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Theory Central

 

Back to Odds & Sods

I've always had "theories" about - everything... you know... something like my Football Pools theory - "two teams which are close together in the League, are more likely to draw, than two teams at either ends of the league".

Because they're SO sensible, I've collected them together here - for the benefit of all. I'll add to this (at the bottom) as time goes by - some of my theories are so 'ordinary' that they're not at the forefront of my mind all the time, so I'll only remember them in  a few weeks/months time, but feel free to email me with comments, criticisms... here we go:

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How to fix a rising Sea-Level?? - Take all the ships out of the water!! You've heard all the 'wordage' about global warming and melting ice-caps and sea-level rising?? Well - if the sea-level does rise surely that's the only remedy???

Ships 'displace' water (push a bucket down into your bath and watch the water-level rise), and with so many of them around the world - they surely must be forcing the sea-level up a few inches/feet?? I know that remedy will cause a few people (Marines, Navies, Merchant Shipping etc..) a bit of gyp, but they've been taking the easy way out too long - they should use hover-craft (does that fix the problem??), Foil and other types of craft.

 

*** Update Update 8th September, 2009***

Have just finished reading Do Polar Bears get lonely? (Thanks Inga) and on page 165 they answer this question...... Alas for my theory ""sea level would rise by a mere 5 micrometres"... back to the drawing board!!

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Launching satellites is too costly - So, build a bloody great building!! I know they say that buildings cannot go much higher than X feet - but they'll find a solution to that. Then - find a place that doesn't wobble too much, build a 40 mile-high building and use tennis-rackets to bat the satellites into orbit. Savings are Astronaut training (who needs training to ride an elevator??), rockets, fuel, International Space Station (just go to Level 171,268)  etc... and whilst people are up there - they might as well clean-up the rubbish that has been left by earlier traditional launches (big butterfly-type nets - I think). Update!! Update!!.... all that was written in early January 2003 - weeks before the disintegration of the Shuttle on its return to earth in early February. Very sorry to hear that news....

 

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Political systems don't work for longer than X years in any one place. Dictatorships and Totalitarian type regimes eventually get overthrown. Anarchy becomes too tiring and populations turn to whatever offers peace and quiet. Democracy dies because of apathy, and gets hi-jacked by the next 'system'. The world changes... or is that someone else's theory??

 

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Arranged marriages are as successful as others I've got no statistics to support this theory - but the more I've seen of both types of marriage, the more I've come to this belief. For 'westerners' who may find such an arrangement as "removing my freedom of choice etc.." - I'd just say...apart from each side of the arranged marriage having freedom of choice... just consider what freedom most of us had.. "went to a party and there he/she was" - or, "we met on a blind date" etc.. etc... - not much choice there - just happen-stance.

 

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What is origin/meaning of the saying “Well…. Blow me”?? Not really a Theory this one... but surely the origin has got to be naughty?? Any ideas??

 

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Pay as you use driving areas – don’t work – you know those areas in central cities where whole blocks are "locked-off" and entry by car/whatever is only allowed at certain hours and after payment of some fee. The set-up and on-going costs have got to be difficult to recoup - and by setting the entry-fee so high that it has the desired effect (reducing traffic) must mean that drivers will avoid the area. That's what I've seen - drivers choosing to go round the area and at other times, queueing  a few minutes before start/end of operation times, thereby causing jams/accidents.

 

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Sod’s Law “whatever can go wrong – will go wrong” is true if you are apathetic.. Start being positive, apply the maxim "When the going gets tough, the tough get going", do something to reverse any apathetic mood and things will turn around.

 

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Euthanasia will never be legalised - This is one from Craig Sanderson.. because it would reduce the headcount from which taxes can be levied.

August 11, 2006 - Ralphie Magro writes.....

Not if they taxed Euthanasia.  Seeing how as you can't take it with you, the tax would probably be "100% of everything you own".

As sharp as ever Ralphie!!

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A hot cup of tea does not cool you down - if its a warm day and you are already sweating - having a hot cup of tea makes you sweat even more and after about 20 minutes you cool back down to the "sweatiness" you were originally at - and you feel as though you are cooler - you're not!!

