LAKEPORT, Calif. – A closure of Pool Street in Lakeport that was set for Monday, Sept. 26, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 27.
The Lakeport Public Works Department said Pool Street between Ninth Street and Central Park will be closed Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for work in the area.
The department asks that drivers use alternate routes to avoid the area, be aware of crews and drive safely.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Lupoyoma Parlor No. 329 of the Native Daughters of the Golden West will meet on Thursday, Oct. 13, for a membership social and organizational meeting.
The group meets at 5:30 p.m. for social time and 6 p.m. for the business meeting at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.
If you were born in California and are over 16 you are a Native Californian eligible for membership in the Native Daughters of the Golden West organization.
The Native Daughters is a fraternal and patriotic organization founded in 1886 on the principles of:
– Love of home;
– Devotion to the flag;
– Veneration of the pioneers;
– Faith in the existence of God.
All Native Daughters are welcome to attend.
For more information contact Parlor Worthy President Carla Dore, 831-524-5588, or V.P. Dee Cuney, 707-235-2902, or visit the Native Daughters of the Golden West, Lupoyoma Parlor No. 329 Facebook page.
For information about Lake County Konocti No. 159 Chapter of the Native Sons of the Golden West contact Tony Braito at 707-245-7663.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Several dogs that have been held and cared for since being found in the Clayton fire area are now being offered for adoption by Lake County Animal Care and Control, along with several other dogs.
The Clayton fire dogs are at the top of the list below.
The available dogs from Lake County Animal Care and Control this week include mixes of boxer, Chihuahua, Doberman Pinscher, Great Dane, hound, Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler, pit bull and terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
CLAYTON FIRE DOGS
Labrador Retriever mix
This young male Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat with white markings.
He was found in the Clearlake area on Aug. 15.
He's in kennel No. 18, ID No. 5861.
Labrador Retriever mix
This female Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat.
She was found in the Clearlake area on Aug. 15.
She's in kennel No. 19, ID No. 5862.
Labrador Retriever mix
This female Labrador Retriever mix has a short white coat.
She was found in the Clearlake area on Aug. 15.
She's in kennel No. 20, ID No. 5860.
Labrador Retriever mix
This young male Labrador Retriever mix has a short black and white coat.
He was found in the Clearlake area on Aug. 15.
He's in kennel No. 21, ID No. 5863.
Terrier-Chihuahua mix
This male terrier-Chihuahua mix has a short red and white coat.
He was found in the Lower Lake area on Sept. 12.
He's in kennel No. 22, ID No. 6096.
Pit bull terrier mix
This female pit bull terrier mix has a short black and white coat.
She was found in the Lower Lake area on Aug. 20.
She's in kennel No. 33, ID No. 5878.
NON-FIRE DOGS AVAILABLE
'Daisy'
“Daisy” is a boxer-pit bull terrier mix with a short red and white coat.
She's in kennel No. 3, ID No. 6167.
Hound mix
This young female hound mix has a short brindle and white coat.
She's in kennel No. 8, ID No. 6133.
Doberman Pinscher-Labrador Retriever mix
This male Doberman Pinscher-Labrador Retriever mix has a short tan and brown coat.
He's in kennel No. 10, ID No. 6163.
Pit bull terrier mix
This male pit bull terrier mix has a short black and white coat.
He's in kennel No. 12, ID No. 6094.
'Taz'
“Taz” is a male pit bull terrier with a short black and white coat.
He's in kennel No. 24, ID No. 6164.
Rottweiler mix
This female Rottweiler mix has a black coat with some brindle markings.
Shelter staff said she need some training and is manageable on a leash. They said she is a very nice dog and knows not to jump when excited. After proper introductions, she has gotten along with other dogs she has met, including off-leash play. She would do best in a home with no cats.
She's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 5947.
'Dakota'
“Dakota” is a female pit bull terrier mix with a short blue and white coat.
She's in kennel No. 27, ID No. 6142.
'Lucky'
“Lucky” is a male hound and Great Dane mix with a short black and white coat.
He's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 6026.
'Flor'
“Flor” is a female Labrador Retriever mix with a short black and white coat.
She already has been spayed, which should lower her adoption cost.
