Science Guys
The Science Guys thank the Jackson Sun for permission to reprint these archived Inquiring Minds columns online! The Jackson Sun chose to discontinue monthly articles in 2005 and now they only appear as requested.
2004
- January - Is it true that Copernicus’ heliocentric theory delivered a severe blow to man’s pride and religious dogma?
- Februay - Lead stops nuclear radiation, but can you shield or block magnetic fields?
- March - How is an ultrasound image of an unborn baby generated?
- April - Kites
- April ("Health") - I have heard that UV light causes sunburn, but what is the difference in UVA, UVB, and UVC light?
- May - A package at a store is labeled "1 pound" but it is also labeled "454 grams." But, pounds is force and grams is mass- they are different things! How do they compare?
- June - There is talk that terrorists might use a dirty bomb. What is a dirty bomb and why is it so dangerous?
- July - How much electricity does a typical family use?
- August - What is the biggest diamond ever discovered and how are they made?
- September - Do other planets have magnetic fields like our Earth?
- October - The space shuttle astronauts are weightless when they are in orbit. Where does gravity stop?
2003
- January - What is gravity and where is it the strongest in the United States?
- Februay - What is nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and how does it work?
- March - What generates the heat during re-entry when the space shuttle returns to Earth?
- April - What is the deepest hole ever dug into the Earth?
- May - If a hole were bored through the Earth and you fell into the hole, at what point would "down" become "up"?
- June - What was the biggest bomb ever created?
- July - What is the temperature of empty space?
- August - Why do magnets held close to television screens cause the picture to distort?
- September - What units are used to measure nuclear radiation?
- October - How fast am I actually moving as I sit here?
- November - Why do leaves change color in the Fall?
- December - What is a neutrino?
2002
- January - Is there air on our Moon? Does the Moon have gravity?
- Februay - Can water freeze if the wind chill index is 10 degrees and the temperature is 35 degrees?
- March - Why are tornadoes occurring earlier in the year in West Tennessee?
- April - Can I estimate how much it costs to run an appliance each month?
- May - Does the electricity flowing in wires wear out the wires? Do the wires lose mass after electricity flows through them?
- June - How did mankind first determine the mass of the Earth, and what is the known value today?
- July - Who first discovered that atoms are made up of other particles and how was this found?
- August - I have heard a light bulb has glass around it to keep air away from the filament. Can a light bulb burn in space where there is no air without glass around it?
- September - How does a rocket work in space where there is no air to push against?
- October - How can you prove that there’s such a thing as black holes in outer space and what would happen to you if you got next to it?
- November - What is the difference in a jet airplane engine and a rocket?
- December - How do astronomers detect planets outside our solar system?
2001
- January - What is gravity or how does gravity work?
- Februay - Why is water clear but when it freezes it is often white, as in snow?
- March - What is the speed of falling raindrops?
- April - What happens when something breaks the sound barrier?
- May - What is the Astronomical Unit?
- June - Why does a stream of water from a faucet become smaller at it falls?
- July - How large is the Earth, and how was it first determined?
- August - Where does the matter go when it is pulled into a black hole?
- September - How does the strong nuclear force work?
- October - How does gravity affect the wind?
- November - Just how fast does electricity flow in a wire?
- December - Why is Nikola Tesla’s work so unrecognized in the US?
2000
- May - What does E = mc2 mean?
- June - How can astronomers look backward in time?
- July - How many balloons would it take to lift me?
- August - How much does a gallon of gold weigh?
- September - Is the Universe flat or curved?
- October - Why is the sky blue?
- November - How can a person lay on a bed of nails?
- December - Why does ice form on the wings of airplanes?