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What organizations should I join in the Boston Metro area to improve my networking?

IzzeYum — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:20:23 -0800

What organizations should I join in the Boston Metro area to improve my networking? Living a bit south of Boston so thinking of joining some organizations for networking reasons as well as to meet people. South as far as Weymouth, West as far as Newton, but probably not farther north than Cambridge/Boston. So far have thought of the Masons, whom I worried would all be old but looking at some lodge photos that doesn't appear to be the case, and Toastmasters (I enjoy speaking but feel as if I could improve my content and practice never hurts). What organizations am I missing?

Important data: Married so letting women in or having a sister organization is a bonus, 35, professional, possibly interested in going into politics sometime in the next couple years (local/state office first).

How was it proved that mass exerts the gravitic forces?

Lorc — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:00:14 -0800

How was it proved that gravitation was a function of mass? If we can estimate planetary masses from the strength of their gravity, including that of the earth, then we must be pretty confident that we've nailed the relationship between the two.

I know that the force of gravity is proportional to the mass of an object and inversely proportional to the distance. And certainly when we look at the universe there's evidence of strong gravity wherever we see a lot of mass. But I also know that science is robust and does not just accept obvious observations without testing them to destruction. How do we know that there's a causal relationship rather than it being circumstantial? And that it exists at all scales, not just with planetary masses?

It seems to me that you'd have to test known masses and be able to measure that object's gravity in order to prove anything. Is that what they did, and if so, how was it done? Is there a gravitational equivalent of Rutherford's gold foil and Robert Millikan's oil-drops?

Where's the beef?

mds35 — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:07:32 -0800

Where can I get a great roast beef sandwich in Boston? The wife and I love the roast beef sandwiches from Bill & Bob's, Kelly's, Jimmy's and even Toula's. Problem is, we live in Roslindale and we don't want to drive all the way to the Saugus, Lynn, Andover, Georgetown, Revere, or Natick to get really good roast beef sandwiches. Are there any really awesome roast beef sandwiches to be had in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Quincy, Milton or the near South Shore? I know about Chowhound and Yelp, but I'm looking for recommendations from MeFites based on their own experiences.

Physics, Car Wrecks, and Newton's Laws

soulbarn — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 14:04:10 -0800

I am interested in the physics of motor vehicle accidents. The most basic question I have is which of Newton's laws, if I am understanding them properly, is at work in the following situations: 1) You're driving in a straight line and suddenly you jerk the wheel in one direction. This makes the car start to roll. 2) You're driving and you fall asleep at the wheel, so the car drifts to one side. You wake up suddenly, jerk the wheel in the opposite direction, and the car starts to roll. 3) You round a sharp curve too fast and roll the car. If anybody would like to give detailed explanations of the physics of each of these situations, hopefully without calculus, that would be great, as well. thanks!

Reading a Newton formatted card with Windows?

derbs — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 06:57:11 -0800

I have a 4mb Newton flash storage card, a PC with a pcmcia slot and a Mac. Is there any way to retrieve the data from the card onto aforementioned Mac? I've managed to get the card to mount, so it appears as the X drive in my computer. Is there any way to now get the data off the card and onto my mac?

If anyone can solve this puzzle, then you have the right to call yourself the King of the Techies :)

Who advised people to simply hold important questions in their minds?

rwhe — Sat, 04 Jun 2005 02:08:43 -0800

I was talking with a friend who informed me that he had read advice from an important person (as distinct from celebrity) to simply hold a pressing question in your mind and go about your life (though the answer might be years in coming, depending on its depth). Who was this? My friend thought it might be Isaac Newton. Can anyone provide me with a URL to a source? BTW, googling "hold a question in your mind" returns tons of hits on bibliomancy, etc., which is not what I'm after, however mystical the advice I'm describing sounds.

death comes in threes, science works in twos...?

kev23f — Fri, 19 Nov 2004 03:40:46 -0800

When reading a book about Newton V's Leibniz recently, it occurred to me that great advances in Science often seem to occur in tandem, ie two unrelated persons or groups often arrive at a breakthrough at roughly the same time. Is this true? Can anyone think of some other examples? Can anyone explain why this may be the case?