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

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• 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]

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AskScience AMA series: I'm Lee Feinberg, Optical Telescope Element Manager for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope; we're installing the primary mirror on the Space Telescope, AMA!

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• AskScience AMA series: I'm Lee Feinberg, Optical Telescope Element Manager for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope; we're installing the primary mirror on the Space Telescope, AMA!
• Can someone explain how this Chimp can do this?
• If I accelerate and collect some particles produced by Unruh radiation in a jar. If I go to a friend who didn't accelerate and open the jar, what will we see?
• How do we explain the possibility of 'jets' being emitted from active galaxy nuclei?
• Why doesn't the chlorine in swimming pools form hydrochloric acid?
• Practical to reduce A/C load on engine by changing pulley sizes?
• When the surface of a body of water freezes, what is preventing the water beneath the ice from freezing too?
• When a virtual particle disappears from existence what is the "empty space" it leaves?
• How do white colored LEDs work?
• Has all of the earth's land been discovered?
• If I fall asleep while listening to music, does my brain still process what it is hearing?
• How does a blind persons internal clock work?
• When the big bang happened, why didn't the Universe collapse into a blackhole?
• is there a scientific way to explain getting a song stuck in your head?
• Why doesn't lightning travel in a straight line?
• If the brain constantly deletes memories to make room for new ones, how does the brain know which ones to delete and which ones to keep?
• why are objects in mirror closer than they appear?
• Why do sport/track records improve steadily over time? The record for the 100m men's was 10.6s back in 1912 a whole second short of Usain's 9.58s.
• Why can water pass a reverse osmosis membrane, while salt ions cannot?
• Why is the Africa's east coast so arid, even at the equator?
• What do people mean when they say that bird bones are hollow?
• What are the actual implications of quantum mechanics and relativity being incompatible?

AskScience AMA series: I'm Lee Feinberg, Optical Telescope Element Manager for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope; we're installing the primary mirror on the Space Telescope, AMA! Posted: 21 Dec 2015 05:31 AM PST We're in the midst of assembling the massive primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope (which is comprised of 18 gold-coated segments) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. JWST is an engineering challenge, and when complete, this cutting-edge space telescope will be a giant leap forward in our quest to understand the Universe and our origins. It will examine every phase of cosmic history: from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang; to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets; to the evolution of our own solar system. As the Optical Telescope Element Manager, I would be happy to answer questions about the construction of this telescope. For more information, visit our website I will be back at 2 pm EST(11 am PST, 7 pm UTC) to answer your questions, ask me anything! submitted by NASAWebbTelescope [link] [61 comments]

Can someone explain how this Chimp can do this? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:05 AM PST This question is in refrence to this short video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkNV0rSndJ0 I'm just wondering does this chimp have a sort of "photographic memory" or can just complete this task better than the majority of mankind because of something else? submitted by -Zasquach- [link] [12 comments]

If I accelerate and collect some particles produced by Unruh radiation in a jar. If I go to a friend who didn't accelerate and open the jar, what will we see? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:47 AM PST Let me elaborate on this thought experiment. So, I have a friend in an inertial frame of reference watching my every move with cameras and telescopes. I accellerate till I notice Unruh radiation, let's say I accelerate hard enough to see electrons and positrons. I open up a jar and collect some electrons in it. In the meantime, my friend has seen every action, but sees no Unruh radiation. He just sees me waving around with my jar in the vacuum. But then I slow down and head back to him in his inertial frame of reference and show him the jar. He knows the jar is empty, because he has seen me put nothing but a vacuum in them. I know there are electrons in the jar, because I've put them in myself. What would we see if we open the jar? Is it empty? or not? If there are electrons, how did they emerge in my friends point of view? If there are no electrons, where are they now? And what about conservation of charge? submitted by Pieredebeeste [link] [4 comments]

How do we explain the possibility of 'jets' being emitted from active galaxy nuclei? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:31 AM PST From what I understand, we have observed jets of matter and energy being spewn out from active galaxy nuclei which are essentially, correct me if I'm wrong; supermassive black holes. Now, how do we explain the existence of these jets? I mean, how can matter and energy that has already crossed the event horizon be propelled out again? Thanks in advance! submitted by Quothe_ [link] [3 comments]

Why doesn't the chlorine in swimming pools form hydrochloric acid? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 01:51 PM PST I was looking at this infographic, which states that chlorine gas combines with water in the lungs to form hydrochloric acid. Why doesn't chlorine do the same thing with water in swimming pools? Sorry if this is a noob chemistry question, but chemistry is not my field of study. If I had to guess, I'd say it had something to do with the fact that it would be water vapor and chlorine gas which combine, as opposed to liquid (??) chlorine and liquid water- meaning that it'd require more energy (?) to combine than the gases would. But that's just a guess. submitted by Devonmartino [link] [31 comments]

