Would it be any dangerous at all to split even one atom?

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• Would it be any dangerous at all to split even one atom?
• Can lungs be cleaned from tobacco tar?
• Can swiming in an open air pool filled with thermal spring water containing radon be dangerous to you?
• Does gravitational time dilation impact a star's lifetime?
• Why is the night sky relatively the same every night?
• [mathematics] Shouldn't any constant raised to the power of an irrational number become an irrational? Ex 5^pi. If so, why would e^(pi*i) =-1?
• Would it be possible to stop the motion of a charged particle with the use of magnets?
• How does electrolysis even work? If there are positive and negative ions inside the electrolyte (after it's disassociation) why don't they just combine with themselves?
• Why can/does China set such high interest rates?
• What is "The Blob" about?
• Why are only the off-diagonal elements of the density matrix suppressed in quantum decoherence?
• If we would build a pipe from here to the outer space and open both ends, would the air emit till theres no air left on earth?
• What makes a person's voice distinct?
• [Chemistry] Air is around 70% Nitrogen, and yet none of it affects any chemical reactions. Why?
• Why is that neurons aren't physically connected?
• When you take a drug in your dreams and actually feel the effects of the drug, what is really going on in your brain?
• Does body orientation affect how blood flows through the brain?
• If matter can't be created or destroyed, what is happening when we create anti-matter in the LHC or at Fermilab and it annihilates itself along with the equivalent matter?
• Why can't oil derricks use traditional drills?
• What causes the strange taste that occurs in the water of water bottles that were opened a few days ago?

Would it be any dangerous at all to split even one atom? Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:01 AM PST How many atoms would you have to split to for example take out everyone in a 1 meter radius? I remember a SciShow video that said something along the lines of splitting the atoms in a log would would take out a whole city, but there's billions of atoms in one. Edit: I'm aware that it's gonna be hard to calculate exactly, but is there an estimate? submitted by imanatheistsowhat [link] [20 comments]

Can lungs be cleaned from tobacco tar? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 07:56 AM PST I mean harmlessly entering some solvent into lungs and extracting it with (pardon) all the shit that was there. As far as i know organism cleans lungs by itself, but it takes much time, so I was searching for faster alternative for smokers and this seems to be the most sensible way to do it submitted by SonnyTheBro [link] [627 comments]

Can swiming in an open air pool filled with thermal spring water containing radon be dangerous to you? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 08:41 AM PST submitted by anadampapadam [link] [37 comments]

Does gravitational time dilation impact a star's lifetime? Posted: 30 Nov 2015 06:21 AM PST Does gravitational time dilation impact a star's lifetime? If so, is there a "normalized" stellar lifetime which takes this into account? What sort of observational evidence, if any any, suggests that nuclear processes in the star happen faster/slower than we would expect in the lab? submitted by mc2222 [link] [1 comment]

Why is the night sky relatively the same every night? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 06:12 PM PST As the earth orbits around the sun shouldn't the stars gradually shift across the sky? Why is it we can see the same constellations every night of the year? submitted by tfownes [link] [16 comments]

[mathematics] Shouldn't any constant raised to the power of an irrational number become an irrational? Ex 5^pi. If so, why would e^(pi*i) =-1? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 02:59 PM PST Here's my thinking. Since an irrational number can't be expressed as a/b, how can we determine any constant raised to an irrational number? x1.5 will be x3/2, or the sqrt(x3). But with an irrational number, it can't be represented that way, so how would it be computed? Sure you could cut it off at 50 decimal places but that seems rather arbitrary. There's no way you'll ever be a rational number. So into epi*i, How can it possibly equal -1 on the nose? Even expressed as a infinite sum it doesn't seem it should be rational, much less an integer. It could be -. 9999 repeating but that wouldn't be irrational. Anyway, just a bit confused hear, if anyone could explain it with intro level Calculus I would appreciate it. submitted by HypnotizedPlatypus [link] [15 comments]

