Ask A Moron: Tape Causes Fusion

I asked myself earlier today*, Can you use single-side 'scotch' tape to create nuclear fusion?

Apparently, yes:

Researchers have found a new "see-through" use for clear sticky tape -- it produces X-rays when it is peeled off the roll.

The report in the journal Nature confirms a theory dating back to 1930 -- that the process of peeling the tape releases energy not only in the form of a flash of visible light, but also an X-ray.

Many children hiding in closets have demonstrated that unwinding sticky tape produces sparks of light. The phenomenon is called triboluminescence and is caused by the movement of one surface against another.

Carlos Camara of University of California, Los Angeles and colleagues used a motorized peeling machine to unwind a roll of tape in a vacuum.

They generated enough X-rays to show the bones inside their fingers.

Holy crap.  I hear you out there saying, "but you said there'd be fusion!"  So there shall:

"If you unroll the tape on your office desk in ambient conditions you only get visible light. You don't get X-rays," he added. This is because gases in the air slow down the electrons that produce the X-rays.

"What always makes X-rays in general is electrons that are moving very fast and suddenly get stopped," Camara, a physicist, said.

"They are flying from one side of the tape to the other as you separate them. You get something like a miniature lightning strike."

This property might be used to make nuclear fusion, Camara and his team said. All it would take is about 10 times as much energy as was produced during the experiment, he said.

It might be possible to unroll the tape even faster to get the effect, Camara said.

"It's just an energy issue. We have managed to get X-rays with this. If you could go another factor of 10 you could get that much more energy and fusion would be proof of that much energy," he said.

It is a very strange world. 

* - I am only posting this as an Ask A Moron so we can get more questions.  I know CB asked me about my car but I just can't find a clever way to explain buying exactly the same car.  It actually does get good mileage and is fun to drive... if I'd bought a cement truck it would have been more entertaining. 

So what I'm saying is, leave your questions in the comments or e-mail them to chaos -dot- overlord -at- gmail -dot- com.

Posted by: Moron Pundit at 09:22 AM | Comments (23) | Add Comment
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The quantum candidate

Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering the fact that the man is essentially a cipher (thanks, MSM!), just who Barack Obama actually is depends on who's looking at him at any given moment:

"You never know what a president is like until he gets there," said David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, the largest grassroots Right-wing organisation.

"He talks a good game in terms of trying to be a centrist but his policy positions are not those of a centrist. He is very partisan and ideologically oriented."

In a 1996 survey during his run for the Illinois senate, Obama ticked every liberal box: strong support of abortion, strongly in favour of gun control, strongly opposed to capital punishment.

But Matt Bennett, a deputy assistant in Clinton's White House, says that Obama has matured. "He was once a community activist in Chicago so at certain stages in his life he would have been identifiable as a liberal Democrat.

"But like a lot of us, as he has aged, his idealism has been replaced to some part with a strong pragmatism. He is interested in what will make a difference to people's lives. I would define him as a moderate Democrat."

Uh-huh. So all that stuff about him being the most liberal member of the Senate was...what, exactly? And his "spread the wealth" comment in response to Joe the Plumber? No biggie, and you'd better not use that racist code word, the one that begins with an S, to describe him, either.  Racist.

And then, there's this not-so-old chestnut:

No, he doesn't sound at all like a liberal idealist there. Why, I think I might have even mistaken him for Harry Truman while I was watching that clip. Yeah.

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McCain ought to just buy up ad space and play this audio clip over and over

Seriously,



It's already up at Drudge as the headline. 

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Ridge to McCain: Dude, shoulda totally picked me

He's basically saying he'd have carried PA.  Let me assure you, that's bullshit, and that's not even counting the effect that having a huge number of pro-life people stay home nationally, just like picking Romney would have caused a huge number of pro-2nd people and evangelicals to stay home, and Huck would have caused small government people to stay home.  Lieberman would have made the entire conservative coalition walk. 

No, McCain wouldn't make up the deficit of conservatives with centrists, independents and moderate Democrats, either, besides, moderates, independents and Democrats don't usually volunteer or donate.  Palin was the only choice McCain had, with the possible exception of Cantor, that wouldn't have caused a mass walkout by large numbers of conservatives.

No, I have idea why the hell I'm suddenly compelled to write so many posts tonight...

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 12:32 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Were Vikings Ghey Metrosexuals?

Maybe so, according to this article.

Academics claim that the old stereotype is damaging, and want teenagers to be more appreciative of the Vikings' social and cultural impact on Britain.

They say that the Norse explorers, far from being obsessed with fighting and drinking, were a largely-peaceful race who were even criticised for being too hygienic.