 

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Marriage is a bad institution - there are other comments like this throughout this web-site, and they may be more "emotional" than this reasoned proposal to you.....
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2 people meet, get on well, live together - all is fine and dandy;

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They get married because there should be some "security and continuity" for the relationship if and when the kids come along - already things are turning bad;

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The "married security and continuity" has removed the unexpected from the relationship;

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When kids come along priorities get changed - kids are number one, each partner is number 3, 4 or 5;

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Result:
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In a marriage, where continuity is the aim - fun, stupidity, irresponsibility, partner to partner attention etc.. are sacrificed for continuity, security etc;

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Where a couple "live together - do not marry", where continuity is not the foundation, life becomes less reliable and each has to work at the relationship.

 

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Populations are crazy to vote into Government, parties that institute the following tax regimes..
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You earn gross 25,000 in a year - and pay 20% Income Tax on it - you have paid 5,000 Tax;

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Next year you invest the remaining 20,000 in Equities, Bonds - whatever - markets decline - your investments are worth only 10,000 - you pay no tax;

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Next year, your investments appreciate back to their original value - you have had income of 10,000 during the year - you pay 20% tax - you pay another 2,000 Tax;

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If the last 2 years repeat ad-infinitum, you'd end up paying all 25,000 in Tax.... are we idiots??

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Oh... and did I omit all the other taxes we pay, just living during the year?? Total it all up and  about 80% of our gross income goes in taxes to Governments!!

 

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Explain this...
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Stopping distance of a car traveling at 20mph is about 17 feet

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Stopping distance of a car traveling at 90mph is about 340 feet

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So - ideally, if a car is following another at any speed - it would be good if it stayed the "stopping distance" behind

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Now.. if you're looking at a point A on a 3 lane Motorway/Autobahn/etc - and cars with 4 people in each, pass at the 2 speeds and stay at the recommended stopping distances apart, in 1 hour:
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At 20mph - 72,000 people would pass the specific spot;

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Whereas, at 90mph - only 16,615 people would pass the specific spot.

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Now if you do the same, at point B, 50 yards further down the highway, you get the same results - of course

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Which means, more people are being transported from point A to point B in  the same amount of time, at a slower, safer speed.

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So why aren't we all driving at 20mph??

 

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All SPAM comes from New York
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Today - 15th August, 2003 - there has been a big electricity failure in north east USA/Canada;

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Today - 15th August, 2003 - I didn't receive a single spam email - I normally receive 10 to 15 per day!!

 

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Worried about the sun... the moon........ and the earth....???
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I hope somebody is watching out for this............. but I bet no-one is!!!

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The Moon orbits the earth - and the earth orbits the sun

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All 3 are held in place by their speed and their mass (I believe - never studied physics and things...) - but I reckon "mass" means ..... weight....??

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Well..........
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We send rockets up.... and they don't come back.....

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We land things on the moon - and leave them there

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We collect rocks  from the moon - and bring them back here

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Asteroids and things are always crashing into the earth

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So.......... isn't all that.... buggering up the weight distributions??

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And if it is.....
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is the moon going to go spinning off somewhere??

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or is it going to come crashing into us??

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or - are we going to go spinning off somewhere??

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or - go crashing into the sun??

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Anybody watching this....?? Anybody know....??

 

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Solution to the Arab/Israeli conflict
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Many thanks to JL Chavez for this one... at the age of 25.... he may have just stumbled upon the solution to the greatest problem facing the world today......

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We see everyday on the news, suicide bombers

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The Israelis then counter-attack and so the circle goes on - how to break the circle....??

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EVERYBODY has to walk around........ NUDE!! No clothes allowed, anywhere, anytime....

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No way to hide bombs and firearms on your person

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Therefore less, dwindling to nil.... attacks

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Therefore less, dwindling to nil... counter attacks

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Perceived problems:
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Conservatives may not like the body display - better than bombs?? hey..?

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It gets cold in the winter - sorry, bit of hardship - better than bombs?? hey..?

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Relies on Israeli Army not "just attacking whenever it wants to" - world opinion will go against them

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Water and Air
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We live in an apartment block constructed out of reinforced concrete

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Just about every flat has water seepage problems
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i.e. Water maybe leaking out of a pipe onto the surrounding concrete - then gravity taking over - and that water seeping down into the flat below

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So water can pass through reinforced concrete

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And we know from schooldays that water seeps down through rocks/mountains etc..

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Apparently - it is 6 times more dense than air

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SO........ can air pass through reinforced concrete (etc..) 6 times quicker than water??
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If so... it should be possible to stand on one side of a mountain/building and get hit by the same wind (an appropriate time later) that is currently battering the other side.

