The Science Thread!

[Vrede too]

I did not watch, but this is pretty cool:

Miss America 2020: Biochemist wins crown after on-stage experiment (with short video)

[O Really]

Well the demonstration is pretty cool, but the pageant - er "competition" - not so much. I didn't watch it, and haven't for some time, but the event was entertaining back when it was part of Labor Day tradition and included all the kitschy stuff of "There She Is", walking the ramp, questionable "talent" and "I want to work for World Peace" answers to questions. They're free to come up with another event, and evaluate the "candidates" on whatever criteria they want, but if they no longer want a "beauty pageant" they ought to name it something else and leave "Miss America" to the memory banks.
These people would probably take the 4th of July event called "Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest" and move it from Coney Island to New Orleans and have the contestants rated on their gumbo recipes. Might still be interesting, but it wouldn't be hot dog eating.

[Vrede too]

I doubt they care what longtime nonviewers like us think. They're trying to prevent further declines in ratings. Miss Biochemist or Miss Attorney probably won't cut it. Otoh, Miss Nurse might be a winner .

[O Really]

They're trying to prevent further declines in ratings.

Yeah, well this plan apparently isn't going to do that, at least judging from the reactions. I think next year they're going to require a certain number of "curvy" "body-positive" people, and at least on male.

[O Really]

"People watching the revamped Miss America competition were thoroughly unimpressed"



https://www.msn.com/en-ca/lifestyle/wha ... &ocid=iehp

[Vrede too]

Has physicist's gravity theory solved 'impossible' dark energy riddle?
Prof Claudia de Rham’s ‘massive gravity’ theory could explain why universe expansion is accelerating

... De Rham has pioneered a radical theory that could hold the key to why the universe is expanding faster and faster and explain the nature of dark energy. The theory, known as massive gravity, modifies Einstein’s general relativity, positing that the hypothetical particles (gravitons) that mediate the gravitational force themselves have a mass. In Einstein’s version, gravitons are assumed to be massless.

If gravitons have a mass, then gravity is expected to have a weaker influence on very large distance scales, which could explain why the expansion of the universe has not been reined in.

“One possibility is that you may not need to have dark energy – or rather, gravity itself fulfils that role,” says De Rham.

I sort of get it.

The work marks a breakthrough in a century-long quest to build a working theory of massive gravity. Despite successive efforts, previous versions of the theory had the unfortunate feature of predicting the instantaneous decay of every particle in the universe – an intractable issue that mathematicians refer to as a “ghost”.

Well, that's awkward.

... De Rham is quick to point out that at this stage, massive gravity is still just a theory. Mathematically it checks out, but we don’t know whether it reflects empirical reality. But with the advent of gravitational wave astronomy, it will be possible to test predictions of the theory over the next decade and beyond.

“It would be amazing if it was shown to be right,” she says. “That may or may not happen, but what will happen is that we’ll have a much better fundamental understanding of gravity and that’s just something so deep, it’s one of the big questions today.”

De Rham’s more recent work covers other aspects of gravity. She is interested in the speed of gravity, which has never been directly measured and which theory predicts could in some circumstances be faster than light. She is also investigating whether gravity, like light, moves at different speeds through different materials. If it does, gravitational rainbows would exist that might be viewable with gravitational wave telescopes.

As a new generation of gravitational wave observatories, such as Esa’s space-based observatory, Lisa, start gathering faint signals from the cosmos in the next decade, De Rham hopes to close in on some answers. “It’s going to be such a high level of science that we can do,” says De Rham. “It’s beautiful.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JPKZefbYG4

[Vrede too]

Urge the (2/19) debate moderators to ask the candidates how they will retain the strong scientific workforce needed to protect our health, safety, and environment.

[O Really]

Urge the (2/19) debate moderators to ask the candidates how they will retain the strong scientific workforce needed to protect our health, safety, and environment.

Fund their work and respect their findings. Retention shouldn't be a problem.

[Vrede too]

EPA petition

[Vrede too]

There is a saying in biomedical research, “Mice lie and monkeys exaggerate.”

Ouch.

[Vrede too]

You'd be a shoo-in...

A gay/trans slur fits with your possibly racist misogyny:
viewtopic.php?p=116316#p116316

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

[billy.pilgrim]

You'd be a shoo-in...

A gay/trans slur fits with your possibly racist misogyny:
viewtopic.php?p=116316#p116316

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

Why?
Because Vrede says so.

[Vrede too]

Why?
Because Vrede says so.

I encourage you to either make a contrary case or to defend gay bashing and possibly racist misogyny rather than just whining about me.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

[billy.pilgrim]

Why?
Because Vrede says so.

I encourage you to either make a contrary case or to defend gay bashing and possibly racist misogyny rather than just whining about me.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

you said that anything I had to say was irrelevant and that you didn't read my posts, so I quit going to your whiny links.

