What causes an ice age, and is it possible for us to have another one/when could the nearest one be?

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• What causes an ice age, and is it possible for us to have another one/when could the nearest one be?
• why is Hilbert space useful in quantum mechanics?
• Is there any standard folding or organisation to the GI tract, specifically the small intestine?
• I have an atom with an excited electron. A mile in every direction are cameras pointing towards the atom. The excited electron drops orbit and one photon is emitted. Who gets the photon on film? Can it register on all the cameras?
• Do humans inherit their voices, or is our voice a "learned" skill?
• Can Deinococcus Radiodurans survive autoclaving?
• How do experiments with high power requirements arrange their supply of electricity?
• Can someone explain quantization of EM field resulting in photos?
• Why is the HPV vaccine given in multiple stages?
• Is "Limit of Detection" a lower bound or can it also be an upper bound?
• What medical conditions would prevent you from working with nuclear radiation? Or going places you might be exposed to radiation?
• What percentage of satellites are used for civilian versus military purposes? (Or both?)
• Are there fishes which swim up-side-down?
• How do Hydrogen Cars work?
• What is the rate of soil development in a grassland vs a forest in the same climate?
• Why is wireless charging so inefficient?
• Why is oxygen crucial to life?

What causes an ice age, and is it possible for us to have another one/when could the nearest one be? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 07:02 PM PDT submitted by /u/2017ccb1 [link] [comments]

why is Hilbert space useful in quantum mechanics? Posted: 07 Oct 2018 06:30 AM PDT I believe I understand the mathematics of Hilbert spaces, but don't understand how their properties are useful for quantum mechanics in a visual sense. What is it about the dot product that applies to, say, probability amplitudes? I'm trying to understand this smbc comic if that's helpful. Sorry if this question is too basic for this sub. submitted by /u/The_Venerable_Swede [link] [comments]

Is there any standard folding or organisation to the GI tract, specifically the small intestine? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 10:19 PM PDT Does it change as we grow? Does it depend on body size? Is it genetic? submitted by /u/MechaDesu [link] [comments]

I have an atom with an excited electron. A mile in every direction are cameras pointing towards the atom. The excited electron drops orbit and one photon is emitted. Who gets the photon on film? Can it register on all the cameras? Posted: 07 Oct 2018 03:01 AM PDT I may have put this terribly, but I want to emit one photon, wave-like in every direction. If photons must have a direction then the question does not work, but opens up the new question of, Why? submitted by /u/meurl [link] [comments]

Do humans inherit their voices, or is our voice a "learned" skill? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 09:12 PM PDT I got to thinking about how some people in families sound similar, not accent, but tone, range, etc. Then I wondered if its a genetic component to how the vocal chords and diaphragm develop, or maybe its a learned behavior/skill from listening to adults as kids, and imitating those voices. Thoughts? submitted by /u/jeepbrahh [link] [comments]

Can Deinococcus Radiodurans survive autoclaving? Posted: 07 Oct 2018 12:34 AM PDT I am wondering if autoclaves are really all that sterile when working with extremophiles. Cannot seem to find any studies online. submitted by /u/zhandragon [link] [comments]

How do experiments with high power requirements arrange their supply of electricity? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 11:28 AM PDT It's well known that experiments such as particle accelerators, fusion tocamacs and lasers require extremely high amounts of energy to run; some for a fraction of a second, some for significantly longer. Do these experiments have their own power stations, as it were? Or do they draw electricity from the national grid of the country their in? If so, how does the grid deal with the momentary spike in demand? Do the experiments have to schedule their demand in advance? submitted by /u/nottherealslash [link] [comments]

Can someone explain quantization of EM field resulting in photos? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 10:07 AM PDT From what I understood googling it, I think we need to use expression for TE of EMF submitted by /u/thehumblefool237 [link] [comments]

Why is the HPV vaccine given in multiple stages? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 02:04 PM PDT submitted by /u/stable_carbocation [link] [comments]

