The Chilling Effect of the Politicization of Science

Started by trdsf, March 27, 2017, 01:15:37 PM

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Baruch

Quote from: Cavebear on October 23, 2017, 05:54:42 AM
Man I fell into THAT one, LOL!  Yes, I know how fusion works.    But out of curiosity, and WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP, do you know WHY fusion produces heat?  And why it stops?

There is a conservation of mass energy.  If the end products are less massive than the starter material, then the net has to come out as energy.  Many kinds of energy, but in the case of the Sun, mostly heat and light.  When the net fusion products are mostly iron, the fusion equation is reversed, the net matter is more massive than the starter material, the reaction consumes energy.  This is a bummer for your solar system.

I am an applied physics major, and took nuclear physics.  I even thought of continuing in nuclear physics ... but was more attracted to renewable energy.  But Reagan and the problems of life scotched that for something completely different.  The closest I got to nuclear physics later, were the warheads in the weapon vehicles I was helping to develop.  Just the vehicles, not the warheads.  Fortunately what I worked on, only delivered conventional warheads.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Baruch

Quote from: Mermaid on October 23, 2017, 04:33:35 PM
Sorry. I am not a laconic person, really. I just am an emotionally and physically exhausted person who can't find the energy to get into detail. I know that's probably really annoying.

OK (trying to be laconic).
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Cavebear

Quote from: Mermaid on October 23, 2017, 04:33:35 PM
Sorry. I am not a laconic person, really. I just am an emotionally and physically exhausted person who can't find the energy to get into detail. I know that's probably really annoying.

I could go into detail about fusion, but you say "emotionally and physically exhausted", and I won't press you.  If you want to talk about that, many here are kind.   Me too, sometimes.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!