1

Science Experiments / School Holiday Science

« on: 16/03/2013 00:00:34 »

Last year I started doing a few experiments with the kids..
Mentos and diet coke classic..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfoRXLkrQwQ

volcanoes and rocket ships

teabag rocket ships..

nothing like the heady mix of children and explosives on a lazy summer day...

2

Physiology & Medicine / For how long after birth could the umbilical cord continue to function?

« on: 14/03/2013 09:39:10 »

My daughter (7) is reading a book on human reproduction. Most answers are easy but sometimes she throws me a curly one..

Today we were discussing how a baby gets 'fed' inside the womb. After a short explanation about the umbilical cord and that we cut it she asked, "why cut it? why not let the baby keep growing like that?"

...

I guess there is a time period where the umbilical cord still continues to  function.. what is that?  minutes? hours?

I suspect the expulsion of the placenta ceases the umbilical function, but can that be stopped, and, if so, how long could you keep a newborn healthy in this way?

3

Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution / How long did dinosaurs live for?

« on: 13/03/2013 23:47:09 »

Hello TNS

Given that larger reptiles that exist today have rather long life spans (Galapagos tortoise - 100+years, Estuarine Crocodile - 70 years, komodo dragon - 30+ years)  can we assume that a dinosaurs lifespan was similarly long?  Is there any evidence of a dinosaurs endurance?

4

Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution / Want to see my zoo views?

« on: 30/11/2010 03:13:30 »

Some pictures I took on my recent visit to Adelaide zoo. The Pandas are the main attraction and they hope to breed them in the next couple of years. Let's hope he likes her

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjna/sets/72157625370436483/



I have some Of Perth zoo animals soon!

5

Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution / The most unfortunate fly?

« on: 13/11/2010 06:46:34 »

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjna/5163746958/

did this little fly (found in the netting that surrounds the trampoline) have very bad spacial perception?

6

Guest Book / can't see posts?

« on: 03/11/2010 13:23:42 »

Hello.. I can't see any of the content of the posts by
thedoc
Forum Admin
Administrator

the 'edit' information at the end of the posts say edited by _system


do i know too much?

7

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / where is the symmetry in planets?

« on: 31/10/2010 08:02:17 »

I have been doing some reading about the formation of the solar system and I have a, probably rookie, question..

why didn't the planets form in size in ascending (or descending) order? a shockwave is quite formatic I would think..

8

Just Chat! / Thoughts from cloud Tramadol

« on: 18/10/2009 01:18:06 »

Hello

I am currently residing on cloud tramadol. I have just had half my thyroid removed that was hosting a couple of tumours.
Here on this cloud of seratonin inhibited somethingness life is quite pleasant. I can understand why people get addicted to drugs. Though my thoughts are cloudy and I wonder if I am making any sense at all.
The children, however, think that life is grand, since my time on this cloud has no worries or stresses or even the slightest indication that events and actions should be moderated. If they knew any better they'd put this stuff in my coffee for the next 15 years.

I have a nice sized wound in my neck that should produce some interesting stories when my head clears again. I am going to try bio oil to reduce the impact of the scar.. anyone tried it with positive results? Any other suggestions for scar reducing?

Anyway I'm sure that each word I have typed is equivalent to throwing darts at a dictionary so I'll take my body and detached head to another part of the internet where there should be warnings about posting while high.

9

Just Chat! / Date a scientist...

« on: 18/06/2009 13:27:23 »

I don't know if it's been posted before, but it's just a bit of fun... (or it's your destiny however you want to look at it)

http://science.discovery.com/holidays/valentines-day/compatible-scientist/compatible-scientist.html


My Perfect Scientist date is Galileo   curses.. just four hundred years too late.

Galileo has been called the "father of modern observational astronomy,"  the "father of modern physics," not to mention the  "father of science." He was also the father of three illegitimate children, so you might want to prepare your folks for that before you bring him home. Still, Galileo made many important discoveries including the moons of Jupiter and, oh, that sun was the center of the solar system. He's not for the faint of heart.

10

General Science / Is Rupunzel not so unbelieveable?

« on: 18/06/2009 07:45:14 »

"Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your long hair, so I may climb it instead of the stair... "


or something like that...


