How far apart are stars in galactic star clusters?

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• How far apart are stars in galactic star clusters?
• Why don't substances like hydrogen occasionally combust at 'low' temperatures due to the long tail of fast moving molecules?
• Are there any known examples of human DNA that has been permanently modified by a past virus?
• Why aren't bacterial pandemics as common as viral epidemics?
• Why do our brains have wrinkles on them? Are they just like that or is it for some purpose?
• How do plants not all go extinct during an ice age?
• Would a large asteroid impact, such as the Chicxulub Crater, affect plate tectonics, if at all?
• Apart from the theory that blood type may affect the severity of COVID-19, are there any known advantages or disadvantages of having a certain blood type, healthwise?
• What are the current scientific insights on why the scale of atoms vs nuclei are the way they are?
• Why is the presence of Cadmium in cigarettes a problem when foods such as carrots contain similar trace amounts?
• Is there a scientific consensus on fracking?
• In the U.K., they are talking about injecting people with the Coronavirus, how is this done?
• Does Viral Replication within host cell (e.g. SARS-CoV-2 because of this pandemic, but my question is more general) produce the same viruses (like products of a factory) or there are difference/s between the resulting viruses?
• Do bird songs evolve at all?
• Why do we ask people exposed to coronavirus to self-quarantine for 14 days? Why not 10 days? Why not 21 days?
• Are there "Newtonian" Fluids?
• How do the energy costs of AC scale with how hot the outside air is (e.g. 100 F vs 110F)?
• Why do look different on camera than in the mirror?
• Why do we have a conventional name and scientific name for every species?

How far apart are stars in galactic star clusters? Posted: 24 Oct 2020 05:58 AM PDT Today on APOD (the Astronomy Picture of the Day - https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html), there was a picture posted of a cluster of stars in our galaxy. The clump is, according to the article, about 120 light years across with hundreds of thousands of stars. Some of these stars must be really, really close together. So the question is how close together are most of these stars? Do they attract each other enough to form binaries (or more)? How do they not just all clump together? And why are there star clusters like this? Thanks. submitted by /u/Pablo_DC [link] [comments]

Why don't substances like hydrogen occasionally combust at 'low' temperatures due to the long tail of fast moving molecules? Posted: 24 Oct 2020 05:12 AM PDT If hydrogen starts to combust immediately at 900K why doesn't it eventually start to combust at lower temperatures, say 300K. Is it just incredibly unlikely that any molecule would be moving fast enough, or is there some other factor that determines when molecules react other than the kinetic energy with which they approach each other? submitted by /u/sebzim4500 [link] [comments]

Are there any known examples of human DNA that has been permanently modified by a past virus? Posted: 24 Oct 2020 08:08 AM PDT Is there any indication that our modern human DNA has been modified by past viruses to become what it is today? submitted by /u/kuuzo [link] [comments]

Why aren't bacterial pandemics as common as viral epidemics? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 03:21 PM PDT It seems as though any modern epidemics or pandemics with importance are caused by viruses (like the Swine Flu, the Spanish Flu, HIV/AIDS, COVID), but the only bacterial epidemic I can think of is the Bubonic plague. Is there any reason for the lack of bacterial pandemics, or am I just forgetting some that have occurred? submitted by /u/gopackdavis2 [link] [comments]

Why do our brains have wrinkles on them? Are they just like that or is it for some purpose? Posted: 24 Oct 2020 04:00 AM PDT submitted by /u/candyflora [link] [comments]

How do plants not all go extinct during an ice age? Posted: 24 Oct 2020 01:58 AM PDT submitted by /u/Selenehelion [link] [comments]

Would a large asteroid impact, such as the Chicxulub Crater, affect plate tectonics, if at all? Posted: 24 Oct 2020 01:39 AM PDT submitted by /u/inc0rrect1 [link] [comments]

Apart from the theory that blood type may affect the severity of COVID-19, are there any known advantages or disadvantages of having a certain blood type, healthwise? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 07:04 PM PDT submitted by /u/morijen [link] [comments]

What are the current scientific insights on why the scale of atoms vs nuclei are the way they are? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 05:31 PM PDT Another way of getting at the same thing .. what parameters being different would say have a universe where lets say the electron cloud of a hydrogen atom shrinks half-way closer to the nucleus or twice as far out .. submitted by /u/no-more-throws [link] [comments]

