Pitch is a black substance that is viscous and elastic. It is classified as an viscoelastic polymer. Pitch was used to seal up wooden ships, seal containers of wine for preservation, water proofing/sealing of wooden containers, making torches, and polishing mirrors and optical lenses. You might have head the term “pitch-black”. This makes sense since it is a very black […]
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, […]
Vectors and Scalars Are Your Friends for Life
Vectors and scalars are two mathematical ideas that are used all the time in math and science. The most basic of the two is a scalar. A scalar is just a number – a quantity. That’s it! So, if I had 3 cats, 2 dogs, and 5 birds, the 3, 2, and 5 are all scalar values. A vector, on […]
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 […]