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Astronomers Spy 288bn Mile Booze Cloud

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the quite-a-binge dept.

netmucus writes to tell us that UK astronomers have spotted a giant cloud of methyl alcohol that spans approximately 288bn miles. From the article: "The booze cloud was spotted using the UK's MERLIN radio telescopes in an area of our own galaxy rather uninspiringly called W3(OH). According to the Royal Astronomical Society blurb, this is a region where 'stars are being formed by the gravitational collapse of a cloud of gas and dust.'"

7 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. Except that this isn't drinkable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Methanol decomposes to formaldehyde and causes blindness.

  2. Similar reported before by dk-software-engineer · · Score: 2, Informative

    Similar cloud has been reported before, but this cloud is smaller.

  3. Methanol != booze by PunkOfLinux · · Score: 4, Informative

    The alcoholic component of booze is ETHANOL, (aka ethyl alcohol). This is not a booze cloud; an alcohol cloud, maybe... but not a booze cloud.

    --
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  4. Original article by VincenzoRomano · · Score: 4, Informative

    Is here while images are here

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    Maybe Computers will never be as intelligent as Humans.
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  5. Methyl Alcohol is LETHAL, it's not booze by EmagGeek · · Score: 5, Informative

    many people have died from drinking methyl alcohol. Your body metabolizes Methyl Alcohol into formaldehyde, which kills you slowly and painfully.

    Booze is ETHYL alcohol.

    Methyl = CH3OH
    Ethyl = C2H5OH
    Propyl = C3H7OH
    Butyl = C4H9OH
    Pentyl = C5H11OH
    Hexyl = C6H13OH
    Septyl = C7H15OH
    Octyl = C8H17OH (Octane is C8H18)

    The main difference between Organic X-anes and Alcohols is that alcohols readily mix with water. This is why, even though alcohols burn more cleanly, we use X-anes for fuel. Alcohols are difficult to store and transport because they'll suck water out of anything, reducing their BTU density. They also have a much lower heat of vaporization, so they evaporate more quickly.

    Has anyone noticed that you can smell the ethyl alcohol in the new reformulated gas that is being sold? That kinda freaked me out the first time I noticed it. Smelled like Jagermeister... or Robitussin, depending on which you prefer...

    1. Re:Methyl Alcohol is LETHAL, it's not booze by wjsteele · · Score: 2, Informative

      "Alcohols are difficult to store and transport because they'll suck water out of anything..."

      I've actaully seen this 'feature' used for airplanes. Since Ethanol is becoming so common in auto gas, we need to remove it if it ever happens to get introduced in an airplane. Aviation Gas aka AvGas is 100 Octane Low Lead, but some planes (like mine) have an STC that allows us to use Auto Gas in them. But it must be pure, so having Ethanol in it is not allowed. To remove it, you simply dump water in the gas... which pulls out the ethanol and settles to the bottom. When that happens, you simply sump it out and all you're left with is pure gas. :-)

      Now, this is not a recommended technique... but if someone happens to dump E85 or something like that in it, we have a nice easy cure.

      Bill

      --
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  6. Re:MMMmmmm.. aspartame. by denmarkw00t · · Score: 2, Informative

    from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: "This article reviews several recent military cases and three deaths that have occurred as a result of overhydration, with resultant hyponatremia and cerebral edema. All of these cases are associated with more than 5 L (usually 10-20 L) of water intake during a period of a few hours." Though unlikely to occur with a healthy person, death can be the result of overhydration in people with kidney and heart problems. Taking in overly large amounts of water in a short span of time can also kill a normally healthy person, but the cases of this are few and far between ( and are often related to the use of MDMA and the improper judgement of sufficent water to remain hydrated ).