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Science Hobbyist
COMMENT BOOK 2009-2010Thank you for visiting SCIENCE HOBBYIST. We would love it if you would add your comments to
those below. (Note that comments are only sent to the moderator. Spammers are blocked.)
Hi up there, your work is quite good and impressive I appreciate your hard work, and keep on pal God is with you.
Mohammed Shajara
Giginyu Qtrs.Nassarawa LGA, Kano Nigeria - Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at 14:31:00 (PST)
Okay, before I begin asking questions. I need to establish my stance. I have some questions, some really simple questions that can be answered easily by Bill or any other science enthusiast/hobbyist/pro/student. I am a fine arts guy, studying Literature, aspiring to be a businessman, and has a lot of interest in science projects(even though I m weak in it). To me there is a very thin line between Art, Science, Business, and Literature, and it is pretty blur. Question : How do I know what power is being generated from a certain rotating object? For example, a horse is galloping on a giant treadmill, which gives us a rotating rod/pipe thing that can be used to generate electricity. How do I know how much power is it giving me? If not a horse then a man turning a wheel with a bicycle-like pedal. However, the turning is consistant. Bill made the 'Ultra-Simple Generator'(it was incredibly impressive). I want to know, is it possible to find out how much power was being generated and at what rate? Thanks, Maseeh P.S.: I am a lay man! I humbly request that the answers be as simple as possible.
USA - Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 08:28:26 (PST)
this site is just amazing itz loaded with cool stuff and really it attracts me everytime i think of building something new.Its fantabulous especially the cardboard version generator. Best of luck and KEEP ON THE GOOD WORK!!!!!
new delhi, delhi india - Saturday, December 18, 2010 at 04:28:08 (PST)
Hey Bill I just wanted to thank you for your awesome explanation of transistors, I hate black box ideas and circuitry and this really cleared things up for me!
cincinnati, OH USA - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 07:25:32 (PST)
Bill, Hi. New website (and forum) for DIY physics, electronics, etc. Thanks. -bill www.coultersmithing.com
Bill Fain
ridgeway, va USA - Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 12:00:48 (PST)
Excellent web page. It is going to be of great help in our science courses based on Inquiry Based Science Teaching. Thank you so much. Regards, Juan Felipe (School Science Head Advisor)
Juan Felipe Restrepo Mesa
Medell?, Antioquia Colombia - Friday, December 10, 2010 at 08:59:03 (PST)
Nice website buddy. www.sandfordhighschool.com
ged online
new york, USA - Tuesday, December 07, 2010 at 22:24:09 (PST)
Hello, I have spent a long time and much time searching to find out the way to keep a bobbin current flowing one way and why it seems to change. At close to 60 years old I thought this one would be easy. Guess at my age I should have known better then that! I am still not sure but out of at least thousands of searches this one gives me the best clue yet. I have not found anything close to this one. I wonder if I could ever talk to you in person? I feel like you are the only one that has a handle on this and it really seems to make sense to me? This has slowed down a project for to long now! If we may talk I bet I could solve it. This sure gives me a different direction to look toward! One way or the other thank you Bill for taking the time to post this! Thanks Again, Stewart
Stewart Bowles
Katy, TX USA - Tuesday, December 07, 2010 at 17:17:59 (PST)
Here is very interesting site. Thanks a lot for being our voice.
?tanbul, Turkey - Tuesday, December 07, 2010 at 00:13:13 (PST)
Hello, I find reading YouTube comments on my own single video difficult, so I choose not to give others that hassle. So, I spent a good 10 minutes finding your email, and came across the comment page, then the guestbook. Anyway, what I'm wanting to know is about your abrasion holograms. How have you gotten things to appear above the plastic? Such as, the tetrahedron and your second cube in your YouTube video. Am I right to assume it's scratching it from the apposite side? Perhaps I worded it wrong, so I'll use some poor ASCII art to demonstrate. To make it appear below, as normal, you'd scratch like:
____ / \ / \ But to make it appear above, it'd be more like: \ / \____/I came to this conclusion when you demonstrated that the upside-down cube appears to be a "hollow-room-cube"(not quoting you, using my poor choice of words) that is above the plastic. Thanks, Alex
Alex Thompson
USA - Friday, December 03, 2010 at 01:05:52 (PST)
I love your website. Great info. Please check out my site. If you like it please add me your website. I can use all th exposure I can get. Best Rusty Johnson
Rusty Johnson
Ulster Park, NY USA - Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 20:01:01 (PST)
http://amasci.com/amateur/amfrmD.html and its counterpart amfrmE dot html page look the same to me, so I can't send private messages.
USA - Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 06:55:51 (PST)
I hope that one day some one will figure out why people like myself , when we get upset , afraid, anxious, can turn street lights on and off. Blew out telephone lines,and on and on, and when a scientist built a machine that only I could not touch , because I would kill it, thats pretty weird. I am a medium and can read people as well as many other special gifts. Could that be why I have this weird problem ?
Leiana Knight
Twin Falls, Id USA - Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 12:13:37 (PST)
Great presentation of helpful information. Thanks!
Sincan, Turkey - Friday, November 19, 2010 at 07:33:43 (PST)
Hi Bill, Just put up a very clear video of a 720-degree view specular hologram at http://www.zintaglio.com/720.html BTW, I replied to your email, but am not sure that you got it. warm regards, MB
Matt Brand
Cambridge, MA USA - Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 17:50:35 (PST)
I have visited this site many times and frequently post a link to your page located at http://amasci.com/freenrg/bead.html Today for the first time I noticed to typos-- ire instead of wire and as instead of at-- in the following sentence: "to restore them to a rational level on the ire, if indeed in some cases it is possible as all." Thanks.
Sharon Springs, KS USA - Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 13:50:31 (PST)
We are putting most of our training online (Environmental Health & Safety at Univ of NE-Lincoln). Our Director found a picture of electric charge & electric energy on your site and would like to include them in our General Electrical Safety (non-qualified person). Is that OK with you? Can go to url above and view some, e.g. Ladder and Mobile Aerial Lift that we've done most recently. Thanks for your consideration.
Elizabeth Howe
Lincoln, NE USA - Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 13:44:33 (PST)
So now what? I knew that there had to be others like me and now that I know this is true - what now? There's no resources or direction - no way to harness or direct, at least I don't know how. What religion encompasses this? Supports or teaches about it? I know I have a gift and that it IS huge - it overwhelms me and I tend to shy away instead of embrace it because I feel like my plate is already full with what I DO know. But this ability to effect electronics, lights, attitudes, dream precognition - why? what for? What is the purpose? Why me? What am I suppose to do with it? I don't want to hear voices or see things - I just want to know what I am dealing with ... it seems SO many are, yet there are not many answers or directions. This site was the one common avenue found by most of its readers - seeking others out like themselves. I wonder if we all got together and got REALLY angry if we could power or black-out a town completely, lol.
Centennial, CO USA - Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 12:23:09 (PST)
Hi Bill -- Holography can also be done via computational mirror design. With the right geometry, you can get distortion-free 3D, animation, & ultra-wide field of view. Some example artworks at http://www.zintaglio.com . BTW, a colleague arrowed me to your site with high praise.
Matt Brand
Cambridge, MA USA - Tuesday, November 09, 2010 at 13:55:14 (PST)
Bill, I read your article "Tesla's Big Mistake" with great interest, whilst looking into the basis for the G-line. You might like to note that Glen Elmore of Corridor Systems Inc. in his paper, Introduction to the Propagating Wave on a Single Conductor (see http://www.corridor.biz/FullArticle.pdf ) explains Goubau was mistaken in believing a dielectric coating was necessary to prevent the TM surface wave from breaking away from the single conductor (i.e. radiating energy). I would be most interested if you can find a flaw in his explanation or alternatively point me to where someone has done so. Regards, Phil (G3MGQ)
Phil Parkman
Robertsbridge, Sussex UK - Tuesday, November 09, 2010 at 09:54:56 (PST)
Hi Bill, Truly an excellent site! I wish I had found it sooner. So...according to my research, humankind is about to get annihilated via planetary lightning. Most likely from Jupiter or Saturn. Ever read Pliny? Anyways, I'm working on an ark of sorts, though, given the time left, I'm not sure I'll have it done soon enough. I could use an open minded engineer like yourself, as my engineering skills are not all that good. reference - Bell Island boom, Pliny, recent Jupiter changes (lost the southern belt, will lose the other soon and then light up per my theories)Jupiter/Saturn radio emissions. Thirteen months left, perhaps more. Email me if you want to know more. ps. I'm not religious, just think life in the universe is rare, feel that since I know whats up, I have to try and do something. Peter D
Peter D
Snoqualmie, Wa USA - Monday, November 08, 2010 at 12:03:25 (PST)
Hi there, so this whole thing is driving me CRAZY right now, another power blackout in my area, and like Jeff everything electrical stops working where ever I am! And I can't find any help or information or explanation and I am feeling quite upset about it. I am glad that I found this site because I started to think that I am the only one with this crazy problem. Thanks for listening. Judith.
USA - Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 03:57:51 (PDT)
Bill, An excellent attempt to kill some monstrous misconceptions. It's mostly due to firm religious believes that i believe things work a lot simpler than we think.
Sydney, NSW AUSTRALIA - Friday, October 29, 2010 at 00:36:37 (PDT)
Hi, I have published a poem related to some feelings and experiences of Hum Sufferers (Taos, Bristol, etc.). The poem can be viewed at fewforeverwords.wordpress.com.
DC Few
USA - Sunday, October 24, 2010 at 16:35:34 (PDT)
Hi there, I came across your site the other day. It is nice to see other people are also having this stuff happen to them.
For some reason electronic stuff breaks around me. I often joke that I need to stay in shape as a pacemaker would be gone in days.
Yesterday my Wifes brand new 20 minute old phone stopped working after I touched it. My Computer went on the fritz, then my Ps3 broke down for the 2nd time in a month. Finally I went to use my good bose headphones and they were now not working.
My Brother will not let me use his stuff because of things like this. I would love to know why this happens!
Great site. I would like to say thanks to all our military service members and veterans for their service to our country.
Peoria, AZ USA - Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 15:13:17 (PDT)
Keep up the cool work, science is always fascinating me
USA - Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 16:51:25 (PDT)
I LOVE your traffic waves explanation! Unbeknownst to me, I had been doing this for years to make a less stressful drive for myself (braking, tight spaces) and now see the benefit for not just myself but everyone else around me. No rushing to keep people out of my lane, everyone can come and go as they please around me and I lose little to no time and can have even less of a chance of being in an accident due to rush hour. Thank you so much for explaining this, as I try to pass this information on as often as possible.
MN USA - Friday, October 15, 2010 at 20:44:58 (PDT)
Thank you very much for putting up the "WHY THREE PRONGS?" article on your site, I've heard several confusing explanations to the topic before, but your article makes it all very clear. I found it was very useful and enlightening. Thanks!
Israel - Friday, October 15, 2010 at 14:45:43 (PDT)
Hi, I looked over the cure that is on your site and it may work for some. I am both electric types and very electrical effecting highway lights, stores and appliances. also constantly getting painful shocks. holding keys in my hand only makes the electrical shock hurt more. i cant go through Walmart without my fingers hurting by the time I get out of there because all of their shelves and door handles are metal. Sams is worse with their huge metal shelving everywhere. I keep thinking there must be something useful to use all of this electricity for. If they ever do studies in my area let me know. (mountain)
Cindy S
USA - Friday, October 15, 2010 at 06:26:41 (PDT)
Can the Ultra Simple Generator power a motor. http://amasci.com/amateur/coilgen.html
Kamran Siddiqi
Irvine, CA USA - Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 18:58:27 (PDT)
You may find this site of interest. It involves the 'tagging' of a real life electic person who can withstand 8-10 AMPs of electricity and transfer it at other people. http:www.cruffconspiracy.webnode.com
Seattle, WA USA - Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 11:32:22 (PDT)
Great site. Keep it up guys!
Jason Benning
New York, NY USA - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 10:22:36 (PDT)
That's a nice website! It provides a lot of science and physics knowledge. I love Science especially astronomy and I have some problem about Science Phenomenon before i found your website. Now I feel like I'm solving the problem and really thank you. By the way, if your website provides more science pictures maybe more perfect.
Brooklyn, New York USA - Monday, October 11, 2010 at 22:25:51 (PDT)
I have read through some of the contents in your "Physic Misconception" section, and I just want to say that although I don't have the time at the moment to research on each and every content myself and confirm what you suggested, but I found the contents on this site very valuable. If you decided to have your website contents confirmed rigorously by multiple professional institutions, universities, publisher of scientific articles, and publish it as a book, we the science geek (or at least myself) would then have a science misconception bible to hold on to, which would be awesome and I will carry it with me wherever I go. Thanks again. [ Most of this collection comes right out of undergrad physics texts. I thought this was obvious? It's just very basic equations translated into prose. Also most of it was discussed over years on the university physics forum PHYS-L. It's utterly conventional. What's shocking is that the general public doesn't already know this info. Another big problem is that some K-12 grade school authors copy each other (and constantly accumulate errors,) rather than basing their books on solid references and writing from scratch with no copying of other authors' mistakes. PS, if you think you've found an actual physics error anywhere in my site, PLEASE PLEASE email me and point it out. The PHYS-L crew got most of them at the start, but you might find one. Beware though, since what looks like a mistake is usually a piece of correct info that contradicts a widespread unexamined misconception -billb]
Howell, NJ USA - Friday, October 08, 2010 at 14:53:47 (PDT)
"Build a Borg" ... I need your help... I have an idea, but I can't find someone who can understand what I am thinking. It is possible to apply psycho-stuff on animals, I always knew it would. Please e-mail me.
