Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum

Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum - Science and Technology http://www.bautforum.com/ en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:18:17 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.bautforum.com/images/misc/rss.jpg Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum - Science and Technology http://www.bautforum.com/ Could a sun shield of sufficient size be built to slow the melting of the polar cap? http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96947-could-sun-shield-sufficient-size-built-slow-melting-polar-cap.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:02:20 GMT Could a sun shield of sufficient size be built to slow/stop the melting of the polar cap? Could a sun shield of sufficient size be built to slow/stop the melting of the polar cap? ]]> Science and Technology http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96947-could-sun-shield-sufficient-size-built-slow-melting-polar-cap.html Motherhood and Science http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96946-motherhood-science.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:34:58 GMT From Newsweek

Quote:

Is Motherhood Keeping Good Scientists Down? How To Fix Research's "Mommy Gap"

]]> Science and Technology Argos http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96946-motherhood-science.html Questions about Entropy http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96884-questions-about-entropy.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:53:33 GMT Hi all,

a couple of questions about entropy and expansion. I may have things backwards here, which is why I'm asking

1) Does not the law of entropy preclude a big crunch? As I understand it expansion must yield a corresponding increase in Entropy in the same way that having a matchbox with a partition with particles on one side and empty space on the other then removing the partition will yield greater entropy as the particles spread out. Therefore it seems impossible to conclude that the contraction of the universe would not decrease entropy thus violating the 2nd law.

2) If Expansion yields an increase in Entropy, is there any evidence that expansion happens because of the 2nd law? ]]> Science and Technology malaidas http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96884-questions-about-entropy.html Robin Williams..nanu,nanu?..nope, Hanohano for theta_13 http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96848-robin-williams-nanu-nanu-nope-hanohano-theta_13-a.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:50:56 GMT Ok. So you all remember Mork from Ork and his socio-political commentary on humanity's plight, along with his characteristic sign off?? Well, one of the last pieces of neutrino physics is the last mixing angle....the so-called Theta _13 mixing angle. Once, measured it will help to confine astrophysical theories, and it won't be easy, but a challenge is what physics is all about. Last week I heard a good talk at MIT on it, and there are a variety of teams hunting it down. This is one. SEE:http://www.phys.hawaii.edu/~sdye/hanohano.html

and in the second link, they're now proposing a neutrino/Mossbauer effect in their new technologies. Tut, tut, somebody forgot to credit the original source for that one...SEE http://cdsagenda5.ictp.trieste.it/fu...r=0&ida=a08170..

pete ]]> Science and Technology trinitree88 http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96848-robin-williams-nanu-nanu-nope-hanohano-theta_13-a.html quantum gravity http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96787-quantum-gravity.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:27:11 GMT Sabine Hossenfelder, and Lee Smolin advocate for some areas where tests for quantum gravity might be searched for,...or not. SEE:http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/0911/0911.2761v1.pdf Sabine Hossenfelder, and Lee Smolin advocate for some areas where tests for quantum gravity might be searched for,...or not. SEE:http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/...911.2761v1.pdf ]]> Science and Technology trinitree88 http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96787-quantum-gravity.html Arcahaea removal protocols and life on other planets? http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96683-arcahaea-removal-protocols-life-other-planets.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:35:48 GMT In a previous post by one of the administrators, it was brought to the attention of the forum that microbes from the Earth could be "hoisted" along for the ride into space-- ...after some quick "searching" I found one interesting article from ISME (International Society of Microbial Ecology) stating that room temperature-Archaea bacteria were found to exist in clean rooms that were used to build space craft --even though standard procedures were used to sterilize the rooms and-- as well as the space craft. The article presenting this evidence was published approximately two years ago and the authors are from JPL--

The recent climatic(?) changes in the Arctic and Antarctic prompted me to think that the possibility of change on the Archaea in those regions-- since Antarctic and Arctic terrestrial models have been used to study the possibility of life in other parts of the solar system. This now presents a problem (as I see it) as to how quickly Archaea can adapt to sudden change of environment -- and its implications for the way that we may have inadvertently passed our bacteria to other parts of the Solar System.

