Would there be a benefit to putting solar panels above the atmosphere?

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• Would there be a benefit to putting solar panels above the atmosphere?
• How do organisms break down diatomic nitrogen?
• Ask Anything Wednesday - Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Medicine, Psychology
• What is the difference between special relativity and general relativity?
• Is there a rule that states that calculations of particle interactions at micro scales, by nature, cannot be scaled up into the macro-systems? Or are we just limited by our current understanding and nothing really prevents us from finding a way to scale quantum equations upwards?
• [Chemistry] Can you drink Para-Water? Ortho-water? Can you breath pure Singlet Oxygen?
• When downhill snow sledding, would being heavier make you go faster (because of gravity's pull) or slower (because of friction)?
• Light can be polarized, so can sound waves be polarized?
• Were there any mp2 files, what about an mp5? Where does the 3 and 4 come from?
• What happens to cosmic radiation and solar winds that interact with the earth's magnetosphere?
• Why can I hear a buzz in my earphones (which are plugged into my laptop) when I touch the Jack/plug of my speakers (which are turned off but plugged into the mains)?
• Is the term "frequency" meaningless for a square wave because it consists of nearly infinite harmonics of some fundamental sinusoidal frequency?
• Could redox reactions happen using positions?
• What is the gauge group associated with the graviton, if the graviton turns out to exist?
• Is Centrifugal Force a significant factor in the apparent gravity felt on Earth?
• Long after humanity disappears from the planet, what will be the last remaining sign we were ever on Earth?
• What makes spring springy?
• Does negative mass from an engineered dispersion relation count as negative mass in the stress-energy tensor of general relativity?
• What is the difference between a surfactant, a wetting agent, and an emulsifier? Are they all the same thing?
• Why are so many transiction metal compounds good heterogeneous catalysts?
• How does a source of light, with finite surface area, send light in infinite directions?
• What is the difference between the specific entropy given in steam tables (s) and the specific entropy given in ideal gas tables (s_0)?
• Why is there a nonzero vacuum permittivity?

Would there be a benefit to putting solar panels above the atmosphere? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 09:25 AM PDT So to the best of my knowledge, here is my question. The energy output by the sun is decreased by traveling theough the atmosphere. Would there be any benefit to using planes or balloons to collect the energy from the sun in power cells using solar panels above the majority of the atmosphere where it could be a higher output? Or, would the energy used to get them up there outweigh the difference from placing them on the earth's surface? submitted by /u/blizzetyblack [link] [comments]

How do organisms break down diatomic nitrogen? Posted: 20 Apr 2017 05:28 AM PDT I was watching an old SciShow episode and Hank Green said something to the effect that the N≡N triple bond is so strong, it can't usually be broken except by lightning or a comparably powerful force. Yet nitrogen is arguably one of the very most prevalent and important components of nutrition for most organisms on the planet (in my understanding?). So how do organisms break that triple bond in order to render nitrogen reactive enough to bond with other elements? submitted by /u/BJPenwhistle [link] [comments]

Ask Anything Wednesday - Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Medicine, Psychology Posted: 19 Apr 2017 08:04 AM PDT Welcome to our weekly feature, Ask Anything Wednesday - this week we are focusing on Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Medicine, Psychology Do you have a question within these topics you weren't sure was worth submitting? Is something a bit too speculative for a typical /r/AskScience post? No question is too big or small for AAW. In this thread you can ask any science-related question! Things like: "What would happen if...", "How will the future...", "If all the rules for 'X' were different...", "Why does my...". Asking Questions: Please post your question as a top-level response to this, and our team of panellists will be here to answer and discuss your questions. The other topic areas will appear in future Ask Anything Wednesdays, so if you have other questions not covered by this weeks theme please either hold on to it until those topics come around, or go and post over in our sister subreddit /r/AskScienceDiscussion , where every day is Ask Anything Wednesday! Off-theme questions in this post will be removed to try and keep the thread a manageable size for both our readers and panellists. Answering Questions: Please only answer a posted question if you are an expert in the field. The full guidelines for posting responses in AskScience can be found here. In short, this is a moderated subreddit, and responses which do not meet our quality guidelines will be removed. Remember, peer reviewed sources are always appreciated, and anecdotes are absolutely not appropriate. In general if your answer begins with 'I think', or 'I've heard', then it's not suitable for /r/AskScience. If you would like to become a member of the AskScience panel, please refer to the information provided here. Past AskAnythingWednesday posts can be found here. Ask away! submitted by /u/AutoModerator [link] [comments]