USA - Wednesday, October 06, 2010 at 08:06:29 (PDT)
Gearturbine - Atypical Thermodynamic Technology Submission
YouTube Video; Atypical New * GEARTURBINE / Retrodynamic = DextroRPM VS LevoInFlow + Ying Yang Thrust Way Type - Non Waste Looses
GEARTURBINE -Atypical Combustion Turbine Engine, -State of the Art, -New Thermodynamic Technology, -With Retrodynamic "Dextrogiro vs Levogiro" Effect, is when the inflow direction moves is against [VS] of the circular rotary dynamic, When the inflow have more velocity the rotor have more RPM / because push the single turbine with the planetary gear, (an a example is like to move the head to the side of the strike hit) / RPM Rotor Move VS Inflow Conduits Way /ACTION VS REACTION / Front to Front / Velocity vs Velocity, making in a simple way a very strong concept of power thrust, a unique technical quality. -Wide cylindrical shape dynamic mass (continue Inertia cinetic positive tendens motion / all the motor weight is goin with the power thrust direction), -Non Waste, parasitic losses form-function engine system for; cooling, lubrication & combustion; -Lubrication & Combustion inside a conduit radial position, out way direction, activated by centrifugal force Fueled Injected, -Cooling in & out; In by Thermomix flow & Out by air Thermo transference, activated by the dynamic rotary move, -Increase the first compression by going of reduction of one big circumference fan blades going to, -2two very long distance captive compression inflow propulsion conduits (like a digestive system) (long interaction) in perfect equilibrium well balanced start were end like a snake bite his own tale, -Inside active rotor with 4 pairs of retrodynamic turbos (complete regeneration power system), -Mechanical direct "Planetary Gear" power thrust like a Ying Yang (very strong torque) (friendly loose friction) 2two small gears in polar position inside a bigger shell gear, wide out the rotor circumference were have much more lever power thrust, lower RPM in a simple way solution, to make possible for a some innovative work application (cars/land). -3 Stages of inflow turbo compression before the combustion. -3 points united of power thrust; 1- Rocket Flames, 2-Planetary Gear & 3-Exhaust Propulsion, all in one system. -2two continuous circular moving inside combustion (rocket flames) like two dragons trying to bite the tail of the opposite other. -Hybrid flow system different kind of aerolasticity thermoplastic inflow propulsion types; single, action & reaction turbines applied in one same system, -Military benefits, No blade erosion by sand & very low heat target profile. -Power thrust by barr (tube); air sea land & generation application, -A pretender of very high % porcent efficient power plant engine. -Patent; Dic 1991 IMPI Mexico #197187
Came across your website and found wonderful information. Thanks.
Acne treatment
USA - Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 08:54:07 (PDT)
richard, VA USA - Monday, September 27, 2010 at 18:33:32 (PDT)
Wow cool... Anyone a boy here?
USA - Monday, September 27, 2010 at 12:49:49 (PDT)
dick baublitz
carson city, nv USA - Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 15:03:46 (PDT)
Check out this video I shot while recording the next album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znks0ry-CvA
Moonlight Tide
USA - Monday, September 20, 2010 at 18:41:07 (PDT)
dsdsd dsdsd
ww, sdd USA - Monday, September 20, 2010 at 13:30:15 (PDT)
ive made that circuit to detect static from your featured circuit, but now ive made one that senses static charges and has a dot/ bar led readout and its simple to biuld useing the lm3914 ic its amazeing to see to
steven chiverton
perth, w.a. western australia - Sunday, September 19, 2010 at 05:39:23 (PDT)
Hooray!!!! Wish I had teachers like you when going to school. Very Feynman like in your ability to break it down. Speaking of Richard, "If you can't explain it to a 12 y/o, you don't understand it!" Kudos in understanding it. Cheers!
Edmonds, WA USA - Monday, September 13, 2010 at 14:59:08 (PDT)
Hi there, just wondering if you might be interested in promoting our solar tracker kit through your site. You can see all the details at greenwatts.info Thanks for your consideration, Jules Adamson
Jules Adamson
Peterborough, ON Canada - Wednesday, September 08, 2010 at 17:33:32 (PDT)
I am an RC Hobbyist. I recently built a gyro plane with no airfoils on the rotors. And it flys to the dismay of heli pilots. This would tend to support the Neutonian airfoil theory preference. Can a flat bottom airfoil lift at zero attack? If so, can this be attributed to the downward flow of air from the top of the airfoil coming off the back of the trailing edge? And how does a bumble bee or a Frisbee fly?
Jeff Tucker Tuctronics
Walla Walla, Washington United States - Tuesday, September 07, 2010 at 12:45:54 (PDT)
Perhaps you can help me to find a creative Physicist who is able to publish a paper, or perhaps a thesis, on the FORTES theory, the 4D Real Matter Simulation. Please contact me if you are interested. About me, go to http://www.scitrek.us/Humberto.html. About the 4D Real Matter Simulation go to http://www.scitrek.us/Fortes.html.
Humberto Sachs
Hansville, WA USA - Tuesday, September 07, 2010 at 11:29:31 (PDT)
I just read through "trafficwaves.org". Nice collection of thoughts you've got there! I've often pondered about some of the same things shown there, but have never tried experiments. Traffic can be dicey on the interstate out here sometimes, maybe I'll give some of these ideas a fair shot. Also, have you ever thought of making bumper stickers for trafficwaves.org?
Corey Edmonds
Worcester, MA USA - Tuesday, September 07, 2010 at 00:57:01 (PDT)
Please check this out and spread the word about the most innovative, beautiful, amazing new biology game http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGzFV4t51Ow I think it should definitely be included on your site!
Toronto, ON Canada - Sunday, September 05, 2010 at 12:28:16 (PDT)
I love this site and the information you provide! I've spent many hours thinking about these things that you've shared and I think I understand it all except for what exactly electrical energy is. (I wanted to mail a question but that page was disabled).
If the flow of charge through wire is only needed to create the fields through which electrical energy will flow, where does the electrical energy come from? If I understand correctly, a battery is just a thing that stores an imbalance of charge so that you can cause charge to flow through a circuit. Since the charge is not the energy, and the battery is just a way to cause charge to flow so that you can create fields for the energy to flow through, what is the energy and where does it come from?
Thanks again for hosting such great information and dispelling the myths! (Sorry for previous posting in wrong place)
USA - Friday, August 27, 2010 at 00:16:06 (PDT)
Err, I kind of need help and none of your links work. Been researching this ever since I accepted I had a problem.
My mood directly influences the operation (both positive and negative) of electronics - mostly computers (I'm an all round techie). Broken stuff will start to work and good stuff will just stop. No touching needed, but must be within a few feet. I'm not mad.
Southed on Sea, UK - Friday, August 20, 2010 at 20:30:33 (PDT)
Hello, I am a happy reader of your pages. Thank you, and thank you again!
I'd like to know if I am understanding correctly that in the example,
where a copper rod is bent in a ring and spliced into it are the battery
and a light bulb, the light bulb is heated and lit up by two forces
simultaneously: [Exhibit A] the friction from the Coulombs and the
[Exhibit B] the friction resulting from the electrical energy that forces
itself through the flow of Coulombs (which may or may not move against the
electrical energy.
[ Only flowing charges experience friction.
Flowing energy can be absorbed, but it doesn't "rub against" matter or
create frictional effects. EM field energy
flowing into charges will drive them forward even against a retarding
force caused by friction. The flux of energy is keeping the charges from
being decelerated and halted, otherwise the friction would bring things
to a stop. The forced motion of the charges through
the resistive material is causing a type of frictional heating. -billb]
This leads leads me wondering which of the forces create greater friction
on their own and if there are instances where only one of the frictional
forces are present and not the other.
Hi, I quite enjoyed your article on right-angle circuitry. I could answer some of the questions you left unanswered -- but I'm pretty sure you could too, and I liked how you were explicit about what you hadn't worked out -- yet assumed you could if you put in the effort. A good approach, and a good example!
Transformers are fun stuff - and a good chance to use vector calculus, line integrals, etc. But as you ably demonstrate, you can work out a lot with simple qualitative reasoning.
Re: fringe science... the problem I have with fringe science is that of people abandoning scientific principles in favor of belief. You're sort of pointing to the opposite problem -- of scientists abandoning scientific principle in favor of their scientific beliefs!
Really, hyper-skepticism is a great thing. But you must NOT BE SELECTIVE about where you apply it. Apply it to the "conventional wisdom" as well as that new idea. And apply it to your own process of reasoning and skepticism.
Too often that has been overlooked. Ovonincs is a great example. I read about it as a kid back in the 60's. I think he hurt himself a bit with failing to be skeptical about the market implications -- though he made up for it to a degree with enough persistence to find some relevant niches.
But the people scoffing at it were really being brain-dead. OK, the idea is different. Amorphous semiconductors? Really? There's a big difference between your current knowledge not containing an explanation, vs your current knowledge containing an explanation of why not!
I think fractal antennas fit in here somehow. Maybe you've written about them and I missed it. I don't know their history, but they certainly go against the conventional wisdom when I was a kid. I wonder how the guy who first proposed them was received?
But now, you find them in a lot of places -- like inside cell phones. I have a daughter who takes things apart. No, not my little one, my 21-year-old -- an industrial design student. Fun stuff -- like her old cell phone. Seeing a little flexible circuit with copper squares of progressively smaller sizes brought a smile to my face.
I don't claim to really understand them. Hell, there are things about a simple dipole I don't really understand. But it's such a surprising, verifiable, and mathematically interesting idea...
Bob Kerns
Corte Madera, CA USA - Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 11:35:08 (PDT)
You might be interested in this site. (theweatherwiz.com) I ran the most successful school weather program in the nation. I have now created a free web site for teachers to use this great teaching tool. In addition, one can acquire long-range weather forecasts out two years for anywhere in the world. (free) Take a look at the site and if you think it has merit, pass it along to other educators. (can be used from about 3rd grade right through college) theweatherwiz.com Contact me: Jim Witt email@example.com Best, Jim
Jim Witt
cold spring, ny USA - Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 10:52:31 (PDT)
Love your site on hand made holograms. I wonder if some of the new transparent speaker materials could be used to create this kind of hologram. Of course, the material would have to be capable of holding a ripple pattern, instead of just tightening and loosening...
USA - Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 00:24:36 (PDT)
Bill toked about optical theorem by a paper of William A.B. Miller and coult not find it. There is a complete list of William A.B. Miller publications on the web under this name. [That was John Denker mentioning DAB Miller? Huygens wave principle? See Huygens' wave propagation principle corrected, David A. B. Miller -billb]
Greetings Andros
Amsterdam, The netherlands - Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 03:03:49 (PDT)
re ssword post Strong emotion last forever. My story homelessfor5. Arty but always 'not right.' Husband told me that I would never make it in the real world. Please understand he loved me. Good man. I discover when I am 60 I fell out of moving car, back in 49 drs not diagnose epilepsy unless seizures. First seizure TDay 2009. Fell out like switch flipped. Came to ?moments later. Mri, eeg, thyroid ultrasound. Husband gone because he love me. So sad. Point: arty less, mathy more. Can do Sudoku & want to, never would have happened a decade ago. Electrical wiring in brain emphasizing analytical (right) over art (left)Most strokes affect left side utube (My Stroke of Insight- book) shows former neuro surgeon become actor. My rewiring made my right stronger over my left. Weird. Wonderful site, you can't possibly read these, you must be running a scan for key word program. Thanks While I am at it have read the post re geology of Mexico & strongly support S W Carey -- Earth,Universe,Cosmos. Good luck finding copy. Can Earth have two magnetic fields at the same time? like sunspots? And survive? but only if magnetic field is not tied to 4sided iron core.
Traverse City, mi USA - Monday, July 19, 2010 at 16:42:42 (PDT)
I stumbled across your site. Nice resource. I was wondering if you could take alook at this site for inclusion into your resource links? We would love to send you a free sample of anything you may be interested in? We make a Basic Stamp alternative. Our controllers power some of the most popular robots on the net. http://www.basicmicro.com
Dale K.
Murrieta, CA USA - Friday, July 16, 2010 at 10:22:13 (PDT)
An expanded and revised 2010 edition of "Zen ... and the Art of Debunkery" is now up on my website. Go to http://dandrasin.com and click on the link in the upper-right corner of the home page. Best, =Dan=
Dan Drasin
Greenbrae, CA USA - Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 01:18:28 (PDT)
Congratulations, nice web site, I stop by every now and then for a dose of relaxing science. GRAVITY IN SPACE misconception is interesting for an orbiting space shuttle. But why is there no apparent gravity when apollo 11 was going to the moon? If the source of gravity was acting from behind, why didnt the astronauts drop food on their shirs? Was the gravity from the moon cancelling out the gravity from the earth? Cheers!
Guatemala, Guatemala - Thursday, July 01, 2010 at 08:12:44 (PDT)
June 28 amasci\amblog is reported by google as an attack site, forwarding malware from google-analytics.com [Removed it. All Wordpress blogs are under attack (Jun/2010) Some security flaw lets malware bots install malicious code into wordpress pages. -billb]
Ken Whitley
Bellingham, USA - Monday, June 28, 2010 at 11:44:46 (PDT)
Dear Mr Beatty, it is such a leasure to read your articles. They were clear and made so much sense. I am so glad that I had a chance to read them and correct the many fallacies I held in my head. Thank you and God bless you always.
Kuala Lumpur, Federal territory Malaysia - Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 21:24:13 (PDT)
good site i love it
real estate diploma
alex, USA - Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 05:05:56 (PDT)
Found some of your pages regarding "energy sucking antennas" recently, and some of the forum interchanges regarding. I probably haven't found it all, so maybe the following is covered somewhere... Today I happened to run across this document ("http://www.free-energy-info.co.uk/Chapter5.pdf"), and it contains reference to, and apparent quotes from, a 1923 patent (253,765? confused, because the text in the article refers to another of his patents 843,550) for "Electrical Power Accumulators" that might be of interest - I believe it embodies some of what you have described, with a reported input of 500 watts at 500,000Hz producing what I believe computes to be an output of 3000 watts (50count*60watt bulbs). Thanks for all the info you host on this site, I have enjoyed reading through it at various times over the years.
david hoke
USA - Monday, June 21, 2010 at 15:29:22 (PDT)
Thought visitors to this site might like: http://www.usefulcharts.com The science section will be growing over the next few months
USA - Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 11:15:41 (PDT)
Thanks for the interesting list of misconceptions. One thing struck me about the laser description, though: most helium-neon lasers do lase simultaneously on several longitudinal cavity modes. (Only a physically short laser would have mode spacing so wide that only a single mode would fit within the neon gain curve.) There's a description here: http://www.laserfaq.org/sam/laserhen.htm#hentoo1 Showing students the mode structure of gas lasers with a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer might be interesting for a middle- or high-school class. One can see the lasing modes drift through the gain curve as the laser warms up and expands slightly.
