AskScience AMA Series: I'm a geneticist and molecular biologist working in science policy at NIH. Ask Me Almost Anything!

---

• AskScience AMA Series: I'm a geneticist and molecular biologist working in science policy at NIH. Ask Me Almost Anything!
• [Biology] Do trees and other plants, like animals, slowly lose the ability to heal quickly as they age?
• Why does this planetary nebula shed material in "jets" pointed in opposite directions rather than shedding in a more spherical, blast-like manner?
• What specific predictions/outcomes/mathematical results do general relativity and quantum mechanics disagree on?
• In my experience and to the best of my knowledge, most lab equipment is made of glass. What is it that is so special about glass that leads to it being so stable when in contact with such a variety of substances?
• What is it about radiation that makes it impossible to retrieve the reactor core from Fukushima? How does it destroy the robots we send to observe the most radioactive parts?
• How are transformers passive devices?
• Rotating masses warp spacetime, is this interaction governed by Newton's 3rd law? More specifically, does the warping of spacetime impart some form of 'friction' or 'drag' on the rotating mass?
• How do we know that the Universe is not already collapsing?
• What is the point of using fuel cells in spacecraft when you can use solar cells?
• Is it possible (in theory) to build a machine that can produce every smell/taste there exists without using anything organic?
• Do cell phones get assigned an IP for every cellphone tower they connect to?
• Would the specific arrangement of protons and neutrons in a nucleus theoretically affect the properties of the atom on a material science/chemistry level?
• Why are men's arms vascular and full of protruding veins but women's arms are generally not so?
• Why is it said that the gravity is the weakest force in the universe? And then why are black holes one of the most powerful things in the universe?
• [Physics] How do "light sails" work?
• Could you actually blow out your neighbors speakers with a CB radio, antenna, and a linear amp?
• I stand on Earth so that Sun is behind me and Moon is in front of me at the same time. How can it be that the Moon is NOT full?
• Why/how does radiation render a robot inoperable?
• Which would be more harmful to the human body, the worlds strongest acid or the worlds strongest base?
• In the video what are the symbols | and > used called, and can you explain how we can prove teleportation is still possible?

AskScience AMA Series: I'm a geneticist and molecular biologist working in science policy at NIH. Ask Me Almost Anything! Posted: 07 Feb 2017 05:00 AM PST I am a geneticist and molecular biologist who studied blindness for over a decade and now work in science policy at NIH. Given the tumult of this past two weeks and the fact that I work at NIH, I think it would be prudent to not have my identity attached to anything right now. Ask Me (Almost) Anything! Note: This AMA has been has been verified with the moderators. Our guest will ne joining at 5 PM ET (22 UT). submitted by /u/AskScienceModerator [link] [comments]

[Biology] Do trees and other plants, like animals, slowly lose the ability to heal quickly as they age? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 06:34 PM PST submitted by /u/undertakerdave [link] [comments]

Why does this planetary nebula shed material in "jets" pointed in opposite directions rather than shedding in a more spherical, blast-like manner? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 10:16 PM PST http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2017/02/The_Calabash_clash http://astronomynow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/The_Calabash_clash_node_full_image_2.jpg submitted by /u/AmericanMustache [link] [comments]

What specific predictions/outcomes/mathematical results do general relativity and quantum mechanics disagree on? Posted: 07 Feb 2017 01:41 AM PST I suppose a more general form of this question is, why is there an effort to classify gravity as a fundamental force at all? General relativity doesn't classify gravity as a force, so why does quantum mechanics? At what point does the description of gravity as 'the curvature of spacetime' not work for quantum mechanics? submitted by /u/Stanzin7 [link] [comments]

In my experience and to the best of my knowledge, most lab equipment is made of glass. What is it that is so special about glass that leads to it being so stable when in contact with such a variety of substances? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 09:12 AM PST submitted by /u/Wrothschild [link] [comments]

What is it about radiation that makes it impossible to retrieve the reactor core from Fukushima? How does it destroy the robots we send to observe the most radioactive parts? Posted: 07 Feb 2017 06:26 AM PST Link to the article that got me curious. submitted by /u/desuemery [link] [comments]

How are transformers passive devices? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 05:33 PM PST I know that a transformer uses magnetic induction to amplify the amplitude of voltage in AC sine waves. How is energy conserved, if the transformer is a passive device? Where does the energy come from? I know that V =/= E, but it seems to pull these high voltages out of nowhere. submitted by /u/pulchermushroom [link] [comments]