What is the difference between special relativity and general relativity? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 08:06 AM PDT submitted by /u/RealTiredOfYourShiit [link] [comments]

Is there a rule that states that calculations of particle interactions at micro scales, by nature, cannot be scaled up into the macro-systems? Or are we just limited by our current understanding and nothing really prevents us from finding a way to scale quantum equations upwards? Posted: 20 Apr 2017 06:32 AM PDT submitted by /u/Dr_Snarky [link] [comments]

[Chemistry] Can you drink Para-Water? Ortho-water? Can you breath pure Singlet Oxygen? Posted: 20 Apr 2017 04:17 AM PDT The spin states on the hydrogen of water can either be the same as one another or opposite to one another. Also, the spin states of Oxygen in O2 are the same way My question is, how does this effect biochemistry? If I somehow obtained a supply of pure Para- or Ortho- Water, or filled a pure Oxygen breathing environment with Singlet Oxygen instead of Triplet Oxygen, could I safely drink said water and breath said Oxygen? What if I used air with Singlet Oxygen instead of pure Singlet Oxygen? Also, how stable are these spin states? Would my water remain in that spin state long enough to interact with it? Would my Singlet O2 remain Singlet long enough to breath? Would it interact with my body in a way that causes injury or toxicity? Would it ignite on contact with flammable things like me? What would happen if I tried to drink pure Ortho or pure Para water? What about breathing Pure Singlet Oxygen? Why? submitted by /u/pds314 [link] [comments]

When downhill snow sledding, would being heavier make you go faster (because of gravity's pull) or slower (because of friction)? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 03:39 PM PDT submitted by /u/stilnomen [link] [comments]

Light can be polarized, so can sound waves be polarized? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 04:39 PM PDT submitted by /u/JoeRmusiceater [link] [comments]

Were there any mp2 files, what about an mp5? Where does the 3 and 4 come from? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 06:46 PM PDT submitted by /u/Pixel__Dragon [link] [comments]

What happens to cosmic radiation and solar winds that interact with the earth's magnetosphere? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 05:09 PM PDT Do they bounce off? If so how do they bounce off? How do we know? submitted by /u/Sandwich_Theorem [link] [comments]

Why can I hear a buzz in my earphones (which are plugged into my laptop) when I touch the Jack/plug of my speakers (which are turned off but plugged into the mains)? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 04:20 PM PDT I don't know if jack is the right word - the bit that I'd usually plug into my laptop.. submitted by /u/yslk [link] [comments]

Is the term "frequency" meaningless for a square wave because it consists of nearly infinite harmonics of some fundamental sinusoidal frequency? Posted: 20 Apr 2017 04:09 AM PDT Can we find the frequency of a square wave? submitted by /u/shank9717 [link] [comments]

Could redox reactions happen using positions? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 08:26 PM PDT I know gaining an electron would be reduction, and losing an electron would be oxidation. However, could these redox reactions take place using positions instead? If so, would the rules swap, making oxidation be gaining a positron? submitted by /u/ProjectCyan [link] [comments]

What is the gauge group associated with the graviton, if the graviton turns out to exist? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 07:47 PM PDT I understand that the gauge symmetry almost completely specifies the nature of the force it applies to, for example U(1) must behave like electromagnetism, up to the coupling constant. I have also read that, if there is a massless spin-2 boson, it must carry a force identical to gravity. So what Lie group leads to the force of gravity? Or am I wrong about something I've said here? submitted by /u/EnshaednK [link] [comments]

