Why do we have to "fall" asleep? Why can't we just decide to be asleep?

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• Why do we have to "fall" asleep? Why can't we just decide to be asleep?
• Did we prove speed of light is constant then it was incorporated in theories or did theories predict speed of light would be constant than it was proved by experiments?
• What is going on in a tree stump immediately after the tree is cut down? Does the stump continue to try to live? Is the tree instantly dead like a human would be if the human suffered something equally catastrophic?
• When classifying a moon, is it based around the relative size to the planet? Or do all moons have to be a certain size or larger?
• When the sun "bleaches" a pigment, where does it go?
• [Earth Sciences] What is the nature of underground rivers?
• What goes on in the body when someone increases their stamina?
• How do birds stay cool?
• Why does milk curdle when lemon is squeezed into it?
• How do reptiles and insects produce venom? Also if a snake is bit by one of its own will it die?
• If I were to replace the graphite anode in a Lithium Ion battery with a single layer of Graphene, would the charge time/battery life/cycle life improve?
• Is it possible that we'll find materials with a higher refractive index than diamond, or is there a reason that diamond is the limit?
• what is a steel foundry cauldron made of, why does it not melt at high temperatures?
• Why can't blood be artificially produced?
• Aside from cooling the body and exctreting harmful substances, why do we sweat?
• What happens to space debris after “burn up” occurs in Earth’s atmosphere? Where do the all those particles go?
• Do other mammalian species experience difficulties with breastfeeding?
• What is the difference between hydraulic oil and motor oil?
• Does the “keto” diet actually help burn fat faster? Or does it just come down to calorie restriction?
• How does the human body regulate its temperature?
• Would sound travel differently in heavy water as opposed to water?

Why do we have to "fall" asleep? Why can't we just decide to be asleep? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 08:17 AM PDT submitted by /u/SixthGrader [link] [comments]

Did we prove speed of light is constant then it was incorporated in theories or did theories predict speed of light would be constant than it was proved by experiments? Posted: 18 Jul 2018 01:23 AM PDT Which came first? The theory or the experiment that the speed of light is always constant? submitted by /u/jonbristow [link] [comments]

What is going on in a tree stump immediately after the tree is cut down? Does the stump continue to try to live? Is the tree instantly dead like a human would be if the human suffered something equally catastrophic? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 06:17 PM PDT submitted by /u/Spam4119 [link] [comments]

When classifying a moon, is it based around the relative size to the planet? Or do all moons have to be a certain size or larger? Posted: 18 Jul 2018 01:18 AM PDT submitted by /u/Yukorion [link] [comments]

When the sun "bleaches" a pigment, where does it go? Posted: 18 Jul 2018 05:25 AM PDT Does some portion of the pigment evaporate? Is it a chemical change in the molecules to reflect more white light? submitted by /u/tactiphile [link] [comments]

[Earth Sciences] What is the nature of underground rivers? Posted: 18 Jul 2018 05:28 AM PDT Do they kind of seep through the mud/rock/whatever is down there, or is there a sort of air gap through which they flow, like a tunnel? I'm really struggling to understand what an underground river would look like. Apparently there's one 200km wide which is 4km beneath the Amazon river, and is the same length. What is going on?! submitted by /u/PM_ME_PICS_OF_SPICE [link] [comments]

What goes on in the body when someone increases their stamina? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 10:17 PM PDT What increases stamina? Scientifically speaking, what is stamina? submitted by /u/franksrirachan [link] [comments]

How do birds stay cool? Posted: 18 Jul 2018 05:41 AM PDT If they're warm-blooded but don't have sweat glands, how do they regulate their body temperature in 90+ degree weather? submitted by /u/PedanticQuibbles [link] [comments]

Why does milk curdle when lemon is squeezed into it? Posted: 18 Jul 2018 05:16 AM PDT submitted by /u/legitnightfury [link] [comments]

