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General Science / Do two flu shots increase the immunity?

« on: 13/01/2013 00:08:27 »

So they say that one flu shot offers about 60% protection. Does that mean that a second flu shot would increase the immunity? If yes, does it offer protection for 60% of the remaining 40% of the first vaccination and increase the total protection level to 84%?

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General Science / Why is the salmon sparking in the microwave oven?

« on: 22/12/2012 18:47:52 »

I stumbled across an odd thing. At least it is odd to me.

I like to thaw small pieces of salmon in the microwave before putting them on my sandwich. I noticed that during the microwaving the darker areas of meat spark as if there were small pieces of aluminum foil present. Not just some small, barley visible sparks -  real nice sparks. And there is no aluminum foil present. Just the meat on a plastic lid.

What is going on?

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General Science / Why do some people rest their heads on their hand/s?

« on: 21/10/2012 00:22:10 »

When I think or listen intently I notice that I often end up with my chin resting in my hand. Am I doing this because I can think better or am I doing this to give my neck muscles a rest? Or can I think better if my neck muscles are less active? Does touching my chin help with anything? Other people do it too. Why?

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General Science / Is there a "potential energy" radio?

« on: 28/07/2012 04:32:32 »

No, I am not talking about some miracle energy device, I am talking about pulling up a mass and letting it drop (slowly with the help of gears) to run a generator.

Has anyone here seen anything like this to operate, say, a small radio?

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General Science / Does a multi-stranded wire have lower resistance?

« on: 28/06/2012 03:38:29 »

Hello All:
Ohm's law says that a thinner wire has a higher electrical resistance than a thicker wire of the same material. Does one thick wire have less resistance than a bundle of thin wires of the same diameter? Does a wire with 100 thin wires have the same resistance than 100 individual wires of the same diameter that do not touch? Does a 1 meter wire containing 100 individual wires have the same resistance than 100 meters of the same thin wire? Does bundling them up change anything?

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General Science / Has reality become boring?

« on: 15/05/2012 00:47:06 »

I was thinking about this when I came here today. And then I read the thread about TV numbing the mind. One of the posters asked the question you can see in the subject line (and I liked it so much that I used it without permission  ^).

There are a lot of people who seem to be bored with what is possible in reality since they have become so used to what is possible in movies and video games. People all too often don't seem to be capable any more to separate fact from fiction. Or being interested in facts and currently unexplained facts. Why bother with reality if you can enjoy so much faster, higher, stronger, etc. in the fantasy world or when doing/watching extreme sports? Has this been like this for other generations before?  According to a TV show I saw, Star Wars has inspired some young people at the time to become engineers to create some of today's products. Does this still work? Can it still work when fiction is occasionally so outlandishly over the top? How do we interest young people in studying science and engineering when reality becomes boring to them?

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General Science / How do I make a bucket of gross stuff?

« on: 13/05/2012 01:58:56 »

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this. It might be scientific enough though to qualify for this section.

I need to create 12 buckets full of gross stuff and would like your input on how to make them.

It needs to be about 4 gallons/16 liters per bucket. It should be harmless for the hands, non-toxic, not stain clothes, and be relatively cheap to make from common items one may find in a grocery store. In the end it can be a mix of things and the more revolting it looks or smells the better. I envision the majority of the contents of the bucket to be really slimy and thick. It should ooze of the hands. There can be chunks in there too.

Thank you for you "input".

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General Science / Is there evidence of homosexuality among dogs?

« on: 15/01/2012 20:13:06 »

I hope this is an appropriate topic here. I tried "google" but the recommended sites lead down a very different route.

My girlfriend told me of her dog (now deceased), an unneutered male, who would copulate with the neighbour's dog (a neutered male). According to her description the copulation was not just an attempt, but they performed the whole sexual act including getting stuck with each other. Obviously no puppies where produced. My girlfriend insists that the neighbour's dog was a male. Has this been heard of before?

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General Science / Fluffy yet not insulating?

« on: 28/12/2011 18:19:04 »

Hello All:

I am looking for a material that is fluffy yet does not insulate against heat loss as much as most other fluffy materials. Well, it should at insulate maybe like cotton. And, no, I don't want it to be wet or something. Basically, I am trying to make a fluffy and comfortable, yet not very warm blanket. Any ideas?

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General Science / Can seals focus under water as well as above?

« on: 23/01/2011 13:08:34 »

Can seals focus under water as well as above?

