What is the newest installment of 'Random Thoughts' on Physics Forums?

[WWGD]

I had BBQ ribs, fries and sweet pickled tomatoes for lunch.

I think I'll order Chinese for dinner. I'll get the House Special chow mein, the spicy king prawns and a pancake roll.

You mean you will order Chinese people to cook for you? ;)

 

[Keith_McClary]

Wonder if you could lose weight by eating the same amount of calories ( holding all else constant) and thinking more.

In the experiment, subjects had to solve a puzzle or a tough maths question. Would Random Thoughts burn more?
Maybe you can work off a single piece of popcorn.

 

[hmmm27]

Supposedly, thinking is calorie-intensive.

Dunno 'bout anybody else, but when I'm trying to brainstorm something, I umm..pee more... which to me implies that I've been burning more hydrocarbons, thus producing more water.

It'd probably be easier to check on the other end, though : just hook somebody up to a fancy breathalyzer and check for O2 consumption andor CO2 emission levels.

 

[Keith_McClary]

just hook somebody up to a fancy breathalyzer and check for O2 consumption andor CO2 emission levels.

Like this, except replace treadmill with thinking chair.

 

[WWGD]

Dunno 'bout anybody else, but when I'm trying to brainstorm something, I umm..pee more... which to me implies that I've been burning more hydrocarbons, thus producing more water.

It'd probably be easier to check on the other end, though : just hook somebody up to a fancy breathalyzer and check for O2 consumption andor CO2 emission levels.

Sounds good in theory, but the breathalyzer is in the shop and my grant to hire people and pay them hasn't gone through yet :).

 

[WWGD]

You see, the setup here is about this lady who led one of these middle-agey programs where she kept bringing up terms like " being in the moment"as a solution to many ills. One day I became kind of annoyed to hear the buzzphrase and asked her: if it is so helpful, why don't people do it more naturally? My theory is that automation of responses requires less focus and present thinking which are limited resources. The expression " paying attention" supposedly comes from the fact that you are using up a limited resource, i.e., paying , by using your attention. Anyway, semi-rant over.

 

[dlgoff]

Daughter inspired projects:

inspired by Misty

inspired by Sarah

 

[WWGD]

There are some things people do that suck, but are not quite bad-enough to qualify for a ring in Dante's hell. Like those who design long web forms that are cleared out fully when you make a single mistake and you need to start filling them from scratch again because you , e.g., misspelled something. Then, instaead of a ring of hell, they deserve to live in an appartment really close to large airport.

 

[fresh_42]

There are some things people do that suck, but are not quite bad-enough to qualify for a ring in Dante's hell. Like those who design long web forms that are cleared out fully when you make a single mistake and you need to start filling them from scratch again because you , e.g., misspelled something. Then, instaead of a ring of hell, they deserve to live in an appartment really close to large airport.

I found it not less annoying that the web form of the EPA tried to explain me that my phone number isn't my phone number.

 

[Borg]

I ordered a new car from the factory in Jan. and it arrived in March right as the pandemic hit its stride in the U.S. It's been mostly sitting in the garage but yesterday I finally took it out for a good drive of a little over 100 miles. As I was nearing home, traffic started slowing because of some on-going construction. I noticed a moronic BMW driver weaving in and out of lanes and sailing up the lane to my right. When he realized that he couldn't pass in front of me, he swerved in behind me about two feet off my back bumper just as I had to slow suddenly for stopped traffic. I had to work really hard to brake quickly and allow the idiot time to react. Somehow, he did not hit me even though he got within a foot. Within 15 seconds, he was two lanes to the left and tailgating someone there. Not the first time that I've seen this in Beemers.

 

[Ibix]

They have - deservedly - that reputation this side of the pond too. The price must appeal to the kind of person who needs to show everyone how important they are or something.

 

[Bystander]

moronic BMW driver

They have - deservedly - that reputation this side of the pond too.

..., and, insert make/model of your choice; idiots abound.

 

[WWGD]

Just wonder what the point is of driving a muscle car on roads with speed limits of 45-50 mph.

 

[fresh_42]

Just wonder what the point is of driving a muscle car on roads with speed limits of 45-50 mph.

I once asked my brother in law. He answered: "If we can't drive fast, we at least want to accelerate fast."

Useless to mention that he preferred driving here.

 

[Keith_McClary]

..., and, insert make/model of your choice; idiots abound.

Drivers of expensive cars less likely to yield for pedestrians

 

[Bystander]

They are more likely to be noticed, FLASHY cars, failing to yield to pedestrians.

 

[WWGD]

Wonder why water bottles have expiration dates. Never seen neither a bottle nor water expire.

 

[Borg]

Drivers of expensive cars less likely to yield for pedestrians

I remember reading somewhere that people with personalized plates or lots of bumper stickers tended to be more aggressive.

 

[Rive]

Wonder why water bottles have expiration dates. Never seen neither a bottle nor water expire.

Maybe it would throw a database error if they leave that field blank

 

[fresh_42]

Wonder why water bottles have expiration dates. Never seen neither a bottle nor water expire.

This is easily explained. The bottles are not perfect shields towards bacteria, plus plastic bottles constantly release particles into the water. Hence you can only guarantee that the content is below legal limits for a certain period of time.

