#Example sources include measuring atmospheric noise

[sbnkalny]

Example sources include measuring atmospheric noise, Thermal noise, and other external electromagnetic and Quantum phenomena

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Word List: Psychology

psychological concepts as reference for your poem/story (pt. 1)

Acute stress - Results from the sudden onset of demands or events that seem to be beyond the control of the individual. This type of stress is often experienced as tension headaches, emotional upsets, gastrointestinal disturbances, and feelings of agitation and pressure.

Barnum statements - Generalities or statements that could apply to anyone. A good example is the astrology column published in daily newspapers.

Core conditions - According to Carl Rogers, in client-centered therapy, 3 core conditions must be present in order for progress to occur: (a) an atmosphere of genuine acceptance on the part of the therapist; (b) the therapist must express unconditional positive regard for the client; and (c) the client must feel that the therapist understands him or her (empathic understanding).

Daily hassles - The major sources of stress in most people’s lives. Although minor, daily hassles can be chronic and repetitive, such as having too much to do all the time, having to fight the crowds while shopping, or having to worry over money. Such daily hassles can be chronically irritating though they do not initiate the same general adaptation syndrome evoked by some major life events.

Eye-blink startle method - People typically blink their eyes when they are startled by a loud noise. Moreover, a person who is in an anxious or fearful state will blink faster and harder when startled than a person in a normal emotional state. This means that eyeblink speed when startled may be an objective physiological measure of how anxious or fearful a person is feeling. The eye-blink startle method may allow researchers to measure how anxious persons are without actually having to ask them.

Frustration - The high-arousal unpleasant subjective feeling that comes when a person is blocked from attaining an important goal. For example, a thirsty person who just lost his last bit of money in a malfunctioning soda machine would most likely feel frustration.

Global self-esteem - By far the most frequently measured component of selfesteem; defined as “the level of global regard that one has for the self as a person” (Harter, 1993, p. 88). Global self-esteem can range from highly positive to highly negative, and reflects an overall evaluation of the self at the broadest level (Kling et al., 1999). Global self-esteem is linked with many aspects of functioning and is commonly thought to be central to mental health.

Hostile forces of nature - What Darwin called any event that impedes survival. This includes food shortages, diseases, parasites, predators, and extremes of weather.

Identity foreclosure - A person does not emerge from a crisis with a firm sense of commitment to values, relationships, or career but forms an identity without exploring alternatives. An example would be young people who accept the values of their parents or their cultural or religious group without question.

Inhibitory control - Ability to control inappropriate responses or behaviors.

Source ⚜ More: On Psychology ⚜ Word Lists ⚜ Notes & References

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New limits found for dark matter properties from latest search

Cutting-edge spectrographs give most stringent limits for dark matter lifetime

A team led by a member of Tokyo Metropolitan University have made advances in the search for dark matter, observing galaxies using new spectrographic technology and the Magellan Clay Telescope. With a mere 4 hours of observations, precise measurements in the infrared range have set new limits on the lifetime of dark matter. Their findings highlight the crucial utility of their technology and extend the search to less explored parts of the spectrum.

Over the past century, cosmologists have grappled with an apparent inconsistency in what they saw in the universe. Observations of the rotation of galaxies, for example, imply that there is a lot of mass out there than we can see. Physicists have been calling this “missing” mass “dark matter.” What makes the search for dark matter phenomenally difficult is the fact that not only can we not see it, but we don’t have a clear idea of what we are looking for.

Now, researchers have begun to use a combination of models and state-of-the-art observations to put limits on the properties that dark matter might have. In a recent development, a team of scientists from Japan led by Associate Professor Wen Yin from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used a new spectrographic technique to observe light arriving from two galaxies, Leo V and Tucana II. They used the 6.5-m-wide Magellan Clay Telescope in Chile to collect light arriving on earth, paying close attention to the infrared region of the spectrum.

The team focused on a promising dark matter candidate, the axionlike particle (ALP), and considered how it “decays” and spontaneously emit light. Leading theoretical models make the near infrared part of the spectrum a particularly promising place to look. However, the infrared is also a crowded and confusing part of the electromagnetic spectrum. This is because of the vast range of sources of noise and interference from other sources. Examples include zodiacal light, the dim scatter of sunlight by interstellar dust, and light emitted by the atmosphere when it is heated by the sun. To get around this, in their previous work, they proposed a new technique which uses the fact that background radiation tends to include a broader range of wavelengths, whereas light from a specific decay process is more strongly skewed to a narrow range. Just like light spilling off a prism gets dimmer as different colors are spread thinner and thinner, decay events confined to a narrow range get sharper and sharper. Various state‐of‐the‐art infrared spectrographs—such as NIRSpec on the James Webb Space Telescope, WINERED on the Magellan Clay Telescope, and many others—can be used to implement this technique, effectively turning these instruments into excellent dark matter detectors.

Thanks to the precision of the team’s technology (WINERED), they were able to account for all the light they detected in the near infrared to significant statistical accuracy. The fact that no decay was found was then used to set upper bounds on the frequency of these decay events, or a lower bound on the lifetime of ALP particles. Their new lower bound in seconds is 10 with 25 to 26 zeros after it, or ten to a hundred million times the age of the universe.

The finding is not only significant because this is the most stringent limit yet for the lifetime of dark matter. The work uses cutting-edge technology from infrared cosmology to address problems in fundamental particle physics. And while their conclusions are based on stringent analysis of the data so far, there are hints of anomalies or “excesses” which offer the tantalizing prospect of actual detection of dark matter with more data and more analysis. The search goes on for the missing piece of our universe.

IMAGE: Spectrographic technology to separate light from decaying dark matter and background light. WINERED uses the broader spectral properties of background light to tell it apart from light from decay events. Credit Wen Yin, Tokyo Metropolitan University

[loudruinsnightmare]

How to Choose the Right Industrial Cooler for Your Business

Selecting the right industrial cooler for your business can significantly impact productivity and operational efficiency. The correct cooling system ensures smooth equipment operation, product freshness, and a comfortable environment for employees. With numerous options available, where should you start? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.

Importance of Industrial Coolers

Industrial coolers are crucial for maintaining optimal temperatures in various business environments. They prevent machinery from overheating, preserve perishable goods, and create a comfortable atmosphere for workers. This can lead to increased productivity and reduced operational costs.

Overview of the Selection Process

Choosing an industrial cooler involves understanding your specific needs, exploring the different types of coolers, and identifying key features that make a cooler effective and efficient. This article will provide a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed decision.

Understanding Industrial Coolers

What Are Industrial Coolers?

Industrial coolers are large-scale cooling systems designed to regulate temperatures in commercial and industrial settings. They are utilized in various industries, including manufacturing, food and beverage, and data centers.

Types of Industrial Coolers

There are several types of industrial coolers, each offering unique advantages and suitable applications.

Air-Cooled Coolers

Air-cooled coolers use air to dissipate heat from the system. They are generally easier to install and maintain but may be less efficient in extremely hot environments.

Water-Cooled Coolers

Water-cooled coolers use water to remove heat, making them more efficient in high-temperature settings. However, they require a reliable water source and more complex installation and maintenance.

Evaporative Coolers

Evaporative coolers cool the air through evaporation. They are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly but are most effective in dry climates with low humidity.

Assessing Your Cooling Needs

Evaluating Your Space

The size and layout of your space are critical factors in choosing the right industrial cooler. Larger spaces may require more powerful or multiple cooling units to maintain a consistent temperature.

Determining Cooling Capacity Requirements

Cooling capacity, measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units), indicates how much heat a cooler can remove per hour. Calculate your BTU requirements based on the size of your area, the heat generated by equipment, and other factors.

Considering Environmental Conditions

Environmental conditions such as ambient temperature, humidity, and ventilation play a significant role in determining the type and size of the cooler needed. For example, evaporative coolers work best in dry, hot climates, while water-cooled systems are ideal for high-temperature environments.

Key Features to Look For

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is crucial for reducing operational costs and minimizing environmental impact. Look for coolers with high energy efficiency ratings and features like variable speed fans and energy-saving modes.

Durability and Maintenance

Choose a cooler made from durable materials that can withstand the demands of your industrial environment. Additionally, consider the ease of maintenance—systems that are easier to maintain can save you time and money in the long run.

Noise Levels

In some settings, noise levels can be a significant concern. If your business requires a quieter environment, look for coolers designed to operate with minimal noise.

Cost and Budget

While it’s important to stay within budget, remember that the cheapest option isn’t always the best. Consider the total cost of ownership, including the initial purchase price, installation, maintenance, and operating costs.

Specific Use Cases

Manufacturing Plants

Manufacturing plants often generate a lot of heat, making efficient cooling systems essential. Air-cooled and water-cooled systems are commonly used to keep machinery and products at optimal temperatures.

Warehouses

Warehouses can be challenging to cool due to their large, open spaces. High-capacity coolers or multiple units might be necessary to maintain consistent temperatures throughout the area.

Server Rooms and Data Centers

Server rooms and data centers require precise temperature control to prevent equipment from overheating. Water-cooled systems are often preferred for their efficiency and ability to maintain stable temperatures.

Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry relies on industrial coolers to preserve the quality and safety of perishable goods. Evaporative coolers and water-cooled systems are commonly used to maintain the required low temperatures.

Installation and Maintenance

Professional Installation Tips

Proper installation is crucial for the effective operation of your industrial cooler. It’s often best to hire professionals who can ensure the system is installed correctly and safely.

Routine Maintenance Practices

Regular maintenance is essential to keep your cooler running efficiently. This includes cleaning filters, checking for leaks, and ensuring all components are in good working order.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with regular maintenance, issues can arise. Common problems include insufficient cooling, leaks, and unusual noises. Familiarize yourself with basic troubleshooting steps or have a professional on call to address these issues promptly.

∴ Also Read: The Environmental Impact of Using Duct Coolers in India

Conclusion

Recap of Key Points

Choosing the right industrial cooler involves understanding your specific cooling needs, evaluating the different types of coolers, and considering key features like energy efficiency, durability, noise levels, and cost. By carefully assessing these factors, you can select a cooling system that meets your business’s requirements.

Final Thoughts

Investing in the right industrial cooler is a decision that will pay off in improved efficiency, productivity, and cost savings. Take the time to research and choose wisely, and you’ll create a more comfortable and efficient working environment.

FAQs

Q. How often should I maintain my industrial cooler?

Ans. Perform maintenance on your industrial cooler at least once a quarter. However, some environments may require more frequent checks.

Q. What is the average lifespan of an industrial cooler?

Ans. The average lifespan of an industrial cooler can range from 10 to 15 years, depending on the type, usage, and maintenance practices.

Q. How do I know if my cooler is energy efficient?

Ans. Look for energy efficiency ratings like ENERGY STAR. Additionally, modern coolers often come with energy-saving features such as variable-speed fans.

Q. Can industrial coolers be used in outdoor settings?

Ans. Yes, certain industrial coolers are designed for outdoor use. Ensure that the cooler you choose is rated for outdoor conditions if that’s where you plan to install it.

Q. What should I do if my industrial cooler stops working?

Ans. If your industrial cooler stops working, first check for common issues like power supply problems or clogged filters. If you can’t identify the issue, it’s best to call a professional technician.