The reference for the first article is: Christine Moissl, etal, --The ISME Journal / 2008, 2, 115- 119

Clean Room

&

A representative communication for Archaea Adaptation is from the Journal--Saline Systems / 2007, 3:6

There are five authors and the corresponding author is: Shiladitya DasSarma of University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute

Adaptation

My point is the following: (---logical but speculative)-- if it proved conclusively that Archaea can quickly adapt to climatic change-- then how likely is it that previous space craft are the "seeds" (for lack of better terminology) of methane on Mars?

or

Would anyone be aware of the existence of "changes in protocol" for the sterilization of space craft?

*********
Note to Moderators: This post is not meant to be redundant, and if it needs to be moved --- please do so at your discretion--Thanks ]]> Science and Technology jaksichj http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96683-arcahaea-removal-protocols-life-other-planets.html How run-your-car-on-water works? http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96678-how-run-your-car-water-works.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:10:47 GMT I'm curious how people can become convinced through actual experience that installing a crackpot device that purports to improve fuel mileage by "using water as fuel" actually works.

Theory 1: Could these systems improve mileage by running down the battery? Perhaps the users convince themselves the battery runs down only because they haven't perfected the installation, so they keep putting a charger on the battery overnight.

Theory 2: Could the installation of the systems cause one to do routine maintenance on the engine that would make it give better mileage for reasons that are irrelevant to the device that is installed? (Could it be something as simple as "I'd better unload those bricks out of the pickup before I start installing this thing.")

Theory 3: Do these systems require any modifications to the engine that would improve its performance for reasons that were irrelevant to installing the device? (i.e. are there changes to the engine that go beyond routine maintenance or unloading the bricks that improve its function?) ]]> Science and Technology tashirosgt http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96678-how-run-your-car-water-works.html <![CDATA[Cyclic Archeomagnetic Jerks, Volcanic Eruptions, & Solar Cycle]]> http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96560-cyclic-archeomagnetic-jerks-volcanic-eruptions-solar-cycle.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:32:34 GMT Cyclic Archeomagnetic Jerks & Volcanic Eruptions, & Solar Cycle

Recent precision paleomagnetic analysis has found evidence of cyclic abrupt changes to the geomagnetic field which correlate with volcanic eruptions in the region where the geomagnetic field inclination changes occurs. The volcanic eruptions correlate with solar magnetic cycle minimums.

This is the paper that provides evidence of multiple volcanoes with different magma chambers all erupting in a short time period and all capturing a geomagnetic excursion.

There are two anomalies. Volcanoes are fed by a magma chamber. The Auckland volcanoes in question are physically separated and hence cannot have shared the same magma chamber. There is hence no reason why the five geographically separated volcanoes would have erupted within a very short period of time.

The second anomaly is that the magma flow from the five volcanoes when it cooled captured a magnetic field excursion where the direction of the geomagnetic field suddenly changed. Cyclic magnetic field excursion is a recent discovery.

http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/200...GL027284.shtml

Quote:

Five monogenetic volcanoes within the Quaternary Auckland volcanic field are shown to have recorded a virtually identical but anomalous paleomagnetic direction (mean inclination and declination of 61.7° and 351.0°, respectively), consistent with the capture of a geomagnetic excursion. Based on documented rates of change of paleomagnetic field direction during excursions this implies that the volcanoes may have all formed within a period of only 50–100 years or less. These temporally linked volcanoes are widespread throughout the field and appear not to be structurally related. However, the general paradigm for the reawakening of monogenetic fields is that only a single new volcano or group of closely spaced vents is created, typically at intervals of several hundred years or more.

http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~rtp1/Bar...llotEPSL07.pdf

This is a paper that notes there is now evidence of 10 abrupt changes to the geomagnetic field in 5000 years. These abrupt geomagnetic field changes correlate with abrupt cooling periods on the earth.

