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Comandante

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Everything posted by Comandante

  1. I've once done something similar with water using crude mechanical vibrator and have been wanting to do something more with it ever since. I guess now would be a good time : ) I'll keep reading your updates on this, I'll add more if I end up doing something about it.
  2. Comandante

    Fermenter

    50t, in which country? You can always ask for a custom job if you can't find factory that makes 50t ones, I'm sure someone will want to make a deal
  3. Never heard of that guy. Maybe I'll come across him next year. So, if I'm getting this right, of the mathematics that CAN be proven, such as 1+1, it is definitely the same and correct everywhere, i.e., it is absolute?
  4. That's probably right. I'll try to think of a better way of putting it, no promises on that one though. So, is your definitive opinion that whole of mathematics is true for the entire universe (and if more, in other universes)?
  5. Sure they'll add to 0, however you're misunderstanding my approach to the situation. I was using protons/antiprotons as example, but it could really be any other from infinity of possible situations, we may not know since we aren't accustomed well with laws very very far away. But we can stick to the protons for the time being, until someone comes up with a better example, and if. So let's say somewhere else in the universe, a civilization somehow has the ability to detect these subatomic particles and becomes greatly interested in them, so we're talking about primitive time, perhaps to correlate to situation on Earth about 2000BC. And as they become smarter they realize that two particles coming in contact (proton and antiproton) would give nothing. Say they don't know that energy is released and they can only observe 2 particles (apparently the same) colliding and annihilating. Wouldn't their means of noting this be something like 1 + 1 = 0 ? Now, how long do you think it would take them until they started adding up apples and stones using the same maths? They would definitely need to adjust it once they did, for it would be extremely unnatural for them, after being subjected to the idea that 1+1 = 0 for so many years, to actually change that thought and say that 1+1 = 2. Now, wouldn't they rather add extra notation to the fact that 1+1 = 2 than to their original idea (1+1= 0). I imagine they would add small characters or symbols to both number 1's so that it makes sense, something like 1a+1s=2as (a = apple, s = stone). That said, let's just take a look at that line again; 1a+1s = 2as. If they were to send us a letter in a spaceship to tell us about their world, what would we make up of those numbers? Wouldn't we claim that their maths is seemingly different to ours? And is it? That's what my question was. (That's assuming they were using similar numbering system!) Also, please bear in mind that we're now looking into the idea of mathematics as a tool for working with numbers, rather than the idea of physical characteristics and capabilities of various objects throughout the universe. What I really want is for people to disprove everything I said so that I can rest peacefully in my chair when I start studying maths again
  6. That's ok, you're allowed to Great post, much better than I could have said it. I concur with all, thanks for posting.
  7. If you ask me IQ tests are pretty useless in terms of indicating anything else except the ability to process information. In science, creativity I think is much more important than IQ. Though they are fun test to try out, I recommend http://www.highiqsociety.org. I scored 143 the other day.
  8. Who cares about the groups anyway though some order can be helpful at times Try the circular periodic table, don't get dizzy. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Circular_periodic_table.png
  9. Thanks. Hmm.. Well, that's certainly law of conservation of energy, surely we can't destroy energy and it'll be the same on both sides of equation, but I'm still confused with what I mentioned in post #1. Certain cultures came up with same ideas because they were exposed to the same reality. What I'm saying is, if the things didn't work the same some place else then it follows that their maths would be different and adjusted to work with their physical laws accordingly, wouldn't it? edit: misread that part with zero and infinity. That's certainly a good point, I'll think about it for a while.
  10. This is a question about the nature of Mathematics as a language. The question is very simple, as the thread name suggests, but I’ll expand my own perception of it here and so it would be helpful if someone can leave a few comments. Is mathematics relative or absolute? My insight developed as follows…; If Mathematics as language was invented by us it was definitely invented based on the observations of the physical space and laws on our planet. To simplify; we can find one thing in common between 2 yellow stones on one location and then 2 blue stones on another – the fact that there are 2 stones in each group. So number 2 is the commonality. If we add these 2 groups of stones together then we get 4 stones in a group. Same goes with almost any other similar situation. However, one exception would be that if we have 2 protons in one location and 2 antiprotons in another, surely we can still count 4 protons but they can never coexist together in contact with each other. So why is it that 2+2 is still equal to 4, wouldn’t that statement be meaningless if we tried to count the particles by using mathematics without actually knowing that they annihilate? Now imagine that yellow and blue stones could never have coexisted (for the purpose of the argument) in the same group in contact with each other, how would we be able to say that 2 yellow stones and 2 blue stones would be 4 stones? Wouldn’t we as humans have developed a different rule for the situation and say that 2+2 = 0? I came to conclude that the problem can be fixed by marking one group of particles with an opposite charge (which is what is generally done), but doesn’t this then become merely an adjustment (or contamination) in mathematics? Why did we have to add physical characteristics as extra notations to everything that didn’t make sense otherwise? These issues have me wondering whether mathematics as we know it can be entirely different in other parts of the universe(s)… so if someone can shed some light it would be great.
