tvp45

Yes, I throw my vote in with ewmon and davey2222. The effect can be readily seen by using a helium birthday balloon, which "rises" in the direction of acceleration in the same fashion as heated air. The layer of air adjacent the windows would of course be heated.

These folks sell a nice variety of constant force springs, though these may be different from what you had in mind. Even if the springs aren't right, their collection of mechanical items is a real "candy store" for the tinkerer.

Transformers are fairly large, expensive, and heavy. It really depends on your application.

I think it's safe to say that no one would ever silence a motor which purports to violate conservation of momentum. There doesn't seem to be any way from the video to see the "trick", so consider it an interesting gag.

I'd recommend Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Paints an accurate picture of the struggle between moral right and legal right. Huck Finn by Mark Twain. Shows America in the best and worst lights through the eyes of a young man. Street without Joy by Bernard Fall. Shows the ultimate failure of colonialism in a vivid manner. The Guide for the Perplexed by Moses Maimonides. A practical philosophy book that remains topical after 800 years.

You would have to know something about the impedance of the shockee (?) and the output impedance of the fence unit.

Voltage is the potential energy per unit charge. There is always a potential difference causing current, even when it is very tiny. Let's say you have 3.000 V at point A. This means relative to point B. The end of the resistor nearest point A might have somethin like 2.9989 V, the small difference being what it takes to make the current in the wire. Likewise, at the end of the resistor nearest point B, you might have 0.0008 V, again the small potential difference being needed to have current in the wire. We normally just ignore the small potential differences across the wires.

Louisiana has added a "defense of marriage" article to their constitution, implying they have the sole control over marriage within the state. Louisiana has a "due process" clause in their constitution. JP's are state officials under their constitution. Really a "no-brainer". The man has violated his office and needs to be removed forthwith.

I quite agree. I've never been blessed with extraordinary intelligence or a great education. So, I've made it a point to notice who is smart and then I listen to what they say and try to remember as much as I can. I freely, and often, admit that I don't know something, and that gives me the freedom to go find out. Turns out I do have a good knack for figuring out who really does know things vs who just puts on airs.

Hello, Not a strange question, but a loosely defined one. I sort of know the answer because I get to tie up the little sand bags that anchor the balloons at the annual fete at a local adoption agency. But, I think this is a class assignment? So, you must have held such a balloon at some time. Can you close your eyes and remember the pull on your hand? Would you say it was enough to lift a toothpick? How about a small coin? A pack of gum?

An old idea. Follow this link to a song of the American Civil War. http://books.google.com/books?id=frwYDKDm6RcC&pg=PA51&lpg=PA51&dq=gunpowder+american+civil+war+song+urine&source=bl&ots=Fm5j1txB-a&sig=KUa_T2bIdIYNK3oLHUf5p9cm7Gg&hl=en&ei=T626Sr35BJOJtgf-kdX7CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#v=onepage&q=&f=false

As opposed to just using a gearhead? Or, alternatively, why not a controller?

I should think a strict application of Ockham would just be "We can measure local elapsed time heuristically." After that, it gets complicated.

In general, that's not possible. Almost nothing is ever invented in isolation except the nutty things like a special torch for removing nose hair. Science, particularly advanced science, is collaborative, and there is a sort of "time" for certain things to occur. Think of Tesla, for example. While he was busy developing three phase motors in East Pittsburgh, the Europeans needed the same type of devices. So, people like Ferrari invented things much like Tesla at about the same time. So, the "secret" almost always gets out. Now, of course, if there were patents, then corporations can control the use of those for at least seventeen years. But, patents are public documents. People know of their existence. If somebody like Warren Buffet knew that Exxon-Mobil was sitting on a patent for running cars on gas, he would do a hostile takeover, split the oil company from the patent and sell both separately, becoming perhaps the first gazillionaire. Privately held corporations could, of course, be immune to a takeover. But, is there any evidence that anything like this has ever occured? Read John Baez's list of clues to detect a nutty conspiracy theory.

Don't take the "Twins Paradox" too literally. It only seems a paradox if you ignore parts of the situation.