Quote:

Also, we wish to recall that evidence of a correlation between archeomagnetic jerks and cooling events (in a region extending from the eastern North Atlantic to the Middle East) now covers a period of 5 millenia and involves 10 events (see f.i. Figure 1 of Gallet and Genevey, 2007). The climatic record uses a combination of results from Bond et al (2001), history of Swiss glaciers (Holzhauser et al, 2005) and historical accounts reviewed by Le Roy Ladurie (2004). Recent high-resolution paleomagnetic records (e.g. Snowball and Sandgren, 2004; St-Onge et al., 2003) and global geomagnetic field modeling (Korte and Constable, 2006) support the idea that part of the centennial-scale fluctuations in 14C production may have been influenced by previously unmodeled rapid dipole field variations. In any case, the relationship between climate, the Sun and the geomagnetic field could be more complex than previously imagined. And the previous points allow the possibility for some connection between the geomagnetic field and climate over these time scales.

Quote:

Point 4: We first reiterate the fact that the “claims” made in our paper regarding correlations between cooling periods and archeomagnetic jerks were actually put forward by Gallet et al (2005, 2006). We do note that the causal relationship between cosmic ray flux and cloud cover suggested by Marsh and Svensmark (2000) would result in a correlation opposite to the one we find if the field geometry were axial and dipolar and this is precisely why we propose a mechanism of dipole tilt or non dipole geometry to interpret our observations. Gallet et al (2005) write: “ Another hypothesis is to assume that the incoming charged particles are deflected towards the poles, where the overall low humidity level due to cold temperatures limits cloud formation. If archeomagnetic jerks indeed correspond to periods of strongly inclined dipole, then the charged particles would interact with more humid air from lower latitude environments, leading to significantly larger cloud production and cooling.” And if this happens, there is no need to “overcome the more direct effect", as (mis)understood by BD07 (who seem to understand that a growing axial dipole is superimposed on a tilted dipole, which is not the case).

Quote:

It is therefore not surprising that the tuned curve should reveal the link between solar activity and O18. It is moreover interesting to note that this correlation, obtained on an Alpine stalagmite, and therefore evidence of the influence of solar variability on climate, is also found in proxies from other regions around the globe: correlation between times of solar minima and cold episodes in western Europe (Magny, 1993; Holzhauser et al, 2005), modulation of precipitation in the tropics in Northern South America and Yucatan (Haug et al, 2001), in Eastern Africa (Verschuren et al, 2000), and Arabia (Neff et al, 2001); influence on droughts in North America (Yu and Ito, 1999).

This is a link to the original paper.

Are there connections between the Earth's magnetic field and climate?

http://sciences.blogs.liberation.fr/...llot07EPSL.pdf ]]> Science and Technology William http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96560-cyclic-archeomagnetic-jerks-volcanic-eruptions-solar-cycle.html What are these clouds called? http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96517-what-these-clouds-called.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:04:48 GMT What is the name of this type of cloud formation? http://www.youtube.com/user/Pugwashers#p/a/u/0/dsMrtUPi7D0 Is it common? What is the name of this type of cloud formation?
http://www.youtube.com/user/Pugwashe.../0/dsMrtUPi7D0

Is it common? ]]> Science and Technology wd40 http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96517-what-these-clouds-called.html Electrolysis of Brine http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96445-electrolysis-brine.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:16:59 GMT This is the set up One 6V battery, two electrodes dipped into water, into which sodium chloride is added. At the Cathode should I be seeing Hydrogen being given off? At the Annode should it be Oxygen or Chlorine? I am due to demonstrate this this evening and when I practiced it a few days ago, at the annode I was getting something green appearing, however in my previous attempt I had added washing up liquid / detergent. (I wanted to generate bubbles with hydrogen but it did not quite work out) I assumed I cleaned everything before the 2nd attempt, would the green stuff have been detergent or Chlorine. It only appeared at the annode. This is the set up

One 6V battery, two electrodes dipped into water, into which sodium chloride is added.

At the Cathode should I be seeing Hydrogen being given off?

At the Annode should it be Oxygen or Chlorine?