How do reptiles and insects produce venom? Also if a snake is bit by one of its own will it die? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 07:02 PM PDT submitted by /u/WardenOfTheSouth15 [link] [comments]

If I were to replace the graphite anode in a Lithium Ion battery with a single layer of Graphene, would the charge time/battery life/cycle life improve? Posted: 18 Jul 2018 01:13 AM PDT submitted by /u/h-dawg2014 [link] [comments]

Is it possible that we'll find materials with a higher refractive index than diamond, or is there a reason that diamond is the limit? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 06:37 PM PDT submitted by /u/I_make_things [link] [comments]

what is a steel foundry cauldron made of, why does it not melt at high temperatures? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 04:54 AM PDT submitted by /u/blueicedome [link] [comments]

Why can't blood be artificially produced? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 03:11 PM PDT submitted by /u/oleczny [link] [comments]

Aside from cooling the body and exctreting harmful substances, why do we sweat? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 08:12 PM PDT submitted by /u/Dool0823 [link] [comments]

What happens to space debris after “burn up” occurs in Earth’s atmosphere? Where do the all those particles go? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 06:12 PM PDT Not sure if this falls under the realm of physics, astronomy, or earth sciences but yeah, what becomes space debris post burn up? Does it all fall back to earth as tiny chunks? Does it become a cloud of small particles? What really happens to space debris when "burn up" occurs? submitted by /u/Z_2_A [link] [comments]

Do other mammalian species experience difficulties with breastfeeding? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 05:28 PM PDT So many human women have trouble breastfeeding their newborns (latching problems, milk supply problems, etc). Is this issue unique to humanity, or do whales, dogs, and raccoons have these problems too? If it's a human-specific problem, why? submitted by /u/withanfnotaph [link] [comments]

What is the difference between hydraulic oil and motor oil? Posted: 18 Jul 2018 02:38 AM PDT submitted by /u/nice_disguise [link] [comments]

Does the “keto” diet actually help burn fat faster? Or does it just come down to calorie restriction? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 06:35 PM PDT Does the "keto" diet actually help burn fat faster? Or does it just come down to calorie restriction? People at work were saying it burns fat instead of carbs, but I told them it's calories in vs out at the end of the day. Edit. And does it burn stored fat or consumed fat? submitted by /u/DAREdidnotwork [link] [comments]

How does the human body regulate its temperature? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 12:49 PM PDT The ideal temperature is the one the enzymes work at their optimum, yet how does the body "know" how to keep that temperature? submitted by /u/hvmorlos [link] [comments]

Would sound travel differently in heavy water as opposed to water? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 04:02 PM PDT submitted by /u/Jolly_Misanthrope [link] [comments]

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Is the brain of someone with a higher cognitive ability physically different from that of someone with lower cognitive ability?

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• Is the brain of someone with a higher cognitive ability physically different from that of someone with lower cognitive ability?
• How do birds learn the call that's specific to their species?
• How come all the planets seem to be on an even plane around the sun?
• What’s the point of max linear dimensions (L+W+H <=158cm) rule used by airlines? Why is it not volume based(L*W*H)?
• What's the difference between actual sleep and just laying down when fighting off a disease?
• What’s the difference between sleep and just laying down/resting?
• Out of all the spacecraft we have landed on planets, is it possible some may of contained bacteria that has stayed on that planet? And possibly even spread?
• Why does the western part of North America have so many named, smaller deserts, despite seemingly all being next to each other? Why don't we name it as one single desert like we do with the Sahara?
• Why do animal trials rarely translate into novel medical therapies in humans?
• Using a magnet as the core of an electromagnet?
• What does it mean to claim fractional electric charge particles exist in the Earth's core?
• What was there before the Big Bang ?
• If a high-energy neutrino passes through my body and interacts with the atoms within, will it produce light, however fleeting?
• Is the water at the bottom of the ocean more "condensed"?
• How large are eddy currents generated by time-varying magnetic fields?
• Has there been any research on methods for obstacles to identify themselves to an autonomous vehicle?
• Can ants differentiate between colonies?
• How come I share 99% of my DNA with a chimp, but only half with my brother?
• Why do some isotopes, such as potassium-40, undergo beta decay while others do not?
• Is it possible to hold anti-matter in a vacuum container that's being blasted with photons to keep it in place?
• Does light hurt deep sea creatures?
• How do objects with special paint emit different colours depending on where you view it from?

