When you pour soda into a glass, is the head / froth / bubbly stuff at the top actual soda that is being turned into froth and then wasted? [more inside]
posted by meadowlark lime on Dec 10, 2009 - 12 answers

Looking for a science fiction book I read a few years ago. I believe it came out within the past five years. Basic plot was that a guy died and then his mind was uploaded into a robot. I think the main character might have been fairly poor at one time and then started dating an heiress which was why he was able to do the upload after death. [more inside]
posted by sorindome on Nov 29, 2009 - 4 answers

What are the most fun, memorable, interesting, exciting, and long-lasting learning experiences you have had? [more inside]
posted by Cygnet on Nov 20, 2009 - 25 answers

I'm being outsmarted by a personalized license plate (I think)! [more inside]
posted by ailouros08 on Nov 17, 2009 - 15 answers

What could be causing an image of Jesus to appear in this man's truck window? [more inside]
posted by longsleeves on Nov 4, 2009 - 23 answers

Hello! I am leading an Anatomy & Physiology study group for homeschooled teens. The aim is to work at the advanced high school level, but I'm using a college textbook (Thibodeau & Patton), as the illustrations and charts are more useful, and it might come in handy for them for later reference. But I'm not sure how deep to delve. [more inside]
posted by houseofdanie on Oct 21, 2009 - 3 answers

StatisticAnalysisFilter: I took (pretty close to) scientific observations of the general populace in a neighborhood for a few months (personal project, long story). I measured the number of people who had trait X (or did not have trait X) in two locations, A and B. Now, I want to test the statistical significance of these results. Is the chi-square test sufficient for this? Or is there a better option? [more inside]
posted by MoreForMad on Oct 11, 2009 - 7 answers

I am looking for the following scientific article, and PubMed isn't helping me. Can you? [more inside]
posted by sickinthehead on Sep 27, 2009 - 4 answers

How would one go about getting (assisted and monitored) access to scientific/medical research equipment in the Chicago area? (fMRI, MRI, electron microscopes, mass spectrometry) [more inside]
posted by chambers on Sep 24, 2009 - 5 answers

Please help me really grok chemistry. [more inside]
posted by Vorteks on Sep 24, 2009 - 14 answers

I now have blank wallspace and shelfspace in my office -- help me fill 'em with some scientific eye candy! [more inside]
posted by not_on_display on Sep 24, 2009 - 15 answers

Where/how does someone in their mid-20's with a typical liberal arts education (yay literature! boo math!) start working towards a career in the sciences? [more inside]
posted by domakesaypat on Sep 22, 2009 - 17 answers

Aside from mugging the tooth fairy, what's the best way to get my hands on a substantial number of real human teeth? It's for science.
posted by Panjandrum on Aug 26, 2009 - 12 answers

Another "where to go in America" question (who needs a travel agent when you've got Mefi?). This time, it's a road trip - I want to get away from the cramped little island I'm living on, and the Southwest seems like the place to go. Where should I go and what should I see? [more inside]
posted by The Shiny Thing on Aug 19, 2009 - 20 answers

Could an AI zombify another? [more inside]
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit on Jul 27, 2009 - 12 answers

Can you ID these short stories and help me find them? I think there were at least two, they were written by Keith Laumer, and they appeared in a paperback IF anthology that I can't find. They are about the right of revolution (one may be titled something like that) and take place on a mining colony on another planet. I think the first is about the miners who revolt and are led by an Ayn-Rand-character-like person (his name is John Ralt or something). The second is about the 'ARcl' person who is now in charge and must deal with dissenters who contest his moral and political authority. And were there any more stories in this vein, or just two?
posted by Mr. Justice on Jul 8, 2009 - 5 answers

How was it proved that gravitation was a function of mass? [more inside]
posted by Lorc on Jul 6, 2009 - 10 answers

Help my friend get into a Canadian political science PhD program on his second try. [more inside]
posted by thisjax on Jul 5, 2009 - 6 answers

What's the best reading available for a summary of "Junk Science"? [more inside]
posted by Neale on Jul 1, 2009 - 21 answers

What does a paleopathologist actually do? I'm not looking for technical terms, but rather "a day in the life of." Is there another term for this specialty that can lead to more information about the profession?
posted by biochemist on Jun 18, 2009 - 4 answers

Can I still have a career in science? This economy caused both my spouse and I to lose our jobs and to relocate to find new employment after a 10-year corporate career. Thing is, I hated that career and only loved the money. Now, I am at a crossroads in life. [more inside]
posted by UseyurBrain on Jun 6, 2009 - 14 answers