 

[Ibix]

plastic bottles constantly release particles into the water

Bis Phenol A (BPA) is the chemical people worry about. You see a lot of bottles, particularly for young kids, marketed as BPA-free.

 

[WWGD]

This is easily explained. The bottles are not perfect shields towards bacteria, plus plastic bottles constantly release particles into the water. Hence you can only guarantee that the content is below legal limits for a certain period of time.

Well, still a mistery why someone would buy water when the tap one is potable, unless maybe you're taking a long trip far away from civilization--which I would never do on purpose.

 

[BillTre]

If I recall correctly Bis Phenol A (BPA) is mostly associated with PVC plastics.
Either used in its production, or a breakdown product, or both.

Other plastics may have other problems.

 

[Rive]

Yesterday I met somebody who actually said out the 'LOL'.
I hope it's not contagious...

 

[Ibix]

If I recall correctly Bis Phenol A (BPA) is mostly associated with PVC plastics.
Either used in its production, or a breakdown product, or both.

Dunno, but "BPA free!" is definitely a selling point for baby bottles. I think BPA is known to lead to cancer in babies, but I've no idea of the dosages necessary for that. Given that it's a selling point rather than mandatory on health and safety grounds, I rather suspect that the dangerous exposure levels are somewhat above the likely levels in mineral water.

 

[WWGD]

Dunno, but "BPA free!" is definitely a selling point for baby bottles. I think BPA is known to lead to cancer in babies, but I've no idea of the dosages necessary for that. Given that it's a selling point rather than mandatory on health and safety grounds, I rather suspect that the dangerous exposure levels are somewhat above the likely levels in mineral water.

So what are better , viable alternatives? Would metal/aluminum refillable ones be better?

 

[fresh_42]

Definitely not lead, and I think aluminium either. Glas is the preferred material.

 

[WWGD]

Definitely not lead, and I think aluminium either. Glas is the preferred material.

But glass is heavy and breaks easy. Maybe using a thin inner layer of glass surrounded by plastic so not likely to break if it falls. Still, why are canteens made of metal?

 

[BillTre]

Not all glass breaks easily.

I think Acrylic (plexiglas) is marketed as one of the BPA free materials.
BPA containing plastics include polycarbonates and epoxy resins.
I was wrong about PVC. It does not have BPA.
However, PVC commonly contains Phthalates, which act as plastisizers, making the material more flexible and softer.
PVC is used in water supply piping in the US which ABS (no phthalates) is used in drainage plumbing. In the UK, the plumbing usage of the two plastics is reversed (which seems to make more sense).

Metal cans used to be lined with a BPA containing plastic to prevent contact with the metal. In many cases this has been replaced, but it is not clear by what.

 

[collinsmark]

Plastic bottles also become brittle over time when exposed to ultraviolet light.

So what are better , viable alternatives? Would metal/aluminum refillable ones be better?

The simple solution and alternative is pretty easy: Don't drink bottled water. Well, I'll qualify that by saying water -- in a bottle -- does have its place such as when hiking, cycling, etc., and as storage for emergency situations (it's not a bad idea at all to keep a stash of fresh water in your home in case the tap water is temporarily unavailable). But don't just buy bottled water all willy-nilly. That's my point.

If you live in a civilized society where tap water is available, drink that. Regularly drinking bottled water is just a waste on several levels.

Harvard University: Top Three Reasons to Avoid Bottled Water

12 facts that show why bottled water is one of the biggest scams of the century

 

[WWGD]

Plastic bottles also become brittle over time when exposed to ultraviolet light.
The simple solution and alternative is pretty easy: Don't drink bottled water. Well, I'll qualify that by saying water -- in a bottle -- does have its place such as when hiking, cycling, etc., and as storage for emergency situations (it's not a bad idea at all to keep a stash of fresh water in your home in case the tap water is temporarily unavailable). But don't just buy bottled water all willy-nilly. That's my point.

If you live in a civilized society where tap water is available, drink that. Regularly drinking bottled water is just a waste on several levels.

Harvard University: Top Three Reasons to Avoid Bottled Water

12 facts that show why bottled water is one of the biggest scams of the century

I agree with you entirely on drinking bottled water. I was referring to special cases such as going hiking or on other long trips during extremely hot days.

 

[hmmm27]

Every blue moon or so, I take a (plastic) bottle of water from the 'fridge or cupboard, if I'm going for a hike, or expect to be on the road awhile, usually keeping one in the truck. Possible problem is, I've had the same 24 for several years : what's the leaching expected to be over that period of time ?

 

[Keith_McClary]

Every blue moon or so, I take a (plastic) bottle of water from the 'fridge or cupboard, if I'm going for a hike, or expect to be on the road awhile, usually keeping one in the truck. Possible problem is, I've had the same 24 for several years : what's the leaching expected to be over that period of time ?

A hot car can reach temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. In experiments, it took 38 days for water bottles heated to that temperature in a lab to show levels of antimony that exceeded safety recommendations.

Exposed to extreme heat, plastic bottles may ultimately become unsafe
(Will use 1 of NatGeo free articles/month.)

 

[fresh_42]

I just realized that Bones is the Chorus in ancient Greek plays.

 

[hmmm27]

I just realized that Bones is the Chorus in ancient Greek plays.

Well, you can't get any more random than that : Kathy Reich ? or Gene Roddenberry "Bones".