What are some similarities and differences between shampoo, conditioner, and soap?
OR
What are some good ways to calm nerves- stage fright, before exams, etc.?
Note: This is the last everyday life themed question (until further notice...)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Got Science?
Hey! Pippin here, and there are some issues that I need to clear up before I start the answer to this week's question. First, how many of you readers want extra credit over goodie bags? According to the poll, nobody wants regular goodie bags, and yet nobody answers when only extra credit is offered. Does anyone what to clear that up for me?
Also, I want to comment on some of the answers- (get it? comment? answers? Never mind) Great answers from everyone! You're all explaining and everything. However, some mistakes to look out for:
For whatever reason, if you forget a link, please go back and post it so we can make sure that you did the research to find the answer
Also, I'm sure this is unintentional, but make sure you don't copy and paste stuff- I'll be on the lookout, and we don't tolerate plagiarizing on this blog.
Finally, some answers are pretty straightforward, while some, I have to point out, are really nice and fun to read. I'm looking for quality answers as well, and they're just more fun to read. Even adding a "Ever wonder what makes your Coke explode in your face?" makes the entire answer a lot more interesting. Check out njguy's and iluvmusic comment on the last soda question, those are great models of a fun answer.
Now, to this week's question: what makes soda fizz? Of course, I have a question: what exactly do I mean by fizz? Like, the bubbly feeling that you get in your mouth when you drink it, or that hiss and the bubbles that come when you first open it, or the big explosion you get when you shake up a bottle and open it in your friend's face? (Note: shaking a bottle of soda and opening it in anyone's face has an extremely high likelihood of making a mess and upsetting that person. I DO NOT advise you try it unless you have the permission of the person and the person who owns the area you are currently in.) However, the answer is the same for all of my question(s): carbon dioxide, or CO2. Basically, soda makers put in carbon dioxide into soda at a really high pressure to keep the carbon dioxide dissolved, sealing it tightly and quickly. When we open it, or shake it, or put ice cubes in it, the carbon dioxide is disturbed and forms bubbles and floats to the surface (if it has enough energy) once it's no longer under high pressure. All of the bubbles that float to the surface is fizz. Although it's starting to make me wonder: what would happen if we froze soda? Would we see the bubbles in the ice cube? Or what if we froze it all the way down to the freezing point of carbon dioxide? Would the carbon dioxide stay in the soda? And why do they use carbon dioxide to carbonate the water? Why not, say, oxygen? And what would happen if we used frozen CO2 to chill our soda? Would anything unusual happen? Well, I never thought so much about soda before today, but there you go! And now I have to work on my ISN before I get in big trouble. Hope you learned something today!
http://www.sciencetheatre.org/ask_st/033094.html
http://www.knowswhy.com/why-does-soda-fizz/
http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae441.cfm
Also, I want to comment on some of the answers- (get it? comment? answers? Never mind) Great answers from everyone! You're all explaining and everything. However, some mistakes to look out for:
For whatever reason, if you forget a link, please go back and post it so we can make sure that you did the research to find the answer
Also, I'm sure this is unintentional, but make sure you don't copy and paste stuff- I'll be on the lookout, and we don't tolerate plagiarizing on this blog.
Finally, some answers are pretty straightforward, while some, I have to point out, are really nice and fun to read. I'm looking for quality answers as well, and they're just more fun to read. Even adding a "Ever wonder what makes your Coke explode in your face?" makes the entire answer a lot more interesting. Check out njguy's and iluvmusic comment on the last soda question, those are great models of a fun answer.