Is the brain of someone with a higher cognitive ability physically different from that of someone with lower cognitive ability? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 09:56 AM PDT If there are common differences, and future technology allowed us to modify the brain and minimize those physical differences, would it improve a person's cognitive ability? submitted by /u/ginko26 [link] [comments]

How do birds learn the call that's specific to their species? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 07:29 AM PDT Would a bird that has never met another of its species still make the same call? Could isolated populations of the same species develop calls that are different to one another? submitted by /u/HotKarl27 [link] [comments]

How come all the planets seem to be on an even plane around the sun? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 06:49 AM PDT It seems that In a 3D environment, that the would orbit at all different angles. Another question: why do they all orbit the sun the same way? submitted by /u/02grimreaper [link] [comments]

What’s the point of max linear dimensions (L+W+H <=158cm) rule used by airlines? Why is it not volume based(L*W*H)? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 07:07 AM PDT A lot of airlines around the world now have a max linear dimension limit (http://www.travelmerry.com/ViewBaggageInfo.aspx) and it is typically 158cm. Apparently some airlines routinely charge the passengers even if the linear dimensions are exceeded by 5 cm. Now I am guessing this rule was designed keeping suitcases in mind. Assuming a typical suitcase shapte which fulfils this 158 cm rule ( 78+48+32), you end up with a volume of approximately 120Litres. Let's call this the intended volume limit. If you are exceeding the dimensions by 5 cm ( 2.5+1.5+1), you could end up with a volume of approximately 131 Litres. i.e 11 litres more than the intended volume limit. But if someone checks in a cube shaped box ( each side measuring 158/3 = 52.67cm) with a volume of 146 Litres he is still not charged despite being about 26 litres over the intended volume limit! From the airline's point of view they are concerned about two things – volume and weight. Although the liner dimension(L+W+H) has a bearing on the volume, why not be more specific and have a rule about the max volume(LWH)? Edit: calculations submitted by /u/tirboki [link] [comments]

What's the difference between actual sleep and just laying down when fighting off a disease? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 05:47 PM PDT I've currently got a cold, so my body needs rest to fight it off and recover. What's the biological difference between having an actual sleep, or just laying horizontal and watching tv/reading ? Is my immune system doing the same thing? Do I actually need more sleep when sick, or does physical inactivity suffice? submitted by /u/UsernameUndeclared [link] [comments]

What’s the difference between sleep and just laying down/resting? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 08:17 AM PDT Why is sleep required for our bodies, and what does it do that simply laying down and resting doesn't do? submitted by /u/SpaceUndies01 [link] [comments]

Out of all the spacecraft we have landed on planets, is it possible some may of contained bacteria that has stayed on that planet? And possibly even spread? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 05:25 PM PDT submitted by /u/sundaysbluebird [link] [comments]

Why does the western part of North America have so many named, smaller deserts, despite seemingly all being next to each other? Why don't we name it as one single desert like we do with the Sahara? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 02:28 AM PDT Reading through the Wikipedia article on deserts in NA, I noticed that there's no single name for the desert on the western half of the continent, but it's seemingly broken up into smaller parts. Why is this? I suspect that part of it may be that, since it's oriented by longitude, the desert in British Columbia is different from Baja California or Mexico, but I'm not sure. submitted by /u/CaptainSteelmeat69 [link] [comments]

Why do animal trials rarely translate into novel medical therapies in humans? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 12:14 AM PDT Tons of treatments, especially those regarding neurodegenerative diseases or cancers proclaim breakthrough treatments in diseases of mice. However these announcements usually stay as announcements, and no new therapies come from it in the years that follow. Why is this so? submitted by /u/ambystom4 [link] [comments]

