The Lounge

Here's a starter.

I'm currently taking Zyban and due to stop smoking completely this coming Monday. I think I can handle the withdrawal in the day because it's not too hard to find something to do to distract myself but lying in bed at night when there's nothing but my own thoughts, before I fall asleep, might be a big challenge. Anybody have any ideas how to deal with it? It might not be a problem because the Zyban should be fully working by then but I don't know how much yet it will attenuate the withdrawal symptoms. I'm trying to preempt the problem and be ready to deal with it if it turns difficult at that time of night,

Why is this word so widely used in English, with apparent multiple meanings if it really means anything ? Where does it come from ? jackass jackrabbit car jack jacknife jackalope jackup jackhammer amberjack Monterey jack pepperjack blackjack lojack jackscrew jack-o-lantern skipjack jackpot jack in the box cracker jack jack-o-lantern Jacks in playing cards Plus the ones you know...

So which are you h/t to Academia Obscura

I'd like to hear from native speakers of English only here. When I say someone works as a salesman, does that mean to you someone who works at a store (say selling computers) or does that word have a more general meaning that includes that, as well as someone sitting at an office, calling people up to offer them wares, traveling salesmen etc.? If I want to refer to someone who works at a computer store or a shoe store, would you refer to that as a retail salesman, necessarily?

"There's only one true king of rock 'n' roll," said Stevie Wonder. "His name is Chuck Berry." The death at a great age of one of the true legends - and the coolest musician perhaps ever http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39321495 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11991161 And is this possibly one of the greatest memorials that could be imagined? And as a sidenote - "Carl...sorry, Professor Sagan (I feel that I know you although we have never met) you are coolest science dude and I mourn that we lost you so early"

The US army has just declassified and scanned some old footage of atomic bomb test which were on the brink of becoming unusable. Here is the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvGO_dWo8VfcmG166wKRy5z-GlJ_OQND5 I thought some of these might be interesting for you from a physics perspective, especially the one detonated high in the air, which shows a uniform fireball followed by some interesting physics. This last one looks especially mesmerizing to me:

I'm not really sure what I want to study, career wise I want to become a scientist, doing research and publishing scientific articles, but in terms of what science I want to be performing I'm not certain of that. Here is what I like and do not like with the scientific branches: Mathematics + Can be used to explain how everything works. + Doesn't require a great deal of memorization, more about truly understanding the logic behind it. + Very logical and fun to learn. + Challenging in a reasonable way (not like having to memorize 200 pages). - Not something I would major as since I simply want to use mathematics as a tool. Physics + I like how it explai…

To be honest I have always had a phobia of IQ tests even though I have a 1700 chess rating, decoded the Voynich to Middle English and recently came up with a Grand Unification Theory. To be honest I think I'm humble when I meet face to face with people, but online I believe I may come across as arrogant, but that is my own perception. If you would like a challenge at chess.com lets log on and do the battle of the ego's so I can destroy your id. @Strange I really would like to play you in Chess, if you understand the game. The challenge is on so lets do the battle of the minds @ chess.com https://www.chess.com/

I've not traveled much as an adult, but when I traveled as a child with my parents all I ever needed was a passport, but I keep hearing people talk about visas, even if its just tourism rather than going to a country to work. I should say, I've only traveled within Europe (including from non-EU countries to EU countries). I'm wondering, what are the situations in which someone would need a visa if they were just staying briefly in the country and not going for work?

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 …