Science desk | ||
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< March 29 | << Feb | March | Apr >> | March 31 > |
Welcome to the Wikipedia Science Reference Desk Archives |
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The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages. |
From Mendel's list I've looked at that section in the Tongue article and it mentions curling the tongue lengthwise. I know someone who can flex the tongue muscle in three different ways: curling lengthwise, turn it over and fold the tip back flat on itself like folding a piece of paper – all without help from fingers. How common is this – is it genetic and how is it passed along? His parents don't seem to have the knack, but his grandfather could touch the tip of his own nose. Julia Rossi ( talk) 02:13, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
If you set up a barometer in a controlled environment with perfectly stable 1 atm air pressure, would you ever see any sort of noticable fluctuation? Would the heat death of the universe occur before you even had a billionth of a percent chance of seeing a 1-second millimeter rise/drop in the mercury, or is it actually quite likely? I'm just looking for very round answers here :D\=< ( talk) 02:59, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
My friend has this keychain, which is a sealed plastic container filled with a liquid and two green spherical puffs which she says are marimo. The liquid looks like green-colored water with oil floating in a layer on top. Could marimo actually survive in this kind of environment, or are they probably just green pom-poms? -- Anakata ( talk) 03:24, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
If you look at Google maps you can see a line of submarine mountains that runs South from Achayvayam, Russia off a jetty, past the West side of Attu Island to a point about 1,800 miles East of Tokyo and then runs South East about 500 miles to Midway Island and then another 1,500 miles or so where it terminates at Hawaii. Does this mean that the hot spot that is still creating Hawaii actually originated in Russia and if so how long ago? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.100.0.187 ( talk) 05:30, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Is it possible to reverse the effect of sun tanning on skin colour ? Does sun tanning permanently change skin colour ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shamiul ( talk • contribs) 08:33, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Yes, if you stay out of the sun, your skin will eventually return to its original paler colour. However, you may tan more quickly next time you are in the sun. Also note that persistent overexposure to the sun can permanently damage your skin in a number of ways. See the article Sun tanning. SpinningSpark 12:30, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
How do you calculate how much effort you put on a can opener?
Bzinc ( talk) 12:40, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Would that be Mechanical advantage and Velocity Ratio you would be after? And would this be a homework question? The Lever article might help you. SpinningSpark 12:54, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
I love science, and a lot of the articles have images like
on them. I was wondering if anyone would tel me what they mean, because
someone (we're brothers) doesn't like me. Thanks!
Yamakiri
T
C
§ 03-30-2008 • 14:32:00
I'm about to take a shower and so made an extra-hot coffee to drink when I'm done. I'm going to put some room-temperature milk in it, but should I do so now or when I'm back?
If I do it "now" then the very hot coffee will not have a chance to retain its heat while I shower, since it will be brought a bit right away.
If I do it "later" then the very hot coffee can hold onto its heat a bit, although of course losing some while I shower, only to be brought down a bit later.
It seems the two choices should be identical, but in fact, does heat follow a curve, where the farther from room temperature something is, the faster it loses heat? In this case, I'd better add the milk now, since it will save 15 minutes of heat loss. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.122.31.17 ( talk) 15:39, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
I was just out in my back yard (North Texas, suburban) and noticed some birds presumably doing courtship behavior. The males were dark/black colored, slighlty irridescent and the females more drab and lighter brown. They were approximately the size of a mocking bird. The reason they caught my attention was the complex but short song the males (presumably) would sing. It is a song I remembered from The Life of Birds TV series. It was extremely short, maybe .5 to 1 seconds long but it contained many notes. If I recall, the TV series showed a sonagram of the song and maybe said that it was the fastest (in notes per time unit) song in the bird world. The male would sit next to the female, when she was looking at him he would puff up his feathers and start the song, as he sang he would bow his head down, finishing the song with his head far down. I'm just curious to get an ID of the bird so I can do some more research about it. I have read through the PBS website on the series and tried to do some flowchart-style identification I found on the web but have been unsuccesful. Thanks. -- 71.91.127.85 ( talk) 16:44, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
How do I know how much force I put on a can opener? and how much force is then put on the can? Bzinc ( talk) 16:58, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
if you wanted to reduce the friction between two objects what would you do —Preceding unsigned comment added by Caseywirth ( talk • contribs) 17:58, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Would a radio work under 1 foot of water? Obviously we're assuming its in a waterproof container or something, but would the radio waves penetrate the water? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.75.132.81 ( talk) 19:06, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Some time in the late '70's or early '80's my grandfather showed me a magazine article (I think it was in national geographic but not sure) that refrenced a study concerning drinking water quality. In it, the author stated that "Polar, Wisconsin has the worlds best drinking water." I am doing some research and am having trouble locating this article. I have had other peop[le tell me they remember seeing this article, but no-one can tell me what magazine or exactly when it was published. I would greatly appreciate any help in locating this information. I have tried researching National Geographic archives, Guiness book of records, our local library, and internet searches all with no results, It may be that it is old enough that it isn't cataloged anymore, but someone, somewhere must know where I can find this. Please help! steveg-1960 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Steveg-1960 ( talk • contribs) 19:34, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
If I slowpitch a softball with good backspin, does that encourage a ground ball or a fly ball, and why? What are the physics (for dummies) involved? Thanks if you can explain.