Using a magnet as the core of an electromagnet? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 07:13 PM PDT If I aligned the poles of the magnet and the electromagnet,(North of magnet is at North of electromagnet), would the magnetic flux of the magnet And electromagnet superpose on each other? submitted by /u/Sauces0me [link] [comments]

What does it mean to claim fractional electric charge particles exist in the Earth's core? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 04:16 PM PDT I was listening to this panel that's loosely constrained to talk about string theory. At the timestamp Witten is claiming that 1/5 electric charge particles could exist in the Earth's core. I'm not very familiar with the subject, but I did some Googling and found quite a few articles on "The Search for Fractional Electric Charge." Can someone give an explanation on: a. Why fractional charge is controversial, or at least was at the time of this panel discussion b. How would someone observe this if they are in the core of planets. c. Was this taken seriously as an answer to the missing baryon problem? One of the members at the table makes a quick comment about it. submitted by /u/profesh_2_death [link] [comments]

What was there before the Big Bang ? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 05:14 AM PDT submitted by /u/only_real_questions [link] [comments]

If a high-energy neutrino passes through my body and interacts with the atoms within, will it produce light, however fleeting? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 09:57 AM PDT I was reading about the remarkable IceCube neutrino detector and considering the high energy neutrinos creating a trail of photons as they pass through everything, including our bodies. Is that accurate? If so, what becomes of such photons? Do they escape? submitted by /u/Tyree_Callahan [link] [comments]

Is the water at the bottom of the ocean more "condensed"? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 12:03 AM PDT Is the water in the deepest parts of the ocean more "condensed" due to the pressure? Also say you manage to get the water at the deepest parts of the ocean in a container, what happens to that container once you start bringing it back to the surface and open it? Does the water shoot out due to it no longer being under pressure, or does nothing happen and you just have a container of water? submitted by /u/JakexDx [link] [comments]

How large are eddy currents generated by time-varying magnetic fields? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 09:02 AM PDT I want to try an experiment where I detect joule heating due to eddy currents. I want to induce eddy currents in a small copper plate. I have a function generator providing AC voltage and an (audio) amplifier to boost the signal provided by the function generator. I have a coil of wire (speaker coil to be precise) that will act as an inductor. I attach the output of the amplifier to the coil (with the impedances matched) and since the input is a time-varying voltage, it will produce time-varying current in the inductor, which should then generate eddy currents. Is there any formula to be able to estimate the eddy current and power loss due to eddy currents? Thanks guys :) submitted by /u/DoctorKokktor [link] [comments]

Has there been any research on methods for obstacles to identify themselves to an autonomous vehicle? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 08:16 AM PDT I've been reading a lot of articles about artificial detection in AVs and all the research is focused on AVs using their onboard sensors to detect essentially uncooperative obstacles. What I'm wondering is if there's any research related to signal emitters or other devices which could be attached to pedestrians/cyclists/other vehicles (or even signs, roads, etc.) to provide environmental data directly to the ego-vehicle. submitted by /u/Thewhyofdownvotes [link] [comments]

Can ants differentiate between colonies? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 09:55 AM PDT If one ant comes across another ant from a different colony, is there a way it can tell its not from theirs? submitted by /u/SixtyNineGG [link] [comments]

How come I share 99% of my DNA with a chimp, but only half with my brother? Posted: 17 Jul 2018 12:36 AM PDT I'm not adopted, I believe. submitted by /u/ReasonForClout [link] [comments]

Why do some isotopes, such as potassium-40, undergo beta decay while others do not? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 07:57 AM PDT If a neutron can decay into a proton, and some other subatomic particles, via the weak nuclear force, why does this not happen in all atoms? submitted by /u/UnSG [link] [comments]

Is it possible to hold anti-matter in a vacuum container that's being blasted with photons to keep it in place? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 07:26 PM PDT Just thought of this, couldn't find a good answer online. I'm probably wrong but I'm curious as hell now. submitted by /u/AllahJesusBuddha [link] [comments]