Rotating masses warp spacetime, is this interaction governed by Newton's 3rd law? More specifically, does the warping of spacetime impart some form of 'friction' or 'drag' on the rotating mass? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 07:15 PM PST submitted by /u/ArchangelleDread [link] [comments]

How do we know that the Universe is not already collapsing? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 08:01 PM PST I basically understand that: a) the observable Universe is expanding; b) that observable Universe is roughly 13.5 - 14 billion years old; c) that the distance to edge of the observable Universe is approximately 46 billion light years; and d) the light we are observing from the edge of the observable Universe has been traveling for approximately 13.5 billion years. So how do we know that the Universe did not start collapsing 13.5 billion years ago? If the Universe started to collapse would humans be able to observe the same. submitted by /u/MolonLabeMFer [link] [comments]

What is the point of using fuel cells in spacecraft when you can use solar cells? Posted: 07 Feb 2017 02:26 AM PST submitted by /u/Papa_John42 [link] [comments]

Is it possible (in theory) to build a machine that can produce every smell/taste there exists without using anything organic? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 10:18 AM PST For example, just like we define colors with RGB - combination of 3 0-255 values which can define "every" color in the visible spectrum. Can we do the same for smell/taste? submitted by /u/LegitMOFO [link] [comments]

Do cell phones get assigned an IP for every cellphone tower they connect to? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 09:01 PM PST If so, how do they supply enough IP's in really dense populations? Of not, what system DO they use to organize them all. This is my first post on this sub,I hope I formatted it okay. submitted by /u/Rybread5229 [link] [comments]

Would the specific arrangement of protons and neutrons in a nucleus theoretically affect the properties of the atom on a material science/chemistry level? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 02:37 PM PST In atoms with higher mass numbers, I would expect that there are multiple stable arrangements that the protons and neutrons could be packed together. I wonder whether the various arrangements would affect the electron densities around the atom, which would affect the chemical properties of that atom. However, I would also expect that our understandings of an element's chemical properties basically represent the collection of the various proton-neutron arrangements that occur in nature. To my knowledge, we do not have the technology to create an atom with a particular proton-neutron arrangement -- much less, a measurable amount of that element with the same exact proton-neutron arrangement in all of its atoms. submitted by /u/yumyumgivemesome [link] [comments]

Why are men's arms vascular and full of protruding veins but women's arms are generally not so? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 11:38 PM PST I'm not really talking about bodybuilders here at all. submitted by /u/Rhodechill [link] [comments]

Why is it said that the gravity is the weakest force in the universe? And then why are black holes one of the most powerful things in the universe? Posted: 07 Feb 2017 03:18 AM PST submitted by /u/abhiminhas [link] [comments]

[Physics] How do "light sails" work? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 11:15 PM PST submitted by /u/chinesemilkshake [link] [comments]

Could you actually blow out your neighbors speakers with a CB radio, antenna, and a linear amp? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 09:02 AM PST Sounds random, but the first post I ever read on reddit was this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/k62sc/i_feel_bad_for_this_guy/c2ht7kp/ It's about a neighbor blaring their speakers even after being asked to turn them down. The top comment is a suggestion that with a CB radio, CB antenna, and linear amp, you can not only talk through their speakers, but if you played a continuous 6khz tone, could actually blow them out completely. I've wondered ever since if this would actually work or if they were making things up. submitted by /u/TooMuchPants [link] [comments]

I stand on Earth so that Sun is behind me and Moon is in front of me at the same time. How can it be that the Moon is NOT full? Posted: 07 Feb 2017 01:37 AM PST submitted by /u/alitur [link] [comments]

Why/how does radiation render a robot inoperable? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 11:16 AM PST "The robot is designed to withstand exposure of up to 1,000 sieverts. Based on the calculation of 73 sieverts per hour, the robot could run for more than 10 hours, but 530 sieverts per hour means it would be rendered inoperable in less than two hours." What in particular is designed to withstand radiation? Http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2017/02/03/extreme-radiation-levels-detected-at-fukushima-reactor-highest-since-2011/#3890356b3381 submitted by /u/nycsportster [link] [comments]

Which would be more harmful to the human body, the worlds strongest acid or the worlds strongest base? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 07:51 AM PST If it matters, lets consider skin contact and if ingested. submitted by /u/Higher_Primate01 [link] [comments]

In the video what are the symbols | and > used called, and can you explain how we can prove teleportation is still possible? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 05:04 PM PST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owPC60Ue0BE is the minutephysics video. I found it pretty interesting i just didn't understand what those symbols meant or were called,im thinking just the quantum mechanics version of ( ). and also i did not quite understand the last part where he explains the proof to why teleportation is still plausible submitted by /u/Novaraa [link] [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

By guessing the rate of the Expansion of the universe, do we know how big the unobservable universe is?