If not in which medium can they see better? It would seem to make sense to be able to see better where you need to. Under water to hunt. Above water to avoid polar bears and find the best looking seal women/men. Above or below? Which?

If they can, how do they do it?

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General Science / How do I prove that an event has occurred at a certain time but not later?

« on: 17/02/2010 20:26:36 »

I know how to prove that an event has not occurred at an earlier time. You take a photograph with something in it that did not exist before, e.g. a newspaper. But how can I do this if I want to prove that an event has not occurred later? What common thing stops existing at a certain time? What else could I do/use?

No, I have no particular plans. This question is just on my mind since I was a teenager and saw a picture of a hostage holding a newspaper to prove that he was still alive at a certain date.

Thanks.

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General Science / How do I best make LARGE ice cubes?

« on: 10/02/2010 01:34:19 »

I want to make large ice cubes. They do not have to be cube shaped (all sides equal length), but should be at least box shaped. I was thinking of pouring water into flexible containers and letting it freeze outside. The winter temperatures are no problem, the containers are a problem though. I cannot find a square or rectangular rubber container that would not bust when the water freezes. I don't want cylindrical containers because you cannot pack the frozen "cubes" tightly when they are cylinders. The container needs to release the "cube" easily and needs to be able to be reused often. Ideally it is cheap enough to allow purchasing several.

If I use plastic containers which ones are less prone to breaking when the water freezes: Those that are big and flat, or those that are tall and skinny? Under bed storage containers or tall kitchen garbage containers?

Any thoughts?

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Technology / Can you detect or measure pressure in a pipe without opening it?

« on: 24/01/2010 18:14:29 »

 I cannot think of a way to do this. Not really urgent, just curious. I was staring at some pipes in a  hotel room yesterday and began to wonder if they are pressurized, if yes how much, and how I could find out without drilling a hole in them or opening them up (which I have done in another place just to find out that I could not close it again and flooded my bathroom and hall with very hot water, soaked the downstairs neighbor's ceiling, and drenched the downstairs neighbor's bathroom as well  [:I]).

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The Environment / Is increased snow fall a sign of a climate cooling trend?

« on: 10/01/2010 15:57:59 »

In another post I responded to the claim that there is so much snow falling in unusual places that increased precipitation can be a result of warmer weather or a warmer climate rather than a cooler climate. Litespeed, I am sure you don't mind to be dragged into this:

I admit to a predilection for periodic hyperbally. So I will concede the temperature might not be dropping. However, this Winter's climate is setting cold records accross the globe

-- Winter Could Be Worst in 25 Years for USA...
-- PAPER: GAS SUPPLIES RUNNING OUT IN UK...
   Elderly burn books for warmth?
-- Vermont sets 'all-time record for one snowstorm'...
-- Iowa temps 'a solid 30 degrees below normal'...
-- Seoul buried in heaviest snowfall in 70 years...
-- Historic ice build-up shuts down NJ nuclear power plant...
-- Midwest Sees Near-Record Lows, Snow By The Foot...
-- Major roads in Beijing and Tianjin, as well as nearby provinces Hebei, Shanxi and
   Inner Mongolia, were forced to close due to the heavy snow.
-- Cold weather kills scores in India...

And of course, in October UK forcasters predicted a mild Winter. And before that they predicted a scorching Summer. Oh well. Never mind. Maybe they got too many interns from East Anglia. Who knows.....However, aren't you one of those who believes Global Warming would be a bad thing?

Gas supplies running out in the UK? Well, that could mean that they are running out of gas in the UK, not that it is unusually cold there. Precipitation (rain, ice rain, or snow) increase could be a sign of increased evaporation due to warming trends. The "worst winter in 25 years for USA" says nothing about the temperatures although it does look like we are getting more than our share of snow in many places. The winter storm here in VT was interesting and lengthy, but not as much snow as I have seen in my particular area before and it certainly was not particularly cold. This is some (now outdated) data I found posted by someone but I cannot show where he/she had it from:

Ten biggest snow storms of VT (some are multi-day events), all need to slide down one notch due to the storm last weekend:
SNOWFALL DATES MONTH/YEAR
1. 29.8" 25-28 DEC 1969
2. 25.7" 14-15 FEB 2007 (biggest one day event ever)
3. 24.7" 13-14 JAN 1934
4. 22.9" 5-6 MAR 2001
5. 22.4" 13-14 MAR 1993
6. 20.0" 25 NOV 1900
7. 19.7" 25-28 JAN 1986
8. 19.1" 16-17 MAR 1937
9. 18.8" 14-15 DEC 2003
10. 18.3" 6-7 DEC 2003

If increased precipitation is a result of warming, it seems to be getting warmer during the winters in my area. 5 of the biggest 11 in the last ten years. 7 of biggest 11 in the last 30 years. And all of this means little for annual precipitation. Or annual temperatures. Just don't equal more winter weather with colder winters or climate.