Explore different types of industrial coolers and find the perfect solution for your Business. Visit Ramcoolers now!

[esgjuly]

Net-zero carbon dioxide emissions

In our opinion as Net Zero Consultancy, total anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide are brought almost entirely down to zero, with any leftover emissions being offset by atmospheric CO2 removal efforts (Allen et al., 2018). The Paris Agreement is predicted to be met by limiting the increase in global mean surface temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial values, mitigating some of the worst effects of climate change, and lowering the likelihood of reaching dangerous climate tipping points by attaining net-zero emissions by 2050.Even though black carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions have a shorter half-life in the atmosphere than CO2 emissions, they must be reduced in tandem with CO2 emissions to meet the 1.5 dig C temperature target.

To help you as Net Zero Consultant, demand-straining measures are also necessary. Likely, gross emissions will not be eliminated, necessitating further elimination efforts like: Carbon capture and storage, including bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and direct air capture, are examples of CO2 removal techniques. Natural mitigation strategies include reforestation and increased tree planting. There are technological, socioeconomic, and environmental obstacles to overcome in order to implement these further steps towards achieving net zero, such as direct air capture (land area reduction for BECCS).The Earth's climate system will still fluctuate from year to year. However, heat waves, torrential rains, and droughts will occur less frequently and with less intensity if net-zero emissions are achieved and global warming is kept to 1.5 degrees Celsius rather than 2 degrees Celsius above a baseline of 1850–1900 (Allen et al., 2018).

We as a Net Zero Carbon, sea level rise will still occur far after 2100, but it is anticipated that keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will limit it by about 0.1 meters (Allen et al., 2018). This would mean that up to 10 million fewer people would be exposed to risks connected to sea level rise, based on population projections from 2010. Large-scale singular events (like the Greenland ice sheet collapse, the North Atlantic circulation disruption, or the transformation of central global forests into sources of CO2 instead of sinks) have a low probability but potentially catastrophic, irreversible consequences. Despite this, many climate impacts are visible in the current climate.

In our role as Net Zero Consultant, according to SR1.5, 13% of the world's land area would change ecologically at a rate of 2 degrees Celsius of global warming; however, if warming is kept to 1.5 degrees Celsius, this area may be reduced by 50%. Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius lowers the likelihood of adverse effects on the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide, coral reefs, bivalve fisheries, and coastal protection, among other things (IPCC, 2018). However, the combined effects of warmer oceans and acidification from more significant levels of dissolved inorganic carbon do not eliminate the extremely high probability of substantial permanent consequences to warm water corals.

Being an Net Zero, achieving net zero would require reducing the use of fossil fuels, people's health should directly and immediately benefit from lower air pollution, especially in urban areas. Furthermore, our steps to get net zero could improve human health. For instance, we would anticipate a healthier population with a decline in respiratory diseases, fewer road fatalities, and less noise pollution if we promoted active travel, like cycling. Similarly, substituting pulses and other vegetables for red meat in diets with higher amounts than advised by healthy eating guidelines will enhance health outcomes and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

[winsonoil09]

Winson Oil Working Towards Achieving ESG Standards

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) refers to three central factors in measuring the sustainability and ethical impact of investments. A growing number of investors rely on these factors to determine whether they ultimately want to invest or continue to invest in a given business. While ESG investment may be characterised as ethical in its approach to capture environmental and social impacts, at its core, ESG investment involves gauging a company’s long-term, rather than short-term sustainability. 

ESG investing is quickly emerging as one of the most prominent and long-lasting megatrends of the oil industry as support grows for initiatives to promote renewable energy, sustainability, and the energy transition. As it has a significant impact on how investors make investments in the sector and may ultimately select winners and losers in the market moving forward, the perception of ESG in the energy sector has changed from being a nice-to-have feature to a must-have prerequisite as oil and gas firms who ignore ESG will be at a competitive disadvantage and will be vulnerable to regulatory sanctions.

Therefore, it is crucial to understand the ESG’s basis and how these principles relate to the oil sector.

ESG Requirements In The Oil Industry

Achieving ESG standards is particularly important to the oil industry due to increasing regulatory pressure on oil companies to address environmental issues as a result of the world’s efforts to meet international climate and other environmental imperatives, such as the 2030 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from 2005 levels.  In order to accomplish these ESG targets, several oil majors that are either publicly traded or already burdened with millions of bank loans must increasingly appease their stakeholders. Following this, they have come forward and have promised to meet the emission and greenhouse gas reduction goals in the coming years of 2030 to 2050.

Let’s look at the goals the oil industry holds for each ESG sector, as well as the investment and development efforts they have made to reach these ESG goals.

Environmental

Climate change is a major factor in ESG issues related to the environment sector.  Examples include;  the burning of pills and natural gas, fugitive gases from factories, carbon emissions from compression machinery, and transportation emissions. Companies in the energy sector have started to respond to these issues by adopting more effective production techniques, such as the use of biofuels to cut carbon emissions and expanding the use of alternative energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal.  These initiatives may result in cost savings, increased public favorability for the business, and ultimately, value generation for all stakeholders involved in the business.

Social

Social criteria look at the way a company maintains its relationships with its customers, suppliers, employees, and the communities in which it operates. Human rights problems, including child labor or unequal pay, might be considered to be social concerns. The majority of businesses deal with these issues through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, which may include company-wide regulations that forbid child labor or promote moral business conduct.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is another issue that the social sector has serious concerns about. It has greatly accelerated global warming and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels because of its method of extracting oil and natural gas from deep underground wells. Groundwater contamination, air pollution, earthquakes, noise pollution, and other problems are all brought up by locals who live close to fracking sites. Oil firms are therefore attempting to find solutions to the issues faced by the populations who live close to fracking sites. Examples include using water-free fracking techniques, brine or recycled water in place of fresh water, solar panels in place of diesel-powered machinery to cut down on the number of harmful gas emissions, and the addition of waste purification methods and replacing traditional pressure-monitoring pneumatic controllers with lower-bleed designs to reduce methane leaks when fracking. In addition, oil companies are searching for more technologically advanced approaches for oil extraction from unconventional reserves besides fracking.

Governance

Governance can refer to a variety of corporate management-related concerns, including management, executive compensation, audits, internal controls, shareholder rights, etc. This can cover internal organisation and external relationships, as well as transparency and conflict of interest guidelines. For instance, businesses often have internal conflict of interest regulations to prevent management from granting contracts based on personal connections rather than merit, and oil firms are striving diligently to only work with vendors who share their ESG philosophy.

Why ESG is important In The Oil Industry ?

Many oil and gas businesses are starting to see environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors as opportunities to create value and boost operational efficiency rather than as a barrier. Here are some advantages that the oil business will experience if ESG requirements are met.

Top-line growth

A strong ESG concept supports business growth in both existing and new markets. Governmental bodies are more inclined to grant corporations the access, approvals, and licences necessary to take advantage of new growth prospects when they have confidence in the corporate players.

Cost reductions

ESG also has significant cost-cutting potential. Among other benefits, successfully implementing ESG can assist in reducing rising operating costs such as raw-material costs and the true cost of water or carbon.

Reduced regulatory and legal interventions

Companies may be able to exercise more strategic independence thanks to a stronger external value proposition, reducing regulatory pressure. In fact, the strength in ESG strength lowers the probability of unfavorable government action for companies. Additionally, it might get the support of the government.

Employee productivity uplift

A strong ESG proposal may support companies in attracting and retaining quality employees, improving employee motivation by fostering a sense of purpose, and increasing overall productivity.

Investment and asset optimization 

By allocating money to more attractive and sustainable alternatives, a strong ESG proposition can improve investment returns, for example, renewables, waste reduction, and scrubbers.  Additionally, it can assist businesses in avoiding stranded investments that would not be profitable due to long-term environmental problems such as massive write-downs in the value of oil tankers.

5 Ways To Achieve ESG Standards Within The Oil Industry

Reducing emissions

Companies can have their emissions measured, audited, and matched to the pledges the jurisdiction has made to international agreements.

Those who go above and above to address significant ESG issues can give investors a thorough ESG story.

Improving efficiencies

Technology advancements, both analogue and digital, have opened doors to new efficiency; the oil sector has always embraced this culture by pushing the limits of what is technologically possible.

Being bold about equality

Companies can evaluate their D, E, and I shortcomings and take action. It’s crucial to be bold about equality and promote diversity, from the boardroom to low-wage workers.

Connecting with the communities

The social license to operate is given on the basis that directly local communities benefit economically, that the environment is not harmed, and that they are socially included.

Product governance

Companies can concentrate on creating high-quality, low-emission products that consumers will feel confident buying.

[mysticstronomy]

PLANS FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE OBSERVATORY ON THE MOON!!

Blog#114

Saturday, August 14th ,2021

Welcome back,

Humanity's return to the moon could open up new windows on the universe.

NASA is working to establish a permanent human presence on and around the moon by the end of the 2020s, via a program known as Artemis. That presence may eventually include radio telescopes on the moon's exceptionally quiet far side — and, perhaps, even more ambitious off-Earth science facilities.

For example, a recent study makes the case for building a gravitational-wave observatory on the moon.

Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time created by the acceleration of massive objects. They were predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity in 1915 and first directly detected a century later, by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) consortium.

LIGO has detectors at two sites, one in Louisiana and one in Washington state. Each detector is an L-shaped structure with arms 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long, with a laser at the center of the array. The laser shines light down each arm, and mirrors reflect the light back. If the light from one arm comes back a bit late, it's evidence of a possible gravitational-wave-induced distortion.

The LIGO team has detected dozens of gravitational-wave events to date, most of them caused by mergers between two black holes. But this is exacting work, and our noisy, active Earth makes spotting signals tough.

The moon, on the other hand, is an exceptionally quiet place, the new study notes.

"The moon offers an ideal backdrop for the ultimate gravitational wave observatory, since it lacks an atmosphere and noticeable seismic noise, which we must mitigate at great cost for laser interferometers on Earth," co-author Avi Loeb, an astronomer at Harvard University, said in a statement. 

"A lunar observatory would provide unprecedented sensitivity for discovering sources that we do not anticipate and that could inform us of new physics," Loeb said. "GLOC could be the jewel in the crown of science on the surface of the moon."

"GLOC" is short for the Gravitational-wave Lunar Observatory for Cosmology, the name Loeb and study lead author Karan Jani propose for the moon facility. GLOC would be huge compared to LIGO and other detectors on Earth, featuring arms 25 miles (40 km) long. And it would be incredibly sensitive, capable of spotting gravitational-wave events in nearly 70% of the observable volume of the universe, the researchers calculated.

"By tapping into the natural conditions on the moon, we showed that one of the most challenging spectrum of gravitational waves can be measured better from the lunar surface, which so far seems impossible from Earth or space," Jani, an astrophysicist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, said in the same statement.

GLOC is just an idea at the moment, but Jani and Loeb said they hope to develop a pathfinder mission on the moon that would test GLOC's required technologies in the coming years. And if GLOC or something like it does end up getting built, it will pay scientific dividends for decades to come, the researchers said.

