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A story about a NASA engineer discovering a new force of nature which enables reactionless propulsion popped up some days ago. I was intrigued at first but this all sounds very scammy. One commenter had to say this about the math in the underlying patent: "Lol the math is so bad. He "derives" the formula mv=t*dU/dx, but U switches from the total potential energy in the first equation to something like the potential energy density in that equation. The total potential energy U is not a function of x so dU/dx is zero and his whole argument falls apart." The equations can be found in the patent on page 20. And also at the end of the article I linked to in the beginning. But I have no knowledge of physics, is this piece of math indeed obviously false?
posted by SweetLiesOfBokonon at 3:24 AM - 16 answers

My experience is that when I drop a (yet-unopened) can of carbonated beverage on a hard concrete or cement floor, the impact has a later result: namely, when I open the can, the beverage explodes out as if it has been shaken. Can time cure this? Is there going to be difference if I open the can 30 seconds later or 30 days later?
posted by PaulVario at 6:41 AM - 12 answers

Currently having trouble making sense of this paper I was sent by someone I respect. But I'm not so sure I trust the TLDR version source they heard before reading it. It's about the COVID vaccines (which I've supported) and has been retracted, but the authors are standing by what they said. Got some major ADHD/stress brain fog going on and I'm needing some guidance: [more inside]
posted by Saucy Possum at 12:37 PM - 12 answers

Has there ever been a convention for a Cartesian-style plane read right-to-left? [more inside]
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:37 PM - 6 answers

Just back from 2 nights at a hotel in San Diego and fearing the worst. Any alternatives as to what this bug could be? [more inside]
posted by gatorbiddy at 8:41 PM - 15 answers

I thought I'd get my free glasses at Warby Parker or the library but after going to two stores and two library branches, I think I'm too late. There are a gazillion for sale on Amazon, but I worry they're not trustworthy. Do you know places that are selling trustworthy ones in the city? Please only rec places you know has them, because I already feel I've done the wild goose chase. Thanks.
posted by swheatie at 4:32 PM - 9 answers

I've got a 16 y o kid who is interested in biology/entomology/ocean. Looking to incorporate that with anything from a day trip, weekend trip, or week long trip. While time and money are things we don't have lots of extra of, I am considering Osa Peninsula for a trip in February (there's a "bug lady" that does night tours). Wondering if there is anything in the US (bonus for New England area) that was a good experience that's a bit higher level than the typical lobster boat kind of tour. More hands on. It could be anything from a 2 hour tour with a naturalist, to all day, and maybe even week long. PS Thanks to his awesome teachers, stuff that didn't seem that interesting coming from mom seems super interesting now!
posted by beccaj at 7:16 AM - 8 answers

My gut says that having the capacity for faith/belief/spirituality is as born in as being gay or right handed. Have there been any studies on this?
posted by phunniemee at 4:23 PM - 33 answers

There's going to be a solar eclipse in a few weeks and I'd like to watch it. How can I find safe eyewear for myself? And is it possible for kids age 5 and 2 to watch it safely (like big glasses with a strap?) or is that too risky? It feels a bit risky! [more inside]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 1:12 PM - 20 answers

Hypothetical: The world’s resource consumption halves overnight due to science fictional reasons. You are writing a pithy headline on the environmental impact of this change along the lines of “Climate change estimates rolled back X years”. What’s a reasonable value for X? [more inside]
posted by Lorc at 10:51 AM - 12 answers

Is there a linguistic term for adding filler words, especially adverbs, spoken so quickly that they don't slow down the speaking of the main words in a sentence? For example, if someone would say "I don't want that" at a deliberate pace, they say "Iabsolutelydon'twant that" in the same amount of time. Also, is there research on why some people do this?
posted by michaelh at 7:30 PM - 4 answers

I want to be able to listen to coyotes howling in my neighborhood (say within a quarter mile) on an outdoor, wireless, battery-powered (rechargeable would be great), rainproof microphone. I want to be able to listen with my Android phone. I want something under about $50. I tried a wireless security cam but the sound isn't good enough (as in it hardly picks up anything). I don't know anything about this subject, do any of you have a recommendation? I guess it could be somewhat unidirectional since I know what direction the coyotes howl from within about a 45 degree angle, but you tell me. Thanks!
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 11:37 PM - 6 answers

My child’s kindergarten is within 7 miles of a landfill fire causing serious air pollution. I’m looking for effective actions and essential resources to understand the risks to my child. [more inside]
posted by shrimpetouffee at 4:22 PM - 5 answers

I'm trying to find a podcast (or audio series) I heard once in which the narrator goes into minute levels of technical detail about historic NASA missions. [more inside]
posted by bassomatic at 6:49 AM - 5 answers

Ecotourism: Is the 'tourism' part sufficiently terrible for the environment that it outweighs the 'eco'? [more inside]
posted by eraserbones at 8:52 AM - 13 answers

A member of our game-playing and activity group has recently pitched this long covid simulator/game. How reliable and realistic are the assumptions made by the game's design and are the data it's based on current and correct?
posted by anonymous at 9:03 AM - 16 answers

I was reading this article in the LA Times (CW: decapitated murder victim and gated article) and it said that it was difficult to discover who the murder victim was through DNA and constructing family trees because she was an Ashkenazi Jew. Why is that more complicated than anyone else? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 10:47 PM - 8 answers

I can positively identify places that I have been before visually with only a narrow aspect of the place being shown. For example, a friend posted a video of her walking up a staircase with only the floor and staircase in the video. Now, I get that I would have contextual information about where she might be, so maybe this isn't a good example. [more inside]
posted by mxjudyliza at 4:26 PM - 8 answers

World ocean heat content and thermosteric sea level change (0–2000 m), 1955–2010, which is the source of this data, provides changes in ocean heat content (OHC) since 1955. But what was the ocean heat content in 1955? [more inside]
posted by ignignokt at 11:39 AM - 5 answers

Hi! I am currently in a lab that does primarily genome-wide association studies. To grow as a professional, i.e., GTFO, it would be helpful if I had some experience working with RNAseq data. Can you think of any open-source projects that need analysts, or where to look for same? Google turns up open-source software to do NGS analyses, which is not what I want. Thank you!
posted by 8603 at 6:36 AM - 2 answers