She is in kennel No. 30b, ID No. 6041.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A wildland fire that began near Cloverdale on Sunday morning burned 1,500 acres by nightfall, with authorities implementing mandatory evacuations nearby.
The Sawmill fire began at approximately 10:43 a.m. Sunday in Sonoma County off Big Geysers Road and Geysers Resort Road, 10 miles east of Cloverdale, according to Cal Fire.
By Sunday night, the fire had reached the 1,500-acre mark, with containment at 10 percent, Cal Fire said.
The fire's huge smoke plume, which rose over the ridge and was visible from around Lake County, put many nervous Lake County residents on edge, with hundreds of concerned posts flooding the Internet and social media.
However, the fire still had not crossed into Lake County by Sunday night, according to Cal Fire.
Throughout the day Cal Fire had battled the fire hard from the air due to the steep, difficult-to-access terrain.
The agency called in additional ground crews from around the region, with Lake County's fire districts also sending help.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office also was reported to be assisting Sonoma County officials in the fire response.
On Sunday afternoon, a water tender responding to the incident rolled over on Geysers Road. Cal Fire did not identify the agency involved but said no injuries were reported.
Resources committed late Sunday included 473 firefighters, 36 fire engines, 13 fire crews, 10 dozers, eight airtankers, six helicopters and two water tenders. Cal Fire said still more units are on the way.
Cal Fire said vegetation – including grass and oak woodland – in the fire area is heavy and extremely dry due to the five years of drought conditions. Temperatures on Sunday were in the 70s with low relative humidity, and humidity expected to be in the low 20s through the night.
With structures threatened, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office ordered a mandatory evacuation for Geysers Road on the Cloverdale side from Pine Mountain Road to Geysers Resort Road, with an evacuation warning for the area of Geysers Road on the Geyserville side from Geysers Resort Road to Anderson Ranch Road, Ridge Oaks Road, Monkey Rock Road and Pocket Ranch Road.
The agency asked residents in the surrounding Geysers area to stay vigilant and prepare for possible evacuation. Residents are urged prioritize their personal safety, and do not wait for an evacuation notification if they feel their safety is at risk.
At 5 p.m. Sunday the American Red Cross opened an evacuation center at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Healdsburg, 1402 University St.
Cal Fire said the fire's cause is under investigation.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LUCERNE, Calif. – A woman from Eureka suffered major injuries early Saturday when her vehicle went off Highway 20 and overturned.
Tara Rhea Olivo, 38, was injured in the solo-vehicle wreck, which occurred at 1:55 a.m. Saturday on Highway 20 east of Rosemont Drive, according to a report from the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.
The CHP said that Olivo was driving her 2002 Honda Odyssey minivan westbound on Highway 20 at an unknown speed when, for reasons still to be determined, she allowed her vehicle to veer off the right side shoulder of the highway and onto the dirt rock shoulder.
Once on the dirt shoulder, Olivo lost control of the vehicle, which the CHP said rolled multiple times and came to rest facing the opposite direction in the westbound lane.
Olivo, who was wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash, suffered a major laceration to her left hand, the CHP said.
Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters transported Olivo to Lucerne Harbor Park, where a REACH air ambulance picked her up and transported her to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to reports from the scene.
The CHP said speed appears to be a contributing factor to the crash, but drugs and alcohol are not believed to have been involved.
The crash remains under investigation by CHP Officer Anub.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.” – William Shakespeare
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – I had the good fortune to hike the Cache Creek Nature Trail at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park recently.
The hike was led by Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association's (AMIA) docent and certified naturalist, Billy Gear, who did an excellent job of leading the group on the walk. He was well-informed of the nuances of Anderson Marsh.
As I state in my Anderson Marsh book, “Anderson Marsh is comprised of over 1,000 acres of wetlands, oak woodlands. And grasslands. It is located in Lake County, California, on Clear Lake. There are at least 30 Native American archaeological sites located here, some of which are over 10,000 year old. Along with its prehistoric past, Anderson Marsh has a rich history of European settlement – the Grigsbys in the 1850s and the Andersons in the 1880s.”
Nature walks are led by AMIA trained docent volunteers on the second Saturday of each month, with the exceptions of September, December and January.
