Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2011 August 18
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August 18
editFly stickers redux - 'hazardous to bees'
editYes, it says that on the packet. Why might the manufacturers feel it is important to point that out? I've seen that on cans of insecticide spray before too. I can understand warnings about insecticide being hazardous to aquarium fish because that's semi-non-obvious, but this warning seems a bit much - almost on the level of 'this product is unsuitable for people with a peanut allergy' on a pack of peanuts in terms of arse-covering.
Did some beekeeper once sue an insecticide company because they inadvertently wiped out their own buzzing hordes when trying to get rid of some pesky nearby wasps or something? --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 01:18, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Maye you could submit it to here?Vespine (talk) 01:36, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I might have done that, was the 'submit' page working. Had a good chuckle reading some of those - though a lot of them seem to be taken from an unreferenced, vague list of dumb product warnings that I first saw circulating via email a decade ago, which may or may not have been embellished. btw, has anyone here ever actually seen a 'Warning - cape does not enable user to fly!' notice on a superhero costume, or is that just an urban legend? --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 01:52, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- ... or the processed on equipment used to process peanuts on a bag of peanuts? --Trovatore (talk) 01:59, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- When I remember, I do check the bags of nuts I buy for silly warnings. From the bag of peanuts I just got out of my cupboard (KP, dry roasted, 300g) - 'contains: peanuts, celery / may contain: nuts, milk, soya, gluten' (correct if you consider that a peanut is not technically a nut in the botanical sense and that the notice may be referring to traces of *true nuts* packaged in the same factory). I've never seen 'warning: MAY contain nuts' on a bag of nuts, though I have looked. --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 02:06, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Just to expand on the nut/peanut thing, it isn't just botanical pedantry. Allergies can be more or less specific, and it is almost always helpful when companies specify in the package. Someone might be allergic to most nuts (peanuts included), or most treenuts, or just hazelnuts, or just peanuts, or whatever. If you have a hazelnut allergy, you might be fine to eat peanuts as long as they haven't been in contact with other nuts, so you probably wouldn't eat the nuts you mention without more info. More helpful manufacturers would include warnings like: 'may contain traces of other nuts' (so you know they really mean it and aren't just being silly), 'may contain traces of treenuts', or (the very best) 'may contain traces of hazelnuts and almonds'. Cadbury's, for example, lists peanuts separately from treenuts, so that those with only a peanut allergy, or only a treenut allergy, can make an informed choice (they used to use the exceedingly unhelpful 'may contain traces of nuts' and then refuse to specify or qualify the risk at all, so you couldn't work out how risky it really was). Terry's (owned by Kraft Foods at the time) used to put 'may contain traces of nuts' on some things, and 'may contain traces of peanuts' on others, raising all sorts of questions, but refused to explain or issue a clarification as to whether 'nuts' didn't include peanuts :/ 86.163.214.39 (talk) 21:02, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- My alltime favorite product warning notice (and this one really is hard to beat) was on a type of pen which was designed to fix up the red eye problem in photos. This is where the flash makes the person's eyes look red. You simply used the pen to shade in the eyes and make them look blue or brown. On the box it warns "Do not use on real eyes". Myles325a (talk) 03:53, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Can't beat that. I did once have a packet of multi-surface kitchen wipes (with bleach) that reminded the user that they were not intended for personal hygiene use. Made me laugh at the time, though I can actually picture that having happened. Once worked somewhere where someone regularly used and had to be stopped from using concentrated oven cleaner to wash their hands (they had very sore hands). --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 08:22, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- My own favorite is the warning on a box of bread pudding that says "Caution: Product will be hot after heating". 67.169.177.176 (talk) 06:01, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- That warning on cleaning wipes doesn't seem too silly to me. Cleaning wipes look pretty similar to baby wipes, and are often packaged similarly. A warning that they should not be used for personal hygiene is not inappropriate.--Srleffler (talk) 16:05, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- My fave warning was a pictorial one on a bag of diapers, showing a crossed out image of a woman jamming her hand down inside the back of the baby's diaper to see if it was "full". StuRat (talk) 04:07, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Reading that made me look on Google Images for a photo of one of those signs in public toilets that pictorially beseech one not to stand on the toilet seat and squat down, not to sit facing the cistern, to remember to tuck one's cock inside the toilet seat when sitting, etc. - though I found something much better. Signs warning folks not to drink from the toilets or urinals, as they flush using reclaimed water. Is there actually somewhere in the world where humans drinking from the toilet is seen as socially acceptable (I'm preparing to be educated here)? --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 08:22, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I've seen the latter discussed somewhere (Snopes' forum, maybe?) There the sign disussed was "Non-potable water" or something similar, not "Dont drink from the toilet" (which I agree seems silly). It actually makes sense to have water lines with non-potable water tagged as such, to prevent someone from connecting a drinking fountain to the line, or to prevent someone from filling