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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / How long does it take to reach C at a constant rate of 1 G?
« on: 13/10/2009 06:04:58 »
I was an art student because math makes my brain hurt.
If one were to build a spaceship that could constantly accelerate at one gravity, how long would it take for said interstellar caravan to reach .999 C?
If one were to build a spaceship that could constantly accelerate at one gravity, how long would it take for said interstellar caravan to reach .999 C?
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Just Chat! / What's the oldest building that is still in use?
« on: 13/10/2009 01:48:10 »
That's not a tomb.
Something like the Parthenon, or the Tower of Hercules, or something small like a well house somewhere in Egypt?
How about continuous use?
Something like the Parthenon, or the Tower of Hercules, or something small like a well house somewhere in Egypt?
How about continuous use?
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Just Chat! / The Invisible Man
« on: 09/10/2009 19:50:10 »
Photoshop ain't got nothin' on Liu Bolin, he paints himself and then takes the picture.
http://v1kram.posterous.com/liu-bolinthe-invisible-man
http://v1kram.posterous.com/liu-bolinthe-invisible-man
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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Why did NASA fire a projectile into the moon?
« on: 09/10/2009 01:48:04 »
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/lcross-centaur-separation/
^^^^
Live video feed of NASA's LCrosss-Centaur Lunar Impact mission to study the possibility of water in the lunar southern polar region.
They are firing a rail at a crater at twice the speed of a bullet and examining the contents of the impact debris.
Details of the mission
http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/
The impact plume will be visible from the Western US through small telescopes.
^^^^
Live video feed of NASA's LCrosss-Centaur Lunar Impact mission to study the possibility of water in the lunar southern polar region.
They are firing a rail at a crater at twice the speed of a bullet and examining the contents of the impact debris.
Details of the mission
http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/
The impact plume will be visible from the Western US through small telescopes.
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Physiology & Medicine / Is music hardwired or learned?
« on: 27/09/2009 17:13:57 »
From the 2009 World Science Festival:
Is our response to music hard-wired or culturally determined? Is the reaction to rhythm and melody universal or influenced by environment? Join host John Schaefer, scientist Daniel Levitin and musical artist Bobby McFerrin for live performances and cross cultural demonstrations to illustrate music’s note-worthy interaction with the brain and our emotions.
^^^
The video is great.
Is our response to music hard-wired or culturally determined? Is the reaction to rhythm and melody universal or influenced by environment? Join host John Schaefer, scientist Daniel Levitin and musical artist Bobby McFerrin for live performances and cross cultural demonstrations to illustrate music’s note-worthy interaction with the brain and our emotions.
^^^
The video is great.
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Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution / Do Granddaddy Long Leg Spiders Spin Webs?
« on: 21/09/2009 17:30:10 »
I never see them in webs, always just crawling about like an H.G. Wells invading Martian.
Do they spin webs, or even wrap their prey in silk?
image Robin Mattingly
Do they spin webs, or even wrap their prey in silk?
image Robin Mattingly
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Physiology & Medicine / Is the appendix really vestigial?
« on: 05/09/2009 15:16:34 »
Does the appendix really no longer serve a function in the human body?
And what was its function originally?
Many thanks,
--A
And what was its function originally?
Many thanks,
--A
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That CAN'T be true! / Nessy or Googleparadolia?
« on: 05/09/2009 15:01:45 »Spotted from Google Earth.
Boat? Whale? No, it's the Loch Ness monster – again
An object has been spotted on Google Earth in Loch Ness. It looks like a giant tadpole. It must be Nessie
Source
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General Science / Is Caffeine acidic?
« on: 24/08/2009 18:09:39 »
I had a dentist appointment today to have a filling done.
The dentist asked if I drank a lot of cafinated drinks, he thinks the acid in the drinks may have caused some decalcification which led to a cavity.
Is caffeine acidic or are the drinks that contain caffeine just happen to usually contain acid?
