When heat is said to rise, we are referring to only one of the ways that heat can be transmitted---convection. Focusing exclusively on convection is what creates the conundrum. But what is convection? The warmer molecules of a fluid like air will move apart and become less dense. As a result their weight will be... Continue Reading →
Pourquoi j’aime le Québec
My wife and I lived and worked in Hawaii for a year— living there on a short-term basis was enjoyable, but the decision to move back to Québec was a wise one. Here are reasons why I find Québec endearing . Deep-rooted conflicts have been settled here rather peacefully. In the early 20th century, Québec and... Continue Reading →
Two Offbeat Questions About Greenhouse Gases
In science, something fruitful can arise from innocent or atypical questions. One of many examples of this was a recent query in Quora, " Can chlorine be potentially a greenhouse gas? Why or why not?" Here's what I wrote, but I've since added a little more detail. Short answer , no. 🙂 Now here's why.... An infrared spectrum is used to check... Continue Reading →