Once you enter Anderson Marsh State Historic Park a world of wonder opens up to you.
You are bombarded with sensory perceptions that are seemingly swirling about. The vistas that have been enjoyed for millennia, the Ranch House that has sat in this spot since before the Civil War, the abundant flora and fauna all conspire to take you on multi-faceted tours set right here, right now.
For example, the cool, green colors that paint Cache Creek's edges with willow, tule reeds, berries, cottonwoods and oak draw you in for further inspection.
You sense the live creek and wetlands before you even peer into this other world of moisture. Now you find turtles, ducks, and herons all “making a living” day in and day out, every day.
While walking the Cache Creek Nature Trail be sure to look up, so that you don't miss the kettle of turkey vultures that someone once called “black butterflies” (was it Mary Oliver's phrase?).
Then, gaze out, over the grasslands to the oak woodlands and imagine what tasks those Pomo Indians were achieving back in the day – chipping obsidian arrowheads, gathering acorns for food, playing games or fishing nearby.
Looking closely at the flora along the creek you see Himalayan blackberries. These are not native to California, and were introduced by a botanist to the U.S. in 1870s.
The creek is rife with hawks, warblers, mourning doves, hummingbirds, egrets and more.
Come to Anderson Marsh to walk any of its trails, and find out why native people, history-lovers and bird-watchers all treasure what Anderson Marsh has to offer.
AMIA, according to its Web site at http://www.andersonmarsh.org/index.html , “has been in existence for many years with a primary objective of preserving and enhancing the use of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. Joining as a member will help insure those who wish to protect and conserve this great educational, cultural and environmental resource have the means to do so.”
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is now taking applications from individuals and families who want to adopt cats found in the Clayton fire area.
The fire cats, which have not been reclaimed after weeks of being put on a special hold, are available along with several other felines who were not part of the fire recovery operation.
The Clayton fire cats are listed at the top, with the cats not from the fire area following.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Shelter_Animal_Search.htm .
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
CLAYTON FIRE CATS
Domestic medium hair
This domestic medium hair cat has a gray and white coat, and is recovering from injuries suffered during the Clayton fire.
Shelter staff said the cat, the gender of which has not been determined, was found in the Lower Lake area on Aug. 18.
The cat is in the Animal Care and Control clinic, ID No. 5856.
Domestic short hair
This young female domestic short hair mix has a gray and white coat.
She was found in the Lower Lake area on Sept. 16. She already has been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 82, ID No. 6131.
Domestic short hair
This male domestic short hair mix kitten has a light orange-colored coat.
He was found in Lower Lake on Sept. 16. He already has been neutered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 84a, ID No. 6129.
Domestic long hair
This young male domestic long hair mix cat has a gray coat with white markings.
He was found in Lower Lake Sept. 15.
Shelter staff said he is already neutered.
He is in cat room kennel No. 84b, ID No. 6130.
Domestic short hair
This young female domestic short hair has a gray tabby coat.
She was found in Lower Lake on Aug. 24.
She's in cat room kennel No. 109, ID No. 5887.
Domestic short hair
This adult female domestic short hair has a brown tabby and white coat, and has green eyes. She already has been spayed.
Shelter staff said she was found in Lower Lake on Aug. 17.
She is in cat room kennel No. 110, ID No. 5842.
Domestic short hair
This male adult domestic short hair mix has a gray tabby coat.
He was found in Lower Lake on Aug. 16.
He is in cat room kennel No. 114, ID No. 5705.
Domestic long hair
This female adult domestic long hair mix has a white and gray coat and blue eyes.
The cat was found in Lower Lake on Sept. 7.
She already has been spayed.
She is in cat room kennel No. 116, ID No. 6050.
Domestic short hair mix
This young male domestic short hair has an orange and white coat.
Shelter staff said he was found on Sept. 16 in Lower Lake.
He already had been neutered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 146, ID No. 6132.
NON-FIRE CATS
Female domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix has a black and white coat and green eyes.
Shelter staff said she already is altered, which will lower her adoption costs.
She's in cat room kennel No. 78, ID No. 6068.
'Mom'
“Mom” is a domestic short hair mix with a dilute tortie coat and gold eyes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 90, ID No. 5880.
