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- Great comments (maybe we should be mining middle school science fairs for show ideas). I just wanted to add my favorite (an oldie but goodie):
In 1997 Nathan Zohner did his middle school science fair project on the dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide.
He got a bunch of people to sign a petition to ban DHMO because:
-it is a major component of acid rain
-causes corrosion of certain metals
-contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape
-can cause sever burns on contact with skin
-may cause death when ingested
Despite all this, DHMO is currently used:
-in numerous industrial processes
-as an additive in many food products
-as a fire retardant
And it has been found in rivers and lakes across the country.
All true, but since Dihydrogen Monoxide is really just water (H2O), Zohner's project was actually a lesson in gullibility and critical thinking and the way the truth can lead to different conclusions.
Soren.
- Hi Dub,
There were some variations on the Enigma machine. The Polish mathematicians did indeed crack the original machine, but the germans then started using one with an added gear sprocket, which gave it a ton more permutations. It was this version of enigma that was assumed to be uncrackable, and which Turing and his team ultimately cracked. (Note: I think the beefed up Enigma was only used by german naval command, but I'm not certain about that).
Cheers,
Soren.
- Talula ...
The "mint" that is made by flipping the caraway molecule is artificial mint flavor. SO really what you get is something that "smells like spearmint." It's actually the stuff the use in wrigley's spearmint gum.
Soren.
- Hey Billy ...
It's "Nulla in Mundo Pax Sincera" by David Hirschfelder.
Cheers,
Soren.
- Aimee ... just click on the picture and it flips!
-Soren
- Mark,
You bring up a point worth fleshing out a bit. Electric fences generally run between 1,000 and 10,000 volts (I think there's a legal limit somewhere around 10,000). Dealing with a bull, and assuming a knowledgeable rancher, it's a good bet this one was over 2,000.
That said, electric fences deliver the voltage in short pulses, which makes it a very different experience for the person grabbing the fence compared to, say, 5,000 volts in a house plug (god forbid), which delivers the volts continuously. For one, your muscles will relax after a quick pulse and you can pull yourself away, reducing the amps you are subjected to. Also, in the case of the fence, given the resistance of a human body and assuming you are standing on the ground with shoes, the amps would be relatively low.
Bottom line is, Laura got a zap. Not a life threatening zap by any means, but nothing you'd do for fun.
Thanks for the opportunity to geek out a bit. Hope I didn't get anything egregiously wrong in that explanation ... I'm sure we've got listeners who could make it much more clear than i can. The relationship between volts, amps, and resistance in different situations can get complicated, and it was never really my strong suit.
Thanks,
Soren.
- Hi Daire,
The cello song is Dorval, by Julia Kent.
- Brian,
With regards to the difference between urban area and greater metro area: Geoff West and Louis Bettencourt's work (along with most people who study these kinds of things) is all based on metro area population. There's actually some semi-standard way of determining that number. I think Boston ends up around 3 million or so.
Cheers,
Soren.