 

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Aircraft Security
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This is not my idea - I saw it as a letter in a recent newspaper, thought it was a great idea - and have added to it

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The basic idea is that passenger flights should carry no "checked baggage" and maybe even reduced "carry-on baggage"
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Advantages are:
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Faster check-in

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Re-design planes to use the freed-up cargo space - more passengers per plane

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Faster de-planing

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Less opportunity for "acts of terrorism"

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Less carrying/hefting of luggage

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Disadvantages are:
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Increased chance of loss of luggage (but this is a Technological age - something can surely be done here??)

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How does it work?
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Passengers go to the airport as usual (or perhaps even check luggage-in a day or two before) and Check-in (e.g. on a Singapore to London flight)

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With "Passenger Check-in" completed - they then Check-in their luggage

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Receive confirmation of when luggage will arrive, and provide destination address

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Passengers board double-deck redesigned plane - and fly

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Luggage is in the hands of a Logistics company (e.g. DHL, Fedex etc..)
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They file a flight plan, based on where they have luggage to deliver (e.g. Dubai, Paris and London)

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They deliver the luggage to the passengers at the agreed date/time at the agreed address

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Other aspects to 'round-off' the idea:
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All plane cockpits should be entirely separate from the fuselage
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Imagine a brick-wall of Kevlar separating cockpit and fuselage, with no openings

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All "flight controls" should be sent (not "by-wire"), but "wireless"

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The cargo planes would also have this brick-wall of Kevlar
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In addition they would have Kevlar around all containers, so that in the event of a bomb the fuselage may be slightly damaged but ideally the plane is still controlable

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Both the cockpit and the fuselage can be separated in the event of a catastrophic bomb blast
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Both would have large parachutes to allow a softer landing

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Large areas of desert and waste land should be set aside throughout the world - to allow landings of the "catastrophic" sort

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Electricity "drains"
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I'm not an electrician, and cannot get my head around "electricity" (Amps, Watts, Volts, Direct/Indirect etc..)

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We moved apartment just recently (May 2005)

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In the old apartment I used to balance my electric toothbrush - brush down, when not in use

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In the new place - I stand it vertical - brush up

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It works 350 times better now than it ever did in the old place - faster, longer, better!!

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I deduce from this.... that - like warm air rises, and/or cold air falls...

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Left to its own devices - electricity will fall towards the ground, i.e. gravity takes over.
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Why this deduction??
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The batteries are in the base of the brush

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So when stood, brush up - electricity will drain down towards the batteries - sensible, usable!!

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Whereas - brush down - electricity will drain towards the brush - and be unusable.

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In the old place - after about 2+ minutes of use - the action of the toothbrush used to get better/faster - so that initially it would rotate at 100 rpm and by the end of a cleaning session it was rotating at 1,000 rpm - absolute proof that the action of cleaning teeth juggled some of the drained electricity, back to the batteries!!

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Rain comes from somewhere else
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If, as they say, wind wafting across the ocean - picks up humidity/water

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Why doesn't rain taste salty? Especially in coastal areas where it hasn't had time to "lose" the salt.

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Lack of salt suggests that rain does not come from the sea!!

(UPDATE - Update!! 5th feb, 2006) - my daughter Inga writes....
hey Paps-
It's late at night and I thought I'd browse over bits of ur website.
I came across ur theories on rain NOT coming from the sea- and thought I'd share with u some of the stuff that I'm teaching the kids... sharing the knowledge!!

The salt in salt water is dissolved in the water (it's a solution).
In order to separate the solid salt from the water, you'd have to evaporate the liquid-leaving behind the solute.

If u boil salty water and hold a cold spoon above the saucepan- so that the water vapour condenses on the spoon, u would find, if u were to taste the condensation, that it is NOT salty (because the salt does NOT evaporate with the liquid and so does NOT make up the condensation.

Equally when water evaporates from the sea into the air it creates rain clouds that are not salty.

there we go.
pearls of scientific wisdom!!
I'm off to bed
xx
If she's right (and I'm not subscribing to her theory yet....) - why don't we get salt storms then?? She's identified where the water/liquid goes - but where's the salt gone?? Surely it goes somewhere?? Why doesn't it fall in Salt Storms - like rain storms??

 

She replies with a link to a site where........

 

Q: Hi, I am 8 years old, and in 3rd grade.

I love science and I always get A's in my report card.

I will like to know, if 97% of the earth's water is salty and its recycled, why isn't the rain salty?

Thank You. Noah (age 8) Ojus Elementary North Miami, FL

 

A: The rain water comes from water vapor that has gone into the atmosphere, mostly from oceans.