Palo Alto, CA USA - Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 01:00:44 (PDT)
Bill, has there been any further data on the safety of your IR goggles? I'm an educator working on a project for the Seattle Aquarium (funded by NASA) with the theme of Exploring Ocean Science From Space. Would like to use the IR goggles for a self-guided tour of the Aquarium to let participants experience "remote sensing" for themselves. [Yes, check out the article links to telescope safety sites. Daylight is dangerous if you stare unblinking at the sun. If pupils are dilated, and visible light is removed, and only IR sunlight is passed through filters, it still takes minutes of staring at the sun in order to cause damage. -billb]
Kirsten Rohrbach
USA - Monday, June 07, 2010 at 18:32:46 (PDT)
My theory Violated Your Crackpot... I imagined the energy 'nullifying area' as small sphere of radius 'r' and with the help of Wave Mechanics,I assumed-Amplitude=k/r,where K=constant. w(angular freqency)=c/r,where c=speed of light. As the radius of imagined spher decreases,frequency also decreases,i.e,badly effects the Sucking of light frequency..And the Amplitude too..Hence there cant be any increase of he size of imagined sphere..Which crossed your Crackpot.If r=0.1U(micro)m creates a fine layer around an atom,i.e as interference medium ,whose density is far greater than Air.Hence light or E.M bends towards it..Hence it receives a finite Energy..But if the Frequency is maintained or needed of 1Mhzs..needs of radius of sphere almost r=47m..yes amplidude nearer it decreases,but the remaining part is traversed in this thick medium.....correct me ...If iam wrong...
Naresh ram
visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh India - Monday, June 07, 2010 at 05:47:37 (PDT)
http://amasci.com/weird/microwave/voltage3.html#work At the end you mention a theoretical sound heating device. http://amasci.com/freenrg/audhole.html Is about a sound absorber, but uses similar structures as for the heating device. Perhaps 3+ could be made into a polygon with a small intake on one end, a vacuum on the other, and a well insulated straw extending past the container.
Alexander Moquin
PA USA - Friday, June 04, 2010 at 15:39:42 (PDT)
I discovered a cheap and simple way to get microwave oven "plasma balls" going. Simply use 1-3 strands of fine steel wool. As soon as the oven turns on, the steel jumps into skittering orange balls of magnetite, but they spawn a plasma at the same time. This would probably work with a very small quantity. I surmise that the carbon in the steel is sufficient to create the plasma-- or perhaps iron vapor.
Bryan Lowder
Salt Lake City, UT USA - Wednesday, June 02, 2010 at 12:45:02 (PDT)
Looking for science fair idea? Mexican jumping beans are fantastic for science fair projects. You can buy Mexican jumping beans online at http://www.amazingbeans.com They are educational, and inexpensive!
Mark Harte
Denver, CO USA - Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 17:04:51 (PDT)
Hi, Great website! Some of your visitors may be interested in this design - it could stop their vehicle getting stolen - even if the thief has their keys! Cheers! Dan
Dan Davies
Whangarei, New Zealand - Friday, May 28, 2010 at 19:12:22 (PDT)
I just wanted to say thanks to you. And might as well, since it seems like Tesla has got passionate a couple of us, here I would like to add a link that has a handful of his patents in one place. http://www.keelynet.com/tesla/
Tempe, AZ USA - Monday, May 24, 2010 at 20:22:48 (PDT)
IN A SIMPLE CIRCUIT, WHERE DOES THE ENERGY FLOW? I am confused about what what appears to be contradictory information in several articles. What causes the resistor (light bulb) to heat up and glow in the circuit? Is it the friction of the current flowing through the resistor or is it the flow of the energy into the resistor?[The answer is yes! :) Well, "current" doesn't flow, only charges flow. Analogy first. With ropes and pulleys, the rope moves slowly but the mechanical energy propagates along the ropes almost instantly ...so whenever you heat your thumb upon the moving rope, ask yourself whether the heat caused by absorption of mechanical energy, or is it really caused by rope friction? Of course it's both. By rubbing against the rope you absorb energy from the whole system and slow it down. By rubbing the rope you also cause frictional heating. With circuits it's similar: flowing charges can create "frictional" heat by rubbing inside a resistor. But whenever heat is created, electrical energy must flow into that resistor in order to flow out again as thermal energy. Friction slows down the charge flow, and if the flow speed is to be kept constant, energy must be injected elsewhere at the same time. The charges form a flywheel, where the resistor slows down the wheel, and the battery speeds it back up again. Ropes, and circuits, and hydraulics all work this same way: two things are flowing, a rapid propagation of wave-energy, and a slow circular motion of physical medium (charged particles, or rope molecules, or water molecules.) -billb]
Bill Woodrum
baltimore, md USA - Friday, May 14, 2010 at 10:36:51 (PDT)
Bill, my company, Electronic Surplus, used to print a catalog under the name R&D Electronics. This company is no longer active. Your site lists it under http://amasci.com/supliers.html with an old address and telephone number. We're also listed here as Electronic Surplus (which is correct). Please delete references to R&D Electronics. Many thanks. (Nice site, by the way).
Steve Lekas
Cleveland, OH USA - Friday, May 14, 2010 at 09:53:01 (PDT)
Noticed a few people wondering where they can buy Mexican jumping beans for science fair projects. Found a website that sends them directly to you in plastic containers - http://www.amazingbeans.com I mostly remember them from the seventies in gas stations for sale near the cash register!
Mark Harte
Denver, CO USA - Friday, May 07, 2010 at 18:53:29 (PDT)
Thank you for your enlightened explanation of how a BJT works. It's amazing that several semesters of device physics and circuit design courses at Berkeley didn't impart the intuitive understanding that your webpage provided me.
Emeryville, CA USA - Monday, May 03, 2010 at 22:59:09 (PDT)
No entiende nade de esta pagina. Mala suerte para mii. Jos?/b>
Jos?br> Sevilla, Spain - Friday, April 30, 2010 at 15:16:25 (PDT)
Bill, Thanks for the excellent resources. I would like to know if you have any good bibliographies related to your website content that you would be willing to add to the Biblio Machine Project. Basically, I collect and share science related bibliographies. If you have any that you would like to share, it would be appreciated. The formats I am looking for are online, pdf, and doc. Again, thanks for sharing your site with us. It is very interesting. --James Cross Jr.
James Cross Jr.
American Fork, UT USA - Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 07:12:16 (PDT)
Hi Bill, My husband, daughter and I were talking about electricity and the difference in US/European currents. I found your great explanation on the web and wanted to thank you for a clear and concise understanding of watts, amps and charge stuff. I know where to go for all stuff electrical. Thanks!
Diane Thrash
Berlin, Germany - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 01:53:54 (PDT)
the explanation of BJT operation is incorrect, yes it is voltage controlled, but the width of emitter base depletion is irrelevant for the magnitude of the collector current. [Wrong. Go and review basic diode physics. The changing Vbe potential-barrier is determined by the amount of uncancelled dopant ions in the depletion layer, which is determined by the layer width ...and Ic is determined by the height of that barrier. A diode junction is a "variable electret," and when mobile charges are removed from any region, the charges of the fixed ions are no longer cancelled, hence the barrier height increases. -billb] simple proof is measuring the same device in forward and inverse (emitter collector reversed), the collector current will be almost equal whereas the depletion zone willbe quite different due to substantially lower doping level in the collector.
[No, when explaning how transistors react to changing signals, we aren't allowed to suddenly swap in a different junction (or to vary the doping, the temperature, mobility, etc.) Those parameters remain fixed during normal operation, so they have no place in this explanation. Of course if we don't know the temperature, mobility, etc., we cannot calculate any actual Ic values. Calculation has no place here. Perhaps you see Babylonian explanations as wrong, since they give no numerical predictions? Don't lose sight of the fact that most explanations seek a numerical answer, and so they're forced to focus on the potential barrier which allows us to calculate Ib and Ic. My goal is to explain transistors to my grandmother, so it's routed away from equations and from concepts such as "potential" and "barrier height." Instead I focus on the origin of that potential barrier: a variable layer of charged insulator which stands in the way of Collector Current. Then I don't even mention barrier height (which is the whole point of Babylonian: focus on visual/intuitive, discard numbers, insert pictures and prose.) Watch as the depletion layer widens, and any slower charge carriers wandering into that region are repelled back out. At a certain width, no carriers make it through. -billb]
USA - Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 20:54:28 (PDT)
Hello, I have an odd problem and I wonder if anyone can explain it. I live in an old house on a Greek island high up on a hill. I have a small old fashioned deep bath. When it is full (and I am in it) I can feel a slight electrical charge coming from the plughole. I have made sure everything is switched off in adjacent rooms (I worried that there was a loose wire under the house or something) and it is still there. It is enough to cause a slightly unpleasant pinpricking sensation on the skin. It appears to be something to do with the strength of the suction from the plug but I have absolutely no understanding of such things. It worries me a bit - plumbing and electricity in these parts is a bit haphazard but I am also curious as to whether it is to do with the rock we are sitting on or something -there is one hell of a pull on the water going down the drain! Anyone got any thoughts?
Gia W
Greece - Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 09:06:37 (PDT)
Hi, thanks for creating this site. It helps me a lot. I just love Science (mainly Physics) and my textbook is a bit tough for me sometimes. Either they did not explain the simple things I need to know in order to get the whole picture or they explain it is such a sophisticated way that I feel like I'm solving a word puzzle. This is really going to help me with my Sciences. Thanks again :)
Aiman Amani
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Sunday, April 04, 2010 at 17:06:52 (PDT)
Not sure if you still check this, but I finally got around to making an infrared filter for my camera, based off your IR goggles design. This was my first attempt at it, so the shots are pretty basic, but there are a couple that came out nice. Since you inspired it, I thought I'd share it here. http://picasaweb.google.com/JGrasso101/IR#slideshow/5455588330304512898
Seattle, Wa USA - Friday, April 02, 2010 at 13:37:25 (PDT)
I have a great free website that teaches students about lab safety. The National Institutes of Health, Division of Occupational Health and Safety (DOHS) developed a laboratory safety training program called STAR-LITE (Safe Techniques Advance Research . Laboratory Interactive Training Environment). STAR-LITE is an interactive computer-based laboratory safety training program for high school students and undergraduate university students. The program incorporates common features seen in today.s video games, i.e., selection of an individualized character; first-person views; and three-dimensional graphics. The method of instruction integrates visualization of consequences, e.g., slips/trips/falls, inhalation of chemical hazards, spills of biohazardous liquids, development of critical-thinking proficiencies, and application of problem-solving skills. STAR-LITE is available to download and use for free at www.starlite.nih.gov. I think that this free and dynamic program would be of interest to science teachers.
Kerstin Traum
Bethesda, MD USA - Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 09:45:56 (PDT)
hi, could i use a round loud speaker magnet to produce the same effect?
kitchener, ontario canada - Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 00:59:31 (PDT)
Hi Bill, I've been reading your website and thought your readers might like to hear about our innovative video-based teaching resources.
Working with The Times Cheltenham Science Festival and sponsored by EDF
Energy, we've created five 'blended media' resource packs, including How
Movie Explosions Work - with Hollywood Stunt Scientist Mik Jacobs and
Anatomical Body Painting with Dr Alice Roberts.
The five resource packs can be seen here:
You are very welcome to embed any of the HD videos - just grab the embed
code from these links:
Thank you and we hope you find the resources helpful. We would very much
appreciate your feedback on them as well.
Best Regards,
Fritzie Plamenco
I HAVE A QUESTION !!! Excellent attempt to kill some monstrous misconceptions. I'm "kind of" electronics engineer that's burried deep into magnetic field research. It's mostly due to firm religious believes that i believe things work a lot simpler than we think. My education, although not reached the highest levels was enough to find out that most of us were 'poisoned' by either stupid or carefully crafted science "facts" (who knows how we got at this point). To get to the point, the word 'imbalance' you use to explain "static" raises some questions at least in my head. The followings are actually one question. In what sense opposite charges 'Cancel each other out' and later 'get separated' again? Is it the distance between protons and electrons what makes the difference between charged and uncharged? If an electron is close enough to a proton (an atoms core with a redundant proton) it becomes neutral mass? If you could spare a moment, i would like to hear your point of view or suggest a link. Thanks ...
Michael Manos
Giannitsa, GREECE - Friday, March 12, 2010 at 06:06:34 (PST)
Bill, I think this is pretty great stuff. I guess I bring aggressiveness from being young and from the east coast to the roads, and have gotten myself stuck, including when I was driving buses, but now realize that a little courtesy could go a long way. I was already learning to be laid back and understand people will do things and not to respond but not react. But now I realize, especially for a commercial driver, a little more patience will pay off. I highly recommend you try to consult for bus/ truck companies and insurance co's. Even in this economy you might find you can get a presentation together and make some bank, if you're not doing this already.
Kevin Soini
Seattle, WA USA - Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 15:26:41 (PST)
Keep up the good work. Fellow Hobbyist :)
Jordan, R
USA - Wednesday, March 03, 2010 at 16:49:04 (PST)
You, sir are what I want to be when I grow up.
