Asked for an odd moon, my friend Bob thought of Keith Moon, a witty but incorrect answer. If you hated age-problems in high school algebra, you have plenty of company. I've even heard teachers complain that they are contrived instruments of torture. (I think they are merely tired of teaching a curriculum over which they... Continue Reading →
Why Are Some Still Using Methylene Chloride to Extract Caffeine?
Methylene chloride, also known as dichloromethane, is a solvent that, compared to water, can do a better job at dissolving certain substances such as grease, paint and caffeine. The so-called non polar solvent is mass-produced. It's used by the fracking and plastic industry and in the production of HFC-32, a widely used replacement for CFCs... Continue Reading →
Why are the orbits of our planets not equally eccentric?
How fitting that the 2 planets with the most circular orbits (lowest eccentricities) are named after Venus, the goddess of love and fertility, and Neptune, the god of fresh water and sea, while those with the least circular orbits honor the gods of commerce (Mercury) and the underworld (Pluto)! There is a reason behind the... Continue Reading →