'Vapor' means molecules that are bouncing around in mostly empty space without spending much time in contact, unlike a liquid where they stick together.

 

When the vapor cools enough, it condenses into liquid water that falls as rain.

 

So why does the water vapor lack salt?

Dissolved salt consists of ions- electrically charged versions of atoms.

In liquid water, the electrically charged parts of the water molecules arrange so that on average their positive parts are near the negative ions, and the negative parts nearer the positive ions.

That greatly lowers the energy of the ions, compared to the energy they would have off on their own.

In other words, the ions stick to the liquid water.

They actually stick to it much better than the water molecules do.

So water molecules evaporate off into vapor, leaving the salt behind.

 

Mike W.

 

Now... I cannot understand that answer....... I hope Noah can!! Here's the reply with my questions in black.

 

1. The rain water comes from water vapor that has gone into the atmosphere, mostly from oceans. Understood.

2. 'Vapor' means molecules that are bouncing around in mostly empty space without spending much time in contact, unlike a liquid where they stick together. Understood.

3. When the vapor cools enough, it condenses into liquid water that falls as rain. Understood.

4. So why does the water vapor lack salt? Surely the question is - why does rain lack salt?? Yes why??

5. Dissolved salt consists of ions- electrically charged versions of atoms. Dissolved salt... is that salt dissolved in water??.

6. In liquid water, (is this water without dissolved salt in it??) the electrically charged parts of the water molecules (is a molecule an atom and/or an ion??) arrange so that on average their positive parts are near the negative ions, and the negative parts nearer the positive ions.

7. That greatly lowers the energy of the ions, compared to the energy they would have off (given off??) on their own. So.. in liquid water, the energy of the ions is greatly reduced

8. In other words, the ions stick to the liquid water. What a logic jump- where did that come from??

9. They actually stick to it much better than the water molecules do.

10. So water molecules evaporate off into vapor, leaving the salt behind. So we go back to item 1.??

HELP!!!!!

 

Another update - August 11, 2006 - from Ralph Magro - why is he spending so much time in here - hasn't he got anything better to do??

Question;
If rain consists of water that comes mostly from the sea, why doesn't rain have fish in it?

Answer; because the fish got eaten by the seagulls flying through the clouds?  ……..I don't think so.
How about because the water left the sea and the fish stayed in the sea.  Same as with the salt.
So your question really should be "why does the salt (and the fish) stay in the sea?"
Well I happen to know that the fish stay in the sea because they're scared of heights, so maybe that's why the salt stays there too? 

You see.... again - he just arrows straight to the heart of the matter - I hope the people in Sweden are reading this - so they're abreast of things when it comes to dishing out the Nobel Prizes.

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Boiling isn't hottest
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I reckon that a fluid (water, soup, milk etc..) is hotter - just before it boils

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Try this.....
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Boil some soup until its absolutely bubbling/boiling - couldn't be hotter (apparently)

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Try to eat a spoonful

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Now heat similar soup until the first small bubbles start to appear - give it a stir to ensure the heating isn't localised (can do this with the boiling soup too)

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Try to eat a spoonful - HOTTER!! You'll possibly burn yourself - I accept no responsibility (see Terms of Use)

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I think I've discovered a new scientific law - something like - Name: Curley's Law; Description: Sub-Atomic particle conflagration at simmering temperatures.

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Must be a hit!!

 

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Prevent catastrophes
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Volcano eruptions and earthquakes occur with very little warning - and we seem unable to predict them, they then cause loss of life etc..

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The fix....... just like avalanche prevention.......
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Every couple of months or so - all along subduction zones (all over the world) - armies to lob in a mortar or rocket or bomb - every mile or two;
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Subduction zones are where tectonic plates are crashing into each other and one or other is diving beneath the other;

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Similarly - with active volcanoes - either into the crater, or to any bulges appearing on the slopes;

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What will this achieve...??
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Armies will be making good use of their weapons, and using up old/decaying ordnance;

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They'll also become quite adept at target selection/acquisition - so come any future wars - bystanders will be less affected than now;

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Each bomb will release any "building pressure" - thereby preventing eruptions/earthquakes;

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Tsunamis will be prevented, so all the warning equipment can be saved/removed;

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Volcanologists will be gainfully employed, rather than scrabbling all over dangerous places (and sometimes losing their lives);

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I thank you!!

