Got Science?

First things first: here's a shocking link that has to do with the oil spill.  Basically, it'll show you the size of the oil spill if it happened over your town.  Check it out:
http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/

So the school year has winded down.  Thus, the end of the Question Box on my blog for this year.  However, look out for the Question Box next year!!  Here are the final questions' answers:

Why can milk come out your nose?  Let me illustrate why with a diagram (from here)

©2009 Northeast Georgia Cancer Specialists/ASTRO

If you look at the diagram, you can see that your mouth (oral cavity) is connected to the same passageway as your nose.  Milk comes out your nose mistakenly because it happens to go past your mouth and through your nose instead, probably because something forced it up, like laughter.  Simple, isn't it?

Next question: If I had to choose a science career, what would I choose?  Not that I would, oh, say, go into the science field.  After all, that would be totally unexpected (Verbal irony. Please do not take seriously).  Jokes aside, I don't really know.  Green guy mentioned becoming a brain surgeon, njguy becoming a zoologist, and toadrockz a pathologist/science teacher.  Becoming a science teacher would be fun, although I might accidentally drive Sunnyd nuts with questions about how to be a good science teacher.  Or, on the thread of zoologist, marine biology is pretty interesting too.  I spent half the school year in second grade learning about the ocean (and we went really deep, too!  We had to do a research paper and projects and we wrote a poem and made a play and posters.... oh, all those good memories.  Back to the present!)  and it was  really interesting.  However, I'm actually kind of hanging in between engineering/physics and medical school, when it comes to science careers.  Physics/engineering is a big interest of mine, but the human body is too- and arguably, I've been fascinated in the human body for much longer than I've ever been interested in physics, even though I've never actually been as mesmerized with it as physics.  What do you think?  Would you want to become, say, a science teacher, or a zoologist, or some other type of scientist?  Comments are welcome, it's always nice to hear someone else!

Pippin's Question Box

If you had to pick a science career, what would you choose?

Pippin's Question Box

Why is it possible for milk to come out your nose? Best

Got Science?

I know this is a little off topic, but I was just thinking about the possibility of civilizations before us and aliens. I know it's improbable for intelligent life to develop before us, but if it did happen, would there even be evidence? Take for instance, our society. We use all sorts of materials that last a loonnngg time, so people can dig up artifacts from, say, the Native Americans of long ago. However, everything that we've done is incredibly small compared to the Earth's history- we've only been around for, say, a million or so years while the Earth's been around for about 4.6 billion years (and correct me if I'm wrong). Also, even though the stuff we make may last a long time, I don't think that 500 million years from now, it would still be here. Even glass, which lasts a long time, will only last one million years: compare that to the dinosaurs of 200 million years ago. So if there was, say, really smart dinosaurs, would there be any evidence to prove it? Especially if those really smart dinosaurs were smart enough to dispose of their waste properly.

The answer to the question this week: quite simply, we can't tickle ourselves because it isn't a surprise. Our brain can anticipate our own movements (what a shocker), so when we tickle ourselves, we don't get that panicky feeling that causes the being-tickled reaction. After all, it's only yourself, so your brain doesn't raise a fuss.

Now, one last announcement: there MAY be a special luncheon or lab for the TOP TEN answerer's of the question box. Things considered: how many times you answered and the quality of your answers. When the final details of the special luncheon or lab are determined, then the list of winners will be compiled and posted on the blog- so keep on answering!

awesome_spectacular's comments: Great job this week- we got a lot of answers. The quality of the answers is way improving! About Pippin's comments on the aliens and stuff (way off topic!), I think that you're right about the glass lasting only about probably a million years. Not all resources last forever because some resources are renewal and others are non renewal (hint! hint! S.S.!) I feel that even the renewable stuff we make may last a really really long time, but I don't really think it could last forever. I guess I got off topic too! Anyway, you guys are doing a awesome job, so just keep answering!

Got Science?

I was just watching Bill Nye on the news, talking about the Gulf oil spill, and he started talking about how we need more of America's youth to go into concrete science, rather than economics or banking or whatnot. And so, I decided that now is a good time to truly discuss what the question box is about, as its purpose, I feel, is beginning to drown amongst the goodie bags, extra credit, and other frilly stuff.

The Question Box wasn't meant as a way for me to get rid of all of my Halloween candy, even if that's what it seems. Nor was it meant as a quick and easy way to boost your grades. It isn't even about the ultra-cool bulletin board that is now wallpapered in pictures and articles. It's about getting you interested in science, and hopefully swaying some of you to pursue science careers in the future. Science isn't boring, even if you fall asleep in science class. It's the field of curiosity, where you think of questions- and try to answer them. It's the field of creation, where our techno-people think of neat gadgets like the iPhone for the rest of us to enjoy. It's the field of solutions, where our greatest minds try to solve the problems of today, like BP's oil spill. I'm not saying that you have to become a scientist or engineer, but that it's not as boring as you think. In fact, here's how E. Robert Schulman put the purpose of science in his comical How to Write a Scientific Paper:

The purpose of science is to get paid for doing fun stuff if you're not a good enough programmer to write computer games for a living (Schulman et al. 1991).

