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> I was quite surprised that I couldn't find any proof that nicotine is harmful.

You gotta be kidding me! Ever heard of LD50? That's Leathal Dose 50%, which means 50% of test subjects die.

Good ol' Wikipedia quote:
0.5–1.0 mg/kg can be a lethal dosage for adult humans, and 0.1 mg/kg for children.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... or http://www.inchem.org/document...

You're right, of course; safer would have been a better word. Inorganic mercury can certainly still be neurotoxic in sufficient concentrations, but is less bioavailable than organic mercury compounds - and it does get excreted over time. The biological half-time of inorganic mercury compounds has been measured at between 19 and 64 days.

The Fisker Hybrid fire you posted about wasn't from the EV components. It was theorized that it was from an exhaust component

Perhaps. But let me first talk about the fire that destroyed parked Karmas after they were flooded by a hurricane. They burned up because a short in the system, caused by conductive seawater. The ICE was not involved in that fire.

Now we can look back at the fire in the parking lot in Woodside, CA. Per the latest news, the fire was caused by a fan. In every standard car, the fan would not be under power when a vehicle is parked; and even then there would be a fuse. You can say that it's an outcome of a bad design, done by people who don't know a thing about making cars. (Outside of Henrik Fisker, we don't know who was and who wasn't good enough there.) Perhaps Karma's karma caught up with it.

It's the same that happened with Top Gear's review.

I did not mention that because, IMO and from what I know, it was a clear setup just for publicity and shock value.

I doubt that half the charge was 'lost', it was more likely under reported because the battery was cold, giving it the appearance of less capacity.

Per the evidence, it was lost. Tesla support people *thought* it was underreported, but all that the reporter did, per Tesla's advice, only led to further depletion of the battery. In the end, the car ended up on a flatbed. In hindsight, there was probably something that the reporter could do - like driving back to the supercharger right from the hotel. But he was advised to act differently.

Unless there's a spark it's not going to do anything

Tantalum capacitors will provide that spark aplenty.

I question the high discharge - water isn't that conductive

Water in rivers and ponds is quite conductive because it contains lots of salts that are leeched out of the soil. Agricultural runoff doesn't help either. In terms of the current, it all depends on how much surface is exposed to the water, and how much of that will etch away during the electrolysis. Of course, the seawater is an instant short.

There's far more than fuel from an IC car that will pollute the water.

There is very little of those other liquids, and many of them are alcohol-based, perfectly soluble in water. Only the gasoline has potential to harm the ecology. But when a car falls into a water, it's usually not damaged, so the gas tank will remain intact. Damage to fuel pipes will not result in pollution because the fuel pump is not running.

even if they don't trip DC doesn't electrocute people like AC does.

DC is just as dangerous as AC, on average. At those voltages (375V) the contact will result in 3rd degree burns (if you are lucky and the path doesn't go through the heart) or ... well, then you don't care anymore.

you might get a lithium fire underwater, but at least that's not horribly toxic.

Most of the Lithium will remain inside the battery, and the car will be lifted out of the water shortly. Any danger that comes from that battery will be short-term (emission of poisonous and/or explosive gases, and thermal effects on humans inside the car.) Water may not provide sufficient cooling because it is a reagent in the reaction that produces steam. Here is a good technical video that demonstrates what happens and what gases are generated. Here is the MSDS on LiOH - it will be in generated gases, and it will kill the occupants of the car if they breathe it in. LiOH has only a short window of danger, though, because it will quickly dissolve in water. Other generated gases will come

Have you ever tried to have a conversation about environmental topics with a non-scientifically-literate Green?

Nice straw man. I'll remember to use the non-scientifically-literate-anti-Green next time I need one.

The US has plenty of landfill space, and Styrofoam is as close to inert as we can come up with.

It's also thought to be carcinogenic by the EPA and by the International
Agency for Research on Cancer.

you still see places that think it's green to use paper instead of Styrofoam cups, even though Styrofoam is a better insulator and requires much less energy to make and transport.