Now, to this week's question: what makes soda fizz? Of course, I have a question: what exactly do I mean by fizz? Like, the bubbly feeling that you get in your mouth when you drink it, or that hiss and the bubbles that come when you first open it, or the big explosion you get when you shake up a bottle and open it in your friend's face? (Note: shaking a bottle of soda and opening it in anyone's face has an extremely high likelihood of making a mess and upsetting that person. I DO NOT advise you try it unless you have the permission of the person and the person who owns the area you are currently in.) However, the answer is the same for all of my question(s): carbon dioxide, or CO2. Basically, soda makers put in carbon dioxide into soda at a really high pressure to keep the carbon dioxide dissolved, sealing it tightly and quickly. When we open it, or shake it, or put ice cubes in it, the carbon dioxide is disturbed and forms bubbles and floats to the surface (if it has enough energy) once it's no longer under high pressure. All of the bubbles that float to the surface is fizz. Although it's starting to make me wonder: what would happen if we froze soda? Would we see the bubbles in the ice cube? Or what if we froze it all the way down to the freezing point of carbon dioxide? Would the carbon dioxide stay in the soda? And why do they use carbon dioxide to carbonate the water? Why not, say, oxygen? And what would happen if we used frozen CO2 to chill our soda? Would anything unusual happen? Well, I never thought so much about soda before today, but there you go! And now I have to work on my ISN before I get in big trouble. Hope you learned something today!
http://www.sciencetheatre.org/ask_st/033094.html
http://www.knowswhy.com/why-does-soda-fizz/
http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae441.cfm
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Genetics Challenge!
Note: You need to know how to make double punnett squares to do this challenge. Check out this article about a dihybrid cross, which is a double punnett square in simple terms. A gamete is a sex cell, just so you know.
You are a florist who has just recieved a massive order of red, thornless roses. While trying to explain to your customer that roses don't normally come without thorns and that he will have to pay an extra fee, you realize that your latest blooms of white roses do not have any thorns. You have decided to experiment to try to create red roses without thorns. Currently, you have one bush of pink roses with thorns and one bush of white roses without thorns.
FACTS:
Red and white alleles show incomplete dominance
Thorns are a dominant trait
Your pink roses have only thorn alleles
Each bush produces four roses
Each rose produces enough seeds to successfully grow eight bushes
Roses die after producing seeds
Roses can fertilize another rose and produce seeds
To keep things simple, one rose can only fertilize one other rose
You can grow three generations
How many red thornless roses can you grow?Once you get an answer, post it as a comment to see how many we can grow! And if you find it daunting (like me, even though I made it up for myself) try it anyway. I'm curious to see what what happens.
Pippin's Question Box
At the request of an avid question boxer-
Why do people look at the ceiling while they think? Best
Why do people look at the ceiling while they think? Best
Monday, February 15, 2010
Book Chat: Economics
Introducing....
Freakonomics
"A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything"
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
This book is, quite frankly, amazing. It explores a lot of issues and uses raw data to answer unusual questions that turn up even more odd things about our society. As Kurt Anderson says in his praise: "This is bracing fun of the highest order."
The cover consists of a picture of an apple with a slice cut away to show the inside to be... an orange. True to the cover, the book tries to send the message that not everything is what it seems, and by asking the right questions and using the right data, we can begin to uncover the real truths of our world. This is an extremely popular book as far as I know, which is why I decided to read it- and it was worth it. It's not extremely long, and every page has its own surprises. However, they do talk about some controversial issues, like discrimination and abortion, and if you have strong beliefs about such issues, this book may be a little upsetting. It also talks a lot about crime, since Levitt's chief interest is not really in the economy, but in everyday issues and crime. The way the authors write and explain things using data in this book is alone reason enough to read it, since it is extremely unique.
If you have yet to read a non fiction book, then I'd highly recommend this book for any sort of interest you may have. Being a science and music person, economics don't really strike me as, well, amazing, but this book was definitely worth the read. I have yet to read the next book, Superfreakonomics, and explore their website. If you do read it though, please tell me what you think of it! It's a very thought-provoking book.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Literature: Five Fables
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
I think that the moral for this is that you should be careful not to let things fall into the wrong hands, since the sheep's skin had been simply thrown aside, which the wolf took advantage of. If the shepherd had been more careful with the sheep's skin, then the wolf wouldn't have been able to take so many sheep.
