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Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Are all liquids incompressible and all gasses compressable?

Are all liquids incompressible and all gasses compressable?


Are all liquids incompressible and all gasses compressable?

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 06:40 AM PST

I've always heard about water specifically being incompressible, eg water hammer. Are all liquids incompressible or is there something specific about water? Are there any compressible liquids? Or is it that liquid is an state of matter that is incompressible and if it is compressible then it's a gas? I could imagine there is a point that you can't compress a gas any further, does that correspond with a phase change to liquid?

submitted by /u/netcraft
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AskScience AMA Series: I am Andrew Dauber, Chief of Endocrinology at Children's National and a genetics researcher. AMA!

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 07:54 AM PST

I am the Chief of Endocrinology at Children's National Health System where I specialize in studying and treating growth and height disorders. I have found a number of new genetic causes of short stature as well as two genes that lead to precocious puberty.

Through clinical research and pediatric partnerships/growth consortiums, we aim to solve previously undiagnosed height disorders and provide treatment for children with short stature. We are figuring out new approaches to diagnosing and treating growth disorders. One project we're working on with the NIH is using the power of electronic health records and intersecting them with genomic studies, such as whole-exome sequencing, to identify and treat high-risk patients early on and throughout their life. These partnerships serve as engines of innovation since they accelerate research, enhance medical education and improve, or at least inform, pediatric health outcomes.

I have spent the last 18 years learning about pediatrics, endocrinology, genomics, and clinical research having earned my MD and Masters in Clinical Research from Harvard Medical School. I've published close to 70 studies about genetic causes of growth disorders and early puberty. I am happy to talk about anything related to genomics, pediatric endocrinology, growth, puberty, working in a Children's hospital-or about science and medicine. I'll be on at 1 PM (ET, 18 UT), ask me anything!

submitted by /u/AskScienceModerator
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How fast can a submarine surface?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 07:10 AM PST

So I need some help to end an argument. A friend and I were arguing over something in Aquaman. In the movie, he pushes a submarine out of the water at superspeed. One of us argues that the sudden change in pressure would destroy the submarine the other says different. Who is right and why? Thanks

submitted by /u/edgar_sbj
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Do people who undergo hemispherectomies go blind in one eye?

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 08:47 AM PST

If someone were to have half of their brain removed as a last resort for treatment of seizures, or whatever other reason, would they lose vision in the corresponding eye (i.e., remove left hemisphere, lose right vision)?

submitted by /u/Cheesewithmold
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What part/side of the cats brain controls its tail?

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 08:12 AM PST

Can't find much on my internet search... It's the only appendage thats in the center of the body, so I was wondering is it controlled by one side of the brain or both simultaneously?

submitted by /u/tex1031
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Can a dwarf planet become a moon?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 07:55 PM PST

I was noticing that Eris's orbit bring it close to Neptune's orbit. If the timing lined up would Eris be close enough to become a moon of Neptune? Are there any other dwarf planets that scientists think may become a moon? Lastly are there any know current moons that are theorized to come from the Kuiper belt?

submitted by /u/adaulthumantreehouse
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Weapons-grade Lasers- Who is responsible for keeping them out of the hands of the public?

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 04:11 AM PST

Back in 1986, my Physics (high school) teacher demonstrated a Laser in class, and a few of the more devoted students were invited to experiment with it. I, being a teenage boy, wanted to get my hands on a Star Trek-style weapon.

My teach said "the government" was keeping the really powerful Lasers out of reach of the public. I couldn't argue with that logic.

32 years of globalism later, and with mini-lasers available at convenience stores, I still wonder how "the government" keeps deadly Lasers out of reach of the "bad guys".

submitted by /u/TransposingJons
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Is there any way to predict the chemical reactions that hypothetical 'island of stability' transuranic elements would be involved in?

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 05:07 AM PST

I've just recently learned about the hypothetical island of stability beyond the elements we currently can produce in our largest colliders.

This has made me curious as to what properties those elements could have, or even if there is a system to predict them.

I know that heavier elements in a group often react much more vigorously and in a similar manner to their lighter siblings (sodium and potassium for example), and am wondering if any of the groups we understand extend into this 'Island of Stability'.

Additionally: I know Feynman hypothetically capped the maximum number of elements at around 170ish (as any larger would force electrons to travel faster than light), and I'm wondering if our modern-day understanding of the electron has progressed enough since Feynman's day to shed more light on this.

To be honest, any discussion about hypothetical stable transuranic elements would be wonderful.

