Igor Suman

I've always thought "Toxic Megacolon" would be a good name for a thrash-metal rock group . http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000248.htm (This condition was implicated in the death of Elvis Presley)

Science Hero Action Figures If a figure of Stephen Hawking is produced will it be compatible with a hotwheels track ?

If a figure of Stephen Hawking is produced will it be compatible with a hotwheels track ?

We will soon find out how rodents cope in space:- " In 2006 a group of mice-astronauts will orbit Earth inside a spinning spacecraft. Their mission: to learn what its like to live on Mars." http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/20jan_marsmice.htm In space no-one can hear you squeak

Thank you everyone for your responses to this question. One possible answer which has not been suggested is aerodynamics. A leaf with a serrated edge would create more turbulance in the air flowing over it, (compared with a smooth edged leaf), the serrations would cause the leaf to flap more. Perhaps there is an advantage to leaf flapping ?.

What is the advantage of a serrated edge on a leaf over a smooth edged leaf ? i.e. what is the purpose of these serrations ?.

" Myoclonus is brief, involuntary twitching of a muscle or a group of muscles. It describes a symptom and, generally, is not a diagnosis of a disease. The myoclonic twitches or jerks are usually caused by sudden muscle contractions; they also can result from brief lapses of contraction. Contractions are called positive myoclonus; relaxations are called negative myoclonus. The most common time for people to encounter them is while falling asleep ("sleep starts"), but myoclonic jerks are also a symptom of a number of neurological disorders. Hiccups are also a kind of myoclonic jerk specifically affecting the diaphragm. Myoclonic jerks may occur alone or in sequence, in a pattern or without pattern. They may occur infrequently or many times each minute. Most often, myoclonus is one of several symptoms in a wide variety of nervous system disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myoclonus

Here is a mechanism by which the early sun could transfer momentum to the material in the protoplanetary disc:- http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2006-15/release.shtml

Could be the autoimmune condition Alopecia Areata (AA):- "What are the signs and symptoms of AA? AA usually begins with one or more small, round, coin-size, bare patches. It is most common on the scalp, but can involve any hair-bearing site including eyebrows, eyelashes, and beards. Hair may fall out and regrow with the possibility of full hair regrowth always present. AA usually has no associated symptoms, but there may be minor discomfort or itching prior to developing a new patch. Nails may have tiny pinpoint dents and may rarely become distorted." http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/AlopeciaAreata.htm

Unfortunately I am aware of a 14year old boy who for most of his life has:- * Tortured animals (two pet animals have died as a result of his cruelty). * made unprovoked attacks on smaller children, and elderly & disabled adults. * Set fires in his home and elsewhere. * Urinated in inappropriate places in his home, (also throws containers of urine). Is this child a sociopath ? The "triad" of animal cruelty, pyromania and enuresis seems to fit. Is there any treatment which could reform his character ? (I have heard that sociopaths are incurable). Is it appropriate to medicate this child with Ritalin ? (wouldn't this stimulant be counter-productive if he is actually sociopathic, rather than ADD). Serious constructive responses please.

Magnetic fields can pump liquids:- http://www.accessscience.com/Encyclopedia/2/22/Est_222600_frameset.html?doi http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8268618&dopt=Abstract

Thank you for your posts on this subject everyone. It may be relevant that there are many 2nd hand electronic limescale removers for sale on eBay.

Does this device really work ?, (wouldn't the copper pipe shield the water from the electric field ?). If it does work, how does it work ? http://www.scalewizard.co.uk/howitworks.htm Here is a similar device:- http://www.scalewatcher.co.uk/pages/whyScalewatcher.asp "Scalewatcher" claims to use "audio frequency" signals.

Using the data above the water drop drips when the the interatomic spacing doubles. Is this correct ?.

J.C.MacSwell and Swansont, thank you for your posts on this matter.

When the drop drips a small residual droplet remains stuck to the surface, i.e. the water-water bonds have failed, not the water-surface bonds. I have approximated the number of water molecules seperated when the drop drips as the same as the number in contact with the surface, (the drop begins to pinch-off close to the surface). I welcome any constructive suggestions on if/how this problem can be solved.

back to the original subject. The volume of the sine-squared droplet is equivalent to a cylinder diameter 15mm and "height" half that of the drop i.e. 5mm.

It has been over 20 years since I was last assigned homework. Oh Yourdadonapogos, the correct spelling is testicles, (smells like english homework ).

Oops, forgot to include that the shape of the drop is approximately sine-squared, (so it's volume is easy to calculate), and the distance from the horizontal surface (ceiling) to the tip of the drop is approximately 10mm, (the circle of contact between the drop and the ceiling has diameter 15mm). A cubic centimeter has side length 1cm, a cubic centimeter of water weighs 1gram, 1 gram is 1/18th of a mole of water, 1/18th of a mole is 3.345e22 molecules, so 1cm is the cube root of 3.345e22 => 32.2 million water molecules per centimeter. The area of a circle = Pi times (radius squared), the 15mm diameter circle of contact has 1.832 e15 water molecules... Hey I'm doing all the work...

I noticed that steam condensing on the underside of a horizontal surface formed drops which only dripped off when they reach a diameter of approximately 15mm. Is it possible to calculate the interatomic forces between water molecules from this observation ?, (given: Avogadro's number, the molar weight of water, coordination number of liquid water, and acceleration due to gravity).

Sounds like a TIA:- http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tia/tia.htm

Multiple Sclerosis can cause euphoria:- http://www.themcfox.com/multiple-sclerosis/ms-symptoms/euphoria.htm