Practical to reduce A/C load on engine by changing pulley sizes? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:34 AM PST I have a old Opel Astra 1400 '96 with an after market A/C. It puts so much load on the (small) engine that I basically cannot use it, unless I'm going downhill. I'm considering changing the engine pulley on the A/C drive belt to a 50% larger pulley size, to reduce the drag on the engine. I know this would be at the expense of less effective cooling, but it's either that or nothing. Will this reduce the effectiveness to much? Or have other practical downsides? submitted by GrowRoot [link] [2 comments]

When the surface of a body of water freezes, what is preventing the water beneath the ice from freezing too? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 07:15 PM PST submitted by jwoffor2 [link] [7 comments]

When a virtual particle disappears from existence what is the "empty space" it leaves? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:42 AM PST submitted by ExtrahCrispy [link] [2 comments]

How do white colored LEDs work? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 07:42 PM PST Isn't white light a compendium of many various colors of light? How does the LED express this? Aren't LEDs only capable of producing light of a single wavelength? submitted by GoesTo_Equilibrium [link] [9 comments]

Has all of the earth's land been discovered? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 08:44 PM PST With the vast oceans and cartography been around since people could make them, have all lands been discovered and charted? Could there be a biome in the middle of nowhere with prehistoric plants/animals? submitted by shortcake517 [link] [3 comments]

If I fall asleep while listening to music, does my brain still process what it is hearing? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 09:03 PM PST submitted by Su_mee [link] [3 comments]

How does a blind persons internal clock work? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 07:10 PM PST Since our clock is based on light and whether or not its present, how would a blind person regulate their sleep pattern? submitted by Xyphles [link] [1 comment]

When the big bang happened, why didn't the Universe collapse into a blackhole? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 08:42 PM PST Ok, so from my understanding black holes can be created when by extreme density. When the Universe started all the matter and energy was packed into a very small space, and, I assume, would be extremely dense. So why didn't it happen? submitted by LegalizeGayMarajuana [link] [5 comments]

is there a scientific way to explain getting a song stuck in your head? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 10:53 PM PST submitted by Manderami [link] [2 comments]

Why doesn't lightning travel in a straight line? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 07:56 PM PST If lightning, and all electric arcs for that matter, are traveling the most efficient route from point a to point b, then why doesn't it just take a straight line rather than all of those jagged curves? I never really understood it. submitted by AllTheMegahertz [link] [4 comments]

If the brain constantly deletes memories to make room for new ones, how does the brain know which ones to delete and which ones to keep? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 08:17 PM PST submitted by 22950013092705 [link] [3 comments]

why are objects in mirror closer than they appear? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 10:25 PM PST is this true with all mirrors or only certain ones? submitted by nickrenfo2 [link] [2 comments]

Why do sport/track records improve steadily over time? The record for the 100m men's was 10.6s back in 1912 a whole second short of Usain's 9.58s. Posted: 20 Dec 2015 05:36 PM PST Are there any concrete scientific findings that reveal what factors contribute the most to this trend? I was thinking it could possibly be due to a combination of better nutrition, better instrumentation for more precise times/measurements, better equipment/training methods, and enhancement drugs. Is there a theoretical limit to what humans can achieve without artificial enhancements? submitted by ShynobiPwnz [link] [10 comments]

Why can water pass a reverse osmosis membrane, while salt ions cannot? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 08:38 PM PST This question is triggered by a late-night discussion I had with someone regarding the workings of a filter or membrane as is used in reverse osmosis, specifically in the (perhaps hypothetical) case of removing sodium chloride from saline. One of the key-points we disagreed on is whether a sodium ion is smaller than a water molecule in size. I figured they were, he figured they weren't. Based on the information I found, a sodium ion is indeed smaller than a water molecule, but feel free to correct me. But now the question remains: how does a reverse osmosis filter work? Information I found online seems to only state water can pass through it, while ions cannot, without mentioning why. Is it because the sodium ion and chloride ion both have to pass the membrane (eventhough I'm seeing a lower radius for chloride ions too)? Or perhaps the charge of the water molecule versus the ions results in a different effective radius? I'd be glad to hear your take on this. Thanks in advance! submitted by droefkalkoen [link] [2 comments]

Why is the Africa's east coast so arid, even at the equator? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 02:11 PM PST I am aware of why deserts form at certain latitudes and why they generally form on the west coasts of continents, but I cannot figure out why Africa's east coast is a desert at the equator, such as in Somalia. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks! Edit: Sorry for the title gore, I didn't realize until after I had posted. submitted by Cntread [link] [2 comments]