Is Centrifugal Force a significant factor in the apparent gravity felt on Earth? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 01:58 PM PDT Does Centrifugal Force contribute at all to alleviate the felt force of Gravity on Earth? For example, if the Earth stopped spinning suddenly would it feel like everything just became heavier because there would no longer be the Centrifugal Force pulling us outwards? Would that answer be the same on a celestial body that is significantly larger or smaller than earth? Or on one that spins much faster? submitted by /u/LateNightPhilosopher [link] [comments]

Long after humanity disappears from the planet, what will be the last remaining sign we were ever on Earth? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 05:31 AM PDT submitted by /u/the_real_coinboy66 [link] [comments]

What makes spring springy? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 07:14 PM PDT Well what does make spring come back to their original form and why if you extend too much it'll lose some 'springiness'? submitted by /u/darazeway [link] [comments]

Does negative mass from an engineered dispersion relation count as negative mass in the stress-energy tensor of general relativity? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 02:59 PM PDT Recently a group reported a negative effective mass in the paper Negative mass hydrodynamics in a spin-orbit–coupled Bose-Einstein condensate. As I understand it, this negative mass comes from the equation, derived from the dispersion relation, m = 1/k_ex * 1/(∂²ω/∂k²). They showed that this negative mass exhibits many unusual phenomena, including accelerating in the opposite direction of applied force and "the breaking of parity and of Galilean covariance." My question is: does this negative mass appear or count as negative mass in the stress-energy tensor of general relativity? (And of particular interest, as it relates to the creating an energy-density lower than the vacuum for a hypothetical Alcubierre drive?) submitted by /u/science1482181229 [link] [comments]

What is the difference between a surfactant, a wetting agent, and an emulsifier? Are they all the same thing? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 06:39 PM PDT I hear all three terms used, for example the hydroponic stores always talk about using a wetting agent but it seems similar to when the cannabis cookbook guys talk about using lecitithin as an emulsifier. And sometimes people call it a surfactant also. submitted by /u/cant20 [link] [comments]

Why are so many transiction metal compounds good heterogeneous catalysts? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 04:07 PM PDT submitted by /u/Lichewitz [link] [comments]

How does a source of light, with finite surface area, send light in infinite directions? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 05:03 PM PDT The sun for example (albeit very large) will send light in all directions even though it's only got a limited about of surface (surface is probably the wrong word) to send light from. How? submitted by /u/brad5995 [link] [comments]

What is the difference between the specific entropy given in steam tables (s) and the specific entropy given in ideal gas tables (s_0)? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 04:55 PM PDT submitted by /u/AHighFifth [link] [comments]

Why is there a nonzero vacuum permittivity? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 04:24 PM PDT To my understanding, the propagation of electric fields through a vacuum (and indeed through all matter) has a limiting factor, the constant of nature known as vacuum permittivity (=~8.85x10-12 Fm-1). My question is what is the physical reason for this constant/effect? Is it a result of light having a top speed? submitted by /u/CameronBerry96 [link] [comments]

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Are high calorie food like chocolate bars more damaging to the environment because the ingredients would cost more energy to grow?

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• Are high calorie food like chocolate bars more damaging to the environment because the ingredients would cost more energy to grow?
• What is a negative temperature state?
• How do bosons work?
• In the eighteenth century, there was a belief in a 'Bonona Stone' which could absorb light and stay luminous for a short period of time. Is this scientifically possible? And what this likely to geologically be?
• Why is direction of dipole moment from - to + ?
• Can events outside event A's light cone causally influence event A in the future?
• What's wrong with this inconsistency between the microcanonical and canonical emsembles?
• What are the issues with using tritium as fuel for a radioisotope photoelectric generator?
• What happens as two black holes get closer together and eventually collide?
• How does the Foucault Pendulum work if it is within Earth's atmosphere that is rotating along with Earth?
• Did Bipedal Dinosaurs Hop?
• How does three way calling work on a typical cell phone?
• Is there a difference between human nerve endings?
• After reading the scenario I have written in the post can you tell me will the distance taken by each car to reach 100mph be the same or different?
• Why is Dark Matter generally accepted as the probable answer to the missing mass problem rather than Modified Gravity?
• Why isn't space exploration done above or below our poles?
• I was trying to do a thought experiment involving entropy and thermal radiation and came up with an impossible result. What did I do wrong?
• Does space between particles impact electrical conductive properties?
• What is keeping the proton and neutron in a hydrogen atom from sticking together?
• What is the difference between an isolated and a closed system in thermodynamics?