Tabby kitten
This female tabby kitten has a medium-length gray and brown coat.
Shelter staff said she has already been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 119, ID No. 6135.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
SACRAMENTO – With the Sonoma Developmental Center slated for closure, nearly 400 of the most medically fragile patients in the state system will be transitioning into the community system with no developmental center to fall back on if the placement fails.
In fact, across the state, over 1,000 developmental center residents will be moved out over the next five years.
Currently, there is no mandate to monitor and evaluate the transition of residents from developmental centers to the community and ensure our state follows through with its commitment to provide appropriate services to developmentally disabled Californians.
But on Saturday, this changed with Gov. Jerry Brown signing Sen. Mike McGuire’s legislation creating a quality of life tracking study for transitioning residents as they move from developmental center care to community care.
The study will track a minimum of 250 residents from the closing developmental centers for two consecutive years from the time they leave their developmental center.
“This new tracking study will hold the state accountable and bring needed transparency to the transition process. We’re at a defining moment for our state as major changes are made to the system of care for California’s developmentally disabled residents,” McGuire said. “We have to ensure that as developmental centers are slated for closure, we are closely monitoring the health and well-being of residents so that immediate steps can be taken during this transition if appropriate services and housing are not being provided.”
SB 982 will be an important tool for developmental center residents and their families by assuring the State is providing the services needed for residents to thrive in the community.
Specifically, this bill will track transitioning residents and their family’s satisfaction with the process, the adequacy of services they are receiving in the community along with their satisfaction of their new housing.
The legislation also requires the Department of Developmental Disability Services to report to the legislature annually on the outcomes of these mandated surveys.
Additionally, it will enable the state to learn from and correct any challenges that may arise from the transition in real time, and will provide transparency and accountability on the state’s investment and responsibility to the Developmentally Disabled community.
“Given the fact that there will no longer be any developmental centers to fall back on if residents have challenges in the community, a comprehensive study – focused on the well-being of developmental center residents – should be required and we are grateful that Gov. Brown agreed,” McGuire said.
The Legislative Analyst Office agrees that the state needs greater monitoring of those who are moving from developmental centers into the community. This bill is supported by the county of Sonoma, Disability Rights California, the Sonoma Parent Hospital Association, SEIU 100 among others.
The legislation also passed both the Senate and Assembly with no votes in opposition.
McGuire, who represents the region that includes the Sonoma Developmental Center, which is scheduled for closure, has spent the past two years working with state and local officials, families, residents, staff and providers to ensure a safe and seamless transition for the nearly 400 medically fragile residents who call the SDC home.
At SDC, the state is currently more than 50 percent behind in its goal of moving residents into the community.
A simple question from his wife – Does physics really allow people to travel back in time? – propelled physicist Richard Muller on a quest to resolve a fundamental problem that had puzzled him throughout his 45-year career: Why does the arrow of time flow inexorably toward the future, constantly creating new “nows”?
That quest resulted in a book to be published today, NOW: The Physics of Time (W. W. Norton), that delves into the history of philosophers' and scientists' concepts of time, uncovers a tendency physicists have to be vague about time's passage, demolishes the popular explanation for the arrow of time and proposes a totally new theory.
“Time has been a stumbling block to our understanding of the universe,” said Muller, a UC Berkeley professor emeritus who for many years taught a popular introductory course, “Physics for Future Presidents,” which he turned into a 2008 book of the same name. “Over my career, I've seen a lot of nonsense published about time, and I started thinking about it and realized I had a lot to say from having taught the subject over many decades, having thought about it, having been annoyed by it, having some really interesting ways of presenting it, and some whole new ideas that have never appeared in the literature.”
In commenting on the theory and Muller's new book, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of the 2014 TV miniseries “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” wrote, “Maybe it's right. Maybe it's wrong. But along the way he's given you a master class in what time is and how and why we perceive it the way we do.”
Muller’s new idea: Time is expanding because space is expanding.
“The new physics principle is that space and time are linked; when you create new space, you will create new time,” Muller said.
Time kicked off by Big Bang
Ever since the Big Bang explosively set off the expansion of the universe 13.8 billion years ago, the cosmos has been growing, something physicists can measure as the Hubble expansion. They don't think of it as stars flying away from one another, however, but as stars embedded in space and space continually expanding.