In the last few years, global warming has become an often-discussed issue not only in scientific circles, but also in everyday life. We are warned against it, we have been told about the terrible consequences it could potentially have, and there are groups dedicated to fight climate change. So, I wonder, why is global warming actually so bad?
We are told that mankind is altering Earth's natural state, but our knowledge of the geological history tells us that in fact ice caps are a rare event in our planet's history, happening only in a handful of ice ages. Not only was the Earth devoid of ice caps during most of its history, but also the temperatures in the geologic past were almost always higher. During periods such as the Carboniferous, the Mesozoic and the Eocene, global temperatures were much higher than they currently are, and all of these times were periods in which life thrived and many species radiated – amphibians, dinosaurs and mammals, most notably. On the other hand, since the Azolla event and the break-up of Antarctica and Australia started cooling the planet, the climate has steadily deteriorated and with it, biodiversity has steadily become smaller, especially since the Miocene.
People also seem to equate a hotter climate with a drier climate. Yet the tropical rainforests show that is not (necessarily) true. A huge part of the Earth's species live in the Amazon rainforest, and African and south Asian rainforests are also blooming with life despite their tropical latitudes. The Eocene, with its PETM, was a period in which the Earth was covered in rainforests and other vegetation, showing that there is no necessary correlation between a warmer climate and a drier climate. Rather, the rise of grasses since the Miocene seems to indicate that cooler periods are drier periods.
Let's move to another oft-cited problem of climate change: freak climate episodes become less rare. Hurricanes become more common and heat waves become a greater problem. The sea level rises. Well, IPCC estimates that the current trend of ice melting in the Greenland ice sheet can cause a rise in sea levels of one metre during the next millenium. 1.000 years is more than enough for human civilisation to adapt, and even taking into account other ice sheets around the world, the sea level rise is still far from not being manageable. Adaptations can be made to protect coastal cities, and even paying for developing countries to get those adaptations ready would be costlier than the economic cost of fighting global warming. The fact that heat waves may become more common is compensated for by the fact that cold waves will become rarer: scores of people died in Uzbekistan last winter when temperatures dropped below -40º C, and many people – and animals – have a harsh time in winter.
On the other hand, the benefits would be many: the Northwestern passage open to ships all year long and ice-free; availability of mineral resources currently buried under tons of snow in the poles; an increase in biodiversity... Believing that, without human intervention, the Earth's climate will remain stable is a naive phantasy. We're currently in an interglacial period, so things should be colder in the future – how will we feel when polar caps cover Stockholm, Moscow, Montréal or London? How will we feel when hundreds of tropical species become extinct because cold destroyed their ecosystems? Fighting global warming is like leaping out of the frying pan into the fire: we have a choic between an icehouse world or a greenhouse world, and we are much more suited to the latter.
