2009-04-03, 18:05 | Link #2703 |
I disagree with you all.
Join Date: Dec 2005
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We're a lot taller than our ancestors. Better, more abundant food, I guess. I've read that the Japanese have also been growing taller ever since they started using chairs instead of kneeling so much.
So, yeah. Genetics play a role, but so does how you live while you're young. Also, genetics aren't that straightforward, what with recessive and dominant genes and all. Just because your parents are short doesn't mean you will be, too. It just makes it likely. |
2009-04-03, 18:42 | Link #2704 |
Human
Join Date: Aug 2004
Age: 38
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Genetics are a blueprint. You still need the materials and the labor to actually build the house. In this case that would be eating enough food (and the right kinds of food) and treating your body correctly (enough exercise, rest, etc). Genetics are actually more complicated than that, but I think the analogy works. Also, you're not a clone of your parents, you're a mixture of your parents in a very complicated and indirect way. So there's no guarantee of anything.
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2009-04-04, 23:20 | Link #2707 |
AS Oji-kun
Join Date: Nov 2006
Age: 74
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2009-04-05, 01:36 | Link #2708 | |
~Smile~
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: U.S.A
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Quote:
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2009-04-05, 03:22 | Link #2709 |
I disagree with you all.
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Imagine you're on a space ship or space station, without a suit on. You're suddenly ejected into space. You'll be rescued shortly, so you're not 100% guaranteed to die, but what's your best bet? Empty your lungs and risk anoxia, or hold your breath and risk the expansion of air in your lungs to damage them? Or will vacuum kill you before either of these is an issue?
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2009-04-05, 05:29 | Link #2711 |
Human
Join Date: Aug 2004
Age: 38
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Nevermind, just looked it up. Breathe out, since you're going to faint from lack of oxygen anyway and might as well spare your lungs the damage). Eyes will start boiling (although probably not explode, just dry out very quickly). Bubbles will form in the blood in the extremities, apparently leading to heart failure in about 2 minutes at most. Oddly enough, preventable by wearing tight clothing.
http://www.sff.net/people/Geoffrey.Landis/vacuum.html Last edited by Clarste; 2009-04-05 at 05:51. |
2009-04-06, 20:28 | Link #2713 |
sleepyhead
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: event horizon
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What type of nuclear power?
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2009-04-06, 20:47 | Link #2716 |
Human
Join Date: Aug 2004
Age: 38
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You can't just turn "power" into "thrust" in space. Most modern transport technology is based on "spinning" (to push on the ground, air, water, whatever), which quite simply doesn't work in space. "Pushing" is the easiest way to get motion in space, and we accomplish that by burning rocket fuel.
That said, there have been proposals made about accelerating a spaceship by detonating nuclear bombs behind it. Not sure how far that line of thought has actually been developed and funded though. |
2009-04-06, 22:46 | Link #2718 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 67
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Ion power (streams of ions fired out the buttside) can generate large amounts of velocity efficiently over time... but there's the key: over time. You're using lots of tiny molecules to push a large mass so the acceleration is going to be damned tiny.
The NERVA program and the ORION program are interesting little tidbits to read on nuclear power propulsion. But yay, for steampunk
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2009-04-06, 23:56 | Link #2719 |
Uncountable rationality
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There's also the problem of nuclear waste... Spent fuel rods are placed where? Also, what would happen if there was a leak, the radiation and maybe fallout would travel, if close enough, back to Earth and cause a global nuclear winter. On the other hand, who really knows the consequence of nuclear fallout in space entering the earth's atmosphere in large quantities?
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problem, q&a, serious |
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