Lichfield, UK - Monday, March 01, 2010 at 17:19:10 (PST)
Hi, Great site you have! I just unknowingly lost an hour of my day in your site LOL! Lots of interesting stuff. I'm an LED light enthusiast and just started a new site. I was wondering if you could add me to your list of Electronics Suppliers please? I would really appreciate it! Thanks, Pete Bunner http://www.smartlightingshop.com/
Pete Bunner
Richmond, OH USA - Monday, February 22, 2010 at 14:03:51 (PST)
Call for Submissions Deadline March 26, 2010 Calling all dreamers and inventors, original thinkers and adventurous tinkerers, mad scientists and misunderstood artists, anyone with an over-active imagination and a love/hate relationship with the so-called "real world" - we want to meet you and your pet project at the Too Cool For School Art & Science Fair. Find out how to participate visit the project website at http://www.artandsciencefair.ca
Toronto, ON Canada - Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 19:06:15 (PST)
Please add mobile downloadable science projects
Jaipur, Rajasthan India - Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 05:37:10 (PST)
Hi William, I'd like you give a look at a observational finding I did and receive your opinion-suggestion. BUT only if you accept money for this and if obviously that subject interest you enough. A very few page. Ciao Stefano
Stefano Marcelli
Darfo Boario Terme, BS Italy - Monday, February 15, 2010 at 05:06:04 (PST)
Is there a suppression during a time of need, this makes no sense for our future is at risk!!! I believe the coal companies in my country, Australia mainly control what we see and hear because we export so much coal. There are free energy technologies and Permanent magnetic motors, if each house had a permanent magnetic motor to power the home and we drove more responsive electric cars. There would be hell of allot less greenhouse gases being emitted. If you can understand this next bit then welldone if you cant then think harder! DRAW this, 5 evenly spread lines coming out from a center point each tipped with south poled magnets as the north side of that magnet first comes out from the center then have 4 evenly spread SHAPELY curved double poled magnets(north-south) on the outer. Using the right stretched,half diamond cured inwards shape outer double poled magnets and materials this pattern in general could be redefined to make MANY different types of magnetic motors.Can you think of your own? i have dozens in my head and could have been a billionaire but i just want a better future .its so easy!simple ideas are usually the best ideas! Using the right combination of old and new technology with enough static energy to overcome part of the laws of diminishing returns THIS WILL power something usable, such as a house and much more If you have drawn it right you will have one inner south poled magnet in the center of one of the double-poled outer magnets while two of the inner south poled magnets are attracting the other two are being repelled this then forces the one that is in the center to repelle at its thickest part of repelling. just something i come up with when i was i teenager drawing doodles on a bit of papper, then my brain incorporated magnets and this is what i came up with.So SIMPLE. this has been recorded in history through the internet as my idea, i bloged this to another site and i can imagine the greed of people trying to write this off as their own idea. did this shut down the American patern company for a day! can you help us to live a better life from this information. To have energy use at a low minimum to your environment , work, shopping and social activities. meaning little distance between. Placing a wind farm in a windy area, solar in a sunny area, a tidal generator were water shifts more and a hydro plant were there is a river ect ect and for it to be transformed in to a energy solution still viable with future growth. we should work with rural and urban communities to apply future modeling to provide strategies, tools and principles that help plan and invest in the future by maintaining and sustaining ecosystems, biodiversity and long-term growth.$br$$br$. I am Australian Aboriginal and Australia is the biggest coal exporter, that is why i believe we will go the way of the Dinosaurs if we dont act. the 21st century will have a thousand times more technological advances, i dont think anyone could fully understand this. Joshua. F. Martin of Mandurah Western Australia. Ching$$$
Josh. F. Martin
Perth, W>A> Australia - Friday, February 12, 2010 at 05:38:12 (PST)
Hello, I came across http://amasci.com/supliers.html page when I was searching for Mouser Electronics. My name is Don Mahawatta & I.m with Clearwater Technologies, Inc. We are a small industrial automation supplies distributor in Boise Idaho. We represent close to 40 manufacturers like ABB, Banner Engineering, Hammond , Toshiba, TURCK, FUJI , Hitachi , IDEC, Panasonic, etc. I was wondering if you could please provide a link to our site under .Electronics Suppliers (Non-Surplus).. Our site address is http://www.clrwtr.com/ . All our manufacturer datasheets can be found at http://www.clrwtr.com/literature.htm . We have most of the manufacturer catalogs in .pdf format. Thank you so very much for your help. Don Mahawatta
Boise, ID USA - Monday, February 08, 2010 at 12:59:49 (PST)
Thank you for the article on how transistors really work. My 18 year old high school senior provided me with think and to sooth my frustration of 40 years without explanation. I praised it with a link on my blog today.
Steve Bull
New York, NY USA - Saturday, February 06, 2010 at 09:22:54 (PST)
The microwave melting of glass & igneous rocks set me to wonder: How is it at melting sand ? More precisely, how little melt, perhaps seeded, is needed to 'fix' a casting box of sand to a brittle foam... There won't be much strength in this cousin to fulgurites, but, like their inverse, 99% air aerogels, they could minimally immobilise the volume...
UK - Thursday, February 04, 2010 at 16:09:33 (PST)
This is really interesting stuff. Thanks for the sharing the knowledge with a poor boy like me. So now Im thinking that the "movement" of electrical "energy" is a like a line of , say, steel balls across a room, all touching, and when you tap one end with ,say with a hammer, the one on the other end pops out seemingly instantaneously. Hope Im right.
Sandy, OR USA - Monday, February 01, 2010 at 23:16:28 (PST)
Hi, since I'm doing a science project about your sensitive electric charge detector, I want to know the editor and author of it and please give me the bibliography. If you or anyone else can answer it, I would be really pleased. Thank you.
nyc, ny USA - Monday, February 01, 2010 at 15:53:02 (PST)
Wonderful site, thank you. High school teacher trying NOT to foster misconceptions.
Jean-Ann Webster
Linden, MI USA - Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 03:29:15 (PST)
This concerns a VDG. Is it necessary to cut a hole in the sphere so that the charge belt is inside the top capacitor? I see some hobbyists doing this and I don't understand why that would be necessary since the combs carry the charge thru a wire that is attached to the sphere.
blair, ne USA - Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 18:56:20 (PST)
Fantastic stuff! Always fascinated with magnets, recently bought some spheres and got interested in changes in stability & strength in various configurations; I want to see magnetic fields in 3-D and found your baby oil/iron filing device to be perfect!
Culver City, CA USA - Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 23:49:48 (PST)
I am wondering whether of not you could mathematical model the efficiency of a vortex tube in order to improve it? And I wanted to do it how would I? P.S. I am planning to make a molten aluminum fountain for burning man in a few years, do you think that could be cool?
Joe Darragh
omaha, NE USA - Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 17:50:21 (PST)
Thanks so much for all your help! i have one more question though. I'm having a little trouble implementing the schematic you provided (http://amasci.com/maglev/magschem.gif) so my solenoid is turning on, but my hall effect sensor isn't switching the circuit like it's supposed to. I'm sorry if this is a stupid idea, but i was under the impression that When i put a magnet near the hall effect sensor, it would switch the polarity of the solenoid. but for some reason, that isn't happening. I am using two 9 volt batteries, but other than that, all the components you recommended using.... i'm using. i've attached a picture of the schematic you provided, but i've circled two parts of the schematic that i do not understand. I'm talking about the hollowed out arrow coming off teh hall effect sensor and the hollowed out arrow coming off the solenoid. Where do these connect to the rest of the circuit? as of now, i have just been connecting one of them to the positive wire of one of my 9v batteries, and i have been connecting the other to the negative wire of my other 9v battery. Thanks For all of your time... Sharvil
- Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 08:48:16 (PST)
I have linked from my site to this wonderful site. Could you include a link to my modest website please?
Barry Holloway
Perth, WA Australia - Friday, January 15, 2010 at 18:40:15 (PST)
Great site. It really highlights all that I've bee taught and just how wrong it is. I'm currently in the photovoltaics industry working as a project manager. I want to understand exactly how it all works. What I'm learning is that I understand the photovoltaic effect, but the design and implementation of photovoltaics becomes complicated from the point the PV effect has occurred onward. In other words, what happens in the module is simple, what happens from there through the dc conductors, fuses, breakers, disconnects inverters and panels is more complex. This is amazing, because this is all electricity that we understand. Great site and I have a lot of reading to do.
John Koontz
Leesburg, VA USA - Friday, January 15, 2010 at 09:43:25 (PST)
Hey guys, ever sense I was 3, I have loved science and technology. I could turn on and play a PS2 when I was 2 so I have alwase thought I was just maby gifted at this kind of stuff. But now that I'm 15, I am realizing that I may be verry gifted. Whenever I get a flu shot, I am ammune to electricity for about two days, I can't dim lightbulbs or blow computers out but I can touch a live wier, broken iPods and some remotes and make them function properly again. I was wondering if anyone else could do these things. It seems to me that also I can somehow turn things on by simply touching them or thinking about it. I have had my iPod randomly go off sometimes playing one of my favorite songs when just moments ago I took it out of my pocket to go to bed. There is no alarm set eather. I also noticed recently that I feel like there is a verry dim but noticable electric current running through mostly my feet but sometimes my head arm and hand. I just thought I'd put this out there and maybe someone else has the same thing happen to them. Thanks for reading.
TN USA - Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 21:18:09 (PST)
Hi, I was wondering if this http://www.stagelightingusa.com/Congo-Blue-Pre-Cut-Gel-Sheet-611-prod.htm and this http://www.stagelightingusa.com/Medium-Red-Pre-Cut-Gel-Sheet-606-prod.htm would work for the infrared goggles.
rapid city, sd USA - Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 21:46:50 (PST)
Your instructions for the maglev train are incredible! I love the way you give the reader places where they can improvise. I just had a quick question about your instructions. I plan on building a track that is 16 or 17 feet long, that will have two lines of magnets. These two rows of magnets are responsabile for the levitation of my "train". I got a little confused when you were explaining how we are supposed to make/buy multiple solenoids along with multiple circuits following the schematic you provided. What confused me is why u reccomend making MULTIPLE solenoids and circuits. Couldn't i just make one solenoid along with one circuit/hall sensor that is attached to my "train". This one solenoid and one circuit/hall sensor would line up with a single row of magnets (this row of magnets has alternating sides facing up...ex: south,north,south,north) Wouldn't the hall sensor adjust the polarity of the tip of the solenoid and push the car forward? I don't have a ton of time to experiment or a very large budget, so i was hoping you could clarify Thanks so Much! Sharvil
Clarkston, MI USA - Tuesday, January 05, 2010 at 11:59:49 (PST)
I see the page about canned mouse http://hscience.tripod.com/Atm.html from dan's I am french and maybe I do n ot untherstand very well but not able to find any email for contact mr dan's his project is from some years and now maybe we can do whit optic mouse I try to contact him by email can you If I was in your club transfer thsi email to him please thank in advance scienclub vancouver jacques savard loretteville quebec city
jacques savard
loretteville quebec, qc cdn - Sunday, January 03, 2010 at 11:54:54 (PST)
Why not charge $100 to deal with a specific question? This would eliminate your inbox backlog and filter out time-wasters. Give the revenue to charity or use it to subsidize the generation of more great website content. All previous answers visible to everyone to avoid repeats, or for $100 you can email a lazy/rich asker a link to a previously answered question. Use LivePerson or JustAnswer or something like that, or even easier just tell people to put thier question in the comment section of a PayPal payment directly to your email address. If you ever get a question too time consuming for $100, just quickly bounce the payment and indicate the minimum price for that question and leave it up to the questioner if it would be worth it to him to repose. Also show these bounced questions publicly. Eventually have a self moderated board where people can contribute to questions they'd like to see answered. The wisdom (or want of wisdom?) of the crowds becomes the gatekeeper. You never have to pick which questions to answer. Your precious time will automatically be allocated correctly for maximum benifit to all. Sign me up as the first customer- I *wish* I could pay $100 for a few minutes for your time! Please? Thanks! -josh
josh levine
new york, NY USA - Saturday, January 02, 2010 at 20:09:22 (PST)
We would like to request a reciprocal link with your website. Club Scientific is a children's science enrichment company specializing in science day camps, after-school science clubs, science birthday parties, science assemblies and pre-school workshops. We would love to put your link on our website and add it to our student and parent resource page. Thank you for your consideration! Bob Hagan Club Scientific
Bob Hagan
Canton, GA USA - Friday, January 01, 2010 at 18:00:44 (PST)
In your 1989 article titled "New Ideas in Science" you complained about the state of the science of geology. I think you are absolutely correct. But it isn't just a problem with the petroleum industry. The problem runs all the way to the foundations of the Geophysical sciences.
Sir Charles Lyell did a good job of heading off the creationists. But he
also shut the door on any consideration of sudden,violent, catastrophic,
events as a driving force in the geomorphology of the surface of this
The likelihood the observations of an amateur will be taken seriously by
the academic community is inversely proportional to the significance of
those observations. So that a really big idea that changes anything has
about as much chance of being heard as a mouse breaking wind in a
hurricane. And, paradoxically, the importance of communicating those
observations properly is directly proportional to their significance. So
it's a kind of Cassandra's curse for the 21st century.
Let me tell you about a different kind of impact event.
Evidence for an extraterrestrial impact 12,900 years
ago that contributed to the megafaunal extinctions
and the Younger Dryas cooling
Before I was aware of the R.B. Firestone paper, and before I was more than
marginally aware of the megafaunal extinctions at the end of the last ice
age, I was looking at the blast effected materials of an explosive event
more violent than anything I could imagine; not even with military
Impact melt is often mistaken as volcanic tuff. And, when viewed form the
surface, they can be so visually similar that only detailed chemical
analysis can tell them apart. But no matter where you find them, and no
matter the source of heat, and pressure, that melted, and moved them,
ignimbrites are always formed in a violent explosive event. And as a blast
effected material they are always a direct signature of the explosive,
fluid, motions of their formation, and emplacement; no proxy required.
The sudden, unimaginably violent events of their formation can be
understood to an amazing, and extraordinary, level of detail if one simply
studies how they moved as blast effected materials moved during
emplacement. So the only questions I am asking here are concerned with are
simply: How did it move, and flow? We need only to get enough altitude to
see the actual patterns of movement, and flow, to determine the exact
movements, and true points of origin, of a sheet of surface ignimbrites.
So the science of Fluid Mechanics has the trump card. And it doesn't get
any easier than when the materials are exposed, in pristine condition, on
the surface.
I would have thought that the geology of the north American continent was
all very well studied. But when you start looking for any detailed
research on emplacement of the pristine surface ignimbrites in north,
central Mexico, and west Texas, and the exact nature of the explosive
events they were formed in. You quickly find that, while there are quite a
few untested theories, detailed studies of it's origins, and fluid motions
during emplacement, haven't been done. But by understanding the motions,
and fluid dynamics of the ignimbrites, and other blast effected materials
we can come to a true understanding of the nature of the explosive events
they were formed in. You can look at a flow, and easily see which
direction it was moving at any particular point. And, in a hi-resolution
satellite image, the motions of the ignimbrites in central Mexico, and
those in west Texas, are as easy to read as the patterns of movement, and
flow, in splashes of mud, or spilled paint.
There has been some mapping of ignimbrites in the Chihuahua City area, and
on northward for about 100 km, or so, in spots along the Chihuahua - El
Paso highway. It's taken years to get just that little bit done. But there
is more than 40,000 square kilometers of pristine, random-colliding rivers
of fast flowing ignimbrites in central Mexico, and up into west Texas that
look like they just cooled yesterday. Waiting a lifetime for those
Geologists on the ground was not an option. And, in frustration because I
couldn't get my hands on any decent research papers on the subject, I set
out to work out the patterns of movement, and flow, for myself to get a
better understanding of the explosive event they formed in.