While it's meant to be a joke, that's what scientists do: they research "stuff" that they want to find out, and they get paid for doing it. Just watch the Discovery Channel. Those people are getting paid for living an adventure! No one is more fun, or funny than the Myth Busters and all they do all day is experiment. Having someone pay you to sit around and ask questions is a wonderful career. Want to know why clouds break up? Or why people have a tendency to eat the ears off of marshmallow peeps first? Scientists are the ones who get paid to find the answer: they research the topic, come up with a guess to the answer, and try out their guess in a made up scenario, an experiment. Then, they try to figure out what just happened and whether or not they were right. But you don't need me to tell you this, this is what every science teacher is telling you! Hypothesis: I think people like to eat the ears of marshmallow peeps. Observation: watching people vote on my marshmallow peep poll. Data: The results of my poll (scroll down to see). Conclusion: it's either always or never, but rarely in between. This is what science teachers are constantly telling you, but it's simpler than they make it seem (sorry Sunnyd). This big vocabulary, observation, analysis, etc. is scaring people away from science, if you ask me. And that's what the question box is about: going back to the root of science so that we don't forget the essence of it. It's here to remind you that science is an explanation for simple things in life, facts about our world. And when we put facts together, we come up with all sorts of interesting stuff: the same concept of "convection" that makes the Earth's surface move makes our jello turn solid and makes heating up a house with an oven highly ineffective (Trust me, don't try it. It could cause your oven to break, like ours did). The same concept of gravity that makes the moon go 'round our heads makes apples fall to the ground. And when we try to use these concepts for ourselves, we make life easier: a fan helps cool your jello dessert in time for dinner, a fireplace heats up your house quickly and effectively (relatively speaking), gravity makes bungee jumping all the more thrilling... This is what science is about. And it is ultra-important to your life, my life, and the development of mankind.

That's also why you should do your science homework. :)

Tired out, are you? I'll keep the answer to this week's question brief, because I need to do my homework and I'm sure you do too. We need to sit upright on roller coasters because of G-forces. If we don't, all these G-forces won't be distributed evenly and parts of us would feel heavier than others. I'll come back to this topic later (hopefully) because I need to do more reading. Here are some links about roller coasters:http://www.rollercoasterking.com/thrill-experience/http://www.themeparkinsider.com/safety/http://fun.familyeducation.com/summer/safety/35168.htmlhttp://cec.chebucto.org/Co-Phys.html  And thanks to njguy for the neat video. I don't think I'll ever go on Kingda Ka- way too scary for me.

By the way, if you'd like to comment on anything, feel free to do so.

Pippin's Question Box

Why can't we tickle ourselves? Best

 Thanks to Saffire_Goldstone

Pippin's Question Box

Why are we told to sit upright on roller coasters? (and what happens if we don't?) Best

Got Science?

Answer by Awesome_Spectacular:

I have to say, this week's question was a little hard. We got several different opinions and answers from people. Just a little heads-up: please follow the rules! If you don't do things like write your own answer or provide a link, we can't give you credit for the answer. Sunnyd has clearly stated whoever didn't state a link this week will not get credit, so next for those of you, please make sure you have link next time!

Back to the question. Even though there were many opinions, the one I thought was correct after doing some research (with A LOT of help from Pippin14), the answer I think is correct is that drier air causes clouds to break up into smaller clouds. When drier air gets mixed with clouds, some parts of the cloud break away, or in more scientific terms, evaporate. Basically, this is the way a cloud breaks up into smaller clouds. When answering this, you should have remembered that clouds are little drops of frozen crystals, or water.

In a way, Pizzalover was technically correct in saying that clouds can't break up into smaller clouds because it depends on the size of the frozen droplets of water that make a cloud big or small. But technically, of that cloud, when dry air is mixed, parts of the cloud will evaporate, breaking it up into a smaller cloud.

Links: (mostly a big thanks to Pippin14!)

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cloud-formation-how-do-clouds-form.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=An9r01NVQXbJH6pzcfnmz48azKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20100520140322AAOvHiR
http://www.rcn27.dial.pipex.com/cloudsrus/clouds.html
http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cloud2.html
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wcloud0.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wlumpwhy.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/askjack/archives-clouds-precip.htm
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4898
http://www.livescience.com/mysteries/070329_clouds_form.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/cloud2.htm

(Note from Pippin: That's a lot of links! On another note, I found a really interesting article about why clouds are lumpy and another Q&A about clouds from scholastic that has some neat factoids, just in case you find clouds interesting!)

