1

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: Could we make solidified electricity?

« on: 09/02/2018 17:16:32 »

Back in the days when Wimshurst machines and electrostatics were all the rage I think they used to melt something like pitch and induce a charge into it that it retained when it solidified.

2

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What would micro black-holes made at the large hadron collider (LHC) look like?

« on: 07/02/2018 21:10:02 »

I think that any BH would have to have a mass of greater than the Plank mass to survive and that requires vastly greater energy LNC has.

3

General Science / Re: How do they get the stripes inside a marble?

« on: 02/02/2018 14:29:51 »

The same way as you put the letters in Brighton rock, the clever bit is making them spherical.

4

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: How long would a mile-long capacitor take to discharge?

« on: 23/01/2018 17:17:45 »

1/186000 Secs the energy moves in the form of an electromagnetic wave that moves at c in an air spaced device or more typically .7c in a coaxial cable 

5

Just Chat! / Re: Will inflation of currency ever end?

« on: 01/01/2018 18:37:37 »

Money is a wonderful invention just think of the massive bookkeeping problem we would have if we did everything by barter the number plying the oldest profession would pale to insignificance compared to the number of accountants

6

Just Chat! / Re: Will inflation of currency ever end?

« on: 31/12/2017 12:02:32 »

I am old enough to remember pre war prices when we got 5 us dollars to the pound compared to the amount of hours worked to provide it some things like houses have become much more expensive while technical things like cars, phone calls , and communications. are cheaper (you could buy a house for the cost of an hours phone call to the USA or a large TV). 

7

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: If I run at 10km per hour inside a plane traveling at 800km an hour what speed am I moving at?

« on: 19/12/2017 17:25:48 »

Speed is of course a vector quantity but due to the geometry of the aircraft your speed can only add or subtract from the speed of the aircraft relative to the ground excluding SR.
If you were in a large saucer shaped alien UFO and could run in any direction the angle relative to the craft would have to be taken into account.
Warning do not try this on a Ryanair trip !

8

General Science / Re: If Humans Were Wiped Out Would The World Survive ? (A nuclear power question)

« on: 19/12/2017 11:25:58 »

The Greens say "Make love not War" it might be better for the world the other way around.

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Just Chat! / Does this sound familiar

« on: 12/12/2017 17:43:02 »

I hope this does not infringe copyright but I thought it to good not to spread
"WINDOWS: Please enter your new password.
USER (Luke Carter): potato
WINDOWS: Sorry, the password must be more than 8 characters.
USER (Luke Carter): boiled potato
WINDOWS: Sorry, the password must contain 1 numerical character.
USER (Luke Carter): 1 boiled potato
WINDOWS: Sorry, the password cannot have blank spaces.
USER (Luke Carter): 20damnedboiledpotato
WINDOWS: Sorry, the password must contain at least one uppercase character.
USER (Luke Carter): 20DAMNEDboiledpatato
WINDOWS: Sorry, the password cannot use more than one uppercase character consecutively.
USER (Luke Carter): 20DamnedBoiledPatatoYouIdiotGiveMeAccessNow!
WINDOWS: Sorry, the password cannot contain punctuation.
USER (Luke Carter): IWillHuntYouDown20DamnedBoiledPatatoYouIdiotGiveMeAccessNow
WINDOWS: SORRY, THAT PASSWORD IS ALREADY IN USE.

10

Technology / Re: Can I Save Electricity By Opening My Fridge Doors In this Cold Weather ?

« on: 07/12/2017 00:20:27 »

You can never fail to save on electricity if you shut off something that is not needed but beware the ambient temperature is seldom low enough for the long term storage of frozen food.

11

Question of the Week / Re: QotW - 17.10.08 - Is it safe to live near a cell phone tower?

« on: 10/10/2017 19:51:16 »

The only danger warning I have seen on a mobile phone transmitter tower was in Germany which said don't stand too close in winter as large icicles fall off. I understand in the USA 6500 deaths a year result from people driving, walking etc. while using them that's where the danger lies

12

Just Chat! / Re: What happened to the quick login at the top left of the site?

« on: 09/04/2017 10:46:32 »

I am happy with it it is nice to have permanent login

13

Chemistry / Re: How can I safely extract the silver from old X-rays?

« on: 19/12/2016 14:35:52 »

When I was in the printing trade 30 years ago all the film processors were equipped with electrolytic units to salvage the silver I don't recall there ever being any mishaps.
Google list many manufactures of recovery units 

14

New Theories / Re: phaulty fysics? [three of the world's greatest cataclysms]...

« on: 17/12/2016 16:47:28 »

Yet more nonsensical rantings this forum seems to attract nut cases of late.

15

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: How many photos are emitted by the sun every second? How many reach earth?

« on: 14/12/2016 10:49:18 »

The figure of interest is not what quantity is reaching the eye looking directly at the Sun but the quantity received when looking at typical objects illuminated by sunlight.
It is recommended that when looking directly at the Sun one should use a density 4 filter giving 40db of attenuation, is reflected Sunlight reduced by that amount ?

16

Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: How many photos are emitted by the sun every second? How many reach earth?

« on: 13/12/2016 23:29:20 »

From memory the Sun emits energy with a mass equivalent of 4.26*10^6  tons per second assuming the photons average 2eV the number comes out at approximately 10^45
But I am prepared to have my arithmetic corrected.

The eagle eyed will note I made several corrections my memory of the Suns output and the mass equivalent energy of a 2eV photon were both wrong but at least my arithmetic was OK

17

Physiology & Medicine / Re: Why do some dead bodies not decay?

« on: 11/12/2016 20:11:59 »

Good money was made from pilgrims visiting ancient shrines so its quite likely that some doctoring of relics took place.
Even today plenty of statues of the "blessed virgin" weep tears of blood and serious researchers are kept away from bits of the true cross and the Turin shroud

18

Geology, Palaeontology & Archaeology / Re: Is the Jesus Family Tomb the BIGGEST Archaeological Discovery in History?

« on: 04/12/2016 16:36:31 »

Although people survive crucifixion if they are cut down fairly quickly I would expect them to succumb to blood poisoning pretty soon

19

Physiology & Medicine / Re: Is anxiety causing hypertension?

« on: 01/12/2016 16:25:46 »

"we certainly don't all have hypertension".
The goal posts as to what defines hypertension are constantly lowered so that most people do have hypertension, I think there is big money made selling pills to the NHS.
I take amlodipine and suffer swollen legs but for the memory of my father of dying of stroke at 67 I would gladly give them up

20

That CAN'T be true! / Re: What is a jet fuel surrogate?

« on: 01/12/2016 13:22:04 »

At least you acknowledge that climate change is happening even if you have a bizarre idea as to its cause instead of the more wildly accepted explanation that it is due to the large quantity of carbon dioxide introduced into the atmosphere due to human activity.