Are high calorie food like chocolate bars more damaging to the environment because the ingredients would cost more energy to grow? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 03:26 PM PDT Maybe my question is unclear. Since aliments like peanuts are high in calories, I wonder if they need more energy to grow based on my knowledge of transformation of energy, thus if it "costs" more to the environment to grow it. submitted by /u/TestAccountPIzIgnore [link] [comments]

What is a negative temperature state? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 02:10 PM PDT Read comment on an article about WSU physicists "creating negative mass" with super-cooled rubidium atoms. One of the explanations was a negative temperature moment To me it sounds like a phenomenon related to negative temperature. By applying those lasers, the atoms were confined, which also bounded the energy upwards, and at the same time excited by those lasers. When you pump in more energy than it takes for maximum entropy state, the whole system starts behaving as a negative-temperature system – microstates with higher energy are favoured, as the total energy is too high anyway. Apply a force – a potential field, and atoms will flow towards higher energy states – towards the direction the force was applied from. Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-04-physicists-negative-mass.html#jCp submitted by /u/Creator_caged [link] [comments]

How do bosons work? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 04:35 PM PDT I understand that 17 elementary particles exist, 12 fermions and 5 bosons. I also understand that bosons 'carry' the four fundamental forces of the universe. Photon=electromagnetism, gluon=strong force, Z and W=weak force, and Higgs gives particles mass, carrying gravity. But what does it mean by "carry"? And how do bosons do it? Please explain as you would to a 14 year old in advanced classes with a very basic understanding of quantum mechanics and physics, because I am. submitted by /u/IAmSpartaqus [link] [comments]

In the eighteenth century, there was a belief in a 'Bonona Stone' which could absorb light and stay luminous for a short period of time. Is this scientifically possible? And what this likely to geologically be? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 03:39 AM PDT I originally found a reference to the 'Bonona Stone' in Goethe's 'The Sorrows of Young Werther', and can't find any other information. Any help is appreciated! submitted by /u/herbaltea123 [link] [comments]

Why is direction of dipole moment from - to + ? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 05:36 AM PDT I know that this is the convectional sign. But you do not simply put it from - to + . I would like an exact answer submitted by /u/BonSim [link] [comments]

Can events outside event A's light cone causally influence event A in the future? Posted: 19 Apr 2017 04:31 AM PDT submitted by /u/HerrBarrockter [link] [comments]

What's wrong with this inconsistency between the microcanonical and canonical emsembles? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 10:28 AM PDT This is what I understand: In the microcanonical ensemble, a system of N particles is confined to a certain volume V, adiabatically separated from the outside worldwide, meaning its energy E is fixed. A magnitude called entropy is related to the amount of configurations available to the system with the given energy. The temperature of the system is related to the derivative of the entropy with respect to the energy E. So, it appears that, with the exception of certain systems with linear relation between this magnitudes, there is a local biyection between them. So, how is it posible for the canonical ensemble to claim that the system is at fixed temperature T and that its energy fluctuates? I mean, if the energy changes, so does the derivative of S with respect to E and therefore T. Is temperature defined differently for the canonical ensemble? submitted by /u/Paul-Lubanski [link] [comments]

What are the issues with using tritium as fuel for a radioisotope photoelectric generator? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 11:27 PM PDT submitted by /u/hasuki057146 [link] [comments]

What happens as two black holes get closer together and eventually collide? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 06:32 PM PDT What effect do the black holes have on each other and the surrounding space? Is their gravitational pull magnified? What does the collision result in? Sorry if this has been asked before, I was having trouble searching for this question. submitted by /u/FanMasterJoe [link] [comments]

How does the Foucault Pendulum work if it is within Earth's atmosphere that is rotating along with Earth? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 01:09 PM PDT If the Foucault Pendulum works, then I should be able to hover above Earth in a helicopter and let the Earth's rotation do my traveling for me. Am I missing something?? submitted by /u/shklowaway [link] [comments]

