Tahukah Anda/Did You Know?

guynextdoor

we will start the thread named TAHUKAH ANDA @ DID YOU KNOW di mana anda semua dijemput utk berkongsi any information tentang perkara2 yang mungkin too common to us, but there are scientific explanation behind, contoh mudah; kenapa langit berwarna biru? kenapa laut berwarna biru? kenapa jatuh ke bawah tidak ke atas, dsb.

below, i listed some of the info... i am sure you guys have a lot more to share, so what are you waiting for?



   1.pie =3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510 58209 74944 59230 78164 06286 20899 86280 34825 34211 70679 82148 08651 32823 ...
   2. A sphere has two sides. However, there are one-sided surfaces.
   3. There are shapes of constant width other than the circle. One can even drill square holes.
   4. There are just five regular polyhedra
   5. In a group of 23 people, at least two have the same birthday with the probability greater than 1/2
   6. Everything you can do with a ruler and a compass you can do with the compass alone
   7. Among all shapes with the same perimeter a circle has the largest area.
   8. There are curves that fill a plane without holes
   9. Much as with people, there are irrational, perfect, complex numbers
  10. As in philosophy, there are transcendental numbers
  11. As in the art, there are imaginary and surreal numbers
  12. A straight line has dimension 1, a plane - 2. Fractals have mostly fractional dimension
  13. You are wrong if you think Mathematics is not fun

......:nerd::nerd:
  
so next?

[ Last edited by  amazed at 9-1-2009 08:33 PM ]

chiKenliTeL

aku nak try bole?

WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?

The blue color of the sky is due to Rayleigh scattering. As light moves through the atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths pass straight through. Little of the red, orange and yellow light is affected by the air.

However, much of the shorter wavelength light is absorbed by the gas molecules. The absorbed blue light is then radiated in different directions. It gets scattered all around the sky. Whichever direction you look, some of this scattered blue light reaches you. Since you see the blue light from everywhere overhead, the sky looks blue.



dapat tacang tak???~~::

chiKenliTeL

WHY IS THE SUNSET RED?

As the sun begins to set, the light must travel farther through the atmosphere before it gets to you. More of the light is reflected and scattered. As less reaches you directly, the sun appears less bright. The color of the sun itself appears to change, first to orange and then to red. This is because even more of the short wavelength blues and greens are now scattered. Only the longer wavelengths are left in the direct beam that reaches your eyes.




The sky around the setting sun may take on many colors. The most spectacular shows occur when the air contains many small particles of dust or water. These particles reflect light in all directions. Then, as some of the light heads towards you, different amounts of the shorter wavelength colors are scattered out. You see the longer wavelengths, and the sky appears red, pink or orange.

chiKenliTeL

list goes on:

1. Music was sent down a telephone line for the first time in 1876, the year the phone was invented.

2. Sound travels through water 3 times faster than through air.

chiKenliTeL

3. A US ton is equivalent to 900 kg (2000 pounds). A British ton is 1008 kg (2240 pounds), called a gross ton.

4. Since space is essentially empty it cannot carry sound. Therefor there is no sound in space, at least not the sort of sound that we are used to.

5. The Space Shuttle always rolls over after launch to alleviate structural loading, allowing the shuttle to carry more mass into orbit.

6. Most of the air is about 78% nitrogen gas. Only 21% consists of oxygen. The remaining 1% consists of carbon dioxide, argon, neon, helium, krypton, hydrogen, xenon and ozone.

7. Argon is used to fill the space in most light bulbs. Neon is used in fluorescent signs. Fluorescent lights are filled with mercury gas.

chemist_UTM

:clap: good job GND & cikenlitel..:clap:
interesting :pompom:

---sabarlah ciken..chem nak bagilah ni --

chemist_UTM

You know that light is made up of a collection of many colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. That is why a prism can take in white light on one side and produce its own mini-rainbow on the other side. To understand rainbows, you have to start by understanding what is happening inside a prism to let it separate white light into its colors.

