Science!: Black Holes, Night Vision and Garbage

[WhiteTiger225]

The link on the black hole one leads to a dead page...Interesting column though.

Ya get it!?

 

[TarkXT]

When I die I will have my bones brought in a ceremonial chest to this great smith. He will then forge my vengeful angry spirit into a terrible felblade containing all my hate and disgust for this world. With it I shall possess its users and drive them into a mad murderous frenzy from which I will end this pathetic planet from beyond the grave.

 

[Fbuh]

The only thing I use a television for is gaming. The internet replaced everything else I'd ever need from a television.

...everything else?, beside watching programs what else did you use it for before you started to use the Internet?

Oh, you know, stuff. For instance, you could hollow one out and use it for a cereal bowl. Pornography, too.

 

[somekindarobot]

Hooray! Hooray, I say, for this wonderful day of science!

OP: Couldn't the sword thing be done with animal bones? Or is there something of so special about human bones?

 

[deejus]

Hooray! Hooray, I say, for this wonderful day of science!

OP: Couldn't the sword thing be done with animal bones? Or is there something of so special about human bones?

PSSS. Animals don't have souls!

 

[Lauren Admire]

I quite admire your article, Lauren! Ha-ha-ha, heh heh...

I love me some puns!

Oh man, I just got flashbacks to middle school.

 

[Lauren Admire]

The link on the black hole one leads to a dead page...Interesting column though.

Ya get it!?

Should be fixed now!

 

[paragon1]

This article was great! More please!

You know, I really don't think you can have to many black hole generators.

 

[LewsTherin]

I think that Science has a running bet to see how long it takes for someone to destroy the planet. But that's just me.

 

[LilGherkin]

So, what I'm getting is that they're making an eye drop that will let me do this that comes from leaf extract. What happens if I just eat a lot of leaves from a tree?

 

[Silva]

Nice, a science column. Kinda makes The Escapist a decent supplement to the 6+ hours I spend every day consuming media. Of course, for me, you guys will never replace New Scientist for science news. Just nice to have more interesting information coming in per week.

To those who worry about "black hole apocalypse":
CERN is awesome for what they contribute to the world, and they are absolutely right. There is no chance that the black hole made in the hadron collider would explode the world... I mean, really. The reason why the black hole we commonly hear about has such gravity as to destroy a planet is that it's an imploded sun. The ones they are making at Geneva have less mass than a spoon. Get it right.

 

[mokes310]

I watched a movie about the garbage patch in the Pacific: words can't describe how massive it is.

 

[Antzon]

Also, can't we just throw all that trash into black holes?

Because as it gained mass, the black hole would eventually consume more and more of whatever was around it. Sort of like a brother-in-law who "visits" for a "weekend" and eventually expands to the size of your fold-away guest bed while eating all the food in the house.

[small]Seriously, that's exactly how Stephen Hawking described it. Only he did it with his cool speech synthesizer.[/small]

Also, huzzah for a new article! Will Lauren Admire reach those dizzying heights of scientific awesomeness inhabited by the likes of Mr. Wizard, Bill Nye and Beakman? Only time will tell!

It will take 2000 light years??? to reach the blackhole And how much energy will be needed for the journey? If this is in place garbage disposal fee will be in the thousand/100kg sth like that. CERN have not built blackhole larger than the head of a small pin. Its just not technologically viable yet.

 

[samsonguy920]

I agree, the sword story was a bit of a stretch. But, come on, SWORDS! I had to make it work in any way possible.

I like the thought of preserving the memory of a loved one in something actually utilitarian, especially cool like a sword. What else might one use a deceased relatives remains to help create?

 

[Doktor Merkwurdigliebe]

I think that Science has a running bet to see how long it takes for someone to destroy the planet. But that's just me.

Actually Earth was already destroyed.
http://qntm.org/?board

Also anyone interested in means of destroying it again:
http://qntm.org/?destroy

 

[justnotcricket]

Nice, a science column. Kinda makes The Escapist a decent supplement to the 6+ hours I spend every day consuming media. Of course, for me, you guys will never replace New Scientist for science news. Just nice to have more interesting information coming in per week.

