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Just Chat! / Bazalgette's magnum opus

« on: 07/06/2023 19:02:48 »

Alancalverd and myself were diverting a physics thread with faecal matters. Not wanting to further compromise said thread, i'll put my observations here. I have never seen any of this marvel of civil engineering directly. I have however seen several documentaries about the big stink and the subsequent works including the sewers, pumping station(s), and the thames embankments. The pumping station I saw was a work of sublime art, in my opinion, as well as being functional. I was truly impressed by what I saw and i'm sure the tv did not do full justice to it.

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Just Chat! / Can someone assist me with some scientific terms?

« on: 12/05/2023 11:38:53 »

It's a long time since I have had any formal scientific tuition. What I am interested in refreshing is the hierarchy of scientific thought. I tend to use terms like axioms, theorems, theories, hypotheses, conjectures etc in a rather flippant manner and I am asking for a rigorous evaluation of how scientific thought develops. PS I realise these terms can apply to most disciplines, not just science,

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Just Chat! / A question for our paragon of aeronautical erudition, Alancalverd

« on: 25/04/2023 13:28:18 »

About a month ago, outbound at Dublin airport terminal #2, the boss points out signs at all aircraft stands saying "pilots use minimum power when breaking away" or similar wording. I had never seen these before and wondered what significance they held. On return I thought I had figured it out: a number of very large windows had cracks, some with multiple cracks. I concluded that the architect had not foreseen possible resonance effects on these large sheets. Outbound at Dublin airport terminal #1 last Friday I noticed similar signs but truncated to just "pilots use minimum power". Terminal #1 is an older building, more traditional and less flashy than terminal #2. Well Alancalverd, can you enlighten me?

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Just Chat! / Is it half full or half empty?

« on: 28/01/2023 12:30:43 »

I often hear the argument of half full versus half empty approaches to various situations and I just don't get it. They both convey identical measure, in that 50% is depleted and 50% remains. My wife thinks I may be borderline autistic and I am certainly much more accomplished at technical matters than social interactions. What do ye think?

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Chemistry / Strange aroma off smokeless fuel or has covid ruined my snout?

« on: 27/12/2022 13:57:00 »

In rural Ireland bituminous coal is no longer available for open fires( antediluvian way of heating-I know ). We now have a mix of lignite nuggets and anthracite ovoids which works reasonably well but the smell of this mixed product is really getting to me. It smells exactly like the sour offensive aroma of a large bank of lead acid batteries on fast charge which I have always assumed to be stibine. Alternatively covid has ruined my snout.

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That CAN'T be true! / How can academia tolerate such error?

« on: 23/12/2022 16:01:14 »

A tenured professor of electrical engineering in  Germany applies ∇Χ∇Χ to the electric field, E and arrives at the following vector identity: grad div E -∇sqE. He then states that the term grad div E represents the "scalar wave" and proceeds to sell expensive but basic kits that supposedly demonstrate these "scalar waves". However div E=0 in a charge free zone( ie free space ) so grad0 is also 0. This individual also states that an ice can be run on water as fuel if ozone is added. I am dumbfounded. PS I apologise for alternating between the del operator and grad, div as I cannot get consistent use of symbols on this computer/operating system.

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Just Chat! / How many titles are applicable to naked science contributors?

« on: 22/12/2022 22:04:56 »

Recently I noticed that I have achieved "heroic" status( not surprising !! ). Seriously, how many titles are there? Also wishing everyone a happy holiday over the next~10days. I do not observe Christmas myself, not being a devotee of mammon, the "boss"( alancalverd vernacular ) calls me a Grinch, whatever that may be.

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General Science / what causes prolonged cold snaps?

« on: 12/12/2022 09:00:49 »

It's very cold in the British isles and much of mainland Europe at the moment. When it lifts it will have been here for two weeks. Is this caused by the jet stream? Also to what degree does the jet stream affect terrestrial weather versus terrestrial weather affecting the jet stream?

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Just Chat! / How to access the symbols when correcting?

« on: 08/12/2022 15:58:04 »

When I need to return to a post to perform a correction, the maths symbols are no longer available. Any solution to this?

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Physiology & Medicine / Is strep a infection phage related?

« on: 06/12/2022 21:17:03 »

At the moment there is a flurry of concern about group a streptococcal infection, especially among young children. I seem to remember a suggestion that phage activity modulates pathogenicity in streptococci, similar to the situation with diphtheria where toxin generation requires a particular phage.

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General Science / how can nitric oxide be inhaled?