If the so-called ecological dangers of global warming aren't really dangers (biodiversity thrives in the heat!), and the economic cost of fighting it is higher than what it would cost to adapt, why is there so much insistence on global warming being bad? Aren't we against it because we're told it's bad, without even knowing what it means? Aren't we just afraid of changes, even though we're now in a "freak" period of Earth's history and warming would just bring everything back to normal?
So, wouldn't humanity – and life on Earth as a whole – be better off if all the money which is invested in fighting global warming were invested in more urgent and real problems such as desertisation, pollution of water, deforestation, protection of endangered species, etc.?
88.1.139.15 ( talk) 22:10, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Global warming would also produce environmental disasters that could destroy cities. How would you feel, if your city became too dry, or under water, and forced to evacuate? We would have to make domed cities, live underground, or in space. Why is hot associated with dry? Well, it's not really. Global warming could make coastal reigons flood, and coastal deserts flood too. However, inland, even in rainforests, places could turn to desert. According to a book I'm reading, "With Speed and Violence: Why scientists fear tipping points in climate change", tropical rainforests, like massive ice sheets, are usually stable but can suddenly collapse. Fires can destroy rainforests, allow billions of tons of methane to be released (like Borneo in that huge El Nino a decade ago), and our deforestation of rainforests is not helping.
Also, global warming will not prevent another ice age. In fact, it can trigger one. Remember the Younger Dryas era? The ice age was in full melt, when suddenly, freshwater was released into the ocean, and boom, ice age for another 1,300 years. Also, although not as quickly as depicted in The Day After Tomorrow, melting water can trigger a disruption in the ocean currents. I suggest you read that book I'm reading. It's up-to-date, too. Some say this could cause a mass extinction worse than the K-T one. Would we want that? I think not. Also, the Greenland ice sheet, as well as the West Antarctic Ice sheet, and perhaps even the East Antarctic ice sheet, are unstable, and can be lubricated from the bottom. Pine Island Bay, for example.
Also, nature prefers slow changes. Also, the statement about "biodiversity thrives in the heat" is not nessicarily true. In the ocean, most plakton, as well as coral, thrive in current temperatures. Turn it up a few degrees, and they die. During El Nino, it becomes overheated off the coast of Peru, plankton die, and so do fish. When you change the sea pressure, temperature, salinity, etc, by a miniscule amount, many species of jellyfish suddenly bloom by the billions, killing off other lifeforms in the ocean and inhabit dead zones (especially the Nomura's jellyfish). Also, some periods, like the late Permian, were hot as well as dry.
Also, have you read about global dimming? This isn't really fighting against climate change, but masking its effects. For 3 days after 9/11, air traffic was grounded. Suddenly, the US experienced unusually sunny and warm conditions. Also, as the Himalayan glaciers melt, and this could happen by midcentury, there will no longer be a constant supply of water, threatening water supplies for 500 million people. The monsoon? It has become erratic and unpredictable over the years. Already, lakes in Nepal and Bhutan are filling with water. Hence: without water, we'd all drown. Also, more flooded areas means hurricanes can travel farther inland. At this rate, even with the melting arctic, oil will likely run out in a few decades and peak immediately. If sea levels rise, Tuvalu will likely be history by midcentury. Also, many species, as well as people, thrive in the arctic.
Global warming is not nessecarily good news for food production. Many species of plants, such as rice, fail to produce good results if you turn up the temperature 1 or 2 degrees. Forests could even go form a carbon sink to a carbon source, with the sun being blocked more often, more trees being pushed into unsuitable territory, and more fires. Also, the forest pine bark beetle is eating many trees in Canada and the United States. If this continues, over half of the pine trees could be damaged or destroyed by midcentury. Also, the dangerous and urgent global warming is already here. Already, towns are drowning below sea level. Have you read a list of possible doomsday scenarios? True, we all choose to deny the truth and live on with our lives, going business-as usual and hoping the worst will never happen in our lifetimes. Yet, it already has, for millions worldwide. So why do we choose to do something? Well, because we can at least do something to delay the parts of climate change caused by our own actions, and hopefully our children will not suffer. That's the reason for many people to help fight climate change, think of the children.