---

• By guessing the rate of the Expansion of the universe, do we know how big the unobservable universe is?
• What is the physical setup used for the production of thermal neutrons used to create the 'Rio Red' grapefruit strain?
• What causes the difference between kinetic and static friction?
• If Concentration of hydrogen on sun is 1.1%, then what's the rest?
• In string theory-Brane cosmology: Is the collision of two branes considered to be the cause of the big bang?
• Why does enthalpy of atomization *increases* down the group in transition elements?
• My paper grocery bag says "This 100% recyclable bag made from 100% recycled paper" could this process be repeated ad infinitum?
• Do the oceans get saltier over time? Has this had any biological impact?
• why is it important to autoclave the medium soon after preparing it or to keep it refrigerated until it can be sterilized?
• Does a superconductor truly have 0 Ω resistance, or is it only arbitrarily close?
• How far away from the nucleus does 100% of the electron cloud extend?
• How do stars generate elements "heavier" than lead?
• Why does the US launch rockets in Alaska?
• Can a parasite change a human's genome?
• What chemically defines an element as a metal?
• How can alkenes be diastereomers and have diastereotopic protons?
• Besides solar are there any industrial scale means of generating electricity other than turning a turbine?
• Is it true that stars orbit the galactic center at the same speed, regardless of their distance from it? Is this still thought to be an effect of dark matter? How would dark matter need to be dispersed to create the result we observe?
• How does a dipole in a electric field or a bar pendulum in a gravitational have a torque acting on them if Coulomb force and Gravitational forces are central forces and angular momentum is a conversed quantity? How does the torque come about?

By guessing the rate of the Expansion of the universe, do we know how big the unobservable universe is? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 04:29 AM PST So we are closer in size to the observable universe than the plank lentgh, but what about the unobservable universe. submitted by /u/dtagliaferri [link] [comments]

What is the physical setup used for the production of thermal neutrons used to create the 'Rio Red' grapefruit strain? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 06:29 AM PST I was reading about red grapefruit and how they were created through radiation mutagenesis. In particularly the Rio Red commonly used is cited as having been the product of thermal neutron irradiation of plant tissues in the 1980s in Rio (the city). None of the biology articles talk about the physics of the setup. Given no nuclear reactors in Rio how would this be done? My first guess is a strong natural alpha emitter with beryllium and surrounded by a hydrogen plastic moderator. (ref). Or maybe just a Californium-252 neutron source with plastic moderator. But that's the point, I don't know which or what. Hensz's actual papers about the 'Rio Red' and many others cite Caldecott et al 1954 but none of them have detail. I've spent about ~45 minutes searching for the early 1950s protocol papers on the subject by Caldecott but there's nothing but abstracts online. Does anyone in the field know about the actual setup used by plant biologists for thermal neutron mutagenesis? submitted by /u/superkuh [link] [comments]

What causes the difference between kinetic and static friction? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 06:24 AM PST Hola physicists (and everyone else), I was wondering (out of the blue) why moving objects once they are in motion is easier than the initial movement. Can't recall any physics teacher actually discussing it. submitted by /u/AVeryLazy [link] [comments]

If Concentration of hydrogen on sun is 1.1%, then what's the rest? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 04:30 AM PST *dihydrogen submitted by /u/KM2000_THE_CHOSENONE [link] [comments]

In string theory-Brane cosmology: Is the collision of two branes considered to be the cause of the big bang? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 02:22 PM PST A follow up question: How many other ways can branes interact with one another? submitted by /u/elder--wand [link] [comments]

Why does enthalpy of atomization *increases* down the group in transition elements? Posted: 06 Feb 2017 03:16 AM PST Also whats up with the anomalous enthalpy of atomization of Tc, Mn? submitted by /u/loremusipsumus [link] [comments]