The movements of an unconstrained fluid are defined by the forces moving
it. And for our purposes we'll need to refine that profoundly simple
observation a little more and say that there are two fundamental forces to
consider; gravity, and pressure.
Take a droplet of paint, and put it on a level surface. Then blow it
around with a straw. That's a pressure driven fluid. It's characteristic
patterns of movement, and flow, are the result of the motive force being
behind the flow, and pushing it. It piles up at the low pressure areas on
the periphery where the pressure is no longer strong enough to move it.
Next, tip the surface a bit and let the paint flow downhill. That'll be a
gravity attracted fluid. Its patterns of movement, and flow, are
consistent with the motive force being in front of the flow, and pulling
it down hill. It doesn't work on level ground.
The lines of flow in an unconstrained, and driven fluid will always be
away from the driving force. Even if that fluid is melted stone being
driven up hill. And when those lines of flow are frozen into a river of
melted stone they become a permanent, reliable record of the nature of the
forces that melted, and moved it.
An experiment:
Cover a surface with about an inch of wet, slightly sticky, grainy, mud
the consistency of thin, wet, concrete. Hit it with short bursts of
compressed air coming down from above to simulate the patterns of
movement, and flow, in a pressure driven flow of blast melted ignimbrites.
A fun variation if you want you involve the children is to use runny
oatmeal spread out on a cookie sheet. If you have the kids surround the
Cookie sheet, and blow the oatmeal around with short, random, puffs of air
thru a straw. You get the same flow patterns. But the kids taught me one
should be vigilant, and use caution with this version of the experiment
due to the danger of the experiment escalating into a food fight. If you
look away at the wrong time you could become the first casualty. It was a
good learning experience for all though. The kids learned what the flow
patterns of a pressure driven fluid look like. And I've learned that it's
difficult to do good, objective, scientific, observation with oatmeal in
your ear.
You can mock up a classic science fair scale model of a volcano if you
want to simulate the flows of a gravity attracted density current down
If it takes months, or years, to map a few miles along a highway from the
ground it's time to bring the work into the twenty first century and use
the satellites our tax money paid for, and do it from space, or it'll
never be finished. Thanks to NASA, LandSat, and Google, I can produce my
own image map of any given area on the continent in full spectrum color
with resolution down to about 1 meter per pixel. And computer memory is
the only constraint to size. I have a couple I've had printed
professionally that cover a whole wall. If you look at a specific location
anywhere in those flows, it is very easy to see which way it was flowing
at any given point. And backtrack it to its source location. A sheet of
clear plastic, and a handful of markers, and you have a large area,
hi-resolution flow map. Complete with little directional arrows.
There are gaping holes, and glaring discrepancies, in the data when it
comes to the actual movements from it's supposed source vents, and final
emplacement. There simply aren't enough vents. And you can't say it came
from one direction if it was flowing from the other. Those material
movements tell an extraordinary story, one that is far different than
anything we ever imagined.
In an explosive volcanic eruption we see both gravity, and pressure at
work as the material is ejected from the vent forcefully, only to be
attracted by gravity down, and away from the vent. And it rarely flows
very far. But we see something different going on in central Mexico, and
west Texas. There are tens of thousands of square kilometers of pristine
ignimbrites, with no visible signs of decomposition, at the very top of
the geologic column. And the patterns of movement, and flow are not
consistent with a volcanic eruption at all. All of the material movement
is pressure driven. There aren't enough volcanic vents to account for even
a fraction of all of the melted material. And, because of the scale of it
all, you don't see it until about twenty thousand feet. But when you spend
some time studying the movements of the blast effected materials in the
satellite images, you'll notice something that generations of Geologists
on the ground missed. The simple, observable, fact is that, contrary to
the old literature, the melt didn't come out of the ground at all. It was
the original surface terrain, blasted, and flash melted, by multiple
sources of heat, and pressure coming down from above. The material was
blown off its source locations by those same above ground sources of heat,
and pressure.
Any given fragment of ignimbrite, no matter the scale of the event it
formed in, was only in fluid state on the surface for a few violent
seconds at most. Even in a super eruption that goes on for days. So if two
flows of melted stone are representative of two separate events, even a
separation of only a few seconds, then one of them will be seen to be
over-topping the other, already solidified one. But if they were both
melted, and flowing at the same time, the interaction between the two will
be a fluid convergence. i.e. They will inter-finger. Or they will come
together like two rivers flowing into one.
Everywhere, in all of the tens of thousands of square kilometers of
random, colliding, flows of pristine surface ignimbrites you'll note that,
without exception, the patterns of movement in all of the material is
consistent with very fast, and sudden, motion like ejecta. And every
collision between flows is a fluid convergence. There is not one, single,
over-topping flow. The inescapable conclusion is that contrary to the old
literature, all of the pressure driven ignimbrites in the Chihuahuan
Desert were in rapid, fluid, motion at the very same time. All of that
tuff describes an intricate, almost infinite, dance of violent fluid
motions. And all of those turbulent, inter-flowing, motions describe the
very same moment.
Either that material is the geologically recent result of the largest
super eruption since primates first came down out of the trees. And most
of central Mexico is one giant, explosive, caldera that no one ever
noticed as such. And all of the missing vents will be found... someday.
(And never mind that the motions of the simultaneous, inter-flowing,
rivers of melted stone describe a sudden, virtually instantaneous,
event.) Or all of the melt is the result of the most violent ET encounter
in 65 million years. And it, and its ground effects, are different from
anything ever studied before.
Both are pretty extraordinary possibilities. The visual evidence is more
supportive of the latter though. Because, when viewed from high altitude,
it is profoundly obvious the heat and pressure to melt, and move, all that
material came from above. But, no matter what the source of the heat, and
pressure, the more than 40,000 sq km simultaneously, random-colliding, and
interflowing, mega-flood of blast-generated ignimbrites, at the very
pinnacle of the stratigraphic column describes a geologically recent
explosive event that was arguably the single most violent natural disaster
in all of human existence. Yet, with the exception of a few prospectors
looking for money rocks, it's almost completely unstudied.
Our impactors appear to have been a large, highly fragmented, and
loosely grouped, cluster of comet fragments, about 500 km wide, like a
giant, flying gravel pile. The thing would have looked like a sister to
the images of the fragmented comet Linear. It came in at very high
velocity, and low angle of approach from the southeast. And almost all of
the fragments exploded above ground like Tunguska. Except that, in Mexico,
only the very first of the fragments on the leading edge fell into cold
atmosphere. The rest fell into already super heated impact plasma, and
just added to the heat.
The primary impact zone is a 500 by 1300 km oval that covers most of north
central Mexico. And extends well up into west Texas, and New Mexico. The
other impact zone is a little smaller in the great lakes region. And it
extends from northern Minnesota, well up into Canada.
All of the available literature assumes the ignimbrites in the Chihuahuan
desert to be the result of ancient volcanism millions of years ago. But
there is no such thing as immortality. Even the rocks of the Earth crumble
to dust after a few million years of exposure to the elements. And those
tens of thousands of square kilometers of perfectly pristine,
simultaneously, random-colliding, and inter-flowing, rivers of blast
melted stone at the very pinnacle of the geologic column are most
certainly not thousands of times older than the stones in the monuments of
the Nile.
If an extraordinary hypothesis requires extraordinary proof all I can say
is look closely, and see for yourself. There is no visible trace of
exfoliation, or decomposition, in the flows at all. And except for some
sparse cacti, and sagebrush, growing on them, those flows of ignimbrites
are all in the very same condition as the day they first cooled. And
their motions are very easy to read.
Deepest regards,
Dennis Cox
hi I am new to this but I ahve been experiencing some electrical disturbances -such as my pc monitor stops working-its the 3rd monitor I bought, one time even my hard disk opened, what can I do to test if I have high voltage? is there a tool>? thanks
USA - Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 04:05:48 (PST)
I am still trying to learn how to resonate a big quartz crystal out of the Nevada Mines. Does anyone know how to do this? Would you use AC electricity or dc? Please help. Dick Baublitz xpi
dick baublitz
carson city, nv usa - Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 11:59:53 (PST)
Hello William, Could you please scan your mail for subject: Tesla's BIG mistake? Time (past/present/future).
It would help me understand some crackpot ideas I have in my mind (or are
they nt so crackpot after all ?).
I'm really enjoying this site! I'll have to read each and every bit of it. I'm way into electricity, and far out stuff as well. I'm currently in tech school to be a welder. I room with an electronics student.
Beloit, KS USA - Friday, December 18, 2009 at 20:26:19 (PST)
Interesting article on the "air threads." Had me going for awhile until I figured out what they were. You're essentially seeing the effects of electron beams in a neutral plasma (air + CO2). To better understand the coherence of the beam, you might wish to investigate something called the "pinch effect." It is sometimes used in high energy physics to focus electron beams. Consider a lightning bolt, should not all those electrons be electrostatically repelling each other? How is a lightning bolt even possible? The neutral plasma (air) the electrons are traveling through creates a very high magnetic field that overrides the electric repulsion of the individual electrons and focuses them into a tube of lightning. I didn't see any references to deflecting your beams using permanant magnets, though I did see references to charged plate deflection. Perhaps I missed it. But it appears as though you are tinkering with small scale plasma-pinched electron beams. Regards, Jim Barzydlo
Arnold J. Barzydlo
Lincoln, NE USA - Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 07:41:20 (PST)
This is by far the most interesting science site on the web. I just love it. I will tell all of my students about it. Although I am Canadian, I live in Haikou, Hainan, China. I am desperately searching for images I can print out like the ones in this fascinating video:
I know people can make them with a program, but I don't know how. There is a serious shortage of imagination and creativity in the Chinese school system. I think this would fascinate my students and inspire them. Can anyone help? Pleeeeeeaassssseeee. annaswikiaccount,a,gmail.com A thousand screaming Chinese kids also say "pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaasssssssseeeeeeee". Thank you so much. Anna.
Anna Price
Montreal, PQ Canada - Monday, December 14, 2009 at 15:00:33 (PST)
Bill! Thanks for all if this excellent info on electricity, nay electrical phenomina... I've been fumbling around in the dark with confusing and conflicting street knowledge and academic knowledge on "electricity" for years. I've had so many questions and now finding your site the clouds have parted and I see the electromagnetism!
Bill Friedrich
Fort Lauderdale, FL USA - Friday, December 11, 2009 at 12:14:33 (PST)
I liked your Electromagnetic Rant #2, it made me think of something: if you shake a charged stick, it will take more work than shaking the same stick uncharged because the "wake" of E field gradient that trails off the charged stick holds holding it back as you try to shake it. That wake of radiates out as an electromagnetic wave with the energy equal to the extra energy it took to shake the charged stick. Funny, huh? -John
John Davidson
La Jolla, CA USA - Monday, November 30, 2009 at 21:34:32 (PST)
All the darn textbooks I read on transistors and I only fully understood its operation after I read your explanation. Thanks a lot, man!
NY USA - Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 08:55:20 (PST)
You are a World Great Electric Scientist; for me THE BEST. I think that the rest of my life-time is not enough to complete all the amazing science trip you bring us so generously. Even more: You're a Funny Guy with a very clever vision of society and many other things. Words are poor to express my deep gratitude. Thank You Bill. Take Care.
Luis PALMA (alias Slict)
Monts sur Guesnes, FRANCE - Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 07:36:44 (PST)
Nice quotes section. But were you aware your Shakespeare quote is not by Shakespeare, but rather Neil Gaiman, specifically from "Sandman"? It has been misquoted often because he used a fictionalized version of Shakespeare as a character in some of his stories.
Laura M Bogart
USA - Friday, November 27, 2009 at 17:05:27 (PST)
I discovered your analysis of traffic waves a few years ago and was very pleased that you had illustrated it so nicely. Following your line of thinking, I submit that automatic transmissions contribute to creating and maintaining traffic waves. Since cars with ATs don't slow down when the driver releases the accelerator, the driver must press the brake pedal and his brake lights go on. The driver behind reacts to the brake lights and does the same, and, voila, a traffic wave. Conversely, cars with manual transmissions do slow down when the accelerator is released, so less braking, fewer brake lights, no reason for the following car to brake, etc.
Jesse Blatt
Silver Spring, MD USA - Friday, November 27, 2009 at 14:40:54 (PST)
.It is a fool.s prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak.. This quote is not from Shakespeare, but from Neil Gaiman, Dream Country.
USA - Friday, November 27, 2009 at 13:44:21 (PST)
Hi. I saw your Feynman page and thought you might be interested to know that Microsoft has put up his series of Physics lectures given at Cornell on their research page for project Tuva: http://research.microsoft.com/apps/tools/tuva/
Daniel Leonard
Modesto, CA USA - Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 01:45:23 (PST)
I was hoping to build the experimenter's electrometer for a project I am working on, but some of the components in the drawing are not connected to anything. Does anyone have a better drawing?
Burleson, TX USA - Monday, November 23, 2009 at 19:59:39 (PST)
very nice site! thanks a lot !!
Anchorage, USA - Monday, November 23, 2009 at 06:35:18 (PST)
That was a great quote you wrote below. Totally agree. I am at this stage and finally things make sense! "Maybe the more skilled of electrical engineers and scientists gain their extreme expertise NOT through classroom learning. Instead they gain expertise in spite of classroom learning. Maybe the experts are experts because they have fought free of their classroom learning, while the rest of us are still living under the yoke of the electricity misconceptions we were taught. "
Ames, IA USA - Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 15:00:52 (PST)
Howdy Bill, Really like yer site! So much so that I put link to it on mine fer folks to go to yers & maybe git enlightened a leetil -- if ya click on the German television link on my site, you'll see what *I* think and say bout tailgatin :) they caught me talkin to someone bout doin it on camera ;) the dog-park "sniffin" sequence is funny as well! GOOD onya! Thomas
San Diego Highwayman
El Cajon, Ca USA - Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 21:58:23 (PST)
Well, Mrs. McCave had a hard time with her sons, but I'm thanksful that Mr. Edison and Tesla had minds for marketing. Consumers have a hard enough time even with one term here in Texas: http://www.texaselectricity.com/
Texas Electricity
Houston, TX USA - Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 11:33:26 (PST)
Well, Mrs. McCave had a hard time with her sons, but I'm thanksful that Mr. Edison and Tesla had minds for marketing. Consumers have a hard enough time even with one term here in Texas: http://www.texaselectricity.com/
Jeff E
Houston, TX USA - Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 11:32:50 (PST)
Thank you. I being a High school student was thought about transistors last year. Believe me all my doubts on this subject were never answered and was insulted by my lecturer and was always a joke because i asked my lecturer questions. I hate the education system in this Country 'which may have been a centre of education once' but today it is full of hungry (for money) people who have no thoughts no brains. Being a babylonic thinker one has no option except to hate this country.
