unveiled the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy.

This trophy has been constructed from gold and silver, and the centre piece is a golden globe, which is held up by three columns. The symbolism here is represented with the columns, which are shaped as stumps and bails; as well as batting, bowling, and fielding, the three fundamental aspects of cricket. The globe also represents a cricket ball.

The trophy’s height is 60 cm and the weight is approximately 11.0567 kilograms. The names of the previous winners are engraved on the base of the trophy, with space for more. I think the trophy was valued at around £25,000, but I could be wrong.

From 1999, the winning team of each tournament is awarded this trophy; but there’s a catch. As Uddipta Banerjee explained:

“The original World Cup trophy remains at the ICC headquarters in Dubai. A replica of the trophy, which is identical to the original in all aspects apart from the inscriptions of the previous champions, is awarded to the winning team of the Cricket World Cup and remains in their possession.”

The ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy
Credit: Reuters

So, will the real Cricket World Cup trophy please stand up? You have five to choose from. Alright, that’s another blog finished for yet another week, so I hope you’ve enjoyed it. And speaking of enjoying things, guess what’s coming back next week? I’ll give you a clue, Brian May, Michelle Thaller, Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Brian Cox, and Becky Smethurst, would want nothing to do with it.

That’s right, our Tour of the Solar System continues! Yay. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. My third anniversary of running New Zealand’s 5th least favourite website is coming up soon, so that’s going to be an achievement of a sort.

Anyway, please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, go and lose at Risk, watch out for the Fagradalsfjall volcano, and I’ll see you next week.

Geographical Misconceptions: Part Two

On November 13, 2023November 20, 2023 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Geography

I had a meeting a few weeks ago with Some Geek Told Me’s Social Media Consultant and Creative Director. I’ll admit that the discussion was fairly one-sided, however, a decision was made that another Geographical Misconceptions blog needed to be created. The first list of geographical misconceptions can be found here, but it’s nearly two years old. That seems like a long time, though I feel that’s the same length of time it takes a Greenland Shark to blink.

To clarify what a geographical misconception means; at least to me, is a piece of information that people believe to be true, but actually is false.

Just like Superman has various weaknesses, my weaknesses are disinformation, misinformation, and misconceptions.¹ Whenever I hear one of those three types of garbage, my left eye twitches, and my right foot starts tapping. This is me fighting the urge to say something, until I fail, as always, to shut my big fat mouth.

The first list had seven geographical misconceptions, but for the sequel, I’m only going for five. So without wasting any more time, I’ll quote the creator of New Zealand’s fifth least favourite website:

Here are some geographical misconceptions that, to my eternal shame, upset me.

1.) Europe is a country

Very much like the misconception of Africa being a country, this falsehood is very convincing to some people. Their argument would be that Europe has its own currency (Euro €), and its own flag, so it must be a country. Oh, alias, the supermarket is open, but nobody is shopping.

The Euro (€) is a form of currency that’s used in 20 of the 27 countries in the European Union (EU). This means a €20 note you received in Germany, could be spent in Spain or Italy; it has the same value.

There are some countries, microstates, and territories in and outside of Europe that use the Euro as well. However some countries like the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Sweden are located in Europe, but they still use their own currency.

As for the flag, they would be referring to the EU flag, and it represents the union of the 27 countries of the EU. As the United Kingdom is a great example, not every country in Europe is in the EU.²

Europe is not a country, simply because it is a continent.

2.) Mount Kilimanjaro is in Kenya

I can understand why this misconception exists, I really do, but it’s still wrong. Everybody knows that Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and that it is located in Kenya, right? Not quite. Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, but it’s not in Kenya; it’s actually in Tanzania.

Kenya shares a border with Tanzania to the south, and Mount Kilimanjaro is extremely close to the border. However, 100% of the mountain is on the Tanzanian side of the border. A lot of famous photos advertising Mount Kilimanjaro have been taken in Kenya, but make no mistake, Mount Kilimanjaro is not in Kenya, it’s in Tanzania.

3.) The Giza necropolis is in the middle of a desert

Let’s clear something up first. The Giza necropolis refers to the Giza Plateau, which includes; along with other ancient structures, the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx of Giza.

We’ve all seen amazing photos of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, like these for example:

The photos give the impression that the Giza necropolis is in the middle of a desert, well away from human civilisation, but the truth is always stranger than fiction. The Giza necropolis is extremely close to the city of Giza, which is also known as Greater Cairo, so it’s actually a short bus ride from the city.