Does light hurt deep sea creatures? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 07:58 AM PDT When researches/robots go down into the ocean past the limit of what light reaches and they use a source of light to be able to look, like a flashlight. Does that light hurt the animals or make them uncomfortable in some way? submitted by /u/tacosdeassuhdude [link] [comments]

How do objects with special paint emit different colours depending on where you view it from? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 10:44 AM PDT Chameleon Paint submitted by /u/Coopremer [link] [comments]

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I heard that detergents, soaps, and surfactants have a polar end and a non-polar end, and are thus able to dissolve grease. But so do fatty acids; the carboxyl end (the acid part) is polar, and the long hydrocarbon tail is non-polar. So why don't fatty acids behave like soap? What's the difference?

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• I heard that detergents, soaps, and surfactants have a polar end and a non-polar end, and are thus able to dissolve grease. But so do fatty acids; the carboxyl end (the acid part) is polar, and the long hydrocarbon tail is non-polar. So why don't fatty acids behave like soap? What's the difference?
• What is the "lowest" life form that performs a stretching reflex?
• Why does blue seem to be the hardest color to achieve for so many things, such as LEDs, fireworks, and paints or dyes?
• Why did the Space Shuttle have a roll maneuver, as opposed to just launching in the right orientation?
• Why don’t physicists use relativistic mass anymore?
• Do adult animals recognize their own siblings when they encounter each other in the wild?
• What makes you wake up?
• How much copper can D-penicillamine (DPA) chelate?
• Does air have its own form of “surface tension” the same way water does?
• How can scientists tell that there is very little antimatter in the universe?
• Would you travel a further relative distance on the larger of concentric spheres or the same?
• Do interests/hobbies developed due to the environment or predisposition genetics?
• Does the optical fiber reflect all types of light?
• How do Galaxies Accelerate?
• I know the difference between venomous and poisonous, but does this distinction only apply to animals? Are there venomous plants?
• How do analog devices effectively use such high frequencies, but silicon devices are limited to the low GHz range?
• Does a virus always inject itself into the same location within a chromosome?
• What is the actual difference between scattering and absorption at the atomic level, if both are exciting molecules, albeit at different magnitude?
• Why can flies easily enter a trap but struggle to get out?
• How do spacecraft navigate in space even though there's no fixed point about which a co-ordinate system can be made, and there's no concept of direction in space like north-south or up-down?
• What causes the initial signal from our brains to be fired when we decide to move a limb?
• What manipulates the taste and texture of different types of meats?

I heard that detergents, soaps, and surfactants have a polar end and a non-polar end, and are thus able to dissolve grease. But so do fatty acids; the carboxyl end (the acid part) is polar, and the long hydrocarbon tail is non-polar. So why don't fatty acids behave like soap? What's the difference? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 02:30 PM PDT Bonus question: what is the difference between a surfactant and a soap and a detergent? submitted by /u/Berkamin [link] [comments]

What is the "lowest" life form that performs a stretching reflex? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 02:33 PM PDT As I'm scrolling through r/aww and such, I see pics of small animals stretching their limbs in a kind of reflex fashion. Just wondering if anyone knows the earliest (or I guess "lowest") life form this has been observed in. Edit: to clarify what I mean by "lowest," I guess I mean that out of all the evolutionary branches that exhibit this behavior (or a behavior that approximates it), the earliest branch that does not include humans that has extant species. Edit 2: Bonus if anyone can answer the same question for yawning. submitted by /u/sotaskimmer [link] [comments]

Why does blue seem to be the hardest color to achieve for so many things, such as LEDs, fireworks, and paints or dyes? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 03:03 PM PDT What makes blue special? Also what category would this be? submitted by /u/PikpikTurnip [link] [comments]