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Roger Federer
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Liked him for years... knew he would overcome the "Nadal jinx" and he did, last night (20th May, 2006) by winning Hamburg event on clay - brilliant!! And I now post here - my viewing of the 2 most important factors that contributed to his win..... from part way through the second set until the end of the third....
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He slowed his first serve down slightly - making sure to get it in more often...

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He stopped trying to hit the cover off the ball during rallies. I think Nadal takes enormous swings at his shots together with a loud grunt - and this has the impression of great power (when in fact his shots have a lot of top-spin and are therefore going slower than a "flat" shot). Opponents incorrectly rise to this apparent challenge - and start trying to hit the ball too hard in reply - thereby making more errors!! Maybe I should become a tennis coach.... Tony Roach has now departed....

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Obesity
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I reckon that people who are overweight/obese do lots of things wrong (like maybe not enough exercise etc..) - BUT also are just stuck in routines.
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For example... my daily eating/drinking routines are:
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2 slices of wholemeal toast with jam for breakfast

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2 cups of tea (with milk and sugar) in the mornings

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Home-made vegetable Soup, 2 slices of Wholemeal bread and an apple for lunch

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A cup of tea and 2/3 biscuits around 16:00

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Vodka and orange around 18:00

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A healthy dinner (e.g. grilled salmon and veggies) with 2 glasses of red wine around 20:00

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A couple of glasses of water before bed

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Now....... I recognise that there are days when I don't need the second cup of tea in the morning, or perhaps the tea and biscuits in the afternoon (even dinner) - or whatever..... BUT.. because its a routine, my body starts telling me - around the appropriate time - "feel like I want XXX, now", and although I know that I neither need, nor really want whatever I usually consume at that time, because its a routine, I eat/drink it.

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Fat/obese people (I reckon) have:
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More scheduled eating/drinking/nibbling times during each 24 hours (like some chips to watch TV with, and/or some chocolates after dinner) and so on;

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The same "scheduled" urges/feelings - but are unable to NOT eat/drink what is "scheduled"

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So..... to become less obese/fat... when "scheduled eating urges" come upon you... drink a glass of water

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Don't eat/drink what your body has got used to having at that time

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After a few weeks - your body will have got used to the "new routines" - e.g. chips and chocolates replaced by glasses of water.... easy....

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Space-Time
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August, 2009

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Now we're into subjects where these theories of mine could (in the long-run) save the human race....

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I can recognise "space" and "time" - but have difficulty with space-time.. so this description below helps me get a handle (possibly an incorrect one) on it...

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Apparently at Big-Bang time (Singularity) - there was nothing, and particularly.... no - time.

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So - I nominate Singularity a Space-Time reference point of 0 (zero) meaning... no location, and no time

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Then it all (the Universe) ..... started....

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A short time later, the Universe was a bit bigger and expanding in all directions, imagine a balloon being blown-up
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as it expanded, it created Space....... and everything else..

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at each small degree of time, the outermost region of the expanding space/universe will have been at a Space-Time Location
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for example.. if it were possible to say the expanding Universe was like the Earth (except that it was expanding) then the equivalent of the North Pole would have got the Space-Time Location of 90 (North), 0 (West), 0 (East), Plus a time denomination (e.g. 0.000022 seconds - from the Singularity)

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So at any time, any location in space can be given a Space-Time Location - like Star Trek... 64.367.9.556

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For the North Pole for example this will be 90N,0,0,0.000022

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And then 90N,0,0,0.000023 etc...

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As the Universe expands.. so does Time, imagine the skin of the balloon being inflated as the border where Time, Space and Space-Time are being created...

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Of course.. with this expansion, new additional co-ordinates will have to be introduced - otherwise there will be too much "nothing" between Space-Time Locations... I'll dwell on that..

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Speed of Light
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August, 2009

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A busy month...

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We've been told that nothing goes faster than the speed of light (has to be rubbish).

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But I've recently heard that at the far out reaches of what we can observe (the other direction from Singularity) the Universe is expanding faster than the speed of light.

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I'm pleased to hear of this phenomenon - and I have an answer to any scientist who may require an explanation...

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Its quite obvious to me that the Universe is "sort of flat" and light can travel at its usual (I'll call it its "level-speed") speed.

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If it is able to go faster than its Level-Speed at some area of the Universe... surely that points to a "downhill" portion of Space-Time, where Light can go at its Level-Speed... plus a bit...??

More to come...........

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Last update - September 8, 2009 - email to djmikecurley@gmail.com