their water bottle from a tap with water intended for floor-cleaning. There is often a rationale behind what at first glance seems like stupid warnings.Sjö (talk) 10:18, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Just to give you an idea of the signs I was talking about here are a few examples. These do seem to be direct warnings not to drink from the toilet (or urinals). --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 16:44, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I suspect that humans drinking toilet water occurs on a dare or as part of a sexual fetish. Also, there's the risk of dogs drinking the water, and some of those signs might be meant for them. StuRat (talk) 17:42, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- Signs of the sort you describe are usually in places where squat toilets are common, to remind people that pedestal toilets require a different technique. --Carnildo (talk) 02:05, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- That reminds me of an old joke: Wife to Husband: "Honey, why haven't you changed little Junior's diaper?" Husband to wife "The package says 18-26 pounds, and its not anywhere NEAR that full yet!" --Jayron32 04:19, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I don't think this warning is stupid at all. People buy insecticide as a specific poison - to kill flies, but not children or housecats. It's perfectly right for the manufacturer to specify just how specific it is. Wnt (talk) 06:59, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Agree with Wnt. Many regard bees as friends because unlike other insects they pollinate flowers, produce desireable honey and would rather commit suicide than sting anyone. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 07:55, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Here in Austtralia the text that appears on insecticides or herbicides is specified by the government, so it may not be up to the manufacturer. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:06, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- The answer is probably tied to Colony collapse disorder which has affected honeybees in Europe and North America. Beeblebrox (talk) 21:07, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Yes, and specifically in parts of China the overuse of pesticides has wiped out the bee population. Thus, there may even be a legal requirement that pesticides harmful to bees be so labelled. StuRat (talk) 17:38, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
Hydroflouric acid in Breaking Bad
editIn an early episode of Breaking Bad, hydroflouric acid is used to destroy a body. The character uses a standard bathtub as the container, instead of a plastic bin, like he was instructed. The acid (1 gallon?) ends up 'eating' through the bathtub and floor. Does anyone have any insight as to the realism of the scene and how long that would actually take to happen? The scene can be found here (Warning: Dissolving dead bodies, language) -- MacAddct1984 (talk • contribs) 01:40, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I don't particularly want to watch the scene, but several references say the HF in high enough concentrations will dissolve porcelain. This page from Chemistry.about.com discusses the episode you are asking about in some detail. Looie496 (talk) 02:10, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- (edit conflict) Bathtubs are made of a ceramic form of silicates which makes them very chemically similar to glass. Hydrofluoric acid dissolves glass and other silicates, by a mechanism noted at Hydroflouric_acid#Etchant_and_cleaning_agent. I have no idea on how fast it would occur; it would depend a LOT on the concentration of the acid in question. --Jayron32 02:12, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- HF can indeed corrode glass and iron oxide, but I'm not sure it can do anything against iron, which I think forms the core of a typical bathtub. (It's actually used in dilute form to clean rust from cast iron). But I don't really know a bathtub has no breaks in the iron core it's cast onto. Wnt (talk) 03:58, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- One gallon of HF would not be anywhere near enough to dissolve a body, it would merely wet part of it. I suspect it would not dissolve it much at all. It must just be a plot device. But so as not to encourage this sort of activity I will not state what could actually do the job! Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:02, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Concentrated HF can dissolve iron and other common metals, as can any other concentrated strong acid. And it sure as hell can do serious damage to human flesh. But one gallon would be nowhere near the amount needed to dissolve a body or a bathtub, let alone both at the same time! 67.169.177.176 (talk) 05:03, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- Side note: the chemical name for HF is spelled hydrofluoric acid. Hydroflouric acid would be an ionic hydride of flour -- if such there be! 67.169.177.176 (talk) 21:47, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- One gallon of HF would not be anywhere near enough to dissolve a body, it would merely wet part of it. I suspect it would not dissolve it much at all. It must just be a plot device. But so as not to encourage this sort of activity I will not state what could actually do the job! Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:02, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- HF can indeed corrode glass and iron oxide, but I'm not sure it can do anything against iron, which I think forms the core of a typical bathtub. (It's actually used in dilute form to clean rust from cast iron). But I don't really know a bathtub has no breaks in the iron core it's cast onto. Wnt (talk) 03:58, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
Grave question about violins
editIn the movie The Red Violin, said violin is recovered from a grave where a (non-embalmed) body had decomposed alongside it, and seems to be in good shape. I have to think that the heat, humidity and various decomposition products would make the violin stink to high heaven, and probably destroy it, as well. So, am I right, or have musical instruments been recovered from graves after decomp and remained usable ? StuRat (talk) 04:16, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Oh, the pun potential. Can you still compose a tune on a decomposed violin?