The university's department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic has published a guide revealing how much of the Vikings' history has been misrepresented.

They did not, in fact, wear horned or winged helmets. And they appear to have been a vain race who were concerned about their appearance.

"It seems that the Vikings may not have been as hairy and dirty as is commonly imagined," the guide says.

"A medieval chronicler, John of Wallingford, talking about the eleventh century, complained that the Danes were too clean - they combed their hair every day, washed every Saturday, and changed their clothes regularly."

The guide reveals that Norsemen were also stylish trend-setters: "Contemporaries who met individual Vikings were struck by the extreme bagginess of their trousers.

"A tenth-century Persian explorer described trousers (of Vikings in Russia) that were made of one hundred cubits of material, and a number of runestones depict warriors with flared breeches."

The traditional view of the Vikings as "illiterate warring thugs" exaggerates considerably the reality of their life, the academics argue.

"Although Norse men and women may have sometimes liked fighting and drinking, and were sometimes buried with weapons, they also spent much of their time in peaceful activities such as farming, building, writing and illustrating."

So, does this change the meaning of "Like A Viking"?

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NH Democrat Party Chair, talking to Gold Star Mother: "We've all lost things"

Said party chair was referring to those lost in war...yeah, he says, "We've all lost things," to a Gold Star Mother, then referred to his own service and saying he lost friends in combat in Vietnam.  Well, our friend Jonn Lilyea at This Ain't Hell decided to take a look at the good party chair's bio.  Turns out, this guy is amazing!  Between elementary school and Little League, he managed to find time to go looking for Charlie in the jungles of 'Nam, and campaigned for Ed Muskie in 1972, all before dinner and bedtime!  Talk about an overachiever.  I'd also suggest searching his name at youtube for clips of the guy, just to see what a screwball he is.  Good grief, the NH Democrats really made this guy their party chair?

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 10:34 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Was Ayers trained in Cuba?

This story is very worth checking out, I got the same email, and it's legit, not some crackpot.  Several Weather Underground members were sent to Cuba to be trained, then flown back in the States through Europe because the government was going to try and incept them through Canada.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 09:19 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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The latest "Democrat internal pollster says the polls are crap and Obama's coronation is far from certain" story

Here you go, and the money quote,

She said she has very little doubt that the public polling is part of a “concerted voter suppression effort” by the MSM. She said IBD/TIPP was the only outfit doing public polling that was “worth a bucket of warm piss”.

Treacher definitely called this right, the polls are nothing but operations meant to suppress GOP turnout, and we should have been ignoring them from the get-go.  It's going to be very, very close, but we're not out of this fight yet.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 08:37 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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Slam of the Day

It comes from Fred Barnes, whose article this week on Sarah Palin is a must read:

My advice is ignore the critics who know far less about Palin than she does about foreign policy. A good example is Ken Adelman, who headed the arms control agency in the Reagan administration. Adelman recently endorsed Obama and said he "would not have hired [Palin] for even a mid-level post in the arms control agency." Well, I know both Palin and Adelman. And Ken, I'm sorry to tell you, but I think there are an awful lot of jobs in Washington that Palin would get before you.

Somewhat related in it's awesome awesomeness: Mark Levin on The Obama Temptation. 

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 07:23 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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For all your Zombie Apocalypse needs

To prove that my consumer whoredom isn't limited to shoes, I bring you this vital store. Zombie Tools For all your zombie killing needs.

I kind of really want the zombie Che t-shirt.

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Zombies, Palin converge on Asheville

The dead have risen, and they're shambling past a Sarah Palin rally:

As many as 700 zombies are expected to amble up Flint Street past the Civic Center about 5 p.m., just after doors open for the Palin event.

Dan Burrello, who started the Asheville Zombie Walk in 2006, said he spoke with the Secret Service and Palin advance team about the walk.

“I mean, when you see 700 shambling dead zombies walking toward the Civic Center up the bridge, it would probably get the Secret Service's attention,” Burrello said with a laugh Friday. “So we gave them a heads up on it to make sure they know we're not doing any kind of protest or (are a) threat in anyway.”

It may just be a coincidence, but then again, you don't see anyone searching for brrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaiiiiiinnnns anywhere near a Joe Biden event.

(h/t)

Posted by: Sean M. at 06:51 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Hmmmm.....yeah, I don't get that vibe off Palin

It would almost be worth McCain losing, just to keep the people saying this crap about Gov. Palin from having good jobs:

"She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," said this McCain adviser. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.

She doesn't trust anyone in her family?  Really?  That's the line you're going to use to get people to believe your story?