Is "Limit of Detection" a lower bound or can it also be an upper bound? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 01:45 PM PDT I recieved some data recently dealing with chemical contamination in sediments. When I got the data I was told " HARC_Value is calculated field we created that sets the value to 0 if the Limit of Detection is exceeded during sampling processing " when I asked for a little clarification on this I never recieved a response. The language makes me think the value was high, but if that was the case why would it be set to 0 and reported as such? My previous understanding of detection limit was that it was a lower bound. If anyone could clarify this for me I would really appreciate it. submitted by /u/Claughy [link] [comments]

What medical conditions would prevent you from working with nuclear radiation? Or going places you might be exposed to radiation? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 11:58 AM PDT Like would someone with a very compromised immune system or something like hemophilia be prevented from say working near or touring areas where you might be exposed to radiation. submitted by /u/GorillaGravy [link] [comments]

What percentage of satellites are used for civilian versus military purposes? (Or both?) Posted: 06 Oct 2018 09:16 AM PDT This is something sparked from another question about the uses of space, but it occurred to me that there might be people out there with guesses about the relative numbers. Many satellites currently in orbit serve what we can probably call unambiguously civilian purposes. Sirius XM radio, for example, is pumping out tunes, not war. Many of the satellites serve unambiguously military purposes, too, doing things like spying, looking for missile launches, coordinating command and control systems, playing roles in missile defense, and so on. And some satellites of course straddle the line: GPS, for example, is heavily used by military systems (and was invented and deployed originally for them exclusively), but is also heavily used by civilian systems these days as well. Is there any kind of census of satellites that would give us a sense of what percentage of them probably fell into these respective categories (civilian, military, dual-use)? I am aware that the boundaries between them are going to be somewhat fuzzy at times, but I'm curious if we have any sense of the relative composition of space. I am just curious — if it was more military, or more civilian, or more dual-use, all of these would be interesting cases. It would REALLY interesting to know (as a historian) if there is a way to track this over time (e.g., my assumption is that it has gotten more civilian and dual-use over time, but that might be wrong for all I know about satellites, which isn't much), but I'm not expecting that to be easily accessible data, but what do I know. submitted by /u/restricteddata [link] [comments]

Are there fishes which swim up-side-down? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 04:56 AM PDT submitted by /u/shele [link] [comments]

How do Hydrogen Cars work? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 05:53 AM PDT How do they use hydrogen to create energy for the engine? submitted by /u/FireOfNite [link] [comments]

What is the rate of soil development in a grassland vs a forest in the same climate? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 05:27 AM PDT A thread yesterday talked about how phytoplankton sequesters carbon longer than trees since it often sinks to the bottom of the ocean for thousands of years. I have also seen some research suggesting grasslands may be better carbon sinks than forest since more of their biomass is underground. It got me wondering about the relative rates of soil deposition and google didn't net any clear answers. submitted by /u/RIPEOTCDXVI [link] [comments]

Why is wireless charging so inefficient? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 04:11 AM PDT submitted by /u/Gabriel38 [link] [comments]

Why is oxygen crucial to life? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 08:27 AM PDT I read recently that there have been complex organisms found in the black sea, where the water is relatively anoxic, but my question is why isn't the black sea flourishing with life? Could it be possible that earth would have the amount of life we have today without oxygen, and if so, could intelligent life evolve in such an environment? Is oxygen crucial to having complex organisms or are there other chemicals that could support the amount of life that we have on earth today? submitted by /u/Xzchaeitoe [link] [comments]

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When is a cave a cave?

