SCI-ART LAB

Science, Art, Litt, Science based Art & Science Communication

Q: How does a lighter produce fire?

Krishna: The science behind the lighter is both simple and fascinating. To produce a flame, a lighter needs both fuel and a way to create a spark to ignite that fuel. Modern disposable lighters combine those two elements in a simple, cheap package that allows us to create fire on demand easily.

Stored under pressure inside the lighter in its liquid form, butane quickly converts to a gas when depressurized. Butane is used because it produces a more controlled flame and exudes the least amount of unpleasant odor. Butane in a lighter is pressurized and stored, which causes it to exist as a liquid. When depressurized, the liquid will immediately vaporize to form gaseous butane. The gaseous butane, being flammable, will catch fire even when incited by the slightest of sparks. The metallic wheel on the lighter, when pushed down by one’s thumb, will rub against the ferrocerium to produce a scorching spark. Simultaneously, a valve opens, from which the butane is released, which is vaporized (depressurized) as soon as it exits the container. The spark is produced just above the valve, which then simply ignites the plume of gas. The result is an ovate, tranquil flame.

Some newer lighters have replaced ferrocerium with a piezoelectric crystal. When compressed by the push of a button, the crystal creates a voltaic arc that ignites the butane. Otherwise, most lighters work the same way.

Some of the other fuels used in lighters are kerosene, Naphtha, and  Natural Charcoal Lighter Fluid.

Krishna: Without science this universe won’t exist in the first place. Because it is based on scientific principles. Science controls and runs this universe.

Without science - the study with which we understand the universe around us, half of the population would die of hunger (because there won't be benefits brought by agricultural revolution). Most of the rest who survive hunger would die of deadly diseases ( because there won't be drugs to cure them). Your average life span would be reduced to 30-40 years again ( because of poor nutritional statuses and diseases). Rest of the people would die of natural calamities like cyclones, hurricanes, earth-quakes, etc.

What would remain then? Empty Earth!

Humanity is surviving because of science now. If it survives in the future, it is because of science.

Q: What is it like to have your world view completely disproven?

Krishna: Hmmm! Most people would deny it and continue living in their pseudo-world.

Because it takes courage to accept evidence based facts, come out of your comfort zone and the emotional support of your friends, family, groups and relatives.

The scientific era has caused such a turmoil in several people when science disproved religious stories, cultural and traditional beliefs. Then these things happened:

1. Some people started hating science altogether.

2. Some denied the evidence - even refused to consider it and pretended it didn't exist.

3. Some tried to make wrong connections by integrating science and religion and authenticating their beliefs using science, creating pseudo-science in the process

4. Some stubbornly said they can deal with both science and religion at the same time - i.e., making strange arrangements with cognitive dissonance - the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioural decisions and attitude change.

5. Some, like me, accepted the facts and evidence and completely abandoned the old world and entered the fascinating new world. I am totally at peace with my inner world and extremely happy to take this radical decision.

Q: What is Jeans Escape?

Krishna: Molecules escape from a planet's atmosphere to outer space. This is called
Atmospheric escape.
A number of different mechanisms can be responsible for atmospheric escape. These processes can be divided into thermal escape, non-thermal (or suprathermal) escape, and impact erosion.

Each loss process depends on the planet's escape velocity, its atmosphere composition, and its distance from its star. Escape occurs when molecular kinetic energy overcomes gravitational energy; in other words, a molecule can escape when it is moving faster than the escape velocity of its planet. Categorizing the rate of atmospheric escape in exoplanets is necessary to determining whether an atmosphere persists, and so the exoplanet's habitability and likelihood of life(1).

For gases to escape, they must be carried up through an atmosphere, converted to the form that escapes (often through decomposition into atoms, which are lighter than their parent molecules), and overcome gravity. Usually at least one of these steps is slow and controls the escape rate.

Jeans escape is a thermal escape mechanism. It is the escape of individual molecules from the high tail of the Maxwell distribution, at a level in the atmosphere where the mean free path is comparable to the scale height. Maxwell's distribution prescribes the kinetic energy distribution of the molecules, which depends on the mass and the velocity according to

From this we see that the more massive a gas molecule is, the lower its average speed at a given temperature, meaning it is less likely to reach escape velocity and leave the atmosphere. This is why hydrogen escapes from a given atmosphere more easily than carbon dioxide. Also, if the planet has a higher mass, the escape velocity is greater, and fewer particles will escape. This is why the gas giant planets are able to have significant amounts of hydrogen, while they escape on Earth. The distance to the star also plays a part. A close planet has a hotter atmosphere, which generally leads to a faster range of velocities, and more chance of escape. This helps Titan, which is small compared to Earth but further from the Sun, keep its atmosphere (2).

Footnotes:

  1. http:// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_escape
  2. CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science

Q: Why shouldn't we marry our sisters?

Krishna: Oh my. 

Because if you marry your close relatives, this leads to inbreeding. Inbreeding is not beneficial to a species. Parents that are closely related have a higher chance of sharing the same recessive genes, and if you inherit two recessive genes, one from each parent, there is a risk of passing on possibly harmful traits to your offspring.