Thank you for your time.

submitted by /u/Grumpy_Kong
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Did dinosaurs live in all areas of the world? Why is it that we have found so few fossils?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 06:13 PM PST

I live on the east coast of the U.S. I've always been curious about dinosaurs and where they were most heavily concentrated. Did they exist in areas such as the east coast of the United States? Where were they most heavily concentrated?

submitted by /u/jaj-io
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During the refractory period of a neuron, do the ion pumps create a small electric charge or current which could influence other neurons without triggering their activation potential?

Posted: 18 Dec 2018 06:48 AM PST

My understanding is that following a neuron firing, we get the relative and absolute refractory periods. During this time the ion pumps are busy restoring the ion ratios to be ready again.

During repolarisation, does the neuron experience a current as it charges up to the resting potential, and if so, could this affect the activity of ions surrounding other neurons or induce small charges in neurons themselves?

submitted by /u/ThrowawayBrisvegas
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How does altitude of detonation of a nuclear bomb affect the “fallout area?”

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 10:36 PM PST

When a nuclear bomb is detonated, the surrounding air is almost instantly heated and rises rapidly. Various debris, gasses, and radioactive material are brought up with this air, and a repeated heating and cooling process occurs that forms the infamous mushroom cloud. The cloud, however, will reach a maximum height when the pressure at the top of the cloud is equal to the atmospheric pressure at that height. The cloud will then move in a generally lateral direction. If a nuclear weapon is detonated at a higher altitude than anticipated, say, in the accidental premature detonation of a warhead, how would the area the nuclear fallout covers be affected? Would the cloud move laterally for a longer distance? If so, how would the radiation levels on the ground be affected?

Sorry for my insufficient vernacular; I'm just a high school student who likes to read Wikipedia.

submitted by /u/BananaScience
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Did leaded gasoline really contribute to behavioral problems and crime among youth?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 04:38 PM PST

I'm very interested in how leaded gas could have influenced crime in the US. A query about crime in NYC in the 70's and 80's focused a lot on leaded petrol back then affecting youth and crime.

Please explain

submitted by /u/MudButt2001
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Why do our brains see yellow when our red and green cones are triggered as opposed to a red-green mix like we do with red blue and purple?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 02:56 PM PST

What's the life cycle of Sargassum seaweed?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 05:40 PM PST

Say, if you try to harvest them, how long will it take for the remaining sargassum to replenish?

submitted by /u/WroteTheDissent
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How is medicine able to target specific parts of the body? As in, how does cold medicine reduce nasal congestion? (X-posted from r/askreddit)

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 03:33 PM PST

How exactly do different isotopes of an element change its chemical properties?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 12:45 PM PST

For example, is the only difference between 12C and 13C a change in mass because of the extra neutron, or are there any other small changes?

I'm not exactly well-versed in chemistry, and couldn't find any answers on google. Thanks in advance!

submitted by /u/beans0503
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Does the presence of neutrons affect the charge-charge interaction and orbit of electrons?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 12:17 PM PST

I'm familiar with the electron cloud and MOT, Schrodinger's equation, quantum tunneling, and how those apply to how electrons move around the nucleus, but only minimally. I'm not shy to say I passed that class by the skin of my feckin' teeth.

I also know there aren't any true electromagnetic insulators, so I don't suppose a neutron behaves in that manner.

My question came from imagining a Deuterium atom with the proton and neutron clumped together creating a lopsided? nucleus. One thing we didn't really go over in that class was anything of a more in-depth look at the composition of the nucleus so what I'm wondering is a few things:

  • How is a Deuterium nucleus shaped? Is it kind of peanut shaped with both particles relatively close together? Are they smushed together to some degree? Does the nucleus exist similarly to the electron in some de Broglie state?

  • As best I can remember the driver for the electron-nucleus relationship is the charge-charge interaction between the electron and the centralized point of positive charge. Does the presence of a neutron have any known affect, or is it just inert matter?

submitted by /u/FiggyDiggz
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Why is the speed of light such an odd number?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 10:25 AM PST

This is admittedly more a question of the origin of the metric system than anything else, but for lack of a weights/measures tag, I marked it as physics.

The definition of the meter is based on the speed of light. Light travles exactly 299,792,458 meters per second.

Why?

If the meter is based on the speed of light, why that number. Why not 300,000,000? Or 1,000,000,000 (1 light second = 1 gigameter)?