No one is bashing guys or being a racist except for 1cat. It's stupid of you (nothing new) to attack people about everything they say - just because you don't "like" them.

[Vrede too]

you said that anything I had to say was irrelevant and that you didn't read my posts, so I quit going to your whiny links.

You're just making excuses for your pants-wetting terror of both my challenge and of accountability.

You've been lying about that for months, you big fat crybaby. I said that your opinion was irrelevant in the SOLE matter of my asking banni to delete some flubbed links I posted, and that I was just alerting you as a courtesy since you'd quoted those flubs.

We've been through this before and I posted the PMs proving it. Then, you ran away like you always do when proven wrong. So, from now on I'll just go with:

LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD.

You really do need that dementia testing.

No one is bashing guys or being a racist except for 1cat. It's stupid of you (nothing new) to attack people about everything they say - just because you don't "like" them.

Your denial is adorable when the words are right here and at the link, pussy. That said, it is true that I don't like you proud environmental rapists. So?

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

[billy.pilgrim]

you said that anything I had to say was irrelevant and that you didn't read my posts, so I quit going to your whiny links.

You're just making excuses for your pants-wetting terror of both my challenge and of accountability.

You've been lying about that for months, you big fat crybaby. I said that your opinion was irrelevant in the SOLE matter of my asking banni to delete some flubbed links I posted, and that I was just alerting you as a courtesy since you'd quoted those flubs.

We've been through this before and I posted the PMs proving it. Then, you ran away like you always do when proven wrong. So, from now on I'll just go with:

LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD.

You really do need that dementia testing.

No one is bashing guys or being a racist except for 1cat. It's stupid of you (nothing new) to attack people about everything they say - just because you don't "like" them.

Your denial is adorable when the words are right here and at the link, pussy. That said, it is true that I don't like you proud environmental rapists. So?

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

Here's what you said about me - "I don't care what his opinion is"


It's all about the messenger, ain't it vred?

[Vrede too]

Here's what you said about me - "I don't care what his opinion is"

It's all about the messenger, ain't it vred?

You're just making excuses for your pants-wetting terror of both my challenge and of accountability.

You've been lying about that for months, you big fat crybaby. I said that your opinion was irrelevant in the SOLE matter of my asking banni to delete some flubbed links I posted, and that I was just alerting you as a courtesy since you'd quoted those flubs.

We've been through this before and I posted the PMs proving it. Then, you ran away like you always do when proven wrong. So, from now on I'll just go with:

LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD.

You really do need that dementia testing.

LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

[billy.pilgrim]

Here's what you said about me - "I don't care what his opinion is"

It's all about the messenger, ain't it vred?

You're just making excuses for your pants-wetting terror of both my challenge and of accountability.

You've been lying about that for months, you big fat crybaby. I said that your opinion was irrelevant in the SOLE matter of my asking banni to delete some flubbed links I posted, and that I was just alerting you as a courtesy since you'd quoted those flubs.

We've been through this before and I posted the PMs proving it. Then, you ran away like you always do when proven wrong. So, from now on I'll just go with:

LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD.

You really do need that dementia testing.

LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

Exact quote, "I don't care what his opinion is"

[Vrede too]

Exact quote, "I don't care what his opinion is"

LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD. THIS is the exact and full quote:

... So, I'm asking you to delete the links from the posts. If you would rather delete entire posts, so be it.

FTR, I'm CCing billy.pilgrim out of a sense of integrity that he entirely lacks. However, they're my posts and I don't care what his opinion is....

Sorry, I only blame myself for these links and any hassle this causes you....

As I posted, "in the SOLE matter of my asking banni to delete some flubbed links I posted".

Busted, again. We can all see that you're a pussy that consistently lies when you're floundering, but what makes you really "special" is that you're so stupid that you keep deluding yourself that you'll get away with it. Just in case you missed it:
LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD.

Guaranteed: This will be yet another proven lie that you will never have the balls to admit.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

[billy.pilgrim]

Exact quote, "I don't care what his opinion is"

LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD. THIS is the exact and full quote:

... So, I'm asking you to delete the links from the posts. If you would rather delete entire posts, so be it.

FTR, I'm CCing billy.pilgrim out of a sense of integrity that he entirely lacks. However, they're my posts and I don't care what his opinion is....

Sorry, I only blame myself for these links and any hassle this causes you....

As I posted, "in the SOLE matter of my asking banni to delete some flubbed links I posted".

Busted, again. We can all see that you're a pussy that consistently lies when you're floundering, but what makes you really "special" is that you're so stupid that you keep deluding yourself that you'll get away with it. Just in case you missed it:
LIAR, MORON, COWARD, DELUSIONAL, CRYBABY, "SPECIAL" CHILD.

Guaranteed: This will be yet another proven lie that you will never have the balls to admit.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4072&p=118378#p118378

Yep verd, you're busted again. Keep up the lie.