"Unlike space missions that last only a few years, the great investment benefit of GLOC is it establishes a permanent base on the moon from where we can study the universe for generations, quite literally the entirety of this century," Jani said in the statement.

SOURCE: www.space.com

COMING UP!!

(Wednesday, August 18th, 2021)

“WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE TSUNAMI??”

[dustedmagazine]

Dust Volume 7, Number 5

Sarah Louise

A week or two before this Dust’s deadline, we got our first tour announcement by email in more than a year. It was the first of deluge, as live music looks to be coming back with a vengeance starting this summer and really picking up steam around September. Meanwhile, we celebrate our newly vaxxed (or for our Canadian correspondents half-vaxxed) status with tentative steps outside. Your editor had her first beer at a brew pub in mid-May, and it was stupendous. Also stupendous, the onslaught of new music, which has, if anything, accelerated. This month, contributors include all the regulars plus a few new people: Jennifer Kelly, Bill Meyer, Patrick Masterson, Ray Garraty, Tim Clarke, Andrew Forell, Ian Mathers, Bryon Hayes, Jonathan Shaw and Chris Liberato. Happy spring, happy normal and happy listening!

Amulets — Blooming (The Flenser)

Blooming by AMULETS

Like a lot of us, Portland-based noise artist Randall Taylor discovered the solace of long walks during the pandemic. His work, which has always used tape degradation to explore the intersection of time, loss and technology, shifted to incorporate another source of decay: the natural world. So, in opening salvo, “Blooming,” alongside blistering onslaughts of eroded guitar sound, it is possible to hear the sounds of a fertile garden — birds, insects, air movement. You can nearly smell the flowers and feel the sunshine on your skin. “The New Normal” explores sounds of creaking, friction-y word and metal, alongside pristine chimes of synthetic tone. It is uneasy, with skittering string-like squeaks and swoops, but also deeply meditative; it shifts from moment to moment from anxiety to provisional acceptance, much as we all did last year, staring out our windows. Overall, the tone is elegiac, gorgeous, but Randall does not hesitate to introduce dissonance. “Heaviest Weight” thunders with frayed bass tones, a weight and a threat in their subliminal pulse. The contrast between that ominous sound and purer, clearer layers of melody, makes for unsettling listening—are we at war or peace, happy or sad, agitated or calm? And yet, perhaps that’s the point, that the past year has been swirl of feelings, boredom alongside anxiety, hope lighting the corners of our listlessness, the smell of flowers pleasing but faintly reminiscent of funerals. Blooming decocts this mix into sound.

Jennifer Kelly

 Astute Palate — S-T (Petty Bunco)

Astute Palate by Astute Palate

Astute Palate is a hastily assembled group of rockers summoned to support David Nance in Philly on a date when he couldn’t bring the David Nance Band. Participants included Richie Records proprietor Richie Charles, Lantern’s Emily Robb, Writhing Squares/Purling Hiss/all around Philadelphia regular Daniel Provenzano on bass and, of course, Nance himself, all huddled together in Robb’s recording studio for a weekend together. None of this origin story does justice, however, to the pure liquid fire of this one-off musical collaboration, dominated by Nance’s viscous, distorted blues-inflected guitar wail, but knocked sideways by brute force drumming, wild hypnotic bass lines and the ritual incantation of Nance (and later Robb) singing. The long “Stall Out” does anything but, rampaging free-range in unbridled Crazy Horse/Allmans-style abandon for close to ten minutes without a single sputter. “A Little Proof” is somehow simultaneously heavier and more country, spinning out the soul-blues jams like a younger, unrulier cousin to MC5. “Treadin’ Schuylkill” gives Provenzano the spotlight, opening with a growling bass solo soon joined by heavy psych guitars (a nod, perhaps, to the illustrious locals in Bardo Pond). If Nance et. al. can pull stuff this fine out in a stray road warrior weekend, what are the rest of you doing with your lives?

Jennifer Kelly

 Axis: Sova — Fractal (God?)

Fractal - EP by Axis: Sova

Axis: Sova is a combo of three Chicago guys plus one drum machine, which had already been inactive for two or three seasons before the initial COVID lockdown. This digital EP is their way of clearing up some business that could no longer remain undone. The title tune, “Fractal USA,” is a remake of a song from the early days, when the “band” was Brett Sova’s solo project, to full-on, no your pants aren’t tight enough rock band. They just needed you to know about the evolution, you see, so go ahead, do some scissor kicks and gurn while they windmill away; you have enough money saved up from not seeing live music to pay the inevitable chiropractor bill. “Caramel” hypothesizes that a Cluster song that’s played twice as loud and twice as long is twice as good; not sure if I agree, but it’s still not bad at all. Maybe you got a little weird after a few months of putting on your best mask for your daily trip to see if the stimulus check was in the mailbox? The Brenda Ray-meets-Old Black mash up, “(Don’t Wanna Have That) Dream,” is proof that while you were alone, you weren’t alone. If you’ve made it this far, you don’t need to have the fourth track described, so let’s just say that it’s longer.

Bill Meyer

Mattie Barbier — Three Spaces (self-released)

three spaces by mattie barbier

While perhaps best known as half of the trombone-centric new music duo RAGE Thormbones, Mattie Barbier is a member of several other combos and a sonic researcher under their own name. Three Spaces, which is a single, album-length sound file, has the air of experimentation about it. “What do I do,” one can imagine Barbier asking themself, “when I can’t play with other people?” Make music at home, and out of what’s at home, is the obvious answer. But doing isn’t the only point here; the outcome also matters, and while what Barbier has accomplished with Three Spaces sounds quite different from the RAGE Thormbones live experience, it registers quite strongly. Barbier has combined long tones and melodic fragments played on euphonium, trombone and reed organ, that were recorded both inside and outside of their home. Carefully layered, the source material combines into a sound rather like a bell’s toll, which over the course of nearly 39 minutes swells and recedes, but never quite decays; it ends with an imposed rather than natural fade-out. The sound is as deep as it is expansive, inviting the listener to let themselves fall ever father into its realm.

Bill Meyer

 Beneath — On Tilt EP (Hemlock Recordings)

On Tilt EP by Beneath

One of the more pleasant surprises this year is the resuscitation of Untold’s Hemlock Recordings imprint. A vital voice in the post-dubstep fracas at the turn of the ‘10s thanks to releases from Hessle Audio’s Pearson Sound (when he was still Ramadanman) and Pangaea, James Blake, FaltyDL and Hodge to name but a handful, the label went dormant following a Ploy 12” in 2017 before the surprise announcement of Londoner Beneath’s On Tilt, which sounds every bit the sensible alliance in practice it looks on paper: These are low-end rumblers with irregular rhythms and spare melodic tics that worm their way into your brain in the best bone-humming fashion (see “Shambling” or “Lesser Circulation” for a good example). Who knows how long the return will last, but for a certain stripe of DMZ-damaged devotee and pretty much no one else, it’ll feel good to have some Hemlock in your life again. Tilt back, pour in.

Patrick Masterson

 Black Spirit— El Sueño De La Razón Produce Monstruos (Infinite Night Records)

More metal comes from South America than Spain, but these Europeans clear the high bar set by Latin America scenesters. The album’s title states that it was inspired by “El Sueño De La Razón Produce Monstruos.” That can testify both to lasting influence of Goya’s art and to the laziness of the current culture which seeks inspiration only from the most popular pictorial art of the past. The track “Ignorance and The Grotesque” perfectly captures the whole mood of the disc: it balances ignorant speeds, undecipherable vocals and grotesque parts with piano interludes and doom-ish atmosphere. It would be better without the grotesque, but that’s probably part of the baggage.

Ray Garraty

 Burial + Blackdown — Shock Power of Love EP (Keysound Recordings)

Shock Power of Love EP by Burial

You might worry, occasionally, that Burial was becoming a victim of diminishing returns. Here, as ever, he uses a narrow palette to create tracks that few can emulate. However, even though the music has its rewards, it doesn’t clear the very high bar that his previous work has set. Thus “Dark Gethsemane” rides a 4/4 beat, angelic murmurs, vinyl crackle and a tightly ratcheted build that morphs into a sermon led by the repeated invocation “We must shock this nation with the power of love.” As his vocal samples become more explicit, the mystery of his music fades. This is all promise and no real resolution. “Space Cadet’ likewise sounds both gorgeous and minor with its soul gospel refrain “Take Me Higher” over an old-school jungle beat. At six plus minutes it would have been enough. It continues another three with an almost cartoonish second movement that lacks the subtlety that characterizes Burial’s best work.

Andrew Forell 

  Colleen — The Tunnel and the Clearing (Thrill Jockey)

The Tunnel and the Clearing by Colleen

While COVID messed with most people’s lives, it was both an endgame and an opportunity for Cécile Schott, the Frenchwoman who records under the name Colleen. She was just coming out of a series of health and personal dislocations, which resulted in her being newly healthy but alone in a new town just as the lockdown came down. Clearly, this was not a time for half measures, so she selected an entirely new instrumental set-up and settled in to make a record that reflected what she’d been through. Out went the viola da gamba and melodica that have figured prominently on her last few albums; in came a Moog synthesizer, a Yamaha organ, a tape echo and a drum machine.  

Colleen’s voice, of course, remains the same. Airy and precise, her delivery doesn’t match the gravity of the experiences her songs describe. But that sense of remove is, perhaps, a reflection of one of adversity’s lessons; if you don’t stay stuck, you can wind up somewhere quite different. Between the keyboards’ cycling melodies and the drum machine’s fizzy beats, the music on The Tunnel and the Clearing imparts a sense of motion that carries her light voice along for the ride, dropping painful sentiments and letting them fall behind.

Bill Meyer  

 Current Joys — Voyager (Secretly Canadian)

Nick Rattigan has been releasing music under the name Current Joys since 2013, and Voyager is his latest offering. It’s a dramatic and often brilliant collection of songs, bringing to mind the urgent rhythmic drive of Spoon, the dour grandeur of The Cure and the unapologetic emotional heft of Bright Eyes or early Arcade Fire. On Voyager’s standout, “American Honey,” a simple strummed backing and Rattigan’s vocal delivery are potent enough, but it’s the string section that proves devastating, cycling around for multiple punches to the gut. While more stripped-back songs such as “Big Star” and “The Spirit or the Curse” offer some respite along the way, Voyager does prove a little unwieldy. With 16 tracks clocking in at nearly an hour, the album’s execution doesn’t quite live up to its ambition. The wonky tom-tom rhythms of “Breaking the Waves” are more distracting than interesting; a serviceable cover of Rowland S. Howard’s “Shivers” feels more like an acknowledgment of influence than a striking interpretation; and the combined six minutes of the two-part instrumental title track may have worked better as shorter interludes. Nevertheless, plenty of Voyager’s tracks demonstrate Rattigan’s knack for a raw, emotive indie-rock tune.