Would it be possible to stop the motion of a charged particle with the use of magnets? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 09:02 PM PST What I mean is if you have 2 really strong magnets facing each other and some charged particles in the middle lined up, would it be possible to use the attraction of the magnets to stop the particles from vibrating and therefore cool them down? If the particles are trying to move to one magnet but are being pulled back by the other would this effectively stop them from vibrating? submitted by operationgoat [link] [4 comments]

How does electrolysis even work? If there are positive and negative ions inside the electrolyte (after it's disassociation) why don't they just combine with themselves? Posted: 30 Nov 2015 06:36 AM PST I'm not sure but my best guess is that the potential across both the electrodes is just more powerful than the electrostatic force. But if this is the case, then if a small enough current (smaller than whatever the electrostatic force is) is provided and an electrolyte decomposes will the ions probably associate with themselves again? submitted by zwoshed [link] [comment]

Why can/does China set such high interest rates? Posted: 30 Nov 2015 06:13 AM PST The base rate set by the PBoC is currently at 4.35% compared to the federal funds rate of 0.25% and the BoE base rate of 0.5%. Source: http://global-rates.com/interest-rates/central-banks/central-bank-china/pbc-interest-rate.aspx Why is this the case? submitted by Javids0n [link] [comment]

What is "The Blob" about? Posted: 30 Nov 2015 05:15 AM PST Link to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob_(Pacific_Ocean) Despite reading articles about it, I cannot understand what caused this to happen. All I know is that it's a warmer part of the pacific ocean. Also, I've seen this phenomenon used by people to argue that man-made climate change is a hoax. How do I explain that this probably isn't the case? EDIT: I missed out words and formatting submitted by ectoplasm99j [link] [comment]

Why are only the off-diagonal elements of the density matrix suppressed in quantum decoherence? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 08:55 PM PST My understanding of decoherence is that it's almost a direct analogue of thermodynamic mixing. When a quantum system decoheres to become classical, it's simply entangling itself with the environment in a way that destroys the relative phase information between its pure states. This loss of phase information suppresses all quantum interference terms, rendering the system effectively classical. [this is only a vague understanding on my part, so feel free to correct me if it's wrong.] The loss of phase causes an exponential suppression of the off-diagonal elements, which is why we don't observe non-classical interference terms like "alive cat + dead cat". My question is: why are only the off-diagonal terms suppressed? What's special about the clasically-allowable diagonal elements? I'm not an expert, so please try to keep your answer as intuitive as possible (semi-technical is fine - I have a lazy undergraduate's understanding). submitted by suicide_ballmer [link] [1 comment]

If we would build a pipe from here to the outer space and open both ends, would the air emit till theres no air left on earth? Posted: 30 Nov 2015 03:57 AM PST you know like it's the case with a balloon sry for my english submitted by gunther1992 [link] [15 comments]

What makes a person's voice distinct? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 05:40 AM PST submitted by Verebes [link] [13 comments]

[Chemistry] Air is around 70% Nitrogen, and yet none of it affects any chemical reactions. Why? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 03:06 PM PST submitted by blueredscreen [link] [14 comments]

Why is that neurons aren't physically connected? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 07:18 AM PST I know about synapses and neurotransmitters, but why aren't the neurons actually physically connected? Wouldn't it make impulse movement faster? I admit it might, possibly, stop neurons from connecting to more than one or two, but still, why? submitted by Skywarrior198 [link] [14 comments]

When you take a drug in your dreams and actually feel the effects of the drug, what is really going on in your brain? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 11:39 AM PST submitted by davish1 [link] [4 comments]

Does body orientation affect how blood flows through the brain? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 08:43 AM PST For example, if I am lying on my right side, will the right half of my brain receive more blood flow. If so, does this result in any cognitive changes? submitted by alanslickman [link] [7 comments]