I am due to demonstrate this this evening and when I practiced it a few days ago, at the annode I was getting something green appearing, however in my previous attempt I had added washing up liquid / detergent. (I wanted to generate bubbles with hydrogen but it did not quite work out) I assumed I cleaned everything before the 2nd attempt, would the green stuff have been detergent or Chlorine. It only appeared at the annode. ]]> Science and Technology Sticks http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96445-electrolysis-brine.html New study rocks agw mainstream http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96437-new-study-rocks-agw-mainstream.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:09:05 GMT This one is going to cause much unease amongst the global warming religionists, especially considering its based on empirical evidence and not flawed climate models:

"Controversial New Climate Change Data: Is Earth's Capacity To Absorb CO2 Much Greater Than Expected?"

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1110141842.htm

Let the games begin ;-) ]]> Science and Technology Jetlack http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96437-new-study-rocks-agw-mainstream.html Recycling Lithium Batteries http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96430-recycling-lithium-batteries.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:14:30 GMT I was reading this article on a rather nasty fire at a lithium battery recycling facility in Canada, when a particular tidbit caught my eye:

Quote:

Lithium batteries from across the US and Canada, mostly from phones and laptops, are stored at the site in earth-covered bunkers chilled to -324 degrees.

(bolding mine)
Now, I know it gets cold in Canada, but it doesn't get that cold. How much energy do you suppose it takes to keep those things at such temps? What do you suppose its going to be like when most of the cars on the road are hybrids or electrics? ]]> Science and Technology Tuckerfan http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96430-recycling-lithium-batteries.html Passion Spells http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96309-passion-spells.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:17:16 GMT 'Where Does Sex Live in the Brain? From Top to Bottom.'
Discover online ]]> Science and Technology Disinfo Agent http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96309-passion-spells.html Neutered HIV Virus Delivers Treatment to Fatally Ill Boys http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96307-neutered-hiv-virus-delivers-treatment-fatally-ill-boys.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:04:40 GMT 'To help two young boys suffering from the disease, researchers tried an experimental treatment using a deactivated version of the HIV virus. The virus delivered working copies of a gene to stem cells from the patients’ bone marrows.' Discover online ]]> Science and Technology Disinfo Agent http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96307-neutered-hiv-virus-delivers-treatment-fatally-ill-boys.html Homo X - Who are we? The sheep? The shephards? Or something else? http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96262-homo-x-who-we-sheep-shephards-something-else.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:59:42 GMT In the line of "From aardvarkology to quantum physics to zymurgism," I'm curious as to what we've become. I really don't think we're "homo sapiens" anymore, as that genus contains "a highly developed brain, capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection, and problem solving. This mental capability, combined with an erect body carriage that frees the arms for manipulating objects, has allowed humans to make far greater use of tools than any other species."

Whoopie! I designed, built (from scratch) and flew rockets when I was in third grade, model airplanes when I was in fourth grade, a steam engine when I was in fifth, a Lunar Colony (didn't "fly" that one) when I was in sixth, and from thereon I seem to have somewhat, more or less, integrated with modern society.

How many of you have experienced what I have?

I completed twenty years of service in the military while doing a lot of things like BAUT on the side, and am back in school to finish credentials required by "modern society." Yet I've been asked by my instructor to teach Tues' class because he says, "You get this stuff six ways to Sunday and are far better able to explain it to the class than I am."

Poor fellow, but this is the fifth time in my masters where I'm teaching the class, not taking it!

Argh.

Hrumph!

Ah...

Whatever - if it helps the others learn this stuff, that's fine by me. My four years on BAUT are chock full of 'splaining things." Some, not so good, but I don't think anyone would argue I'm not a fast learner. There's nothing genetically inclined to knowing things. Simply a predisposition for learning.

Getting back to Homo X: I am not this guy

So who are we, BAUTer's? Homo Sapiens? Homo Internetus? Homo Neo?

Disregarding any allusions to the movie, I think the latter more accurately describes us.

Me, anyway. ]]> Science and Technology mugaliens http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96262-homo-x-who-we-sheep-shephards-something-else.html