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Calendar

Date Description
6 Mar Ask Anything Wednesday - Engineering, Mathematics, Computer science
8 Mar International Women's Day
11 Mar AskScience AMA Series: Brain Cell Atlases
13 Mar Ask Anything Wednesday - Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Medicine, Psychology
14 Mar AskScience AMA Series: Addiction Treatment and Cannabis
14 Mar Albert Einstein's Birthday
14 Mar Pi Day
20 Mar Ask Anything Wednesday - Economics, Political Science, Linguistics, Anthropology
27 Mar Ask Anything Wednesday - Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science

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  1. For more open-ended questions, try /r/AskScienceDiscussion | Sign up to be a panelist!

We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers. -Carl Sagan, Cosmos

/r/askscience

24,844,156 Subscribers

1

How were people able to stay still for surgeries before the invention of anesthesia?

How did people get surgeries done before anesthesia was invented? How were they able to stay still and not move around during the procedures?

There's no way people could just grit their teeth and feel being cut, could they? The pain alone had to make people act out.

15 Comments
2024/02/28
18:33 UTC

328

Could an event like the devastation of Herculaneum & Pompeii happen today in a similar fashion?

I was asking myself and checking on warning systems etc., but I am still interested in actually educated opinions.

Thinking about stuff like Mt. Saint Helens for example: There were warnings in place, and fortunately the area is thinly populated in Skamania, WA. Yet given all the protective measures we have in place today, could a pyroclastic stream like that destroy a city like that and killing all the people, or would we be able to evacuate in time? Could we be taken by surprise by a quick and unwarranted eruption, or are there always warning signs, quakes, etc.?

I am not sure what kind of flair is appropriate, so I am going with "Earth Sciences".

75 Comments
2024/02/29
11:56 UTC

0

"Pseudosuchia" seems wrong, considering it includes actual crocs. Would Pansuchia be a more apt name for the clade?

11 Comments
2024/02/28
19:47 UTC

81

What if the seasons stopped changing?

I was wondering, what if the tilt of the Earth with respect to the Sun was fixed somehow - so, for example, we take its tilt on December 21 and so, now, Earth is tilted North-away from the Sun forever.

I was thinking about how it gets colder in winter since the winter hemisphere is tilted away from the Earth (and vice-versa for summer) - but then it starts to tilt back again after the Solstice (since the Earth's axial tilt is actually fixed with respect to, I dunno, "space"), and so the cooling stops and things start warming up again. If the tilt were fixed, how much colder would the winter hemisphere get? How much hotter would the summer hemisphere get? How close do we get to whatever the "equilibrium winter/summer" would be?

I know this is impossible, I know that it would require the Earth's rotation to actually constantly be changing, which couldn't happen and would cause some other maybe catastrophic things to happen if you were to somehow force it to happen. I really just want to understand about just how far the whole "getting colder/warmer as we move towards the solstices" thing could go, hypothetically.

Thanks!

50 Comments
2024/02/28
19:18 UTC

25

Is taking vitamin C when sick a placebo or does it really help?

I feel as though it drastically improves my recovery time when I get sick, but I read conflicting things online regarding the evidence behind this and I’m curious if it’s 100% placebo or if there is some real evidence behind it helping reduce the length of a cold.

35 Comments
2024/02/27
16:08 UTC

148

Ask Anything Wednesday - Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science

Welcome to our weekly feature, Ask Anything Wednesday - this week we are focusing on Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science

Do you have a question within these topics you weren't sure was worth submitting? Is something a bit too speculative for a typical /r/AskScience post? No question is too big or small for AAW. In this thread you can ask any science-related question! Things like: "What would happen if...", "How will the future...", "If all the rules for 'X' were different...", "Why does my...".

Asking Questions:

Please post your question as a top-level response to this, and our team of panellists will be here to answer and discuss your questions. The other topic areas will appear in future Ask Anything Wednesdays, so if you have other questions not covered by this weeks theme please either hold on to it until those topics come around, or go and post over in our sister subreddit /r/AskScienceDiscussion , where every day is Ask Anything Wednesday! Off-theme questions in this post will be removed to try and keep the thread a manageable size for both our readers and panellists.

Answering Questions:

Please only answer a posted question if you are an expert in the field. The full guidelines for posting responses in AskScience can be found here. In short, this is a moderated subreddit, and responses which do not meet our quality guidelines will be removed. Remember, peer reviewed sources are always appreciated, and anecdotes are absolutely not appropriate. In general if your answer begins with 'I think', or 'I've heard', then it's not suitable for /r/AskScience.

If you would like to become a member of the AskScience panel, please refer to the information provided here.

Past AskAnythingWednesday posts can be found here. Ask away!

122 Comments
2024/02/28
15:00 UTC

228

Why are the seas closest to the poles so rough?