The dentist asked if I drank a lot of cafinated drinks, he thinks the acid in the drinks may have caused some decalcification which led to a cavity.
Is caffeine acidic or are the drinks that contain caffeine just happen to usually contain acid?
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That CAN'T be true! / How could this girl cry blood?
« on: 24/08/2009 05:43:33 »What possible medical reason could cause this girl to cry tears?
Quote from: The Sun
A GIRL has become a holy shrine in India where worshippers watch her cry blood instead of tears.
Doctors in Patna, north-east India, have been stumped by Rashida Khatoon's condition, which causes her to shed tears of blood several times a day.
But local Hindu holy men have declared her a miracle.
And followers now flock to her home, showering her and her family with gifts as holy offerings.
Rashida said: "I do not feel any pain when it happens but it's a shock to see blood instead of water
Wait, I know--The Sun, but National Geographic is doing a show on her.
Hoax, or is there a medical cause?
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Just Chat! / Happy Birthday Besse Cooper
« on: 23/08/2009 19:54:00 »
Wednesday is my best friend's grandmother's birthday. Mrs, Besse (pronounced, Bess) Cooper will be turning one hundred and thirteen. We had her party today.
She is currently the twelfth oldest person on the planet, quite healthy and by all means smarter and wiser than us all.
Today she told me that she has lived for so long because she, "always minded my own business."
As a child she and her family moved to Georgia (USA) from Tennessee on a raft which was loaded with their worldly possessions and outfitted with a tent. The trip took place during the summer of 1899. Her first "car" is in my friend's barn. It's a mule wagon still in working order.
She is currently the twelfth oldest person on the planet, quite healthy and by all means smarter and wiser than us all.
Today she told me that she has lived for so long because she, "always minded my own business."
As a child she and her family moved to Georgia (USA) from Tennessee on a raft which was loaded with their worldly possessions and outfitted with a tent. The trip took place during the summer of 1899. Her first "car" is in my friend's barn. It's a mule wagon still in working order.
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Technology / Can one use a bicycle pump to make a vacuum?
« on: 30/07/2009 04:30:06 »
How would one go about modifying a bicycle pump so you can use it to make a vacuum?
I want to make a few small composite parts using a vacuum bag and a hand pump would be handy.
I want to make a few small composite parts using a vacuum bag and a hand pump would be handy.
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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / What happens to particles ejected by a star and moving at near light speed?
« on: 23/07/2009 06:26:06 »
RS Ophiuchi is a binary system consisting of a red giant (RS Ophiuchi A) and a white dwarf (RS Ophiuchi B).
RS Ophiuchi B steals matter from the red giant and periodically explodes as a type 1A super nova.
RS Ophiuchi B also spews jets of matter at near light speed. According to Einstein as matter accelerates it gains mass. Would the particles of the stream cause gravitational disturbances if they traveled through our solar system since they should have near infinite mass?
RS Ophiuchi B steals matter from the red giant and periodically explodes as a type 1A super nova.
RS Ophiuchi B also spews jets of matter at near light speed. According to Einstein as matter accelerates it gains mass. Would the particles of the stream cause gravitational disturbances if they traveled through our solar system since they should have near infinite mass?
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Physiology & Medicine / Was I misdiagnosed--Pancreatitis or Kidney Stone?
« on: 21/07/2009 22:13:59 »
I spent the weekend in the hospital and I think they got my diagnoses wrong.
41 year old caucasian male, 70.3 kg, had sudden pain in my right flank.
Cholecystectomy 12 years ago, cholesterol normal. Lipase was elevated to 360 (back to normal on the second day--when a second blood test was conducted), other enzymes normal (and I had a bacon cheese burger for my last meal). Hematuria, but not evident to the eye.
After admission to the ER I began to vomit to the point of dry heaves, after I was given morphine (and I'm sensitive to opiates--I always vomit on them).
{edit} And why the doctors are most likely correct and it was idiopathic acute pancreatitis, stones were not evident in the CAT scan.
