1

The Environment / How can two weather systems merge?

« on: 30/10/2012 07:15:51 »

They are saying hurricane Sandy merged with another storm system? How does this happen, if they are both spinning the same direction, wouldn't they cancel each other out rather than add to each other?

2

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / How do they separate off certain numbers of atoms?

« on: 24/07/2012 12:34:45 »

I was attempting to explain to a friend what Higgs Bosons are and what the Large Hadron Collider does to a friend, who seemed completely satisfied with my explanations apart from one thing - he wants to know how they get an atom or a group of atoms by themselves to inject into the collider. Do they know exactly how many atoms they have?

Am I correct in thinking they must be ions otherwise the magnets couldn't accelerate them? If so do they repel/attract each other in transit?

3

General Science / Why does a sponge or rag sometimes go stiff after it dries?

« on: 17/05/2011 11:23:43 »

Know what I mean?

4

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / How many sieverts of radiation would an average sunburn be?

« on: 10/04/2011 11:09:45 »

I'm going to refer to sunburns as radiation burns from now on, just since everybody seems to be terrified of the word radiation.

5

Technology / Would the nuclear plants in japan have been ok if they didn't shut down?

« on: 16/03/2011 02:49:24 »

Since the problem was that the diesel generators for cooling failed, if the reactor did not automatically shutdown and therefore maintained power production, keeping the coolant water flowing, would the plants have been ok?

6

Just Chat! / Happy Australia Day!

« on: 26/01/2010 03:01:20 »

Happy Australia day to the aussies! May your beers be cold and your gas bottles full.

And it doesn't matter if you're not an aussie, have a cold one anyway

7

Physiology & Medicine / Does drinking milk prevent/treat metal fume fever?

« on: 21/01/2010 19:43:24 »

At work yesterday we were told that milk somehow helps with metal fume fever, does anyone know if this is true and if so why?

8

Just Chat! / You're in Haiti, starving, thirsty. Will a bible help?

« on: 19/01/2010 09:15:32 »

I think this is deplorable:

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/earthquake-survivors-get-solar-powered-bibles/story-e6frfku0-1225821184929

Imagine you're in Haiti, you're starving, have no water, in need of wound dressings, anti-biotics etc. And someone comes along and gives you a bible, what use is that going to be? And not a normal bible, at least you could use that to start a fire or something, but a dirty great solar powered audio bible capable of preaching to 300 people, so it must have a reasonably hefty speaker, and therefore an expensive solar panel. It disgusts me that some people think religion is more important than immediate welfare needs.

9

Marine Science / Do octopodes (octopuses) use tools?

« on: 19/12/2009 02:52:06 »

Coconut-carrying octopus stuns scientists

(AFP) – 3 days ago

SYDNEY — Australian scientists on Tuesday revealed the eight-tentacled species can carry coconut shells to use as armour -- the first case of an invertebrate using tools.

Research biologist Julian Finn said he was "blown away" the first time he saw the fist-sized veined octopus, Amphioctopus marginatus, pick up and scoot away with its portable protection along the sea bed.

"We don't normally associate complex behaviours with invertebrates -- with lower life forms I guess you could say," Finn, from Museum Victoria, told AFP.

"And things like tool-use and complex behaviour we generally associate with the higher vertebrates: humans, monkeys, a few birds, that kind of thing.

"This study, if anything, shows that these complex behaviours aren't limited to us. They are actually employed by a wide range of animals."

The use of tools is considered one of the defining elements of intelligence and, although originally considered only present in humans, has since been found in other primates, mammals and birds.

But this is the first time that the behaviour has been observed in an invertebrate, according to an article co-authored by Finn and published in the US-based journal Current Biology.

Finn said when he first saw the octopus walk along awkwardly with its shell, he didn't know whether it was simply a freak example of wacky underwater behaviour by the animal whose closest relative is a snail.

"So over the 10-year period basically we observed about 20 octopuses and we would have seen about four different individuals carrying coconut shells over large distances," he said of his research in Indonesia.

"There were lots that were buried with coconuts in the mud. But we saw four individuals actually pick them up and carry them, jog them across the sea floor carrying them under their bodies. It's a good sight."

Finn said the animals were slower and more vulnerable to predators while carrying the broken shells, which they later used as shelters.

"They are doing it for the later benefit and that's what makes it different from an animal that picks up something and puts it over its head for the immediate benefit," he said.

