How do large, triple parachutes like those used on Apollo capsules seem to automatically maintain separation from each other at a rather steep angle?

---

• How do large, triple parachutes like those used on Apollo capsules seem to automatically maintain separation from each other at a rather steep angle?
• Why is it such an important thing to bring back the first stage of a rocket?
• Could multiple Earth-like planets form in the same band of a habitable zone?
• Is reading webpages on the internet any less beneficial than reading books?
• Is there a limit on how much light can go through a point?
• Is it legal/valid to assign variables to infinite sums?
• How does spatial expansion cause photons to "lose" energy i.e. redshift?
• If two particles are entangled and one is shot into a black hole while the other is on Earth, what will happen?
• How is spaceX different than what blue origin did a couple months ago?
• If aluminium has no fatigue limit, why are flexible shaft couplings often made from it?
• Can someone please explain exactly what happens to virtual particles when they spontaneously come into existence near the event horizon of a black hole?
• What exactly are virtual particles? For example, a Weyl Fermion is apparently exciting for semiconductor applications, but what properties does it have that make it so?
• Why do you hallucinate when you stay awake too long?
• Why do we 'never forget how to ride a bike'?
• How long does it take before a monitor displays an image after your computer receives the signal?
• Other than having the word 'plasma' in them, and therein functioning by way of achieving a plasma state [or so I gather], how similar are a plasma trash converter to a plasma rocket? If at all?
• Is norepinephrine/noradrenaline an antagonist of GABA?
• How did we know about human reproduction before modern medical science?
• Can you help me understand Edwin Hubble's observations ?
• When light disperses through a prism, does every possible perceptible color come out the other side?
• Gravity is said to be repulsive at very very large distances (dark energy). Is this force still mediated by the graviton?

How do large, triple parachutes like those used on Apollo capsules seem to automatically maintain separation from each other at a rather steep angle? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 06:19 PM PST Here is an example from a recent SpaceX test. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_FXVjf46T8 Why don't the parachutes collapse into each other? submitted by it_happened_here [link] [75 comments]

Why is it such an important thing to bring back the first stage of a rocket? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 07:54 PM PST submitted by PirateLeChuck [link] [177 comments]

Could multiple Earth-like planets form in the same band of a habitable zone? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 07:59 PM PST Could Mars have turned out nearly exactly like Earth? Basically what would answer my root question is "How many Earth like planets could be crammed into a single habitable zone?" submitted by TheBeckofKevin [link] [17 comments]

Is reading webpages on the internet any less beneficial than reading books? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:13 PM PST We always hear about the mental benefits of reading books. However, I always hear that the web, and more specifically reddit are a black hole of time wasting and are valueless. Can any of you give me insight as to why/why not reading educational information on the internet is different than books? I'm talking about actual educational posts, not photos of cats. Thank you in advance. submitted by Trapsterz [link] [24 comments]

Is there a limit on how much light can go through a point? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 11:50 AM PST Imagine an array of (many) lasers in perfect vacuum, all aiming to a certain point in this imaginary universe. All light from all lasers is travelling through the singular point (in different directions). Will light affect other light or just pass through it? Is there a limit on how much light (or rather energy) can pass through a single point? submitted by o40 [link] [36 comments]

Is it legal/valid to assign variables to infinite sums? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 05:38 PM PST My dad who studied math involving infinity in college claims that you can't go assigning infinite sums to variables willy nilly, for example saying g = the sum to infinity of 1-1+1-1+1-1... is illegal, as the sum doesn't converge. Have maths changed since the time of his studies (~30 years ago)? Has his mind ripened, so he's plain wrong? Where is the line drawn to where you can assign sums to variables? submitted by Swimguy72125 [link] [20 comments]

How does spatial expansion cause photons to "lose" energy i.e. redshift? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 09:11 PM PST My naive understanding: A photon is a an excitation in the EM field. So when space expands all its consituent fields expand, and this causes an excitation to be diffused over a larger area of the field. Ergo the wavelength is longer. But wavelength defines a photon's energy, so where did that energy go? Doesn't that violate the conservation of energy? Why doesn't that cause electrons to redshift (or does it?), what about if the electron is trapped orbiting an atom - wouldn't it lose energy from the expansion of space? submitted by charlesbukowksi [link] [9 comments]

If two particles are entangled and one is shot into a black hole while the other is on Earth, what will happen? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 11:51 PM PST submitted by ashittyphotoappeared [link] [1 comment]

How is spaceX different than what blue origin did a couple months ago? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:43 PM PST submitted by JammmJam [link] [4 comments]