The latter, I can understand that it would make the meter significantly shorter (much closer to the US foot), but why not the 300 million?

submitted by /u/Artisan219
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Why does classical pathway deficiency can causes SLE ?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 03:01 PM PST

So I read in Basic immunology by Abul K. Abbas that deficiencies in early complement proteins (C1, C4, C2) could cause SLE, because the classical pathway removes immune complexes, but then it says that the process of immune complexes clearance is mediated by C3b and CR1 on erythrocytes, so how come the classical pathway C1, C4, and C2 are involved in clearance of immune complexes ?

submitted by /u/Reality-Labs
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Why do different cancer types require different treatments?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 08:32 PM PST

Are all atomic nuclei of one isotope of an element identical?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 10:40 AM PST

They are the same in terms of number of protons and number of neutrons, but is their arrangement identical in every atom. If there are differences, would this affect their physical/chemical properties at all?

submitted by /u/deflatedfruit
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Hoe are rocket fuel ratios balanced?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 01:17 PM PST

Are fuel mixtures for rockets usually mixed lean, rich, or perfectly balanced? Or does it change as the launch progresses? While watching videos of the VSS unity, the exhaust right after release appears dark and unbalanced in fuel:oxidizer ratio

submitted by /u/moonlightBlitz
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Monday, December 17, 2018

Why do larger elements (e.g Moscovium) have such short lifespans - Can they not remain stable? Why do they last incredibly short periods of time?

Why do larger elements (e.g Moscovium) have such short lifespans - Can they not remain stable? Why do they last incredibly short periods of time?


Why do larger elements (e.g Moscovium) have such short lifespans - Can they not remain stable? Why do they last incredibly short periods of time?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 02:15 PM PST

Most of my question is explained in the title, but why do superheavy elements last for so short - do they not have a stable form in which we can observe them?

Edit: Thanks to everyone who comments; your input is much appreciated!

submitted by /u/ocbxc
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Why does it seem that bird species who live nearest to the equator tend to be the most colourful?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 05:45 PM PST

Or, am I just mistaken?

submitted by /u/AndruJorj
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What determines the proportion of isotopes for an element?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 07:14 AM PST

For example, Carbon. Why is Carbon-12 99% of all Carbon on earth, while Carbon-13 is about 1%. I can accept that Carbon-14 is uncommon because of its instability, but Carbon-13 is described as stable and natural.

submitted by /u/burned00
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Effectively, how are nuclear weapons regulated? I remember reading (on here somewhere) that Uranium 238 isn't regulated, but rather the technology of making it into 235 is. Is this true, and how is this achieved?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 12:23 AM PST

Does the hydrophobicity of an objects surface affect the bouyancy of the object?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 07:09 PM PST

Will one of two objects break the surface tension of water quicker if the only difference between them is their surface texture? Will one of the two sink faster afterwards?

submitted by /u/ForestFungus
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Does running through the rain make you more or less dry than walking?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 06:19 PM PST

Lets say I had to run to my car in the rain to grab something. Would running to my car and running back make me more or less wet than if I walked to my car and back? Certainly the time I saved by running would decrease my end wetness over a given distance, but would the additional droplets I encountered laterally while running make me more wet anyway? I imagine it boils down to a matter of how many drops of rain contact me in each given scenario, but I cannot guess which is higher. Help me reddit!

fake edit: Plus there is a splash factor as well, running through thick rain would certainly make legs wetter, wouldn't it?

submitted by /u/WyreSkeleton
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When you initially experience a “heartbreak,” or something unexpectedly sad, what is the feeling in your chest? Why does it happen?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 01:50 PM PST

Can Light go both ways in Fiber Optic?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 01:24 AM PST

Can light go both ways in a single fiber optic, does light interfere with light? Would one have to some how give each end a turn so only one end is producing light at any given time?

submitted by /u/waspentalive
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[Engineering] On submarines with diesel engines, when the sub is submerged, where does the exhaust go?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 04:58 PM PST

Am I seeing cosmic microwave background radiation on an ordinary spectrum analyzer?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 06:09 PM PST

I am an engineering professional and I specialize in RF. I use RF spectrum analyzers often at microwave frequencies, and there is always a noise floor displayed (HP, Agilent, Keysight equipment, etc.). There's always some kind of minor variation in power at the bottom of the display.

Is the noise I'm looking at part of the cosmic background? I do know it appears at all frequencies, but I was just interested to know. It's not terribly important but I would think it was incredibly cool if that's really the cause of the noise, it would link my every day work to the wonders of the cosmos :)

submitted by /u/ghamburg
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How are blocking temperatures related to TRM?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 05:45 AM PST

From what I understand, Thermoremanent Magnetism occurs during cooling of igneous rocks. However, it is stated in multiple sources that a blocking temperature (or lower temperatures) causes magnetic moments to be blocked, and superparamagnetic material to lose its preferred direction of magnetization. Does this mean that Natural Remanent Magnetism in igneous rocks discontinue once cooled to normal surface temperature?

submitted by /u/Krampog
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In an episode of Star Trek: TNG, the ship encounters a society of clones who face a problem of replicative fading. Is this a real problem with cloning where making a copy of a copy could cause genetic defects after a few generations?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 04:00 PM PST

Are vitamin/mineral supplements ever effective?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 07:46 PM PST

I am trying to do my own research on this topic, as well as ask for others' input as well. I am overwhelmed by all the opposing information out there.