Did Bipedal Dinosaurs Hop? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 03:05 PM PDT Bipedal dinosaurs are always depicted walking like humans, but is there any evidence to indicate some might have hopped like birds or kangaroos? submitted by /u/Hitaka02 [link] [comments]

How does three way calling work on a typical cell phone? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 06:42 PM PDT I was watching homeland and saw a scene where a person picked up a phone, dialed someone else into the call, and the newcomer was able to trace the initial call. I have always assumed that on a three way call one person acts as a host and relays information between all parties but I don't know if that is accurate. Is this assumption correct and can anyone provide more information about the protocol if it is not? submitted by /u/hrtachetosing [link] [comments]

Is there a difference between human nerve endings? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 06:33 PM PDT I was thinking about how the clitoris or penis can send so many signals of arousal and pleasure but another part of the body with a lot of nerve endings like the finger tips don't send any feelings of arousal. Do humans have different types of nerve endings at different places in the body that can only send signals of pain or signals of pleasure or do all nerves have the ability to signal both pleasure and pain at different times? submitted by /u/Heavymayo [link] [comments]

After reading the scenario I have written in the post can you tell me will the distance taken by each car to reach 100mph be the same or different? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 11:35 PM PDT The answer to this seemed obvious but after second thoughts and arguments at work it got complicated. Scenario Two cars drive from 0-100 mph. Both cars accelerate at a perfect constant rate but one has a faster constant rate than the other. Both cars are identical in weight, size and shape. Both have the same sized wheels and imagine there is no need for a gear change so the acceleration rates remain constant. The road is absolutely straight and flat and there is no wind resistance. Question After reading the scenario I have written in the comments can you tell me will the distance taken by each car to reach 100mph be the same or different? submitted by /u/Brad_Barry [link] [comments]

Why is Dark Matter generally accepted as the probable answer to the missing mass problem rather than Modified Gravity? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 11:18 PM PDT This paper gives some related background information to the question I am asking: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1401.5904.pdf submitted by /u/chauncemaster [link] [comments]

Why isn't space exploration done above or below our poles? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 10:35 PM PDT submitted by /u/newtothelyte [link] [comments]

I was trying to do a thought experiment involving entropy and thermal radiation and came up with an impossible result. What did I do wrong? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 09:31 PM PDT First, I am by no means experienced with physics, I personally study chemistry; so please bear with me. As the title says I was doing a thought experiment out of sheer curiosity. We can imagine a large hollow sphere that is perfect in shape and is a completely isolated system with a smaller perfect sphere perfectly centered inside of it. We're assuming that the whole system was in thermal equilibrium to start, and that all materials involved absorb radiation equally across the entire spectrum. Because it is a completely isolated system, no energy is leaving it in the form of radiation, it's only in the shell or the sphere or the space between. We'll call the radius of the inner sphere R₁ and the radius of the outer shell R₂, the luminosity will be represented by L₁ and L₂ and in case they're needed: T₁ and T₂ respectively for the temperatures of the spheres. Since R₁ < R₂, we know that the inner surface area of the shell is much larger than the sphere. Using the Stefan–Boltzmann law and the fact that T₁ starts equal to T₂, then L₁ < L₂ since the same energy is emitted per unit area. Assuming all energy emitted by one body is absorbed by the other, then the sphere would be absorbing more energy than it is emitting to the shell. This would heat the sphere and cool the shell until the ratio of R₁/R₂ multiplied by T₁4 is equivalent to T₂4. But that can't be right, it'd be creating a temperature difference from nothing. It's an isolated system, according to the second law of thermodynamics the entropy of that system could only increase; but in this case it'd be decreasing, so I must be thinking something incorrectly. Otherwise, you could hypothetically hook up a peltier device between the two bodies and forever have electricity --which as great as it sounds, isn't possible as far as I know. So where did I go wrong? submitted by /u/Kapitalist_Pigdog [link] [comments]