If aluminium has no fatigue limit, why are flexible shaft couplings often made from it? Posted: 22 Dec 2015 05:29 AM PST If I understood correctly, aluminium is bound to fail after a high enough number of cycles, unlike for instance steel, which can take small loads indefinitely. Then why is it that a huge amount of flexible shaft couplings seems to be made from aluminium, which would seem to be a horrible material for this application? submitted by dale_glass [link] [1 comment]

Can someone please explain exactly what happens to virtual particles when they spontaneously come into existence near the event horizon of a black hole? Posted: 22 Dec 2015 12:07 AM PST submitted by _spoderman_ [link] [5 comments]

What exactly are virtual particles? For example, a Weyl Fermion is apparently exciting for semiconductor applications, but what properties does it have that make it so? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 05:50 PM PST submitted by Chronum [link] [1 comment]

Why do you hallucinate when you stay awake too long? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 06:59 AM PST submitted by Donutkiller89 [link] [14 comments]

Why do we 'never forget how to ride a bike'? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:31 AM PST It's a very common saying and as someone who only cycles very rarely, I have found it to be true. I have picked up a cricket bat after many years and found that I'd basically lost the ability to play, even though I was decent enough as a teenager. What is it about the motor skills to ride a bike that means we don't (seem to) forget it. Thanks scientists. submitted by MatrimPaendrag [link] [10 comments]

How long does it take before a monitor displays an image after your computer receives the signal? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 07:46 PM PST I'm a gamer, and I know there is a good amount of variation in processing time for video cards. I tried to search for any information about this, but I can't find anything. An example may help to clarify my question. I'm playing a video game, and move around. How long does it take between me sending a signal to change a view before I visually see the change? (Let's assume I have a mid-uppermid grade gaming PC) I'm sure the value is very small, but what sort of range am I looking at in ms? submitted by MrMcMoo [link] [3 comments]

Other than having the word 'plasma' in them, and therein functioning by way of achieving a plasma state [or so I gather], how similar are a plasma trash converter to a plasma rocket? If at all? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:05 PM PST I am specifically thinking of the VASIMR rocket and the sort of plasma trash converters discussed here. I am completely unversed in all of this as you can probably tell. Recently, by chance, I ended up reading about both technologies at the same time almost. Thus the question: are they related somehow? How similar are the processes behind them? Would we be turning waste into energy in the future using rocket science? Thanks a bunch for info, links, and patience. submitted by liaquat [link] [2 comments]

Is norepinephrine/noradrenaline an antagonist of GABA? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 06:15 PM PST Sorry if this is a stupid question. submitted by somekiryu [link] [3 comments]

How did we know about human reproduction before modern medical science? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:10 AM PST Today we think it is "obvious" that sex leads to the possibility of pregnancy. But how did for example people in the middle age knew that sex led to pregnancy? How did people even know that there is such a concept as fatherhood? I mean they could have believe that staying in the same room for a long time or that marriage leads to pregnancy how did the connection between sex and pregnancy happen before science? Because it's only a possibility to get pregnant it must have been much harder "to know". submitted by pseudopseudopseudo [link] [9 comments]

Can you help me understand Edwin Hubble's observations ? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:46 AM PST I have been reading one of Edwin Hubble's original papers regarding 'A RELATION BETWEEN DISTANCE AND RADIAL VELOCITY AMONG EXTRA-GALACTIC NEBULAE' that is given here: http://apod.nasa.gov/diamond_jubilee/d_1996/hub_1929.html Looking at TABLE 1, column r Column r (in the table key) is defined in units of 106 parsecs. Does this mean, for example, that line NGC 1068 listed with a value of 1.0 is 106 parsecs distant ? Also, I am assuming that the first and second lines in the table are referring to the The Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud respectively. Is that correct ? Thanks for any help you can offer. submitted by rbrinko [link] [2 comments]

When light disperses through a prism, does every possible perceptible color come out the other side? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 11:33 AM PST I suspect the answer is "yes," but it was a question to which I could not find an easy answer. The question occurred to me when I was at a hardware store browsing the paint aisle, noticing all of the subtle gradations and color combinations. I wondered if when a light passes through a prism and onto a white surface if every possible combination of colors comes out the other side, or if that was not the case due to how light's visible wavelengths refract in a prism, or possibly minute imperfections of the crystal prism medium (ie. at the molecular level is not a perfect medium to catch some of the subtleties the human eye could otherwise observe). submitted by Plexipus [link] [14 comments]

Gravity is said to be repulsive at very very large distances (dark energy). Is this force still mediated by the graviton? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 05:51 PM PST I'm curious how a particle like the graviton can act as a polar opposite simply due to distance. Is there any other analog in the particle kingdom? Edit: I'm not making this up. Some discussion on "repulsive" gravity at large distances. Have read the concept elsewhere on Reddit, too. submitted by BinaryHelix [link] [5 comments]

You are subscribed to email updates from AskScience: Got Questions? Get Answers.. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States