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• When is a cave a cave?
• The Gympie Gympie plant (link in comment) can cause pain that lasts years. How does it do this, wouldn't toxins be flushed from your system by then ?
• Why do elderly people smell different?
• Who owns the moon and other space-related things?
• In the context of nuclear reactions, what is the difference between prompt criticality and delayed criticality? Why does one result in a nuclear explosion while the other does not despite them both being supercritical reactions?
• When you get a headache from say, constant loud noise, what exactly is hurting if your brain has no pain receptors?
• How long after death does all electrical activity in the brain cease?
• Do fever-reducing medicines deprive your immune system of the benefits of having a higher body temperature while fighting an infection?
• [Psychology] How does Compassion Fatigue apply to fields not typically associated with trauma, such as technical support?
• If one of the conditions for cancer is replenishing telomeres for unbounded growth, then what happens to cancer growths without this trait? Do they stop growing at a certain size, forming a stable sized tumor?
• Is Hawking still correct?
• During CPR, how does the heart fill back up with blood after a chest compression?
• Are smaller organism’s cells smaller than a larger organism’s cells?
• What is the full meaning of omega (density parameter) = 1 concerning our universe?
• What do you call the small broken up islands that surround northern land masses like Greenland?
• Why can't our brains/bodies restart after dying?
• If the sun is expanding, does that mean that the habitable zone is also changing ?
• At what distance does diving into water go from recreational to lethal?
• During a harmonic alignment of the planets is the barycenter of our solar system ever outside the sphere of the sun?

When is a cave a cave? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 03:19 PM PDT It's obvious most of the time, everybody knows what a cave is. You walk into a hole in the rock and wow, you're in a cave. But when is a hole in the ground not only a hole but considered a cave by science? Bonus: Are there fast growing caves that form in a for humans observable timeframe or is it always some Million years of water carving through stone? What about caves formed by earthquakes? submitted by /u/md63157 [link] [comments]

The Gympie Gympie plant (link in comment) can cause pain that lasts years. How does it do this, wouldn't toxins be flushed from your system by then ? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 03:17 AM PDT Gympie Gympie stings last an awful long time, with reports saying even after years you can still experience pain. How does this work ? I was tempted to put this in ELI5, but I'm good with the scientific explanation as it gives me something to deep-dive into Wikipedia to kill a few hours. submitted by /u/Nandy-bear [link] [comments]

Why do elderly people smell different? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 02:08 AM PDT I have many times questioned myself why elderly people have an different odor than young people. Is there an biological explanation on this please? submitted by /u/Scientia33 [link] [comments]

Who owns the moon and other space-related things? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 04:11 AM PDT What stops a country to set up a moon base or mine on asteroid for precious metals? Will the colonizing of space be like a "free for all, grab what yours" or are there certain rules? submitted by /u/AIec18 [link] [comments]

In the context of nuclear reactions, what is the difference between prompt criticality and delayed criticality? Why does one result in a nuclear explosion while the other does not despite them both being supercritical reactions? Posted: 06 Oct 2018 03:01 AM PDT I already understand the process by which nuclear reactors work to a fundamental level with the ideas of moderators and control rods sorted, but what I cannot seem to understand is the difference between prompt and delayed criticality. Like, both are supercritical so both should in theory result in exponential growth of neutron emissions, right? Rephrasing the question, why is there a sudden difference between 1<k<1/(1-beta) and k>1/(1-beta) despite both resulting in exponential growth of neutrons? I looked up the Wikipedia article on this and it did not help. Thank you! submitted by /u/aberki1234 [link] [comments]

When you get a headache from say, constant loud noise, what exactly is hurting if your brain has no pain receptors? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 08:08 PM PDT submitted by /u/coooldady [link] [comments]

How long after death does all electrical activity in the brain cease? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 10:02 AM PDT submitted by /u/adr826 [link] [comments]

Do fever-reducing medicines deprive your immune system of the benefits of having a higher body temperature while fighting an infection? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 01:03 PM PDT submitted by /u/Mangotrain66 [link] [comments]