- I found something from The Salabue Stradivari: A history and critical description of the famous violin, commonly called "le Messie." (1891), there is a paragraph about a man who was worried about his valuables in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 (note they are referring to the Messiah Stradivarius):
- We have some interesting records of the anxieties attendant upon such precious possessions, in a correspondence which passed between Vuillaume and Madame Alard (his daughter) at the time of the Franco-German war. On the 30th of August, 1870, he wrote — " In my last I spoke to you of Alard's Violin, of my ' Messie,' and of certain valuables which I have here. I do not know what to do with them, for, if one survives, one will be able to recover the valuables when the hubbub is over, as some sous can be buried ; but violins cannot be buried."
- In another letter he wrote — " I do not know what to do with the precious things I have ; first, there are your violins — what ought I to do with them ? The boxes of plate, my medals, and the ' Messie ' — where ought I to place all these in case of pillage ? "
- But then again, maybe the people who recovered it were particularly skilled at repairing violins? Oh, and the violin SPOILER!!! apparently used blood as varnish which makes it even more implausible. ;S But that's movies for ya! As for musical instruments being usable, there are the slightly even more macabre bone flutes that still play... um beyond the grave. XD -- Obsidi♠n Soul 05:01, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Actually, there apparently really was during the Renaissance period a method of varnishing furniture which employed the method you mention under your spoiler mask (?), in a particularly unpleasant way. One of the Lovejoy novels* by "Jonathan Gash" (John Grant (novelist)) featured our eponymous antique dealer/forger/amateur detective tracking down an operation using the technique in the present day to forge antiques - I'm guessing that that story never made it to the TV series. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.109 (talk) 00:36, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- [*Addendum: I think it was The Gondola Scam (1984). {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.109 (talk) 00:50, 19 August 2011 (UTC)]
- Hm... it might be a modern urban legend though. Italian violins in the 18th century were usually varnished with dragon's blood (which in reality are plant resins of members of the genus Dracaena).-- Obsidi♠n Soul 08:46, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
I would think a violin could be preserved while buried, if it was in a hermetically sealed container, and was down far enough to avoid dramatic temperature variations. The movie didn't show it being encased in anything at all, though. StuRat (talk) 05:39, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- The Red Violin (a splendid film) has 5 stories that are linked by prophetic tarot cards. Supernatural Incorruptibility of the eponymous violin is just a convenient little extra magic. IIRC the violin never needed retuning either. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 07:48, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Depending on what materials the violin is made from, and how it has been treated, I could imagine it possibly surviving a prolonged burial in a cool place, but I wouldn't want to rely on it and it might be quite fragile. It would presumably need a prolonged, careful drying out before use, and a lot of careful work, as well as needing to be restrung. 86.163.214.39 (talk) 19:14, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
Adding thermodynamic and statistical physics rules to gravity field equations
editcan we mix thermodynamic rules to gravity field formulas ?(as several astrophisical observations and galaxy formation data are depended to this two functions )--Akbarmohammadzade (talk) 04:28, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Huh? What do you mean by "mix"? The laws of thermodynamics and the general relativity view of gravitational fields both seem to work fine in parallel to each other, so they already "mix" fine. Both of those concepts, and MANY others, come into play when studying astrophysics. Your question seems like you are asking if its OK to have pancackes for breakfast and a cheese sandwich for lunch. I'm not sure where there is any belief that you cannot... --Jayron32 04:33, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
yes but what about dark matterIf it comes from not considerd dynamic , or thermodynamic factors , or low density interstellar objects ?--Akbarmohammadzade (talk) 05:10, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- "Dark matter" does account for a lot of the universe, but there isn't a strong understanding of what all of the "Dark matter" is; most to the point it isn't a uniform or universal "substance"; dark matter is merely a catch-all term for lots of different kinds of matter, much of which is speculative in nature. --Jayron32 05:16, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