Styrofoam requires quite a few nasty chemicals to manufacture and can't easily be recycled. It ends up in landfill where it won't decompose for a long, long time. Landfill sites cost money to montior to make sure they are not leaking anything problematic into the air or groundwater. While Styrofoam itself might not release any of those things it does take up space and thus leads us to create more sites, with more monitoring.

On the other hand paper can be recycled fairly easily into things like disposable cups where quality and colour are not too important, so the cost of manufacture is amortized over many uses.

So after all that railing against your straw man it turns out you are the one whose knowledge of the situation is lacking. Delicious.

Against my better judgment, and since you actually responded about something of substance, acetaldehyde, I'll reply.

Know the feeling. Sometimes you save a life by sticking in there. Sometimes you get the equivelent of a punch in the face as their personal character flaws show. One guy was so bad it was a lot worse than a punch in the face.

(liver, universal)

Yet I'm the one who has provided references that one of the functions of the liver is to clear toxins in tandem with the kidneys, while you have provided no references. Here's another reference for you, since you are fixated on acute poisons:

"Approximately 80% of absorbed cyanide is metabolized to thiocyanate in the liver by the mitochondrial sulfur transferase enzyme rhodanese and other sulfur transferases. Thiocyanate is excreted in the urine."

So all of those references I posted you *Didn't* read? I'm certainly trying to not spoon feed like a public school teacher. I want you to look, learn. Hopefully learn how to learn and study. Not sure why you think I'm fixated on acute poisons. You do remember me mentioning drinking for 30 years, right? You even commented and seemed to make fun about it. Flew right over your head, obviously. I also mentioned toxicity and poisons. Something I still think you don't have a good understanding of yet.

You ignored it in your subsequent post, and if you thought I might be right about it then you should either acknowledge it or shut the fuck up until you learn otherwise.

Too bad your parents didn't address your mouth better. Improve your manners.
I ignored it because I presumed that you bothered to look at it and you were a lot further along with understanding. I don't know you so it's sometimes very difficult to determine if I'm dealing with a genius, average guy and sometimes an idiot that manages to make a good point sometimes. Sometimes even a genius says idiotic things. You're not a genius, that's for sure. However it is good that you didn't just roll over and capitulate. When you are shown to be wrong however, you really should admit it.

Wow, great reference. A "colleague" said in a conversation that I wasn't privy to that he agreed it was "full of shit."

Well it isn't as if I could conference you in. Even if I could, I have a feeling you wouldn't have understood what we were saying. You're having trouble with what I consider basic concepts and trying hard to not insult or be condencending to you.

What, in particular, do you want me to note?

You found it -

Under normal metabolism, alcohol is broken down in the liver by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to acetaldehyde, which is then converted by the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to the harmless acetic acid. Disulfiram blocks this reaction at the intermediate stage by blocking the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase.

What part of "harmless acetic acid" during normal metabolism do you not understand? What is so hard about this? There - I spoon fed you. Question is, are you going to spit it out and show more personal character flaws. Yes, I know if you drink too much it's a poison. Yes I know it causes organ damage, again if you drink too much.

I'm not sure where you are going with this, as the chemical reactions of alcohol make it always toxic, unlike water or normal food, and alcohol isn't required for life, unlike water or normal food. Just like cyanide, the dosage for alcohol is important, though of course cyanide is a much more acute poison.

Don't play with cyanide. That's a tough way to go.
Alcohol is not required for life? You really are green. Please go back and read those articles again. It still hasn't sunk in yet. Tell you what, visit a good Biology teacher while she is eating

Against my better judgment, and since you actually responded about something of substance, acetaldehyde, I'll reply.

I know what pendantic means.

Good for you. Now can you actually not be pedantic and acknowledge the larger point about water, since you are the one who brought it up?

"In fact, you need sugar to live. Poisons you don't. [..] Please explain why you think alcohol is a poison. [..] it isn't a poison any more than consuming too much water is also a poison."

I addressed the point you raised, and you pedantically ignored it, and then told me I shouldn't have brought up water when it was you who mentioned it first. If that's not worth a mea culpa from you what the hell is?