North Sea, Bering Sea, Southern Ocean... are they generally rougher than most other parts of the oceans/ seas, or is it just selective clips I'm seeing?

50 Comments
2024/02/28
06:22 UTC

0

Vaccination of newborns/ babies via breastfeeding possible?

Our newborn just had their first vaccination at 8 weeks old and that cry was heartbreaking.

Now we were wondering why vaccines dont get given to the mom to pass onto the child via breastfeeding. Is it not possible or is the current way the most effective one?

I tried googling this, but the results just show 'breastfeeding helps keep the baby calm'.

36 Comments
2024/02/27
19:51 UTC

619

AskScience AMA Series: We're scientists and engineers from NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team. Ask us anything!

After three years and 72 flights over the surface of Mars, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has touched down for the last time. Imagery downlinked from the helicopter indicated that one or more of its rotor blades sustained damage during its Flight 72 landing on Jan. 18, 2024, rendering it no longer capable of flight.

Designed as a technology demonstration that was expected to fly no more than five times over 30 days, the helicopter's primary mission was to prove that powered, controlled flight on another planet was possible, which it did on April 19, 2021. But Ingenuity exceeded expectations, transitioning into an operations demonstration that paved the way for future aerial exploration on the Red Planet and beyond.

So, have you ever wanted to know what it's like to fly a helicopter on another planet? Or what it's like to talk to the helicopter from here on Earth? Or what we've learned from Ingenuity that can be used for possible future aerial exploration on other worlds?

Meet our NASA experts from the mission who've seen it all.

We are:

  • Josh Anderson - Ingenuity Team Lead (JA)
  • Travis Brown - Ingenuity Chief Engineer (TB)
  • Martin Cacan - Ingenuity Chief Pilot (MC)
  • Dave Lavery - Ingenuity Program Executive (DL)
  • Katie Stack Morgan - Mars 2020 Deputy Project Scientist (KSM)
  • Noah Rothenberger - Ingenuity Robotics Systems Engineer (NR)
  • Teddy Tzanetos - Ingenuity Project Manager (TT)

Ask us anything about:

  • How Ingenuity worked
  • What it's like to fly a helicopter on another planet
  • Martian weather
  • Ingenuity's legacy

PROOF: https://twitter.com/NASAJPL/status/1762248789396725933
https://twitter.com/NASAJPL/status/1762248789396725933

We'll be online from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. PT (12:30-2:00 PM ET, 1430-1600 UTC) to answer your questions!

Username: /u/nasa


UPDATE: That’s all the time we have for today - thank you all for your amazing questions! If you’d like to learn more about Ingenuity, you can visit https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/.

229 Comments
2024/02/27
12:00 UTC

166

How is the Milky Way on a collision course with Andromeda?

So after the Big Bang, everything was sent shooting off at a zillion miles per hour in all different directions. Since everything was going in an outward trajectory from the point of the Big Bang (if space is even considered to have existed then), and assuming there's no/negligible drag on a galaxy zooming through space, how would the velocities of Milky Way and Andromeda change to now be directed towards the point of collision? The only thing I can think of is if they're pulling on each other via gravity, but that seems unlikely given their distance of 2.537 million lightyears.

Can a galaxy's trajectory through space curve?

Are both the Milky Way and Andromeda headed in the same direction, and one is catching up to the other? But if that's the case, why would one of them be slowing down?

111 Comments
2024/02/26
23:59 UTC

166

Do european cicadas emerge as N american does ?

(first of all sorry for any mistakes, English is not my first language)
I have heard some time ago that there exist "clusters" of cicadas in north america who emerge every so many years (seven to nine if my memory serves me right), my question is : do european cicadas do the same ?
thank you
(PS: i live in central france)
(PPS: no images of insects or other i don't like them, thank you)

72 Comments
2024/02/26
16:21 UTC

66

Why did Ptolemy calculate the position of the Sun for each day of the year when this travels around the Earth every 24 hours?

In Ptolemy's geocentric model the Sun travels through the ecliptic and around the Earth once every 24 hours and the Earth does not rotate on its axis. What is Ptolemy referring to when he talks about the Sun's position throughout the year? What is the meaning of calculating the Sun's position for each day of the year when the Sun travels around the Earth every 24 hours?

25 Comments
2024/02/26
10:44 UTC

0

How effective are masks against germs?

To start this out; when asking "How effective are masks?" this is in reference to actual data, like numbers, diagrams, charts, tests, etc. How effective masks are during prolonged usage, range, etc. How well do they protect from/stop germs/particles.

Not looking for any personal preferences, political/religious views, medical aspects or anything like that, purely data. Also not just asking about how (in)effective masks are against Covid-19, but in general, such as for sicknesses, smoke (Like in China), any other use. Wearing one, or others wearing one. Surgical, Cloth, Woven, etc.

If you're providing any information to link to the research paper, article, website, etc. If this has been asked before please link it, but more recent data is preferred.

