I Hope The American Army Doesn’t Navigate Using Google Maps
There is an article in The Times today, which is entitled As The World Watches Kharg Island, Iran Gets Oil Out Another Way.
This is the sub-heading.
Satellite imagery reveals millions of barrels have been shipped from the ‘forgotten’ port of Jask — used only once before
The only Jask, that Google Maps can find is a marketing agency in Solihull. At least Jask,Iran finds it.
Looks a bit deserty to me!
I just had to ask Google AI if the US Army has a Camel Corps and I received this answer.
Yes, the U.S. Army operated a “Camel Corps” experiment between 1856 and 1866, using camels for logistics and supply transport in the Southwest, particularly Texas and California. While considered hardy and effective, the corps was never an official unit and was abandoned due to the Civil War, soldier preference for mules, and lack of long-term support.
Key Facts about the U.S. Army Camel Experiment:
Origin: Proposed by Jefferson Davis (then Secretary of War) and approved by Congress with a $30,000 budget.
Acquisition: Around 70 camels were imported from the Mediterranean (Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia) in two shipments.
Operation: The camels were based primarily at Camp Verde, Texas, transporting cargo across desert terrains.
Key Leaders: Major Henry C. Wayne directed the experiment, and Lt. Edward F. Beale praised the camels’ endurance in reports.
End of Project: The program was abandoned during the Civil War. Confederate forces captured some camels, and the remaining herd was sold at auction in 1864-1866.
While the camels themselves were durable, they were often disliked by soldiers due to their difficult temperament compared to mules. Some camels were sold to miners or escaped, leading to reports of wild camels in the Southwest for decades following the experiment.
Can Low Atmospheric Pressure Suck Water Out Of Your Skin?
I asked Google AI, the title of this post and received this answer.
Yes, low atmospheric pressure can cause water to be removed from your skin, primarily by facilitating rapid evaporation and disrupting the body’s ability to hold moisture in its tissues.
While it does not “suck” water out with mechanical force like a vacuum cleaner in normal environments, low pressure triggers several physical processes that dehydrate the skin.
How Low Pressure Removes Skin Moisture
Increased Evaporation (Transepidermal Water Loss): Low pressure reduces the barrier function of the skin, leading to higher levels of transepidermal water loss (TEWL)—the process of water passing from inside the body through the epidermis and evaporating into the atmosphere.
Low Humidity Factor: Low pressure environments (like high altitude or airplane cabins) are often accompanied by low humidity, which works in tandem with the low pressure to draw moisture out of the upper layers of the skin, leading to dryness, tightness, and flakiness.
“Boiling” Moisture (Extreme Scenarios): In extreme low-pressure scenarios approaching a vacuum (such as high-altitude exposure, nearly 70,000 feet), the pressure becomes so low that the moisture in the skin, mouth, and eyes can actually vaporize (boil) at normal body temperature.
Scenarios Where This Occurs
Airplane Cabins: The air pressure inside an airplane is lower than sea level, and combined with low humidity, this causes significant dehydration of the skin and mucous membranes.
High Altitudes: Mountaineers often experience extremely dry, cracked, and damaged skin due to the low pressure and low humidity at high altitudes.
Vacuum Chambers: In experimental settings, placing an arm in a vacuum chamber results in moisture evaporation and the sensation of the skin being “sucked,” causing immediate surface drying and potential skin damage.
Visible Effects
Dryness and Flakiness: The skin becomes dry and rough.
Tightness and Itching: Decreased elasticity leads to a feeling of tightness.
Reduced Elasticity: In severe cases, the skin loses its ability to “bounce back” quickly, a sign of dehydration.
In addition to dry air, low pressure often causes swelling or puffiness because fluids shift out of cells and into the spaces between them, which, combined with the dryness, can make the skin feel irritated.
I certainly felt like that last night, as the UK waited for Storm Dave to arrive.
The Anonymous Widower 