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 01:27 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Forget it, he's rolling

In a post that quotes both Winston Churchill and John Blutarsky (that might just be a first), Jim Treacher urges defiance:

You can talk back to the people who are lying to you, lying about you. You are not helpless. We are not helpless. Their constant drumbeat -- "Obama is inevitable, Obama is inevitable, Obama is inevitable" -- is a sign of weakness, not strength. If they really thought he could win on his own merits, they wouldn't be trying so hard to brainwash you.

Most of all, you can vote. You might try to outwit yourself: "Well, I live in a blue state, so my vote doesn't matter anyway. Besides, they've already pretty much bragged about how they're going to steal the election, and they're getting away with it." All the more reason to take a little time out of your day on Nov. 4 and spite them. They think we're stupid. They think we're cowards. They think we'll believe whatever they say just because they're the ones saying it. Personally, I have no interest in proving them right.

Give 'em hell, Treach.

He's right, you know. This thing isn't over. Not by a longshot. And it's going to take every single one of us to do our part by at least voting. There's still time to volunteer as well. Or if you have friends and family who are still on the fence or are thinking about sitting it out, talk to them.

And in the end, just imagine how good it will feel to do something that doesn't help Michelle's kids.

Posted by: Sean M. at 08:48 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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of cabbages and kings

The last few days have been very wearying, both on the political front and the personal front. But this, this is made of pure, unadulterated win. 



It doesn't hurt that I think Jensen Ackles is stupid pretty.

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Dogs Living The Moron Lifestyle?

It's more likely than you would think, especially with this pooch.

The two-year-old labrador was left with a monster of a hangover last week after it drunk its way through four litres of cask wine.

Roxy's owner Anne went out to the garage last Wednesday night to discover two empty casks and Roxy snoring in the corner. Anne is a sales merchandiser for Independent Liquor and the casks were for a customer.

Roxy being a labrador and thinking there was a possibility of food had torn open the casks and proceeded to drink the wine up. It seems Mystic Ridge medium white wine really agreed with her palate....initially.

"She was fast asleep and snoring. When I realised what she had done I rang the vet who said to try and wake her and walk it off.

"She could not walk, her eyes were open but she could not move, so he told us to bring her in."

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Al-Qaeda: "Please, voters, don't throw us into the briar patch!"

The WaPo reported earlier this week that Al-Qaeda was apparently endorsing McCain:

"Al-Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election," said a commentary posted Monday on the extremist Web site al-Hesbah, which is closely linked to the terrorist group. It said the Arizona Republican would continue the "failing march of his predecessor," President Bush.

Riiiiiiight. The "failing march" that includes no attacks on our soil in more than seven years, thousands of dead or jailed terrorists around the world, and what looks like success in Iraq over...Al-Qaeda.

Yes, Al-Qaeda sees the election of John McCain as "a vindication of its strategy of crippling America's economy through endless, costly foreign wars against Islamist insurgents."

And the terrorist group's endorsement wouldn't have anything to do with the idea that "we're going to have an international crisis to test the mettle" of Barack Obama."  Or the fact that he's the guy who's been promising to pull out of Iraq since, forever.  Or...


Of course, here's the main point: Americans hate Al-Qaeda.  So why would they endorse McCain?  "Some terrorism experts said the support for McCain could be mere bluster by a group that may have more to fear from a McCain presidency," the WaPo at least admits.  Why would they try to influence a U.S. election?

Where did I find this article?  Why, through the column of some douche writing for the Grauniad whose subhead says that "it seems terrorists would prefer McCain in the White House." 

The fact that a columnist for a lefty UK paper could miss the terrorist group's intentions is just shocking.

Dumbass.

Posted by: Sean M. at 06:15 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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A Monkey in Overalls Rides a Segway

In many ways, Japanese culture is far, far ahead of American culture. 

This is one of those ways.

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 02:17 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It seems the 2012 political season has already started

Newsweek just asked (PDF) registered Republicans who they would like to run in 2012 if John McCain doesn't win in November.  The results?

Mitt Romney 30%
Mike Huckabee 26%
Sarah Palin 20%

I will just note that there was no similar question for Democrats.  They seem certain their Messiah will win. 

Also, Mitt Romney and the Huckster in the 1 and 2 slots?  Are these people serious?

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 12:23 AM | Comments (24) | Add Comment
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I Usually Do Not Attend Hockey Games, But This Was A Special Night

One of my friends was in town, and he had an extra ticket to the St. Louis Blues Hockey Game tonight. Normally, I do not go to hockey, but I did receive a suggestion that this night would be a good one. And not just because the fights are sponsored by beer companies.


No, this night was special because of who was in attendance:



more...

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Who caused the St. Louis Blues' goalie to get injured

The Great Satan herself, of course. 

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 11:31 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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