insane_alien

maybe there should be a SFN emergency response team?

actually, 5614, i think he meant by controlling fins on the object to create small course changes rather than giving it a propulsion system of its own.

its a pretty cool idea pity it can only be used from a set distance though. be awesome if it was variable.

it also eliminates the asymmetric lift problem and raises the max speed. you can get more payload for the same sized engine as well, since you don't have to "waste" energy on the tail rotor.

you don't want a tracking system, you want a targetting system. there is NO WAY your going to make a smart bomb/missile. 1. very expensive hardware is required 2. complex programming 3. you ain't going to be able to fit it on a R/C plane

yes because we can predict what evolutionary forces will be present in so many thousands of years oh so accurately. </sarcasm>

light only appears to slow down when it passes through materials anyway. this is because the photons are being absorbed by the atoms and then re-emitted. between the atoms the photons travel at c. light never slows down its instantaneous velocity, merely its average velocity.

ok, from what i understand of electron welding is that you can get a deeper weld than all other types of welding but the electrons need to travel through a vacuum to the plates in order to reduce scattering. if you used a shielding gas then the electrons wouldn't reach the metal, but would scatter out.

different technology from plasma cutters. its used in welding processes just now(specifically, electron beam welding) to sustain a vacuum for the electrons to pass through and stop the area around the weld from oxidizing.

thank god i don't live in florida. i'd melt.

oh, that reminds me to send that check to blike... umm said too much. move along now, you didn't see anyhting here.

i meant to say and the conditions as well. are they left in air, agar, vacuum, hot, cold what? we need all the info you can supply us with.

well, a section about evolutionary trees would probably be a good thing for biology courses. but i don't think it would have to be particularly indepth to be effective.

that would depend on quite a few things such as(but not limited to) the amount of fuel stored in the cell, ability to transpire gaseous oxygen, waste tolerance, temerature tolerances, metabolism and so on. if you give us a list of cells then we could better answer your question

you should see what they done to us before the branding came along. i'm still in therapy.

why would you want to use a laser for a tracking system? it only works for one dimension of movement. your much better with a radio tag and three recievers and then triangulate the position. or you could tell us what you want it for so we can tell you better.

i've probably got more mercury in my two fillings than there is in a florescent bulb.

no it doesn't curve in a prism, it refracts. it can be set up to look like a curve if there is a constant gradient in the refractive index of the material.

i would say stick with Chem Eng. but then again, i'm biased. do what you enjoy, and remember, not everything is as fun as it seems before you get into it.

bettina is right, better to make up for your mistakes than to ignore them.

the current amount, 0. well, ok there are a few deaths per annum from mercury containing lights but the mercury isn't the problem, its the shards of glass piercing major arteries thats the biggest health concern. with the TINY amount of mercury in the lamps you could injest ALL of it and not show any ill effects. well, unless you're already somewhat ill, very old, very young or pregnant.

yeah there are only a few compounds that decrease in density when frozen (i think the number can be counted on one hand). its all to do with the arrangement of molecules. one analogy i've heard is for scaffolding. you can fit enough scaffolding poles in a truck to cover the face of quite a large building. the only difference is the way they are arranged. after the water molecules ar in their expanded form(ice) then the density will increase with further cooling as with all substances.

it doesn't necessarily mean a propeller. you could use a rubber band to spin a wheel or two or a small electric motor with some solar panels from those solar powered calculators. or are there other restrictions that you haven't told us?

i say we wait for the 500,000 mark then have a forum party of some kind. not sure how it would work but it seems like a good idea.

i had one shatter on my head and i'm still fine. i don't think you have anything to worry about. just sweep up the powder and glass and dispose it.