I think [[dark matter ]] comes from missed dynamic of interstellar particles and objectes ,and has mathematical existence.--Akbarmohammadzade (talk) 05:33, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- What do you mean "mathematical existance"? --Jayron32 05:39, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
It exists only in our formulas such as gravity waves !--Akbarmohammadzade (talk) 05:44, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- What sources do you have to support that viewpoint of yours? Or are you just inventing these ideas for yourself out of whole cloth? --Jayron32 05:46, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
can we convert G in gravity formula , it is very important . — Preceding unsigned comment added by Akbarmohammadzade (talk • contribs) 05:53, 18 August 2011 (UTC) 1. A Einstein, 1922, The Meaning of relativity, Princeton Univ. Press,3rd. paperback, (1972). 2. T S Albada, von, J N Bahcall, K Begman and R Sancisi, Astrophys. J., 295 (1985) 305. 3. J N Bahcall and S Cassertano, Astrophys. J. Lett., 293 (1985) L7. 4. S Tremaine and H M Lee, , in Dark matter in the universe, (1987) 410. 5. M Milgrom, Astrophys. J., 270 (1983) (a): 365 (b): 375, and (c): 384. 6. M Milgrom: in dark matter in the universe, eds.: J Bahcall, T Piran and S Weinberg, Wold Scientific Publ. Co., Singapore (1987) 231. ماده تاریک یا دینامیک دیگر نوشته پروفسور یوسف ثبوتی شماره 3 جلد 5 مجله پژو هش فیزیک ایران سال 1384 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Akbarmohammadzade (talk • contribs) 06:02, 18 August 2011 (UTC) soboty . y "dark matter or other dynamic" ipjr volume 3 pp113-119 year 2003 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Akbarmohammadzade (talk • contribs) 06:09, 18 August 2011 (UTC) Here i try to give translation of abstract of that article : --Akbarmohammadzade (talk) 06:16, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I don't know anything about how dark matter and thermodynamics may pertain to each other, but for an introduction to how thermodynamics fits in with general relativity, see section 22.2, "Thermodynamics in Curved Spacetime" in MTW. Red Act (talk) 06:26, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
ABSTRACT:"If gravitational energy be able to produce itself ,the Newtonian low lets rotational objects to have stronger field than they show , in the other where the mine centeral object will show massive themselves . Depend on main object own condensation , this incensement can be 5 times ,this fact appears in given Tali – Fisher explaining of velocity curvature of spiral galaxies . the dynamic which come from such explaining obeys Einstein equality Principe ( The equality of gravitational and inertial mass )" . --Akbarmohammadzade (talk) 06:35, 18 August 2011 (UTC)------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "It will be the forth step for man after kepler that scientists be able to give gravity field and galaxy formation theories with thermodynamic and statistical physics concepts "A.mohammadzade
Dogs playing tug of war
editThis is barely a Science question, but it's about animal behavior, so here goes. Our tug of war article is about the sport involving a rope. I think it's interesting that a dog will play tug of war with another dog or with a human, using a rope, stick, chew toy, or whatever. Do we have an article anywhere that discusses this behavior? Comet Tuttle (talk) 07:55, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Yes. It is believed by some that dogs establish a dominance hierarchy through aggressive play and roughhousing along a continuum of dominance and submission. Dog play is made up primarily of mock fights. See the article Dog behavior. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 08:38, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I see that the Dog behavior article doesn't explain why dogs often like to fall asleep blocking doorways, at the bottom of the stairs, basically anywhere that maximises the trip hazard potential. I assume they think they're being helpful. Sean.hoyland - talk 08:57, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Maybe they're guarding the doorway? If an intruder tripped over your dog, that would raise the alarm. --Colapeninsula (talk) 09:53, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I see that the Dog behavior article doesn't explain why dogs often like to fall asleep blocking doorways, at the bottom of the stairs, basically anywhere that maximises the trip hazard potential. I assume they think they're being helpful. Sean.hoyland - talk 08:57, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Thanks, Cuddlyable3, I had missed that article somehow. I was wondering whether there was something innately mammalian about tug-of-war — no luck yet. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:35, 22 August 2011 (UTC)
RE: Have you seen this flower or fungi
editDear All,
During my recent trips, I came acros these plants growing on dead tree branch. Can anyone help me to identify this plant/ flower/ fungi.
