Recent content by Bignose

For one Tammet has aspergers syndrome and he really gets off on doing math like that, so there's a strong motivation factor involved. He also has synthesia in which there are abnormal connections between parts of the brain which are normally more autonomous. There are a zillion other factors -...

I don't really know, I think when your talking about having a tokamak the size donut installed in your chest all bets are off.

Is inflation compounded though? my dollar stays a dollar year to year if I hold on to it. If I take 2% off and its... I guess it makes sense to compound an inflation rate. Stupid trick question.

If X is the rate of inflation - 100/x

I think the point is to let it melt inside the reactor giving you the benefit of when go into shut down the solidification helps slow the reaction. It is especially important with something like sodium metal as sodium reacts violently when exposed to air or water.

A novel idea would be to make a mini duct muffler. Its hard to link you because its highly associated with an illegal activity.

I'm looking for Links, books, and terms associated with the increase in mechanization, automatization, and efficiency of future economies. Think of the future where people who work at supermarkets, fast food chains, the postal service, or as truck drivers, construction workers, landscapers...

Not all nuclear reactors are cooled by water, some are cooled by molten lead, sodium, and perhaps salt (that may just be proposed). Obviously there far denser then water and can therefor absorb more heat. I imagine molten copper, gold, or silver would be even better because of there conductive...

You could wrap it tightly with something like latex or rubber. Some epoxys might cure underwater... perhaps with a UV light.

Psychodynamics is broad term to signify an evolution from Psychoanalysis. While a psychodynamic therapist may believe is some theories pioneered by Freud and others, its unlikely he would emphasize dream analysis and Freuds psychosexual theories. For example: he wouldn't make grand conclusions...

In general heritability of cognitive traits averages out to be about 50%, though there are strong variations. Being successful in science is more about curiosity, passion, thinking outside the box, and painstaking research then I.Q. Take Richard Feynman and Issac Asimov for example - Feynman...

My anecdotal experience from growing up in the countryside is that mixed breed dogs will start to howl a couple hours after they think your gone. Which has me thinking its largely a means of long range communication.

Without reiterating the obvious id like to point out that many kids love to eat dirt, and this is a positive adaption that helps there immune system develop. Adults also to some extent enjoy the flavor of dirt as mushrooms are often described by there "earthy" flavors.

I seem to understand that dumping energy via steam release may be problematic. Back to my original question - is it possible to only throttle back as far as what would still be considered normal operation, and simply ground the excess. Or is there simply too much resistance in the ground, or...

I understand all of that but is there any reason why you couldn't just keep it running and just send the surplus electricity into the ground? I think of it as important because the more options there are, the more redundant the system is, the lesser the risk of a meltdown.