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Pique the Geek

Pique the Geek 20100314: Nuclear Fusion, Star Power by: Translator Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 17:58:45 PDT ( - promoted by buhdydharma ) The first installment of this series may be found here, and it gives the basics as to how nuclear energy works.  The way that the stars generate their energy is interesting, and we shall consider it in greater detail this time. Young stars almost always fuse hydrogen into helium.  There are several reasons for this, amongst them 1) hydrogen (protium, see the previous installment) is the most common nucleide in the cosmos, 2) more energy is released by fusing protium into helium nuclei than any other known process, and 3) there are multiple processes to accomplish it. There's More... :: (2 Comments, 1200 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20100307: How Canning Food Works by: Translator Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 18:11:31 PST (10PM EST - promoted by Nightprowlkitty) Hello, all.  I did not have research time to finish up the next installment about nuclear fusion in stars, so we will have to do with this.  I began planting my garden last week, so the subject of canning food came to mind. Most people do not realize that canned foods are relatively recent developments, not counting wine and beer, which are at least technically, canned in many cases. There's More... :: (13 Comments, 967 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20100228: Energy from Fusion. Overview by: Translator Sun Feb 28, 2010 at 18:55:38 PST ( - promoted by buhdydharma ) Nuclear fusion is often proffered as the final solution to our energy needs.  That well may be, but hardly anyone understands what it means, and almost no one, outside of physicists, knows how it relates to nuclear fission (the power source that we use now). It all has to do with Dr. Einstein's simple, but seminal equation, E = mc2.  This means that mass can be converted to energy in a huge fashion.  Let us take a kilogram of mass, any mass, and convert it to energy.  Using the formula, and it has been proved over and over to be correct, one kilogram of mass (think of a big sirloin steak, for example) becomes a LOT of energy. According to the equation, that kilogram of mass becomes thus: E = (1 kg)(2.9979 x 108 m/s)2  = 8.99 x 1016 Joules This is almost 90,000 billions of Joules.  We are talking big energy.  But it does happen quite like this.  Only in matter-antimatter annihilation does all mass become energy. There's More... :: (5 Comments, 2113 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20100214: The "Common" Cold by: Translator Sun Feb 14, 2010 at 17:57:06 PST Well, I am back now.  I had planned to provide an installment last week, but I had a bad cold and just did not feel much like setting at the keyboard. Personally, I do not mind the coughing nor the sneezing, or even the sore throat.  The one thing that bothers me the worst is to lose my ability to thermocompensate, such that I feel either cold or hot when I should be in my comfort zone of temperature.  Aspirin assists me to regulate a bit better, but being well is the better feeling. There's More... :: (8 Comments, 1539 words in story)

Cutting Costs 20100201 by: Translator Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 19:24:50 PST Things get expensive from time to time.  Right now, with the cold weather, heat is expensive.  At other times, being cool is expensive. Please follow me over the fold to talk about cutting expenses starting now.  Most of them will not affect your comfort, but one the most important one just might. There's More... :: (12 Comments, 480 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20100117: Carbonated Water by: Translator Sun Jan 17, 2010 at 17:57:34 PST (10 pm. - promoted by ek hornbeck) Carbonated water is incredibly common, and, in one form or another, just about everyone drinks it.  Sometimes it is enjoyed alone, but often it is mixed with flavoring ingredients.  Just about all soft drinks are flavored carbonated water, and in a sense beer, ale, champagne, and spumati are as well, except the traditional carbonation method for the alcoholic drinks is different from that of carbonated water. Carbonated water with no other ingredients is usually called seltzer in the United States, whilst carbonated water with some added minerals is usually referred to as club soda.  Please join me in looking at the history of this material and its unlikely contribution to modern chemistry. There's More... :: (9 Comments, 2367 words in story)

Fantasy Fiction, Star Trek 20100114 by: Translator Thu Jan 14, 2010 at 01:41:58 PST "Captain, tomorrow you will get your ship.  She is the best in the fleet.  Cruising at Warp 7, you will have the best of the best that we have."  Admiral Archer told Smith. "Sir, thank you for the confidence.  I will try to make us proud." "Don't be late for the ceremony.  Have you chosen your crew yet?" There's More... :: (1 Comments, 1058 words in story)