The Liver is the swiss army knife of organs. It can even do functions of other organs if they are deficient. You clearly have no clue how the body works, and you think you do.

Yet I'm the one who has provided references that one of the functions of the liver is to clear toxins in tandem with the kidneys, while you have provided no references. Here's another reference for you, since you are fixated on acute poisons:

"Approximately 80% of absorbed cyanide is metabolized to thiocyanate in the liver by the mitochondrial sulfur transferase enzyme rhodanese and other sulfur transferases. Thiocyanate is excreted in the urine."

I didn't ignore [acetaldehyde]. For a while I thought you might be right so I looked into it further.

You ignored it in your subsequent post, and if you thought I might be right about it then you should either acknowledge it or shut the fuck up until you learn otherwise.

Contacted a colleague and he said he knew about the very same article you cited and after about an hour discussion he agreed it was full of shit.

Wow, great reference. A "colleague" said in a conversation that I wasn't privy to that he agreed it was "full of shit."

Did you by any chance happen to look up acetaldehyde? Look it up - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetaldehyde .

What, in particular, do you want me to note? Something like:

"Acetaldehyde derived from the consumption of ethanol binds to proteins to form adducts that are linked to organ disease.[29] [..] Acetaldehyde is a carcinogen in humans.[17]"

Or how about this?

"Under normal metabolism, alcohol is broken down in the liver by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to acetaldehyde, which is then converted by the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to the harmless acetic acid. Disulfiram blocks this reaction at the intermediate stage by blocking the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. After alcohol intake under the influence of disulfiram, the concentration of acetaldehyde in the blood may be 5 to 10 times higher than that found during metabolism of the same amount of alcohol alone. As acetaldehyde is one of the major causes of the symptoms of a "hangover" this produces immediate and severe negative reaction to alcohol intake. Some 5-10 minutes after alcohol intake, the patient may experience the effects of a severe hangover for a period of 30 minutes up to several hours. Symptoms include flushing of the skin, accelerated heart rate, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, throbbing headache, visual disturbance, mental confusion, postural syncope, and circulatory collapse."

Something can be toxic and not poisonous. Something that is poisonous is always toxic.

I'm not sure where you are going with this, as the chemical reactions of alcohol make it always toxic, unlike water or normal food, and alcohol isn't required for life, unlike water or normal food. Just like cyanide, the dosage for alcohol is important, though of course cyanide is a much more acute poison.

Nicotine suspended in Polyproplene Glycol, or Vegetable Glycerine. Checking these two out you will find that not only are they safe but where considered in the past for vaporizing into the air within hospitals to make the environment safer.

PPG is NOT HARMLESS. Breakdown of vegetable compounds at high temperatures tends to result in some harmful byproducts. I used those clear rolling papers for a little while until I read up on 'em, and while the temperatures at the center of a cherry are hot enough to break them down into harmless products, the temperatures downstream from the cherry will vary between that temperature and just over room temp. Therefore some harmful combustion byproducts must be produced. The same will necessarily be true of the e-Cigs as well, because you cannot immediately convert 100% of the material into vapor.

In addition, the body produces free radicals when it breaks down Nicotine, so Nicotine itself is carcinogenic. There's nothing good about smoking it that isn't outweighed by the harm it can do. The REAL reason people smoke is that it's one of only two drugs it's legal to do in public, and people want public drugs.

Do you speak from experience or hearsay?

On balance, it's not a smart move to inhale this substance. That's if this Peer Review report is to be believed.

Ever the cynic, the first thing I did when I read this was shake my head at yet another urban myth and then set out to educate myself (yeah, I know, even though this *is* /.). Lo and behold, what do I find but report after report (mostly peer-reviewed) of the allergic reactions that have been reported from cochineal extract. (Here's just one of several I pulled up.)

And yes, it is in fact made from crushed female beetles. I suppose that part doesn't bother me as much as industry trying to hide the fact from consumers. (Remember all those Consumer Reports articles about insect parts and droppings in your canned food, like tuna and what not? Now it's legitimate!)