If matter can't be created or destroyed, what is happening when we create anti-matter in the LHC or at Fermilab and it annihilates itself along with the equivalent matter? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 03:57 PM PST Because wouldn't that violate the law of conservation of matter? It seems counter intuitive to me unless something else hppens when anti-matter and matter come into contact. submitted by mss456 [link] [19 comments]

Why can't oil derricks use traditional drills? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST submitted by craftycommando [link] [5 comments]

What causes the strange taste that occurs in the water of water bottles that were opened a few days ago? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 06:49 AM PST Whenever I forget to finish a water bottle and instead leave it around the house for a few days, I can always tell the difference between it and a newly opened bottle by the distinctive taste. It's hard to place, but I would call it a slightly rubbery aftertaste. What causes this? submitted by mayyounot [link] [8 comments]

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Can you orbit a torus by moving in a figure-eight, through the center?

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• Can you orbit a torus by moving in a figure-eight, through the center?
• How is zero resistance possible? Won't the electrons hit the nucleus of the atoms?
• Is there a fundamental constant that all other constants are based on?
• Why are paranoid thoughts so common with schizophrenia?
• Where is the warmest place in the known universe?
• Why does multiplying width by height yield area?
• How is having such dependent offspring selectively advantageous for humans?
• What exactly is the sine function? What does it do to the number in the brackets?
• Implicit Egotism: Does your name affect your personality?
• How accurately can we measure gravity, and do the formula we use to make the calculations take into account the effects of space/time expansion on its accuracy?
• How do black holes move?
• If gravitational force increases as two objects move closer to each other, why is there such a thing as terminal velocity?
• Why do patients with cochlear implant positioners become more susceptible to meningitis than those without implanted positioners?
• Effects of glyphosate on rhizosphere?
• Does music affect brain development?
• Why is it easier to remember a song than it is to remember the same lyrics without music?
• Coming from an audio background, is there something similar to upper partials in light waves?

Can you orbit a torus by moving in a figure-eight, through the center? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 10:31 PM PST Two lobes of a figure 8, each encircling one side of the torus. Can this orbit exist? Of course a torus would never naturally form, but let's just ignore that bit :) submitted by WaitForItTheMongols [link] [5 comments]

How is zero resistance possible? Won't the electrons hit the nucleus of the atoms? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 04:16 AM PST submitted by ben3128 [link] [3 comments]

Is there a fundamental constant that all other constants are based on? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 05:46 AM PST I'm curious to know if there is one single constant that all other constants can really be derived from. A) If so, is that constant always the same no matter what? For example, if it is measured in a vacuum vs. in a black hole. B) If no, how many basic constants are there? And why is it that we cannot derive one constant from another? submitted by FreudianSocialist [link] [5 comments]

Why are paranoid thoughts so common with schizophrenia? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 04:14 PM PST submitted by bluntedtoday [link] [12 comments]

Where is the warmest place in the known universe? Posted: 29 Nov 2015 06:42 AM PST submitted by JBain94 [link] [1 comment]

Why does multiplying width by height yield area? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 10:53 PM PST I've taken linear algebra but I don't think I understand this. It's a completely serious question. edit: should have specified which shape I'm talking about (rectangle) submitted by stir_fry [link] [8 comments]

How is having such dependent offspring selectively advantageous for humans? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 07:45 AM PST submitted by Cassanitiaj [link] [8 comments]

What exactly is the sine function? What does it do to the number in the brackets? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 12:34 PM PST I understand that a sine wave represents the relationship between the Cartesian coordinates of a point on a circle's edge, and the angle of the point. I know that, by combining a sine and cosine wave, you can draw a circle. I know the whole reason the sine wave is shaped that way is because a circular curve first drops slowly at the top of the circle, then very steeply, then slowly again. And from what I understand; in maths and programming, a function is just a set of instructions. It's short-hand for a list of operations to be performed on whatever you put in the brackets. What are these instructions for the sine function? Is it complicated? I suspect it somehow involves Pi or e or some other crazy number. Or - on a computer - does the sine function actually just reference a pre-made curve of data representing a sine wave? submitted by Ultermarto [link] [31 comments]