Why is the presence of Cadmium in cigarettes a problem when foods such as carrots contain similar trace amounts? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 12:32 PM PDT I found one article says that the average cigarette contains 1.56 to 1.96 μg/cigarette. The same article shows (with a very strict p-value!) that cadmium blood concentrations are higher in smokers. In another article, it says that control group wet carrots contains 4 μg/kg Many grown foods contain trace amounts of Cadmium from the soil, so it is not unreasonable to assume that smokers and healthy eaters consume Cadmium on a similar order of magnitude. So what makes the cigarette Cadmium that more dangerous than carrot Cadmium? Why do cigarette users have higher blood levels of Cadmium? submitted by /u/Indigoticus [link] [comments]

Is there a scientific consensus on fracking? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 10:35 AM PDT I hear a lot of people telling me to "listen to the scientists." What are the scientists saying about fracking? submitted by /u/notcrying [link] [comments]

In the U.K., they are talking about injecting people with the Coronavirus, how is this done? Posted: 24 Oct 2020 01:24 AM PDT https://www.wsj.com/articles/volunteers-to-be-infected-with-coronavirus-in-planned-experimental-trials-11603203296 submitted by /u/ukshj [link] [comments]

Does Viral Replication within host cell (e.g. SARS-CoV-2 because of this pandemic, but my question is more general) produce the same viruses (like products of a factory) or there are difference/s between the resulting viruses? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 05:42 PM PDT I'm thinking about efficiency of the generated viruses with respect to each other. And therefore thinking of some viruses that can enter the body and repelled without infection because of low efficiency. submitted by /u/UseAirName [link] [comments]

Do bird songs evolve at all? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 09:11 AM PDT submitted by /u/lostchicken8888 [link] [comments]

Why do we ask people exposed to coronavirus to self-quarantine for 14 days? Why not 10 days? Why not 21 days? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 10:02 AM PDT submitted by /u/sdega315 [link] [comments]

Are there "Newtonian" Fluids? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 05:53 PM PDT If a non-Newtonian fluid is a liquid that changes it's viscosity under impact pressure, or Shear pressure as I've heard it's called, is there a liquid that ignores this rule? submitted by /u/RichiZ2 [link] [comments]

How do the energy costs of AC scale with how hot the outside air is (e.g. 100 F vs 110F)? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 08:55 AM PDT vs 110 vs 120F submitted by /u/inquilinekea [link] [comments]

Why do look different on camera than in the mirror? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 08:05 AM PDT submitted by /u/petitpoupee [link] [comments]

Why do we have a conventional name and scientific name for every species? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 04:45 PM PDT If we already have more easily understandable names for all the species, why do we have the Latin equivalent too? submitted by /u/Ryanocerou5 [link] [comments]

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Do asteroids fly into the sun?

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• Do asteroids fly into the sun?
• Is the age of the universe influenced by time dilation?
• What is happening inside your brain when you're trying to retrieve a very faint memory?
• How do vitamins help the immune system?
• Approximately how many skin cells get into kneaded foods, e.g. pizza?
• Theoretically shouldn't ace inhibitors like Lisinopril drastically decrease complications from covid?
• Why do nuclear power plants produce unique isotopes?
• Why did scientists believe an ice age was coming in the 70's?
• How did NASA track the Apollo spacecraft?
• Is there a point in space where if you look at one half of the night sky you would see the light from stars and the other half would be darkness because there are no stars beyond you in the universe?
• Why does U-235 split when hit with a neutron instead of becoming U-236?
• What exactly does determine the minimum and maximum number of neutrons a core of an atom may contain?
• How do viruses survive freezing?
• Which viruses can "survive" drying out?
• How does 5G achieve speeds orders of magnitude faster than LTE if they’re both just using electromagnetic waves?
• Do we see the concept of "ownership" in other species?
• Can you trace where specific gold was mined?
• How does cancer from tobacco products work?
• Is it anatomically possible for two people who are the same size to have different sized internal organs? Can someone actually have a bigger heart than someone else?
• How is a new test for a previously unknown virus evaluated?
• How does propulsion in outer space work?
• Do we know the false positive/negative rate of the quick pcr test?
• Do bugs feel the same amount of pain we feel when we lose a limb?
• If Yosemite erupted, how would it's emmissions compare to the entire cumulative emissions of mankind since the industrial revolution?
• The chemistry of baking cookies?

