Vincent Summers, Author at Quirky Science

12Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Are Leaves Alive?

Biology

[caption id="attachment_9521" align="alignright" width="380"] Kalanchoe daigremontiana - Image CC SA 3.0 by Abrahami[/caption] Simple questions can be the most intriguing. We will ponder the answer to the question: Are leaves alive? In so doing, we will discover leaves were not created equal. Trees Consider deciduous trees (trees that seasonally lose their leaves). In autumn their leaves change color as their petioles detach. The leaves then fall to the ground. The tree does not die with the loss of its leaves. Like Fingers? A first impression might be that leaves are alive in the same sense that fingers are. However, fingers are not discarded seasonally. So could it be leaves more closely resemble fingernails, which humans clip regularly? Like Fingernails? Or Are Leaves Alive? No. Fingernails, devoid of internal structure, are…

09Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Bobby Rydell’s One-Hit Wonder: Swingin’ Together

Entertainment

[caption id="attachment_9515" align="alignright" width="200"] Bobby Rydell in 1960.[/caption] Musicians (not Bobby Rydell) have made one-hit wonders. But music groups aren’t the only source of one-hit wonders. Another source is video pilots of movies and television programs that for one reason and another simply didn’t make it. Watch some of those video wonders, and you’ll say, “It’s no wonder they flopped.” Watch others and you'll wonder what was wrong with broadcasters. What Would Today's Audience Say? It's curious that some of the movies and programs that didn’t make it in the past, if watched by a current viewing audience might be rated fairly well. Some of the shows are surprisingly good, in fact. Probably it’s because there are many current shows that are being foisted on the public that aren’t worth…

09Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Understanding the Spherical Polar Coordinate System

Mathematics

[caption id="attachment_9496" align="alignright" width="480"] A cone in the spherical polar coordinate system. CC-SA 3.0 Unported by Lantonov[/caption] Do you have a basic knowledge of the spherical polar coordinate system? A coordinate system provides a way to describe and plot math functions using two or three variables. If there are two variables the graph is 2D. If there are three variables, the graph is 3D. The Cartesian Coordinate System The most familiar coordinate system is the Cartesian coordinate system. Typical variable names are x and y in 2D (although variables can have any name), and x, y, and z in 3D. Every point of every 2D function has a unique value in (x, y). Every 3D function similarly has a unique value in (x, y, z). The Polar Coordinate System This…

01Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers 5 Comments

Do Black Snakes and Copperheads Crossbreed?

animals

Some country dwelling old timers give warning of a dangerous crossbreeding of two snakes — the copperhead and the black snake. The resulting combination is worse than a mere copperhead! This story is convincing to many young newcomers. Why would these old-timers misinform others suggesting they should eliminate both varieties of snake from their properties. Is the tale true? Do black snakes and copperheads crossbreed, or, even though sincerely believed, just a myth? Blacksnakes and Copperheads: Cellular Level References listed below assure us it is not only a myth but also an impossibility. These two snake varieties are of different species (strike one). Blacksnake cells differ fundamentally from those of the copperhead in their number of chromosomes (strike two). A difference in chromosome count is critical when it comes to…

30Sep 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

I See Double! The Birefringence or Double Refraction of Calcite

Physics

[caption id="attachment_8638" align="alignright" width="440"] Image splitting by a calcite crystal.[/caption] Refraction? Yes. But double refraction?? A number of phenomena produce double vision. I personally suffer a degree of double vision. It was caused by pressure damage to my 6th optic nerve. The pressure resulted from a tumor on my pituitary gland. One of the most interesting sources of double vision is caused by the splitting of an image by a calcite crystal. Almost transparent, calcite is a form of calcium carbonate. The phenomenon is birefringence or double refraction. Image Splitting Property Most science loving non-scientists use the term double refraction. Refraction is the bending of light as it leaves one medium to enter another. This bending alters the course the light would have taken if there was no change in…

29Sep 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Collapsing then Expanding the Equation for a Sphere

Mathematics

[caption id="attachment_8626" align="alignright" width="480"] How simple is a sphere?[/caption] Equation for the Simplest Sphere The equation for a sphere with its center at the origin is: x2 + y2 + z2 = c2 Where c is a positive constant. For simplicity, let's choose a positive constant, k, such that k = c2. Equation for a Circle by Collapsing a Sphere Collapsing it in one dimension generates the equation of one of three circles: x2 + y2 = k x2 + z2 = k y2 + z2 = k Equation for a Point by Collapsing a Circle Collapsing the three circles in one dimension generates two equations representing precisely two points for each of them: For x2 + y2 = k, x²2 = k y2 = k For x2 + z2…

26Sep 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Newsflash! Solution to Mystery of a Tombstone Found in a VA River

Genealogy

[caption id="attachment_8599" align="alignleft" width="340"] A tombstone was found in a river...[/caption] There was a tombstone that was discovered in a river in Augusta County. The name was not clear, but what was decipherable included the words, “daughter of J. & S. J. Sutton, born May 17, 1869, died March 18, 1889.” What was the name on the stone? Who did it belong to? Tombstone: SUTTON The name on the stone, if the woman had been unmarried, was Martha C. Sutton. She was the daughter of Joshua and Sallie J. Sutton. But just a little research revealed much more than this. Joshua was married to Sarah Jane Ralston. Sallie is a common abbreviation for the name Sarah. This couple proved to be prolific. Martha C. married at age 18 to Ambrose…

25Sep 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Oil and Water Do Not Mix – Why?

Chemistry

[caption id="attachment_8586" align="alignright" width="440"] Oil and water just plain do not mix.[/caption] Oil and water do not mix! Some liquids are miscible; that is, they mix completely. Other liquids do not permanently mix. They are immiscible. The best known example of this is oil and water. “Putting those two together is like mixing oil and water.” This means that for practical purposes, the two don’t get along at all. Why Don’t They Mix? Oil and water don’t mix for a basic physical reason curiously easy to explain by comparison with a magnet. Consider first the formula, and then the structure, of water and we’ll see how this is so. The Formula of Water Water is most commonly written H₂O. Two hydrogen atoms (H) are combined with one oxygen atom (O).…

23Sep 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Why is Soapstone Slippery?

Geology

[caption id="attachment_8570" align="alignright" width="440"] A 12th century soapstone Byzantine relief.[/caption] Most rocks are rough to the touch. Some are smooth. Asbestos is stringy. Sulfur is brittle. One very interesting rock variety is soapstone. It is called smooth and slippery. What makes soapstone slippery? I was raised in the North then moved to the South to where soapstone is is mined, Nelson County, Virginia. I take special interest in the stuff. As a young child, I watched spellbound as my father took a handheld soapstone and used it to sharpen our enormous carving knife. General Rock Types As kids we were taught there are three types of rock, sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock. Sedimentary rock forms from mineral and organic materials near at earth's surface. These deposits form rock deposits over…

21Sep 2015 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Pilewort: Wildflower or Weed? Practical Value?

Plants

The pilewort (Erechtites hieraciifolius), is nicknamed the fireweed. It quickly regrows in fields that have been burned. It looks to the eye as nothing more than a weed. If a September wind blows through fields full of the plant, it seems to be raining tiny dandelion seeds. Folk Uses for Pilewort Every animal and plant has some redeeming value. That truism is not proven false for E. hieraciifolius. For one thing, the white hairs of the plant can be used to stuff pillows and toy animals. The name suggests the plant is good in treating piles (hemorrhoids). Erechtites is known for its foul smelling odor. Reported uses for the plant include the treating of hemorrhage, dysentery, skin diseases, and cholera. It also has been used as a purgative and emetic.…