I'm reading Quantum: a Guide for the Perplexed and I'm enjoying the graphics, history and simplification of the math and science used to explain quantum mechanics. But I'm reasonably well versed in math and science - I took a year of college physics, linear algebra, and diff eq about ten years ago. Is there any chance of me learning to understand the equations and papers of Planck and Einstein that are the basis of QM? Are there any good books that could help walk someone like me through this stuff? Or am I stuck as a layperson unless I earn a degree in math or physics?
posted by Grundlebug on May 30, 2009 - 14 answers

Who are the best magazine and newspaper feature writers, past and present? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Apr 8, 2009 - 20 answers

How can I empirically test the relative warmth of a blanket? [more inside]
posted by plasticbugs on Mar 9, 2009 - 23 answers

I’m trying to remember the name of a set of themed encyclopedias for children from my childhood. [more inside]
posted by studentbaker on Mar 9, 2009 - 11 answers

Why is a 2cm gap between window panes optimal? [more inside]
posted by unmake on Mar 6, 2009 - 7 answers

Looking for crisp, royalty free medical illustrations with one-click purchasing. [more inside]
posted by benzenedream on Mar 6, 2009 - 6 answers

What are the essential amino acids necessary to human growth and development? [more inside]
posted by Felicity Rilke on Mar 5, 2009 - 6 answers

There are many examples of failed or replaced scientific theories throughout history, like heliocentrism or the four-element theory of matter. Can you think of any examples from the last 50-75 years of a theory once held in high regard that is now thoroughly discredited? [more inside]
posted by GhostintheMachine on Mar 2, 2009 - 45 answers

What small, easy-to-carry-around books provide a satisfying introduction to mathematic and scientific fields, topics and/or concepts? [more inside]
posted by shaun uh on Feb 28, 2009 - 15 answers

Your recommendations: Historical novels about scientists [more inside]
posted by Ziggy500 on Feb 23, 2009 - 29 answers

Recommend non-fiction books about animals -- books that will blow my mind. [more inside]
posted by grumblebee on Feb 10, 2009 - 43 answers

Can somebody help me identify this ancient lab equipment? I'm doing some research and have posted two photos to my flickr account, here and here. (PS, I know what the typewriter is!) Thanks!
posted by soulbarn on Feb 9, 2009 - 13 answers

I've been waxing poetic about AskMeFi for a while, and a coworker asked for help identifying a story about an experiment with dancing children. Save my co-worker, MeFites! [more inside]
posted by Gorgik on Jan 15, 2009 - 7 answers

StoryID: Alternate history where physics is based on angelology. [more inside]
posted by rwhe on Dec 31, 2008 - 8 answers

How to break into science writing for magazines? What are the strengths/weaknesses of using a traditional vs non-mainstream approach (eg, a blog). [more inside]
posted by Wolfster on Nov 26, 2008 - 3 answers

ScienceProjectFilter: What household chemicals can my son use to simulate acid rain for a science project? [more inside]
posted by headnsouth on Nov 15, 2008 - 10 answers

When I was a kid I had a wonderful science book that had an aluminum cover and lots of "experiments" inside. Does anyone know this book? Many thanks in advance. [more inside]
posted by markcholden on Oct 21, 2008 - 10 answers

Help me find a 35+ year-old text about the science and myriad other whys/wherefores/and hows behind all kinds of cooking endeavors. [more inside]
posted by mumstheword on Aug 15, 2008 - 8 answers

What useful technologies have been developed or are in development due to advances of knowledge in modern physics? [more inside]
posted by wigglin on Aug 3, 2008 - 16 answers

How do I convince a research advisor to take me on as a grad student? [more inside]
posted by you're a kitty! on Dec 11, 2007 - 13 answers

Help me properly remember this study or who wrote about it. It was about some animal that, in experiments, preferred the anticipation centers of their brain -- seeking circuits? -- stimulated over the pleasure centers. I read it in some poppish science book in the last few years and now I'm trying to more accurately recall it so I can use it in a talk, if I'm rembering it correctly. [more inside]
posted by jessamyn on Oct 13, 2007 - 10 answers

So we just saw Bodies: The Exhibition in Amsterdam, and have a few questions... [more inside]
posted by Mutant on Apr 14, 2007 - 9 answers

I'm reading Alastair Reynold's excellent Pushing Ice and I'd love to read more like it - help me Mefi! [more inside]
posted by Happy Dave on Jan 27, 2007 - 24 answers

I'm looking for a book that teaches electricity well. The Mims book definitely doesn't cut it - I want something more along the lines of "The Way Things Work" in clarity and accessibility, but I still want it to actually teach the underlying math; i.e., I want it to show me the material in pictures and equations. [more inside]
posted by dmd on Feb 11, 2006 - 10 answers