Why did the Space Shuttle have a roll maneuver, as opposed to just launching in the right orientation? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 01:53 PM PDT It's funny, I didn't even think about it until I started making shuttles in Kerbal Space Program. Launching as the real Shuttle did gives me stability issues in the game while performing the roll, so I launch with the shuttle already facing the right way. Was there a reason the Shuttle didn't launch facing east to begin with? submitted by /u/supermegahypernova [link] [comments]

Why don’t physicists use relativistic mass anymore? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 11:37 AM PDT submitted by /u/Cosmonaut17 [link] [comments]

Do adult animals recognize their own siblings when they encounter each other in the wild? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 11:13 AM PDT submitted by /u/sneki_snek [link] [comments]

What makes you wake up? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 08:51 PM PDT So what makes people wake up naturally? Is it our internal clock or is it just our bodies saying we've had enough rest? I ask this because I've found that sometimes if I go to bed late then I'll wake up earlier than if I went to bed early. submitted by /u/acidSK8R89 [link] [comments]

How much copper can D-penicillamine (DPA) chelate? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 06:03 AM PDT Hi, I have 0 background knowledge in chemistry and this is not for a homework. It's actually for better understanding of Wilson's disease. I've read in "Chelation Therapy in the Treatment of Metal Intoxication (2016)" that in vitro 1000mg of D-penicillamine (DPA) chelates about 200mg of copper but in actuality only 1% (10mg) is secreted out of the body. How did the authors come up with this number and are there more empirical results on the drug's effectiveness as a chelator? Another question is how do scientists and doctors measure how long before each meal should DPA be taken? Thanks. submitted by /u/superTUX380 [link] [comments]

Does air have its own form of “surface tension” the same way water does? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 12:38 AM PDT My assumption is that the atoms are too far apart to create any form of tension compared to water. But would this be the case in a pressurized environment? submitted by /u/7yearoldkiller [link] [comments]

How can scientists tell that there is very little antimatter in the universe? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 12:19 AM PDT Based on the Wikipedia level reading I've done it appears that in all respects antimatter should behave exactly as "regular" matter. So then how can we be sure that there aren't galaxies, stars, etc made of antimatter? What led scientists to the conclusion that all of the universe is made out of regular matter? I'm not suggesting that there isn't an imbalance or that antimatter galaxies exist. I'm only asking how scientists, who know more than me, came to the conclusion that the universe is almost entirely regular matter when it should be observationally identical. submitted by /u/RSTLNE3MCAAV [link] [comments]

Would you travel a further relative distance on the larger of concentric spheres or the same? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 03:01 AM PDT I was recently thinking about space flight/air travel etc and i couldnt logically come to a conclusion of this: Imagine a sphere with centre point (equidistant to all other points on the sphere in 3axis) Now another larger sphere encompassing the smaller sphere but with the same centre point in space. You are standing at a point (x) on the larger sphere with a line bisecting the centre point (c) and outer surface of the smaller sphere (y). You travel a distance (d) from (x) on the surface of the outer sphere to point (x1) with the same line bisecting the centre point of both spheres concentrically and where you stop at (x1) the line now bisects the smaller sphere's surface at (y1) and the distance between (y) and (y1) is now (d1). Does (d) = (d1)? And what does this mean in terms of relativity for example does a person walking on the surface of a planet walk the same or more distance as a satellite traveling the same speed in the same amount of time in orbit? submitted by /u/deeztoasticles [link] [comments]

Do interests/hobbies developed due to the environment or predisposition genetics? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 04:45 AM PDT submitted by /u/comeditime [link] [comments]

Does the optical fiber reflect all types of light? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 04:27 AM PDT I just finished watching a video demonstration showing a fiber optic cable struck by two types of lasers, one green and one red. The cable transmitted the green light beam without problems, while the red one could not cross it. How does this happen? submitted by /u/BlitzYTech [link] [comments]