I want to know if it's worth it for me to buy expensive vitamin supplements to complete my diet. I know I should eat most of my vitamins, I try my best to do so, but I naturally fall short on some vitamins due to dietary restrictions like dairy and meat. I am not eating terrible food then taking my multivitamin and calling myself healthy. I just want to know if it's beneficial for me to take an iron supplement to help prevent an iron deficiency or take any vitamin/mineral supplement to help prevent deficiencies. Do these things help?

submitted by /u/vrmarti
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Why does the moon rotate at the same rate as it revolves around the earth? Is it a mathematically probable phenomenon?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 04:20 PM PST

What is resonance in chemical bonds?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 10:51 PM PST

Is there any membrane that allows gases to pass but blocks liquids?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 04:36 PM PST

Looking for any kind of filter or membrane that allows gases to pass through but blocks liquids, similar to an osmosis filter.

Edit:

I would like to know more about the principle of work, as Im guessing the creepage distance of such membrane will allow a controlled number of atoms or molecules pass through, easier for gasses and harder for liquids that come packed in chain-like structures.

To be more specific on the question, my ultimate goal is to filter out a stream containing gases that are saturated with high density liquids mostly suspended and only partially disolved. I am aware that this can be done physically with pipes specifically made to generate "jets" that push the liquids towards the pipe walls, but I don't think this works for the part of it that's dissolved within the gases.

Currently I am a last year industrial & electronics engineering undergrad, so I would be very grateful for an over the top explanation and a link to somewhere I can further research.

Thanks in advance.

submitted by /u/Cauntu
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Why is bismuth not toxic like the other heavy metals?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 12:11 PM PST

Lead, thallium, mercury and many of their associated compounds and organic derivatives are all highly toxic to humans and yet we can drink bismuth in pretty pink liquids to help upset stomachs. What is it about bismuth that makes it not as harmful as the other elements?

submitted by /u/legends784
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[Physics] How did we know that matter is made of atoms and how the periodic table was structured centuries before we had the technology to even remotely observe the basic structure of matter?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 06:58 PM PST

How much temperature would I need if I wanted to create plasma out of a common metal(f.ex. iron, steel, copper)?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 12:48 PM PST

By only adding thermal energy. I don't know how to calculate that, even approximately.

submitted by /u/meroro2
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[Medicine] Why can’t mesothelioma be cured?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 03:01 PM PST

I realize my title might not make any sense. With the revelation that baby powder may have contained asbestos, why isn't there a cure for mesothelioma? What makes mesothelioma so bad that it's a death sentence? Is there any way to utilize stem cells or some other advance in medicine to combat the effects?

Also, why isn't there a test for early detection?

Is askscience the right place for this?

submitted by /u/Throwawaymedical3000
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Ageing while "time traveling"?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 03:48 PM PST

I don't know much about these things but i'm wondering something. I'll try to explain what my question is as good as possible but this may be hard due to my lack of knowledge on the subject

If I understand correctly there are places in the universe where if you could be instantly teleported there and spend a hour there and then be teleported back to earth, on earth let's say a year has passed (so you kind of time travelled).

Now what would happen to your body when you're in such a place? Would you instantly become tired and hungry because in the first 10 seconds that has passed a day has passed on earth or would your body after the hour has passed just aged a hour? So how would your cells react is the question i think i'm trying to ask. Do they "know" time is somehow slower and adjust to this or not?

I hope my question is clear and that someone can answer it, thanks in advance.

submitted by /u/TheBohhit
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Are there precious resources (ie gold, copper, titanium) on the moon? Would it be possible to mine them?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 10:48 AM PST

How do we know modern chemicals and materials aren't toxic?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 09:53 AM PST

I was watching some Cody'sLab videos on mercury which got me thinking; we used to use mercury in everything, and it was only until it was discovered to be harmful to the body that we limited it's uses.

Is it possible that we could someday in the future find out that a modern material used in many applications is actually harmful?

