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

« on: Today at 20:39:59 »

Evan_au has covered many points concerning erosion but I have one addition. Many substances are referred to as being soluble or insoluble in water but this is a simplification as those considered insoluble have a finite but very small solubility. Everything will dissolve in water to some extent even if the solubility is infinitesimal and over time some loss can be expected.

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: Today at 15:08:19 »

Questions such as (1) why are we here, (2) why is there good and evil, (3) what is the nature of human consciousness, (4) why does the universe exist, and many others may not trouble a logical being like your good self but a lot of humans seek answers to these questions and science cannot provide the answers. Like it or not these questions have been asked for millennia and will continue to be asked in the future. PS: I missed part of your reply- I am not suggesting that there are complete answers to various questions but that man, by nature, seeks complete answers.

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Chemistry / Re: Shrink ray or growth ray, how could they work?

« on: Today at 08:32:05 »

Randell Mills says you can shrink the hydrogen atom down to a "hydrino". I don't believe in Santa Claus or the tooth fairy, either.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: Could the universe be smaller than the visible universe?

« on: Today at 08:23:03 »

I could be very wrong here(most likely!) but I thought that Einstein's equations gave two solutions, one an expanding and one a contracting universe and he had to add the cosmological constant to allow a static case. I don't think there was a case of expansion speeding up.

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: Today at 08:15:23 »

Hi ES, a couple of points. I think you meant "non physics" science rather than "non physical" science. As regards religion it is inevitable that new religions would arise if the existing ones failed to transport to the new location. Man has always sought complete answers to various physical and metaphysical problems and science cannot answer all these and most likely never will.

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Just Chat! / Should smartphones be banned from the dinner table?

« on: Yesterday at 09:57:32 »

I am fed up with my family and their smartphones on a night out. They remain glued to their screens and then bombard me with images that I have zero interest in(most of my family seem to suffer from a malady I call photophilia, collecting countless useless images). Personally I think it is bad manners to be using one's smartphone during what should be a social event and not a source of stress. What do ye think? Am I just too old and grumpy?

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: 30/11/2024 20:28:11 »

That's what I came up with after a couple of minutes thought, as prescribed. A longer perusal of your question might have yielded a different answer. After such a move the basics for survival take precedence and advanced science will have to wait.

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Just Chat! / Re: Theories to start a new world.

« on: 30/11/2024 16:32:02 »

(1) Thermodynamics, (2) optics and (3) electrical theory. More advanced theories such as relativity and quantum would not be of great use initially but would become important at a later stage when the basics have been taken care of.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What is the exact cause of the time dilation of the twin?

« on: 29/11/2024 16:04:50 »

Thanks for your kind words, Halc, but I would not consider my observations as being "very perceptive", more very obvious. I don't wish to divert the original discussion any further and I will say no more here on "AI". 

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What is the exact cause of the time dilation of the twin?

« on: 28/11/2024 13:47:51 »

. Having never used supposed "AI"(no intention of doing so-you can't teach an old dog new tricks!), I am in a weak position to criticise. I have seen some atrocious rubbish in replies to questions posed by others and a high degree of suggestibility. In response to a question that requires a blunt "NO", answers will often digress into unsubstantiated speculation with the seeming aim of perpetuating the discourse rather than delivering a straightforward answer.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / WhatRe: What is the exact cause of the time dilation of the twin?

« on: 27/11/2024 21:39:15 »

What did you expect?, nothing useful, I hope.

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Question of the Week / Re: QotW - 24.11.22 - Why are boat propellers at the rear?

« on: 26/11/2024 17:49:36 »

A great advantage for the passengers of rear engined aircraft(DC-9, trident, BAC-1-11, 727) was the low noise level if one was 1/3 of the way forward or greater. All these aircraft are now obsolete. I think Bombardier still do a rear engined 100 seater and I forgot the VC-10, an aircraft I never travelled on.

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New Theories / Re: what is temperature?

« on: 26/11/2024 14:55:18 »

Following up on the test tube with water being heated, here is something NOT to do and I repeat NOT. Faced with a dirty pyrex boiling tube which resisted cleaning I added water to a depth of about 2 inches and added conc sulphuric acid to a depth of about 1 inch and applied vigorous heating at the base. Some time later I was surprised that boiling had not ensued and I gave the tube a slight shake and whoosh, the entire contents of hot acid and boiling water exploded out of the tube. The acid had not mixed significantly with the water and with a boiling point in the region of 300c it was not going to boil for quite some time and shaking the tube led to mixing and a subsequent runaway reaction.  My mistake was a failure to thoroughly mix acid and water before heating.

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New Theories / Re: what is temperature?

« on: 26/11/2024 14:29:00 »

"Same as it ever was", as the song said(David Byrne-Talking Heads for those not familiar).

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General Science / Re: Can an electron travel a bit in a copper wire for inertia?

« on: 26/11/2024 11:38:06 »

The current from zinc and other types of battery is interrupted daily in an uncountable number of events- how else could power be switched off? None of this has ever presented a hazard.

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General Science / Re: Can an electron travel a bit in a copper wire for inertia?

« on: 25/11/2024 17:36:53 »

The OP's ideas seem to be heading in the "free energy" direction. The law of conservation of energy rules out all such schemes and is probably one of the most solid and unassailable physical laws. While I always welcome any interest in scientific discourse I think it is important to steer those interested parties away from cul-de-sacs.

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Chemistry / Re: Shrink ray or growth ray, how could they work?

« on: 25/11/2024 10:54:41 »

Joanna Southcott, I had to look that up as I had never heard of her. I am blown away by Alan's knowledge of religious matters!!

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General Science / Re: Can an electron travel a bit in a copper wire for inertia?

« on: 24/11/2024 19:44:15 »

With a wire chopped and the ends separated, all current ceases except in the case of high voltage where an arc may occur or field emission as described by Alancalverd. Assuming the current ceases individual electrons will have such little momentum, due to their very slow drift velocity, that we can expect an abrupt halt. Another factor is the repulsive electric field which would build up at the end of the conductor if motion were to continue- this would very rapidly prevent further transit.

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

« on: 24/11/2024 17:39:24 »

Here we go again, another outbreak has been detected- run for the hills! It's not even a full moon.

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Chemistry / Re: Shrink ray or growth ray, how could they work?

« on: 23/11/2024 10:35:56 »

Alan, that would make the most powerful weapon ever made, by multiple orders of magnitude. I have a suggestion for chiral SPO: Randell Mills claims he can shrink a hydrogen atom down to 1/137 of it's original size(going on memory here-could be wrong). Considering the amount of water and hence hydrogen in a human, I think this may help. On the other hand belief in fairy tales is prerequisite in such theories.