With many thanks
Soumitra
File:C:\Users\62101\D Drive Backup\Bandos\Jumbo Pics\Annv1\fungi.jpg — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bandos60 (talk • contribs) 09:49, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Unfortunately, the image is a link to your own PC. We cannot access it. Could you upload it to flickr, imgur, or another photo sharing website? Or you could upload it to wikipedia, if it is a good example of the species. CS Miller (talk) 11:34, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Here's the Wikipedia Help Page for Uploading Images. Nimur (talk) 18:02, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- You might also tell us where in the world you saw the plants. (A wild guess, based on your uncertainty as to whether they were plants or fungi, might be Monotropa uniflora.) Deor (talk) 16:29, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Monotropa would grow on the ground, not on tree branches. I was thinking of dodder. Dominus Vobisdu (talk) 15:34, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- I was imagining a fallen, decaying branch; but unless the OP comes back with a picture and/or further clarification, this is not going to be answered satisfactorily. Deor (talk) 17:40, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- Monotropa doesn't grow on dead branches, either. It is a parasite of certain mycorrizal soil mushrooms, which exist in symbiosis with the roots of living trees. Biologically, it's quite an interesting little system. Check out the article on Monotropa. But you're right. Without that picture, we're just speculating. Can't wait till he posts it. Dominus Vobisdu (talk) 17:46, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- I was imagining a fallen, decaying branch; but unless the OP comes back with a picture and/or further clarification, this is not going to be answered satisfactorily. Deor (talk) 17:40, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- Monotropa would grow on the ground, not on tree branches. I was thinking of dodder. Dominus Vobisdu (talk) 15:34, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
nicotine patches
editIn the tv series Sherlock (TV series) there is a scene where Sherlock is wearing two nicotine patches and says that the case he is working on is "a two patch problem". This seems to imply that nicotine patches are somehow increasing his deductive reasoning abilities. Is there any scientific basis for this in reality? 82.43.90.27 (talk) 10:44, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Maybe, it's related to his stress levels, or state of mind. It is some smokers' opinion that they cannot concentrate or focus without nicotine. Plasmic Physics (talk) 11:24, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- In the books, somewhere Holmes says "This is a two-pipe problem". Sjö (talk) 11:29, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- He says it is a "three pipe problem" in The Red-Headed League..."two pipe problem" seems to be the more common phrase on Google, and it is in the 1959 Hound of the Baskervilles movie, but apparently not in the book. Adam Bishop (talk) 12:45, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I would infer from the phrase "x-pipe problem" that the problem is something that requires an extraordinary amount of time to work through, as it takes a certain amount of time to smoke a bowlful of tobacco. Smoking two or three "pipes", as it were, would take that much longer. Attempting to extend that metaphor to nicotine patches is perhaps supposed to be humorous, although I'd just call it sloppy. --LarryMac | Talk 18:55, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- The "pipes" being referred to would have contained opium, so another additive drug. Quite a clever piece of writing, and hardly even a metaphor. HiLo48 (talk) 20:32, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Our SH article would disagree, see Sherlock Holmes#Use of drugs. --LarryMac | Talk 20:36, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Are you sure on that Hilo? Holmes would probably have had more success solving cases while being contemplative rather then stoned. Googlemeister (talk) 20:37, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Nah. Not certain. I would have got these impressions from early British movies and TV shows. Happy to see other views. HiLo48 (talk) 00:28, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- SH would only use drugs other than tobbacco if he did not have a problem pending to be solved that was keeping his mind busy. --Lgriot (talk) 09:53, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- Nah. Not certain. I would have got these impressions from early British movies and TV shows. Happy to see other views. HiLo48 (talk) 00:28, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- Are you sure on that Hilo? Holmes would probably have had more success solving cases while being contemplative rather then stoned. Googlemeister (talk) 20:37, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Our SH article would disagree, see Sherlock Holmes#Use of drugs. --LarryMac | Talk 