Implicit Egotism: Does your name affect your personality? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 07:15 AM PST i.e. Your name is Crystal and you have chosen to live in California, or David in Denver. Dennis the dentist? submitted by acbru [link] [8 comments]

How accurately can we measure gravity, and do the formula we use to make the calculations take into account the effects of space/time expansion on its accuracy? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 11:41 PM PST submitted by Karmaa [link] [1 comment]

How do black holes move? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 11:03 PM PST A thought occurred to me as I was up having insomnia. I watched probably cosmos, and he said something along the lines of "adromeda is moving closer to us and by the year 6 billion, the two black holes in the center of both galaxies will collide, and anything that was living will die." So if the galaxy moves, the black hole moves, and it's not just the universe expanding, or else adromeda wouldn't collide with the milky way. So they do move, but how? submitted by whynotethan [link] [3 comments]

If gravitational force increases as two objects move closer to each other, why is there such a thing as terminal velocity? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 08:32 PM PST Wouldn't a person in free fall continue to accelerate after they reached terminal velocity? Or is it that that they do continue to accelerate, but it is so small that it is ignored? submitted by Punkseidon [link] [4 comments]

Why do patients with cochlear implant positioners become more susceptible to meningitis than those without implanted positioners? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 04:29 PM PST submitted by msblankenship [link] [1 comment]

Effects of glyphosate on rhizosphere? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 07:38 AM PST I recently got into an argument where I was defending GMO's, and while following up with evidence and sources, I thought to myself - since anti-GMO arguments tend to feed a lot on pathos than reality - what actual empirical evidence does the anti-GMO crowd have to draw on? In the process, I came across this NYT article from 2013 about the detrimental effects of glyphosate on soil (and yes, I know that GMO != glyphosate), which draws its empirical evidence largely entirely from Robert Kremer's work on glyphosate. His paper Glyphosate and glyphosate-resistant crop interactions with rhizosphere microorganisms seems to capture the substance of his work well: Current crop production relies heavily on transgenic, glyphosate-resistant (GR) cultivars. Widespread cultivation of transgenic crops has received considerable attention. Impacts of glyphosate on rhizosphere microorganisms and activities are reviewed based on published and new data from long-term field projects documenting effects of glyphosate applied to GR soybean and maize. Field studies conducted in Missouri, U.S.A. during 1997–2007 assessed effects of glyphosate applied to GR soybean and maize on root colonization and soil populations of Fusarium and selected rhizosphere bacteria. Frequency of root-colonizing Fusarium increased significantly after glyphosate application during growing seasons in each year at all sites. Roots of GR soybean and maize treated with glyphosate were heavily colonized by Fusarium compared to non-GR or GR cultivars not treated with glyphosate. Microbial groups and functions affected by glyphosate included Mn transformation and plant availability; phytopathogen–antagonistic bacterial interactions; and reduction in nodulation. Root-exuded glyphosate may serve as a nutrient source for fungi and stimulate propagule germination. The specific microbial indicator groups and processes were sensitive to impacts of GR crops and are part of an evolving framework in developing polyphasic microbial analyses for complete assessment of GR technology that is more reliable than single techniques or general microbial assays. Wikipedia seems to describe Fusarium as a benign, commonplace fungus (and of course, too much of something can still be a bad thing; also, it was a strain of Fusarium that almost wiped out bananas in the 1800's, if I'm not mistaken), and the paper's introduction notes increased susceptibility to Phytophtora, which Wikipedia tells me is significantly more dangerous, but honestly, if I've learned anything during my time at university so far, it's that if I have to Wikipedia stuff even just once while reading a paper, then I don't know enough to fully understand it. Moreover, I couldn't really find anything responding to Kremer's work (the USDA work referenced in the NYT article sort of sidesteps the issue - understandable given the sizeable literature). Hence my question: how significant are these findings, really? Is glyphosate actually as threatening of an ecological risk as Kremer make it out to be, and how much actual support does his work offer to anti-GMO activists? submitted by joatmon-snoo [link] [6 comments]