What do people mean when they say that bird bones are hollow? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 02:15 PM PST What do people mean when they say "bird bones are hollow?" Surely they aren't full of air, right? But then what are they filled with that still classifies them as hollow? Google shows some pictures of them that have a weird web structure inside, but they are mostly photos of the bone after it is removed, so I'm not sure what the bones are like when they're still inside the animal. submitted by Exnur0 [link] [7 comments]

What are the actual implications of quantum mechanics and relativity being incompatible? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 03:50 PM PST I have very limited knowledge of both subjects, but I just started looking into this, and it seems like it ought to be a pretty enormous problem. Doesn't it mean that one or both of our fundamental ways of understanding the universe must be to a large degree incorrect? Do proponents of each theory disagree with eachother entirely? Is it at all possible that entire modern scientific fields are completely or to a large degree incorrect? submitted by MalvolioTheMisguided [link] [6 comments]

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Is matter that is absorbed by a black hole trapped forever? Can it ever escape or be recovered?

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• Is matter that is absorbed by a black hole trapped forever? Can it ever escape or be recovered?
• Does one experience "lag time" when viewing a black hole?
• Is it possible to calculate the speed of the engine components themselves ie pistons in kph/mph?
• Why isn't there only iron? Why don't smaller atoms just fuse to "improve" their energetic states?
• When a wheel or anything circular spins really fast, why does it sometimes look like its spinning backwards and then spin forwards again?
• Why does rock salt help with thawing sidewalks, yet it's used in ice cream makers to make the ice cream even colder?
• Could something as large as a planet, say Mars, spin quickly enough to simulate Earth's gravity?
• [Particle/Quantum Physics] What is symmetry in quantum fields, and how and why is weak interaction tied to the Higgs field?
• How did scientists come up with the mechanisms inside inkjet and laser printers?
• What happens in our brain when making choices/react to something ?
• Why does glass/crystal resonate or "ping" when struck while plastic does not?
• How is my work radio/walkie talkie blockout a real radio's broadcast signal? (more explanation in comments)
• Is there a link between an object's color and its thermal radiation?
• Does chamomile actually have any medical properties or is it just a "trendy" thing to put in supplements?
• So it seems that 5,500,000 years ago, the Mediterranean basin was invaded by the Atlantic; how would ocean life have expanded into and adapted to the previously-not-underwater environment?

Is matter that is absorbed by a black hole trapped forever? Can it ever escape or be recovered? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 09:30 AM PST submitted by cantchangeits [link] [25 comments]

Does one experience "lag time" when viewing a black hole? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 07:22 AM PST I just watched In a nutshell. I can't stop thinking about what two people would experience when A watches B enter a black hole - both with lights that flash every second. For Example: When B draws near the black hole, as time slows and the light blink longer and slower, wouldn't the light emitted grow dimmer, longer lasting, and slower to occur to A? And wouldn't the lag time between where B is, and where A "see's B at" increase? (Like how the stars we see in the sky are long dead but the light remains?). As A gets drops nearer the black hole wouldn't "everything" get brighter (more light photons getting to the eyes faster)? To the point they are blinded by light? submitted by monoaudio35 [link] [4 comments]

Is it possible to calculate the speed of the engine components themselves ie pistons in kph/mph? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 05:08 AM PST It's just something that has fascinated me. Sure I know that at 5000rpm the crankshaft is spinning 5000 times per minute and the piston goes up and down for every rotation but what is the actual SPEED of the piston? Say, my Harley which has a stroke of 101mm. What would the piston speed be at 5000rpm? submitted by Paiste402 [link] [13 comments]

Why isn't there only iron? Why don't smaller atoms just fuse to "improve" their energetic states? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 02:59 AM PST I would expect smaller atoms to just fuse and release the energy that they lose in mass by fusing. I would also expect heavier nuclei to fuse if you supplied them with the necessary energy that they gain in mass by fusing. Why isn't this how it works? submitted by TheVicarInATutu [link] [5 comments]

When a wheel or anything circular spins really fast, why does it sometimes look like its spinning backwards and then spin forwards again? Posted: 19 Dec 2015 06:27 AM PST Video for reference https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=834126196624211&id=250931438277026 edit: Thankyou Everyone for your responses, special shout out to /u/nik282000 for his link of a super helpful video with examples of what I'm trying to talk about https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYYK4tlCMlY submitted by iZlatani [link] [174 comments]

Why does rock salt help with thawing sidewalks, yet it's used in ice cream makers to make the ice cream even colder? Posted: 19 Dec 2015 10:10 PM PST This is something that has absolutely confused me since I was a fetus. submitted by True_Roadie [link] [12 comments]