In fact, at this rate the truly poor countries will never be developed. Yet, fighting climate change would only push us back a mere 2 years by 2100, if we start now, that is. Why don't we help more urgent issues? This is an urgent issue, and its long-term implications will be even worse. Also, global warming has been listed as the #2 urgent threat to humanity, second only to a nuclear war, but this is far more likely. Also, global warming might trigger wars as economic instability is pushed to the brink. If we did nothing, civilization would collapse, simple as that. However, although it would probably collapse anyway, don't we at least want a future, for civilization to exist as long as possible, and to help ourselves continue to exist for the time being? Nobody can predict what will happen 1000 or a million years from now. However, this issue is happening right now, and yes we can make a differnece, and it'll be a difference for the better because civilization, the economy, and the environment all prefer stability, even if we can just prolong that stability a little bit.
I already know that climate change will be a reality we will have to face, but if we do something now, then we won't have to face as many horrors later. Also, have you noticed a lot of these urgent issues are somewhat related to global warming? Even disease is spreading, killing off many humans as well as animals, partly owing to global warming. So, it's a very complicated issue, but yes, action on it does help somewhat. Hope this helps. Thanks. ~ A H 1( T C U) 23:10, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
-- Shniken1 ( talk) 00:41, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
If as you claim, pumping out carbon dioxide to produce global warming may be necessary to avert an 'icehouse world' there is a simple solution, start doing that when we need it. As it stands, there is no evidence we need it at the current time, all the evidence suggests it's harmful and will result in an increase in temperatures, not a stabilisation. Sure once the earth starts to cool, we can consider it. It's not as if it's hard to do. The problem is that the reverse, removing the carbon dioxide that we've already put there, is a lot harder to do therefore it's exceptionally dumb to do it when we don't need it for the sole purpose of preventing a long time in the future 'icehouse world' or ice age Nil Einne ( talk) 17:32, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
If I have room with four walls, floor and ceiling, all made out mirrors--and one wall is a two-way mirror, the material that's a mirror on one side, but see through glass on the other--what would I see if I looked into the room?
I guess my question is--what does a mirror reflect if there is nothing in the room to reflect? NetLace ( talk) 22:17, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Science desk | ||
---|---|---|
< March 29 | << Feb | March | Apr >> | March 31 > |
Welcome to the Wikipedia Science Reference Desk Archives |
---|
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages. |
From Mendel's list I've looked at that section in the Tongue article and it mentions curling the tongue lengthwise. I know someone who can flex the tongue muscle in three different ways: curling lengthwise, turn it over and fold the tip back flat on itself like folding a piece of paper – all without help from fingers. How common is this – is it genetic and how is it passed along? His parents don't seem to have the knack, but his grandfather could touch the tip of his own nose. Julia Rossi ( talk) 02:13, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
If you set up a barometer in a controlled environment with perfectly stable 1 atm air pressure, would you ever see any sort of noticable fluctuation? Would the heat death of the universe occur before you even had a billionth of a percent chance of seeing a 1-second millimeter rise/drop in the mercury, or is it actually quite likely? I'm just looking for very round answers here :D\=< ( talk) 02:59, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
My friend has this keychain, which is a sealed plastic container filled with a liquid and two green spherical puffs which she says are marimo. The liquid looks like green-colored water with oil floating in a layer on top. Could marimo actually survive in this kind of environment, or are they probably just green pom-poms? -- Anakata ( talk) 03:24, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
If you look at Google maps you can see a line of submarine mountains that runs South from Achayvayam, Russia off a jetty, past the West side of Attu Island to a point about 1,800 miles East of Tokyo and then runs South East about 500 miles to Midway Island and then another 1,500 miles or so where it terminates at Hawaii. Does this mean that the hot spot that is still creating Hawaii actually originated in Russia and if so how long ago? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.100.0.187 ( talk) 05:30, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Is it possible to reverse the effect of sun tanning on skin colour ? Does sun tanning permanently change skin colour ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shamiul ( talk • contribs) 08:33, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Yes, if you stay out of the sun, your skin will eventually return to its original paler colour. However, you may tan more quickly next time you are in the sun. Also note that persistent overexposure to the sun can permanently damage your skin in a number of ways. See the article Sun tanning. SpinningSpark 12:30, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
How do you calculate how much effort you put on a can opener?