20:36, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- The "pipes" being referred to would have contained opium, so another additive drug. Quite a clever piece of writing, and hardly even a metaphor. HiLo48 (talk) 20:32, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I would infer from the phrase "x-pipe problem" that the problem is something that requires an extraordinary amount of time to work through, as it takes a certain amount of time to smoke a bowlful of tobacco. Smoking two or three "pipes", as it were, would take that much longer. Attempting to extend that metaphor to nicotine patches is perhaps supposed to be humorous, although I'd just call it sloppy. --LarryMac | Talk 18:55, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Getting back to the original question: there has been a medical study that shows smokers to have a lower incidence of Alzheimer's than non-smokers. So there is at least some indirect evidence that nicotine could have positive effects on the human brain in some cases. Note, though, that the study did not address the short-term effects of nicotine on thinking ability. 67.169.177.176 (talk) 04:52, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- Hmmmm. Can of worms there. My hypothesis would be that most smokers tend to die too young to experience Alzheimer's. And if the study was done on people of appropriate age, then the set of smokers in the sample were the odd ones who didn't die early of tobacco related disease, so not a normal subset of the population. HiLo48 (talk) 07:21, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- Perhaps. I wonder if they also did a study on people who used smokeless tobacco to see if it has the same effect? 67.169.177.176 (talk) 08:28, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- Hmmmm. Can of worms there. My hypothesis would be that most smokers tend to die too young to experience Alzheimer's. And if the study was done on people of appropriate age, then the set of smokers in the sample were the odd ones who didn't die early of tobacco related disease, so not a normal subset of the population. HiLo48 (talk) 07:21, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- Getting back to the original question: there has been a medical study that shows smokers to have a lower incidence of Alzheimer's than non-smokers. So there is at least some indirect evidence that nicotine could have positive effects on the human brain in some cases. Note, though, that the study did not address the short-term effects of nicotine on thinking ability. 67.169.177.176 (talk) 04:52, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
Critical angle and the refractive index
editI am given the refractive index and I have to convert this to the corresponding critical angle and vice versa. How do I do this? --Melab±1 ☎ 12:25, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- We have part of an article that should be able to help you: Critical angle (optics) —Akrabbimtalk 12:47, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- (edit conflict) The formula is on the Total_internal_reflection#Critical_angle page. You'll need to know the refractive index of both materials at the interface. If one of them is unstated, assume either air or a vacuum, and state which one you are using. CS Miller (talk) 12:48, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
Problems when connecting HTC Trophy with PC
editCurrently, I bought this HTC Trophy 3 months ago. However, I have also been desperate in connecting my phone to the PC for files transfer and files management. The message of "No device connected" appears repeatedly every time I connect it with my laptop via USB hub and Zune for windows mobile. I did try every single method both in the Manual guide and those from the net, but the status quo is still persistent. The specifications of the phone is regarded as below:
Software: Windows phone 7.5 OS version: 7.10.7712.60
So I wonder if there is anyone here experiencing such a mishap before, and what are your methods to overcome it? Thanks in advance.Torment273 (talk) 17:51, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Can this work without a USB hub? Perhaps the phone is drawing power down the USB and your hub is unpowered and too underpowerd for the phone. Has the phone appeared as a device on your computer? If so you could delete it and then allow reinstallation, which may help. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 03:17, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- Unfortunately, the problem is still there even when i tried with other laptops. moreover, i just found that it is impossible for users to connect the phone (HTC Trophy) to the pc without using USB hub as it does not support bluetooth transfer at the moment (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/winphone/forum/wp7-wpdevices/htc-7-trophy-sending-pictures-via-bluetooth/2fa73d41-2db3-49cc-9d5a-1423e8ccda77http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/winphone/forum/wp7-wpdevices/htc-7-trophy-sending-pictures-via-bluetooth/2fa73d41-2db3-49cc-9d5a-1423e8ccda77). Tks anyways.Torment273 (talk) 04:00, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