> I wonder, however, what the techniques are/were in South-East Asia, where pork is also a common item on the
> menu...

    I'm South-East Asian, you insensitive clod!

    Sorry, always wanted to say that.

    For the Chinese, the traditional way to preserve meats was smoking and/or salting. Heavy, heavy amounts of salt and other crud -- you can't really eat the stuff out of the tin like you do with smoked salmon, instead you use bits of it in dishes so the taste isn't so overwhelming:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_sausage

    http://www.inchem.org/documents/iarc/vol56/01-fish .html

    If you have ever had a Taiwanese sausage, that's more or less the same thing. It's pretty much the same for most parts of South East Asia with a heavy Chinese presence -- Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand etc. Hope that helps.

> Absolutely. In Indonesia, for instance, lots of tribes and people that just recently
> converted to Islam are abandoning pig breeding and culinary traditions around pork
> meat, just for the sake of religion

    Well I hope Allah does the magic trick with the fish and the loaves too, then.

Silica is also used as a food additive, primarily as a flow agent in powdered foods, or to absorb water (see the ingredients list for Burger King). Silica is also naturally present in the cell walls of various plants (including edible ones) to strengthen their structural integrity.

Observations in humans indicated that various conditions such as lung diseases, chronic diseases and especially growth retardation in children were associated with silicon deficiency. Therefore he recommended silicon therapy for conditions characterized by under- developed and/or damaged mesenchymal tissues (Monceaux, 1973).

I had a very similar thought, when I read this. I couldn't find much info about effectiveness of blocking CMEs, but at least this said it shouldn't cause severe harm to humans. Actually, shouldn't this kind of thing have been used previously, or is there some other reason we haven't tried magnetic sheilding?

Ingestion of sodium nitrate can lead to blue skin... but apple just switched away from big blue, so I'd recommend sodium chloride instead.

It runs *Right Through Cladded Channels In The Middle Of The Fuel Rods*. RTFA. When the reactor is generating thrust, there *are* high pressure gasses in it.

I read TFA, and I still disagree. It's like comparing a super-soaker to pressure cooker. Yes, pressure does force the water through the super soaker, but the pressure is transient. i.e. The super soaker isn't going to blow up from squeezing the trigger, while a pressure cooker may very well do so.

One way or another, we're just arguing semantics here. My point is that the rocket reactor is really nothing like a power generating reactor. The pressure induced in the system is insufficient to cause destruction of the reactor. The only way that would change is if someone plugged the back of the rocket.

If the fire on the plane burned up nuclear material, I'd still count it; it is completely applicable.

Fine. My point was to remove the accidents where a fire caused a plane to go down, but really had no impact on the nuclear materials.

(although your numbers are WAY off; you apparently need to re-read)

Cite a single figure other than Chernobyl where a dozen or more people were confirmed killed by a nuclear accident. How many unconfirmed accidents?

And a sub sinking because its super-structure failed DOES NOT COUNT AS A NUCLEAR ACCIDENT. Neither does a propulsion failure. (The same thing could happen to a diesel sub.) You have to count the incidents where nuclear materials killed people. Otherwise we're just talking industrial accidents. (Thousands of people die of industrial or work related accidents each year.)

Nope. First off, Potassium iodide is designed to reduce, not eliminate the likelyhood of iodine intake.

Who said anything about Potassium Iodine? The standard prevention measure is to make sure people get enough regular iodine. If their system has sufficient iodine, then the body will not attempt to deposit the radioactive iodine. That's why our salt is fortified with Iodine, and why you didn't see widespread thyroid problems when nuclear materials release did occur in the US. (Check your own link.)

http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v024 je11.htm

1. The area to "bulldoze" is three times the size of New Jersey (and you can't just "bulldoze" and be done with it - you need to bring in new material to overlay)).

You obviously wouldn't want to simply clear the entire area outright, but making individual chunks habitable is a doable thing. i.e. Chernobyl the city could be bulldozed and rebuilt. Surrounding areas could be similarly terraformed as is economically feasible.