56 Comments
2024/02/26
07:53 UTC

704

Question from my daughter: do flies live long enough to be grandparents? How about great grandparents?

94 Comments
2024/02/25
15:09 UTC

524

If our earth is getting warmer, does that mean bird migration is going to change?

This might be a dumb question. I understand Climate change to be a blanket effect. Wouldn’t this include the places they go to and from? How would they be affected?

128 Comments
2024/02/24
19:15 UTC

166

Why can't humans do parthenogenesis? (produce their own clones)

I read the story about a stingray that was pregnant with her own clone via parthenogenesis.

I also read only that mammals can't do it because of imprinting, I didn't understood much. Can someone care to explain why can't it happen and what would be needed for it to happen?

86 Comments
2024/02/24
17:45 UTC

16

How does parthenogenesis occur?

Looking for any detailed explanations or resources on how parthenogenesis happens specifically in sharks/rays if possible. I can’t find any good answers online so if anyone could help that would be appreciated!

9 Comments
2024/02/24
07:18 UTC

9

Are slow slip earthquakes and aseismic creep the same thing?

3 Comments
2024/02/23
14:23 UTC

492

What is the radiation risk if a nuclear submarine or aircraft carrier takes damage and sinks?

Would there be a current of death for centuries after? Would it just diffuse into all of the oceans? What would the danger zone look like, and how long would it last?

241 Comments
2024/02/24
10:03 UTC

9

What exactly is a bunodont tooth ?

I've been exploring various tooth types, but the information in the books is presented in a confusing manner. Could someone clarify what exactly bunodont teeth are?

10 Comments
2024/02/23
13:29 UTC

45

Do different isotopes have a major effect on molecules built from them?

Specifically, most Cl is Chlorine-35, but Cl-37 is stable. Is there a difference in table salt (NaCl) formed from the two different isotopes? For that matter, Cl-36 has a half-life measured in years, and Cl-39's half-life is roughly an hour. Does using one of those just make the salt radioactive, or are there other effects?

11 Comments
2024/02/23
19:04 UTC

0

Considering evolution, why does RH negative blood?

Continue to be a thing, even if rare?

Is there any evolutionary advantage?

Thanks in advance.

38 Comments
2024/02/23
21:49 UTC

13

Do other languages have the equivalent of "like" and "um" in English?

"Um" seems to be used as a placeholder for when the person is thinking of what to say, and "like" is sort of like a placeholder, but I'm not sure how to describe it exactly. But we've all heard it: someone's talking and they're saying like every 10th word.

I'm wondering:

Do other languages have equivalents to those two words?

Is there a term for those types of words?

In the other languages, is their version of "like" a direct translation of "like", or is it something else?

Thanks

59 Comments
2024/02/22
21:30 UTC

0

why is a lightbulb so bright?

Why is the light produced by lightbulbs so bright? I was asking myself why it doesn’t compare to candle light? And why does the light appear white?

6 Comments
2024/02/22
21:29 UTC

490

Why is itching a part of an immune response to an infection?

I know histamines are usually released during an immune response and they tend to be behind itch, but our hands are so dirty. Why would our bodies want to release something that encourages us to touch the infected site?

97 Comments
2024/02/23
16:57 UTC

320

What’s the closest animal to a mammal that isn’t a mammal?

246 Comments
2024/02/23
06:17 UTC

36

Do people, who are raised in countryside/villages, have better immunity as compared to ones raised in urban areas?

It is a common concept in my country that people who are born and raised in villages have better immunity and are better at fighting contagious infections/allergies because they have been exposed to multiple antigens/pathogens through unhygienic environment, dust etc in rural areas and hence have better immune responses to wide variety of pathogens/allergens. Or is that just a myth??

18 Comments
2024/02/22
09:38 UTC

374

If cold sores are so common, why don't more people have herpes whitlow? We have cuts on our fingers and never notice, so how are the rates of herpes whitlow so low? 2 people out of 100,000 is extremely small numbers considering herpes affects 2/3 of the population.

60 Comments
2024/02/22
16:45 UTC

14

How much of the food and water we consume is exhaled?

A large portion of what humans exhale is Carbon Dioxide and water vapor, the CO2 from combining Carbon from food with Oxygen from the air, and the water is moisture from the lungs and airways.

Of the food and water that we consume what are the typical percentages exhaled?

7 Comments
2024/02/21
16:33 UTC

323

How are prions able to misfold proteins, but correctly folded proteins are not able to correct the malformation?

I'm not a biologist or biochemist, but I have taken classes in both and will try my best to understand any explanations you give to this physicist.

I have a very basic and tenuous grasp of how prions induce misfolding, and what protein folding is, but it's not great.

Thank you to everyone that attempts to help me understand this.

69 Comments
2024/02/21
18:38 UTC

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