How do Galaxies Accelerate? Posted: 16 Jul 2018 12:48 AM PDT I apologize if this is not flaired properly. I was having a discussion with someone about the speeds that galaxies accelerate at. He was saying that in order to calculate the velocity of a galaxy, it would be as easy as using distance over time. I fervently disagreed. I said that at the order of magnitude of a galaxy, moving from Point A to Point B is not that simple. Time will be affected by the gravitational field around the galaxy. Additionally, at this size, spacetime is moving itself. So deciding a point is not so simple. Was what I said anywhere close to the truth? submitted by /u/ChiefWamsutta [link] [comments]

I know the difference between venomous and poisonous, but does this distinction only apply to animals? Are there venomous plants? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 04:49 PM PDT I know there's a lot of plants that can sting you if you touch them like stinging nettle, but are they considered venomous? submitted by /u/Kiloueka [link] [comments]

How do analog devices effectively use such high frequencies, but silicon devices are limited to the low GHz range? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 03:42 PM PDT I understand that a complex silicon device like a CPU is frequency limited by a number of factors such as signal propagation delay, but silicon transistors do have a fundamental switching frequency limit (ex. FinFET transistors seem to be workable up to ~30GHz from a quick Google search). But radio frequency equipment (even really old stuff) can go into hundreds of GHz and even into THz frequencies when looking at things like radio transmission/reception and astronomy research. If you are transmitting and/or receiving signals on carriers that are hundreds of times faster than the fastest silicon transistors can switch, how are we able to make use of these parts of the spectrum? Light is just extremely high frequency EM radiation, and fiber optics make use of only a tiny sliver of the available bandwidth of visible light (as far as I understand it). Is that also the case with millimeter and sub-millimeter wave radio? submitted by /u/skaven81 [link] [comments]

Does a virus always inject itself into the same location within a chromosome? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 10:01 PM PDT I was reading about the HeLa cell lines, and the book mentioned that the reason that the cells were able to divide indefinitely is that the HPV-18 virus infected a segment of the 11th chromosome that was important in suppressing tumors. That made me wonder if that particular virus always inserted itself into that region of the 11th chromosome, or if it just inserted itself into the first region of DNA that it fit? submitted by /u/chazwh [link] [comments]

What is the actual difference between scattering and absorption at the atomic level, if both are exciting molecules, albeit at different magnitude? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 07:54 AM PDT I understand absorption and scattering is what gives things color, like why Chlorophyll is green (because it absorbs more in the red/blue levels), and water is bluish (since it absorbs more in the red region). BUT I don't understand why this difference occurs; Why is resonant frequencies absorbed by molecules, if all it's doing is vibrating the molecules more than other wavelength of light. For example, if red light is more closer to the resonant OH bond stretching vibrations, it get absorbed, but blue light is not, so it gets scattered. Don't both wavelengths wiggle the molecules, therefore transmitting energy to the molecule, albeit at different magnitudes? What makes water molecules "give back" the blue light, but "keep" the red light ? submitted by /u/wannastro [link] [comments]

Why can flies easily enter a trap but struggle to get out? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 07:34 PM PDT I saw a friend of mine post a fly trap and was wondering why the flies can get into the trap so easily, but struggle to get out? There were dozens in there dead and a dozen more alive and trapped -- unable to get out. Also what makes them fly into the liquid? Do they eventually get tired and fall in? Thanks submitted by /u/Kingkwon83 [link] [comments]

How do spacecraft navigate in space even though there's no fixed point about which a co-ordinate system can be made, and there's no concept of direction in space like north-south or up-down? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 11:18 AM PDT submitted by /u/PleasedPan [link] [comments]

What causes the initial signal from our brains to be fired when we decide to move a limb? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 05:55 AM PDT When I want to move my hand, I just think about it and it works. I decide to move my hand and a signal is sent from my brain which causes my muscles to expand/contract which makes my hand move. What creates this signal in my brain? submitted by /u/facial_issues [link] [comments]

What manipulates the taste and texture of different types of meats? Posted: 15 Jul 2018 05:01 PM PDT submitted by /u/TheRecklessRonin [link] [comments]

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