So there you go, these ancient structures are over 4,000 years old, but they’re actually close to roads, apartment blocks, hotels, and a Pizza Hut.

4.) Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth

This misconception is a technicality, but like any good Vulcan, we should embrace it. Mount Everest is located in the Himalayas, along the China–Nepal border. From the base to the summit, Mount Everest measures 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft). It’s the roof of the world, there is no other point on Earth that is higher. So naturally this would mean that Mount Everest would be the tallest mountain on Earth, correct?

That’s not entirely correct. This is confusing, but on the island of Hawaii, which makes up one of the several islands of the US state of Hawaii, there is a volcano named Mauna Kea. Above sea level, Mauna Kea measures 4,205 m (13,796 ft).

But here’s the technicality; over 50% of Mauna Kea is actually underwater. From the underwater base to the summit, Mauna Kea is actually 10,211 m (33,500 ft), which is more than 1.3 km higher than Mount Everest. This makes Mauna Kea the tallest mountain in the world because it is taller than Mount Everest; measured from the base to the summit.

There is nothing wrong with saying Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world; provided you say: Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, above sea level. By saying it’s above sea level, it makes the statement more accurate. However as I previously said, this misconception is a technicality, because Mauna Kea is actually taller.

5.) Great Britain and the United Kingdom are the same country

This one really rips my undies. It’s simple, but to explain this better, I’ll use some maps.

The countries we are discussing involve England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland.

Great Britain (territorial and legal term) is a coalition made up of England, Wales, and Scotland.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (territorial and legal term) is made up of surprise, surprise, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The British Isles (geographical term only) consists of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland.

Great Britain and the United Kingdom are not the same country.

There are so many more geographical misconceptions, that I’ll have to badly write another list. I’ll even attempt to tackle some historical misconceptions one day. Alright, that’s it for another week. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. I’m also on Twitter and Mastodon, so drop by and make fun of me for not getting paid for this.

Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, donate to the Gaza Humanitarian crisis, watch the Cricket World Cup semi-finals and final, and I’ll see you next week.

¹I know I didn’t list Sour Cream and Chives. I can and will never forget my original nemesis.

²Give us a B, give us a R, give us an E, give us a X, give us an I, and give us a T. What does it spell? DISASTER!

Every day is the same: Movie Edition

On November 6, 2023November 13, 2023 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Movies

People reliving the same day over and over again is not something new to the human experience.

It could be playing against a particular person or team, already knowing that you’re going to lose the same way, just like all the other times you have tried. It could be a new scandal rocking the government, but in reality, it’s an old one because it just keeps happening. It could be having an argument with the same person over the same thing, time, and time, and time again.

There are various ways to describe this experience of reliving the same day, again, again, and again. The first is an extreme form of déjà vu; which I feel deserves a blog post all on its own. Another is having a full-time job; every day is the same as the previous one. Another example is a time loop.

Living in a time loop could bring a plethora of emotions to the surface for a person, whether they are positive or negative, or in some cases, both of them.

Wait a minute Scott, what cases are you talking about?

I’m glad you asked. By the way, you ask amazing questions, well done.

Right, where was I? Of course, the list. Actually reliving the same day in reality would be as terrifying and dangerous as standing up at a women’s rights conference and booing. However, watching someone else work through their emotions during this traumatic time is a lot more entertaining.

I’m not an expert on pop culture, which is abundantly clear because of the lack of imagination in my writing, but also because I have not seen every movie in existence.

Having just said that I have made a list of some of my favourite movies that deal with time loops. As I ignore the sound of trumpets while I announce this, no Some Geek Told Me list would be complete without at least one exception!

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Groundhog Day (1993)

Let’s start with the most famous time loop movie of them all; Groundhog Day. Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is stuck in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, USA. It’s 2nd of February, Groundhog Day, and Connors is trapped in a time loop. No matter what happens to him during that day; no matter what, he wakes up in his bed unharmed at the inn at 6 a.m. on the 2nd of February.

Since the day is reset at 6 a.m., Connors remembers everything, but to the rest of the citizens of Punxsutawney, it’s the 2nd of February for the first time. You watch Connors experience every human emotion possible throughout his time in Punxsutawney, all the while trying to achieve a perfect day with his producer, Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell).

When you meet Connors for the first time, he’s an arse, but as the movie moves forward, you start rooting for him. He slowly starts to change, which means he starts to care about the town. I’ve always liked this movie because the concept is simple and the dialogue is funny as hell.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Based on the manga All You Need Is Kill, Edge of Tomorrow is a lot better than you think it is; it’s criminally underrated. The short version of this movie is that William Cage (Tom Cruise) is involved in a war with aliens named Mimics, that have invaded Europe.