A prism is a triangular piece of glass or plastic. To get it to produce a mini-rainbow, you allow a narrow strip of white light to fall on one face of the triangle, like this :




The dispersion of colors in a prism occurs because of something called the refractive index of the glass. Every material has a different refractive index. When light enters a material (for example, when light traveling through the air enters the glass of a prism), the difference in the refractive index of air and glass causes the light to bend. The angle of bending is different for different wavelengths of light. As the white light moves through the two faces of the prism, the different colors bend different amounts and in doing so spread out into a rainbow.

In a rainbow, raindrops in the air act as tiny prisms. Light enters the raindrop, reflects off of the side of the drop and exits. In the process, it is broken into a spectrum just like it is in a triangular glass prism, like this:




The angle between the ray of light coming in and the ray coming out of the drops is 42 degrees for red and 40 degrees for violet. You can see in this diagram that the angles cause different colors from different drops to reach your eye, forming a circular rim of color in the sky -- a rainbow! In a double rainbow, the second bow is produced because droplets can have two reflections internally and get the same effect. The droplets have to be the right size to get two reflections to work.

The next time you spot a rainbow, you will see it in a whole new light.

chiKenliTeL

thanx chem... manyak dapat tacang ~~

guynextdoor

The Statue of Liberty


The Statue of Liberty officially known as the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from France in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution.

The statue dedicated on October 28, 1886 was a joint effort between America and France. It was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly in the United States. In both countries various forms of entertainment and lotteries were organized to raise funds.

In America, fund raising for the pedestal was going particularly slowly, and Joseph Pulitzer (who established the Pulitzer Prize) used his newspaper to criticize both the rich and the middle class who failed to finance and donate. Pulitzer's campaign was a success, and it also helped to promote his newspaper adding about 50,000 subscribers in the course of the statue campaign effort.

guynextdoor

Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, is a memorial that represents sculptures of four U.S. Presidents

guynextdoor

Garlic



Garlic is a member of the onion family that has been used throughout the history of many cultures for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It is believed that garlic originates from Central Asia.

Garlic is known for its distinctive odor, and researches believe that this odor evolved as a defensive mechanism to protect the plant from birds, insects, and worms. Garlic is sometimes grown among flowers or vegetables to protect them from being attacked by pests.

Garlic emits sharp flavor only when it is broken by chopping, chewing, or crushing, due to the chemicals created when the plant's cells are damaged. When eaten in considerable quantity, garlic may be strongly evident for up to about 8 hours in both the eater抯 breath and sweat. This is because garlic's strong smelling sulfur compounds are metabolized forming allyl methyl sulfide that cannot be digested and is passed into the blood.

guynextdoor

Barbie Facts



Barbie, the world's most famous and best-selling doll, debuted at the American International Toy Fair on March 9, 1959. Now it is marketed in more than 150 nations around the world. In Sweden, more Barbie dolls have been sold than the country's current population.

The first Barbie dolls sold for $3.00. A mint boxed Barbie from 1959 sold for $3552.50 on eBay in 2004. Mattel estimates that 45 percent of Barbie collectors spend upwards of $1000 a year.

Barbie doll抯 first career was a teenage fashion model. Since then it has had more than 80 careers - everything from a rock star to a presidential candidate

chemist_UTM

haaa...contribute laa lagi :bgrin:

chemist_UTM

We all know that Popeye made himself super strong by eating spinach, but you may be surprised to learn that he may also have been protecting himself against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases at the same time.

Researchers have identified at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that function as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents.

A carotenoid found in spinach and other green leafy vegetables fights human prostate cancer two different ways, according to research published in the the Journal of Nutrition. The carotenoid, called neoxanthin, not only induces prostate cancer cells to self-destruct, but is converted in the intestines into additional compounds, called neochromes, which put prostate cancer cells into a state of stasis, thus preventing their replication.

The vitamin K provided by spinach-almost 200% of the Daily Value in one cup of fresh spinach leaves and over 1000% of the Daily Value in one cup of boiled spinach (which contains about 6 times as much spinach)-is important for maintaining bone health. Vitamin K1 activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin anchors calcium molecules inside of the bone. Therefore, without enough vitamin K1, osteocalcin levels are inadequate, and bone mineralization is impaired. Spinach is also an excellent source of other bone-building nutrients including calcium and magnesium.

Spinach is also an excellent source of folate. Folate is needed by the body to help convert a potentially dangerous chemical called homocysteine that can lead to heart attack or stroke if levels get too high, into other benign molecules. In addition, spinach is an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral that can help to lower high blood pressure and protect against heart disease as well.