Tim Clarke

 Ducks Ltd — Get Bleak EP (Carpark Records)

Toronto duo Ducks Ltd celebrates signing to Carpark with an expanded re-release of their 2018 debut EP Get Bleak. The pair — Tom Mcgreevy on vocals, rhythm and bass guitars and Evan Lewis on lead guitar — bonded over a shared love of 1980s indie bands. Their intricately constructed guitar interplay carries the DNA of Postcard and C86 over meaty bass lines that evoke Mighty Mighty as much as Orange Juice and McCarthy. The sprightly music belies the miserablism of the lyrics that focus on FOMO, poor decisions, screen induced isolation, the corrosive impact of gentrification and gig economies. Mcgreevy and Lewis don’t wallow, however. Their jaunty jangle is a paean to the joys of jumping about and singing along with those new favorite songs that suddenly mean everything and will stick with you long after the world’s shit slopes your shoulders.

Andrew Forell

 Field Music — Flat White Moon (Memphis Industries)

It’s easy to take Field Music for granted. Since 2005, the Brewis brothers have been making smartly composed and tightly executed guitar pop with obvious debts to The Beatles and XTC, and all their albums have fallen somewhere along the continuum from good to great (my personal favorites are 2010’s Measure and 2012’s Plumb). Album number eight, Flat White Moon, features the usual balance between Peter’s more pensive, bittersweet numbers with greater focus on piano and strings, such as “Orion From the Street” and “When You Last Heard From Linda,” and David’s funkier, more staccato cuts, such as “No Pressure” and “I’m the One Who Wants to Be With You.” Twelve songs, 40 minutes, tunes for days — what’s not to love? If you’ve yet to get acquainted with Field Music, Flat White Moon is as good an introduction as any.

Tim Clarke 

 Gabby Fluke-Mogul/Jacob Felix Heule/Kanoko Nishi-Smith — Non-Dweller (Humbler)

non-dweller by gabby fluke-mogul, Jacob Felix Heule, & Kanoko Nishi-Smith

With Non-Dweller, we have a trio of Bay-Area improvisers who certainly do not reside in one place for very long. There is an agitated freneticism about their interactions here, the performers acting like electrons seeking to release energy and break out of orbit. Each player brings a unique collection of timbres to the party with their implement of choice. Heule is a percussionist by trade yet focuses on extended techniques — mainly friction-based — as he wrests an unholy wail from the maw of his bass drum. Fluke-Mogul’s violin sways between tone generator and noise source. Nishi-Smith is a classically trained pianist who here is bowing and plucking the koto, or Japanese zither. The trio spend most of their time in sparring mode, their energies unleashed with synchrony as if in an elaborate dance. It is clear they have collaborated before. Heule and Nishi-Smith have been at it for over a decade; Fluke-Mogul joined the party in 2019. The most gorgeous moments happen when all three players are focused on friction: Heule slides across his drum, Fluke-Mogul soars with their violin and Nishi-Smith gracefully bows her koto. The energy is focused and particles collide, creating waves of tone. The players wrestle intensity into submission, and the ensuing sonorities are unmissable.

Bryon Hayes

 FMB DZ — War Zone (Fast Money Boyz \ EMPIRE)

Ever since FMB DZ got shot and moved out of Detroit, he has continued to release angry music. (He may not be more productive after the assault, but he’s certainly not less so.) War Zone is his latest effort, along with The Gift 3 and Ape Season, and DZ is back in his paranoiac mode and ready for vengeance. That’s hardly unusual in this type of music but DZ stands out because he’s a bit angrier, a bit more pressing and a bit more gifted than the next man. He doesn’t outdo himself in this tape, but rather mostly follows the blueprint of Ape Season. The standout track is “Spin Again.”

Ray Garraty

 Ian M Fraser — Berserk (Superpang)

Berserk by Ian M Fraser

Ian M Fraser is kind enough to provide details about how he created and edited Berserk, although relatively few listeners are going to really know what “nonlinear feedback systems and waveset synthesis” are, let alone “sensormonitor primitives auditory perception software”. And fewer still will be able to focus on what that might mean while Berserk is actually playing, because the output of those programs and systems is immediately, viscerally clear. If a computer were actually capable of going rabid, feral, well, berserk, the human mind might imagine it sounds something like this. Over four shorter tracks and the relatively epic 8:26 of “The Cannibal,” Fraser either coaxes or allows (or both) his tools into the equivalent of something like what someone who knew very little about both genres might imagine is like a power electronics act playing free jazz or vice versa. It is absolutely viscerally thrilling (albeit probably easier to repeat at this length of 16 minutes than, say, 50) and will do the track the next time you feel like your brain needs a good hard scrub.

Ian Mathers 

  Human Failure — Crown on the Head of a King of Mud (Sentient Ruin Laboratories)

Crown on the Head of a King of Mud by Human Failure

It’s tough to figure out if the band’s name is meant specifically to apply to D. Cornejo (sole member of Human Failure) or to the general field of human failure, which grows ever more capacious. Whatever the intent, Human Failure makes thoroughly unlovable music, pitched somewhere on the continuum that runs from the primitivist death metal to stenchcore to harsh noise. This reviewer is especially fond (yep, somehow that’s the only word for it) of the title track of this 10” record: “Crown on the Head of a King of Mud” sloughs and slogs along for two minutes, sort of like one of the ripest zombies in Romero’s Day of the Dead (1985), wandering about and slowly falling to pieces in Florida’s tumid heat. Just as that last bit of flesh is poised to slide from bone, the song unexpectedly breaks into a run. Where is it going? What’s the rush? No one knows. Things eventually bottom out into “Disassembling Morality,” a static-and-distortion laden electronic interlude that might squeak and spark for a bit too long — but then “Your Hope Is a Noose” shambles into the frame. That zombie seems to have found some equally noisome and truculent friends. They djent and pogo around for a while, and the song has a lot more fun than seems called for by the band name. Cornejo might be pissed off by the myriad manmade disasters and outright catastrophes that burden the earthball (he’s sure angry as heck about something…). But the record ends up being sort of successful, if deafening, grinding, growling stench is on the agenda. All things considered, why wouldn’t it be?

Jonathan Shaw

 Insub Meta Orchestra — Ten / Sync (Insub)

Ten / Sync by INSUB META ORCHESTRA

Ten / Sync was recorded in September, 2020; not exactly lockdown time, but certainly not out of the pandemic woods. It’s no small task to keep any 50-strong orchestra going, let alone one devoted to experimental music. So, if you already have one, then having it perform during a pandemic is just another challenge among many. So, the Swiss-based orchestra assembled three groups of musicians, numbering 31 in all, and assembled their contributions during post-production. While this did not provide the social experience that IMO’s gatherings usually impart to participants, an outcome that just isn’t the same seems awfully representative of the time, right? And since one Insub Meta Orchestra subspeciality is making music that sounds like it was performed by many fewer players than were actually present, this collection of sustained chords concealing tiny actions and apparently disassembled passages is actually very representative of the ensemble’s music.

Bill Meyer

Amirtha Kidambi & Matteo Liberatore — Neutral Love (Astral Editions)

Neutral Love by Amirtha Kidambi & Matteo Liberatore

With her own group, the Elder Ones, and in Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl, singer Amirtha Kidambi shows how far you can take a song while still giving the meanings of words and the boundaries of form their dues. But Neutral Love, like her two tapes with Lea Bertucci, explores the territory outside the tower of song. The main structures for this improvised encounter with electric guitarist Matteo Liberatore seem to be a shared agreement to exclude certain options. Song form and overt displays of chops are right out; the patient manipulation of sounds is where it’s at. Liberatore opts mostly for swelling and subsiding resonations, while Kidambi spends a lot of time finding out what’s hiding at the back of her throat, drawing it out, and then tying it into elaborate shapes. Patient and eerie, these four tracks find a place adjacent to Charalambides at their most abstract, and make it their own.

Bill Meyer

 Kosmodemonic — Liminal Light (Transylvanian Recordings)

KOSMODEMONIC - LIMINAL LIGHT by KOSMODEMONIC

NYC outfit Kosmodemonic is among the recent wave of metal bands attempting to effect an organic-sounding synthesis of numerous subgenres: a slurry of sludge, a bit of black metal, a dose of doom, and a hit or two of the lysergic. When it works — as it does on a number of tracks on the band’s long new cassette Liminal Light — it’s an exciting sound. Songs like “Moirai” and “Broken Crown” manage to couple tuneful riffs, dirty tone and a muscular bottom end in ways that feel thumping, groovy and pretty weird. You’ll want to bump your butt around even as you’re looking for something to break. But the tape is pretty long, and the further afield Kosmodemonic gets from that mid-tempo groove, the more middling (and sometimes muddled) the material sounds. “With Majesty” can’t quite find its rhythmic footing in its more technical passages, and the song’s sludgier sections feel like compromises, rather than interesting maneuvers. But the record begins and finishes with really strong songs. Both “Drown in Drone” and “Unnaming Unlearning” embrace scale, letting their big riffs rip. When “Unnaming Unlearning” slips into complex sections of blackened and distorted dissonance, the drama surges. Formal experiment and manipulation of mood fold into each other. The song gets interesting, even as it’s reaching for a peak. And then it ends, suddenly, violently. It’s pretty good. Your impulse is to flip the tape and hear it again, which is just what Kosmodemonic wants you to do. Well played, dudes.

Jonathan Shaw

 Sarah Louise — Earth Bow (Self-Released)

Earth Bow by Sarah Louise

Asheville-based songwriter Sarah Louise wants to be your personal nature interpreter. The titles of her recordings, from her debut Field Guide through Deeper Woods and Nighttime Birds and Morning Stars are like planetary signposts pointing to a more intimate relationship with our planet as a living organism. With each successive release, her music has also become more and more organic sounding, culminating with Earth Bow, in which Louise herself is arms deep in humus, communing with birds and insects. Recordings of creation feature prominently; katydids, spring peeper frogs, a creek and various birds are credited as providing additional singing, augmenting the artist’s own mellifluous voice. For a recording in which the track titles and lyrics are focused on nature and Louise’s experiences therein, there are a lot of digital elements. Her 12-string guitar is prominent in places, but synths are everywhere: in the background, bouncing around like shooting stars, and mimicking the various fauna that they accompany. Yet the earthly and the machine-made are not juxtaposed, they are blended. The vocals, which center the recordings, tie both elements together nicely. Earth Bow is a tasty concoction, in which a variety of ingredients are married in botanical bliss.

Bryon Hayes

 Le Mav — “Supersonic (Feat. Tay Iwar)” (Immaculate Taste)

Nigeria’s alté scene has been bubbling for a couple of years now on the backs of guys like Odunsi (The Engine) and Santi, and Gabriel Obi bka Le Mav is no stranger to the fray, having produced Santi’s “Sparky,” Aylø and a recurring favorite of his, singer Tay Iwar. The two have already collaborated at length (for songs off Iwar’s debut album Gemini in 2019, as well as the entirety of last year’s Gold EP), so the comfort level here is established. It shows: Iwar’s smooth-as vocals match Le Mav’s breezy piano descent and gentle rhythmic shuffle in an easygoing song that matches anything you might hear coming from Miguel, Frank Ocean or the Sun-El Musician orbit. “If it feels right, touch the sky,” Iwar suggests early on. Well, don’t mind if I do.

