Red sky at night: sailor’s delight…Red sky in the morning: sailors take warning
This is the second saying from the list below that is more than just an old wives’ tale. The rhyme is actually based upon facts and science.
The sun’s rays are broken up by moisture and dust in the atmosphere. The red color means that the sky is filled with more of these particles.
Because weather systems typically move from the west to the east, the red color often tells a story. When the sky is red at sunset, the sun is typically shining on dust particles, which imply that stable, high-pressure air is coming in from the west. A red sky in the morning typically occurs when the sun’s rays are cast on storm clouds moving in from the west.
Does warm water really freeze faster than cold water?
As promised last week, here is the first of two old wives tales that are factual: Hot water can and frequently does freeze faster than colder water. This phenomenon has been discussed for centuries; although, it wasn’t until 1969 that a Tanzanian high school student introduced it to the scientific community. For his troubles, the phenomenon was named the “Mpemba Effect” after the student.
Since then, physicists have verified that hot water often freezes more quickly than cold water. Scientists have not been able to definitively explain why this happens, but a few phenomena are thought to contribute to the effect:
Evaporation—Hot water evaporates faster than cold water and brings away steam (water), thereby reducing the amount of liquid to be cooled. Less ice is created, but it is made at a faster rate. This can only be a partial explanation, however, because studies of completely enclosed containers have also exhibited the Mpemba effect.
Convection—As the water cools, its temperature does not remain uniform throughout. The swirling around of the hotter and cooler sections may contribute to faster cooling.
Dissolved Gases—Hot water holds fewer amounts of dissolved gases than cold water. These gases may prevent convection or change the temperature necessary to freeze the liquid.
Container and Surroundings—The container in which the water is held, as well as the surface or the surroundings in which it is placed, may also affect the cooling process differently at different temperatures.
Interesting fact: Many ice cream makers use warm milk to take advantage of the Mpemba effect.
Another interesting fact: Cecil Adams of the Straight Dope basically got this one wrong!
For your entertainment, here is a list of old wives tales and superstitions. People have actually believed each of these statements, but virtually all of them are fiction.
Exactly two of them are based upon facts and science. Can you tell which two?
If a teen has acne, it means that he or she is sexually active.
If you eat cabbage, you will grow large breasts.
If you eat spinach, you will become as strong as Popeye.
Wearing green to a wedding is bad luck.
If you give knives as a gift, then you should include a coin or the relationship will be severed.
If you see a penny pick it up, and all day long you will have good luck.
Only a coin with the head side up is good luck.
A bird that flies into your house or dies by flying into your window signals impending death.
It’s bad luck to put a hat on a bed.
Don’t get up on the wrong side of the bed; always use the same side to get in and out.
If you break a mirror, you will have seven years of bad luck.
If your nose itches, then company is coming.
If you drop a knife, then a man will come to visit.
If you drop a fork, then a woman will come to visit.
Hot water freezes faster than cold water.
Thunderstorms spoil milk.
Lightning never strikes the same place twice.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Feed a cold; starve a fever.
Don’t feed milk to a child with a cold, because it will help create more phlegm.
Tickling children will cause them to stutter.
Rub a stick of butter on a burn to help it heal.
Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.
If you sing before seven, you will cry before eleven.
Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.
You can find a much longer list of old wives tales and superstitions here.
Remember the Seinfeld episode where George found out that his tonsils had grown back? (The 1991 episode was called, "The Heart Attack". Here's a clip.)
But, can tonsils really grow back after they have been removed? This article has the answer.
I try to read Up and Running each day. It’s a blog by Tim Berry for new (and old) entrepreneurs. I noticed a post today about whether entrepreneurship is growing or declining...
It's Complicated: Second Life affair ends in divorce
I had to read this CNN article four times before I understood what was going on. It's tough to separate fact from fiction (and fantasy). But, I laughed every time.
“I live near a deer crossing and they keep getting hit. The county should move the deer crossing sign somewhere else. It is too dangerous for the deer to cross where it is now.”
This is a real letter that Jay Leno read during “Headlines” on his September 22 show. We laugh, but maybe this person is onto something.
Last week, I wrote about deer whistles and promised some ideas for making the roads safer. A recent U.S. Department of Transportation PowerPoint presentation lists a bunch of strategies for avoiding collisions with deer. (By the way, deer whistles top the list of ineffective strategies.)
Exactly what is effective? You guessed it: moving deer crossings. One of the best mitigation strategies is simply to install fencing along the road. A more complete strategy involves combining some form of separate overpass or underpass for wildlife with the fencing. Deer need to migrate and move about; these methods channel them to safer places for crossing roads.
The report also suggests creating some form of sensor for roadways that is capable of detecting the presence of large animals or obstructions. In the future, deer might be scared off somehow, or even better, drivers could be alerted electronically or through sound to obstructions in the road. It might work sort of like a deer whistle for drivers, except that it will actually work.
Until then, the best strategies will remain driving slowly and being extra vigilant around areas where deer tend to cross the road.
For objective facts about the election and all of the candidates' claims and plans, visit FactCheck.org, a service of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
You may also check out Fact Check from CNN and Politifact from the St. Petersburg Times.
Every year, somewhere between a million and two million drivers collide with large animals on our roads, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Around two hundred of these collisions are fatal. (That is, they are fatal to occupants of the vehicles. The fatality rate for the unfortunate wildlife is obviously much higher.)
Most of these collisions involve deer, and autumn is the time of the year when you’re most likely to hit one. Deer are increasingly mobile right now; they mate and migrate during the fall...
In a November 6, 2005 column, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, the authors of Freakonomics, wondered, “Why Vote?” On their blog, Levitt reminded us again that, as an economist, he sees little or no value in voting in the upcoming Presidential election...
Today, I am announcing that I will not seek a third term on the Champaign City Council.
I am virtually certain to move during the next four and a half years (probably in the near future). The last thing I want to see is someone appointed to fill my spot in either this term or the next.
It seems like every year I tell myself that I’m going to prioritize my work and personal life. Now I am taking that opportunity. (So, if you’re buying, selling, or starting a business or real estate property, check out www.kenpirok.com).
I thank all of my friends and constituents for their support and ideas. Representing District Five on the City Council has been an incredible experience!