Other animals were likely to be discovered to exhibit similar behaviours, he said.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hguFWEZQVy8AwxCL7YZTimCKN_qQ

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Just Chat! / Can he fix it?

« on: 11/12/2009 19:12:00 »

My car broke down the other day so I took it to a garage and the bloke there says he's not a normal mechanic he's a quantum mechanic. So I asked "well can you fix it or not?" and he said "I'm uncertain, i'll have to have a look at it"

11

Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution / What happened with this tree?

« on: 08/12/2009 04:39:10 »

Those two branches have fused themselves together!

My friends theory is that they rubbed against each other in the wind and stripped each branches bark off, and then they sort of healed themselves together.

12

Technology / What's the best way to connect a car audio system to mains power?

« on: 27/11/2009 02:42:50 »

One of my friends at work has a decent audio system in his car and it would be good if we could drive it around to near where we're working to listen to music, but this will result in the battery going flat quite fast. Is there an easy way to rig it up so it can run off mains power? Would simply connecting a car battery charger to the battery while its on work?

13

Physiology & Medicine / What's the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist?

« on: 18/11/2009 19:43:56 »

Is there any?

14

The Environment / How can we control human population?

« on: 14/11/2009 23:58:03 »

It's a daunting concept, but we're likely going to need some sort of population control eventually.

What about the idea of offering people cash incentives to get sterilised? And perhaps charge parents who want to have large families to pay for the sterilisations of the others.

I guess that might increase the spread of std's from people thinking they no longer need condoms though.

Any other ideas?

15

Chemistry / Why does rubber sometimes go sticky?

« on: 29/10/2009 18:29:14 »

The ends of my sunglasses (the bits that go over your ears) are coated in black rubber, which over time has become sticky. Why does this happen? And is there any way the rubber can be restored to normal?

16

Chemistry / Is it true that stainless steel cooking utensils can alter taste?

« on: 24/10/2009 13:54:43 »

Today whilst buying some cookware my friend who was with me said that he'd heard you shouldn't cook with stainless steel utensils because acid in the food reacts with it and effects the taste. I can accept the possibility of acid slightly attacking the steel, but would it really be to the extent as to alter taste? I would have thought it would take much longer than the time it takes to cook a meal for acid that weak to significantly react with steel.

17

Chemistry / Can mixing expired diet softdrink and alcohol be toxic?

« on: 20/06/2009 08:23:30 »

Someone told me the other day that if you mix expired diet softdrinks with alcohol they can react and produce a toxin (other than the obvious presence of alcohol), which I am quite skeptical of. Is this true?

18

Radio Show & Podcast Feedback / Something old but wrong I noticed

« on: 02/06/2009 17:10:59 »

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/questions/question/1285/

In the answer to this question it says that other than the atmosphere possibly blowing you off, there would be no reason you would fly off the planet. But what about centrifugal force? Wouldn't that fling you off? That's why gravity is slightly less at the equator, because that is where it is most counter-acted by centrifugal force.

19

Technology / Is there any benefit to using a gas other than air in car tyres?

« on: 16/03/2009 18:05:29 »

My friend insists that his mothers car is "so much smoother" after she had her tyres changed and filled with helium instead of air. I argued that the effect was more likely due to the brand new tyres rather than the helium, or placebo effect. But is there any reason for using helium instead of air or is the tyre shop just trying to con people out of money?

I know it would make the tyres slightly lighter than usual, but would this really be significant at all?

And helium atoms being so small, would they leak out of the tyre like they do out of balloons?

20

Just Chat! / A phenomenon i've noticed with women

« on: 08/03/2009 21:57:53 »

This has happened to me twice now, and it's happened to several people i've talked to as well.

I'm not much of a ladies man but on the very rare occasion one shows interest in me, all of a sudden another comes along and shows interest too?

Saturday night at a party at my house I met and was talking to a nice girl most of the night and we got along well, then the next day her friend told me she likes me and wants my phone number.

The same day, another nice girl which i've secretely liked for a while but who had a boyfriend (and is my housemates sister too), came into my room telling me she's breaking up with her boyfriend and that I should go to dinner with her Friday night.

WTF? I've been single for about a year with no luck at all with ladies and now i've got too many. If i'm ever trying to court a girl again should I just pretend to be going on a date with someone else? Or should I be keeping samples of my sweat at the moment to try to isolate pheromones

I'm not complaining at all about the attention, but overall I'd be get more attention if they came one after the other instead of making me choose

Thinking critically though I know it's probably just coincidence. But does this happen to anyone else?