Pippin's Question Box

How do clouds break up into smaller clouds? Best

Pippin's Question Box

What makes soda fizz? Best

Got Science

I must say, this was a pretty difficult question to answer! For all those Question Box Answerer's this week, great links!
From what I researched, it pretty much depends on, basically, your body and how tolerant you are. It depends on how many fumes there are, and how much you inhale. If you inhale enough of it, you could possibly get drunk, although you would feel a little dizzy first. This is because the main chemical in alcohol is ethanol. Ethanol is also known as grain alcohol, pure alcohol, or drinking alcohol, along with many other names. Ethanol is one of the oldest recreational drugs. As iluvmusic said, alcohol is not an inhalant, it is still really harmful to your body. If you inhale enough to get you drunk, it will enter your bloodstream, which can be highly harmful to your body.
~Awesome_Spectacular1009


Pippin's comments: I have to wonder though: if you can get drunk on ethanol, couldn't that be a major problem in considering bio fuels? After all, when we go to fill up our tank on gasoline, we smell gasoline fumes. Therefore, if drivers fill up their tank and catch a whiff or two of alcohol, then that will be almost the equivalent of putting (slightly) drunk drivers on the road- and that could be rather hazardous. Wouldn't that mean, then, engineers would have to design a completely leak-proof ethanol dispensing system so as to avoid doing that to drivers? Plus, even our gasoline systems are (clearly) not leak proof, so I highly doubt we'd been able to create an entirely leak-proof ethanol system that every fuel station would embrace and maintain properly. Hmmm... well, just something to think about!


Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/health-drunk-but-not-a-drop-passed-my-lips-did-you-know-that-you-can-get-tipsy-simply-by-breathing-in-the-fumes-from-other-peoples-booze-rob-stepney-looks-at-the-risks-and-possibilities-of-passive-drinking-1469632.html

Pippin's Question Box

Could someone get drunk by walking into a room full of alcohol fumes? Best

Got Science?

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question100.htm
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5729847_human-vs_-monkey-hair.html

How do Monkeys keep their hair short?

For those of you who didn't get the question, this was a tricky one.  The trick behind the tricky question was that you had to search not monkey hair shortness, but why hair grows to a certain length in general.  (and by all means, you definitely shouldn't have searched for monkey barbershops- that would have gotten you nowhere).  Basically, as Totalmystery and Saffire said, monkeys shed (and we do too).  To be a little more detailed, the parts of your body that grows hair, your hair follicles, have a specific programming, so to speak.  Every hair, first of all, has its own follicle, so this follicle produces new hair cells, pushing the older ones, which we see as hair.  Hair follicles will continue to produce cells for a certain period of time, called the growth period.  Then, the follicles will stop, which is called the rest period.  Once a hair follicle enters this rest period, it stops growing and the hair falls out- thus, once the rest period ends, the follicle can start anew.  This system of grow-rest-grow-rest controls how long hair can grow, so while the hair on your head can grow long enough to cover your face, the hair on your arms won't do much.  Animals that shed coordinate this rest period so that all their hair sheds at the same time, creating a mess in your house at times.  So, monkeys keep their hair short simply because it isn't going to grow any longer (for monkeys with short hair). And that's it for today! Hope you learned something!

Pippin's Question Box

How do monkeys keep their hair short? Best

Got Science?

Apparently, I got the question wrong- it's not really a mosquito whine, but a mosquito ringtone. Hmm, close enough.

This is a relatively simple question to answer, so I'll keep it brief. Basically, adults can't hear the mosquito ringtone (which is actually simply a really high pitched sound) because their ears are getting old, a condition known as presbyacusis. And I'll stop there before I start giving out rather unfavorable ideas.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/12/technology/12ring.html

Can you hear the tones?  Check out this link:

http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/can-you-hear-this-hearing-test/

Also, here are the winners for this week's question box:

cookiesncream

soccer_bug0912

Toad Rockz

Congratulations!!

Got Science?

So, what is entropy? It sounds kind of weird, doesn't it? It's a very important part of the second law of thermodynamics (we learned the first law last year in Chemistry): Entropy always increases. But, of course, that doesn't explain much, does it?

Entropy, simply put, has to do with the disorder in the universe. More specifically, you could say it as the molecular organization of an object become disordered, or energy flowing from places with a lot of energy to places with little energy. (Decreasing potential energy, if you're studying for the test tommorrow) Need an example? Let's take an ice cube in a glass of water. Accorrding to entropy, energy will flow from points of higher energy to lower energy. The room, so long as it's a reasonable temperature, is much warmer than your glass of water, correct? So, the warmth from the room will eventually warm up the cup and melt the ice cube. Eventually, the room and the ice cube will be at the same temperature. That's about it! Here's another example I read in a book about how it has to do with organization: say you have a puzzle depicting, say, Einstein. At first, all the puzzle pieces are in order and you can see Einstein's head. However, give it a little shake, and it begins to randomize. There are a bazillion ways that the puzzle pieces may be scattered and messed up, but there is only one way that is correct and "organized." Therefore, it is much easier to be disorganized than organized, or entropy. Hope you've learned something for today!

Links:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-entropy.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_entropy
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/therm/entrop.html

Pippin's Question Box

Why can children hear the "mosquito" whine but adults (well, most) cannot? Best

Renovations to Question Box

The Question Box is getting some revamps! Things to look for: new rewards system, a bulletin board, and much more! Keep on answering those questions!

Got Science?

I know, I know, I haven't posted in a while.  To follow up on my discussion of heat transfer, I'm going to discuss the question box from two weeks ago: Why is it more efficient to heat up your house with the fireplace rather than the oven?

Pippin's Question Box

What is entropy? Best