Does space between particles impact electrical conductive properties? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 03:17 PM PDT Alright, so this is an odd one. I was watching Star Trek: DS9 (I know, it's not the best one but as a ST fan I feel the need to power through it) S06 E09. In this episode Miles, Julian, and Dax get shrunk down to about a centimeter tall. Miles and Julian find themselves in one of the display consoles when Julian goes to sit on some part. Miles stops him and says that the part is carrying about 30 milliamps of electricity. Not enough to harm a normal sized human but more than enough to kill a centimeter tall sized human. Now normally I'd accept this and move on but they made it very clear that the number of atoms in the three hadn't been reduced in number but only that the space between the 'parts' (I'm assuming the space between the quarks) had been reduced. So my question is this. Disregarding the impossibility of shrinking a human in such a way would 30 milliamps be enough to kill a centimeter sized person assuming they had the same number of atoms, quarks, etc.? submitted by /u/Dranthe [link] [comments]

What is keeping the proton and neutron in a hydrogen atom from sticking together? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 09:09 PM PDT submitted by /u/silverfang492 [link] [comments]

What is the difference between an isolated and a closed system in thermodynamics? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 08:37 PM PDT I was thinking about the second law of thermodynamics, and looked it up to make sure I had it right. Here it says that the entropy of an isolated system always increases. While on the wiki it states that This can be contrasted with what (in the more common terminology used in thermodynamics) is called a closed system, being enclosed by selective walls through which can pass energy as heat or work, but not matter What is the difference between the two? Entropy's definition states a gradual decline into disorder, but I feel like it's backwards. Is "disorder" directly correlated to things like diffusion/osmosis? In my head it seems like the natural process of these things trend toward an order of sorts, where things are equal... submitted by /u/TrapHappier [link] [comments]

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Ligo gravitational observatory and nuclear bombs?

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• Ligo gravitational observatory and nuclear bombs?
• Can Negative Mass exist?
• Can anyone give a comprehensive explanation of sunglass lenses?
• The false vacuum theory and energy levels of fields?
• Do people in wheelchairs suffer from deep vein thrombosis more often than other people?
• With how many drops of water could you mix a single drop of blood and still be able to determine the DNA of the blood sample?
• Since Gravitationa waves travel at the speed of light, and the speed light is affected by it's medium. Is Gravitation affected by the medium of which it acts?
• Can electromagnetic waves be represented as real numbers? If so, does this mean we have infinite frequencies?
• What is the difference between read-only and re-writable CDs?
• Can gut bacteria really make humans crave certain unhealthy foods?
• Fluid dynamics question -- Why does a water nozzle repel with less force as I move an object closer to it?
• What do people mean when they say that EM waves are perpendicular electric and magnetic waves?
• In intrinsic (or pure) semi-conductors what happens to electrons that are liberated by energy?
• Do dogs have object permanence? If not, is there any way it can be taught to them?
• Why are the solutions of second order differential equations added to give a single solution?
• Why does it seem like a lot of popular treatments for PTSD (CBT, Psychotherapy, EMDR) have such limited benefit? Why do we use them if we know they don't have a high likelihood of making a big long term difference?
• How does second-hand smoke affect the development of a child? How does it differ from first-hand use in terms of effects and ability for busy to recover?
• How exactly does our brain remember faces of others and associate that to the people they belong to? Is there a "compartment" where these sort of records are stored?

Ligo gravitational observatory and nuclear bombs? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 04:19 AM PDT Could a nuclear bomb trigger ligo? Would we know what it was? submitted by /u/CLPaul [link] [comments]

Can Negative Mass exist? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 05:34 PM PDT Some of you might know that according to the news, some fellas have been able to successfully create a liquid with atoms that accelerate as if they had Negative Mass (backwards instead of forwards). I'm no physicist but even I know the mind boggling weight that such a discovery carries and that the very Second Law of Newton just gets thrown out the window in this circumstance. So does such a breakthrough add evidence that Negative Mass can exist? submitted by /u/Allosaurys1113 [link] [comments]