Patrick Masterson

 Sugar Minott — “I Remember Mama” (Emotional Rescue)

I Remember Mama by Sugar Minott

At some point after Lincoln Barrington Minott had left Kingston and his early dancehall and lovers rock legacy with Studio One and Black Roots behind for cooler climates and the old world of London, he ran into producer Steve Parr at the Wackies offices. Story goes that the two decided to start up Sound Design Studio with the intent to record and mix for ads, film and music — but scant evidence of this idea exists beyond “I Remember Mama,” released on 7” and 12” in 1985 and reissued for the first time since via Stuart Leath and his long-trusted Emotional Rescue imprint. Parr does most of the work on the recording (Andy MacDonald shines on tenor sax and Paul Uden guitar in the original credits), but it’s all about the sweetness Sugar brings to the table: With backing from two accomplished performers in their own right, Janette Sewell and Shola Phillips, Minott’s naturally relaxed delivery shines through on this. “Sound Design” is a dubbier instrumental version that retains Sewell’s and Phillips’ vocals, and Dan Tyler (half of Idjut Boys) provides an even spacier, handclap-laden 11-minute remix, but while both variants are excellent, the boogie of the original is unassailable. Look for the vinyl to hit in July.

Patrick Masterson

 Jessica Ackerley — Morning/mourning (Cacophonous Revival)

Morning/mourning by Jessica Ackerley

It makes sense that Wendy Eisenberg wrote the liner notes to Morning/mourning, since they and Jessica Ackerley are bound by a shared commitment to string-craft. Both have a deep idiomatic foundation in jazz guitar, but neither is willing to be confined by what they’ve learned. In the case of Morning/mourning, that means that patiently paced ruminations upon Derek Bailey-like harmonics sit side by side with frantic but rigorously scripted forays that sound a bit like Jim Hall might if he input the contents of his French press intravenously. This album’s nine tracks observe passings and new beginnings, since Ackerley pulled the recording together while in quarantine, shortly before leaving Manhattan for Honolulu, and titled some of them in tribute to a pair of guitar teachers who were taken by 2020. But in their attention to tone, harmony, velocity and structure, these pieces, like Eisenberg’s records, speak as much to intellect as to emotion.

Bill Meyer

 Nadja & Disrotted — Split (Roman Numeral Records)

It makes a certain kind of sense for Nadja and Disrotted to tackle a split together; although both bands traffic in a particularly foreboding strain of doom metal, they also share a weird sort of comfort. There’s a sense more of horrible things happening around you than to you, like you’re in the eye of the storm or maybe in a bathysphere plunged to crushing depths. There is a precision to the menace, a measured quality to the noise. And they get there when they get there; as Dusted’s Jonathan Shaw pointed out in his review of Disrotted’s Cryongenics, “Pace seems to be the point.” This excellent split doesn’t shy away from these commonalities while still highlighting the distinct timbres of each act, with Nadja settling into and then returning to one of their indelibly titanic bass riffs throughout the 19-minute “From the Lips of a Ghost in the Shadow of a Unicorn's Dream” and Disrotted somehow conjuring the feeling of a massive structure corroding and collapsing on the 15-minute “Pastures for the Benighted”. When the latter slams to a half, one last hit echoing away, the listener may find themselves feeling equally relieved the onslaught is over and kind of missing both sides’ pulverizing embrace.

Ian Mathers 

 Nasimiyu — POTIONS (Figureight)

P O T I O N S by nasimiYu

Nasimiyu’s songs bounce and shimmy with complex rhythms, her background as a dancer and percussionist for Kabells and Sharkmuffin coming through in the intricate interplay of handclaps, breathy beat-boxing, rattling metal implements, all manner of drums and, not least, her lithe, twining vocal lines. “Watercolor” blossoms out of a burst of choral “la”s, each note allowed to flower briefly before behind cut off with a knife-edge; these are organic sounds shaped with mechanical precision. Against this background, Nasimiyu herself enters, her voice fluttery and syncopated, a bit like Neneh Cherry. The mix is full of separate elements, the backing vocals, a synthesizer working as a bass, handclaps, Nasimiyu’s singing, but the song remains light and translucent. “Feelings,” sings Nasimiyu, “I am in my feelings,” and so, for a moment, are we. Nasimiyu is half Kenyan and half Scandinavian-American, and you can hear a bit of East Africa in the surging sweetness of choral singing on “Immigrant Hustle.” But there’s a post-modern gloss over everything, as the singer brings in sonic elements from jazz, electronica, dance, pop and afro-beat. Yet however many layers are added, the sound remains bright and clear, a bead curtain of musical sensation whose elements click faintly as they brush together, but remain essentially separate.

Jennifer Kelly

 Carlos Niño & Friends — More Energy Fields, Current (International Anthem)

More Energy Fields, Current by Carlos Niño & Friends

Multi-instrumentalist and producer Carlos Niño latest album which straddles and largely crosses the line between spiritual jazz and new age ambience features friends from both worlds including Shabaka Hutchings, Jamael Dean, Dntel and Laraaji. Niño, who plays percussion and synthesizer, edited, mixed and produced the album from recordings made in 2019 and 2020 in a variety of settings. The results are largely low-key soundscapes designed to assist meditation on the fields and current of the title. Much evocation of the natural world, chiming eastern influenced percussion and layers of acoustic and synthetic keys that are lovely but tend to lull. It is the slightly disruptive reeds that prick the ears here, Aaron Hall’s plangent tenor on “Now the background is foreground,” Devin Daniels’ alto phrasing on “Together” and Hutchings’ expressive duet with Dean on “Please, wake up.”

Andrew Forell 

 Shane Parish — Disintegrated Satellites (Bandcamp subscription)

Disintegrated Satellites EP by Shane Parish

The normally ultra-productive Shane Parish didn’t put out a lot of music in 2020, and none of what did come out was recorded that year. It turns out that he was busy giving guitar lessons via zoom and moving from North Carolina to Georgia, but we’re well into a new year and he’s back in Bandcamp. This three tune EP doesn’t declare a new direction, of which Parish has had many, so much as an integration of his interests in American folk music and far Eastern tonalities. Simultaneously familiar and alien, but above all propulsive, it serves notice that the time for reflection has passed.

Bill Meyer 

 Séketxe — “Caixão de Luxo” (Chasing Dreams)

The thing that gets your attention about Séketxe is… well, everything: how many of them there are (i.e., how you can’t really tell who’s in the group and who isn’t), how they’re all propellant, a musical bottle rocket bursting out of your speakers, confrontationally in your face on camera — and how much fun it looks like they’re having. Somewhere out there beyond the reaches of kuduro and Mystikal lie the Angolan barks and rasps of this youthful sextet, who trade verses (and a soothing harmony drizzled right across the madness at around 1:40) among one another over an Eddy Tussa sample on a beat by producer about town Smash Midas. What are they on about? My Portuguese is nonexistent, let alone my Luandan slang, but even I can tell that title translates to “luxury casket.” Anyway, it’s bonkers and if you’re looking for a jolt your morning joe doesn’t deliver anymore, Séketxe oughta do it. You’ll never catch me thanking an algorithm, but I guess it’s true the maths can serve it up right every once in a while. Séketxe is the proof.

Patrick Masterson 

 Tōth — You and Me and Everything (Northern Spy)

You And Me And Everything by Tōth

The title of Alex Toth’s solo debut, Practice Magic and Seek Professional Help When Necessary, alludes to his belief in music as therapy — that there’s an alchemy in the process, yet one that can’t necessarily be depended on to pull you out of an emotional hole when that hole gets too deep. On his new album, You and Me and Everything, all of his recent personal struggles are out in the open. There’s the tale of when he was so fucked up he couldn’t play trumpet at a family funeral (“Turnaround (Cocaine Song)”); there’s leaning on songwriting as a means to process the pain of heartbreak (“Guitars are Better Than Synthesizers for Writing Through Hard Times”); and there’s his ongoing battle with anxiety (“Butterflies”). While such heavy emotional terrain could prove hard-going, Toth approaches everything with a playfulness, a lightness of touch and a gentle haze to the production. Plus, he gets a helping hand from Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak, Flock of Dimes), who lends backing vocals to standout “Daffadowndilly,” which taps into the woozy gorgeousness of prime Robert Wyatt.

Tim Clarke 

 Mara Winter — Rise, follow (Discreet Editions)

Rise, follow by Mara Winter

For people with busy performance schedules, 2020 posed a problem; how do you stay busy and creative when you can’t do what you usually do? Mara Winter, an American-born, Swiss-based flute player who specializes in Renaissance-era repertoire and instruments, used it to forge a new creative identity. In partnership with experimental composer and multi-instrumentalist Clara de Asís, she began exploring the commonalities between early, composed music and contemporary approaches and developed a platform to disseminate documents of that research into the world. Rise, follow, the inaugural release of Discreet Editions, is an hour-long piece for two Renaissance-style bass flutes played by Winter and Johanna Bartz. The two musicians played long, overlapping tones with contrast attacks, pushing on until they grew so tired from hefting those woodwinds that they just couldn’t play anymore. Effectively the performance unit is a trio, since the two musicians had to accommodate or collaborate with the reverberant acoustics of Basel’s Kartäuserkirche. The church’s echo threw sounds back at the player, turning pure tones into blurred timbres. While the instrumentation is antique, the ideas about sound combination and endurance have more to do with Morton Feldman, Phill Niblock and Aíne O’Dwyer. The result is music that is simultaneously meditative and as heavy as a bench-pressing competition.

Bill Meyer

 Wurld Series — What’s Growing (Melted Ice Cream)

What's Growing by Wurld Series

Some reviewers of What’s Growing, the second album by New Zealand’s Wurld Series, have managed to avoid making Pavement comparisons, but it’s hard to fathom their restraint. Brief opener “Harvester” feels like you’re being dropped mid-solo into a random Wowee Zowee track; the guitar tone on lead single “Nap Gate,” on the other hand, sounds like it's nicked straight from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. And while singer/guitarist Luke Towart doesn’t attempt to match Malkmus’ flamboyance in the vocal delivery department, their voices and wry lyrical observations bear a distinct resemblance to one another. “Caught beneath a dull blade / What a mess that would make” he sings on “Distant Business” before the song reaches its finale where guitar solos blast off from atop other guitar solos in an array of complementary textures. But besides being a ridiculously fun guitar pop record, What’s Growing is also threaded through with a British psych folk vibe replete with Mellotron flute — and the two styles blend seamlessly together thanks to Towart’s partner in crime, producer/drummer Brian Feary (Salad Boys, Dance Asthmatics). So, whether you're looking for a great summer indie rock record or you’ve ever wondered what the Fab Five from Stockton might’ve sounded like if they’d stuck to short songs and had more flutes, this one’s for you.

Chris Liberato

[damianogordo-blog]

Climate Matters: Atmospheric conditions and the spread of Covid-19 infection in Spain

The Iberian laboratory

Spain is one of the most climatically diverse countries in Western Europe, with a rapid transition from Atlantic maritime conditions on its northern coast to continental on the Meseta Central and a Mediterranean climate on its eastern and southern coasts, in addition to the desert climate of the Canary Islands. As such, it is an ideal environment for testing the hypothesis that Covid-19 infections spread more readily in cooler, dryer air than warmer, most moist conditions.

Why are viral infections seasonal?

