Scientists drilling off the coast of West Antarctica have found the fossil remains of forests that grew in the region 90 million years ago - in the time of the dinosaurs.

Their analysis of the material indicates the continent back then would have been as warm as parts of Europe are today but that global sea levels would have been over 100m higher than at present.

This study, she says, represents the first evidence for Cretaceous forests so close to the South Pole - just 900km away, at what would have been about 81-82 degrees South latitude.

"And, yes, there probably were dinosaurs in the forests," she explained. "If you go to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, you'll find a whole range of fossils - things like hadrosaurs and sauropods, and primitive bird-like dinosaurs. The whole range of dinosaurs that lived in the rest of the world managed to get down to Antarctica during the Cretaceous."

To sustain the warmth these animals and the forests enjoyed, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere - like carbon dioxide - must have been three or four times current levels. If today the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is just above 400 parts per million (ppm), back then the figure was certainly above 1,000ppm and maybe as high as 1,600ppm.

BAS co-author Dr Robert Larter commented: "The world was a different place in other ways that would have contributed to the climate differences at this time. In particular, the positions of continents and the patterns of ocean currents were different.

"However, there is no doubt that the biggest factor leading to such a warm climate was the extremely high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere at that time. It is worth noting that if the current rate of CO2 increase continues (44ppm increase over past 20 years), we will reach a CO2 level greater than 1,000ppm in less than 300 years."

Pros:
*Good prices
*Good craft beer list
*Some decent breakfast food
*Never crowded
*Good atmosphere and music

Cons:
*SLOW service
*Food takes forever to come out
*our waitress had a non-caring attitude
*Not all food is good

Analysts expected it, but we finally have hard numbers to show a deep decline in automotive sales in the first quarter of 2020. While things hummed along through January, and mostly February, any positives quickly met the eraser in March as stay-at-home orders and shutdowns swept over the US in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

A teenager missing for six days may have tried to walk 280 miles to see his girlfriend, his mother has said.

Owen Harding, 16, was last seen leaving his home in Saltdean, Sussex, last Thursday.

His mum Stella said he had been upset at being unable to get a train to visit girlfriend Meg in Pocklington, near York, amid the coronavirus lockdown.

She said relatives were desperately worried and urged the public to be on the lookout for Owen.

Former Marseille president P ape Diouf has died aged 68 after contracting coronavirus, the club have announced.

The Senegalese was president between 2005 and 2009 when Marseille finished second in Ligue 1 twice and reached two French Cup finals.

The Women's European Championship - set to be held in England in 2021 - will be moved to the summer of 2022.

The tournament was expected to be shifted after the men's European Championship and the Tokyo Olympics were both postponed until 2021 because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Three European teams - England, the Netherlands and Sweden - have already qualified for the Olympics.

Moving the Euros to 2022 will avoid two women's tournaments in the same summer.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has become the first Premier League boss to take a voluntary pay cut during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Assistant boss Jason Tindall, chief executive Neill Blake and technical director Richard Hughes have also taken "significant" pay cuts amid the crisis.

In addition, the Cherries have placed "a number of staff" on paid leave by using the government's furlough scheme.

That pays 80% of their wages but a club top-up means they will get full pay.

MoD calls up 3,000 reservists to join virus response | Government says highest day-on-day rise in cases is 'concerning' | UK death toll jumps 563 to 2,352

QSI deal to buy Leeds may still be on

https://www.caughtoffside.com/2020/03/31/psg-owners-close-in-on-leeds-united-takeover-deal/

Nearly a million people have applied for universal credit benefits in the past fortnight as the coronavirus pandemic has worsened.

The Department for Work and Pensions said 950,000 successful applications for the payment were made between 16 March, when people were advised to work from home, and the end of the month.

The department would normally expect 100,000 claims in a two week period.

Officials said they were working "flat out" to help people get support.

Wimbledon cancelled due to coronavirus - where does that leave tennis in 2020?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/52104196

Welsh Rugby Union [WRU] chairman Gareth Davies says the policy of pay cuts for WRU bosses and coaches will be rolled out to the professional game.

Chief executive Martyn Phillips and Wales head coach Wayne Pivac are among those who will take a 25% pay cut while others will have a 10% reduction.

"This policy is also to be extended to the professional game across Wales," Davies explained.

Negotiations are ongoing on player salary and regional rugby cuts.

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Coronavirus: Nottinghamshire 'lock-in' pub closed under new laws

A doctor who dedicated nearly 40 years to saving others has died after contracting coronavirus.

Dr Alfa Saadu, 68, died on Tuesday afternoon at the Whittington Hospital in north London.

The doctor had been a medical director at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Essex and Ealing NHS Trust and worked at many hospitals in the capital.

Tributes have been paid to Dr Saadu, including from the former president of the Nigerian Senate.

Eddie Jones: England boss set to sign new deal through to 2023 World Cup

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/52129858

At least he’s got something about him. Can’t be said for many professional coaches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFMbqgTGhB4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSigVLoGSrQ

I would have thought bad weather is great at least for a part of the trials. This way you can test the ship under bad conditions.

mid-15c., "act or process of testing, a putting to proof by examination, experiment, etc.," from Anglo-French trial, noun formed from triet "to try" (see try (v.)). Sense of "examining and deciding of the issues between parties in a court of law" is first recorded 1570s; extended to any ordeal by 1590s. As an adjectival phrase, trial-and-error is recorded from 1806. Trial balloon (1826) translates French ballon d'essai, a small balloon sent up immediately before a manned ascent to determine the direction and tendency of winds in the upper air, though the earliest use in English is figurative.

comment by Ceballos_EL_JEFE (U21222)

posted 12 hours, 15 minutes ago

One of my family member was the one of the last survivors of the Titanic.
Google her name if you're interested - "Edith Haisman"