One human hair can support 3.5 ounces.. could many support a human long enough for them to climb up it? Could the neck? the scalp?

11

Geek Speak / subscribing to a thread fails?

« on: 17/06/2009 11:51:35 »

I have the settings right that if I post in a thread I 'subscribe' to it. So when I go to 'my posts' I can see when people have added to that thread. Sometimes there seems to be a bug where if the thread has been inactive for a while (say a few weeks) then a person makes a new post in that thread it does not show up in 'my posts'..  is this a forum bug or a JnA bug?

12

General Science / Could a swallowed magnet be removed by manipulation using an external magnet?

« on: 17/06/2009 03:10:07 »

prompted by this

When swallowing magnets, always make sure you swallow them stuck together, rather than singly...

I set about reading some articles (I didn't buy the book - sorry) so now I know why..

but this has led me to question if a person swallowed one magnet.. would it be possible to get it out of the gut (assuming a relaxed sphincter) by putting another magnet on the outside of the body and moving it upwards? (like when you clean a fish tank glass)
What else might hinder this?

13

Geek Speak / How can I clip sections from podcasts?

« on: 20/05/2009 03:24:25 »

Is there a way I can edit podcasts so I can supply just the section of interest instead of having to forward through the whole show?

thanks.

14

Geek Speak / Why is iTunes so picky?

« on: 11/02/2009 13:31:47 »

Hello techmeisters 

I want to put a song onto my ipod, but it's not a compatible file for iTunes...  is there any way I can change that...


(I have tried 'save as' but it does not give me the right options...)

Thanks

15

That CAN'T be true! / Is this possible? (kitchen science)

« on: 26/12/2008 10:20:31 »

I think a person wouldn't be able to exhale hard enough to get such a strong flow...

16

Just Chat! / Chris said...

« on: 14/12/2008 22:42:09 »

that the earth is 'collecting' debris from space all the time (I agree that this probably happens), then he goes on to say that you can see this by putting a clean white sheet out on your back lawn and then return later and you'll see black specs all over the sheet.


How does this prove that it is space dirt and not just earth from Earth?

I heard him say it more than once, though it may have been ages ago I listen to old podcasts a lot...

17

General Science / SCI, CNS and WDYT

« on: 28/08/2008 07:26:56 »

I was listening to an old podcast talking about imagination. Basically it said that if you imagine horizontal lines and are shown vertical lines the brain flickers back and forth between. (I hope I havce that right)

It prompted a little spark of a memory in my brain about the central nervous system.

Back when I first got involved with spinal cord injuries (SCI's), about 12 years ago) there was a film about a bloke with a high injury that 'determined' himself better. Astounding all medical staff he learned to drink, talk and eventually walk again. (of course the medical profession is full of these miraculous stories)
One of the things he said he did to pass the many days of lying in a halo, was to imagine his limbs moving again.

He said the central nervous system cannot tell the difference between imagined movement and actual movement, therefore he spent ages imagining himself moving ( he thought about each muscle) and essentially 'willed' himself into movement.

The evidence is there, he *is* walking again when medical opinion though he would not, but I wonder about the mechanism and if he wasn't just lucky that he must have had some undamaged pathway to retrain.

It is common for the profession to 'give the worst case scenario' with something as unpredictable as spinal cord injuries, and with good reason most of the time, but I wonder if they gave the best case scenario, people might recover function to a higher degree with the belief they might get better.
I know it's an iffy area and emotionally, for a person who does not succeed, it could be devastating.. but what do you think about the CNS idea? could it be real or was the fellow in the example just lucky?

18

Just Chat! / Killer

« on: 10/08/2008 02:14:09 »

That's me.. I am a murderer.. I admit it here on this forum where my anonymity has afforded me a confession.
Don't bother calling the authorities, I would have long since moved from this spot by the time you read this, but I need to confess...




I am guilty of killing many threads and will probably do more in the future... I'm sorry.

19

Just Chat! / anyone live near..

« on: 31/07/2008 01:55:26 »

Berwick-upon-tweed, Northumberland?

if so please PM me I need to use your local knowledge..

thanks.

20

Just Chat! / please explain...

« on: 02/04/2008 13:25:07 »

Can someone please explain to me what a GPA is (I know it's stands for grade point average) and how they come to the result.

Thanks