The Science Thread
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Ahh, so that's why there are only reprises of Universe programs on Discovery Science.
an incarnation of pibbur who knows everything there is to know about the development of common house dust.
Are you Q ? 
Ripper
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Very nice. I did wonder how that would work in the Martian atmosphere. Must open up some great new opportunities for surveying the surface.
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Saw something interesting a couple of days ago. My union, Tekna (for engineers and people with higher education in natural sciences) invited members to an on line lecture by Alexander Karpov, one of the scienctists busy with synthesizing super heavy elements at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions.
He went through the periodic system and how the elements were made, during Big Bang (Hydrogen and Helium), in stars (elements up to Iron), in supernovas (light isotopes of elements up to Bismuth) and higher energy pheomena like the collison of neutron stars (heavier isotopes and the elements from Polonium up to Uranium)
All the elements heavier than Uranium have half-lives far less than the age of the earth, which means that they're long gone (except for trace elements of Neptunium and Plutonium produced by nuclear reactions for instance in Uranium deposits). Thus they have to be produced synthetically. Elements up to Fermium can be produced in reactors by neutron bombarment and in macrocopic quantities. Elements heavier than Fermium requires heavier particles (for instance Calcium atoms) in acellerators, and production is very inefficient, especially for the ultra heavy ones. According to Karpov production rate for those is around 1 atom per week/month. For the currently most heavy one, Oganesson (number 118) a total of 5 or 6 atoms have been produced.
The lecture which I thought was only for Tekna members is still available on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYe36J5Y93k), but I don't know for how long it will be there The first part is an introduction in Norwegian, the lecture itself starts at 06:30. After the lecture there are a few questions with some comments in Norwegian, but mr Karpov himself of course speaks English.
They are currently preparing synthesis of the next two super heavy elements, number 119 and 120.
an incarnation of pibbur who still thinks the next one shoud be called Pibburium
PS. One of the questions was (of course): What's the pratctical use of the super-heavies? The answer was: None, since only relativelay few atoms can be produced. But the science behind it, and the technology is of practical use. Besides, one never knows until later what parts of basic science may be useful. DS.
He went through the periodic system and how the elements were made, during Big Bang (Hydrogen and Helium), in stars (elements up to Iron), in supernovas (light isotopes of elements up to Bismuth) and higher energy pheomena like the collison of neutron stars (heavier isotopes and the elements from Polonium up to Uranium)
All the elements heavier than Uranium have half-lives far less than the age of the earth, which means that they're long gone (except for trace elements of Neptunium and Plutonium produced by nuclear reactions for instance in Uranium deposits). Thus they have to be produced synthetically. Elements up to Fermium can be produced in reactors by neutron bombarment and in macrocopic quantities. Elements heavier than Fermium requires heavier particles (for instance Calcium atoms) in acellerators, and production is very inefficient, especially for the ultra heavy ones. According to Karpov production rate for those is around 1 atom per week/month. For the currently most heavy one, Oganesson (number 118) a total of 5 or 6 atoms have been produced.
The lecture which I thought was only for Tekna members is still available on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYe36J5Y93k), but I don't know for how long it will be there The first part is an introduction in Norwegian, the lecture itself starts at 06:30. After the lecture there are a few questions with some comments in Norwegian, but mr Karpov himself of course speaks English.
They are currently preparing synthesis of the next two super heavy elements, number 119 and 120.
an incarnation of pibbur who still thinks the next one shoud be called Pibburium
PS. One of the questions was (of course): What's the pratctical use of the super-heavies? The answer was: None, since only relativelay few atoms can be produced. But the science behind it, and the technology is of practical use. Besides, one never knows until later what parts of basic science may be useful. DS.
Philosopher's Stone ?
Well, they can make gold in reactors and accellerator. The first attempts (in the thirties) produced higly radioactive isotopes (not very useful). Today stable isotopes can be made from neutrons and quicksilver and platinum. However I assume that the process is expensive, costing more than the worth of gold.
an incarnation of pibbur who would like to have his own accellerator. And an MRI machine (which actually - for the simplest version is not prohibitively expensive). And an Airbus 380. An insterstallar-capable rocket would be handy. And an RTX3080.
World science festival has a lot of interesting stuff. Yesterday I watched this: https://www.worldsciencefestival.com/videos/infinity-the-science-of-endless/, about the concept of infinity from the viewpoint of a philosopher (and theologist), a mathematician (Stephen Strogatz) and a physicist. Very interesting and hereby recommended.
The site also offers the World science "universtity" with (short) courses in science. Also recommended.
an incarnation of pibbur who actually recommends a lot of things on that site.
The site also offers the World science "universtity" with (short) courses in science. Also recommended.
an incarnation of pibbur who actually recommends a lot of things on that site.
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Given COVID, I suggest the easiest to get will be the Airbus!
Also given the fact that nobody wants it anymore (except Quatar Airways). OTOH they're stopping production, which'll make it less available.
an incarnation of pibbur who nonetheless thinks that ATM he could make a very good deal, and cash in in a few years when the aircraft becomes an antique
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Is aircraft production also affected by the current chip crisis ?
Wouldn't surprise me, but for the 380 the problem is that sales have been far less than expected. Customers prefer smaller aircraft going directly between destinations in stead of huge planes going to hubs where passengers change to short range inter-city aircraft to reach their target.
an incarnation of pibbur who have travelled on the 380 once.
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Ripper
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I thought it was interesting what the theologian was saying at the end - essentially that science is not the end of spiritual or metaphysical questions, but that the theologies of the world need to move on, and embrace a more open approach to new ideas.
When I was at school we had a really great old science teacher, and he said that to be a scientist, you have to learn three phrases:
"I don't know."
"Prove it."
And,
"I've changed my mind."
It really doesn't proceed on the insistence on a set of absolute truths. I think that's what any kind of theological approach needs to embrace.
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Also, the fuel consumption is not ideal passed some weight, because of the extra fuel they need to carry. The "smaller" airliners on flights of around 1000 nautical miles (short-haul flights) are much more efficient, below 2 litre/seat per 100 km vs more than 3 litre/seat per 100 km for long-haul flights, almost twice as much - yeah, sorry for the mix of units, distances are usually measured in nmi. Those aircraft are probably much easier to fill with passengers too, indeed.
The Beluga is funny
Wouldn't you like to own one of these instead?
The beluga looks funny. But if we're talking than about that type of planes, nothing beats the Antonov 225. That one is on the top of my list of planes who obviously cannot fly (The 380 is number two, followed by the 747).
Come to think of it, since I really don't enjoy flying (I'm not scared, just don't like it), a fast car like the ThrustSSC is probably higher on my christmas wish-list.
an incarnation of pibbur who will come back to the watch with more wishes.
This is something imho too few people can't say - or even are unable to say - especially when they are of the kind of "there is someone wrong in the internet" ...
Me, I'm fed up with fanatics of any kind.
Wikipedia does not have any English-language article about this oddly-named plant : https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombia_antillarum
History is also a science.
This is a dire history lesson : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_St._Louis
Neither Cuba nor the U.S. nor Canada wanted the Jewish refugees.
Implies that hatred against Jews was not only going on in countries occupied by the Nazis, but overseas also.
This is a dire history lesson : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_St._Louis
Neither Cuba nor the U.S. nor Canada wanted the Jewish refugees.
Implies that hatred against Jews was not only going on in countries occupied by the Nazis, but overseas also.