The seasonality of flu infections has long been observed, and while various causes have been postulated for this (that the virus does not spread as easily in warmer, more humid air; that warmer weather boots the human immune system; that people are generally in closer proximity to each other during the winter months etc.), the question remains an open one.

Prior studies point to a role for climate 

However, a study published in 2012 that was based on almost 30 years of county-level US data found that “approximately half of the average seasonal differences in US influenza mortality can be explained by seasonal differences in absolute humidity (AH) alone,” adding that “Temperature modestly influenced influenza mortality as well, although results were less robust.”

Most recently, a paper published in March 2020 found that “several countries between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south, such as Australia, UAE, Qatar, Singapore, Bahrain, Qatar and Taiwan, have performed extensive testing per capita and the number of positive 2019-nCoV cases per capita are lower in these countries compared to several European countries and the US.” It concluded that “Even though currently available data is skewed by minimal testing per capita in many tropical countries, it is possible that weather plays a role in the spread of 2019-nCoV.”

Valencia dodges a bullet

Even a casual glance at data relating to Covid-19 cases in Spain reinforces this assertion. The case of Valencia is particularly striking: The first region of peninsular Spain to record a case of Covid-19 after thousands of Valencia fans travelled to Bergamo in Lombardy for a Champions League football match in mid-February, if might have been expected to be among the worst hit regions of the country.

However, with just 11.8 cases per 100,000 persons at the end of March (not much more than half of the regional average of 21.4), this has not been the case. Moreover, the southern regions of Andalucia and Murcia have the lowest rates of infection in mainland Spain, with the Canary Islands lower still (in spite of having the earliest diagnosed case in the whole country). All of these regions have relatively mild and humid winters compared to the Spanish average.

Source: https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov-China/documentos/Actualizacion_62_COVID-19.pdf

With this in mind, I decided to while away some of the long hours under house arrest lockdown here in Cataluña by examining the relationship between climate and Covid-19 infections in Spain in a more systematic manner.

Not everything is relative

Using daily readings on maximum temperature, air pressure, and relative humidity (RH) from all 19 Spanish regions (including the Balearic and Canary Islands, as well as the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla) during the month of March to calculate levels of AH, I plotted both this and maximum temperatures by region against the number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 of population at the end of March.

AH is the somewhat more obscure cousin of relative humidity (RH). While RH measures how much water is in the air compared to how much there could be, at a given temperature, as a percentage, AH expresses how much water is in the air, regardless of temperature, and is measured in g/m3. The ability of the air to hold water vapour is heavily dependent on temperature: At 30 degrees Celsius, the maximum AH is 30g/m3, while at 0 degrees, it is a mere 5g/m3.

Getting curvey

The results show a strong, non-linear association between both AH and temperature on the one hand and the prevalence of diagnosed cases of Covid-19 on the other (R2 values of 0.55 and 0.61, respectively).

Plotting infection rates against AH, a best-fit curve suggests that a significant negative relationship exists between the two variables but that it becomes much weaker once AH rises above 12g/m3.

Thus, while there was a significant difference in the number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 persons between Madrid and Navarra (average AH of around 10g/m3) on the one hand and Extremadura and Valencia (average AH of around 11g/m3) on the other, there is relatively little difference between Melilla and Murcia (average AH of around 12g/m3) and the Canary Islands and Andalucia (average AH of around 13g/m3).

Source:

https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov-China/documentos/Actualizacion_62_COVID-19.pdf

https://www.weatheronline.co.uk/

A similar pattern is evident for maximum temperature, with a significant negative association between it and Covid-19 infection rates that becomes notably weaker once the former rises above 19 degrees Celsius.

Source:

https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov-China/documentos/Actualizacion_62_COVID-19.pdf

https://www.weatheronline.co.uk/

The mechanism through which atmospheric conditions influence the spread of Covid-19 remains an open question, but it has been suggested that virus particles stay airborne for longer, and thus travel further, in colder, drier air.

The limitations of Covid-19 data

The number of detected cases of Covid-19 is far less than the number of actual cases, as increased antibody testing is beginning to show in many countries. However, as long as these “invisible” cases are not geographically biased, this does not undermine the robustness of these findings.

Meanwhile, significant time lags are at play: Covid-19 is thought to have an incubation period of between two and 14 days, so some of those who were infected in March did not begin to show symptoms (and test positive) until April, while some of those who tested in positive in March were infected during February, introducing additional noise into the dataset.

Are tropical and subtropical climates less hospitable?

Despite these caveats, these findings indicate that Covid-19 transmission rates may fall significantly during the summer months. Of course, the corollary of this is that they would rise again next winter, but at least this would buy governments time to better prepare both their societies and their health care systems.

They also suggest that, particularly in a country like Spain, the policy response to Covid-19 should be much more regionally focused than it currently is in order to take account of significant differences in transmission rates between regions (this is an argument for flexibility, rather than an endorsement of seperatist movements).

The case for African exceptionalism

Areas with tropical and subtropical climates may have significantly lower rates of Covid-19 transmission than areas with more temperate climates. This implies that lockdown measures may be unnecessary in these regions. There is some evidence to back up this assertion: Despite recording its first case of Covid-19 during late February, Nigeria (with a population approaching 200 million) currently has less than 550 diagnosed cases, for example.

While this partially reflects lower levels of testing, the low level of infection in many African countries is striking: Currently, there are less than 120 diagnosed cases in Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique combined, for example. Meanwhile, Egypt, one of the worst affected countries in Africa, currently has just over 3,000 diagnosed cases in a population of 98 million (compared with close to 200,000 cases in Spain, which has less than half of its population - 47 million). Nor is there yet any real anecdotal evidence of healthcare systems coming under significant stress in Africa.

On the other hand, these findings also suggest that areas of relatively temperate climate in the Southern Hemisphere, such as South Africa and Argentina, may bear the brunt of the pandemic as they enter the winter season this year.

The gift of time

Napoleon and Hitler were both defeated in Russia by Generals “Janvier et Février,” and while Generals “Juillet et Août” will not vanquish Covid-19, they may buy valuable time to accumulate materiel (ventilators, testing kits, protective gear etc.), develop more effective treatments, and prepare a more rational and coherent and policy response in anticipation of a likely second wave next winter.

[naturalremediesfortinnitus-blog]

How To Stop Ringing In Ears?

How Ringing in the ears Outcomes You Together With What You Can Do

Working with the interference that ringing in ears leads to in your life is sometimes difficult. Once you know the brings about and also the successful strategies to handle it, it is possible to obtain control of it. Read more about Remedy For Ringing In The Ears

Utilize the suggestions identified in this article to find peace from ringing in the ears and silence that frustrating disturbance eternally.

Remedies For Ringing In The Ears

Clean your house all the way through. The constant audio of your vacuum is music to a ringing in the ears sufferer's the ears. The activity to do household duties will distract you the frustrating sound inside your ears, and in the end, you won't notice it. The added reward can be a thoroughly clean, comfy atmosphere where you could unwind.

When ringing in the ears starts to make an effort you it's a chance to wake up and make a move! Find an exercise that may get your imagination from the seem, like washing the dishes or working the vacuum. It will not only assist youto work through the aggravation and get back to what you have been undertaking, but you'll leave your own home a little bit solution!

Stop Ringing In Ears Home Remedies

Anxiety is recognized to worsen ringing in the ears, so try to keep your way of life structured. Commit sufficient time soothing to see friends and family. Consider switching into a reduced paced task to minimize your general anxiety degree in case your work is way too demanding.

If your ringing in ears is excruciating and your physicians are unable to enable you to, try Eastern and option methods. The body is not totally understood by European treatment, in spite of its a lot of great improvements. Hypnosis, Yoga exercise, Tai Chi, homeopathy and even Reiki all have reduced ringing in the ears for a few victims over the years.

Homeopathy is now a commonly recognized source of treatment for many signs or symptoms including even, soreness and nausea or vomiting tinnitus. Many ringing in ears sufferers get relief through the use of it, so it might be really worth a test, although nobody is rather certain what the clinical facts is made for why it really is powerful from tinnitus!

Stop Ringing In Ears Fast

Look at searching for assistance from a psychologist if you suffer from ringing in the ears. A psychologist has the ability to teach you the best way to place the ringing in ears to the rear of your mind. To get this done you need to be fully cooperative using the mindset and available your thoughts to the fact that this may meet your needs.

If you are working with ringing in ears, make an effort to lessen the pressure in your daily life. Excessive anxiety will make your tinnitus signs and symptoms more serious, much like a lot of medical conditions. Have a look at your lifestyle to see where the added pressures might be coming from, and take measures to brighten your stress.

How To Stop Ringing In Ears?

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, or TRT, is very successful. This will assist create your situation more manageable. The theory is you shouldn't ought to "package" with ringing in ears anymore than you must "package" with acquiring clothed each day. When you just transform ringing in ears in to a non-problem, you can live your life easier.

Load your plan with interesting pursuits that you want to take part. If you're occupied with some kind of activity, you will find that you neglect all about your ringing in ears. You don't have to permit tinnitus be in charge of your life. Escape on the planet and also have some entertaining actions load your day to be able to distract your self.

Stop Ringing In Ears Fast

Don't enable your way of life center around your tinnitus. Numerous individuals have claimed that if they initial experienced ringing in ears these people were much more dedicated to it than afterwards many years when they learned to habituate and live with their situation. Ringing in the ears might not usually have a heal and it is vital that you develop a coping means of managing this ailment.

Start enjoying a musical tool. Some who are suffering from tinnitus have discovered some degree of relief from learning to play an instrument that will require breathing function, say for example a trumpet or flute. Whether it may help the audio with your ear, discovering an instrument removes focus from ringing in ears, and you will also develop an pleasant and enviable ability.

Stop Ringing Ears Home Remedies

As uncovered above, tinnitus genuinely does obstruct a lot of features in your life as well as your ability to appreciate it. But ringing in the ears does not have to have complete control of your daily life. Use the numerous recommendations using this report to ultimately have the control over the noise that never generally seems to cease.

[sbnkalny]

Assigned human at birth, but realized was human later on' kind of situation? are clowns and humans biologically different or are they simply social constructs?

[smokealarminstallation]

Ionization Type Smoke Detector

Ionization type smoke detectors are some of the most common devices used in homes and buildings. They are not only easy to install but also easy to maintain. These types of devices can detect both smoke and smoke-related fires. This means that these devices can be very useful in helping people to quickly locate and identify the cause of a fire. In addition, this type of device is relatively inexpensive, making it a popular choice for many homeowners.

Refractive index of the aerosol

An ionization type smoke detector is a smoke sensor that produces an audible alarm when an ionized particle of aerosol is detected. It differs from a light scattering type smoke detector in its subtler principle. A light scattering type detector detects the scattering of light by aerosol particles, while an ionization type smoke detector generates an electrical current that is proportional to the number of ions in the air.

This study compares the responses of six different smoke detectors. Two of the detectors are ionization types, while the others are light scattering detectors.

The test chamber used in this study was a cylinder plastic bell jar of 2.2 x 104 cm3. Aerosol was generated by a dilution process. One part of the stream was directed to an optical particle counter, while the other part was mixed with 800 cm3/s of clean air.