Bombay, India - Friday, November 13, 2009 at 23:41:07 (PST)
Thank you for all your wonderful work and especially your humour and light hearted approach to science..Greatly Appreciated...namaste!!!
Kate McLoughlin
Southbank, BC Canada - Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 10:01:35 (PST)
Hi, this is a great site. May be, you could add Kulsara (www.kulsara.com) to the list, under K-12 educational sites? Thanks.
USA - Monday, November 09, 2009 at 15:43:56 (PST)
I am very pleased to find your site and hope to interact with you on the subject of voltage sometime.
Clovis, Ca USA - Saturday, November 07, 2009 at 21:37:12 (PST)
Hey, wow! Its really funny that Ive been going to your site for about 3 years and then I met you with out knowing it. We met at that museum of mysteries thing, I was one of the kids with the plasma grape thing. I would like to request a page on building your own capacitor bank (this isnt a science fair request!).
Alessandro Banducci
USA - Wednesday, November 04, 2009 at 22:55:55 (PST)
I found a cool site that has some cool ways to make one sided magnetic arrays that you might be interested in. I'm posting it here because I haven't been able to find an email adress to send it to. http://www.ian.org/
USA - Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 13:50:57 (PDT)
I bought the flourescent light inverter from All Electronics. Hooked a nine volt battery to the two wires and soldered two more to the connector at the other end. I can feel a little current coming out. Can anyone tell me how to get ten foot lightning out of this. Thanks.
Jonathan B.
L.A., CA USA - Friday, October 23, 2009 at 15:06:58 (PDT)
I just stumbled the Infra-red Goggles page and my mind got to running. A while ago my girlfriend showed me a tutorial on making 'steampunk' goggles. I have been thinking about making the goggles but have not. Now that I have seen the info about your ir goggles I am totally going to make some ir steampunk goggles. :D
Denver, CO USA - Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 10:21:42 (PDT)
Great article on traffic waves. I currently figured out the same on my daily commute. If I allow people to merge well ahead and I keep a constant 35-40mph then the traffic tends to move ahead of me before I reach it. I also notice a big difference in fuel consumption when I drive in this manner. I will normally get between 55-60mpg when I drive aggressively (I drive a small diesel) but when I drive more consistently and smoothly, allowing people to pull into the gap ahead of me I average 65-70mpg... so that saves me about ?150 (approx $225) of fuel per year... Sweet. Keep up the good work! -John
John Willis
Birmingham, UK - Wednesday, October 07, 2009 at 14:26:38 (PDT)
Hi Bill, I came across your site with your hand made holograms and I want to share an interesting site.www.pangeawv.com In West Virginia a man has been collecting ancient metal artifacts with marks all over them, he wants some one to help him. They prouduce many holographic photographs of people and things from a very ancient civilization time. Some hve animals, even the Spinx in Egypt.There are 3 or 4 videos on UTUBE he has also, where he shows them and talks about them. He is collecting them until someone will help him. They are really worth checking out. I hope you will I was really amazed.
St. Charles, IL USA - Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 02:46:55 (PDT)
My wife has a strange ability to interfere with electronics. When she goes near a computer it normally freezes. She does not seem to have static on her. This does not happen all the time but it has happened so much as to exclude the possibility of random chance. Is there an explanation for this? Have you ever heard of similar cases?
David Mifsud
Marsascala, ZBR13 Malta - Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 02:53:57 (PDT)
Hey Bill, It's me agian. We HAVE to find out how the snowflake machine at the MOS worked--and you're the only living human who KNOWS!!! Please email me! Maureen (from your past...)
Maureen McConnell
Worcester, MA USA - Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 14:19:06 (PDT)
Check out www.GlobalScientificSupply.com for laboratory and scientific equipment in stock and on sale. 888-610-7664
Tracey Robert
Wilmington, NC USA - Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 12:34:20 (PDT)
referring to Bill Beaty's airfoil force lifting misconceptions pages after much research I conclude that his is the best explanation of lift I have yet to come across and the clearest, so I recommend it to students of aerodynamics, of which I am one. Thank you.
Michael Smitten
Shifnal, Shropshire UK - Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 06:05:06 (PDT)
Physics from Greece http://www.tsolkas.gr http://www.tsiriggakis.gr/ http://www.papimi.gr/
Spyros Tsolis
Greece, At GR - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 13:19:20 (PDT)
USA - Friday, September 11, 2009 at 20:39:36 (PDT)
Hi! I live in California and noticed your website. My son is very interested in different facets of science and would like to find a youth science club in my area. However, I'm having difficulty finding one through the web. Could you point me in a direction or do you know of any clubs in my area? I'm located in the San Francisco East Bay Area. Thanks.
Antioch, CA USA - Wednesday, September 09, 2009 at 20:12:42 (PDT)
I stumbled across the " Childhood Brain Modifications" site (quite literaly, a la Stumbleupon)
Meshach Mitchell
Jamaica - Monday, September 07, 2009 at 08:22:50 (PDT)
Hello, My Name is Tony Devencenzi. I am a retired instrumentation designer and an amatuer scientist. for the past five years I have been doing a research project on a discovery that I made involving naturally occuring ultra low frequency waves and have performed may experiments that have lead me to postulate a theory that is based in the belief of an aether. I am offering all of my research, details of experiments, virtual instrumentation software that I have written, schematic diagrams, etc, to anyone who is interested. I have just put all this with download ability, on my new website aetherwavetheory.com I am not selling anything, just want to share all of my work. Please let me know if you would link to my site, or if you would like to have copies of my files or pages to share with people, to place on your site. Thanks, Tony Devencenzi
Tony Devencenzi
Bakersfield, ca USA - Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 09:04:28 (PDT)
Hi Bill, I browsed through your site several times now, and though I did not go deep into the stories' detail, I found it incredible that over several years both of us reached similar conclusions about the same phenomena, in completely different places.
I live in Israel and I see all the same scenarios.
Here, we too suffer of the "achieviness" syndrome - trying to get
everything we don't need just for the sake of some one else not having it.
I'm sure you see it all the time in the States :)
The difference is that while in the US size means a lot, here size is more
of a constraint. This, among other causes, brings the entity responsible
for planning the roads to build them optimized at first - as few lanes as
possible. Over the past decade we grew and our commercialized &
industrialized center of the country became denser and denser with
population, which gradually brought the need of wider roads. One ring has
been expanded twice during 15 years. And it's the only ring we've got. On
top of this, this ring still suffers traffic.
But at least this one is well maintained. A lot of the infrastructure is
done by the lowest bidder, and that's usually the guy who can get the
cheapest labor. The cheapest labor around here is usually not as good as
the labor that values its time. This brings a lot of patch-work and brings
the roads to an even worse condition.
Looking at the States, it seems that no matter how wide the roads are,
there will always be lane-jumpers, as you've put it.
Another amazing thing is that you reached your conclusions by mathematical
thinking while I've been exploring this while studying for my BA in
Economics, and reached conclusions based on economic research. I wrote a
short paper (my final) in game theory that proves "watching your distance"
as an optimal strategy for sub-optimal-speed scenarios. In my model the
cause is biased time preferences which bring impatience and preprocreation
(or procrastionation) at times. (check out "Doing it Now or Later" By TED
O'DONOGHUE AND MATTHEW RABIN, I based my paper on theirs -
I find the traffic waves (I called them "traffic lumps", myself, and
prefer to ride between the lumps :) ) effect is caused by a set of
circumstance, rather than just the distance not being kept. While not
keeping your distance is the direct cause, people don't mind their
distance because:
To clear up point "c", I'm sure some version of this happened to you:
you're driving close to someone's rear, your field of vision blocked, and
he hits the brakes. Boy, are you pissed. "What is he doing? What gives him
the right to surp..." you go around him with a sharp swerve of the wheel
and immediately see that he was cut off by some one who just barely
avoided an accident with a truck. Less angry now. But if you kept your
distance, you'd have a wider field of vision, and you'd predict his
actions and respond better yourself.
Another thing worth mentioning, I know of a sort of "Traffic Research
Institute" in Haifa, Israel, but I never looked into it. Hope this
enriches your hobby :)
Thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts, and if you reached
this, for sharing my experiences and thoughts as well.
Please write back in case you have anything else that might interest an
amateur traffic observer :)
With regards,
Dennis Zuckerman
This is an interesting site with an unusual approach to concepts of science. It is very enjoyable.
Bill D. Johnston
Hutchinson, Ks USA - Monday, August 17, 2009 at 18:20:48 (PDT)
I Just Read the 'Traffic Experiments' article and would just like to state that when one lane of traffic is closed by construction,traffic waves are not always caused by people who close the gap. But Instead by people who race all the way to the end of the lane until they are forced to merge by the cones. If people would just merge when it was convenient after becoming aware that their lane was ending rather than race along at top speed as long as possible it would solve a lot of construction related slowdowns. Note to the moderator. My Grammar is atrocious as I'm a speaker not a writer.
Timothy Howell
Ferndale, WA USA - Sunday, August 16, 2009 at 03:04:03 (PDT)
I am almost embarassed to say that I'm an electrical engineer. From my perspective, the SLI effect goes against my rational scientific thought. Some of the electrical theories on your website need to be clarified, but that task alone would take quite some time to explain to the average layman.
Here is my story:
I noticed for a long time that street lights would go out more often for
me than for others. I also noticed that more street lights would go out
when I was stressed. I've never had an entire line of street lights go out
for me, so perhaps I'm not as "powerful" as some who frequent this
website. For me, it seems like the same street lights will turn off as I
pass by night after night (ie on my way home from work). There seems to be
some sort of perimiter because as I walk up, there is an invisible line
that I can cross that will turn off a street light (this is definitely
repeatable). I have no idea why scientists have had difficulty proving
this in a laboratory experiment. Watches with metal wristbands actually
cause me pain in my wrist (similar to the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome)
until I take it off and then the pain slowly decreases (takes about an
hour or two to get back to being pain free). The electrical system in my
car has been wanky. I've gone through two batteries in a short amount of
time, and there seems to be an alternator problem as the lights flicker
inside my car and the headlights too. The alternator has been tested by
more than one mechanic, but the problem persists. I've changed the
headlights and tail lights as they burnt out which may or may not have
been related to the up/down voltages caused by the alternator problem.
I didn't tell anyone else about my experiences until I met a guy with the
same experiences (he's now my husband). My husband has the same problems,
but his wrist hurts more than mine when he wears a watch, so he doesn't
wear one. He's told me that he's broken watches before. He has also had
electrical (gremlins) problems with all of the cars that he's ever owned.
I'm very interested to learn if there are any other common denominators
between those who are SLIders. Does it affect health, longevity, etc?
I'm not psychic, but does being a SLIder give me a predisposition to be?
Is SLI genetic?
Good Day.... My name is Juan Carlos and I am building a new data base related to Energy-Medicine disciplines and we do not have you on our latest records so I am contacting you to let you know about the company that I am working for, Inergetix Inc, (with main offices in north California), and most important to see if we can do something together in benefit of both parts as well as Humanity. Cheers!!! Juan Carlos Gomez
Juan Carlos Gomez
Oregon House, CA USA - Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 23:03:57 (PDT)
I just read your article on breaking up traffic congestion. I wanted to say that you are absolutely incredible! I've been researching ways to get better gas mileage for a year or two now, and I somehow stumbled across this site. I shared it with friends and added it to my web browser's favorites. THANK YOU.
Kevin Macha
Chicagoland, IL USA - Wednesday, August 05, 2009 at 13:33:17 (PDT)
Is there a meeting this Friday in Seattle (Aug. 7th)? The website shows the mtg from July (but mentions the mtgs are the first Friday of every month) - we're interesting in attending your next forum.
Bothellw, WA USA - Tuesday, August 04, 2009 at 09:10:49 (PDT)
Dear sir: I resenly read your artical about Bions, I am screaching for answers as to why my eyes behave like microscopes, I am able to see these Bions or cells every where and they tend to aline like an organized structure especally just before it rains. My eyes also reflect the light around me so when I go into a room without light I still see shapes and bright shinning lights, I tend to stay away from the sun because it bothers me so and Ill get a headach and eye pain, sleep is my only realife, what can I do if anything to stop seeing these unbelieveable things, please help. thanyou.
Crystal Noonan
Ottawa, Canada - Sunday, August 02, 2009 at 17:03:57 (PDT)
Google honors Tesla's birthday on July 10!! http://ghostradio.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/google-honors-nikola-tesla/
Mike Connolly
Ass., IL USA - Saturday, August 01, 2009 at 07:09:25 (PDT)
Hi Bill, Would you consider adding my Debunking Skeptics website (SCEPCOP) to your list of links about skeptics? The link is http://www.debunkingskeptics.com Thanks, Vinstonas
USA - Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 10:58:11 (PDT)
Something that might make an interesting addition to the vortex page: A new BBC show called "Bang Goes the Theory" have as part of their first episode created a 'new' type of vortex cannon. One that generates a subsonic vortex ring using a supersonic explosion channelled out of a cone with a large aperture, rather than by moving a large mass of air through a small aperture.
UK - Monday, July 27, 2009 at 12:17:29 (PDT)
Our Dept. has two large transformers (from x-ray machines) which might be of use to TC makers -- but they are oil-filled and too large to ship. Can you help me find someone in midwest TC circles who might come and get them -- free to a good home. Thanks.
Charles Geilker
Liberty, MO USA - Monday, July 27, 2009 at 09:15:57 (PDT)
Hi, i would be grateful if you could give me information about the bajak flux capacitor and if it is possible to have john bajak ' s e - mail address.I am very interested in the bajak flux capacitor.I have been very serious about time travel for 30 years.I am 50 years old and live in bristol in england in the UK.Be most grateful if you could help me.Kind regards. Dennis
Dennis Arnold
Bristol, England - Sunday, July 26, 2009 at 16:41:46 (PDT)
You have described telling the Truth as:" **REALLY** telling the truth, not like shining a flashlight but like using a blowtorch." Just wanted to say this evokes an image of the purger's fire.