Can anyone give a comprehensive explanation of sunglass lenses? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 07:24 PM PDT Reading up on sunglasses is confusing as heck, especially for anyone hoping to save a bit of money. There's a lot of science here, and I'm having a lot of trouble finding a proper comprehensive rundown of everything that's involved, and what it all winds up meaning for consumers. First you need to decide wether you want CR-39, Polycarbonate, Trivex, or Glass lenses. Does it even matter? Well, it might. If you're buying cheap and the glasses don't come with much (or any) reliable info, at least you'll know they're relatively UV resistant if they're Polycarbonate or Trivex, because that's a natural quality of those two solutions. Even still, they're not naturally UV400 compliant, so additional treatment/layers/coatings are needed to achieve that. Speaking of which, what the heck is UV400 and how does it differ from the other standards? Which is best? How much does it matter if you get a pair of sunglasses that doesn't explicitly comply. Are there various levels of compliance? What about how UV and Polarization are even achieved? There are different methods, but what are they, and which are the most effective/desirable? Again, how much does it really matter? I know if it's a coating that easily wears off, that's bad, but how common is that? I've read that some Polarization is incorporated right into the lens itself, some are layered into the middle of the lense between sheets of glass, and some are just a film that's applied to the outside. What are the differences? There's no Polarization standard as far as I know, so how do you know what you're getting? Which is best? I've heard lens clarity and uniformity can be a big deal, but aren't always easily perceptible. I've heard ones with lower clarity/uniformity can stress eyes and eventually cause notable eye problems. Is that accurate? How does one identify good lenses in this regard? I'm sure I'm missing quite a bit, but I hope someone who knows more about this topic can give a lot more information. Thanks! submitted by /u/diversification [link] [comments]

The false vacuum theory and energy levels of fields? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 05:39 PM PDT So I have been reading a little bit about the false vacuum theory and am a little confused. From what I have read, the theory states that some mathematics suggests that the Higgs field is not in its ground state energy level and if something were to bump it out of the current stable state that it is in, it could fall to its ground state energy level and that would bring about all sorts of havok. My question is this: Do fields, like the Higgs field, have actual ENERGY states? Much like an electron has discrete energy states in an atom and prefers to be in its ground state. The idea of a field having an energy level is confusing to me. I feel like it would not be an "energy level" like the energy levels of electrons that I am fairly familiar with. EDIT: Spelled Vacuum wrong in the title... submitted by /u/SonOfaFlynn [link] [comments]

Do people in wheelchairs suffer from deep vein thrombosis more often than other people? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 05:20 PM PDT submitted by /u/muuurikuuuh [link] [comments]

With how many drops of water could you mix a single drop of blood and still be able to determine the DNA of the blood sample? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 05:08 AM PDT submitted by /u/YourDadsDickHurts [link] [comments]

Since Gravitationa waves travel at the speed of light, and the speed light is affected by it's medium. Is Gravitation affected by the medium of which it acts? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 04:28 AM PDT Also can gravitation be "blocked" by black hole singularites or any other extraordinary stellar object? submitted by /u/Godisen [link] [comments]

Can electromagnetic waves be represented as real numbers? If so, does this mean we have infinite frequencies? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 07:34 PM PDT After posting an article about the selling of radio waves used by TV stations to some of the top mobile and internet-based providers, it got me to thinking. Can radio frequencies be mathematically represented as "real numbers" as in PI for example. If the above is true, does this mean frequencies are infinite; so why can we not develop hardware that can be fine tuned to any frequency so that there are infinite amounts of frequencies for anyone to use? That way it will not interfere with government / emergency regulated frequencies. submitted by /u/subless [link] [comments]

What is the difference between read-only and re-writable CDs? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 03:49 AM PDT What specifically determines if a disk is re-writable or not? Is it a physical characteristic, or software contained on the disk? submitted by /u/Ickleslimer [link] [comments]

Can gut bacteria really make humans crave certain unhealthy foods? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 10:43 PM PDT submitted by /u/panicattackk [link] [comments]