Does music affect brain development? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 04:46 AM PST I've heard of this claim before, especially in regards to classical music and childhood. Is there any truth to it? Does it vary by genre of music listened? Does it affect children and adults differently? submitted by PashaOG [link] [1 comment]

Why is it easier to remember a song than it is to remember the same lyrics without music? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 04:22 AM PST I was in the car listening to a song on the radio I hadn't heard in a year or so, and realised how easy it was for me to recollect the lyrics despite never explicitly learning any of them. I mean, learning the melody and rhythm of the music should make it more difficult, since you're learning two things (music and lyrics) instead of just one (lyrics only). So why is it easier to remember and recollect something as a song? submitted by TheTimeNomad [link] [3 comments]

Coming from an audio background, is there something similar to upper partials in light waves? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 05:04 AM PST submitted by lehmannmusic [link] [7 comments]

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Does a handicapped caterpillar turn into a handicapped butterfly?

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• Does a handicapped caterpillar turn into a handicapped butterfly?
• Why do wind turbines only have 3 blades?
• Why does anxiety often manifest in minor self-destructive behavior?
• Why do whales die when they're beached too long? What is it that kills them?
• Couldn't we use CRISPR to remove the gene for resistance to an antibiotic in conjunction with that antibiotic?
• Is an air conditioner (Peltier cooler) that faces outside, more efficient at heating a home than a regular electrical heater?
• How do scientists "control" variables like age, marital status and gender when they analyse their data?
• Do lakes that are fed at one end and drained at the other end (like the Great Lakes) have a slope to their surface?
• How does one define a staight line?
• What is the Riemann Zeta Function, and what's the point of it?
• How come wet clothing dries pretty quickly, but water in a cup doesn't just evaporate away?
• Why is habituation and homeostasis an almost universal aspect of biological systems? Is there an overarching physical property that leads to this?
• How do armadillos transmit leprosy to humans?
• Is earth's electric potential growing or decreasing?
• How is ounce (oz), a unit of mass, sometimes converted freely to volume?
• What happened to FTL neutrinos? Was that discounted or is it just accepted now that E doesn't = MC^2 all the time?
• What are these weird byproducts of electolysis?

Does a handicapped caterpillar turn into a handicapped butterfly? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 09:57 AM PST For example: when a caterpillar drops and damages one of it's legs, does the damage carries on to the butterfly's leg? submitted by Odneen [link] [521 comments]

Why do wind turbines only have 3 blades? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 06:23 AM PST It seems to me that if they had 4 or maybe more, then they could harness more energy from the wind and thus generate more electricity. Clearly not though, so I wonder why? submitted by Actionmaths [link] [23 comments]

Why does anxiety often manifest in minor self-destructive behavior? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 08:16 PM PST For example: Nail biting, plucking hairs, peeling lips with teeth, picking at scabs, scratching raw, etc. submitted by DFAnton [link] [10 comments]

Why do whales die when they're beached too long? What is it that kills them? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 06:44 AM PST I have always wondered this. Edit: Thank you for your responses, everyone! submitted by zeus_poops_shoes [link] [204 comments]

Couldn't we use CRISPR to remove the gene for resistance to an antibiotic in conjunction with that antibiotic? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 12:33 PM PST In light of the final antibiotic having resistant bacteria emerging, could we use CRISPR as a last ditch effort to save someone? If we removed the gene that caused resistance and then used the antibiotic would the antibiotic be able to kill the bacteria? Is anyone trying something like this on animals, or is it just a silly idea for some reason that I wouldn't be able to think of? submitted by Mc3lnosher [link] [28 comments]