Pique the Geek. Static Elecrtricity from Carpet to Clouds. 20100110 by: Translator Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 17:49:02 PST It is still cold here in the Bluegrass, as it is in much of the country.  The last time that it was freezing or above was at 02:00 on New Year's Morning.  My thermometer right now reads 17.4 degrees F, and it made it up to nearly 30 when the sun came out for a little while this afternoon.  There is still snow all over the ground, but the road crews have done a good job with the roads, although two people were killed on the highway off of which I live when it fist started, one only about two miles from me.  Drive carefully, please. Someone asked me the other day why static electricity is so noticeable in winter and not so much so in the summer.  I thought this would make a good topic for Pique the Geek, but to understand that it is important to understand what static electricity is in the first place.  Please follow for fun and information. There's More... :: (2 Comments, 1702 words in story)

Pique the Geek: The Weak Nuclear Force 20100103 by: Translator Sun Jan 03, 2010 at 17:58:15 PST (10 pm. - promoted by ek hornbeck) Hello, everyone.  I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season and are refreshed and recharged for the new year.  Mine was particularly busy, with two 1200 mile round trips to Arkansas, first for Eldest Son's wedding and then for Christmas, the former Mrs. Translator graciously inviting me to spend with the family.  Everyone was there, and it was a wonderful, but low-key, get together, just like they should be. It is COLD here in the Bluegrass.  As I edit this Sunday evening, my outdoor thermometer shows 19.2 degrees F, nearly 20 degrees below normal for this time of the year.  It has not made freezing since 30 December, and is not predicted to exceed freezing for many more days.  I finally settled on 58 degrees F as the minimum comfortable temperature during waking hours, and 52 whilst sleeping. There's More... :: (6 Comments, 1180 words in story)

Pique the Geek: Happy New Year Edition 20091231 by: Translator Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 18:01:27 PST Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope that your 2009 was a bit happier than mine, but on reflection, mine was not that horrible.  Here is to hoping that your 2010 will be happy, prosperous, and interesting. I have some reflections about the year, mainly just stream of consciousness stuff, and then will make an argument as to why 2009 is not the end of a decade, nor that 2010 is the beginning of a new one.  Here we go! There's More... :: (8 Comments, 829 words in story)

Pique the Geek: a Day Late and a Topic Short 20091228 by: Translator Mon Dec 28, 2009 at 17:29:45 PST (6 pm. - promoted by ek hornbeck) Hello, all!  Sorry not to post at the regular time last night, but I was enjoying my final hours with the family this trip and did not intend to disturb them by blogging.  Please forgive me, but they are extremely important to me.  I am sure that you will understand. Part of our activities last evening was to watch the new Star Trek motion picture.  It recently came out on DVD, and the former Mrs. Translator and the two boys remaining at home rented it for us to watch.  It was nice to be able to pause it and hit the good Christmas leftovers from time to time as well. There's More... :: (11 Comments, 2062 words in story)

Pique the Geek. Safe Driving for the Holidays 20091224 by: Translator Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 00:51:26 PST (More Merry, Merry with an aside of Caution - promoted by TheMomCat) This is too late for the trips coming to Grandma's House, but hopefully will be useful for the return trip.  I spent over 300 miles mulling this around my feeble excuse for a mind today, well, officially yesterday, now. Driving in the rain poses unique difficulties and dangers. I have posted a general essay about winter driving here, but driving in the rain transcends seasons, as it may rain in any month.  My shoulders are sore and my hands cramping from the drive today. There's More... :: (14 Comments, 1997 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20091220. Reader Defined Topics by: Translator Sun Dec 20, 2009 at 17:57:49 PST The Geek took hiatus last week to attend, and be part of, the marriage between Eldest Son and his very wonderful bride.  It was a very traditional Methodist service, and it went off perfectly insofar as no one fainted, no one objected (there was not a "If anyone objects..." clause in this particular service, so no one did. The Geek also took today off and did not write a scientific column for several reasons.  First, I stayed up too late last night reading the news and weather.  Second, I could never come up with a good topic for tonight.  I will do better for next week, I promise.  Third, The Geek has just been feeling a tiny bit under the weather, but not horribly ill or anything. There's More... :: (2 Comments, 597 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20091206: Botulinum Toxin (Botox) by: Translator Sun Dec 06, 2009 at 17:40:43 PST Botox is in the news all of the time because of its use as wrinkle reducer, but it has many more uses than that, and a very long history.  The proper name is botulinum toxin, and is a neurotoxin produced by the common soil bacterium Clostridium botulinum.  This bacterium is an obligate anaerobe, meaning that it is poisoned by oxygen. As a matter of fact, many bacteria of this genus are obligate anaerobes, and more than one are causes of human and animal disease.  In addition, they are also spore formers, which is the mechanism that they use to survive times when they are exposed to oxygen. There's More... :: (3 Comments, 2333 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20091129. The Size of the Nucleus by: Translator Sun Nov 29, 2009 at 17:58:42 PST ( - promoted by buhdydharma ) Atomic theory had been pretty well established well before the turn of the previous century, but no one knew much about the nature of atoms other than that the atoms of different elements had different masses (later advances revealed that they have different numbers of protons), and were composed of a positive nucleus and negative electrons, with positive and negative charges being equal in number so that the net electrical charge was zero. Electrons were definitely established by J. J. Thomson in 1897, and he postulated that atoms were more of less continuous lumps of matter matter with positive charge in which lumps of negative charge (electrons) were embedded, although they had some freedom of movement. There's More... :: (8 Comments, 1682 words in story)