In humans, incest is closely associated with sickly children. For example, recently it was revealed that King Tutankhamen of Ancient Egypt’s deformities and lifetime of illness and pain were the result of his parents being siblings.

But some animals do this. Watch this video which explains it all.

Q:We know that we only see anything because the object reflects light and that light reaches to our eyes, but how do we see black objects as they don't reflect any light, although they absorb all the light?

Krishna: Objects are visually perceived when they reflect light. A black object absorbs light of all frequencies, but that doesn't mean that it absorbs all light at all frequencies. Some is reflected.

Image source: Google images

Can you see this black cat? You can because there are various shades of black here.

Human eyes detect photons, but the human visual system perceives contrast. You can "see" any object that contrasts enough with its background or surroundings, whether that's by reflecting/emitting more photons or fewer photons.

When we look at a black object the Photoreceptor cells in parts of our eyes light up a whole lot less, so our brains interpret it as black. We would therefore still be able to see even a black body.

If no photons hit a part of your retina, you “see” black there.

A black shape on a colored background appears black because its brightness approaches zero relative to its surroundings. Being black is not the same as being invisible or “not creating an image”.

The black butterfly here creates an image because you can see other colours and the butterfly is just a silhouette.

And if you have a black object in a totally dark room, you won’t be able to see it at all because there won’t be any contrast created for your brain to interpret it as an object.

Q: Why do most of people believe the content available on Google and YouTube simply without verifying it?

Krishna: Yes, we have a problem.

Several people don’t even know that things like pseudo-science, disinformation and misinformation exist. Even highly qualified people just accept what others say.

People who spread misinformation and disinformation take care to camouflage their ‘information’ so that people, except the experts and critical thinkers, cannot suspect anything fishy.

Some don’t even have basic knowledge about things to analyse the information brought before them. They just see superficial science-sounding words and think it is science.

There is a thing called confirmation bias. People who subscribe to some ideology or a religion or a political party, or god men, think all that is prescribed by or supports their groups’ work is correct. That is motivational reasoning. They just refuse to consider any other view that they think opposes their group. Cognitive dissonance is very uncomfortable for many.

Then there are people who try to clutch at any straw because they are swimming in a heavy flow. Like cancer patients in their final stages. They fall for quackery. Quacks take advantage of this weaknesses of human beings to deceive them.

Lack of critical thinking skills. Some peoples’ education is either inadequate or their culture doesn’t approve questioning, especially adults or leaders in their group or family. That is considered bad manners.

So most people are comfortable staying in their comfort zones and refuse to come out of the holes they live in.

And finally, most people don’t know where to look for the right information.

Okay, let me tell guide people how to find genuine science information . Read this article I wrote: How to trust science stories: A guide for common man

Q: How does intelligence not come from memory?

Krishna: Who says so?

Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.

To apply knowledge and skills, to creatively connect things, you have to first acquire information and ‘store it in your brain’. Then you have to ‘recollect that information’ (memory) to apply it and solve problems. How can you do it if you don’t have memory of the information you collected? How can you apply the knowledge without remembering everything related to it?

Intelligence and memory are connected in that way. Memory definitely contributes to intelligence.

It works for me in that way and I am sure it works the same way for all intelligent beings.

Q: What is the branch of science that deals with 'hygiene' called?

Krishna: Hygiene is a concept related to cleanliness and health and therefore comes under medical science.

Hygiene practices are employed as preventive measures to reduce the incidence and spreading of germs leading to disease. Hygiene is also the name of a branch of science that deals with the promotion and preservation of health.

In the manufacturing of food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other products, good hygiene is a critical component of quality.

Sleep hygiene is the recommended behavioural and environmental practice that is intended to promote better quality sleep which again is related to health.

Medical hygiene pertains to the hygiene practices related to the administration of medicine and medical care that prevents or minimizes the spread of disease.

Culinary hygiene (or food hygiene) pertains to the practices related to food management and cooking to prevent food contamination, prevent food poisoning and minimize the transmission of disease to other foods, humans or animals. Culinary hygiene practices specify safe ways to handle, store, prepare, serve, and eat food.

Whatever field the word is used in finally all this leads to cleanliness to prevent disease and protect health - so medical science is the one that deals with hygiene.

Q: What is the science behind the dreams which we get during sleep coming true?

Krishna: It is just a probability or chance becoming true. That’s all.

Like this: You are about to go to a job interview the next day. You will be a bit worried and nervous about it and think a lot about it. Your brain builds a picture about it in your dream. If your fears take the upper hand, you might dream you spoilt it. If you are confident, you might dream you did it very well.

Now what is the probability of either of them coming true? Half-half. Anything can happen. One of them will happen anyway. You can even have a mixed result with one type of result having more prominence.

If you are very nervous, you can spoil all that you do, and if you are very confident, you can do things very well. Your dreams just reflect this.

Is there more meaning or science to all this? NO!

Don’t believe them if people say there is more to it. Because there isn’t, in reality!

Q: How do you verify a healing crystal and use it? What is the science behind it?

Krishna: There are no healing crystals. There is pseudo-science behind it. Watch this video that explains why:

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Krishna: According to science, there is no evidence of soul. It just is a belief without evidence. Consciousness comes from the neural activity of the brain.

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