[Psychology] How does Compassion Fatigue apply to fields not typically associated with trauma, such as technical support? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 04:18 PM PDT I'm a team lead in large enterprise support, we commonly deal with disaster scenarios every day where companies risk losing their businesses or livelihoods due to data loss. I've observed many symptoms of Compassion Fatigue in my agents and would like to know if there's any official studies or answers on this topic. submitted by /u/snakejawz [link] [comments]

If one of the conditions for cancer is replenishing telomeres for unbounded growth, then what happens to cancer growths without this trait? Do they stop growing at a certain size, forming a stable sized tumor? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 12:52 PM PDT submitted by /u/SaltReaction3 [link] [comments]

Is Hawking still correct? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 01:12 PM PDT In A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking wrote, "Now at first sight all this evidence that the universe looks the same whichever direction we look in might seem to suggest there is something special about our place in the universe. In particular, it might seem that if we observe all other galaxies to be moving away from us, then we must be at the center of the universe. There is, however, an alternate explanation: the universe might look the same in every direction as seen from any other galaxy too. This, as we have seen,was Friedmann's second assumption. We have no scientific evidence for, or against, this assumption [the assumption that the universe has no center]. We believe it on the grounds of modesty. It would be most remarkable if the universe looked the same in every direction around us, but not around other points in the universe!" (A Brief History of Time 44-45). My question is this. Have we discovered something since the time Hawking wrote this that would justify the belief that the universe has no center? Let me clarify my request. I'm not asking for explanations of the data that are merely consistent with the idea that there is no center. I'm asking for evidence that has been discovered since the time of his statement that can be best explained (or only explained) by believing that the universe has no center. I already infer from Hawking's statement that A) explanations of the data that are merely consistent with the idea that there is no center already existed when he wrote his book, and B) no evidence existed at the time of his writing that could be best explained (or only explained) by believing that the universe has no center. Thanks. Edit: In an ideal world, I could have a source that directly addresses Hawking's statement and demonstrates how what he said is no longer the case, but I will be grateful for whatever assistance is on offer. submitted by /u/nomenmeum [link] [comments]

During CPR, how does the heart fill back up with blood after a chest compression? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 01:00 PM PDT submitted by /u/watusa [link] [comments]

Are smaller organism’s cells smaller than a larger organism’s cells? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 11:39 AM PDT submitted by /u/Bloodymike [link] [comments]

What is the full meaning of omega (density parameter) = 1 concerning our universe? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 03:11 PM PDT I have been reading through Mapping the Heavens and the chapter over dark energy has left me with some questions I can't find exact answers to. Forgive my questions if they sound ignorant or are worded inaccurately. From my understanding, omega is the sum of all matter (dark and normal) plus lambda; the former contributes 0.3 to omega and the latter 0.7. However, these numbers aren't exact and omega may be just over or just under 1. However, it seems like the consensus is that it is exactly 1. Is this still the consensus or is there new data? Also, if omega is 1, then that means our universe's matter is exactly at the critical density to prevent collapse? Does the former (#2) mean that our universe will continue to expand but stop at some point or will expansion continue accelerating? What is the fundamental difference between the Big Chill model and the Big Rip model? If the universe continues to expand, would not the Big Chill happen first, followed later by the Big Rip? I don't understand how the latter wouldn't eventually also happen. submitted by /u/yungskiddy [link] [comments]

What do you call the small broken up islands that surround northern land masses like Greenland? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 01:40 PM PDT What do you call the frayed edges of northern land masses like Greenland? The small, broken up pieces of land that sometimes seperate off the main land mass into tiny islands(They are so small, I'm not sure if Island is the correct term.). If I could figure out a way to post a picture, I would circle what I mean in red... submitted by /u/MFF_zews [link] [comments]

Why can't our brains/bodies restart after dying? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 07:03 AM PDT I understand the brain and body need certain nutrients and elements to function and will die without those. Much like a computer needing power, the brain will die without oxygen (for example). But unlike a computer starting up again after being dead by powering it, why can't a brain or some cells that died because of lack or nutrients start up again if they're given those nutrients after death? submitted by /u/But_IAmARobot [link] [comments]