Muller takes his lead from Albert Einstein, who built his theory of general relativity – the theory that explains everything from black holes to cosmic evolution – on the idea of a four-dimensional spacetime. Space is not the only thing expanding, Muller says; spacetime is expanding. And we are surfing the crest of that wave, what we call “now.”
“Every moment, the universe gets a little bigger, and there is a little more time, and it is this leading edge of time that we refer to as now,” he writes. “The future does not yet exist ... it is being created. Now is at the boundary, the shock front, the new time that is coming from nothing, the leading edge of time.”
Because the future doesn't yet exist, we can't travel into the future, he asserts. He argues, too, that going back in time is equally improbable, since to reverse time you would have to decrease, at least locally, the amount of space in the universe.
That does happen, such as when a star explodes or a black hole evaporates. But these reduce time so infinitesimally that the effect would be hidden in the quantum uncertainty of measurement – an instance of what physicists call cosmic censorship.
“The only example I could come up with is black hole evaporation, and in that case it turns out to be censored. So I couldn't come up with any way to reverse time, and my basic conclusion is that time travel is not possible,” he said.
Black hole mergers create a millisecond of new time
Muller's theory explaining the flow of time led to a collaboration with Caltech theoretician Shaun Maguire and a paper posted online June 25 that explains the theory in more detail – using mathematics – and proposes a way to test it using LIGO, an experiment that detects gravitational waves created by merging black holes.
If Muller and Maguire are right, then when two black holes merge and create new space, they should also create new time, which would delay the gravitational wave signal LIGO observes from Earth.
“The coalescing of two black holes creates millions of cubic miles of new space, which means a one-time creation of new time,” Muller said. The black hole merger first reported by LIGO in February 2016 involved two black holes weighing about 29 and 36 times the mass of the sun, producing a final black hole weighing about 62 solar masses. The new space created in the merger would produce about 1 millisecond of new time, which is near the detection level of LIGO. A similar event at one-third the distance would allow LIGO to detect the newly created time.
Whether or not the theory pans out, Muller's book makes a good case.
“(Muller) forges a new path. I expect controversy!” wrote UC Berkeley Nobel laureate Saul Perlmutter, who garnered the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the accelerating expansion of the universe. Muller initiated the project that led to that discovery, which involved measuring the distances and velocities of supernovae. The implication of that discovery is that the progression of time is also accelerating, driven by dark energy.
Over his career, Muller founded two major experimental programs that elucidated our understanding of time: a measurement of the cosmic microwave uniformity, for which he was awarded a MacArthur Prize, and the discovery of dark energy, for which he shared the 2014 Breakthrough Prize.
Muller and his daughter Elizabeth co-founded Berkeley Earth, a nonprofit that reanalyzed Earth's temperature record confirming global warming, and which now is a repository for historical data on global temperature and air pollution.
For his newest endeavor, Muller explored previous explanations for the arrow of time and discovered that many philosophers and scientists have been flummoxed by the fact that we are always living in the 'now”,:from Aristotle and Augustine to Paul Dirac – the discoverer of antimatter, which can be thought of as normal matter moving backward in time – and Albert Einstein. While philosophers were not afraid to express an opinion, most physicists basically ignored the issue.
“No physics theories have the flow of time built into them in any way. Time was just the platform on which you did your calculations – there was no 'now' mentioned, no flow of time,” Muller said. “The idea of studying time itself did not exist prior to Einstein. Einstein gave physics the gift of time.”
Einstein, however, was unable to explain the flow of time into the future instead of into the past, despite the fact that the theories of physics work equally well going forward or backward in time. And although he could calculate different rates of time, depending on velocity and gravity, he had no idea why time flowed at all.
The dominant idea today for the direction of time came from Arthur Eddington, who helped validate Einstein's general theory of relativity. Eddington put forward the idea that time flows in the direction of increasing disorder in the universe, or entropy. Because the Second Law of Thermodynamics asserts that entropy can never decrease, time always increases.