To those who worry about "black hole apocalypse":
CERN is awesome for what they contribute to the world, and they are absolutely right. There is no chance that the black hole made in the hadron collider would explode the world... I mean, really. The reason why the black hole we commonly hear about has such gravity as to destroy a planet is that it's an imploded sun. The ones they are making at Geneva have less mass than a spoon. Get it right.

Well spoken =)
Quite apart from anything else, the scientists at CERN don't want to cause the apocalypse any more than you do - they'd either have to stop searching for the Higgs boson, or if they found it they wouldn't be able to redefine physics. Plus, the facility was incredibly expensive, and believe me, scientists are nothing of not money-conscious, since they rely on the notoriously fickle grace of things like governments for research funding.

Interesting article.

My only thoughts are about the sword article. I think the high quality of the swords he produced is more because of carbon remaining from burning dead tissue, not phosphorus, but I'm no expert on this, I guess someone eventually will prove me wrong.

That is closer to the truth than you know.

At the risk of being boring and textbooky, bones actually do contain phosphorous - the mineral component of bones is largely hydroxyapatite, otherwise known as calcium phosphate(alveit in a slightly modified form) So yes, you'd get photsphate from the bones, but as you say, also a lot of carbon. We already know the effect carbon has on iron metallurgy (i.e. steel) but as for how phoshorous contributes to strength in a sword... =)

So, what I'm getting is that they're making an eye drop that will let me do this that comes from leaf extract. What happens if I just eat a lot of leaves from a tree?

Well, depending on the tree, you might be violently sick (in which case the chlorophyll will never make it into your system) or drop dead (in which case you don't need the chlorophyll). If you can eat the leaves, then chances are the chlorophyll molecules would be broken down metabolically in your liver, or even initially in the acid in your stomach before they made it to your bloodstream, and even then they might not make it to your eye from the inside, as it were. Topical application (eyedrops) would be the more direct route. And as with most of these things, the relationship between the concentration that you might get from eating leaves and the concentration needed in your eye to give the effect might mean that you had to eat like 20 tons of leaves just to see any difference. =)

 

[Doktor Merkwurdigliebe]

Well, depending on the tree, you might be violently sick (in which case the chlorophyll will never make it into your system) or drop dead (in which case you don't need the chlorophyll). If you can eat the leaves, then chances are the chlorophyll molecules would be broken down metabolically in your liver, or even initially in the acid in your stomach before they made it to your bloodstream, and even then they might not make it to your eye from the inside, as it were. Topical application (eyedrops) would be the more direct route. And as with most of these things, the relationship between the concentration that you might get from eating leaves and the concentration needed in your eye to give the effect might mean that you had to eat like 20 tons of leaves just to see any difference. =)

Regarding the swordsmith, I didn't deny that there is phosphorus in our bones(according to every single yoghurt ad - it is), I just wonder about its use in metallurgy, actually its the first time I hear of such combination.

Now about the chlorophyll - my question is - Isn't it still poisonous? Even if not, it's still vomit-inducing and very hazardous for humans to eat/dring/somehow absorb chlorophyll. It is quite common within the animal kingdom, to eat grass, leaves and chlorophyll-based stuff to purify ones body from various toxins coming with food, as I said before, by vomiting.

 

[GRoXERs]

To those who worry about "black hole apocalypse":
CERN is awesome for what they contribute to the world, and they are absolutely right. There is no chance that the black hole made in the hadron collider would explode the world... I mean, really. The reason why the black hole we commonly hear about has such gravity as to destroy a planet is that it's an imploded sun. The ones they are making at Geneva have less mass than a spoon. Get it right.

Less mass than a spoon?
It's just two protons colliding - or roughly... uhh... *does some math* ... 3.64x10^-34 percent of the mass needed for a black hole to last for one second.

In other words, no. The black holes will not kill us all. Good call.

The strangelets [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangelet], however... think the end of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

In Dungeons & Dragons mages use magic to make blades intelligent by transfering the conciousness to the weapon, in real life they cremate a person and throw their ashes in the melting pot.

Wizards may be able to throw fireballs, but they can't come up with stuff half as cool as a man/sword hybrid.

 

[Doktor Merkwurdigliebe]

be able to throw fireballs

Now THIS is what scientists should be interested in.