Do asteroids fly into the sun? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 05:25 PM PDT submitted by /u/BlueChameleon64 [link] [comments]

Is the age of the universe influenced by time dilation? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 09:05 PM PDT In other words, we perceive the universe to be 13+ billion years old but could there be other regions in spacetime that would perceive the age of the universe to be much younger/older? Also could this influence how likely it is to find intelligent life if, for example, regions that experience time much faster than other regions might be more likely to have advanced intelligent life than regions that experience time much more slowly? Not saying that areas that experience time much more slowly than us cannot be intelligent, but here on earth we see the most evolution occur between generations. If we have had time to go through many generations then we could be more equipped than life that has not gone through as many evolution cycles. ​ Edit: Even within our own galaxy, is it wrong to think that planetary systems closer to the center of the galaxy would say that the universe is younger than planetary system on the outer edge of the galaxy like ours? ​ Edit 2: Thanks for the gold and it's crazy to see how many people took interest in this question. I guess it was in part inspired by the saying "It's 5 O'Clock somewhere". The idea being that somewhere out there the universe is probably always celebrating its "first birthday". Sure a lot of very specific, and hard to achieve, conditions need to be met, but it's still cool to think about. submitted by /u/SidewaysTimeTraveler [link] [comments]

What is happening inside your brain when you're trying to retrieve a very faint memory? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 06:14 AM PDT submitted by /u/frzx1 [link] [comments]

How do vitamins help the immune system? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 02:19 AM PDT When I was younger, my mom would always tell me to take vitamin C do I don't get sick. I'm curious as to how exactly vitamins help the immune system. What part does it strengthen? Is it noticable? And how does it strengthen it? submitted by /u/Frayjais [link] [comments]

Approximately how many skin cells get into kneaded foods, e.g. pizza? Posted: 23 Oct 2020 06:10 AM PDT submitted by /u/Thobrik [link] [comments]

Theoretically shouldn't ace inhibitors like Lisinopril drastically decrease complications from covid? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 11:58 PM PDT I've had this question for quite some time, and have been too embarrassed to ask. My understanding is that the vast majority of complications occur from ACE receptors being stimulated leading to inflammation, fibrosis etc in the lungs. Wouldn't an ace inhibitor theoretically increase odds of survival in a patient while the immune system fights the virus? submitted by /u/w3kolil [link] [comments]

Why do nuclear power plants produce unique isotopes? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 07:00 PM PDT After the Fukushima disaster scientists were able to trace radiation detected in fish off the west coast of the US as originating from the Fukushima plant. I think there was a similar occurrence with Chernobyl If they are using the same fuel and the same process shouldn't the byproducts be the same? submitted by /u/0nP0INT [link] [comments]

Why did scientists believe an ice age was coming in the 70's? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 09:54 PM PDT My parents are heavily against climate change saying that we used to think an ice age was coming, now there's global warming and scientists "have no clue what's going on." The climate is something I take pretty seriously, but I don't know enough to refute this. Can anyone explain why we thought and ice age was coming and what changed our thinking? Any sources would sources would be appreciated, too. submitted by /u/psycoptipath52 [link] [comments]

How did NASA track the Apollo spacecraft? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 06:09 PM PDT In the movie Apollo 13, Mission Control in Houston makes frequent references to the eponymous spacecraft's orientation in space such as its approach angle to the atmosphere and so forth. It's clear that Houston was able to independently monitor these parameters, not needing to rely on the astronauts themselves for the information. How did Houston have this information? Some sort of radar system? How did they maintain a fix on the spacecraft throughout the Earth's rotational period, when the spacecraft would presumably periodically "set" on Houston? submitted by /u/Icarus367 [link] [comments]

Is there a point in space where if you look at one half of the night sky you would see the light from stars and the other half would be darkness because there are no stars beyond you in the universe? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 06:47 PM PDT submitted by /u/fantastic_geronimo [link] [comments]

Why does U-235 split when hit with a neutron instead of becoming U-236? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 12:40 PM PDT submitted by /u/shaddowwulf [link] [comments]

What exactly does determine the minimum and maximum number of neutrons a core of an atom may contain? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 11:56 AM PDT Naturally, I realize the number does not differ too much from the number of protons, but is there some theoretical formula to determine the exact bounds? Or are the lists of all isotopes of an element based merely on successful observations and in principle, any number could be listed but the atom would instantly decay? submitted by /u/tomas_paulicek [link] [comments]

