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Skinks
Posted by Dr. Science on 07/19/2013
Have you ever heard of an animal called a “skink” or maybe it is spelled “skank”. Not a skunk, I know what that is.
———- from Sean McCarrey of San Antonio, Texas
Certainly. The midwestern weasel skink is a cousin of the common poison skunkupine. In Missouri they call them “skanks”, but in Missouri they have their own way of doing everything. Skanks are often larger than skinks, and smell even worse. Of course, way down in Texas they have the biggest skinks of all. Legend has it that Davy Crockett shot a skink and was wearing the fur of that unhappy creature on his head when he was mowed down by the Mexicans at the Alamo. In a certain light, a dead skink resembles a raccoon, especially if your glasses are smudged.
Certainly. The midwestern weasel skink is a cousin of the common poison skunkupine. In Missouri they call them “skanks”, but in Missouri they have their own way of doing everything. Skanks are often larger than skinks, and smell even worse. Of course, way down in Texas they have the biggest skinks of all. Legend has it that Davy Crockett shot a skink and was wearing the fur of that unhappy creature on his head when he was mowed down by the Mexicans at the Alamo. In a certain light, a dead skink resembles a raccoon, especially if your glasses are smudged. Internet Cookies
Posted by Dr. Science on 07/17/2013
Many times when surfing the internet I get a message saying that the site wants to send me a cookie. Doesn’t it get expensive sending out all those cookies? Is it safe to eat them?
———- from Kent Robinson of Crestwood, KY
Beware of strangers bearing gifts. Unless it’s Mrs. Fields herself, chances are the cookie you’re being offered carries a hidden price, an obligation to perform some service at a later date. Sites have a way of pretending to be cheerful givers, when actually they’re grasping and needy takers of any attention you can give them. Remember, mailing lists, even e-mail lists, are a commodity that can be sold to those people who call you up during the dinner hour and try to sell you everything from credit card insurance to Nebraska vacation homes.
Beware of strangers bearing gifts. Unless it’s Mrs. Fields herself, chances are the cookie you’re being offered carries a hidden price, an obligation to perform some service at a later date. Sites have a way of pretending to be cheerful givers, when actually they’re grasping and needy takers of any attention you can give them. Remember, mailing lists, even e-mail lists, are a commodity that can be sold to those people who call you up during the dinner hour and try to sell you everything from credit card insurance to Nebraska vacation homes. Atoms in Your Head
Posted by Dr. Science on 07/15/2013
How many atoms does it take to fill my head?
———- from David Lockwood ofDundee, Scotland
How small is your head? What kind of atoms are you talking about? Uranium atoms are much, much larger than, say hydrogen atoms. If your head were full of uranium, it would be very heavy – much heavier than the vacuum that’s in there now. It also might be radioactive and, if it were filled with plutonium, uranium’s evil twin, it would glow in the dark. Imagine that! Some guy wandering around Scotland, wearing a kilt, holding a bagpipe, struggling to keep his heavy, glowing head between his shoulders. No wonder you people believe in the Loch Ness monster.
How small is your head? What kind of atoms are you talking about? Uranium atoms are much, much larger than, say hydrogen atoms. If your head were full of uranium, it would be very heavy – much heavier than the vacuum that’s in there now. It also might be radioactive and, if it were filled with plutonium, uranium’s evil twin, it would glow in the dark. Imagine that! Some guy wandering around Scotland, wearing a kilt, holding a bagpipe, struggling to keep his heavy, glowing head between his shoulders. No wonder you people believe in the Loch Ness monster. The Kingdom of Protists
Posted by Dr. Science on 07/12/2013
What are the most important things I need to outline for the Kingdom of Protists?
———- from Cedric Glenken ofWuerzburg, Germany
Beware of the Protists. They are harsh taskmasters and often put to death a messenger who carries bad tidings. It’s a German thing, right? Sure, the trains run on time, but is that any compensation for having to worry about being beheaded by some ultra right-wing fraternal organization that’s grown up in the ruins of yet another social welfare state? Why don’t you all just do as the French do and have another strike? In this country, we don’t grow up thinking the state owes us anything, but where you come from, the Protists and the Leftists and the Christian Democrats all think they have these inalienable rights to six months vacation a year at a health spa. Oh, I could go on and on, but since I don’t know what we’re talking about any more than you do, I’ll shut up.
Beware of the Protists. They are harsh taskmasters and often put to death a messenger who carries bad tidings. It’s a German thing, right? Sure, the trains run on time, but is that any compensation for having to worry about being beheaded by some ultra right-wing fraternal organization that’s grown up in the ruins of yet another social welfare state? Why don’t you all just do as the French do and have another strike? In this country, we don’t grow up thinking the state owes us anything, but where you come from, the Protists and the Leftists and the Christian Democrats all think they have these inalienable rights to six months vacation a year at a health spa. Oh, I could go on and on, but since I don’t know what we’re talking about any more than you do, I’ll shut up. Our Mind and Our Feelings
Posted by Dr. Science on 07/10/2013
Is there any relation between our mind and our feelings?
———- from Andari of Bandung, Indonesia
None whatsoever. Feelings neither originate in the mind, nor affect its functioning. They are created in the feet, and travel up the legs as acoustic waves, often leaving a feeling of tingling or cramping in their wake. When they reach the mid-section, they must pass through the reproductive organs and, for some, especially men in their forties and women in their twenties, that’s as far as they get. The mind, on the other hand, is a self-contained entity and has the ability to spin its wheels and drive itself crazy, as well as come up with scenarios that allow feelings to be expressed through the reproductive organs.
None whatsoever. Feelings neither originate in the mind, nor affect its functioning. They are created in the feet, and travel up the legs as acoustic waves, often leaving a feeling of tingling or cramping in their wake. When they reach the mid-section, they must pass through the reproductive organs and, for some, especially men in their forties and women in their twenties, that’s as far as they get. The mind, on the other hand, is a self-contained entity and has the ability to spin its wheels and drive itself crazy, as well as come up with scenarios that allow feelings to be expressed through the reproductive organs. 