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The fight or flight response in the sympathetic nervous system has a fairly specific function. It arouses the individual to run, run away as fast as you can to a happy place where no one ever cries or to take a stab at beating the tar out of the aggressor. Also acceptable is taking a stab at stabbing the aggressor, which still technically falls into the fight category. There is no real third option; it’s pretty much limited to fighting or fleeing.
You Asked: What chemical melts plastic? — James, Clinton, N.J. Marshall Brain Answers: It depends on the type of plastic you are trying to melt. For example, acetone melts styrofoam, as demonstrated in this video: Styrofoam is made of polystyrene inflated with a lot of air. So acetone will melt anything made of polystyrene. Another [...]
Intel is demonstrating a new optical connector called Light Peak. It will be able to transfer 10 gigabits per second in both directions and should be able to replace USB, Firewire and DisplayPort cables with a single standard. Future versions should be able to hit 100 gigabits per second. Cables can be as long as [...]
Public Service Announcement – Don’t live near freeways
by Marshall Brain | September 29, 2009
When you live near a freeway, you are exposed to far more vehicle exhaust than normal. In particular, you are exposed to “dangerous ultrafine particles” emitted by diesel engines: Freeways: Twelve lanes of toxic pollution Kleinman, codirector of UC Irvine’s Air Pollution Health Effects Laboratory, discovered that ultrafine-particle levels within 50 yards of a freeway [...]
You Asked: Is there something I can purchase to make my personal computer work with a wireless router? — Sharie, Heber Springs, Ark. Marshall Brain Answers: Just about any laptop computer that you buy today comes with a WiFi connector built in. But most desktop computers do not have this connector. You normally connect them [...]
What happens when laws get too vague, and when the concept of “criminal intent” disappears? Potentially, people who had no intent of breaking any law end up being prosecuted: You Commit Three Felonies a Day By design, the law is built up over time by court decisions, statutes and regulations. Sometimes even criminal laws are [...]
In this third episode of Stuff You Should Know’s health care reform series, Josh and Chuck — and special guest Molly Edmonds — sort through the myths, rumors and truths behind President Obama’s proposed health care plan.
I know that I’m not announcing any breaking news here or anything like that, but sonar parking systems for cars and trucks have suddenly become much more common than they once were. Some are simple systems that use a few LEDs in the rear view mirror (or elsewhere in the driver’s line of sight) and an audible warning that reinforces the visual display. Others systems are extremely advanced…
As you may have noticed, Cristen and I love referencing “Mad Men” on this blog; in fact, I’d like to think we are having an unofficial contest to see who can mention it more often. I bring it up today because last night’s episode showed Don Draper and his children watching a solar eclipse. Like most things on “Mad Men,” the event of the eclipse and the warnings to protect one’s eyes were fraught with all sorts of double meanings that I won’t get into here. So let’s discuss something more basic — were the Drapers viewing the eclipse correctly?
You asked: Why is water from an air conditioning system not drinkable, but still safe to water your plants? — Eddy, Balikpapan, Indonesia Marshall Answered: The water that comes out of a air conditioner is condensation. Warm, humid air hits the cold coil of the air conditioner and the moisture in the air condenses. This [...]
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