Interesting Science Stuff Thread

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Let's not forget the methane that is exhaled from the other end.  To test a new planet for life as we know it, you only have to sample the upper atmosphere for cow farts.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Cheetah speed.  Amazing but exhausting.  SC4 players take note.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

So three "super-earths" at one star.

 

The star is a tiny M-dwarf.  The masses of the planets are 2.7 to 3.8 the mass of the earth.  Doesn't that indicate that the gravity on these bodies will be between 7.29 and 14.44 g?  (I simply squared the difference in mass since most forces obey the square law).  If so, we can never live there or even visit.

 

Goldilocks zone or not, there's no place like home.

[Bdub01 201]

If we ever got serious about interstellar travel I think this would be a great place to start!!!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

You wouldn't be able to stand up, even at 7+ g.  If you weighed 100 Kg on earth you would weigh 729 Kilos there.  Your legs would snap like match sticks.

[Ro-Bo 183]

14Gs ! Jeez....

[Cpt Johnny 57]

This thread should be renamed "interesting astronomical stuff".

 

Did you know that the Earth is now travelling in space at about 110,000km/h (faster than any rocket or space shuttle)?

[AkemiAzula 280]

At that speed you'd think we could just use our planet as an intergalactic spaceship by flinging it out of orbit

[Cpt Johnny 57]

At that speed you'd think we could just use our planet as an intergalactic spaceship by flinging it out of orbit

Haha, but what kind of force can "fling" the Earth (or any celestial object, for that matter) out of its own orbit?

[Duke87 1,070]

The masses of the planets are 2.7 to 3.8 the mass of the earth.  Doesn't that indicate that the gravity on these bodies will be between 7.29 and 14.44 g?  (I simply squared the difference in mass since most forces obey the square law).

 

No, it indicates that the gravity on these bodies will be between 2.7 and 3.8 g... a bit less, actually, if they are larger as well as more massive.

 

The surface gravity of a planet is equal to GM/r², with G being the gravitational constant (6.67 x 10^-11 m³/kg-s²), M being the mass of the planet, and r being the radius of the planet.

 

There is a square in that law but it's the inverse of the distance, not the mass.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Thanks for the correction.  I must be getting a little fuzzy on that high-school stuff.

[Duke87 1,070]

This just in: eating boogers may be good for your health.

 

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Not terribly surprising, but according to our mores, disgusting. 

 

This is one of those things "you have to be taught/before it's too late/before you are six, or seven or eight/to hate the things your relatives hate/you have to be carefully taught." from South Pacific.

[Terring 6,473]

Top 10 Ridiculously Common Science Myths

[AkemiAzula 280]

I always suspected it was good for the immunity to in a controlled manner introduce pathogens. And Napper's observation of the link between increased hygiene and allergies and sensitivities of that sort makes sense. I have always said that in the past all they had was soap and water and that did perfectly fine. 

[Cpt Johnny 57]

Summer Solstice 2013: Interesting Facts to Know About the Solstice

[KonstantinII 1,106]

Are there any people on other planets in the Milky way? Does convergent evolution allow there to be people with two arms and legs, and two eyes just like us? Maybe the intelligent inhabitants of other planets are little bit different due to gravity and air pressure but general body structure is the same?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Schrodinger's cat says "Maybe.  Meoxh".

 

The chances are that if there are any vertebrate beings they will be bilaterally symmetrical.  Even snakes have vestigial legs.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Are there any people on other planets in the Milky way? Does convergent evolution allow there to be people with two arms and legs, and two eyes just like us? Maybe the intelligent inhabitants of other planets are little bit different due to gravity and air pressure but general body structure is the same?

BI lateral symmetry may be the only thing that works.

[blade2k5 1,523]

 

At that speed you'd think we could just use our planet as an intergalactic spaceship by flinging it out of orbit

Haha, but what kind of force can "fling" the Earth (or any celestial object, for that matter) out of its own orbit?

 

 

 

If Jupiter decided to swing it's way into the inner solar system that would be enough to toss the Earth out of the solar system.

[Cpt Johnny 57]

 

 

At that speed you'd think we could just use our planet as an intergalactic spaceship by flinging it out of orbit

Haha, but what kind of force can "fling" the Earth (or any celestial object, for that matter) out of its own orbit?

 

 

 

If Jupiter decided to swing it's way into the inner solar system that would be enough to toss the Earth out of the solar system.

 

What would cause Jupiter to "decide" to do so?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

More to the point, if earth left the Goldilocks zone, we'd all freeze to death in the dark or fry.

[AkemiAzula 280]

I was thinking of Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) where the Daleks try to turn Earth into a Death Star kinda thing by inserting a driving mechanism into it. Obviously I didn't stop to consider the many, many, many^{1000000000000000000000000000000} issues with that concept.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I am a little more excited by the discovery of so many NEOs.  Not worried, because, since I can't do anything about them, there is no point in worrying.  There will be an ELE or not.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Liquid water flows in Antarctica.

 

This is fresh water, as is all ice.  It this amount arrives in the oceans it not only raises the level but decreases the salinity.  In the ordinary course this won't have much effect, but if it is a real flood then the drop in salinity may seriously effect the ocean ecology.

[Cpt Johnny 57]

Imagine the amount of water released when all the ice shelfs on Antarctica starts to melt. Add that to Greenland and the Arctic ice cap melt, and we're seriously screwed. :S

[AkemiAzula 280]

How much would sea levels eventually rise to? Because where I live is about 20 metres above sea level

[Haljackey 17,272]

How much would sea levels eventually rise to? Because where I live is about 20 metres above sea level

 

I recall hearing that if all the glaciers in Greenland were to melt, sea level would go up ~20 feet.

 

Considering that Antarctica's glaciers make Greenland's look like peanuts, you'd probably get at least 20 metres even if they all don't melt down there.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I have heard guesstimates of up to 30 metres.  Instead of sitting in a puddle and crying like a sad puppy, it is time for more aggressive preparations to live with this.  There is no stopping it because we are past the tipping point, so now, adaptable man must cope.

[Cobraroll 138]

If all the ice caps were to melt, we'd see a sea level rise of about 80 metres, they said last time I checked. On the other hand, I'm not sure if that includes horizontal expansion of the seas as the shoreline creeps inland. Besides, it would take a lot for all the ice caps to melt. But either way, a metre or two is more than sufficient to trouble cities like Venice, Sydney, Lagos, Miami, New Orleans or Copenhagen. Add another ten metres, and quite a sizable portion of the world population would find their homes under water whenever the tides rise high.