How do viruses survive freezing? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 12:04 PM PDT I was reading about the VIABLE Pithovirus, discovered 30m below the surface, frozen in ice, and I was wondering how did it survive the freezing process. From my understanding of biology and psychics, when water transforms from liquid state to solid state, it forms crystals, which penetrante cellular membranes(in our case it's not exactly a cell, but still a membrane). I guess that creating pores in the viral membrane(either from the intraviral water or the extraviral water) distrubts the virus ability to be infectious and thus replicate, resulting in the virus death. I'm sure that there are many people here that understand this better than I do and maybe can help me shed some light on the subject. Many thanks! (I apologize for my English) submitted by /u/bladewcw [link] [comments]

Which viruses can "survive" drying out? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 10:34 AM PDT My understanding is that different sorts of viruses can vary wildly in how tough they are depending on things like DNA versus RNA and protein shells versus lipid shells. All viruses have to be able to handle immersion in liquid to remain infectious inside our bodies but how common is it for viruses to be able to have the liquid they are in dry up and still remain infectious afterwards? submitted by /u/symmetry81 [link] [comments]

How does 5G achieve speeds orders of magnitude faster than LTE if they’re both just using electromagnetic waves? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 05:35 AM PDT submitted by /u/durian_tastes_good [link] [comments]

Do we see the concept of "ownership" in other species? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 08:34 AM PDT The idea that an item or place belongs to someone, that is have an individual or group of individuals control a particular item or place, seems to be a notion borne out of the scarcity of resources (such as land, water, food, etc.) so that one can better secure access to those resources. Do we see this sort of behavior in other species, for example, besides territoriality, the "ownership" of particular items that may be respected or contested by others of that species? submitted by /u/profdc9 [link] [comments]

Can you trace where specific gold was mined? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 11:57 PM PDT I knew a guy who worked for the Kennecott copper mine, and during his time there he snuck some gold out and took it home. He said he is unable to do anything with it or sell it because it has a specific DNA and can be traced back to the mine and he would be in deep crap. Is he meaning that it has specific minerals and compounds in the ore itself that when looked at, you can locate the geographical region it was mined based on those properties? submitted by /u/Filsdemorte [link] [comments]

How does cancer from tobacco products work? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 06:58 AM PDT So for things like throat cancer, does it slowly build the cancer, or does one cigarette just happen to cause the cancer? If it builds up, where is the line drawn where it just becomes cancer? submitted by /u/klokwerkz [link] [comments]

Is it anatomically possible for two people who are the same size to have different sized internal organs? Can someone actually have a bigger heart than someone else? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 03:42 AM PDT submitted by /u/Brady12Gronk87 [link] [comments]

How is a new test for a previously unknown virus evaluated? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 03:54 AM PDT A friend of mine brought it up to discussion, how is a new test for a previously unknown virus evaluated while there aren't any tests to compare it with? I suspected that maybe they compare it with antibodies blood tests but I couldn't find any easily accessible information online, probably because Google brings up a ton of Covid-19 news related results if I include the words "virus" and "test" in my search. Thanks in advance! submitted by /u/jisyourfriend [link] [comments]

How does propulsion in outer space work? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 03:49 AM PDT The propulsion systems on space suits and craft blow out some kind of gas, but with no atmospheric particles to collide with, it boggles my mind as to how this propels people/craft submitted by /u/Joeyoups [link] [comments]

Do we know the false positive/negative rate of the quick pcr test? Posted: 22 Oct 2020 12:06 AM PDT Since it's being used everywhere around the world for confirming people aren't contagious. submitted by /u/Zaneris [link] [comments]

Do bugs feel the same amount of pain we feel when we lose a limb? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 07:34 PM PDT submitted by /u/centapide [link] [comments]

If Yosemite erupted, how would it's emmissions compare to the entire cumulative emissions of mankind since the industrial revolution? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 07:31 PM PDT Asking as a matter of pure morbid curiousity. I don't mean to suggest that I think mankind has released a trivial amount of emissions. Would Yosemite's eruption also lead to an extinction-level event? submitted by /u/PorousArcanine [link] [comments]

The chemistry of baking cookies? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 09:44 PM PDT Hello, I'm curious as to what's going on with baking cookies. The baking sofa is to create bubbles but the salt is there to stop it. The flour gives structure to the cookie, but the butter is there to keep it non-structural (soft). Meanwhile the eggs are thrown in to glue everything together since the flour hasn't been worked enough to develop gluten. It's a very tasty work of counterproduction. submitted by /u/Nomadkris [link] [comments]

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Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States

AskScience AMA Series: We're Corinne Drennan, Andy Schmidt, Justin Billing, and Tim Seiple from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). We turn wastes like sewage, old food, and manures into biocrude using Hydrothermal Liquefaction. We've got the scoop on poop. AUA!

