The Lounge

I take the ACT test on the 27th of this month. And I'm sure it's not as difficult as I think it is, but i could be wrong. I'm really stressing about it because I plan on applying for FAFSA, and of course a higher score means a better chance of getting financial help. Any advice? any at all..

Dear Forum Members –Especially Seismology & Geology Enthusiasts San Francisco State University (SFSU) will be decommissioning a three axis seismograph station (using the traditional style of a recording drum on paper) and all the equipment can be made available Free to any person or agency –yes that's right for Free!!! The station was originally built by me and donated to SFSU back in the late 80's. The system uses a telemetry link over a conditioned phone line from seismometers at a site 5 miles from the campus. However the phone connection costs about $100/month and budget constraints prohibit further expenditure for operation of the system. Because th…

Hi, I was wondering if anybody new of good (representative) practice sets of GRE questions particularly the Quantitative Portion to supplement the miserly materials offered on the ETS site. Preferably online and free with answers and explanations. Thanks

Did you see a comment in a topic which surely, had you been the person to do it would have been called flaming or trolling, but staff or moderators had put their name to it. Go on, tell us about it, don't be afraid in this topic to say who the member of staff was and what the person said. Are you afraid, don't be, you can only be banned! Isn't that correct, Phi for all!

Is it possible to have a flowing current of positive particles? Hydrogen ions are basically protons, can protons flow in a current?

In the DVD edition of Star Wars III "Revenge of the Sith", George Lucas and his associates provide a running commentary to the movie as a separate audio track. On that track he explains the philosophy and motivation behind the Star Wars motion picture saga. He makes a statement that Richard Nixon, when he was President, wanted to get the Constitution amended so that he could serve a third term. This was evidence of a power grab on Nixon's part similar to what Lucas believes is embodied in the Star Wars Republic Chancellor's plot to become Emperor. The problem is that I am not familiar with any documentation that Nixon ever entertained the notion of getting the Constitutio…

Is it possible to calculate the greenhouse effect of an atmosphere? Consider the Earth except with 10 times the air pressure, would the greenhouse effect be 10 times as much? Is there a way to figure out a good approximation of the greenhouse effect? The greenhouse effect of the Earths atmosphere raises the temp 36C I am trying to use this site Planet Designer to calculate a planet 3 AU from the Earths sun that would be inhabitable. I am looking at an atmosphere of about 150 psi at the surface. I need close to 300C in greenhouse effect to do this. So far I have found out that adding helium to the planets atmosphere lowers it's specific heat capacity, i would …

This is probably in the wrong forum, but I don't see a general science forum. Let me ask a question: Which comes first and what is the relationship between observation and theory.

Hi everyone! I have always been a fan of science Sorry tried to post this on the introductory threads. Please delete this thread, thanks!

Does anyone know where this phrase came from?

So i've got this idea for a book i've already been working on a bit. An alien species, the most intelligent form of life known in the universe. They reproduce asexually in incubator sort of test tube things, stop aging once in their prime, and are the most intelligent technological advanced form of life. Their are other space faring species in the book, some selfish with only the survival of the species in mind at the cost of everything else. Some friendly wishing to learn about the universe and share knowledge. Others just making it off their planet and dealing with the struggle of sustaining life in space. The human race in this book is actually a science project by…

So where exactly was the gong invented? Some people say China, but here's what's confused me about it. I've seen gongs depicted in works of fiction as being used by not just in China or Japan, but also in Polynesian cultures, South American cultures, India, the Middle East and North Africa. Most of those cultures are further away from China, yet the gong seems perfectly at home in them.

Hi all, My car has a rather unique paint job, it's a bright pink and white marble effect (I will try to post a picture at some point) but on sunny days it seems to attract small flies. Could this be due to it reflecting More UV than normal cars? I would appreciate your input. Thanks, Al

Hi all I'm Denise, a 14 year old from Singapore. I've decided to start exposing myself to more advanced Sciences and I was thinking of starting by reading scientific journals/magazines.. I've been reading Yale Scientific Magazine, but I was thinking if anyone had any suggestions for me to subscribe to a monthly magazine/journal. I'm more of a biology student, but I wouldn't mind physics at all since I just want exposure to deeper Sciences. So please recommend me some journals/magazines! Thank you

For all the pessimists, the misanthropes, the cynics, the mathematicians, the people who think there is no meaning of life... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz5xoIoomz4 Feel free to write your proposed equations for this one (I'm not trying to be a dick here, I am some of the above, and this song makes me feel better about life)

I hear people say some times he or she has a southern US accent ..So I'm trying to understand what makes the southern US accent stand out.People say in southern US accent they talk slow and have deeper voice . Also anyone know any movies with female or male with southern US accent that may help me understand what the southern US accent sounds like?

What is the name of the song above? I really like the song but don't know what it's called but the person singing it sounds American so some of the people here may know. Thought I'd open this thread to check whether anybody knows. Do you like this song?

Does anyone know where I could watch "the innocence of Muslims"? The trailer was hilariously funny. Has it even came out for public viewing yet?

I just wanted to ask anyone if they think the word pomegranate looks suspiciously similar to permanganate. when rearranged, they look like: PERMANGANATE PERMANGA O TE Pomegranate is just missing NA and has an extra O. Is this more than just a coincidence? Is it because they are both purple and messy? Was the permanganate ion first found in pomegranates? Is there any permanganate in pomegranates? Or is it just a coincidence?

Hi, In the social setting, is it better to give fake smiles or not smile at all? How do you react when somebody gives you fake smiles and you know that they are fake? How does your reaction differ with someone who is honest and genuine but does not give fake smiles? Who would you prefer to befriend? Thanks

What are peoples' opinions of international students leaving the developing world to study in the developed world and then staying there permanently? This happens very often in Australia. Many students come from China, Malaysia, Vietnam and many other countries to settle permanently in Australia/UK/USA/Europe. What are your thoughts about people who do this? Overall, is this a good thing? And as the developing world develops a solid middle class, what is it that is stopping them from taking over? Overall, is this a good thing? Any thoughts???

There was a somewhat humorous incident reported recently in the newspapers. See Drunk tourist falls asleep on airport baggage belt and passes through powerful X-ray machine The second incident reported in the article doesn't sound so humorous, in that a young infant was deliberately sent through an airport's baggage screening x ray machine by its not too bright parents. One does wonder whether either of these people, the child in particular, will suffer lasting effects from the exposure to the radiation.