The Four Oxen and the Lion
I think that the maxim for this fable is that is that you have to stick together no matter what. Since the oxen kept arguing among themselves, they let their guard down and separated, which left them vulnerable to the lion. They should have stuck together despite their arguments so that they could have continued to defend themselves against the lion.
The Fisher and the Little Fish
In my opinion, the moral for this fable is that it is better to have something than to risk what you have for more. The fisher realized that if he let the fish go, then chances were that he wouldn't catch that fish again when it was bigger, since it would evade him anyway. Plus, since he didn't have any fish at the moment, he needed something to eat on that day, and since all he caught was the little fish, that is what he kept.
The Crow and the Pitcher
In this fable, the crow needed water badly, and he found water in a jug. However, since he could not get to it, he put pebbles into the jug to raise the water level so he could drink it and save his life. The moral for this fable might be that persistance with the right idea can yield its rewards, since the crow had to put the pebbles in one by one, a long process, but he got the water he needed in the end.
The Fox and the Goat
I believe that the maxim for this fable is that you should think before you act. The goat didn't realize that the fox could have been just trying to use her to get out of the well, which made her stuck in the well but let the fox out. If the goat had thought about the fox's position and his reputation, then she might not have been so eager to jump into a well.
I think that the moral for this is that you should be careful not to let things fall into the wrong hands, since the sheep's skin had been simply thrown aside, which the wolf took advantage of. If the shepherd had been more careful with the sheep's skin, then the wolf wouldn't have been able to take so many sheep.
The Four Oxen and the Lion
I think that the maxim for this fable is that is that you have to stick together no matter what. Since the oxen kept arguing among themselves, they let their guard down and separated, which left them vulnerable to the lion. They should have stuck together despite their arguments so that they could have continued to defend themselves against the lion.
The Fisher and the Little Fish
In my opinion, the moral for this fable is that it is better to have something than to risk what you have for more. The fisher realized that if he let the fish go, then chances were that he wouldn't catch that fish again when it was bigger, since it would evade him anyway. Plus, since he didn't have any fish at the moment, he needed something to eat on that day, and since all he caught was the little fish, that is what he kept.
The Crow and the Pitcher
In this fable, the crow needed water badly, and he found water in a jug. However, since he could not get to it, he put pebbles into the jug to raise the water level so he could drink it and save his life. The moral for this fable might be that persistance with the right idea can yield its rewards, since the crow had to put the pebbles in one by one, a long process, but he got the water he needed in the end.
The Fox and the Goat
I believe that the maxim for this fable is that you should think before you act. The goat didn't realize that the fox could have been just trying to use her to get out of the well, which made her stuck in the well but let the fox out. If the goat had thought about the fox's position and his reputation, then she might not have been so eager to jump into a well.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Pippin's Question Box
What percentage of paper waste is toilet paper? Fast
OR
How do icicles form? Best
OR
How do icicles form? Best
Friday, February 5, 2010
Got Science?
Everyone, cheer for the arrival of monthly extra credit awards!! Yay! Now, the question is: how am I supposed to get extra credit?
Some amusing articles:
Tongue on Frozen Flagpole
Is it possible? Read to find out!
Can you freeze to death?
Well, yes and no. The thing is, you'd die before you become an ice cube- read for more details!
Angry Flies
Flies are seriously cool, but they can get angry just like anyone else.
Driving Impairs Talking
That is a "duh!" article. Why do they bother to research this stuff? I recommend to read this just to see what exactly they "discovered."
Apparently, Sunnyd is giving out extra credit on a monthly basis, so now I don't have to feel silly for promising extra credit when, well, there is none! But now there is, so don't worry everyone. Speaking of Sunnyd, here's her question:
Some amusing articles:
Tongue on Frozen Flagpole
Is it possible? Read to find out!
Can you freeze to death?
Well, yes and no. The thing is, you'd die before you become an ice cube- read for more details!
Angry Flies
Flies are seriously cool, but they can get angry just like anyone else.
