Nuclear power plants are not as mysterious as people think they are. There really is nothing special about them or how they work. It’s not magic. So, how does a nuclear power plant work? Power plants do one thing: generate power. In general, power plants use a source for energy and a method to harness and convert that energy into […]
Karl Popper and the Philosophy of Science – Falsifiability.
Science is a big word and one definition is a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws. Philosophy can be defined as the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct. So, we could say that the Philosophy of Science investigates, […]
Is There a Smart Doctor in the House? – The Semmelweis reflex
In the early 1800’s bacteria was not fully understood even though the basics of bacteria was discovered by Robert Hooke and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in 1665 and 1676 respectively. Some patients were plagued with bad bacteria that cause many deaths. One doctor was determined to find out the cause of death of his patients even though most other doctors didn’t […]
Only One Direction on Planet Earth
Everybody knows the cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West. However, there are two locations on planet Earth in which you can only go in one direction. Nope. It’s not at the equator. Even though Earth is basically a sphere (it’s actually a squashed sphere bulging at the equator) and there theoretically isn’t a top, sides, or bottom, humans have […]
A Mol of Moles is an Infestation
There are many words in the English language that sound the same but mean something different. For example, tee and tea. Mole and mole (mol unit) also sound the same but mean very different things. When you hear the world “mole” you might think of that little furry creature that digs holes in your yard. Or, you might think of […]
Is There a Real Magenta in the Electromagnetic Spectrum?
We experience the world through our senses: taste, touch, sound, smell, and sight. But what if I tell you that your brain is tricking you? Would you believe me? Maybe? When we look at colors we think that what we see is the truth. Take for instance the color blue. Blue exists in the electromagnetic spectrum, part of the visible […]
Units in Pounds or Newtons – Can Spacecraft Survive?
There are two main systems used in the world for measurement: English System and Metric System. Each system was devised independently. The English system is used in only a few countries. The rest of the world uses the Metric system. The English system uses names such as inch, feet, yard, and mile. Pound is used for weight or pounds of […]