Or do we have ways of being confident that this is not going to be the case?

submitted by /u/AMagnificentBiscuit
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Sunday, December 16, 2018

What’s stopping the water in lakes from seeping into the soil and ‘disappearing’?

What’s stopping the water in lakes from seeping into the soil and ‘disappearing’?


What’s stopping the water in lakes from seeping into the soil and ‘disappearing’?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 04:57 PM PST

Thought about this question when I was watering some plants and the water got absorbed by the soil. What's keeping a body of water (e.g. in a lake) from being absorbed by the soil completely?

submitted by /u/weh_town
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There is a scene in the movie Skyfall where the villain removes his upper jaw, exposing his scarred and almost destroyed face, and claims it was due to a Hydrogen Cyanide capsule. Could Hydrogen Cyanide actually do that kind of damage? Would the villain have even survived in reality?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 04:53 AM PST

How do annual vaccines remain in the bloodstream for a year instead of wearing off a few days later? Additionally, why are some shots (I.E. Tetanus) recommended every X years instead of annually?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 06:22 PM PST

How can i control the wavelength of light when i pass it through an object using refraction?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 08:26 PM PST

Hey redditors!

I am currently working on a design on a product that involves the refraction of UV light through a certain object (prism or something, haven't decided yet) in order to refract the light. However, it is extremely important for the light to be a specific wavelength once it is refracted and any changes in the wavelength could ruin the whole product design. I was wondering what factors we would have to account for to make sure the wavelength of the light remain constant when passed through the object and what sort of object I would have to use in order to refract the light without changing its wavelength?

submitted by /u/aadi_968
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If infrared light is hot, then why doesn't visible light cook us? Visible light has more energy than infrared, right?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 09:14 PM PST

Is there a byproduct of the production of alcohol that is destroyed in the process of distillation?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 04:56 AM PST

If I drink a beer, a wine, or a cider, it will trigger a migraine. However, the trigger is not alcohol itself. I can drink whiskey, vodka, rum, or whatever until it gives me a headache from the hangover like any other human being. But if so much of a sip of a fermented alcohol passes my lips, I'm shortly hiding in my darkened room under all the covers. If I'm able to identify a trigger down to the chemical compound, it might enable me to better avoid migraine triggers so I'm very grateful for any input! 😊 I'm really hoping this doesn't violate the rules since the motivation to ask this is based in my personal healthcare.

submitted by /u/Diblums
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Why don't animals like Seals suffer from decompression sickness?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 05:53 AM PST

Why is music around the world based on octaves? Do they share common roots like the Indo-European languages? Is there music in other parts of the world that's not based on eight notes and their harmonics?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 01:05 AM PST

Why can alpha and beta radiation not penetrate particularly thick materials?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 10:44 AM PST

Is it true that vehicles (cars, semi-trucks, boats) have a tighter right-hand turning radius than a left-hand turning radius? Why is this?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 05:12 AM PST

I remember watching a video (like a couple years back) about remote controlled cars and how some cars will take longer to make the same left turn as they did with a right turn. The guy in the video drove the car in a circle with it doing the tightest possible circle it could on each side, and the left-hand turn made a much bigger circle than the one that came about from the right-hand turn.

submitted by /u/HotdogLegend27
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A glass breaks when it experiences a big enough temperature difference. But will repeated, smaller temperature differences over time eventually cause the glass to break?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 12:12 AM PST

I apologise in advance if this has been asked, but for the life of me, I couldn't find a clear answer.

I regularly pour hot water into the same glass and have never had any problems. Until yesterday, when the glass cracked. Now, I realise it could have been a particularly cold day, or hotter water than usual, which caused a greater-than-usual temperature difference, which is why it broke on that day, but none of the other hundreds of times I've poured hot water into it.

But I did wonder, could the repeated stress over time, (caused by me filling the glass with hot water every day) have caused it to "fatigue" in some way? Or create tiny cracks or weak points? Such that, the last pour - rather than causing a greater-than-usual temperature difference - was really the "straw that broke the camels back"? And, acting on years of "fatigue" or "stress build-up" cracked an already vulnerable glass?

OR, does glass not work that way?

Thanks for any answers! I know it seems like a fairly obvious question, but I just couldn't find an exact answer.

submitted by /u/jfartster
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What's the natural form of Asbestos and how is it found in the mineral bed?

Posted: 15 Dec 2018 12:09 AM PST

On the news about the J&J Asbestos issue they claimed that Asbestos and Talc are often found together in similar mined veins and this would cause the cross-contamination...This is the first I'd heard of asbestos being a (mineral?) at all and I'd like to know a bit more about how it occurs in nature.

submitted by /u/Bcadren
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