My paper grocery bag says "This 100% recyclable bag made from 100% recycled paper" could this process be repeated ad infinitum? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 01:19 PM PST Would there be material lost everytime? Or a limit to the number of times the material could be used? Same question about plastic or metal recyclables. submitted by /u/djz7c [link] [comments]

Do the oceans get saltier over time? Has this had any biological impact? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 02:03 PM PST From what I know ocean salt comes from land deposits, so there's a constant influx of salt into the ocean. But from evaporation no salt leaves. It seems to me that this would imply an increase in salt concentrations. submitted by /u/FrancisNarwhalBacon [link] [comments]

why is it important to autoclave the medium soon after preparing it or to keep it refrigerated until it can be sterilized? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 06:05 PM PST When we are preparing medium, bacteria can contaminate it quickly because it is nutrient rich. Autoclaving the medium can sterilize it quite effectively. However, what problem can occur with the medium if we were to prepare it on one day, leave it on the bench at room temperature and then autoclave it two days later? (In other words, why is it important to autoclave the medium soon after preparing it or to keep it refrigerated until it can be sterilized? submitted by /u/elizabethbrooks [link] [comments]

Does a superconductor truly have 0 Ω resistance, or is it only arbitrarily close? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 07:50 AM PST A true-zero resistance would, to my understanding, cause problems with implementing Ohm's Law. Additionally, I believe there is still a non-negligible degree of Joule heating, which leads me to think that the resistance of the material is some fraction above true zero. submitted by /u/Shapoopy178 [link] [comments]

How far away from the nucleus does 100% of the electron cloud extend? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 01:08 PM PST The electron cloud is usually defined as the volume where between 90 and 97% of the electron resides. Using modeling software you can alter the parameter to see the cloud expand to 99% or 99.99%. Is there some portion (1X10-100000ish) of the cloud existing a meter away from the nucleus? How about a lightyear away? Can we use this for ftl communication somehow? Does quantum nature or the Plank length act as a limit to this idea? I've tried looking through physical chemistry and quantum physics literature before, but it was too far out of my field and I gave up. submitted by /u/trackmaster400 [link] [comments]

How do stars generate elements "heavier" than lead? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 10:04 AM PST I know that all of the natural occurring elements are formed in the fusion reactions within stars. As I understand it (correct me if I am wrong), during the life cycle of early stars (the first generation after the Big Bang), as they burned through hydrogen and helium, their cores eventually became made of of large quantities of lead, making nuclear reactions impossible. The stars blow up, scattering their contents into space where that stuff is used in the formation of new stars, planets and all the other matter in the Universe. That accounts for all of our elements up to lead on the periodic table. Is it correct that some of the heavier (from Lithium to lead) elements that become part of new (second generation and beyond) stars are "fused" in the nuclear reactions in the star into elements beyond lead? Is there an established understanding of how the fusion of heavier elements (those heavier than H and He) are fused within a star? For example, do we know that lithium will only undergo fusion with certain other elements, or is it totally random? Thanks! edit -- I wrote lead when I meant iron. submitted by /u/Anticipator1234 [link] [comments]

Why does the US launch rockets in Alaska? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 08:30 AM PST I get that they could launch over the Pacific so they don't fly over people, but doesn't the equator have an easier time due to the faster rotation of earth? Is it for longitudinal orbits? Thanks. submitted by /u/pepperyourangus37 [link] [comments]

Can a parasite change a human's genome? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 12:26 PM PST I'm writing a science-fiction novel, and I'm wondering if it would be possible for a parasite to take over a body and change it completely. I don't need to know whether or not a parasite exists that does this, but if, hypothetically, it's possible. And if it is possible, how would it go about changing human DNA? submitted by /u/jninja117 [link] [comments]

What chemically defines an element as a metal? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 10:33 AM PST submitted by /u/SuperSexySalmon [link] [comments]

How can alkenes be diastereomers and have diastereotopic protons? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 03:19 PM PST I thought diastereomers have to have chiral centers right? If you take a look at the diastereotopic example in the mastering organic chemistry website then it shows that the alkenes are diastereomers, but they dont have any chiral centers. http://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2012/04/17/homotopic-enantiotopic-diastereotopic/ Also as an additional question, can alkenes have enantiomers or enantiomeric protons? submitted by /u/zakil44 [link] [comments]

