The Lounge

recently while riding my bike an oncoming jogger moved out of my path so could I move forward freely ( there was another oncoming jogger to my right who prevented me from moving out of his way). In return I offered a thanks by opening my hand with all fingers splayed and palm facing him. He made a downward facing pointing gesture with his index finger and middle finger together and thumb extended with the back of his hand facing me. What does this gesture mean exactly?

Hello, I'm currently studying biotechnology and I'm going for bachelor next year, but to be honest I totally don't see my future in here. I would like to try bioinformatics, some data analysing, science world with computers. I'm going to sign up for some post-diploma 2 years bioinformatics course after I graduate biotechnology, but maybe somebody knows any good beginner bioinformatics course online that I could start educating from now and slowly make my steps in this direction? Thanks for help.

am i the only one here who uses big words to make myself sound more photosynthesis?

Hey all, I have been wanting to come up with a chemistry-themed party-game and already have a general idea but there are still a few things it needs. I was thinking of making a game based on ''[citation needed]'' from Tom Scott where people have to guess certain things about a wikipedia article. I think it could also be done with chemical substances. People could guess some of the properties, uses and history of a certain substance. The thing is that I have not been able to find a proper way of randomly selecting a substance while retaining enough of the information in order to play the game. Does anyone know an app or website where I could do that? Furth…

Any chess players out there? Any officially rated? Titled? Anyone wants to play in between ourselves? Discuss tournaments, news, etc. This is the general chess thread.

'In departing the one who travels suffers less than the one who stays behind.' Lord Byron ( 1788 - 1824 ) 'Now there is one very important fact regarding spaceship Earth, and that is that no instruction book came with it!' Richard B. Fuller ( 1895 - 1983 ) 'The essence of science, ask an impertinent question and you are on your way to a pertinent answer.' From 'The Ascent Of Man' ( 1973 ) J Bronowski ( 1908 - 1974 ) 'It is not the fact that man does science that makes him unique, and it is not the fact that man does art that makes him unique, but equally that sc…

As in do some researchers possess certain responsibilities while certain others choose to undertake different ones? Like some more on the theory and relatively more paperwork while others more involved with the experimental setup of their theories. Or do all share more or less the same responsibilities and duties? Either way, what are they and which are the more social ones (teaching, etc.)?

Reading a separate thread about bullying and subsequent neural regrowth, I became a bit disturbed by the claims of the person who wrote the post saying that he had been bullied all his life and that he was 31 years old at the writing of his OP. http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/100353-can-brain-grow-new-neurons-in-the-cerebrum/?hl=%2Bneural+%2Bregeneration#entry953438 I am horrified by bullying and consider it as an unacceptable infringement on the rights of another human being. However, if you see it happen to an adult, what would you do? 1. Look away? 2. Walk away? 3. Verbally intervene? 4. Physically intervene? 5. Other - please specify. (If t…

In Hinduism the galactic centre of Milky Way is called Moola Nakshatra, meaning "root stars". Now, the galactic centre may also be interpreted as root of the galaxy. Is it coincidence or did Hindu Astronomers know the location of the galactic centre and called it "root" or Mula nakshatra or star. Please mention more coincidences. They are welcome.

Good day, I'm seriously considering starting a band, it's been a very rough year of college for me and I am not doing well in school, and I'm honestly beginning to think that chemistry is not for me. I've played guitar for nearly three years and I love it more than life, and have written much of my own stuff that draws influence from Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Chuck Berry, and punk bands like Modern Baseball and Sum 41, as well as post hardcore bands like Hail the Sun. Any things I should know about besides I'm gonna be poor as s*** and I'm always going to be hungry? I have an original 1959 Custom Shop Gibson Les Paul (Restored it myself, bought it at a yard sale, it was in p…

Ever heard of a poem called May Magnificat by Gerard Manley Hopkins? It was stuck to the side of a religious statue at the college he went to along with many other poems in honor of a tradition of students at that university in honor of Mary. Well it's frankly childish banter that is obviously very vague on the symbology, For example there is a line, " When Drop of blood and foam dapple, bloom lights the orchard apple " What the hell is this symbology...... It's unlike any of his other poetry, and the drop of blood in that line is obviously supposed to be indicative of the death of christ, but what the hell is the foam.... It's supposedly sea foam because Mary is patron o…

Saw a glasses frame purchased in Japan, that consisted of nothing more than a continuous titanium wire(no easily broken hinges). Trying to find out the name and if they can be shipped.