Of course, individual snow storms don't say much about total annual precipitation. And of course it seems that there is unusually cold weather in England and maybe in Northern Germany as well. Anyhow, can one reasonably claim that increased precipitation/snowfall may be a result of a warming trend rather than a cooling trend?

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General Science / How many scientists are "spiritual"?

« on: 31/12/2009 14:49:09 »

I looks like scientists are not great believers in a personal god and immortality. But I wonder how many scientists are believers in some sort of power/creator that is in charge in some sort of way? And, scientifically speaking, does it matter if individual scientists have these feelings/beliefs one way or the other?

It is another one of those friendly arguments I seem to be getting into. This time not with my neighbor though.

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Technology / How do I build a simple hand-cranked film projector?

« on: 13/12/2009 21:49:24 »

My daughter and I went to the movies the other day. Since we were the last to leave the theater afterward, we took a peek into the projector room and received a little tour from the owner. We also received a roll of 2:30 minute movie trailer as a gift. I thought it would be pretty cool to build a wooden machine that with the help of a flashlight and hand-crank could project this trailer onto a 5cm by 5cm screen (2"x2"). I guess I have to flash the flashlight (or whatever light source) just at the right moments and in sync with the film forward movement to create the illusion of movement. How do I do this simply? I am not looking for great quality, just something that illustrates the principle. Something mechanical rather than electronic.

I remember seeing human powered apparatuses (sp?) in the "Deutsches Museum" in Munich, Germany that were VERY simple and showed a little clip. I forget how those worked though.

Anyone?

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General Science / How many cold or flu viruses can attack me at same time?

« on: 12/12/2009 23:48:20 »

If I get a cold is it just one virus that gives me the cold (or flu)? Can I get another cold while I already have one? How many viruses can infect me at one time? Are the symptoms worse with multiple cold virus infections? Are some viruses the cause for the headache and others for the runny nose and several working together make me feel so miserable that I call the condition "sick" rather than just uncomfortable?

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General Science / Does homeopathic medicine work with animals?

« on: 07/12/2009 01:23:10 »

My neighbor keeps pointing that it does work for animals to convince me that there is no placebo effect when it comes to homeopathic treatment and actual healing. Is there research that supports this?

One site (a skeptic one) points out that it is the owner who gets better, not the animals. And some vets who use it are convinced it works and discover evidence that it has worked.

Is that pretty much it?

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General Science / How do you calculate the carbon footprint of jet travel?

« on: 06/12/2009 15:38:07 »

How is this done?

I assume you need to know the distance, number of passengers, fuel consumption of the jet per mile, and how it mixes with air to create a certain amount of exhaust. You also need to know how much of the exhaust is CO2 (or whatever would be considered part of the carbon footprint).

So, let's say it is a Boeing or Airbus typically involved in overseas travel (you pick the model), and let's fly from Montreal to Munich, Germany. I don't know any of the other numbers or data. Let's assume no lengthy waiting on the ground or air.

What is the amount of carbon in kilograms per passenger as a result of that trip?

Anyone wanna step forward and give this a whirl?

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Technology / Can a cell phone replace a basic laptop computer?

« on: 28/11/2009 14:23:41 »

I don't own a cell phone but I hear many interesting things about them. Especially the ability to connect to the web and other definitely existing features are fascinating since they may allow me to replace my desktop computer, internet connection, conventional phone service, digital camera, voice recorder, etc.. Are the better cellphones so advanced that they can replace a basic desktop computer or laptop? I would want to connect a full size keyboard to my phone. Could I? How about a larger monitor, could I attach one? How about software compatibility? Freeware? Open source operating systems? Speakers? Earphones? Listening to internet radio anytime I have cell phone service? Is that all possible?

I know, I know. Lots of questions. But I trust you folks more than cellphone sales representatives.