Fluid dynamics question -- Why does a water nozzle repel with less force as I move an object closer to it? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 02:27 AM PDT http://imgur.com/Myq31FJ Wasn't sure exactly how to phrase the title, and hopefully this is the right sub. Many swimming pools have those nozzles in the side walls that shoot out a constant stream of water, often quite powerfully. Of course, if I place my hand in front of such a nozzle, my hand is pushed away. However, I've noticed that if I get my hand close enough to the nozzle (within a centimeter or so), the force pushing my hand away suddenly decreases. The flow also seems to transition from turbulent to more or less laminar (not sure if that's the right term). Hopefully my lovely MS Paint drawing helps demonstrate the phenomenon. I've also found that this occurs when blowing on a piece of paper. If the paper is several inches away, the force is as you'd expect. But if you move the paper very close to your lips, it almost seems to 'stick' to your lips with relative ease, even while blowing with the same strength. I'm sure this phenomenon is well known, I'm just curious what it is and why it occurs. I have a couple guesses... The first is that it has to do with the direction of flow. When the object in question is far away from the nozzle, the fluid gains a velocity in a direction perpendicular to the object, and the object forces the fluid to significantly change velocity, thus a force is imposed upon the fluid and the object. When the object is closer to the nozzle, the fluid never gains that velocity perpendicular to the object in the first place (but that doesn't make much sense, because it's still flowing perpendicular to the object before it exits the nozzle). My other guess is that it relates to Bernoulli's principle. Specifically, once the object is close enough to the nozzle, the fluid is forced to accelerate to a high enough speed (travelling along the object's surface) that Bernoulli's principle lowers the pressure of the fluid a fair amount. The second one seems to make much more sense to me. submitted by /u/impractical_zoner [link] [comments]

What do people mean when they say that EM waves are perpendicular electric and magnetic waves? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 10:39 PM PDT I am a bit confused on how EM radiation works. What does it mean that photon's waves are both electric and magnetic? Why are these fields perpendicular? How are they both at the same time? How does this relate to things like magnets and electricity that powers my house? Also, how does a photon act as a wave? How exactly is it oscillating? submitted by /u/spidermaniscool42 [link] [comments]

In intrinsic (or pure) semi-conductors what happens to electrons that are liberated by energy? Posted: 18 Apr 2017 12:38 AM PDT submitted by /u/Horsey2 [link] [comments]

Do dogs have object permanence? If not, is there any way it can be taught to them? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 05:11 PM PDT submitted by /u/gdan95 [link] [comments]

Why are the solutions of second order differential equations added to give a single solution? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 12:19 PM PDT If you solve the differential equation's auxiliary function and two real roots, a and b, are obtained why are the solutions added as the auxiliary function is found by using y=Aemx not y=Aeax+Bebx submitted by /u/thenicestdickhead [link] [comments]

Why does it seem like a lot of popular treatments for PTSD (CBT, Psychotherapy, EMDR) have such limited benefit? Why do we use them if we know they don't have a high likelihood of making a big long term difference? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 04:53 PM PDT I have read that CBT helps some people but is less helpful when there are comorbid issues (PTSD and depression and anxiety etc.) and that EMDR is helpful when there is one traumatic incident but not for Complex PTSD where there is ongoing trauma for example child abuse. Why do we use these methods if they have such limited success? Why not just use psychological drugs straight away? (As long as there aren't complications like side effects etc.) submitted by /u/BU-throw [link] [comments]

How does second-hand smoke affect the development of a child? How does it differ from first-hand use in terms of effects and ability for busy to recover? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 04:08 PM PDT I grew up in a household with an indoor-smoking parent from approximately 1 years old to when I was about 12. In my twenties now. I'm curious about how much this second-hand exposure affected my development and wondering how much recovery is possible after exposure has ceased. I read the answer for smoking at https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/177ib0/what_happens_to_the_deposit_of_tar_and_other/ but an specifically asking about child development and second-hand smoke. Is it ever possible to recover completely? I'm also interested in contrasting how second-hand exposure differs from first-hand use in terms of bodily effects and in terms of possible recovery. submitted by /u/smokinggunquestion [link] [comments]

How exactly does our brain remember faces of others and associate that to the people they belong to? Is there a "compartment" where these sort of records are stored? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 07:11 PM PDT submitted by /u/weirdprodigy [link] [comments]

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