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• AskScience AMA Series: We're Corinne Drennan, Andy Schmidt, Justin Billing, and Tim Seiple from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). We turn wastes like sewage, old food, and manures into biocrude using Hydrothermal Liquefaction. We've got the scoop on poop. AUA!
• How are the Nazca lines so permanent?
• Why do antibodies for diseases like chickenpox stay in your body for years, while they only last a few months for other diseases?
• How do wireless communications in space work?
• A recent study claims that crystals in pegmatite can form in days or hours. If accurate, how significant would this be?
• Why are viral capsids icosahedral?
• Ask Anything Wednesday - Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science
• The flu vaccine contains 4 variants. Why do they limit it to only 4 varieties?
• Do wild animals change their behavior after near-death experiences?
• How many atoms are there in a single covid-19 virus?
• Looking at Asimov’s three laws of robotics, can the same be applied to AI? Or do we have to create new rules?
• How do we know the speed of light is a limit and not a threshold?
• 538 and other statistical prediction websites say they run "simulations" numerous times to predict events. What does running a simulation look like? How do you simulate something such as a football game or election?
• What is the smallest particle accelerator in use today? And what you would use it for?
• Does death penalty bring closure/peace to victims?
• Novel virus outbreaks - any way to predict what they might look like before they appear?

AskScience AMA Series: We're Corinne Drennan, Andy Schmidt, Justin Billing, and Tim Seiple from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). We turn wastes like sewage, old food, and manures into biocrude using Hydrothermal Liquefaction. We've got the scoop on poop. AUA! Posted: 21 Oct 2020 04:00 AM PDT Hi Reddit, happy Bioenergy Day! Poop, sludgy grease, and leftover food seem best destined for the nearest landfill or wastewater resource recovery facility. But when paired with waste-to-energy technology, these things can become downright energetic---in the form of biofuels. Organic wastes serve as potential biofuel feedstocks, and they are available just about anywhere across the nation. Bioenergy experts at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a process called Hydrothermal Liquefaction, or HTL, which can literally turn breakfast (leftovers) into biocrude. HTL mimics the geological conditions the Earth uses to create crude oil, using high pressure and temperature to achieve in minutes what has typically taken millions of years. The resulting material is similar to petroleum pumped out of the ground, but also contains small amounts of water, oxygen, and sometimes nitrogen. HTL has advantages over other thermochemical conversion methods. It works best with wet biomass - like poop, algae, and food and agriculture wastes - heck, even beer waste! It has the ability to transform almost all of the biomass into biocrude oil. It also offers opportunities to recover nutrients such as phosphorous, an element in fertilizer that is needed to grow food. Our research using HTL is typically supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office, who works with government, industrial, academic, agricultural, and nonprofit partners across the nation to develop commercially viable, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower made from renewable biomass resources that reduce our dependence on oil while enhancing energy security. We are down with that! Come ask us questions about our research and analyses using HTL, we are excited to have the conversation with you. We will be back at noon PDT to answer your questions. Username: /u/PNNL submitted by /u/AskScienceModerator [link] [comments]

How are the Nazca lines so permanent? Posted: 20 Oct 2020 10:52 AM PDT After hearing about this hilariously amateur looking newly discovered Nazca drawing, I again began considering the Nazca lines as a whole. How are they so lasting? I read that all they are is displaced or depressed dirt, with a layer of differently colored soil filled into the space. How has this not been washed away, or how has the surrounding soil not eroded to the point of them not being noticeable. No plants have grown in them. Other soil hasn't filled them in. I get that that's part of why they're such a wonder, but I'm wondering if anyone can she'd some light on just how they've lasted thousands of years. submitted by /u/tendorphin [link] [comments]

Why do antibodies for diseases like chickenpox stay in your body for years, while they only last a few months for other diseases? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 05:11 AM PDT submitted by /u/Foppful [link] [comments]