After the aerosol was diluted, it was passed through a neutralizer. The resulting concentration of a-particles was then measured using a commercial CPC.

Shape of the aerosol

The aerosol on an ionization type smoke detector is different from that on a light scattering detector. The ionization type uses ions that are produced by the interaction of air molecules with a-radiation. It produces a small electrical current on the order of picoamps.

However, it is not as sensitive as light scattering detectors. This is due to the stochastic nature of radioactive decay. In addition, the noise level is relatively high. Besides, the output of an ionization type smoke detector depends on the concentration of the diluting air.

As a result, the aerosol on an ionization type detector is more variable than that on a light scattering detector. A study compared the performance of six detectors based on three types of ionization (light scattering, photoelectric, and electrostatic) and three light scattering technologies (photoelectric, photodetector, and laser).

To determine the most important aerosol properties, a variety of aerosol instruments were used. These included an optical particle counter and an electrical aerosol analyzer. Each instrument was used to measure the particle size distribution and number concentration.

Nature and strength of the radioactive source

An ionization type smoke detector is an ionization detector with a small americium source. This is different from a light scattering type detector with a much larger source. In an ionization type detector, ions are produced when americium-241 ionizes air molecules.

The performance of an ionization type smoke detector depends on several factors including the geometry of the ionization chamber and the strength of the radioactive source. For example, the ion drift velocity is 14 cm/s for an electric field of 10 V/cm. It is also important to account for atmospheric conditions.

There are many theories on how ionization chambers work. Some involve the use of a pair of parallel plates to trap and contain ions. Others require a simple geometric design. Regardless of the theory, a detailed test would likely involve measuring the ionization current directly.

Aside from the spectral distribution of the light source, the intensity of light scattered by smoke particles is affected by several factors, including the size and shape of the particle. Alpha particles are the largest and have the highest ionizing power. Beta particles have the same ionizing power, but are smaller and can penetrate dead skin layers.

Voltage

An ionization type smoke detector is a type of fire alarm system. It typically consists of a radioactive source, such as Americium, which ionizes the ambient air. Smoke particles attach themselves to the ions and neutralize them.

The ionization type smoke detector also features an electronic circuit that detects a difference in chamber current. When this difference reaches a threshold, the alarm goes off.

In addition, an ionization smoke detector is generally cheaper to manufacture than an optical detector. It may also be less sensitive to false alarms. However, it is worth noting that these types of smoke alarms may be slower to respond to typical house fires.

If you’re not interested in building your own detector, you could consider purchasing a commercially available smoke alarm that includes all of the features you need. Such devices often come in the form of a low-cost 16-pin dual in-line plastic package.

[loudruinsnightmare]

How to Choose the Right Industrial Cooler for Your Business

Selecting the right industrial cooler for your business can significantly impact productivity and operational efficiency. The correct cooling system ensures smooth equipment operation, product freshness, and a comfortable environment for employees. With numerous options available, where should you start? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.

Importance of Industrial Coolers

Industrial coolers are crucial for maintaining optimal temperatures in various business environments. They prevent machinery from overheating, preserve perishable goods, and create a comfortable atmosphere for workers. This can lead to increased productivity and reduced operational costs.

Overview of the Selection Process

Choosing an industrial cooler involves understanding your specific needs, exploring the different types of coolers, and identifying key features that make a cooler effective and efficient. This article will provide a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed decision.

Understanding Industrial Coolers

What Are Industrial Coolers?

Industrial coolers are large-scale cooling systems designed to regulate temperatures in commercial and industrial settings. They are utilized in various industries, including manufacturing, food and beverage, and data centers.

Types of Industrial Coolers

There are several types of industrial coolers, each offering unique advantages and suitable applications.

Air-Cooled Coolers

Air-cooled coolers use air to dissipate heat from the system. They are generally easier to install and maintain but may be less efficient in extremely hot environments.

Water-Cooled Coolers

Water-cooled coolers use water to remove heat, making them more efficient in high-temperature settings. However, they require a reliable water source and more complex installation and maintenance.

Evaporative Coolers

Evaporative coolers cool the air through evaporation. They are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly but are most effective in dry climates with low humidity.

Assessing Your Cooling Needs

Evaluating Your Space

The size and layout of your space are critical factors in choosing the right industrial cooler. Larger spaces may require more powerful or multiple cooling units to maintain a consistent temperature.

Determining Cooling Capacity Requirements

Cooling capacity, measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units), indicates how much heat a cooler can remove per hour. Calculate your BTU requirements based on the size of your area, the heat generated by equipment, and other factors.

Considering Environmental Conditions

Environmental conditions such as ambient temperature, humidity, and ventilation play a significant role in determining the type and size of the cooler needed. For example, evaporative coolers work best in dry, hot climates, while water-cooled systems are ideal for high-temperature environments.

Key Features to Look For

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is crucial for reducing operational costs and minimizing environmental impact. Look for coolers with high energy efficiency ratings and features like variable speed fans and energy-saving modes.

Durability and Maintenance

Choose a cooler made from durable materials that can withstand the demands of your industrial environment. Additionally, consider the ease of maintenance—systems that are easier to maintain can save you time and money in the long run.

Noise Levels

In some settings, noise levels can be a significant concern. If your business requires a quieter environment, look for coolers designed to operate with minimal noise.

Cost and Budget

While it’s important to stay within budget, remember that the cheapest option isn’t always the best. Consider the total cost of ownership, including the initial purchase price, installation, maintenance, and operating costs.

Specific Use Cases

Manufacturing Plants

Manufacturing plants often generate a lot of heat, making efficient cooling systems essential. Air-cooled and water-cooled systems are commonly used to keep machinery and products at optimal temperatures.

Warehouses

Warehouses can be challenging to cool due to their large, open spaces. High-capacity coolers or multiple units might be necessary to maintain consistent temperatures throughout the area.

Server Rooms and Data Centers

Server rooms and data centers require precise temperature control to prevent equipment from overheating. Water-cooled systems are often preferred for their efficiency and ability to maintain stable temperatures.

Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry relies on industrial coolers to preserve the quality and safety of perishable goods. Evaporative coolers and water-cooled systems are commonly used to maintain the required low temperatures.

Installation and Maintenance

Professional Installation Tips

Proper installation is crucial for the effective operation of your industrial cooler. It’s often best to hire professionals who can ensure the system is installed correctly and safely.

Routine Maintenance Practices

Regular maintenance is essential to keep your cooler running efficiently. This includes cleaning filters, checking for leaks, and ensuring all components are in good working order.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with regular maintenance, issues can arise. Common problems include insufficient cooling, leaks, and unusual noises. Familiarize yourself with basic troubleshooting steps or have a professional on call to address these issues promptly.

∴ Also Read: The Environmental Impact of Using Duct Coolers in India

Conclusion

Recap of Key Points

Choosing the right industrial cooler involves understanding your specific cooling needs, evaluating the different types of coolers, and considering key features like energy efficiency, durability, noise levels, and cost. By carefully assessing these factors, you can select a cooling system that meets your business’s requirements.

Final Thoughts

Investing in the right industrial cooler is a decision that will pay off in improved efficiency, productivity, and cost savings. Take the time to research and choose wisely, and you’ll create a more comfortable and efficient working environment.

FAQs

Q. How often should I maintain my industrial cooler?

Ans. Perform maintenance on your industrial cooler at least once a quarter. However, some environments may require more frequent checks.

Q. What is the average lifespan of an industrial cooler?

Ans. The average lifespan of an industrial cooler can range from 10 to 15 years, depending on the type, usage, and maintenance practices.

Q. How do I know if my cooler is energy efficient?

Ans. Look for energy efficiency ratings like ENERGY STAR. Additionally, modern coolers often come with energy-saving features such as variable-speed fans.

Q. Can industrial coolers be used in outdoor settings?

Ans. Yes, certain industrial coolers are designed for outdoor use. Ensure that the cooler you choose is rated for outdoor conditions if that’s where you plan to install it.

Q. What should I do if my industrial cooler stops working?

Ans. If your industrial cooler stops working, first check for common issues like power supply problems or clogged filters. If you can’t identify the issue, it’s best to call a professional technician.

Explore different types of industrial coolers and find the perfect solution for your Business. Visit Ramcoolers now!

[uppalblog]

Pollution all around the world

Today's pollution problem is severe because man has over-intervened with nature, damaging our water, soil, air, and land. When the environment is polluted, all forms of life, including humans, animals, and plants, become afflicted, either directly or indirectly. Pollution is harmful to human health as well as the health of all living things. Any adverse and unexpected change in the levels of these elements is defined as pollution. This problem becomes more acute with each passing year. It's a problem that has consequences in terms of money, health, and mental well-being. The environmental crisis, which is worsening by the day, must be addressed in order to eradicate its negative effects on people and the environment. The issue of inadequate housing and an unhealthy lifestyle has become increasingly prominent as industry has developed and as the number of immigrants from rural areas to metropolitan areas in search of job has increased. Pollution-causing substances have emerged as a result of these reasons. The four elements of environmental pollution are air, water, soil, and noise.

The influence of pollution on life quality is significantly greater than most people realize. It works in a variety of ways that aren't necessarily obvious to the naked eye. Despite this, it is plentiful in the natural world. Emission levels, for example, may be undetectable but nevertheless present in the atmosphere. Pollutants that pollute the air and boost carbon dioxide levels are also dangerous to human health. Rising CO2 levels will cause climate change.

Water contamination induced by industrial development, religious ceremonies, and other causes would also result in a freshwater crisis. In the absence of water, human life would perish. Furthermore, the manner in which waste is dumped on the ground eventually ends up in the ecosystem, which is harmful. If soil salinity continues to rise, we will be unable to cultivate our harvests on topsoil. As a result, drastic measures to reduce dangerous emissions should be taken.

Furthermore, pollution is produced by both natural and man-made sources; however, man-made pollution exacerbates the problem and puts life on the planet in jeopardy. A considerable quantity of industrial contamination is caused by automobiles, factory output, transportation, manufacturing, farming, and other human activities. For millennia, human activities, which are technically considered manmade causes of pollution, have been poisoning the earth. Nonetheless, with the current level of trash, we have no alternative except to seek emergency treatment.

The environment has been heavily polluted as a result of population growth in a variety of ways, including waste generation, biodiversity threats, deforestation, human migration, transportation, and technological advancement. There are numerous methods for reducing pollution and conserving the environment. We should take steps to reduce, reuse, and recycle products. Trees contribute to air purification by boosting oxygen levels in the atmosphere, so we should cultivate more and more plants to minimize air pollution. Another strategy to save the environment is to make good use of energy resources. We can eliminate a modest bit of pollution and safeguard our ecosystem if we rationally implement these steps.

[gimpnelly]

How To Select The Correct Size Air Compressor

A compressor with an air supply is a handy tool to keep in your bag to deal with the sudden low or flat tire, or for powering specific tools. If you're filling up tractor tires or truck tires, or running an air-powered device like a nail gun, there's an air compressor to suit almost every use. An air compressor makes fast work of getting your wheels pumped up and getting back on the road again, and makes running tools on jobsites a breeze. It's an excellent idea to keep an air compressor in your garage for daily use.

What is an air compressor and how do they work?