Tina Ryan
Taree, NSW Australia - Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 18:29:21 (PDT)
Your article with a potential explanation for the "pain" on the nails-on-a-chalkboard sound is great! I've been wondering about it for a long time and I agree that the screaming monkeys/infants theory is not satisfactory at all. When I hear these sounds, i.e. rocks scraping together, metal scraping a ceramic plate, teeth grinding, etc. I feel an odd sensation in my teeth, almost an irritating precursor to pain. It seems perfectly logical to me that some system evolved to activate the very sensitive nerves in the teeth whenever they are potentially being damaged. What all of these "painful" sounds have in common is that they are produced by abrasive friction between some hard material and a rocky/ceramic/enamel type material........exactly the conditions that could cause actual tooth damage in the mouth. I haven't munched on rocks lately and don't really want to but right now I feel like your theory is the one to beat. I hope it is actually tested one day.
Joe. T
NY USA - Monday, July 20, 2009 at 13:15:03 (PDT)
How Do You Stop A Tailgater From Tailgating You? How do you stop a tailgater? Speed up? Slow Down? Change Lanes? Shout at him? Shoot at him? Most tailgaters are not trying to deliberately run you down. And if they are, better to jam on the brakes and hope for the best. Usually, they're just not thinking about anyone else except themselves. You need to tell him tailgating is a danger for you without offending him (if that's even possible). So here it is: Flash your four-ways until he backs off. Then wave to say thanks for showing you courtesy and respect. The wave is important. You're saying, "I knew you'd do the right thing." (He took a step in the right direction so applaud him for it.) Next, pat yourself on the back because you started a change in the world and did it in a loud but polite way. Works every time. I don't know why, but it works EVERY TIME! It may be because I'm asking for help instead of displaying anger (which they can mirror back to me) or because I'm publicizing his tailgating to everyone who sees us. But it never failed. (I actually now look forward to someone tailgating me so I can use this technique.)
Doug Wedel
Toronto, Canada - Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 10:58:33 (PDT)
Hi Bill, found your great info on static electricity and thought you might offer some insight into the PYRO-ENERGEN created by Junji Takano in 1968. His device creates a high voltage negative charge around your body that counters what he calls the "paranormal wave" which he says is from the "5th dimension". http://www.pyroenergen.com/process.htm A dry towel will do the same thing but less effectively. Is there anything to his assertion that you need a device like his so that you get a negative charge and not more positive charge. And what about the notion that arc welders are healthier? Thanks, Keith
Keith Rudell
Spring Hill, Fl USA - Friday, July 17, 2009 at 10:31:14 (PDT)
I just ran across your article on electric people. It was with much relief that I read of others like me. I wear a wind up watch due to the problem with batteries, I have to replace cell phone batteries at least once a year, and PCs only last about a 18 months before the blue screen of death. I work in IT, we've figured out that if I don't touch the PC, I use a wireless keyboard and mouse and replace the batteries every couple of months, things are better. It is frustrating and inconvenient, more so because everyone thinks you are nuts. I believe there may be a genetic component as my grand-mother used to complain about the life expectancy of watch batteries and my daughter has just given up on wearing a watch, she can't afford to keep replacing batteries. This is anectdotal though. It would be interesting to have a study done on familes to see if there is any genetic component.
Kodiak, AK USA - Thursday, July 16, 2009 at 16:09:24 (PDT)
I have been experiencing SLI for many years. Recently I had my microwave blow up on me, and this morning My coffee maker blew out with enough force it shot out a flame. My laptops have only lasted a few months and ever time I go to somewhere where they are using a computer they go down. I would like to use this energy to help others but am not sure how to do it. I am a professional parapsychologist. I also blow out street lights, and lights in my home, and many of our outlets won't work when I use them, but they will work for my husband.
Portland, OR USA - Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 08:46:49 (PDT)
I'm currently study on maglev, it will be helpful if you provide some circuits and governing equation on maglev cradle. I involved in more on power electronic and PLC. Maglev is something new to me. I can be reached by sujin7,a,gmail.com
Malaysia - Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 05:27:36 (PDT)
I just wanted to say thank you for providing such a great site for free. I was looking for an easy way of making a generator and I couldn't have asked for a better explanation. Now that I have visited your site it seems obvious but I know that, without you I would still be wrecking my brains- Thanks a Bunch. Kenny
Dundee, Scotland - Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 15:49:59 (PDT)
Hi, I have a quick question: When making your generator, do you have to wind the copper all in one direction, or can you wind it randomly? Thanks.
USA - Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 21:20:38 (PDT)
I have a question about blackholes and my question is this "couldn't a blackhole be nothing more then a burned out red sun"? And one more question if you wanted to time travel couldn't you creat a hollow gram in light and send it to a point or spot in space, like that old TV Show Quantum Leap and Sam Malone with Al couldn't that be done? Thank you Inventor Todd J. Tocco 06-18-09
Inventor Mr Todd J. Tocco
Rotterdam, NY USA - Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 09:28:06 (PDT)
have a look at this, a tunable bandwith semiconductor !!! http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/uoc--tsp061009.php
Morgan Knapp
Jerome, AZ United States - Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 17:09:01 (PDT)
It is generally accepted that Dark Energy and Dark matter fill 96% of space. What has happened to Radiant Energy which has been pouring into the space for 13 or 14 billion years? I can not find the answer to that anywhere on the internet. It appears that Dark Energy and Dark Matter must be some manifestation of Radiant Energy
Joe L. Ogan
Aptos, Ca USA - Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 17:55:31 (PDT)
Radiant Energy is the only thing that has been sent to space for the last 13 to 14 billion years. It must be related to all forms of energy such as Dark Energy and Dark Matter.
Joe L. Ogan
Aptos, Ca USA - Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 15:09:31 (PDT)
It appears to me that Dark Energy, although it may be in a slightly form, is nothing more nor less than Radiant Energy.
Joe L. Ogan
Aptos, Ca USA - Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 15:05:17 (PDT)
If you could arrange your book by date, you might get popular quick. I've been traveling and asking people and getting universal answers regarding the weather; it's getting strange. Thanks for the page! -Tony
Tony D.
Henderson, nv USA - Sunday, June 07, 2009 at 11:34:09 (PDT)
I have submitted a comment but it is not shown. Is there some reason? Joe L. Ogan
Joe L. Ogan
Aptos, Ca USA - Saturday, June 06, 2009 at 16:30:27 (PDT)
I have tried to register but I am not sure that I have succeded. How will know? Joe L. Ogan
Joe L. Ogan
Aptos, Ca USA - Saturday, June 06, 2009 at 14:00:10 (PDT)
Hypothesis re: Radiant Energy, Dark Energy, and Dark Matter No one knows what Dark Energy and Dark Matter really are. I believe that they both are a form of Radiant Energy. I think that both are in different stages of revolving back to a semblance of their original Mass or Matter. I believe, contrary to accepted belief, that both have positive energy rather than Negative Gravity. I can visualize Dark Energy exerting force upon celestial objects and increasing acceleration of expansion of the Universe. I hope to solicit comments from others relevant to my thoughts. I also hope that the improved Hubble will give much greater insight into what has happened to our Universe. I believe that technology exists to utilize Radiant Energy to solve the World's Energy problems Joe L. Ogan
Joe L. Ogan
Aptos, Ca USA - Saturday, June 06, 2009 at 13:20:13 (PDT)
Hi, Bill.Thank you so much for your very informative writings about electricity. It has helped me understand a lot of things that I had erroneous concepts about. I am not a Scientist but I have always had a very deep interest about the origin of the earth. If you are interested, I would like to tell you a hypothesis of mine about Radiant Energy, Dark Energy, Dark Matter and how they relate to our modern day exixtence. Thanks again. Joe L. Ogan
Joe L. Ogan
Aptos, Ca USA - Saturday, June 06, 2009 at 10:38:55 (PDT)
I happened upon your site and wanted to request a link back to my site: www.ifrog.us. Its a free, educational website about frogs.
Mesa, AZ USA - Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 19:10:49 (PDT)
Hello, I really liked your posts. Especially the Working of a Transistor (which i'm studying in my college now). I especially liked the flow of "charges" concept. Seriously, i can't imagine how you ever thought of that. Time to make a fool of my teacher :P
Koushik S
Bangalore, -- India - Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 07:25:53 (PDT)
Ran across this site looking for electronic engineering goodies. I'm loving your explanation of how transistors work. Great site *thumbs up*
Mike Wennmacher
IL USA - Friday, May 22, 2009 at 00:18:22 (PDT)
Radiolariax: www.freewebs.com/radiolariax The hunt for weird radio signals and other electromagnetic waves with cheap modified radios, cassette players, walkie-talkies, dictaphones, babyphones, pc speakers,... and simple circuits.
Belgium - Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 10:50:49 (PDT)
Hey ppl. I know this is an old site and stuff but i have run out of options. In three weeks i have a seventh grade science experiment due and it has to be on nikola tesla- can somebody PLEASE give me ideas. Email me at dizzzy1230,a,yahoo.com Bill I am sorry that I did this but I REALLLY NEED It thanks soo much if u keep it on. UR SITE ROX
WA USA - Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 16:46:32 (PDT)
Please post the URL for a new site w/ information and a lesson plan for teaching middle and high-school biology/entomology/biodiversity (and related subjects) in the Puget Sound area. http://invasives.wsu.edu/defoliators/index.html Thanks
Eric LaGasa
Olympia, WA USA - Monday, May 18, 2009 at 14:52:52 (PDT)
Is there a suppression during a time of need, this makes no sense for our future is at risk!!! There are free energy technologies and Permanent magnetic motors, if each house had a permanent magnetic motor to power the home and we drove electric cars. There would be hell of allot less greenhouse gases being emitted. If you can understand this next bit then welldone if you cant then think harder! DRAW this, 5 evenly spread lines coming out from a center point each tipped with south poled magnets as the base is north then have 4 evenly spread SHAPELY curved double poled magnets(north-south) on the outer. Using the right stretched,half diamond cured inwards shape outer double poled magnets and materials this pattern in general could be redefined to make MANY different types of magnetic motors.Can you think of your own? i have dozens in my head its so easy!simple ideas are usually the best ideas! Using the right combination of old and new technology with enough static energy to overcome part of the laws of diminishing returns THIS WILL power something usable, such as a house, car, generators and much more. If you have drawn it right you will have one inner south poled magnet in the center of one of the double-poled outer magnets while two of the inner south poled magnets are attracting the other two are being repelled this then forces the one that is in the center to repelle at its thickest part of repelling.3D runs through the outer magnets just something i come up with years ago. C.S.I.R.O. Australia has one that can produce 3 500rpm, is there no investigation into this if there is then were is it? Does anyone out there know any thing about this besides a select few. Josh. M. of Western Australia,Mandurah i am Australian aboriginal from Broome and i'm sure i wont benefit from this. aka (munky) hope this is'nt to much info for your little brain to process.
Josh F Martin
Mandurah, wa Australia - Monday, May 18, 2009 at 07:22:34 (PDT)
So last week ThinkGeek announced they are sellinlg packs of "BuckyBalls Magnetic Building Spheres" which include 216 1/8th inch (3.17500 mm to me) spherical rare earth magnets. Noticing this is 6 cubed, I was trying to decide whether to buy 2 or 3 packs, and eventually settled on buying 6. They should arrive shortly...
Dom S
Wamboin, NSW Australia - Sunday, May 17, 2009 at 04:36:21 (PDT)
Have you, Bill, or your readers, seen schematics for an electronic device use to copy homeopathic remedies, "potentize" them, or make them from raw substances? And/or how does one select the potency with such a device? I've seen one used, but I don't know what was inside. It looked like a coffee mug warmer, a little platform onto which was placed: (1) a glass vial to receive the imprint; (2) substance to be copied (either another glass vial bearing an energy pattern, or a raw substance). I'd like to try making one myself. Seems closest to Benveniste's digibio and may try Rick Anderson's circuit, with white noise, or just EMF pulses as sharp as I can make them.
L. Gray
Kansas City, KS USA - Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 03:35:31 (PDT)
We've developed a science education TV and web series called, "I Can Be..." which focuses on career information with an emphasis on the sciences for middle school aged children. This is a labor of love I self financed because I think people working in the science fields who love their work are better role models for kids than hollywood celebrities. The website" www.i-can-be.com offers free information and content from such notable places as Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Condor Recovery Program, the Los Angeles Zoo and the newest school of veterinary medicine in the country. You can check it out at: www.i-can-be.com Free video content and information about animals featured in the zoo segment is included on the site. Our site also offers a DVD for sale by schools and the DVD is also being distributed by the Library Video Company.
fullerton, CA USA - Friday, May 08, 2009 at 15:47:35 (PDT)
In response to your beautiful insight on "How are Watts, Ohms, Amps, and Volts related ?" I have a question. I am an amateur but heavily enthused and pushing full speed ahead into the realms of electricity. My curiosity is this, As more current flows through a wire, and this causes ( I assume ) some proportional increase in heat, Does this also cause the field around the wire (of 'electrical energy' , watts or joules per second if I am correct) to proportionally grow larger or smaller in diameter in relation to in increase or decrease in amperage ( or resistance ) - aka heat ? And to clarify technicality, is it safe to say that the 'electrical energy' around the wire forms the shape of a torus whose inner most layer ('the doughnut hole') is 'perfectly' butted up against the outtermost layer or 'skin' of the raw wire itself ( taken for granted the physical presence of the insulation around a wire in this case is completely neglected by the 'electrical energy' or field of joules, as if it - the insulation - does not even exist ) ? I hope these make sense.. I'm growing terribly fascinated and would appreciate any depth of response. Thanks, Mark
Mark Grote
louisville, KY USA - Wednesday, May 06, 2009 at 23:20:13 (PDT)
Interesting. But, so what? Even if scientists sneer at what they disagree with, the burden of proof rests with the claimants. Even if conventional science makes 1000 mistakes, the burden of proof remains on the claimants!
ed thomas
USA - Wednesday, May 06, 2009 at 06:24:59 (PDT)
The code of the pyramid like starry gates can open the way to the stars, but it can be a weapon of self-destruction for our civilization as well. The history of science shows, that many scientific discoveries didn?t only serve for mankind, but were against people and civilizations. http://www.amazon.com/Pyramids-Architect-Universe-Petros-Petrosyan/dp/1595268537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238548371&sr=1-1
Petros Petrosyan
Chicago, IL USA - Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 13:56:27 (PDT)
Bill, hi. Very good articles, trying to put all the dots about the 'i's. However, you don't explore the fact that we don't understand what an "electric charge" or "electric energy" actually is! Fundamentally, we have no idea. You do give a sort of a definition to charge by saying it's "sybstance-like", but that's not really an explanation. On a basic level, we talk, use and produce "electricity", but really have no idea what it is...