Bzinc ( talk) 12:40, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Would that be Mechanical advantage and Velocity Ratio you would be after? And would this be a homework question? The Lever article might help you. SpinningSpark 12:54, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
I love science, and a lot of the articles have images like
on them. I was wondering if anyone would tel me what they mean, because
someone (we're brothers) doesn't like me. Thanks!
Yamakiri
T
C
§ 03-30-2008 • 14:32:00
I'm about to take a shower and so made an extra-hot coffee to drink when I'm done. I'm going to put some room-temperature milk in it, but should I do so now or when I'm back?
If I do it "now" then the very hot coffee will not have a chance to retain its heat while I shower, since it will be brought a bit right away.
If I do it "later" then the very hot coffee can hold onto its heat a bit, although of course losing some while I shower, only to be brought down a bit later.
It seems the two choices should be identical, but in fact, does heat follow a curve, where the farther from room temperature something is, the faster it loses heat? In this case, I'd better add the milk now, since it will save 15 minutes of heat loss. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.122.31.17 ( talk) 15:39, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
I was just out in my back yard (North Texas, suburban) and noticed some birds presumably doing courtship behavior. The males were dark/black colored, slighlty irridescent and the females more drab and lighter brown. They were approximately the size of a mocking bird. The reason they caught my attention was the complex but short song the males (presumably) would sing. It is a song I remembered from The Life of Birds TV series. It was extremely short, maybe .5 to 1 seconds long but it contained many notes. If I recall, the TV series showed a sonagram of the song and maybe said that it was the fastest (in notes per time unit) song in the bird world. The male would sit next to the female, when she was looking at him he would puff up his feathers and start the song, as he sang he would bow his head down, finishing the song with his head far down. I'm just curious to get an ID of the bird so I can do some more research about it. I have read through the PBS website on the series and tried to do some flowchart-style identification I found on the web but have been unsuccesful. Thanks. -- 71.91.127.85 ( talk) 16:44, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
How do I know how much force I put on a can opener? and how much force is then put on the can? Bzinc ( talk) 16:58, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
if you wanted to reduce the friction between two objects what would you do —Preceding unsigned comment added by Caseywirth ( talk • contribs) 17:58, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Would a radio work under 1 foot of water? Obviously we're assuming its in a waterproof container or something, but would the radio waves penetrate the water? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.75.132.81 ( talk) 19:06, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Some time in the late '70's or early '80's my grandfather showed me a magazine article (I think it was in national geographic but not sure) that refrenced a study concerning drinking water quality. In it, the author stated that "Polar, Wisconsin has the worlds best drinking water." I am doing some research and am having trouble locating this article. I have had other peop[le tell me they remember seeing this article, but no-one can tell me what magazine or exactly when it was published. I would greatly appreciate any help in locating this information. I have tried researching National Geographic archives, Guiness book of records, our local library, and internet searches all with no results, It may be that it is old enough that it isn't cataloged anymore, but someone, somewhere must know where I can find this. Please help! steveg-1960 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Steveg-1960 ( talk • contribs) 19:34, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
If I slowpitch a softball with good backspin, does that encourage a ground ball or a fly ball, and why? What are the physics (for dummies) involved? Thanks if you can explain.
In the last few years, global warming has become an often-discussed issue not only in scientific circles, but also in everyday life. We are warned against it, we have been told about the terrible consequences it could potentially have, and there are groups dedicated to fight climate change. So, I wonder, why is global warming actually so bad?
We are told that mankind is altering Earth's natural state, but our knowledge of the geological history tells us that in fact ice caps are a rare event in our planet's history, happening only in a handful of ice ages. Not only was the Earth devoid of ice caps during most of its history, but also the temperatures in the geologic past were almost always higher. During periods such as the Carboniferous, the Mesozoic and the Eocene, global temperatures were much higher than they currently are, and all of these times were periods in which life thrived and many species radiated – amphibians, dinosaurs and mammals, most notably. On the other hand, since the Azolla event and the break-up of Antarctica and Australia started cooling the planet, the climate has steadily deteriorated and with it, biodiversity has steadily become smaller, especially since the Miocene.