An air compressor transforms power into energy using compressed air. The air compressor utilizes diesel, electric or gasoline engine for this. It's suitable for inflating and tool applications. The pressurized air is released after the valve has been closed.

How do you choose the correct size air compressor?

When choosing the right size compressor for your tools, the most important factors to be considered include the PSI (pounds/square inch) and CFM specifications. The performance of compressors is assessed using both PSI and the deliverable CFM. Ideally, you want an air compressor that has 1.25 to 1.5 times more CFM airflow at the PSI recommended by the air tool(s) need.

For instance, an air tool which requires 5.0 CFM at 90 PSI must be used with a compressor that can produce between 6.25 and 7.5 CFM at 90PSI. If you choose one that's not strong enough, your device will be underpowered and will not perform as it should as well, and the compressor could be overworked. Remember that the example calculation was only for one tool. If you intend to use multiple tools at once, you'll need to consider the total CFM and PSI demands. The protection of your compressor will depend on the capacity you choose.

Be sure to check these features before you Buy an Air Compressor.

Air compressors are not all made equal. A compressor must be strong enough to tackle the job you're working on, yet small and light enough to carry it wherever you require it. Here are some tips to keep in mind while searching for the right air compressor for you.

Use. While the majority of the air compressors are designed for use in vehicles such as inflating tires and other objects but there are air compressors that can be used to power air-powered tools, such as nail guns and spray painters.

Type. There are a few types of air compressors available: those that use rotating impellers to generate air pressure, and positive-displacement compressors, which use reciprocating pistons to pressurize the air. Most home-based units are positive-displacement compressors and use single or dual cylinders.

Power source. Consider the way your air compressor will be run. A DC-powered compressor is ideal when you just need an air compressor for carrying around in the event flat tires on the move. An AC-powered compressor is the ideal choice if you're looking to pump your tires quicker or power your air tools. There are models that can switch between these sources of power and others that run on batteries.

PSI. PSI (pounds per square inch) is a measurement of the pressure that an air compressor is able to offer. If you're using it to run air tools, then you'll be required to determine the minimum required PSI to run the device in order to ensure that your compressor is running. The air compressor's maximum operating PSI will also determine the types of applications it can be used.

CFM. The deliverable CFM or cubic feet per minute determines the amount of "free air" the air compressor consumes while running, with air at atmospheric pressure (0 psig). Be sure to check the air tool to see if you meet the minimum specifications.

Noise level. Air compressors can be extremely loud so make sure to select quiet ones. Anything that is less than 80 decibels will be considered to be quiet. When using an air compressor, you'll have be conscious of your hearing and wear the appropriate ear protection.

Attachments Additional attachments are another crucial aspect to consider when purchasing an air compressor. Although most users make use of their air compressors to inflate vehicle tires or power air tools they also make fast work of filling inflatable items like sports balls, air mattresses and pool toys. Find models that have other attachments that work with whatever application you intend to use it with.

Price factor. Consider how much money you can afford to buy an air compressor. Air compressors vary in price between $20 and $200 or more.

An air compressor makes filling your tires with air or running air tools an easy and easy task however, it's crucial to understand the type of compressor you'll need. It is easy to identify the best size compressor for you needs by running an easy calculation.

[hudsonespie]

COVID-19 Downturn Creates an Opportunity to Study a Quieter Ocean

Extreme events—volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, nuclear weapons tests, and the like—can cause extreme harm. However, such events can also serve as de facto experiments that help scientists understand and predict the effects of human activities on natural systems [Bates et al., 2020; Rutz et al., 2020]. In one striking example, contraction of the world economy during the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed scientists to measure ambient sound levels in the global ocean during a time of major decreases in noise from shipping and many other marine activities that is unprecedented in the recent past.

Sound propagates farther than any other signal in the ocean, making it the best way to communicate and orient underwater. Since World War I, navies around the world have monitored ocean sound to locate submarines and mines and for other national security purposes. Underwater listening technology has also supported many other discoveries, including how whales use sound to communicate across the ocean.

Despite all we have learned about ocean sound, however, the effects of human-generated ocean sounds on marine animals that use sound to navigate and communicate remain poorly understood. An important way we can improve our understanding of human effects is to quantify variability and change in ambient, or background, ocean sound over time, which makes it possible to characterize marine “soundscapes.”

Characterizing the risks of underwater sound for marine life requires understanding what sound levels cause harmful effects and where in the ocean vulnerable animals may be exposed to sound exceeding these levels. But the sporadic deployment of hydrophones globally and the lack of public access to military hydrophone data have hindered scientific efforts to pursue such quantifications. (Peer-reviewed journals increasingly require open access to data on which submitted papers are based.)

Concerns about national security have kept much acoustic data, some decades old, classified or difficult to access. One notable exception involves data from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), the organization that monitors compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which opened for signature in 1996 and bans nuclear explosions on and below Earth’s surface, in the atmosphere, and underwater.

However, other than the CTBTO stations and a small number of other cabled listening stations, most nonmilitary hydrophones are deployed for only a few months or years for specific, stakeholder-driven research or monitoring purposes. As a result of this shortage of data, there is no continuous and long-term record of ambient ocean sound equivalent to, say, the famous Keeling curve, which has tracked the overall rise and seasonal fluctuations of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations since 1957 [Keeling et al., 1976].

In 2011, an international group of experts concerned with ocean sound and its effects on marine life began developing the International Quiet Ocean Experiment (IQOE), which was formally launched in 2015 with publication of the International Quiet Ocean Experiment Science Plan. A goal of IQOE is to create time series of measurements of ambient sound in the ocean in many locations to reveal variability and changes in intensity and other properties of sound at a range of frequencies.

IQOE has encouraged increased deployment of civilian hydrophones worldwide. And indeed, the number of hydrophones operating in North America [e.g., Haver et al., 2018], Europe, and other locations for both research and operational purposes has increased dramatically, likely thanks in part to IQOE. With these increased resources, IQOE and the ocean sound research community will be able to shed needed light on humans’ influences on marine life and ecosystems, as well as on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the ocean.

Ocean Sound and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Most studies of the effects of ocean noise from natural and human sources broadcast acoustic signals and monitor for any resulting short-term effects on marine life, or they work backward from observed effects to determine sound sources. IQOE is based upon the recognition that if added noise already harms animals and affects marine ecosystems negatively, then measuring effects of reducing noise should be a key goal of marine bioacoustics.

Beginning in January 2020, travel restrictions and economic slowdowns occurring globally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—and intensified by an oil price war—put the brakes on much human activity in the ocean. Drastic decreases were seen in shipping, tourism and recreation, fishing and aquaculture, energy exploration and extraction, naval and coast guard exercises, offshore construction, and port and channel dredging.

The global pandemic has thus created a chance for scientists to determine how a sudden decrease in human activities—already attested to by atmospheric and terrestrial measures—and the subsequent slow recovery of the global economy affect sound levels in the ocean.

Other unintentional historical events provide analogies to the current drop in human activities on and in the world’s oceans. The start (1945) and stop (1980) of aboveground nuclear testing provided traces of carbon-14 and tritium, whose movements and decay have provided major insights into ocean physics, chemistry, and biology. And after the terrorist attacks in New York City and Arlington, Va., on September 11, 2001, the cancellation of hundreds of civilian airline flights allowed scientists to study the effects of jet contrails (or their absence) on weather patterns.

Listening to Quieter Oceans

A previous opportunity to study the effects of reduced ocean noise arose from the slowdown of shipping following the events of September 11, 2001. For example, a group of biologists studied the levels of stress hormones in endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Bay of Fundy. They found that during the four years after 2001, stress hormone levels increased in mid-September as the whales prepared to migrate from their northern feeding and mating area to warmer southern waters where they calve. However, immediately after September 11, 2001, ocean noise levels from shipping decreased, and levels of stress hormone dropped [Rolland et al., 2012]. This study suggests that living in an industrialized ocean chronically stresses these whales and that the reduction in noise reduced their stress.

Fortuitously for the ocean research community, a large number of nonmilitary hydrophones were already deployed worldwide before the pandemic, so there is a significant opportunity to study its ramifications on ocean sound globally. IQOE is working with the ocean observing community to identify a global network of civilian-operated, passive acoustic hydrophones (i.e., those that record ambient sounds rather than generating sounds of their own) useful for this purpose. This network could also serve more broadly as a prototype global hydrophone network for scientific and monitoring purposes.

As of February 8, 2021, we had identified 231 hydrophones that could contribute to a global analysis of the effects of the pandemic on ocean sound (below). Most identified so far are located in waters of the United States and Canada, but increasing numbers are being added elsewhere, particularly in European waters. Meanwhile, more acoustic instrumentation and measurements are clearly needed across the Southern Hemisphere.

Locations of civilian hydrophones potentially useful to study effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on ocean sound and other acoustic characteristics of the ocean are shown here, as off February 8, 2021.

It is important that acoustic monitoring by many existing hydrophones continue at least through 2021 to make sure researchers can observe a complete return to baseline conditions if the pandemic subsides by then. Such consistency is a challenge, however, because the pandemic has interrupted the placement and servicing of hydrophones and other parts of ocean observing systems in most of the world.

Because most hydrophone installations are autonomous recorders that are not equipped for telemetry (Figure 1), most hydrophone data are not available in real time; further, the pandemic has delayed the recovery of some data. The schedule of data recovery dictated by pandemic-related disruptions will affect the timing of the global analysis of hydrophone data for assessing large-scale impacts. However, researchers have already released some preliminary real-time results detailing regional ocean quieting near Vancouver, Canada [Thomson and Barclay, 2020]. Extending these observations to include measurements on a global scale should be exciting.

The existing hydrophone network covers coastal areas, which are likely those most influenced by local changes in human activity, and it also includes deep-ocean stations that can measure effects of low-frequency sound sources over large areas. The more areas that can be sampled, the more accurate our view of the global effect of COVID-19 on ocean sound will be. As such, IQOE continues to welcome expansion of the global passive acoustic network.

A Broader Scope for Ocean Acoustics

Beyond analyzing effects of pandemic-related decreases in human activity on ocean sound and potential follow-on effects on ocean ecosystems, the fledgling hydrophone network will continue contributing to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). This system is a worldwide collaboration of observing assets, including Argo floats, sea level monitoring stations, fixed and drifting buoys, and others.

Timely maturation of a global marine passive acoustic network is helping to meet the GOOS goal of monitoring ocean sound. Such capabilities will allow researchers to further analyze acoustic data to shed light on the distribution of ocean sound and its effects in Anthropocene seas [Duarte et al., 2021]. These efforts will go a long way toward improving our limited understanding of the effects that humans have on marine life and ecosystems. 

This article appears courtesy of EOS and is reproduced here in an abbreviated form. It is available in its original form here. 

Authors

Prof. Peter L. Tyack, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews

Dr. Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds, Director of the Center for Acoustics Research and Education, University of New Hampshire

Jesse Ausubel, Director of the Program for the Human Environment, The Rockefeller University

Dr. Edward R. Urban Jr., Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research, University of Delaware

We thank 41 hydrophone operators for participating in this activity, as well as Eduardo Klein of the Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela, for helping us create the graphics in the paper. 

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