1

Question of the Week / Re: QotW - 21.04.13 - Can an electron ever be between orbitals?

« on: 19/04/2021 12:03:45 »

Thanks all - and the audio answer has just been published: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/question-week/why-are-electrons-never-between-orbitals

chiralSPO - I particularly liked your analogy so it went into the script.

2

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / The universe is 13.8b years old, yet we've seen a galaxy 13.4b light years away?

« on: 01/02/2021 14:18:44 »

Tony asks:

The current estimate of the age of the universe is about 13.8 billion years, yet the furthest object known is 13.4 billion light years away from us. That only leaves 0.4 billion years difference. How is this explained?

Also if nothing can exceed the speed of light, surely that implies that the universe is expanding at the speed of light? Or is there an idea that its speed slows the further it travels, which would give us different values of distance based on red shift?

3

COVID-19 / Does the Oxford vaccine stop the illness, transmission, or just symptoms?

« on: 07/01/2021 17:26:05 »

We got this question from listener Jo:

Am I right in thinking vaccines are designed to work on one of three outcomes? 1) a vaccine for the illness, or 2) a vaccine for transmission, or 3) a vaccine for stopping symptoms? And that a vaccine cannot work on all three?

Within this framework the Oxford vaccine is a number 3), a vaccine to stop symptoms. However, symptoms tell us we have COVID and that we are at risk to others as we can transmit the virus. These signs and symptoms allow us to make the right decision to protect others by conducting a test and self-isolating. Therefore, does this not suggest that those having the new vaccine can become super spreaders of the virus as they will not know they have it because they have are asymptomatic? Asymptomatic does not mean they are not transmitting the virus to others.

My mother, an 80 year old diabetic, is having her vaccine next week. My partner has MS and will not be vaccinated for at least 4 months. Therefore, does this now mean my mother can be a walking talking COVID super spreader and by visiting her I now put my partner at risk?

By not focusing on the anti-transmission vaccine, could this cause a new strain of the virus?

4

COVID-19 / Could a vaccine cause a dangerous immune response to later infection?

« on: 22/04/2020 17:45:57 »

We got this question from Adam:

Is there a potential risk that, for some individuals, a coronavirus vaccine might lead to a harmful immune response to subsequent COVID-19 infection?

Can anyone answer?

5

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: Can Two Bits Of Light Bounce Off each Other ?

« on: 08/01/2020 12:17:48 »

We also looked into this question on yesterday's Q&A: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/can-two-bits-light-bounce-each-other

Physicist Jess Wade said the same thing re rare events where photons turn into electron-positron pairs. No sheep mentioned unfortunately (but at least the point was ram-med home)