General science thread

March 3rd, 2021 at 5:44:45 PM permalink
rxwine
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 188
Posts: 18633
Was reading about how scientists have figured out how to read old folded material without unfolding it, because that destroys it when it is very fragile.

That led me to look up "letterlocking"

Quote:
Letterlocking refers to the process by which a substrate such as paper, parchment, or papyrus has
been folded and secured shut to function as its own
envelope. It is part of a 10,000 year-old information
security tradition, variations of which have been
used in cultures throughout the world on formats
ranging from Mesopotamian clay bullae to Bitcoin.
Locked paper documents, the focus of this article, have been used since the late Middle Ages by
regents, their secretaries, spymasters, soldiers, and
the general public. Often times the same person used
more than one letterlocking format; some variations
were more secure than others. In order to be considered to have the highest level of built-in security,
a locked paper document must meet the following criteria: it must have a paper lock cut from the
letter itself, as well as a secondary locking system of
an adhesive substance such as wax, and one must be
required to tear or cut the paper lock to gain access
to the information inside.1


Of course there are people on Youtube demoing various techniques of letterlocking.
You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really?
March 3rd, 2021 at 5:50:31 PM permalink
rxwine
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 188
Posts: 18633
From what I understand, it's not just the wax seal which would reveal someone opened it, but it's apparently difficult to get a previously tightly folded paper folded tightly again without revealing new variations in the folds which I suppose a trained eye could spot.
You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really?
March 4th, 2021 at 2:28:24 AM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: odiousgambit

The universe and the solar system have done a consistently good job of pointing out how little we do know. 


Wrong. The Catholic Church knows
everything. Just ask them.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
March 24th, 2021 at 10:01:47 PM permalink
rxwine
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 188
Posts: 18633
Just a few extra days could be making a big difference in brain development.

Quote:
When humans and primates are first developing, their brains are built from what are known as neural progenitor cells. These are stalk-like cells that multiply over and over again, and they eventually form neurons. The equation is simple since more progenitor cells mean more neurons down the road, and it turns out that human progenitor cells behave differently than the progenitor cells of apes and chimps.

When observing the multiplying behavior of progenitor cells in the primates, the researchers found that the cells continued multiplying at a high rate for roughly five days before maturing and slowing down. That’s a lot longer than in mice, where the cells have been shown to mature within hours. This extended timeframe means that primates have increased brain power and larger brain organs, but human progenitor cells take it to the next level.

The research revealed that humans progenitor cells continue multiplying for up to a full week before transitioning. Because the multiplication of cells is an exponential affair, the extra two days of multiplication means a great deal more cells and eventually neurons in humans.

“We have found that a delayed change in the shape of cells in the early brain is enough to change the course of development, helping determine the numbers of neurons that are made,” Dr. Madeline Lancaster, lead author of the study, said in a statement. “It’s remarkable that a relatively simple evolutionary change in cell shape could have major consequences in brain evolution. I feel like we’ve really learnt something fundamental about the questions I’ve been interested in for as long as I can remember — what makes us human.”

Further research revealed that the difference in the behavior of the cells may be controlled by the ZEB2 gene. The interesting thing here is that by slowing the activity of the ZEB2 gene in primate tissue, the brain organoids being grown in the lab became more human-like. So, if we slowed the ZEB2 gene in human development, would that lead to an ultra-smart human? We simply don’t know… yet.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-figured-out-why-humans-have-big-brains/ar-BB1eW2oQ?ocid=msedgntp
You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really?
March 25th, 2021 at 6:40:02 AM permalink
odiousgambit
Member since: Oct 28, 2012
Threads: 154
Posts: 5055
nah, the cells would get so big the skull would bust

plus they say Einstein's parents worried because it took so long for him to start talking. We'd have kids who wouldn't talk at all

J.K.
I'm Still Standing, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah [it's an old guy chant for me]
April 7th, 2021 at 3:55:41 PM permalink
odiousgambit
Member since: Oct 28, 2012
Threads: 154
Posts: 5055
it's good to watch one of these just to remind yourself you're completely out of the loop and can barely understand what they are talking about [just speaking for myself of course]

even though they don't use any pertinent math. If they did ... well, I won't go there

I'm Still Standing, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah [it's an old guy chant for me]
April 11th, 2021 at 12:00:39 PM permalink
odiousgambit
Member since: Oct 28, 2012
Threads: 154
Posts: 5055
Quote: Pacomartin
Trivia: If you are breathing pure oxygen from a scuba or snuba tank, how deep are you permitted to swim? (Air is normally 20% oxygen).


Found this in the "what movies have you seen thread" which led to some interesting stuff, you can check it out
http://diversitytomorrow.com/thread/564/367/#post158877

in any case check this video out for how horrifying and risky it is to go way down deep diving, even for experts

I'm Still Standing, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah [it's an old guy chant for me]
April 11th, 2021 at 12:23:49 PM permalink
rxwine
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 188
Posts: 18633
Deep cave diving is pretty crazy. The sinkhole dives they do here in Florida are pretty badass as well as some of those have passages you can follow for a long distance.

I imagine the money for a deep water cave recovery operation could be pretty good. Not worth it for most I bet at any price.
You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really?
April 11th, 2021 at 1:11:58 PM permalink
odiousgambit
Member since: Oct 28, 2012
Threads: 154
Posts: 5055
I've heard that there is some deep hole in Minnesota [?] that criminals like to use, anything you throw in it will never be discovered as it is way too deep. One of those states up there.

There is even speculation about Lake Tahoe, you can google that
I'm Still Standing, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah [it's an old guy chant for me]
April 19th, 2021 at 2:28:21 AM permalink
odiousgambit
Member since: Oct 28, 2012
Threads: 154
Posts: 5055
"the phenomenon is actually a sulfuric fire that resembles the appearance of lava, rather than actual lava " per wikipedia page on blue lava. Burning sulphur emits a blue flame.

the narrator doesn't explain this well.

Kind of cool.

I'm Still Standing, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah [it's an old guy chant for me]