Driving Impairs Talking
That is a "duh!" article. Why do they bother to research this stuff? I recommend to read this just to see what exactly they "discovered."
Apparently, Sunnyd is giving out extra credit on a monthly basis, so now I don't have to feel silly for promising extra credit when, well, there is none! But now there is, so don't worry everyone. Speaking of Sunnyd, here's her question:
What keeps the sewer gases from creeping back up the drain pipes?
The answer: I don't know. What I do know is that it's an extremely, er, not pleasant question. I read somewhere a long time ago that your (why, oh why do I have to write about sewage and waste?- the pun being you're not supposed to talk about this stuff, especially while eating a snack...) solid waste apparently stays in the pipe of the toilet (correct me if I'm wrong, for it will save me a good lot of grief) until you flush it again (yes, twice), but the noxious gases don't creep up because of the bendy shape (I don't see how that works, though). Here is a link, and this is what I learned. Water goes down the plughole and goes around a bend:
(picture from the link) as you can see in the picture. The water seal prevents all the stink from going back down and up the pipe, so you can't smell it (and remember, the water is under pressure). And that is enough of thinking about waste and sewage for today. Phew!
Now I am thoroughly grossed out and won't be able to answer the last question box. Sorry! Hope you learned something about sewage systems (and no, I'm talking about how water gets to your sink in the question box, not how it goes away- so no more sewage!)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Pippin's Question Box
New Theme: Everyday Life
Explain plumbing (i.e. how does the water get from the reservoir to our sink) Best
Explain plumbing (i.e. how does the water get from the reservoir to our sink) Best
Monday, February 1, 2010
Welcome To February!
...and the beginning of my new "stress-free living" campaign! To jump start the new month, I want to give everyone some blogging tips!
Labels: Yeah, those little things that says "science"? Those are called labels. It's a great organizing tool, especially if you have a lot of posts. Basically, what you do is assign labels to your posts (in either the post editor or while you're composing it next to "labels for this post:"). Then, you go into gadgets and find the labels gadget and presto! You've got a little er, thingy in your sidebar that lists all your labels. If you click on one (go ahead, click on a label on my blog), then it'll show all the posts with that label (of course, you have to give your posts a label first). Speaking of labels, just as a heads up to any teachers, my science homework assignments should be under "Science Class" and Literature stuff is under "Literature." I'll make labels accordingly for any other assignments (otherwise even I won't be able to find it!)
Gadgets: There are some really neat and fun gadgets that I'd reccomend you check out. If you ever feel bored, there are a lot of gadget games, quotes, and other neat stuff. For a blog, though, besides the fish, there are some cute hamster gadgets, a cat gadget, and a penguin gadget (just search it up) that I think are really cute to put on a blog.
Also coming up: Themed question boxes! Possibly... If so, then some themes would probably be everyday life, physics, medical stuff, and food! Any themes that you want?
Labels: Yeah, those little things that says "science"? Those are called labels. It's a great organizing tool, especially if you have a lot of posts. Basically, what you do is assign labels to your posts (in either the post editor or while you're composing it next to "labels for this post:"). Then, you go into gadgets and find the labels gadget and presto! You've got a little er, thingy in your sidebar that lists all your labels. If you click on one (go ahead, click on a label on my blog), then it'll show all the posts with that label (of course, you have to give your posts a label first). Speaking of labels, just as a heads up to any teachers, my science homework assignments should be under "Science Class" and Literature stuff is under "Literature." I'll make labels accordingly for any other assignments (otherwise even I won't be able to find it!)
Gadgets: There are some really neat and fun gadgets that I'd reccomend you check out. If you ever feel bored, there are a lot of gadget games, quotes, and other neat stuff. For a blog, though, besides the fish, there are some cute hamster gadgets, a cat gadget, and a penguin gadget (just search it up) that I think are really cute to put on a blog.
Also coming up: Themed question boxes! Possibly... If so, then some themes would probably be everyday life, physics, medical stuff, and food! Any themes that you want?
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