Is an air conditioner (Peltier cooler) that faces outside, more efficient at heating a home than a regular electrical heater? Posted: 28 Nov 2015 03:43 AM PST Since the cold part is vented outside (and we don't care about how cold the outside gets), would conservation of energy mean that we've generated more thermal energy inside the home? Compared to an electric heater that is just converting 100% into thermal energy? submitted by thedailynathan [link] [2 comments]

How do scientists "control" variables like age, marital status and gender when they analyse their data? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 08:45 AM PST It occurred to me while reading a paper that I have no idea how this is actually done in practice and how effective these measures are at helping researchers come to more useful conclusions. Any info appreciated. submitted by Fa6ade [link] [12 comments]

Do lakes that are fed at one end and drained at the other end (like the Great Lakes) have a slope to their surface? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 07:40 PM PST I'm thinking about a lake like Lake Erie. Is the elevation of the water at the western Ohio end substantially higher than the elevation of the water at the eastern New York end? submitted by dragnabbit [link] [28 comments]

How does one define a staight line? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 07:12 AM PST I was taught that the definition of a straight line is the shortest distance between two points. What happens if these points are infinitely far apart? I assume that this is basically some kind of phallacy/ paradox type thing but yeah, lemme know please! submitted by DoctorJinxx [link] [36 comments]

What is the Riemann Zeta Function, and what's the point of it? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 06:18 PM PST I've read into this thing via wikipedia and wolfram mathematica, and I still have no idea what it's trying to do. submitted by VoidApocalypse [link] [3 comments]

How come wet clothing dries pretty quickly, but water in a cup doesn't just evaporate away? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 10:23 AM PST Say you spill an entire cup of water on your shirt. That will dry up relatively quickly (say, a few hours or so). But if instead you just leave that cup of water sitting open, the water won't evaporate in even many days. Why? submitted by Justathrowaway646465 [link] [13 comments]

Why is habituation and homeostasis an almost universal aspect of biological systems? Is there an overarching physical property that leads to this? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 07:55 PM PST submitted by dopadelic [link] [2 comments]

How do armadillos transmit leprosy to humans? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 10:46 AM PST Are Armadillos the only animal carriers of leprosy or are they the only animals that can give leprosy to humans? If so, why only armadillos? Read somewhere that they enable the infection to survive in the due to their lower body temperatures. However I don't understand how or why only armadillos can give the infection to humans. submitted by trunkasaurus [link] [3 comments]

Is earth's electric potential growing or decreasing? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 07:32 AM PST So I've learned recently that V = q/C Now, I understand that when you ground something because the huge difference in capacity all of the charges will pass down to earth. When you ground something earth's potential doesn't really change because everything you ground is just a part of earth. However, considering earth is not a closed environment and interacts with solar storms, asteroids and other outside effects, is it's electric potential growing or decreasing? submitted by 1foxman1 [link] [4 comments]

How is ounce (oz), a unit of mass, sometimes converted freely to volume? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 07:42 PM PST Example, you have 24 oz cups, and such. I understand that if you know the density of said liquid, you can use that to convert the said mass to volume. however, they convert freely using soda in said cup to volume. so here im assuming that the assumption is made that the density of soda is the same to water (which is probably close enough) however, isnt it still wrong to use this general measurement for cup sizes seeing has how other liquids can be put in it? submitted by askingscience1 [link] [10 comments]

What happened to FTL neutrinos? Was that discounted or is it just accepted now that E doesn't = MC^2 all the time? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 07:21 PM PST This 5 year old article got me wondering if I was just out of the loop? submitted by threenager [link] [27 comments]

What are these weird byproducts of electolysis? Posted: 27 Nov 2015 08:47 AM PST I dissolved salt into some water, connected 3 9-volt batteries to some copper wire and collected the hydrogen in a shot glass. But the water began to smell like a pool(chlorine) and there was teal sludge an red stuff too. What is that stuff? here is a pic: https://imgur.com/KFeGHo1 submitted by biguardian [link] [9 comments]

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