People also seem to equate a hotter climate with a drier climate. Yet the tropical rainforests show that is not (necessarily) true. A huge part of the Earth's species live in the Amazon rainforest, and African and south Asian rainforests are also blooming with life despite their tropical latitudes. The Eocene, with its PETM, was a period in which the Earth was covered in rainforests and other vegetation, showing that there is no necessary correlation between a warmer climate and a drier climate. Rather, the rise of grasses since the Miocene seems to indicate that cooler periods are drier periods.
Let's move to another oft-cited problem of climate change: freak climate episodes become less rare. Hurricanes become more common and heat waves become a greater problem. The sea level rises. Well, IPCC estimates that the current trend of ice melting in the Greenland ice sheet can cause a rise in sea levels of one metre during the next millenium. 1.000 years is more than enough for human civilisation to adapt, and even taking into account other ice sheets around the world, the sea level rise is still far from not being manageable. Adaptations can be made to protect coastal cities, and even paying for developing countries to get those adaptations ready would be costlier than the economic cost of fighting global warming. The fact that heat waves may become more common is compensated for by the fact that cold waves will become rarer: scores of people died in Uzbekistan last winter when temperatures dropped below -40º C, and many people – and animals – have a harsh time in winter.
On the other hand, the benefits would be many: the Northwestern passage open to ships all year long and ice-free; availability of mineral resources currently buried under tons of snow in the poles; an increase in biodiversity... Believing that, without human intervention, the Earth's climate will remain stable is a naive phantasy. We're currently in an interglacial period, so things should be colder in the future – how will we feel when polar caps cover Stockholm, Moscow, Montréal or London? How will we feel when hundreds of tropical species become extinct because cold destroyed their ecosystems? Fighting global warming is like leaping out of the frying pan into the fire: we have a choic between an icehouse world or a greenhouse world, and we are much more suited to the latter.
If the so-called ecological dangers of global warming aren't really dangers (biodiversity thrives in the heat!), and the economic cost of fighting it is higher than what it would cost to adapt, why is there so much insistence on global warming being bad? Aren't we against it because we're told it's bad, without even knowing what it means? Aren't we just afraid of changes, even though we're now in a "freak" period of Earth's history and warming would just bring everything back to normal?
So, wouldn't humanity – and life on Earth as a whole – be better off if all the money which is invested in fighting global warming were invested in more urgent and real problems such as desertisation, pollution of water, deforestation, protection of endangered species, etc.?
88.1.139.15 ( talk) 22:10, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
Global warming would also produce environmental disasters that could destroy cities. How would you feel, if your city became too dry, or under water, and forced to evacuate? We would have to make domed cities, live underground, or in space. Why is hot associated with dry? Well, it's not really. Global warming could make coastal reigons flood, and coastal deserts flood too. However, inland, even in rainforests, places could turn to desert. According to a book I'm reading, "With Speed and Violence: Why scientists fear tipping points in climate change", tropical rainforests, like massive ice sheets, are usually stable but can suddenly collapse. Fires can destroy rainforests, allow billions of tons of methane to be released (like Borneo in that huge El Nino a decade ago), and our deforestation of rainforests is not helping.
Also, global warming will not prevent another ice age. In fact, it can trigger one. Remember the Younger Dryas era? The ice age was in full melt, when suddenly, freshwater was released into the ocean, and boom, ice age for another 1,300 years. Also, although not as quickly as depicted in The Day After Tomorrow, melting water can trigger a disruption in the ocean currents. I suggest you read that book I'm reading. It's up-to-date, too. Some say this could cause a mass extinction worse than the K-T one. Would we want that? I think not. Also, the Greenland ice sheet, as well as the West Antarctic Ice sheet, and perhaps even the East Antarctic ice sheet, are unstable, and can be lubricated from the bottom. Pine Island Bay, for example.
