The Lounge

Just out of curiosity, how many of you just bookmark the forum url (scienceforums.net/forum) instead of going to the main page first? I used to prefer the main page, but I'm beginning to jump right into the forums instead. That's where I end up anyways.

Being a scientist or a studient, have you ever been discriminated by physicists? Why they think they are more intelligent? (I know a lot that aren't ) IF we suppose they are smarter, why they have to be so arrogant?

Well because the staff are so busy, and I'm just a lazy student, I am running the awards this year. They're the same basic format as last year (just a little later), with nominations (this thread) for all the awards and then threads for the final votes. Please read the below carefully, and re-read your post before posting it. In this thread, you are allowed to nominate one member for each of the following six categories: Most Helpful Member: who gives the best answers in the nicest way? Most Knowledgeable Member: who displays the most consistent knowledge in any (or many) fields? Most Interesting Member: who's posts are a must read for their diverse cont…

Has anyone else been monitoring the progress of the Floyd Landis doping hearings via the blog Trust But Verify? They have been maintaining a running transcript of the testimony, and I have found it interesting how science is used (or abused your choice) in the hearings. I also find it interesting how a particularly relevant scientific witness can be overshadowed by an irrelevant "monkey dance" (as it has been called on TBV) from a completely irrelevant but headline grabbing witness.

I was wondering if anybody here might have advice for the best place/method for purchasing carbon offsets. I would imagine that this is an area where there's a lot of cheating and swindling going on. Thanks.

This has probably all ready been done, but its buried so far down the board that I can't find by browsing, so we might as well do another one. Who here actually works in a scientific field? Be honest now. I may wish I was Head of the Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology with 3 PhDs, and a D.Sc. from Oxford and but I'm not. But for those of you who aren't presumptuous high school students, give us your field and position, if you will. Education would be interesting too.

This is a tall order. Sadly, I cannot say yes to this question, but I'm close! I'd estimate my home lighting is on the order of 95% compact fluorescent. There are still 4 incandescent bulbs in my house. Two are in my living room in my touch lamps. Sadly, this retro '70s technology includes a built-in rheostat which is incompatible with compact fluorescents. Given the choice between chucking my touch lamps and retaining incandescent bulbs, I chose the latter. But don't worry... these lamps spend 95% of their time off, so no worries. I also have fixtures which are too small for compact fluorescent bulbs. Perhaps I will look into having these replaced in th…

I am reading a beautiful book called "Faster Than the Speed of Light" by Joao Magueijo. It is all here in your face. Page 7: "Most of modern science is done in collaboration." [Colleagues] "would shake their heads, and at best say, "Shut up and don't be stupid..." and on page 9, "I want people to understand the scientific process for what it really is - rigorous, competitive, emotional, and argumentative. It is people endlessly debating each other, often shouting their disagreements." Also, however, there are the Perelmans, and the Diracs. Dirac was somewhat reclusive, keeping to his local scene in France and not attending meetings. Perelman so stunningly said…

I was just looking at some old posts and found this: http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3680 How I laughed. I can't believe anyone would even nearly fall for that. What other mean tricks have we played over the years?

Does anyone know how many moons are there in Solar system at present?

Hi guys, I'm a new member here at scienceforums.net and I would like you to answer this question. It is for my history homework at school: Do you anything about Gustavus III of Sweden?? I don't think many of you will know a lot about him because he is swedish but if anybody can help me, please do!!

June 21-27. ISSSEEM Seventeenth Annual Conference, The Science of the Miraculous (Boulder, CO). An international event featuring the largest and most diverse group of physicians, academicians and researchers ever gathered together in one conference on this topic. CEU’s available for Counselors, Social Workers & Nurses. For more info: http://www.issseem.org Keynote presenters: Matthew Fox John Hagelin, Ph.D. Freddy Silva Christine Page, M.D.

can supersonic aircraft have vertical takeoff:cool:

I'm looking for a source for "memory wire" -- a wire that you can bend and shape in any way you like, then expose to heat (or something) and it will return to it's original shape (which I would like to be straight). I've done a little snooping online, and come across Nitinol Wire, which seems to have lots of medical applications. I've tried disecting the specs on this stuff and it's confusing. Does anyone know of a source for something like this? Someplace where I could possible get some samples? Many thanks.

I had a chance to see a screening of Flock of Dodos last night at Wichita State. It covers the creation vs. evolution political situation very gently. A cast of characters were present in the film that I have met in person, but the film casted them in a more complete light that I think will help the public understand what is going on. The maker, Dr. Randy Olson, a marine biologist and filmmaker, was in attendance for the screening and stayed afterwards for a panel discussion with Philosophy of Science Dr. Niall Shanks, a pastor, and the Wichita State geologist that made the event possible. He is a very nice and intelligent man, and I think he's made what could amount to a…

I just figured out that I have "10 reputation points"! Where'd I get them from? What are they? Are they good or bad? Can I get a more detailed description of what my reputation is?

Interesting project that's been underway for about a year, intended to take about ten years, which will eventually catalog 1.8 million species. It's not a wiki -- only qualified scientists will participate, and it's intended as an authoritative academic resource, but it's also intended to be friendly/easy to use, with lots of pictures, etc. Article about it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6638017.stm Actual web site is here: http://www.eol.org/

Well I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but it is mother's day. So if you haven't given your mother a call or completely forgot to send her those bouquet of flowers, or if you live with your mother and didn't bother to watch her feet or whatever you do for mothers day... ...you've been warned. Happy Mom's day everyone.... or not depending on what your children do if your a mom.

I really want one of these. There are no letters on the keys -- it's just a black, blank keyboard. http://www.daskeyboard.com/ You can buy it for 76.95usd (free shipping) here but it's not shipping till June or something. I wonder if it's really worth the price though. Besides being awesome it's supposed to have special keys -- like it would be a great keyboard even if it weren't blank.

can there be AI i was thinking about it and the existance of AI in a computer is impossible here is why. first off a computer doesnt have the right switches to preform an AI operation. AI requires a switch that i call the "maybe" switch which means neither yes or no but maybe. the only thing i can think that would preform as a AI oporator is this (the pic) it has a variable which gives it the maybe swiches it needs to make those un presise desisions..... the pic isnt a work of art or anything thats all its depicting is that there is more than one varyable than the yes and no. am i on to something of is just one of those :lame: ideas in the tabloids?

just realised we haven't had a user awards thingy this year. I think we should do this again. what say you?

Well, this is a first...I had a pair of used knickers posted to me yestarday. Just thought I'd share that with you all...and that anyone who did do something special yestarday, had a slightly more romantic encounter than mine

here in Europe, at this time of year, we are all given the gift of the EURO-VISION SONG CONTEST where each country chooses a "pop group" and enters them in to this magical competition. For those of us in the EU please post which nation you think will win this superb competition and which will recieve (nill points) and for those of you not in the EU: you can feel ashamed that your local neighborhood economic policy decision makers have not gifted you with the chance of preforming in-front of your geographical peers, excuse the gross overload of sarcasm, but the euro-vision song contest is such a joke, plus us hear in the UK get Terry Wogan (Irish Comedian) commentating …

Does Methane hold any value as a viable alternative fuel? Seems like it would be simple enough to make it into fuel, except that I don't know how efficient it is compared to gas, and it seems rather volatile; somewhere between hydrogen and gasoline, correct?

Please see the bbc article below... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6601221.stm