Entropy and time
This idea has been the go-to explanation since. Even Stephen Hawking, in his book A Brief History of Time, doesn't address the issue of the flow of time, other than to say that it's “self-evident” that increasing time comes from increasing entropy.
Muller argues, however, that it is not self-evident: it is just wrong. Life and everything we do on Earth, whether building houses or making teacups, involves decreasing the local entropy, even though the total entropy of the universe increases.
“We are constantly discarding excess entropy like garbage, throwing it off to infinity in the form of heat radiation,” Muller said. “The entropy of the universe does indeed go up, but the local entropy, the entropy of the Earth and life and civilization, is constantly decreasing.”
“During my first big experiment, the measurement of the cosmic microwave radiation, I realized there is 10 million times more entropy in that radiation than there is in all of the mass of the universe, and it's not changing with time. Yet time is progressing,” he said. “The idea that the arrow of time is set by entropy does not make any predictions, it is simply a statement of a correlation. And to claim it is causation makes no sense.”
In his book, Muller explains the various paradoxes that arise from the way the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics treat time, including the Schrodinger's cat conundrum and spooky action at a distance that quantum entanglement allows.
Neither of these theories addresses the flow of time, however. Theories about wormholes that can transport you across the universe or back in time are speculative and, in many cases, wrong.
The discussion eventually leads Muller to explore deep questions about the ability of the past to predict the future and what that says about the existence of free will.
Muller admits that his new theory about time may have observable effects only in the cosmic realm, such as our interpretation of the red shift – the stretching of light waves caused by the expansion of space – which would have to be modified to reflect the simultaneous expansion of time.
The two effects may not be distinguishable throughout most of the universe's history, but the creation of time might be discernible during the rapid cosmic inflation that took place just after the Big Bang, when space and time expanded much, much faster than today.
He is optimistic that in the next few years LIGO will verify or falsify his theory.
“I think my theory is going to have an impact on calculations of the very early universe,” Muller said. “I don't see any way that it affects our everyday lives. But it is fascinating.”
Robert Sanders writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Republican Party will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
The meeting will take place at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.
Social time will start at 6 p.m. with no host food and beverages.
At 6:30 p.m. there will be a committee strategy meeting as the group prepares for the November election, plus GOP candidate updates, county committee openings and upcoming events.
Follow the local Republican Party on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lake-County-CA-Republican-Party-401224996588222/?fref=ts or for more information contact Lake County Chair Dee Cuney at 707-235-2902.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The students and staff of Carlé High School would like to thank all who were involved in the Clayton fire control and helping to get our neighborhood and schools back up on our feet.
We reached out to Sheriff Brian Martin and will work with his department to utilize our school-based enterprise to make plaques for every first responder, police agency, fire department, Red Cross and all other people, groups and agencies who have worked so hard to help us all out.
Many designs have been put together and we hope to begin producing the plaques this week.
Carlé would like to thank the wonderful Ms. Barbara Dye, a Konocti Unified district employee of the year a few years back, for 20 wonderful years of being our beloved secretary and “queen of Carlé.” We all wish her well in her new job at the district office. We love and will miss you Barbara.
Many students of the design class showered her with goodbye plaques and a mouse pad and mug to use in her new office. We wanted her to remember us and understand how much she meant to so many students and staff over these 20 years where she always stabilized our ship.
We would like to give a big warm welcome to Lilli Edson, our new counselor; Heather Koehler, our new principal; and Lance Christens, our new math and portfolio teacher.
Within the next few weeks this article will be speaking in depth about our new staff members including a new secretary not yet determined.
Carlé had our annual trip to Highlands Springs on Sept. 2. The entire school participated in spending the whole day doing fun activities and swimming.
Lower Lake High School’s Homecoming has come and gone but this year something new happened. Carlé High School was invited to join the fun.
The floats this year were masterfully done. Carlé High School created a 3D Steam Boat Willie and we made a few signs such as: #LowerLakeStrong, Konocti Strong, Carlé High School and We Rise From The Ashes.
These students of Carlé work exceptionally hard on our float: Lloyd Bridges, Stacie Clemons, Alvaro Duran, Angle Fernandez, Emily Greig, Cece Hendern-Brown, Nicholas Kieffer, Ashton Legg, Brianna E. Legg, Riley Nielsen, Nicholas Phipps, Cyrus Pouladdezh, Candice Safreno, Jacob Walker and Cheyanne West.