Also, nature prefers slow changes. Also, the statement about "biodiversity thrives in the heat" is not nessicarily true. In the ocean, most plakton, as well as coral, thrive in current temperatures. Turn it up a few degrees, and they die. During El Nino, it becomes overheated off the coast of Peru, plankton die, and so do fish. When you change the sea pressure, temperature, salinity, etc, by a miniscule amount, many species of jellyfish suddenly bloom by the billions, killing off other lifeforms in the ocean and inhabit dead zones (especially the Nomura's jellyfish). Also, some periods, like the late Permian, were hot as well as dry.
Also, have you read about global dimming? This isn't really fighting against climate change, but masking its effects. For 3 days after 9/11, air traffic was grounded. Suddenly, the US experienced unusually sunny and warm conditions. Also, as the Himalayan glaciers melt, and this could happen by midcentury, there will no longer be a constant supply of water, threatening water supplies for 500 million people. The monsoon? It has become erratic and unpredictable over the years. Already, lakes in Nepal and Bhutan are filling with water. Hence: without water, we'd all drown. Also, more flooded areas means hurricanes can travel farther inland. At this rate, even with the melting arctic, oil will likely run out in a few decades and peak immediately. If sea levels rise, Tuvalu will likely be history by midcentury. Also, many species, as well as people, thrive in the arctic.
Global warming is not nessecarily good news for food production. Many species of plants, such as rice, fail to produce good results if you turn up the temperature 1 or 2 degrees. Forests could even go form a carbon sink to a carbon source, with the sun being blocked more often, more trees being pushed into unsuitable territory, and more fires. Also, the forest pine bark beetle is eating many trees in Canada and the United States. If this continues, over half of the pine trees could be damaged or destroyed by midcentury. Also, the dangerous and urgent global warming is already here. Already, towns are drowning below sea level. Have you read a list of possible doomsday scenarios? True, we all choose to deny the truth and live on with our lives, going business-as usual and hoping the worst will never happen in our lifetimes. Yet, it already has, for millions worldwide. So why do we choose to do something? Well, because we can at least do something to delay the parts of climate change caused by our own actions, and hopefully our children will not suffer. That's the reason for many people to help fight climate change, think of the children.
In fact, at this rate the truly poor countries will never be developed. Yet, fighting climate change would only push us back a mere 2 years by 2100, if we start now, that is. Why don't we help more urgent issues? This is an urgent issue, and its long-term implications will be even worse. Also, global warming has been listed as the #2 urgent threat to humanity, second only to a nuclear war, but this is far more likely. Also, global warming might trigger wars as economic instability is pushed to the brink. If we did nothing, civilization would collapse, simple as that. However, although it would probably collapse anyway, don't we at least want a future, for civilization to exist as long as possible, and to help ourselves continue to exist for the time being? Nobody can predict what will happen 1000 or a million years from now. However, this issue is happening right now, and yes we can make a differnece, and it'll be a difference for the better because civilization, the economy, and the environment all prefer stability, even if we can just prolong that stability a little bit.
I already know that climate change will be a reality we will have to face, but if we do something now, then we won't have to face as many horrors later. Also, have you noticed a lot of these urgent issues are somewhat related to global warming? Even disease is spreading, killing off many humans as well as animals, partly owing to global warming. So, it's a very complicated issue, but yes, action on it does help somewhat. Hope this helps. Thanks. ~ A H 1( T C U) 23:10, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
-- Shniken1 ( talk) 00:41, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
If as you claim, pumping out carbon dioxide to produce global warming may be necessary to avert an 'icehouse world' there is a simple solution, start doing that when we need it. As it stands, there is no evidence we need it at the current time, all the evidence suggests it's harmful and will result in an increase in temperatures, not a stabilisation. Sure once the earth starts to cool, we can consider it. It's not as if it's hard to do. The problem is that the reverse, removing the carbon dioxide that we've already put there, is a lot harder to do therefore it's exceptionally dumb to do it when we don't need it for the sole purpose of preventing a long time in the future 'icehouse world' or ice age Nil Einne ( talk) 17:32, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
If I have room with four walls, floor and ceiling, all made out mirrors--and one wall is a two-way mirror, the material that's a mirror on one side, but see through glass on the other--what would I see if I looked into the room?
I guess my question is--what does a mirror reflect if there is nothing in the room to reflect? NetLace ( talk) 22:17, 30 March 2008 (UTC)