1

Technology / Is producing our own petrol a viable idea?

« on: Yesterday at 13:18:57 »

I personally like the idea of petrol vehicles as they are quick to refuel, do not require pressurised vessels to contain it the fuel, are reasonably lightweight and cheap at the point of purchase, and if you live in America or some such place the fuel is also nice and cheep! So can we make our own fuel? I just do not feel electric cars are a viable alternative at present.

I have seen numerous ideas for this, from producing hydrocarbons from thin air through CO2 filtering, CO2 emmissions capture to using biowaste as a feedstock.

2

Just Chat! / The Greenland War

« on: 08/01/2025 19:02:19 »

With the fast approach of the Canadia and Green land war between Europe and the USA, I wonder whether Trump has seen the size of it on a map?  Mercators projection has the habit of turning Greenland into a rival of Africa for size, a similar effect occurs for Canada. You have to wonder whether the impending terrible loss of life could be avoided if someone got him an atlas globe.


mercator-projection-world-map-political.png (1232.16 kB . 1320x839 - viewed 36 times)

3

Just Chat! / What is the best way to crash land a plane?

« on: 28/12/2024 20:07:55 »

If you have a plane that is going to be landing whether you like it or not, what is the best terrain to land it on?

4

Physiology & Medicine / Can I utilise a telescope to enable me to see in the dark?

« on: 08/12/2024 17:54:20 »

Cats, dogs and other creatures are able to see in conditions I regard as pitch black by having more sensitive eyes which proves there must be light present and so I understand it light that is visible to humans. Now there are devices like binoculars that gather light over a greater area than the pupil, but the magnification means that the field of view is one of some distance away. Could I use similar methods to gather light without magnification to enhance my low light vision?

5

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / How does H20 wear away stone?

« on: 01/12/2024 22:20:06 »

It is often said water wears away stone, but does it really, in water jet cutting water is not actually much good at cutting hard materials unless an abrasive is added, garnet Ruby and saphire being common. So can an H20 drip really abrade stone.

6

Geology, Palaeontology & Archaeology / Why does Earth have tectonic plates?

« on: 20/09/2024 17:01:38 »

On the " quuestion of the week" thread about the effects of the early earth impacts and absorption of other bodies tectonic plates where mentioned as an effect of planitary collision. It is stated that earth having tectonic plates is to do with granite, which floats and seperatley Earth having liquid water.

Any more to add?

7

Just Chat! / Why are some mobile phones so expensive?

« on: 05/09/2024 20:05:57 »

The 3G network is being switched off in the coming few years and any mobile you buy now will need to be at least a 4G type. Having looked at the phones on the market at present they all look largely the same, massive screen, camera on the back. There are a few exeptions such as the folding phones, but generally the same.

 The prices though are extrodinarily different. I can buy a phone for 70 pounds that pretty much looks the same as one that costs 1000+.  Whilst I understand some have a better camera or the folding phones are new and fancy, what precisely does the extra money buy you?

8

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / What are the physics of brakes?

« on: 01/09/2024 22:06:43 »

I notice that brake discs on cars get bigger the flashier/heavier/faster a car is. Why precisely is this?

9

The Environment / What effect did the Hunga Tonga eruption have on the climate?

« on: 03/08/2024 00:51:49 »

The Hunga Tonga eruption of December 2021 was the largest eruption of the 21st century, an underwater eruption caused explosions due to the interaction between the magma and the water. I was suprised to learn from a post on a most learned forum that the Hunga Tonga eruption ejected 100,000,000 tonnes of water into the atmosphere, whilst doing strange things with sulpher dioxide for a comparable eruption.

This  paper hypothesises the future link between Hunga Tonga 2021 and global warming.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022GL099381

Are the terrible summers in the uk (2023 2024) but general world wide warming a concequence. The hurricaine season 2023 in the north atlantic was also very active despite it being expected to be quiet due to the el nino effect.

10

Just Chat! / How did the world seize up?

« on: 19/07/2024 11:20:33 »

How does the problem with one it system cause the world to stop turning? It is a cliche from a hollywood film, how does the world manage to put itself into this position against better judgement? Why also does it need it?

11

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Does a coffee machine make colder coffee?

« on: 16/07/2024 20:42:13 »

If I have a pressurised coffee machine does it make colder coffee?

12

Technology / How does my car calculate fuel economy?

« on: 18/04/2024 19:50:31 »

Today the motor is averaging 52mpg, this is city driving, traffic lights, junctions, etc. Only a week ago it was averaging 44mpg for the same type of driving. The numbers are via the cars display?

13

Just Chat! / Whos getting dental implants?

« on: 23/03/2024 19:22:11 »

And at tax payers expense i may add.


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Technology / How is electrolysis of water done safely?

« on: 27/02/2024 12:53:21 »

With hydrogen power touted as a green technology to save the world, how is the electrolysis of water done safely? The environment of water electrolysis are ;

Water
 Hydrogen which is an extremely volatile gas open to furious burning in oxygen
Oxygen gas which is a great oxydiser
Electricity which is extremly sparky and hot, great for igniting fuel air gas mixtures. From the electrodes, from the static and perhaps ionisation.
Salts in the water to aid the electrolysis

This sounds to me like a good approximation of a bomb. How is it achieved safely at industrial levels.

15

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Why is air a thermal insulator?

« on: 30/01/2024 21:34:50 »

We are always told that air is a thermal insulator in such things as building insulation. In a cavity wall in a house though we place insulation of one sort of another that is a material aerated. Be it foamed polystyrene, blown glass fibre, wool, polyethylene, they all have one thing in common, material that is not particularly low in thermal conductance created into non continuous pieces interspersed with air. Yet air is the majority of the volume still.

Why not just stick with an empty cavity still?

16

Just Chat! / Anyone For Microdosing?

« on: 03/01/2024 22:33:17 »

Recently I have seen a segment on the bbc news about people taking small amounts of mind altering drugs during everyday life to help them. Is anyone ?microdosing" on here?

17

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Has E=mc2 been proved practically?

« on: 04/12/2023 16:51:09 »

Has the mass energy equivalence been proved observationally? E being in joules I believe, has the relationship between mass and energy been measured at a practical level?

18

COVID-19 / What is "long covid" and what different types are there?

« on: 27/11/2023 12:09:31 »

I have met a few people who have long covid, I think they have different symptoms, so what precicely is it?

19

Physiology & Medicine / How are humans effected by the seasons?

« on: 21/11/2023 21:47:19 »

Are humans biologically synchronised with the seasons? Mankind has has millions of years to evolve, some at the equator and some at the polar regions, but all places experience seasons, be it cold, dry, hot or wet. Some people are known to utilise light sources to improve their own feeling during dark months, people become joyous and active in the summer and can develop nesting characteristics in the winter in line with the activity in nature. I wonder whether this behavior is entirely psychological or is there more to it?

20

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Why are some isotopes fissionable?

« on: 10/11/2023 13:49:22 »

Why for example is U235 fissionable yet the more unbalanced u238 not? U238 has a greater number of neutrons, so I would assume it would be quicker to decay and be more unstable?