In animal studies, researchers have found that spinach may help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related related declines in brain function. Researchers found that feeding aging laboratory animals spinach-rich diets significantly improved both their learning capacity and motor skills.



---byk lagi khasiat spinach ni...makan byk2 ek..jadi popeye :bgrin: ---

[ Last edited by  chemist_UTM at 1-1-2007 03:18 PM ]

guynextdoor

Contact Lenses Timeline



According to Contact Lens Spectrum's annual report about 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide.

Though the concept of contact lenses was described by Leonardo da Vinci as far back as 1508, the first contact lenses were not used until 1888 when the German physiologist Adolf Eugen Fick reported using contact lenses to correct optical defects. He used the lenses made from heavy brown glass initially on rabbits, then on himself, and lastly on a small group of volunteers. These were 18-21mm in diameter.

Such lenses were almost unusable until the 1930s. Then the acrylic was developed, and optometrist, Dr. William Feinbloom introduced in 1936 plastic scleral lenses that were lighter and more convenient than previous ones.

guynextdoor

Botox Facts



Botox® is made from "botulinum toxin type A", a poison produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, a severe form of food poisoning.

Botox is injected into the muscles used in frowning and raising the eyebrows to paralyze them and thus smooth out the wrinkles. The botulinum toxin is eventually metabolised by the body after three to four months, and many prefer to repeat the injection once in a while in order to maintain a wrinkle-free look.

In the US Botox is more popular than breast enhancement surgery. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), more than 1.6 million people received injections in 2001. In the UK 50 000 Botox injections were made in 2003.

Botox first began to be used in the 1980s to treat uncontrollable blinking (blepharospasm) and misaligned eyes (strabismus). Cosmetics treatments were pioneered by dermatological surgeons in 1987.

According to Allergan, producer of the drug, BOTOX® currently is in use or under study as a treatment in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Botox is reportedly a favourite with Oscar nominees who have injections in their armpits to paralyze the sweat glands there thus making sure that they don't have sweaty patches under their arms.

Common side effects of Botox injection include droopy eyebrow or eyelid, headache, respiratory infection, flu syndrome, and nausea.

guynextdoor

Sunshine Pros and Cons



In the 1980s and 90s people become really concerned over the skin cancer. It resulted from all the cheap package holidays to Mediterranean destinations that were so popular in the 1970s.

The sun抯 energy travels to the Earth via ultraviolet radiation. It comes in three types: UVA, the longest rays, which penetrate deeper into your skin; UVB, the shorter rays that cause sunburns and UVC, the most dangerous rays that are fortunately completely absorbed by the Earth抯 upper atmosphere.

The sun is responsible for the skin cancer. Yet the recent studies have found that sunlight may reduce risks of some forms of cancer, such as stomach, breast and prostate.

The sun is our main source of vitamin D which strengthens our bones and muscles, and enhances the immune system. But we only need ten minutes to get the necessary Vitamin D benefits from sunlight, which we receive even if we are wearing SPF. Salmon is also a source of vitamin D.

guynextdoor

The Microwave Oven



The microwave oven was a by-product of a radar-related research project conducted around 1946 by Raytheon Corporation.

While performing tests on a magnetron tube Dr. Percy L. Spencer discovered that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. Intrigued (and not frightened?) he placed some popcorn kernels near the tube. The kernels exploded and popped all over his lab. The popcorn was followed by the egg, and from this simple experiment Spencer and Raytheon developed the microwave oven.

The first commercial microwave oven hit the market in 1947. They were enormous and expensive: weighing over 750 pounds (340 kg), and costing about $5000. At first, it was used exclusively in restaurants, railroad cars and ocean liners.

Other industries soon found the microwave heating quite advantageous. In time, microwaves were being used to dry cork, ceramics, paper, leather, tobacco, textiles, pencils, flowers.

In 1952, Tappan introduced the first home model at the very low price of just $1295.

By 1975 sales of microwave ovens exceeded that of gas ranges, and in 1976, the microwave oven became a more commonly owned kitchen appliance than the dishwasher, reaching nearly 60%, or about 52 million U.S. households.