Could something as large as a planet, say Mars, spin quickly enough to simulate Earth's gravity? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 08:35 AM PST If so, how quickly would Mars need to spin to match Earth's gravitational pull? submitted by WolvWild [link] [3 comments]

[Particle/Quantum Physics] What is symmetry in quantum fields, and how and why is weak interaction tied to the Higgs field? Posted: 19 Dec 2015 04:39 PM PST I am a high school student who is very interested in Quantum Mechanics and Particle physics and has taken the time to read (though not finished) many books on these topics (QED, A Brief History, and a few more) to further expand my knowledge along with research done on the internet through various means. I am currently reading Sean Carroll's "The Particle at the End of the Universe", which talks about the in-depth search as CERN and the LHC for the Higgs Boson which occurred back in 2012. In the second chapter the book mentions quantum fields (which I personally understand at the degree the book requires to convey most of the rest of the information). However, it then goes on to mention symmetries between these fields and how: "The weak nuclear force, in particular, is based on a certain kind of symmetry. If that symmetry were unbroken, it would be impossible for elementary particles to have mass." What is it about the Higgs field and especially its symmetry to other fields that, if not there, would prevent all particles from having mass? Would a non-symmetrical quantum field not allow the property of a particle that it's associated with to be a fundamental property of that particle? And what is the fundamental meaning of broken and unbroken symmetries? submitted by EliteTazer [link] [7 comments]

How did scientists come up with the mechanisms inside inkjet and laser printers? Posted: 19 Dec 2015 10:37 PM PST Specifically, what kind of calculations and testing did they have to go through to figure out how to make printers print out the right colors and brightness on every little dot/strip? I also want to know how the whole rest of it was figured out. So I'm not just looking for a how-to-make-a-printer but how the scientists actually figured out how to build the first one. Is there a good read somewhere on how they did it? submitted by TwitchJonjonjonh [link] [6 comments]

What happens in our brain when making choices/react to something ? Posted: 20 Dec 2015 05:54 AM PST Thanks. submitted by BMG711 [link] [comment]

Why does glass/crystal resonate or "ping" when struck while plastic does not? Posted: 19 Dec 2015 05:50 PM PST I could only find one other question that was close to mine and that dealt with metallic crystalline structures. I understand that there is a difference in the makeup and structure between glass/crystal and plastic but the main question is why does glass/crystal resonate and plastic doesn't (assuming that both materials were the same size, thickness, and etc.). If it's the material, why does glass/crystal, silicon and quartz, "ping" while plastic, organic polymers, doesn't. If it's the structure, why does glass, amorphous solid, and crystal, crystal lattice, "ping" while plastic, crystalline/amorphous, doesn't. If it's some other property, then feel free to explain why glass/crystal and plastic differ in their sounds after being hit. The answer is due to the different Young's modulus of glass and plastic. submitted by omnispark66 [link] [5 comments]

How is my work radio/walkie talkie blockout a real radio's broadcast signal? (more explanation in comments) Posted: 20 Dec 2015 02:12 AM PST So, at work we have to communicate with motorala "walkie talkies" that button to push and we broadcast on a specified level which is picked on the walkie talkie. I noticed the other day while working next to a traditional radio that when I pushed the walkie talkie button to talk to my coworkers that it completely blocked out the radio signal. I adjusted the radio frequency from about 100mhz to 88 mhz and the walkie talkie still blocked out the radio broadcast. Then I turned it to AM frequency and it still blocked out the signal completely. What is my work walkie talkie doing exactly to entirely block out a radio signal from working? submitted by cephsdiablo [link] [6 comments]

Is there a link between an object's color and its thermal radiation? Posted: 19 Dec 2015 06:30 AM PST If I put a copper coin on a table in front of me, I'll be seeing its yellow color. It's also emitting thermal radiation, but this is in a wavelength I can't see. Now if I heat it up until it starts glowing because of how hot it is and it turns red, what happened to its original yellow color? submitted by NewStandards [link] [10 comments]

Does chamomile actually have any medical properties or is it just a "trendy" thing to put in supplements? Posted: 19 Dec 2015 02:18 AM PST I have noticed that a lot of supplements at my store (relatively speaking) has chamomile in them. Does it have any actual medical use? I thought it was just one of those home remedies like hot milk. submitted by TardyTardigrade [link] [4 comments]

So it seems that 5,500,000 years ago, the Mediterranean basin was invaded by the Atlantic; how would ocean life have expanded into and adapted to the previously-not-underwater environment? Posted: 18 Dec 2015 11:40 PM PST submitted by d023n [link] [2 comments]

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