If the sun is expanding, does that mean that the habitable zone is also changing ? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 07:37 AM PDT submitted by /u/TrekStebber [link] [comments]

At what distance does diving into water go from recreational to lethal? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 11:38 AM PDT submitted by /u/vachmal [link] [comments]

During a harmonic alignment of the planets is the barycenter of our solar system ever outside the sphere of the sun? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 10:12 AM PDT submitted by /u/adr826 [link] [comments]

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Why do some wind turbines have textured edges ?(image in text below)

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• Why do some wind turbines have textured edges ?(image in text below)
• Are there any planetary orbital features that we know to be theoretically possible, but have never found an example of in any exoplanet?
• How where Jurassic Herbivores (like the Stegosaurus) able to physically sustain themselves with only leaves which are so low in Calorie?
• The closest solar system to our own is 4.5 lightyears away, which two solar systems have the closest proximity to each other?
• What would atmospheric matter-antimatter explosion look like?
• Why are insects attracted to light sources at night? I.e moths to lamps
• Does the oxygen abundance around a plant increase in a closed environment?
• How does optical activity work at the atomic scale?
• People talk about "inflammation" in the body often, what exactly is happening in this situation?
• When an atom is split is the energy released coming from the gluons?
• When a whale or shark breaches the surface into the air, does everything appear blurry or clear to the creature?
• What’s the cellular cause of glaucoma?
• Are mammals the only type of animals that can get fat?
• Has there ever been more living beings in the planet than right now or is this the period that’s seen the most life?
• Has the amount of radiation earth puts out into space risen due to humans?
• Do different types of cells have chromosomes with different initial telomere length?
• Is a virus (mono, for instance) contagious in its incubation period?
• Does nuclear radiation have a "signature"?

Why do some wind turbines have textured edges ?(image in text below) Posted: 04 Oct 2018 09:56 PM PDT I noticed these raised edges on the blade of a wind turbine in this video from Jeff Bezos's Instagram. What are they for? submitted by /u/CountryOfTheBlind [link] [comments]

Are there any planetary orbital features that we know to be theoretically possible, but have never found an example of in any exoplanet? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 09:18 PM PDT What are some orbital phenomena that our models of astrophysics predict as being possible, but we simply haven't found an example of any known planet in the universe having yet? I'm referring specifically to things orbiting a planet in the vein of rings, moons, interactions between planets, etc., but interesting orbits of planets themselves are fair game too. submitted by /u/Umutuku [link] [comments]

How where Jurassic Herbivores (like the Stegosaurus) able to physically sustain themselves with only leaves which are so low in Calorie? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 04:42 PM PDT I know they where basically eating for the entirety of the day, but I still don't understand how such a big animal could sustain itself with only plants when even a koala eats all day just to sustain. submitted by /u/befriends1234 [link] [comments]

The closest solar system to our own is 4.5 lightyears away, which two solar systems have the closest proximity to each other? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 08:53 PM PDT submitted by /u/the-coolest-loser [link] [comments]

What would atmospheric matter-antimatter explosion look like? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 03:01 AM PDT I'm just curious how would a massive matter-antimatter annihilation event (say, 1000 kg of each) look like in the Earth's atmosphere? Would it be similar to thermonuclear explosion? Would there be a massive outburst of high energetic photons or something like that? How much radiation hazard there would be? Would we see a mushroom cloud? submitted by /u/Astromaniac101 [link] [comments]

Why are insects attracted to light sources at night? I.e moths to lamps Posted: 04 Oct 2018 04:49 PM PDT submitted by /u/whmaritime [link] [comments]