Then why add the LOX injection? There's no reason for the LOX unless you need to launch from a gravity well.

The article stated quite clearly that it was there to help boost heavier cargos out of orbit. i.e. Exchange some fuel efficiency for greater temporary thrust. This can be important if you're trying to achieve something like a Hohmann transfer, as timing is very critical. If you take too long, your orbit will be misshapen or will miss the target all together.

What nobody else seems to have mentioned is that the lasers make use of hydrogen (or deuterium) fluoride. From what I've read, this is pretty nasty stuff. See Northrop Grumman's page on chemical lasers and then check out the some info on HF here or here. You won't catch me working near one of these things!

I'm not sure I'd like to walk with methanol in my pocket. Hell, one whiff and you're blind... not sure even if it's allowed in a plane.


Though it can be dangerous including causing retinal toxicity, ethanol comes far from blinding you with one whiff. You can read the World Health Organization's health and safety info for methanol here.

Titanium dioxide is a very insoluble compound. The studies in several species, including man, show neither significant absorption nor tissue storage following ingestion of titanium dioxide. Studies on soluble titanium compound have therefore not been reviewed. It is useful to note that following absorption of small amounts of Ti ions no toxic effects were observed. Establishment of an acceptable daily intake for man is considered unnecessary.

...well, from carbon and sulfur you can, obviously, make carbon disulfide, an agent used quite commonly in textile industry. Among the side effects, it causes impotence in the worst possible scenario - you just cannot get it up. The army could use it as a non-lethal weapon to weaken the enemy's morale (just imagine the panic THIS sort of weapon would cause in Baghdad)!.

expend a significant amount of money to defend themselves against these bogus charges

Unfortunately this appears to be what happens when you combine a society fixated with junk science with a political class ruled by trial attorneys.

The State of Missouri had an issue a bit more than a year ago with a state legislator that was trying to get all communication towers banned. The reason? "It might harm children." A few folks did some research on the legislator pushing the bill and guess who one of his largest financial supporters was? Incumbant local telephone companies (the competition to wireless providers). Save the children unfortunately has become code for political and legal system payola.

Unfortunately this poster touches on the reality of the current US legal nightmare: many defendents cannot afford the fight for what is right due to the complete lack of financial accountability of irresponsible plantiff attorneys and their clients. I'm predicting the school will back out and turn off their wireless devices. Their students will lack the access to information that other students might have. Unless other parents get vocal and oppose this luddite activity, they'll further the progress of their children towards a future job at Burger King.

Per the allegation that the school has been ignoring evidence that electromagnetic radiation from Wi-Fi networks poses health risks, I'd invite the luddite parents and their attorneys to have a radiofrequency engineer show them what the airwaves in the classroom (or better, at home) look like. 802.11b/a/g is background noise compared to many of the narrowband signals out there. Better shut off the FM, AM and TV broadcasters immediately. Throw away that cellphone (you don't hold that anywhere *near* your head, do you?) Better start packing candles in the kids lunch bag... those fluorescent lights are little RF monsters ("to quote: while the intentional radiation of fluorescent light tubes lies in the visible light range, such tubes also generate very low levels of microwave and RF white noise (Mumford, 1949)... microwaves? That's not a classroom lit by fluorescents, it's a Easy Bake Oven from Hell!). Lock up the school TV sets - what do you think that gunnplexer is firing at your eyeballs? Get weather, aviation and police radar shut off immediately (sure hope that speeder doesn't crash into the school bus). And god forbid you have one of those Air Force E-4B 747's fly over your home as they do mine... one of those bastards wipes out my TV amplifier every time it flies over my farm! Heck, we haven't even thought about RF experiments like HAARP that can probably melt a human in milliseconds!

Of course, the final step for the trial attorneys and their luddite clients will be banning the ultimate producer of raw RF. Once that's done, we can all rest assured that no RF deathrays will harm us.

*scoove*

Nope, it's real. Read this to see about what effects of having too much of it can do, then read here for a typical ingredients list of soda pop. Make your own decision.