Besides solar are there any industrial scale means of generating electricity other than turning a turbine? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 01:36 PM PST Nuclear, coal, gas, wind and solar thermal generation all heat water to create steam to drive a turbine. Are there any other ways of generating on a meaningful scale? Also has turbine technology peaked or are we likely to see more watts per volumetric unit of steam as technology advances? submitted by /u/peepsandpoops [link] [comments]

Is it true that stars orbit the galactic center at the same speed, regardless of their distance from it? Is this still thought to be an effect of dark matter? How would dark matter need to be dispersed to create the result we observe? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 09:43 AM PST submitted by /u/Bum_Doubt [link] [comments]

How does a dipole in a electric field or a bar pendulum in a gravitational have a torque acting on them if Coulomb force and Gravitational forces are central forces and angular momentum is a conversed quantity? How does the torque come about? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 12:15 PM PST submitted by /u/amindalwaysinmotion [link] [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

Are humans closer in relative size to the planck length or the entire observable universe?

---

• Are humans closer in relative size to the planck length or the entire observable universe?
• When you boil water, does it ever get hotter than 100°C in the pot?
• Is there a theoretical limit to the number of chemical elements that could exist in the universe?
• Why isn't nuclear physics considered to be chemistry?
• Why is time measured in with 60 seconds/minutes and not 100?
• Why are hours, minutes and seconds as long as they are?
• Why does solar output fluctuate?
• Does Precession of the Earth Affect Climate?
• Do we have models of natural endothermic nuclear fusion?
• Are stars the only natural nuclear fusion users in the universe?
• What speed is room temperature?
• Why does wetting my finger causing it to have more friction?
• What's the limiting factor behind slug and snail size? Why don't we see land slugs and snails larger than 1 kg in weight?
• Is Albinism more prevalent in communities with lower melanin levels?
• How does a computer know when a "word" starts and finishes in binary ?
• Why is the radiation from Chernobyl and Fukushima so intense, when Uranium has a half life of billions of years? Shouldn't it be minimal?
• If space is a vacuum, how can it smell?
• Do Singularities "evaporate" or is the only thing that does disappear over time the Event Horizon?
• Is the electron transport chain made entirely of proteins?
• What was central and south-eastern South America like during the last glacial period?

Are humans closer in relative size to the planck length or the entire observable universe? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 05:11 AM PST submitted by /u/Settl [link] [comments]

When you boil water, does it ever get hotter than 100°C in the pot? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 06:01 AM PST submitted by /u/AFAIX [link] [comments]

Is there a theoretical limit to the number of chemical elements that could exist in the universe? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 03:13 PM PST submitted by /u/BrokenTrashcan [link] [comments]

Why isn't nuclear physics considered to be chemistry? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 05:13 PM PST submitted by /u/PopularPlanet [link] [comments]

Why is time measured in with 60 seconds/minutes and not 100? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 07:29 AM PST submitted by /u/Lusm [link] [comments]

Why are hours, minutes and seconds as long as they are? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 06:00 AM PST We all know why a day is as long as it is, but what made some dudes decide that it should be split up into exactly 24 hours? And what made them decide to split every hour into 60 minutes and then every minute into 60 seconds? submitted by /u/Doodinator [link] [comments]

Why does solar output fluctuate? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 02:59 PM PST I have been reading about prehistoric climate change and it seems that changing solar forcing has often been a very important factor. What causes these various increases and decreases in solar radiation? submitted by /u/BrotherDaaway [link] [comments]

Does Precession of the Earth Affect Climate? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 04:42 PM PST Since the Earth goes through a gyroscopic wobble that has a 2600 year period does this at all create climatic shifts or cycles that we could notice? I'd be curious if there are trends that people have recorded or noticed because of this other than just what stars are in what point of the sky. submitted by /u/23Udon [link] [comments]

Do we have models of natural endothermic nuclear fusion? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 06:25 AM PST I seen charts explaining how different isotopes decay and into which isotopes, and also different fusion reactions (for example how carbon is created via triple-alpha process.) And it seems like we have very accurate knowledge how all of that works. But what I have not seen is how elements heavier than nickel are created in a supernova. Are there even theories on how exactly this happened or is it predicted to be compleatly chaotic? What im looking for is like for example: 12 C + 68 Zn + Energy = 80 Kr And how big portion of 80 Kr we find in nature is created via this example process (that I dont know if it exist)? submitted by /u/empire314 [link] [comments]