The pain came on suddenly, was located in my right flank (right kidney) and went through to the front.
I had trouble urinating and when I finally did it was cloudy. This was not long after the pain abated, which when it did it did so somewhat quickly.
I was told I had acute pancreatitis. I think I had a kidney stone (neither condition have been present before, nor family history of either).
I drink (drank) a crap load of sodas, don't really drink alcohol (I drink maybe a gallon of beer a year), not over weight, no gall bladder--ergo no gall stones, and am sensitive to opiates.
I'm not one to argue with my doctors (a MFA and Wikipedia is good for applying a band-aid and not much else IMO), but in this instance who do y'all think is correct, the layman artist or the properly educated?
Many thanks for helping quell my curiosity,
--Allen
41 year old caucasian male, 70.3 kg, had sudden pain in my right flank.
Cholecystectomy 12 years ago, cholesterol normal. Lipase was elevated to 360 (back to normal on the second day--when a second blood test was conducted), other enzymes normal (and I had a bacon cheese burger for my last meal). Hematuria, but not evident to the eye.
After admission to the ER I began to vomit to the point of dry heaves, after I was given morphine (and I'm sensitive to opiates--I always vomit on them).
{edit} And why the doctors are most likely correct and it was idiopathic acute pancreatitis, stones were not evident in the CAT scan.
The pain came on suddenly, was located in my right flank (right kidney) and went through to the front.
I had trouble urinating and when I finally did it was cloudy. This was not long after the pain abated, which when it did it did so somewhat quickly.
I was told I had acute pancreatitis. I think I had a kidney stone (neither condition have been present before, nor family history of either).
I drink (drank) a crap load of sodas, don't really drink alcohol (I drink maybe a gallon of beer a year), not over weight, no gall bladder--ergo no gall stones, and am sensitive to opiates.
I'm not one to argue with my doctors (a MFA and Wikipedia is good for applying a band-aid and not much else IMO), but in this instance who do y'all think is correct, the layman artist or the properly educated?
Many thanks for helping quell my curiosity,
--Allen
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Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution / Is the facepalm gesture a universal expression?
« on: 20/07/2009 20:15:04 »
From Wiki:
Verb
to facepalm (third-person singular simple present facepalms, present participle facepalming, simple past and past participle facepalmed)
To bring the palm of one’s hand to one’s face as an expression of mixed humor and disbelief or disgust or shame, for example, when one is caught off-guard with a particularly bad pun.
To bring one’s face down to one’s cupped hand or hands.
Is this a gesture that is instinctive like a smile or a frown, or is it a learned behavior?
I ask because I've seen it displayed by many cultures and children.
Even when seen in animals the meaning is impossible not to anthropomorphize.
Verb
to facepalm (third-person singular simple present facepalms, present participle facepalming, simple past and past participle facepalmed)
To bring the palm of one’s hand to one’s face as an expression of mixed humor and disbelief or disgust or shame, for example, when one is caught off-guard with a particularly bad pun.
To bring one’s face down to one’s cupped hand or hands.
Is this a gesture that is instinctive like a smile or a frown, or is it a learned behavior?
I ask because I've seen it displayed by many cultures and children.
Even when seen in animals the meaning is impossible not to anthropomorphize.
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Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution / Do jaguars take hallucinogens?
« on: 20/07/2009 18:53:18 »
A friend of mine was in Colombia and was told that the Tucano indians believe that jaguars regularly chew an hallucinogenic plant called yaja. They use the same plant in their rituals saying that it increases their senses allowing them to hunt like a jaguar.
Is there any evidence that jaguars actually ingest this plant?
Could it have the same effect on the cats as it does on humans?
Is there any evidence that jaguars actually ingest this plant?
Could it have the same effect on the cats as it does on humans?
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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Can two objects move apart at faster than the speed of light?
« on: 20/07/2009 01:04:53 »
If two objects are launched in opposite directions from a central point and they are traveling from the point of origin at 3/4C how fast are they traveling away from one another?