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Thread: Science Game Thread

  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dreamwoven View Post
    What are the pillars of creation and why are they so called?
    I don't think anyone can guess this, so the answer is that it is a nebula, a cloud of gas and dust out of which new stars are born. See:
    The Pillars of Creation and for what they are made of see Nebula.

    The Pillars of Creation was one of the top ten images from Hubble.

    I suspect this is the wrong forum to discuss space matters in. This is, after all the literature network forums.

    So I suggest we keep to literature issues. Here is my new question, also space but in a literature context:

    What scientific fact was mentioned in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels concerning the moons of mars?

  2. #32
    Registered User NikolaiI's Avatar
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    I don't think I could possibly express how much we need scientific literacy in this country, Dream.

    This thread is a very wonderful way to have fun and learn... as far as I can tell... It's very enjoyable so far.

    It was very special when you said Pillars of Creation, personally, because the picture was taken on my birthday... that was just very nice... The day I turned 7.

    Anyway... please don't change the thread to something else. We discuss everything on this forum - like, literally, everything. Every single topic. That exists in the whole world.


    I wish for this to be a learning and fun experience... so far it has been, and especially since you asked that last one.. Like I said - very good one... That's just part of the game, sometimes there will be a question nobody gets the answer to -

    Of course somebody could dig up a physical society journal and ask some obscure question, but you weren't trying to do that obviously - nor was I with my asking to name an animal that can hear under the snow.

    I understand that when you think of science, you think of space primarily, whereas for someone else, it may be evolution, biology or physics. The point is - they're all open here. So let's just stick to science, ok? It's a pretty big enough universe as it is... I mean, science is pretty far-reaching.

    I was being a bit silly with my naming the Atheist as if he were Beetlejuice- just having fun. The idea of this game was to enjoy learning and have fun, but being serious is okay, too.

    Anyway...



    How about - whenever you answer your own question, then it's open to anyone... and you can answer your question whenever you wish. Does that seem like a good rule?

  3. #33
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    Yes, that would make it easier. I don't want to change the forum thread into something else, if you got that impression then I apologise, It isn't intend it so. I'll answer my own question if no-one knows the answer. I am not sure its easier than the question before anyway.

    I'll give it a couple of days then give my answer, if no-one knows.

  4. #34
    Registered User NikolaiI's Avatar
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    Oh it's all good, no worries. I'm glad you're interesed enough to participate

    Can we leave it open after someone answers their own question?

  5. #35
    Registered User NikolaiI's Avatar
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    Okay, it's been a couple days, so maybe I'll go and ask a question..

    The reason I think it's a good idea to switch is because it could get boring if one person asks questons over and over.. it's funny... like.. so funny because - would anyone try to only ask impossible questions? I just was thinking and got stuck on that thought.. that's a hard question to answer.

    Also, there certainly aren't any winners or losers at this game. It's only about having fun learning... that's probably the most necessary skill in existence.


    Oh, so I thought maybe you can ask more than one question if you want, if you have kind of tough questions. I have three, one is kinda easy - well, actually I guess that is entrely relative, nevermind. Here they are:



    a) What is the name of the animal that has to eat every three hours, or it will die?

    b) Name an animal that lives at the bottom of the ocean and can give a multi-coloured light display on its skin.

    c) A Komodo Dragon's venom and bacteria mixture will act to kill a water buffalo in a matter of hours, days, or weeks?



    if you answer any of them correctly you can ask the next question, or, in 2 or 3 days or whenever if nobody gets it.

  6. #36
    Registered User Sospira's Avatar
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    What was the answer to Jonathan Swift question? Was it about gravitational attraction between large objects which keep them in their orbit?
    “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” Mozart

  7. #37
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    It was much more specific than that. He specified two very small moons (Deimos and Phobos) and orbits and size: this is from Wikipedia Moons of Mars;

    Perhaps inspired by Johannes Kepler (and quoting Kepler's third law of planetary motion), Jonathan Swift's satire Gulliver's Travels (1726) refers to two moons in Part 3, Chapter 3 (the "Voyage to Laputa"), in which Laputa's astronomers are described as having discovered two satellites of Mars orbiting at distances of 3 and 5 Martian diameters with periods of 10 and 21.5 hours. The actual orbital distances of Phobos and Deimos are 1.4 and 3.5 Martian diameters, and their respective orbital periods are 7.6 and 30.3 hours.[5][6] In the 20th century, V. G. Perminov, a spacecraft designer of early Soviet Mars and Venus spacecraft, speculated Swift found and deciphered records that Martians left on Earth.[7] However, the view of most astronomers is that Swift was simply employing a common argument of the time, that as the inner planets Venus and Mercury had no satellites, Earth had one and Jupiter had four (known at the time), that Mars by analogy must have two. Furthermore, as they had not yet been discovered, it was reasoned that they must be small and close to Mars. This would lead Swift to making a roughly accurate estimate of their orbital distances and rotation periods. In addition Swift could have been helped in his calculations by his friend, the mathematician John Arbuthnot [8]

    Voltaire's 1750 short story "Micromégas", about an alien visitor to Earth, also refers to two moons of Mars. Voltaire was presumably influenced by Swift.[9][10] In recognition of these 'predictions', two craters on Deimos are named Swift and Voltaire.[citation needed]

  8. #38
    Registered User NikolaiI's Avatar
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    Ok but again, that's not really a science question, more of a literary trivia question.

  9. #39
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    You are right. The context was that I tried to put a science question that had to do with literature. So not a good question.

  10. #40
    Registered User Sospira's Avatar
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    I just wanted to know the answer. Sorry. Thank you Dreamwoven. its cool the craters were named after them.
    “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” Mozart

  11. #41
    Registered User Sospira's Avatar
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    Are we allowed to use google to look up the answers?
    “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” Mozart

  12. #42
    Registered User NikolaiI's Avatar
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    No no, I am the one who should be, I felt dumb for saying that again immediately after I posted it; apologies, folks.

  13. #43
    Registered User NikolaiI's Avatar
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    Well I had original thought not to, but I don't mind.

  14. #44
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    I have to confess that in retrospect my question about Swift's comments on the moons of mars was far too difficult without googling. But then the same might be said of the pillars of creation. The three questions by Nikolai are also difficult, at least for me, I could not answer any of them:

    a) What is the name of the animal that has to eat every three hours, or it will die?

    b) Name an animal that lives at the bottom of the ocean and can give a multi-coloured light display on its skin.

    c) A Komodo Dragon's venom and bacteria mixture will act to kill a water buffalo in a matter of hours, days, or weeks?


    But someone with an interest in the subject may be able to. It will vary depending on people's interest in the subject.

    Of course, all this doesn't matter if the time rule is followed.

  15. #45
    Registered User NikolaiI's Avatar
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    Hehe, well one of them is at least multiple-choice

    If no one gets one by tomorrow morning, I'll write the answers I was thinking of, and it'll be anyone's choice for the next one.

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