« on: 02/12/2022 10:41:48 »

This question involves both chemistry and physiology-I am not quite sure where to place it. Nitric oxide is a common signalling molecule in the body, produced enzymatically from arginine, one of it's functions being vasodilation. Quite some time ago I heard of a treatment for sick children that  involved inhaled nitric oxide: this puzzled me as nitric oxide is converted to the noxious nitrogen dioxide on contact with the oxygen in air. About ten years ago I was working in a children's hospital and I noticed gas cylinders containing nitric oxide, •1% in nitrogen: obviously this mixture would rapidly lead to hypoxia if used as the sole inhalational gas and before administering such a gas there would be residual oxygen in the lungs. PS when I was young and foolish( possibly still so ) I was often exposed to clouds of nitrogen dioxide from dissolving various metals in nitric acid and the occasional runaway of a nitration reaction-I guess my lungs never heard of aseptic pneumonia.

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Just Chat! / What is this "black friday" nonsense

« on: 14/11/2022 16:42:25 »

What is the origin of this "black Friday" nonsense? I know what the purpose is, namely to relieve customers of their hard earned cash.

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Just Chat! / Does anyone find knowledge improvement through unexpected contacts?

« on: 04/11/2022 20:25:54 »

In my work I have often been asked ill-conceived but earnest questions, questions you might say to yourself as dumb, stupid questions. In my efforts to explain the answer to someone with primitive knowledge of the subject matter, I have often found myself gaining a new perspective, triggered by the need to go beyond a "normal" explanation. Has anyone else experienced this unexpected knowledge improvement? 

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Just Chat! / Surely not, alancalverd?

« on: 02/11/2022 12:58:38 »

You stated "at some point I will run out of health or wealth and kill myself". I sincerely hope you don't mean this. While I understand and support the idea of assisted dying for those in intractable pain, I believe there is always value in life, regardless of health or wealth status. I personally would miss your contributions, from one grumpy old man to another!

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Just Chat! / Has anyone here heard of joseph emidy?

« on: 26/10/2022 13:29:49 »

Joseph Emidy, a native of west Africa, was captured as a slave by the Portuguese and brought to brazil to work on the plantations. His musical abilities were discovered and encouraged by his captors and he ended up in Lisbon performing in an orchestra. From here he was kidnapped by the british navy and forced to entertain the crew of a battle ship. Finally released in cornwall he settled down to a conventional life and became a music teacher and leader of the orchestra in truro. He also apparently composed music but unfortunately none has survived.  Why do I bring this bit of ancient history up? I found out about 15 years ago that I am a descendent of Joseph Emidy but unfortunately I did not inherit any of his musical talents.                                         

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Why does "aether" still haunt alt science?

« on: 24/10/2022 09:54:51 »

The luminiferous aether was originally proposed as the medium necessary for the propagation of light and other em waves with the analogy to sound waves and other mechanical wave phenomena. Since no proof or disproof of the existence has ever been demonstrated it has no place in real science. Yet it remains a core belief with many who hold what I would call scientific beliefs rather than scientific rationality. When will it be consigned to the dustbin? 

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The Environment / Where do cold weather thunderstorms get their energy?

« on: 19/10/2022 20:15:21 »

Today in Ireland we had extensive and very active thunderstorms. I understand the "summer thunderstorm" where convective activity supplies the energy. I doubt there was sufficient convection today. I have heard the term "frontal" storm activity but I am not sure if this is applicable.

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Just Chat! / Is "new theories" getting worse?

« on: 12/10/2022 19:35:20 »

Lately some of the nonsense in the subforum is mind-blowing crazy. Or am I just getting too old?

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Technology / Has any solution for tin whiskering been found?

« on: 27/09/2022 10:07:03 »

About five years after purchase of my now antique acer aspire e 15 it suddenly died. I whipped it apart in the remote hope of finding some mechanical problem. On close inspection with a powerful lens I found definite whiskering. I brushed the board down and to my surprise it worked perfectly on reassembly. Now two of the usb sockets have ceased to function and the third one is erratic and I suspect whiskering is to blame. If this problem can render my unimportant computer non-functional, what about computers doing vital functions? All this because of the eu's witch  hunt against metallic lead. If this subject has already been raised, I apologise.

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Just Chat! / Did the installation of Liz Truss as pm finish off the queen?

« on: 26/09/2022 12:20:01 »

I think it would have been the end of me, if I had to perform such an odious task. As a side issue I am not in favour of monarchies and view them as anachronistic . However if a country wishes to have such a system, then that is none of my business and i'm fine with that. When the royal visit to Ireland was proposed I thought it was a crazy risky escapade given the history of political violence on this island. However it went well and the queen's respectful and dignified words and deeds endeared her to the irish people( excluding the usual loonies ). As such I offer my belated condolences to all my british royalist neighbours.