Things That I do not Understand 20091124 by: Translator Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 17:58:52 PST As a professional scientist, I am accustomed to observing some phenomenon that is interesting to me, wondering about its significance, looking at background data (if any exist, and yes, "data" is the plural form of "datum"), and then trying to figure out the principles behind. That works well, for the most part, in systems that can be controlled and only one variable at a time changed.  That is the essence of the scientific method as it generally practiced.  I dispensed with the classical steps, which are observation, formulation of a hypothesis, experimentally testing the hypothesis, refining or rejecting the hypothesis, and then doing more and better experimental tests to test the hypothesis further.  If one is very lucky, the refined hypothesis becomes a theory, and if no exception after crushing peer review, becomes a principle or a law. There's More... :: (2 Comments, 842 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20091122. US Coin Facts by: Translator Sun Nov 22, 2009 at 17:57:41 PST (9 am. - promoted by ek hornbeck) United States coins have traditionally been forged and minted with gold, silver, and copper.  Very small amounts of other metals have also been added to improve the wearing properties of the coins. Gold, silver, and copper, in their pure states, are actually too soft to make good coins, in that they wear must too fast.  The chemistry of good alloys is a fascinating part of numismatics, the study of coins. There's More... :: (2 Comments, 2360 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20091115. The Things we Eat. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) by: Translator Sun Nov 15, 2009 at 18:05:21 PST (noon. - promoted by ek hornbeck) Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is often used as a flavor enhancer in many savory dishes.  What most people know is that it often added to foods.  What most people do not know is that is present in many foods naturally, either in free form or as glutamic acid in proteins, since glutamic acid is a very common naturally occurring amino acid. There is considerable controversy surrounding MSG, mostly due to the so-called Chinese Restaurant Syndrome (CRS).  Symptoms commonly reported include numbness and tingling of the extremities, facial flushing, and several others.  Tonight we shall take a fairly in-depth view of MSG. There's More... :: (15 Comments, 2184 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20091108. Distillation, not Just for Beverages by: Translator Sun Nov 08, 2009 at 17:32:44 PST Distillation is a technique of "squeezing" out the essence of a given material (or series of thoughts to one or a few abstractions) into a concentrated product.  The term is from the Latin, distillo, from the combining term de, meaning "down" and the noun stilla, a drop.  Thus, distilled water is literally a drop of water coming down something.  Taken to the extreme, distilled water literally means "a coming down drop of water that is water".  That does not fit with the modern usage, but is illustrative. Aristotle, with all of his faults, noted that seawater, boilt under cool sponges, would yield fresh water when the sponges were pressed.  Distillation was known in the ancient world, but not much used except for preparing "medical" remedies, most of them toxic, in a manner that I will describe to you later, in a more modern form. Actually, the earth is a huge still, with the water cycle reproducing exactly, but on a massive scale, what goes on in an industrial or laboratory still.  Heating, evaporation, segregation of components, and condensation are all essential parts of distillation, and our planet does it well.  Without that process, the planet would not be recognizable. There's More... :: (11 Comments, 2244 words in story)

Pique the Geek 20091101: A Primer on Nuclear Electricity by: Translator Sun Nov 01, 2009 at 17:59:02 PST (10 am. - promoted by ek hornbeck) We shall get away from food for this installment of Pique the Geek and talk about something more, well, geeky.  The concept of nuclear power is widely known, but the actual way that is works is mysterious to some because people think that it is hard.  Actually, the basic science behind nuclear power is very simple, but the technology to contain and make it practical is complex. This complexity is due to several reasons, not the least of which is safety.  Whilst the nuclear fuel to power commercial reactors is not very malignant, after that fuel has been used a while it becomes extremely radioactive due to a large number of complex nuclear interactions.  It is the spent reactor fuel that is the real problem.  However, there is a completely different technology used to generate electricity that does not involve a nuclear reactor, and we shall discuss this one first. There's More... :: (10 Comments, 3334 words in story)

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