aspirin
editDoes aspirin work the same way for other mammals that it does for people, with an adjusted does size of course? I expect it would probably work on other primates, but what about cattle, rodents or dogs and cats? Not that I am going to be feeding any animals pills mind you. Googlemeister (talk) 18:47, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- The overall action is similar, but the specific results can vary. For example, aspirin has been shown to help a dog's arthritis, but dogs are more susceptible to the side effects like ulcers. Aspirin is an NSAID and there are many different NSAIDs that are used specifically for certain animals instead of aspirin because they are more effective with less side effects for the particular animal. -- kainaw™ 18:56, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- Aspirin and paracetamol are toxic to cats. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:14, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
Humans and other primates have livers adapted to metabolise plant toxins while cats and dogs are carnivores and their livers are not selected to deal with such chemicals. Many chemicals are harmeless to us because we quickly excrete them or convert them to other substances. Do not assume pets are just little people. μηδείς (talk) 01:43, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- We keep a bottle of baby aspirin around for our dogs (5) since we normally have at least one who is a senior dog that gets occasional aches and pains. Baby aspirin has two benefits, smaller dosage since the dogs can't handle as much and the aspirin is buffered. Dismas|(talk) 20:13, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- I remember reading that buffered aspirin doesn't really help the stomach. 66.108.223.179 (talk) 19:33, 22 August 2011 (UTC)
Autism and restaurant chains
editDo the former like the latter? I know they seem to like trains, subways and other forms of complex, well-organized systems. Quest09 (talk) 19:50, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- See Autism Today, latest news and resources for autism and autism related issues.
- —Wavelength (talk) 20:02, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- I'd think the "dealing with people" aspect of restaurants would be annoying to them. Perhaps restaurants without waiters/waitresses would be the best choice, like a buffet. And go when it's not busy, so they don't have to wait in line. Also, I suspect they wouldn't like a buffet that moves things around or changes the choices from day to day. And they'd have to keep the trays full. StuRat (talk) 17:20, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- One more comment: If the autistic person is taken to more than one location for the chain, make sure each location is laid out the same. Otherwise, it will all seem "wrong". But, where possible, always take them to exactly the same location. StuRat (talk) 07:12, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
- As a very high-functioning autistic, I can tell you that from my own personal experience, the most important thing is that the restaurant must not be crowded, and there must be at least two or three choices on the menu that are similar to what the person is accustomed to eating at home. This second part is even more important by far than the restaurant offer the same choices from day to day -- if they change the choices, but now offer some (other) stuff that the person is accustomed to, then it's not such a big deal, but if the place consistently offers (for example) Thai food from day to day, and the person only likes Continental cuisine, then there's not much point in taking the person there. 67.169.177.176 (talk) 19:49, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
Immunization from HIV?
editFrom Singapore#Health: "There are fewer than 10 annual deaths from HIV per 100,000 people, and there is a high level of immunisation." Does this sentence means "immunization from HIV?" Quest09 (talk) 20:12, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- No, it means someone made a bad comma splice. I've fixed it. - Nunh-huh 20:22, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- It's only listing two key data. Immunization is the process of vaccinating people. Being resistant to HIV would be (HIV) immunity (which exits, apparently). 88.9.108.128 (talk) 20:24, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- HIV immunity is seemingly related to whether the person came from an area affected by the Bubonic plague (Black Death) in Europe. Collect (talk) 23:58, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
- You are referring to the enhanced immunity brought by a mutation deleting the CCR5 protein. Direct connection of this to the plague has been disputed, it may have been selected for as providing resistance to smallpox. μηδείς (talk) 02:40, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
- HIV immunity is seemingly related to whether the person came from an area affected by the Bubonic plague (Black Death) in Europe. Collect (talk) 23:58, 18 August 2011 (UTC)