We also would like to thank Sears for all the building blocks aka boxes, for a beautiful float. Thank you so much again. Our design class is currently working on a thank you to Sears. We also made a plaque for student’s Candice Safreno’s dad who did so much to make this a success.
Brianna E. Legg is a student at Carlé Continuation High School in Lower Lake.
Ultra-lights and fixed wing aircraft harassing wildlife
Question: We live around the Imperial Wildlife Area (Wister Unit) and over the past two years we’ve seen an influx of ultra-light air craft flying over the Imperial Wildlife Area, sometimes very low.
For example, on June 15 we saw three ultra-light crafts fly from a local airport and circle all of the wildlife area where there’s water, sometimes getting as low as 25 feet. This spooked all of the waterfowl and shore birds, and most of the shore birds were nesting and harassed by this.
I know there are harassment laws in place for this (Fish and Game Code, section 3003.5) as I contacted California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) wildlife officers, but all of us were uncertain how or if there are any height restrictions for aircraft flying over state wildlife areas.
This has also happened during waterfowl season where the ultra-lights were flying within feet of hunters’ spreads of 2,000 or more snow goose decoys.
Can you please help us determine whether there are any height restriction codes prohibiting such activities over state wildlife areas? I have Googled this and have only found Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) results for federal lands and know now that the FAA doesn’t have state wildlife areas listed. (Richard F.)
Answer: While there is no specific section in the Fish and Game Code regarding these low-flying aircraft, section 2009 may apply.
This section makes it a misdemeanor to willfully interfere with someone who is engaged in the sport of hunting. Given the circumstances you described, this section could be used to prevent these low-flying aircraft from interfering with hunters on state wildlife areas during the open season.
There are also two regulations that may apply to the actions you describe. “No person shall pursue, drive, herd or take any bird or mammal from any type of motor-driven air or land vehicles, motorboat, airboat, sailboat or snowmobile” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 251.1). Also, “No person shall harass, herd or drive any game or nongame bird or mammal or furbearing mammal. For the purposes of this section, harass is defined as an intentional act which disrupts an animal's normal behavior patterns, which includes, but is not limited to breeding, feeding or sheltering” (CCR Title 14, section 251). These regulations are punishable as misdemeanors.
Low-flying aircraft are regulated by FAA Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) and the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Generally, when flying over other than congested areas (i.e. cities, towns or settlements), they may be operated at an altitude not lower than 500 feet above the surface, except when over open water or sparsely populated areas where they may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure (FARs, CFR Title 14, section 91.119(c)).
Shipping sport-caught fish home
Question: We have chartered a sportfishing party boat for 25 of our out-of-town clients.
If they get their daily bag limits and want their fish shipped home via overnight carrier, would each person have to be present at the shipping office with their fish? If so, would each person need to show their fishing license to the clerk at the shipping office?
Would each person’s fishing license need to be packed inside the box with the fish being shipped out? Or could someone from our business have each person’s fishing license/ID and just ship everyone’s fish home for them? (Annette T.)
Answer: Each person would need to be present to check their fish into the shipping office because it is unlawful for someone to transport more than one limit of fish (FGC, section 2347). It’s also illegal for someone to ship more than one limit of fish (FGC, section 2346).
While each angler will need to be at the shipping office with their fish, they are not legally required to show their fishing license to the shipper, nor do they need to include a copy of their fishing license inside the box containing their fish (but it’s not a bad idea to do so). The carrier may have their own policy on this, but CDFW does not regulate it.
The outside of the package containing the fish must clearly and conspicuously indicate the name and address of the shipper, name and address of the consignee and the number and kind of fish inside the package (FGC, section 2348).
Making your own abalone irons
Question: I would like to make my own abalone irons. What are the specifications to do so legally? (Jim B., Oakdale)
Answer: Abalone irons must be less than 36 inches long, straight or with a curve having a radius of not less than 18 inches, and must not be less than 3/4 inch wide nor less than 1/16 inch thick. All edges must be rounded and free of sharp edges (CCR Title 14, section 29.15[e]).
Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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