Are stars the only natural nuclear fusion users in the universe? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 10:13 AM PST submitted by /u/Chimaera2167 [link] [comments]

What speed is room temperature? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 05:50 AM PST As we all know, temperature is the average speed of particles. The higher the temperature, the higher that speed. If I understand correctly, that speed is not dependent upon the particle. 25° would be the same speed if we're talking about an iron lattice, or NaCl. Well then, what is the speed of particles that's called 25°? Also, 2 more related questions: is -273 theoretically a speed of 0? (I know that it can't actually be reached) If the temperature was infinity (again, theoretically), would the speed be Lightspeed? submitted by /u/lirannl [link] [comments]

Why does wetting my finger causing it to have more friction? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 03:08 AM PST When turning a page on a book for example submitted by /u/Staviao [link] [comments]

What's the limiting factor behind slug and snail size? Why don't we see land slugs and snails larger than 1 kg in weight? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 02:33 AM PST I know insects are limited by factors relating to their tracheal system but slugs and snails have lung that are functionally similar to terrestrial vertebrates. Is it because they're too soft and squishy? submitted by /u/rendelnep [link] [comments]

Is Albinism more prevalent in communities with lower melanin levels? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 01:37 AM PST My question is whether communities that have lower melanin levels, e.g. Nordic populations, have a higher level of albinism than communities in the tropics, which have selected much higher melanin levels. I suppose my question boils down to whether the mutation of albinism is truly random, or whether it is in fact beneficial to survival and thus is more likely in areas in which low melanin is a benefit. submitted by /u/crombopmikhail [link] [comments]

How does a computer know when a "word" starts and finishes in binary ? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 07:16 PM PST Let's take the binary string 11011100001 How does the computer know if it is only one word (command), or two "1101" and "1100001", or three... submitted by /u/milanonabil [link] [comments]

Why is the radiation from Chernobyl and Fukushima so intense, when Uranium has a half life of billions of years? Shouldn't it be minimal? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 10:18 AM PST submitted by /u/aschesklave [link] [comments]

If space is a vacuum, how can it smell? Posted: 05 Feb 2017 01:55 AM PST Chris Hadfield said space smells like brimstone. How can a smell exist if space has no particles? submitted by /u/Drake_Heisenberg [link] [comments]

Do Singularities "evaporate" or is the only thing that does disappear over time the Event Horizon? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 03:54 PM PST I've been piecing together information based on an idea and I reached a stumbling point based on several videos and various written information on the topic. In them, the people explaining it seem to state that the Singularity and the Event Horizon of a Black Hole are separate in terms of what occurs in the normal lifetime of the object, but then they go on to it as a collective object and that the "Black Hole" itself evaporates overtime. I've seen the evaporation described as the Event Horizon being a curved line with one particle on one side and another particle on the other, with one entering the Singularity and the other escaping as an X-ray or similar type of escaping "object" as the evaporation effect. Wouldn't that mean that the Singularity itself is still intact with all the matter it's collected over time in whatever location it's currently at, because while some particles are being expelled other particles are being collected inside the Singularity. Or does the Singularity eventually actually have to burn through the matter that's been collected when it's no longer able to collect more, so eventually it'll convert all of its captured matter into radiation and the Singularity itself dissipates as well? My confusion stems from the fact that no one seems to give a clear answer to that. At the point they discuss the "evaporation" of the Black Hole they refer to it as a collective unit where as before they made a point to differentiate between the Singularity itself and the actual Event Horizon surrounding it. Is it just because we don't fully understand the mechanics behind it, so when it "evaporates", as Hawking and his team discovered, that's where our knowledge ends because we can't actually mathematically predict what happens so we just assume they both disappear when it's not known? submitted by /u/Ashendal [link] [comments]

Is the electron transport chain made entirely of proteins? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 12:22 PM PST Are all the molecules in the chain proteins? Wikipedia states "An electron transport chain (ETC) is a series of compounds" and goes on to say... "The molecules of the chain include peptides, enzymes (which are proteins or protein complexes), and others" What does it mean by "others"? Are all the "others" proteins too? submitted by /u/Deproc [link] [comments]

What was central and south-eastern South America like during the last glacial period? Posted: 04 Feb 2017 06:11 AM PST Is it safe to assume that it regularly snowed in what is now central Brazil? What about the Atlantic Forest, how did it do? Were there temperate forests? submitted by /u/SagaCult [link] [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