Cage is killed during a battle after he kills a special type of alien. Some of the alien’s blood enters Cage’s body and after he dies, he wakes up on the previous day, unharmed. Cage retains the memories of the previous day, and with the help of Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), he learns the truth: every time he dies, he resets the day. And some of Cage’s deaths are hilarious!

As the movie progresses, and just like Connors in Groundhog Day, Cage starts to change. He starts to become an excellent soldier, but also a great leader. The concept of constantly dying to reset the day to win a war, brings a lot new level of intensity to a film that has amazing special and practical effects. Live. Die Repeat.

Happy Death Day (2017) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

Time looping with a masked serial killer. That is the best way to describe Happy Death Day and the sequel, Happy Death Day 2U. Theresa Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) wakes up in a strange dorm room on her birthday. Later that day, she is murdered by a person wearing a mask of her school mascot.

Gelbman then wakes up in the same dorm room, on the morning of her birthday. As the film moves along, Gelbman understands that every time she is murdered, she wakes up in the same place, at the same time. This allows Gelbman to investigate the killer’s identity, but to do so, she needs to keep dying until she learns the truth, and her deaths become very creative.

Just like Connors and Cage, Gelbman retains her memories of the past day, but nobody else. And just like Cage, Gelbman needs to die to reset the day. However there is a difference: every time she wakes up in the time loop, she is unharmed, but her body has remembered the damage, as her body shows evidence of recovering injuries.

Added that the sequel is even crazier than the original, these two films have taken the time loop genre to places that I’m ashamed to say that I enjoyed.

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash (2018)

I bet you thought I was going to discuss The Flash (2023) and not a Lego movie, right? The Joker is attacking Metropolis with laughing gas and a fun cannon, so the Justice League is out to stop him. The problem is that Flash is running late because the fastest man alive is always late!

Flash arrives and saves the day, but is drawn into a race with another speedster. Flash wakes up in his room, and just like the same morning, he is running late. Flash soon realises that every time he saves everybody, he ends up racing the strange speedster at the end, then he wakes up in his room on the same day.

Flash is caught in a time loop, and the only person who knows what is going on or could help him break out of it is the strange yellow speedster. But Flash has to catch him first! I think the actual time loop section of the film is quite small, but it’s a plot device to set Flash up for the rest of the film.

This version of a time loop is different from the others, because it’s deliberate, courtesy of the Reverse-Flash!

UMC1, UMC2, and I think it’s hilarious watching Flash go from a happy, positive, and optimistic character, to someone angry, jaded, and desperate to break free of the time loop. We love this movie because Flash is one of UMC2’s favourite superheroes. It has super speed fights, time loops, milkshakes, and a Clown Batman, or is that a Batman Clown?

And here are some honorary mentions:

Run Lola Run (1998)

Primer (2004) ¹

Premature (2014)

The Final Girls (2015)

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

Naked (2017)

Palm Springs (2020)

And now for the exception; it’s not a movie, or about a traditional time loop. However, it needs to be mentioned, because when my wife and I saw it, we were gob smacked by its originality.

Doctor Who: Season 9-Episode 11: Heaven Sent (2015)

I’m not going to give too many spoilers for this fantastic episode, because I would rather you discover it for yourself. The Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) wakes up in a teleporting tube, which appears to be inside a castle of some sort. He has no idea how he got there, how long he’s been there, or why he’s there, but he’s going to find out!

The Doctor soon discovers that he is being hunted, very slowly by a cloaked figure that never stops. The Doctor also learns that the castle is in the middle of an ocean, with no visible means of escaping. As the episode goes on, the Doctor slowly starts to learn, that somehow he has already been there before. He’s there for a very special reason, and more importantly, he has a job to accomplish.

Heaven Sent is easily the best episode of Season 9, if not one of the best episodes of Doctor Who or any television show ever. It’s a great example of why the character is beloved by fans, but also the extraordinary creativity of the production team.

Did I miss your favourite time loop movie out? As always, please let me know. Well, that’s another rant for another week. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. And just like last week, please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, donate to the Gaza Humanitarian crisis, and I’ll see you next Monday.

¹Not technically a time loop movie, but it does have time travel with loops.

SOME GEEK TOLD ME

Month: November 2023

Tour of the Solar System: Ceres

Will the real Cricket World Cup trophy please stand up?

Geographical Misconceptions: Part Two

Every day is the same: Movie Edition