I caught a cold from my co worker, is that considered a bio weapon, I was sick for three days. What other types of bio weapons are there?

I had applied to several universities and got a positive reply from the University of Florida for the program in MS Nuclear Engineering. Anyway, these are my questions: 1. Is there anything I should be aware of in particular about the university, the program at this university or the region in general? Whatever you guys know is fine. It would be too much of me to ask everybody detailed info on this. 2. My undergraduate background is in Electronics and Communications so that might make people a bit skeptical. However, I have this admission offer now. They must have seen something and regardless of what it is, if something trivial, I will not back off from any and …

I'm a translator and I have a text which I'm translating into English in which someone is mentioning an obviously outdated term for a computer department in a company, so I need something equally outdated (if there is such a thing) in English. This is from the 70s. I guess most companies refer to such a dept. as their IT dept. nowdays, but was there some different term in the 70s (or older)?

I want to know whether wit is a creative byproduct. The clever seem to be witty. Or is wit a summary told in a particular way.? It is said "Brevity is soul of wit". Of course. Long and windy explanations are considered to be deceitful. I am not a witty guy though. I am quite comfortable being sensible. Where do we place "wit" in importance.?

Very sad news that Hans Rosling died this morning in Uppsala One of the world's most passionate and effective communicators and an utter joy to listen to. He changed the way I see statistics and opened new perspectives on understanding poverty and its interaction with education, sex, and nation. The Joy of Stats is a masterpiece and the epitome of great tv - I would urge people to watch it when it is rebroadcast. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Rosling http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_reveals_new_insights_on_poverty https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen

Is anyone aware of any studies (or maybe you know from your own experience) that would settle the question of whether it is cheaper to turn your heat off over night or just lower it?

We have another 10 years more or less before the actual unmanned probe (hopefully) reaches Jupiter's moon Europa. NASA/JPL have a mission team assembled and a penciled in launch date of 2020's. To help pass the time I highly recommend this movie. It is a faux documentry of a manned mission to Europa. It is on Netflix and DVD and maybe some other streaming channels I'm not sure. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Report

Do you consider this division to be valid? Math, physics and chemistry are usually considered to be "hard" sciences while sociology, economics, law and political science are considered to be "soft". Anectodal evidence says that hard sciences are more intellectually demanding, harder to master and at college level they have entry requirements and higher dropout rates - does data back this claim up? I have even seen economics being classified as a pseudoscience... by people with academic background in economics (one of them also had a minor in pure math).

So the company I've been working at has been wearing me down. I recently graduated college in May with a BS in Biotechnology, and started my first job in June. Still working at the same company. My company makes point-of-care kits for infectious diseases..nothing cutting edge. I work with several scientists as my job is R&D. I don't know if it's the private industry or whatever, but the people I work with seem to shrug any kind of science off their shoulders. Trying to go deep into thinking to solve a problem is quickly dismissed with "it's not my job/ we don't do that here", or no solutions are really investigated...just make the product "work" enough. Any on…

UK: Expedition days yester, now leak, reach be core codes. USA: Energy expeditions yester, reach be combined travel. Russia: Aliens Milkyway? Reach be take Ali plant feet core earth=Moon. Deutschland: Shell well engineered, jealous my detail pierces? Autobahn. Sorry, I prefer eccentric What brought those nations success & can't be matched by others My piece toward peace

SHouldn't the editor autosave my post? Where can I find it?

Interesting 'photo' in a recent German magazine about European centres. Any ideas on how the trick works?

is it very expensive to see doctors in USA ? How much difference does it make with or without health insurance ?