Time lapse videos of change on Earth

A blog at the Wired magazine website has a series of interesting changes in the earth over the past decade, sometimes for good but usually for, well, not good.

For example, take a look at a time lapse of Lake Powell in Utah and the effects of a drought on the lake over the past ten years:

Southern Utah’s Lake Powell was once teeming with boaters, fishers and vacationers. But from 2000 to 2005 its water level dropped from 20 million to 8 million acre-feet, due to severe drought. Water levels have rebounded a bit, but are expected to plummet to levels even lower than those of 2005 during the next serious drought.

Interesting things for a Thursday night

• Visual Illusions
  
  Thanks to Bad Astronomy, I found these illusions that will psych you out. Don't believe me? Check out The Break of the Curveball. I could stare at this for hours. Or at least a few minutes before moving on to the next thing...


• Why Oprah loves Jenny McCarthy
  
  Again via Bad Astronomy, Skeptimedia looks at why Oprah decided that Jenny McCarthy needed her own show to spew her misinformation about vaccines. It also explains why Dr. Phil has a TV show, a mystery that has baffled the world for years.


• Gladwell-Simmons II: Ultimate rematch
  
  It's best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell (Blink, Outliers, etc.) vs. ESPN's internet king Bill Simmons (the Sports Guy, Boston homer, etc.). Because where else are you going to get discussions about Larry Holmes, the all-time best basketball team made solely out of white guys and why Gladwell ignored Jennifer Anniston's advances? PLUS, it comes in three parts.


• Woot-off!
  
  A woot-off is going on right now! What, you don't know what that is!? Well after reading this you will.


• #GoogleFail…Had Something to Do With Airplanes
  
  Did you get caught up in the epic failing of Google this morning? Well, now we know why. And it had something to do with planes. Or a metaphor with planes. Or something.


• Manny Ramirez: 'Am I In Trouble?'
  
  Finally, a link from American's Finest News Source, The Onion. I don't think I need to explain anything here.