USA - Friday, April 24, 2009 at 01:25:47 (PDT)
Hi, Used to be an engineer and technician in Silicon Valley CA, in the 1980s. Was a QA Engineer as Nat'l Semiconductor in 1980, was also an engineer at NCR, and NASA JSC for RCA Space Operations briefly also in the 1980s. Most recently attended grad school in Chicago at IIT; Stanford in the 1980s audit. Anyway, been interested in electronics- statics, current, since 1960s...
John Stoll
Peoria, IL USA - Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 13:03:43 (PDT)
forgot to add the link...
ny, ny USA - Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 03:23:42 (PDT)
Years ago my students made a lifter from scratch. check out the video. cheers, russ
russ gibb
dearborm, mi USA - Monday, April 20, 2009 at 11:50:28 (PDT)
I have combed the internet looking for definitive illustrations of why tailgating isn't just bad manners, dangerous, and a contribution to congestion, but is really of little-if-no benefit to the person who is tailgating. I can't find anything! It would be great to show illustrations of "angles of escape" (during normal driving conditions) showing how the closer you drive to the person in front of you relative to the speed at which you're traveling, the more trapped you become, the less your field of view you have around the car ahead of you, and the more stress you heap upon yourself as a result of having to be wound up enough to always react that much faster than those who keep a good distance back (and can relax that much more as a result). Here's a good analogy: Picture playing tennis the normal way, then try playing it on the same court, half the distance from the net. That would prove challenging and even frustrating, yet tailgating while driving is a lot like that, and people don't seem to realize it. Pretty please, with sugar on top: Create some illustrative diagrams?? I don't have that talent for programming applets or drawing illustrations on the computer that you do, or I would have done this myself and shared it all over the internet.
Malee Holland
Orlando, FL USA - Friday, April 17, 2009 at 13:33:52 (PDT)
Has anyone else toyed with the idea of an electric gun? Basicly a solenoid for a breach. A crude setup is a 35# coil wound around a none conductive breach and using any smoothbore pipe as a barrel. The charge to the solenoid is basicly a car ignition system. The ammo is simply a bit of iron bar to fit the bore and you eliminate the dangers of storing and manufacturing cordite ect. Thought i'd offer the idea to you guys in the USA to tinker with as you have so much more freedom to play. Us brits play with guns responsibly and we are instantly labelled terrorists by the socialists in charge. Somebody get me a green card & a lab, maybe our heroes could have reliable kit. Sorry, last bit was my rant against comrade brown. Good luck with all the projects folks. remember, a person in a shed has done more to change the course of history in the last 200yrs than any goverment
England - Saturday, April 04, 2009 at 19:01:54 (PDT)
Diesel-electric locomotives. As the load increases on the traction motors, more power/electricity is needed from the generator/alternator, in turn making the diesel engine working harder and harder. Why? Is there some resistance building up inside the generator as demand for electricity increases? Please help.
richard van emrik
Corning, NY USA - Monday, March 30, 2009 at 17:56:24 (PDT)
I have just uploaded two better drawings of a WHALE'S TAIL windpower generator design, explaining the BERNOULLI PRINCIPLE advantage (thanks to Bill's work), and also incorporates Tom Kasmer's HYDRISTOR. I have just read that Bill is swamped with emails. Ideally, I would like for him to look at my webpage mentioned, and give to me his valued feedback. And, I also appreciate feedback from any and all who are interested in looking at this new and novel way to harvest energy from the wind. http://darinselby.1hwy.com/whalestailworkings.html
Darin Selby
Sedona, AZ USA - Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 18:44:05 (PDT)
Great site. I was wondering if I could get a "Word" Version of the Ultra Simple Electric Generator? I work for an elctric company and we are doing a presentation for a Grade 4 class tomorrow and would like them to have a copy of this. But your site does not have a printable version, that I can find. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Brett Schwartz
Dauphin, MB Canada - Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 13:49:20 (PDT)
Very good site: thank you :-)
Andrea de Capoa
Torino, Italy - Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 22:42:28 (PDT)
Nice Site. I found lot of interesting stuff here. However, I do have a question about the mechancal levitation experiment. why does it have to be done with a powerfull mgnet and cannot be done with a weaker one. I would realy like to know. Tx for your help. Tom
Tom De Buck
Belgium - Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 06:36:11 (PDT)
I finally got around to building my IR goggles! And all I can say is... WOWOWOOOW!!! Thanks a lot for coming up with the idea :D
Vlad Dolezal
- Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 07:52:18 (PDT)
Congratulations! The Weird Science Database of Unexplained Events has won the Reality Shifting Award of Excellence this month, March 2009, for demonstrating excellence in content and design and being informative and unique while helping people shift their reality in a positive direction. You can see a complete list of all previous winners of this award, and the award logo at: http://realityshifters.com/pages/winners.html Sincerely, Cynthia Sue Larson
Cynthia Sue Larson
Berkeley, CA USA - Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 19:06:39 (PDT)
I was totaly screwed cuz i could not find squat for a science fair idea, I built a VDG machine andtotald at an A and came first place! So whoever says that this website suks is a jerk!!!
Pembroke, CAN - Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 18:17:57 (PDT)
great information bill
salt lake, ut USA - Friday, March 13, 2009 at 00:22:55 (PDT)
Found your site tonight, looking for an explanation of how LED's make light. I have search for an answer to this before and failed. Your answer was brillliant and easy to understand. I will be reading more of your stuff on your site. Thanks Andy http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/amateur/led.html
Andrew W. Szerdi 4th
Gladwin, MI USA - Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 21:53:33 (PDT)
Hi, thanks for the FET field sensor. I'm providing equipment for a physics class; electrostatics is being studied now, and the sensor will go great with the electroscope, leyden jar, and electrostatic motor.
Tony Russell
Sudbury, MA USA - Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 16:13:33 (PDT)
Hoq to resonate a big quartz crystal?
dick baublitz
carson city, nevada USA - Saturday, March 07, 2009 at 15:42:58 (PST)
Wow. A very good site useful for teachers! Cheers, Andrea.
Andrea de Capoa
Torino, Italy - Saturday, March 07, 2009 at 00:54:38 (PST)
My paper, cited above, is an ongoing investigation of subsonic aerodynamics at the particle level. I'm only using Newton's laws between the particles and so calculating is a problem. (Avogadro's number is pretty large even for modern computers.) Thanks, Bill, for your model and for your intellectual honesty. This stuff is tough.
Charlie Crummer
Paris, France - Tuesday, March 03, 2009 at 03:12:21 (PST)
james m margolis
montreal, PQ CANADA - Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 10:48:56 (PST)
Hi Bill, Great site! I learned some tricks I've not seen before, and I've been trawling for info on my Wimshurst for ages... I love the pop bottle motor, I'm going to try that! But regarding a power supply for it, you mention that a Tesla Coil may or may not work. Well it depends on the coil - typical coils are air-cored and charge-pumped by a fast DC pulse, not AC, so it makes sense that any ungrounded capacitative surface will get a bias over a grounded one in the field of a working coil, as the field is biased. Bearing in mind that a sizeable coil can put out kilovolts of AC / Pulsed DC, its going to induct a fair bit of that into the plates. If the coil is charged by an AC wave instead of a DC pulse, then there will be no overall bias and the ungrounded plate will not charge, and the motor wont run. Tesla was experimenting with tuned coils to transmit power through the air to boats hundreds of meters away, before his death; there still exists a tower intended to house the transmitter on the US coast somewhere. I should look up where ;) Jez
UK - Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 14:25:35 (PST)
G'day, Just wanted to thank you for an awseome site. I pass through here often after googling certain topics. And this site always ends up having some of the best and most relevant info. Cheers! Keep up the great work.
TAS Australia - Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 04:27:11 (PST)
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faisalabad, Punjab Pakistan - Friday, February 06, 2009 at 09:34:36 (PST)
Bill, thanks for the simple generator instructions. We made one with two magnets that I ripped from a microwave someone left by a dumpster. After an initial design with some problems, I used your debugging and placed the magnets in cylindrical sea salt container and used the solenoid you recommended (actually pried it apart with a regular pliars and screwdriver). Anyway, worked like a charm. One little twist lights the recommended bulb just fine. Keep up the good work.
Ray Givler
Camp Hill, PA USA - Thursday, February 05, 2009 at 18:40:47 (PST)
Why can we hear E.M. energy. The "stuff" that flows thru wires.
gary shatto
Des Moines, IA USA - Tuesday, February 03, 2009 at 18:02:13 (PST)
Thanks to Willam Beaty....enlightning material...i still want to clarify some points with him...any email ??? pleease contact
aswin ramesh
tvm, INDIA - Sunday, February 01, 2009 at 06:07:00 (PST)
My child is doing a science project and he loves your homemade electric generator. He is expanding the project to have a water mill turn the generator. What our question is after watching the electric generaror video is there any kind of blueprint or step by step instruction to the model built with the plexiglass and pvc? Thanks and my kid(5th grade) thinks you guys are super cool!!!
Brooklyn, NY USA - Friday, January 30, 2009 at 06:42:26 (PST)
Hey! Great Job on everything! I am doing Science Fair and used the Ultra-Simple Electric Generator as my project!
Tracy, CA USA - Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 12:19:12 (PST)
Hi! I am trying to understand the evolution of electrical sockets, as my prewar-but-renovated apartment appears to have one of every sort. Thank you for your article http://amasci.com/amateur/whygnd.html -- well written and also very fun to read.
New York, NY USA - Friday, January 23, 2009 at 22:55:31 (PST)
I had seen you "RIDICULOUSLY SENSITIVE ELECTRIC CHARGE DETECTOR" in my area i couldn't able to get MPF-102 N-channel Field Effect Transistor (FET)- Please inform the equivalent for that.. Sujai
coimbatore , T.N India - Friday, January 23, 2009 at 20:27:40 (PST)
I'm teaching an electric charge lab this week in our homeschool co-op and the book left me ill-equipped to really field questions. Your site was very helpful. Many thanks!
R. Bairdsen
Columbia, SC USA - Monday, January 19, 2009 at 17:17:49 (PST)
I would like you to link with
Ivor Catt
Ivor Catt
St Albans, England - Monday, January 19, 2009 at 15:38:07 (PST)
This is a great website! We really appreciate your effort in bringing some of these like minded people together. Thanks, Memphis Surplus
Memphis Surplus
Cleveland, OH USA - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 13:39:39 (PST)
Hi there, very interesting site! Since you seem to know about electronics and Hall sensors, i have a question for whoever wants to respond: I am trying to convert a 0.25-2.5 Volts signal to 0-90 Ohms (its for displaying the contents of the LPG tank in my car on my cars fuel gauge). The volts signals is coming from a Hall sensor. Any suggestions? Please include henk.noordermeer(:at:)gmail .com Thanks a lot in advance (I know more about mechanics than electronics, hence this probably silly question.. can't be too difficult can it?)
Woudenberg, Netherlands - Monday, January 12, 2009 at 16:22:00 (PST)
Hi, I really enjoyed your "VARIOUS INTERESTING SCIENCE TOYS" section. The solar powered glow bricks are a great idea! Thanks, Kerry Mann Science Toys from Steve Spangler Science
Kerry Mann
Boulder, CO USA - Tuesday, January 06, 2009 at 11:47:06 (PST)
I am sure you get sweltered with requests from your Science website. (I know it's late but I couldn't sleep) I am excited to use some of your examples for my eight graders! I could probably use a few for scouts too.. Anyways I know you don't like link requests but I would love to link up from my Eco/Science website. My website is http://www.keep-green.com But really if you don't care to swap links I completely understand but your site was still very nice - I will reference your site to my class. I truly appreciate your professionalism and response. Respectfully, N. Peterson
Nathan Peterson
Albuquerque, NM USA - Tuesday, January 06, 2009 at 01:57:38 (PST)
THANKYOU O GREAT ONE, I have, at last been shown the correct thinking on transistors. Regards, Gordon
Gordon Youd
UK - Saturday, January 03, 2009 at 06:47:11 (PST)
THANKYOU O GREAT ONE, I have, at last been shown the correct thinking on transistors. Reagrds, Gordon
Gordon Youd
UK - Saturday, January 03, 2009 at 06:46:30 (PST)
Hello, I was hoping this event can be posted on your web-site to alert everyone. Dan Falk In Search of Time Discussion and Signing January 10, 2009 3:00 PM Glendale - Borders 100 S. Brand Blvd. Glendale, CA 91204 In his latest book, award-winning science writer Dan Falk chronicles the story of how humans have come to understand time over the millennia. How did our species first become aware of time's passage? Could the "flow" of time be an illusion? Is time travel possible? Drawing on the latest research in physics, cosmology, psychology, and anthropology, In Search of Time is an extraordinary journey along a most curious dimension. ----- Carlos Marin JR Event Marketing Manager Zone 5-BORDERS 3700 Torrance Blvd. Torrance, CA 90503 W: 310-614-4168 | C: 310-614-4168 email@example.com
Carlos Marin
West Hollywood, ca USA - Saturday, January 03, 2009 at 01:47:13 (PST)
cannot seem to re subscribe to Vortex-L keep getting address 'rejected by remote SMTP server'. Tried sending e-mail to 'billb amasci.com' but that seems to be hosted by eskimo north as well and gets sent back to as undeliverable
Standing Bear
USA - Thursday, January 01, 2009 at 21:47:01 (PST)
You are a true Nerd's Nerd...a man with a small turbine engine on top of your beanie (where other lesser men merely have propellers)
I thought the scratch hologram stuff was great, and then I saw all other great stuff on your site, wow. You have inspired me, your website makes me want to be a better nerd (Jack voice there, unfortunately you appear to be chromosomally about as far from Hellen Hunt as it is possible to be ; ) ) Now I feel much more empowered to embrace my inner weird.
Now except for the fact that there appears to be no references to
H2G2/Douglas Adams or Heywood Banks on your sight, Long May You Run Sir;
or at least until you are chased off a cliff by a large pack of naked
woman, of your choosing, or get the bad mousse, or end up in a life raft
at sea some where, having to decide who is going to have to eat which part
of whom and what condiments they would like with that)

subset: commoncrawl