  11. Cold finger? hmmm never heard of that one. Show us when you're done.
  12. yeah, distilling peroxide in that would probably be a bad idea. Try with something simpler, plant material maybe, it's fun. How will you cool the condensing pipe, put some wet towel on it? edit; I missed your last sentence, so you're making a proper condenser? Out of what?
  13. hmmm, maybe there is a way to do it. Speaking broadly, assuming that increasing the pressure increases the density and therefore the proximity of molecules in a gas, what if one was to use a gas of molecules that repelled each other due to external influence (maybe electrical stimuli or something along those lines) so that the phase change into liquid or other would be more difficult to happen and so greater density achieved with the given gas compound? I imagine that would require greater external pressure too to achieve the required density... but would it work?
  14. to extend into this thread; is it possible to make a gas so that it's dense enough to be able to slow human fall through it, something like swimming in the water but swimming in the gas instead, just like the boat on sulfur hexafluoride? I can imagine that being very hard and my guess would be a no, but that's why I'm asking..
  15. It seems that science inevitably involves politics from global perspective anyway, especially in health field. I guess what I wanted to find out was if the idea was sound, if there were no other hurdles for any such plans except for the financing.
  16. I see, that pretty much all makes sense, but I probably didn't ask the correct question. What I wanted to point out is that those 7 million (or more) deaths due to cancer every year could probably be halved in number (if not even more reduced) if the cancer was detected early. The question then becomes would the government be willing to sponsor those checks, if not in full at least partially, for say, kids at schools, those employed and so on..? I think that a PET scan would be all that's needed but that kind of check is extremely expensive. How much would this cost the government and can we really compare the amount of money to the number of lives saved? Why not sponsor this from tax money? I'm not very good with economics, perhaps someone can enlighten the area.
  17. I don't know if this has been discussed, looks like it hasn't, at least not from the searches that I did, but my question is why is it that cancer or tumor check ups are not encouraged as much as say, dental check-ups? I can't recall anyone dying from dental caries and yet most people go for check ups every now and then. In developed countries these are damn expensive too.
  18. It's a philosophical question. We probably consider ourselves as 'beings' because we are able to question our existence or "being", which in itself is a proof that we do exist (Descartes,1637) hence why we started calling ourselves 'beings'. That's how I look at it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogito_ergo_sum
  19. I also think that the pulses must be repeated if it is to be used as radar of any kind, and also at small intervals, which doesn't sound very easy to do.
  20. I assume it's a photo of it while it is not operating. I'd just like to know how they did it, what could be the key feature of such large power generation?
  21. http://english.pravda.ru/science/tech/04-09-2008/106296-electromagnetic_super_weapon-0 They claim the power generation capacity is comparable to that of a nuclear power plant, what do you think?
  22. Well, from what I know and the prices that I can obtain lab glass at, I would say that about $250 sounds reasonable for all your items. Some of the flasks you have seem to have older type of sockets, but can't say for sure. It also depends on the status of the glassware, if there are any cracks or anything as such, even minor. However, if you set the starting price at 99 I wouldn't be surprised if it hits close to $300 by the end of auction, but if I was you I wouldn't list them all together, list them separately and say that you'll combine shipping if anyone wishes to buy any other items from you, that way you'll maximize your chances of selling your items at the price they deserve.
  23. YT you legend. I'll be laughing in the next 24-48 for sure
  24. Actually the photos are fine, you just have to click on them for enlarged version (though a pure black or blue background would've been better The weird thing you've got is a 10mL pipette, they can be found for $3-4 a piece depending on the brand.
  25. I found that by using large volume of water the heat generated in such small setup would just not lift the temperature of the water by much at all. Just let the water come through the condenser and more than half of it would feel cold to the touch. On the other hand if you had a large condenser in a barrel or something then you could use the AN if you wanted. Also, I've made some improvements to the setup in the picture. For distillation of raw plant material I used steam distillation by boiling water in another flask and letting it through into the main flask (one with plant material) via rubber tubing. Main flask is enclosed by some aluminium foil to keep the heat inside and prevent condensation. Additional heat source can also be used for the main flask. Steam+oil molecules then move into the condenser as usual. With that $12 hotplate of yours, maybe you can implement a little motor below the plate and maybe make a magnetic stirrer similar to the one I described in the other thread. I need to get some larger round bottom flasks too, at least 2L. I hear they're going to get illegal pretty soon, which is a damn shame.
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