Does the oxygen abundance around a plant increase in a closed environment? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 07:25 AM PDT Hi, I'm aware that this topic is probably far easier than what is normally discussed in this group but a helping hand would be very much appreciated. So I'm writing a lab on the effect of varying light intensity on photosynthesis rate. And i'm controlling the light intensity by the distance to the lamp, and photosynthesis rate by measuring the o2 abundance using a vernier. And I put a specific plant inside of a ziploc bag, but after each trial (I did 5 trial each for 5 increments), the oxygen abundance in the bag remains the same if not decreased. I have no idea how to explain this in conclusion/evaluation section. Any explanations on why this could be? I hypothesized that it should increase with closer distance to the light source as the plant will have more available light energy. In the ziploc bag, I do see condensation. submitted by /u/Paintosaint [link] [comments]

How does optical activity work at the atomic scale? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 07:06 PM PDT I am trying to get a good grasp on the use of circular dichroism spectroscopy in biology. So far everything makes sense, but I don't quite understand what exactly causes chiral molecules to exhibit optical activity, and I feel like that is important for a complete understanding. I read a page that says chiral molecules rotate linearly polarized light when the light interacts with the molecule's electron cloud. But what /exactly/ is happening? What about this interaction causes the rotation of the plane of the electric field's oscillation? And why doesn't the orientation of the chiral molecule matter? Our hands are chiral, but the shadow of my hand if my palm is facing me looks different than if my palm is facing away. Wouldn't the random orientation of the molecules in solution affect the interaction with light? Sorry if these questions are confusing, I can reword if necessary. I am not a physicist [but I wish I was :'( ] submitted by /u/International_Jello [link] [comments]

People talk about "inflammation" in the body often, what exactly is happening in this situation? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 06:07 PM PDT submitted by /u/jack_hof [link] [comments]

When an atom is split is the energy released coming from the gluons? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 05:21 AM PDT Gluons seem really interesting, I've learned that they provide 99% of the atoms mass but somehow Higgs get a lot of credit for their 1%. It just got me thinking about gluons, after googling the subject it all seems pretty vague. submitted by /u/skreed [link] [comments]

When a whale or shark breaches the surface into the air, does everything appear blurry or clear to the creature? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 10:49 AM PDT submitted by /u/participationmedals [link] [comments]

What’s the cellular cause of glaucoma? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 03:58 PM PDT I've been researching glaucoma for school, I can't seem to find the specific causes for it. I know that close angle is caused by the iris blocking the drainage angle. But open angle is always referenced as a failure to drain due to blockage, I think it's because calcium builds up in the drainage, I don't have precise proof but is it because of calcium build up in the drainage angles. The question I need answered is what malfunctions on the cellular level but any information is helpful? submitted by /u/dragonz135 [link] [comments]

Are mammals the only type of animals that can get fat? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 02:47 PM PDT I've heard of fat people, dogs and cats but I've never heard of a fat lizard, bird or insect. submitted by /u/themelroser [link] [comments]

Has there ever been more living beings in the planet than right now or is this the period that’s seen the most life? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 12:16 PM PDT Is it even possible to answer this question? submitted by /u/Ebvardh-Boss [link] [comments]

Has the amount of radiation earth puts out into space risen due to humans? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 03:52 PM PDT Do our nuclear devices, electronics, atomic blasts, etc. effected the total radiation that earth gives off over the course of the past 300 years? submitted by /u/sandiegopic [link] [comments]

Do different types of cells have chromosomes with different initial telomere length? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 09:29 AM PDT Otherwise what allows for the difference in lifespan between a neuron and an epithilal cell for example? submitted by /u/GleepGloopGlop [link] [comments]

Is a virus (mono, for instance) contagious in its incubation period? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 06:00 PM PDT submitted by /u/Wapado144 [link] [comments]

Does nuclear radiation have a "signature"? Posted: 04 Oct 2018 09:41 AM PDT Like if I took something from an area that was highly irradiated like Chernobyl of Fukushima could you examine in and just by measuring the radiation could you tell where it was from? submitted by /u/GorillaGravy [link] [comments]

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