How do wireless communications in space work? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 01:47 AM PDT How much fast do wireless signals travel in Earth and in open space? And considering that we have a receiver in Moon, Mars and on a star ~400 million kilometers from Earth, how much time does it take for voice or data to reach the destination? I remember seeing the movie Mars, and it seems that it took about 15 minutes If I am not mistaken for a line of text to arrive there from Earth. submitted by /u/tonystarkco [link] [comments]

A recent study claims that crystals in pegmatite can form in days or hours. If accurate, how significant would this be? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 02:22 AM PDT In Answers in Genesis of all things, I came across a mention of a study that shows how crystals, even ones large enough to be measured in meters, can form in pegmatite in a very short period of time. Given Ken Ham's usual nuttiness, I was surprised when it turned out that the study actually existed and appeared to be from a genuine source. Since the study was only published at the beginning of the month, I doubt anyone has really had the time to test their claims yet. So, if we assume that the study is accurate, what are the ramifications of this discovery? Does this change our understanding of geology in any significant way? The study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-18806-w A related article published by the associated university: http://news.rice.edu/2020/10/06/earth-grows-fine-gems-in-minutes/ submitted by /u/jimbotherisenclown [link] [comments]

Why are viral capsids icosahedral? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 08:10 AM PDT Do we understand the chemistry/thermodynamics involved that produced this feature? submitted by /u/graciousgroob [link] [comments]

Ask Anything Wednesday - Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science Posted: 21 Oct 2020 08:08 AM PDT Welcome to our weekly feature, Ask Anything Wednesday - this week we are focusing on Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science 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]

The flu vaccine contains 4 variants. Why do they limit it to only 4 varieties? Posted: 20 Oct 2020 04:04 PM PDT submitted by /u/phoinex711 [link] [comments]

Do wild animals change their behavior after near-death experiences? Posted: 20 Oct 2020 09:30 AM PDT Everyone has probably witnessed a scene in a nature documentary or otherwise where a prey animal miraculously escapes the jaws of its predator. Sometimes, the animal even appears to have come to terms with its fate and succumbed, only to be given a second chance. I have always wondered, does the survivor change their behavior to avoid the situation that almost lead to its death? Does it think twice before visiting that watering hole again? Does it look over it's shoulder a little more frequently? Is what we refer to as survival instinct just hereditary paranoia from ancestors that almost died? submitted by /u/Kronodeus [link] [comments]

How many atoms are there in a single covid-19 virus? Posted: 21 Oct 2020 02:28 AM PDT submitted by /u/rarehulahoop [link] [comments]

Looking at Asimov’s three laws of robotics, can the same be applied to AI? Or do we have to create new rules? Posted: 20 Oct 2020 09:06 AM PDT Asimov's three laws of robotics are as follows: FIRST LAW A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. SECOND LAW A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. THIRD LAW A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. submitted by /u/OriginalAndre [link] [comments]

How do we know the speed of light is a limit and not a threshold? Posted: 20 Oct 2020 10:32 AM PDT We know electrons behave like both particles and waves, so could electrons accelerated to the speed of light behave like photons? That would make electrons and photons the same particle just in different conditions. I realize we can't make an electron travel at the speed of light, but if we could, is it possible? submitted by /u/iamnotstephanie [link] [comments]

538 and other statistical prediction websites say they run "simulations" numerous times to predict events. What does running a simulation look like? How do you simulate something such as a football game or election? Posted: 20 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT Obviously this has to be done with computing power, but what does running a simulation actually entail? Aren't there too many variables? And how do we know the simulations are accurate? submitted by /u/RandomMooseNoises [link] [comments]

What is the smallest particle accelerator in use today? And what you would use it for? Posted: 20 Oct 2020 11:04 AM PDT submitted by /u/Omega949 [link] [comments]

Does death penalty bring closure/peace to victims? Posted: 20 Oct 2020 08:37 AM PDT submitted by /u/PaperSense [link] [comments]

Novel virus outbreaks - any way to predict what they might look like before they appear? Posted: 20 Oct 2020 11:47 AM PDT So, to me, it seems very "reactive" to respond to a global pandemic with vaccine development. I love vaccines, they are the #1 tool we have against viruses. But it seems like our ability to develop them in response to a pandemic is too slow, too traditional. We could save ourselves a lot of time if we developed vaccines BEFORE a novel virus appears. Is this science fiction, or is it possible? Can we "model" the most likely types of viruses, their structures etc, all the things that define a virus before it appears into existence? submitted by /u/hortle [link] [comments]

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