There were many myths and fears surrounding these mysterious microwaves. However, more and more people were finding the benefits of microwave cooking to outweigh the possible risks, and microwave oven had developed from a luxury into a practical and time-saving appliance.

[ Last edited by  guynextdoor at 1-1-2007 08:27 AM ]

chemist_UTM

When you slice through an onion, you break open a number of onion cells. Some of these cells have enzymes inside of them, and when they are sliced open, the enzymes escape. The enzymes then decompose some of the other substances that have escaped from sliced cells. Some of these substances, amino acid sulfoxides, form sulfenic acids, which then quickly rearrange themselves into a volatile gas.

The gas reaches your eyes and reacts with the water that keeps them moist. This changes the chemical's form again, producing, among other things, a mild sulfuric acid, which irritates the eyes. The nerve endings in your eyes are very sensitive and so they pick up on this irritation (this is why our eyes sting when we slice onions). The brain reacts by telling your tear ducts to produce more water, to dilute the irritating acid so the eyes are protected. Your other reaction is probably to rub your eyes, but this will actually make the irritation a lot worse, of course, if you have onion juices all over your hands.

Oddly enough, this volatile compound is also responsible for a lot of the great taste in onions, as well as the pleasant aroma when you cook the vegetable. You'll also get sulfenic acids by cutting up garlic, chives and leeks, among other vegetables, but they don't form the same irritating gas, just a strong smell.

There are all kinds of remedies for dealing with this irritating phenomenon, some more effective than others. As a general rule, move your head as far away from the onion as you can, so the gas will mostly disperse before it reaches your eyes. If you really can't stand the tears, the simplest solution might be to wear goggles. This measure is very effective, but it may seem a bit extreme to those around you, and if your kitchen is steamy, you might not be able to see what you're doing (never a good idea when you're using a knife).

Peeling the onion and then chilling it in the refrigerator before you slice it will minimize the release of gas somewhat, because the change in temperature alters the compounds in the onion. Cooking an onion before you slice it will work also, for the same reason. Another easy solution is to cut the onion under water or run the tap over it as you slice.

Some people say if you hold a lemon, piece of bread or a sugar cube in your mouth, the food will absorb the gas before it reaches your eyes. Breathing with your mouth, instead of your nose, might also help because as you inhale, you suck the gas in and as you exhale, you blow it away. This keeps a lot of the gas from ever reaching your eyes.

chemist_UTM

It is said that five minutes after the end of a dream, we have forgotten 50 percent of the dream's content. Ten minutes later, we've forgotten 90 percent of its content. Why is that? We don't forget our daily actions that quickly. The fact that they are so hard to remember makes their importance seem less.

Theories
Freud theorized that we forget our dreams because they contain our repressed thoughts and wishes and so we shouldn't want to remember them anyway. Other research points to the simple reason that other things get in the way. We are forward-thinking by nature, so remembering something when we first wake up is difficult.

L. Strumpell, a dream researcher of the same era as Freud, believed that several things contribute to our not being able to remember dreams. For one, he said that many things are quickly forgotten when you first wake up, such as physical sensations. He also considered the fact that many dream images are not very intense and would therefore be easy to forget. Another reason, and probably the strongest of his theories, is that we traditionally learn and remember both by association and repetition. As dreams are usually unique and somewhat vague to begin with, it stands to reason that remembering them could be difficult. For example, if someone speaks a phrase to you that doesn't immediately click with anything in your experience, you might need the person to repeat it in order to remember it or even understand it. Since we can't go back to our dreamsto experience something again, details that are out of our realm of experience often escape us.

How to Improve Your Dream Recall
There are many resources both on the Web and in print that will give you tips on how to improve your recall of dreams. Those who believe we have a lot to learn about ourselves from our dreams are big proponents of dream journals. Here are some steps you can take to increase your dream recall:

    * When you go to bed, tell yourself you will remember your dreams.
    * Set your alarm to go off every hour and half so you'll wake up around the times that you leave REM sleep -- when you're most likely to remember your dreams. (Or, drink a lot of water before you go to bed to ensure you have to wake up at least once in the middle of the night!)
    * Keep a pad and pencil next to your bed.
    * Try to wake up slowly to remain within the "mood" of your last dream.