Use this thread to ask questions that you've been thinking about but can't find answers to.

[Legend]

This has been one my mind for a short bit.

Did all eukaryotic cells evolve from the first eukaryotic cell, or did they evolve independently multiple times? Multicellular life evolved multiple times and it feels like eukaryotic cells would be similar. If they evolved just from cells internalizing other symbiotic cells and this happened multiple times to give eukaryotes multiple organelles, it seems reasonable to me that there'd be multiple moments in history that simple cells evolved this way.

Yet from what I've found through google, it seems eukaryotic cells all started from a single species. Why is that or is there something I'm misunderstanding?

[the-pi-guy]

Why did eukaryotes evolve only once? Genetic and energetic aspects of conflict and conflict mediation

I'm assuming you read this?  

And I'm assuming it's helpful.  
I haven't read it yet.

[Legend]

Why did eukaryotes evolve only once? Genetic and energetic aspects of conflict and conflict mediation

I'm assuming you read this?  

And I'm assuming it's helpful.  
I haven't read it yet.

Cool link and it gave me some better search terms.

Extremely interesting imo. Seems there isn't a consensus but a few reasonable theories. Prokaryotic cells through natural selection could only ever get so advanced because they have limited energy to support themselves. Absorbing mitochondria was the breakthrough that allowed them to evolve more complex structures.

[Legend]

What are the origins for myths/legends about the planets aligning?

If a society didn't understand the orbits of the planets and just thought they were moving lights in the night sky, they'd always be in a line from Earth's perspective.



I don't see why that would be interesting.


Meanwhile if the society did understand orbital mechanics and the planetary line was referring to a 3d line through space, I don't see why that'd be interesting enough to become part of popular culture either.

[the-pi-guy]

What are the origins for myths/legends about the planets aligning?

If a society didn't understand the orbits of the planets and just thought they were moving lights in the night sky, they'd always be in a line from Earth's perspective.

I'm not sure what you mean by this.
(Especially since if you search your image, it says  the planets aligning like that hasnt happened in over a decade.).

There's also this:

The reason for the unusual astronomical sight is that the five planets happen to be on the same side of the sun at the same time, says Alan Duffy, an astrophysicist at Swinburne University.

Five brightest planets appear in straight line from horizon to the moon | Science | The Guardian

Unless I'm missing something....

[Mmm_fish_tacos]

Do we live in a Multiverse?

[the-pi-guy]

Do we live in a Multiverse?

Someone obviously doesn't watch Rick and Morty.  

[Legend]

I'm not sure what you mean by this.
(Especially since if you search your image, it says  the planets aligning like that hasnt happened in over a decade.).

There's also this:

Five brightest planets appear in straight line from horizon to the moon | Science | The Guardian

Unless I'm missing something....

Because the article headline is equivalent to "Five brightest planets and moon visible at night." The planets and moon orbit at roughly the same plane so from Earth's perspective they always form a line.

The image was also just for reference. I don't mean to ask about it from a physics point of view, but from a culture point of view. In modern popular culture it's presented like this:

at 3:55

When the Planets Align - TV Tropes

So what are the origins of this being considered a popular supernatural event? My guesses (to help explain what I mean)

1. It's a relatively recent thing (50 years) that a pseudoscientist/crackpot postulated would do something to Earth and has quickly become a standard concept.

2. It originated from the enlightenment period once the solar system was mostly understood and the concept of orbital periods made planetary alignment a geometry problem. Then the ocult or something from that time period pushed it into a supernatural concept.

3. It originated in ancient history when early astronomers noticed all the planets formed a line in the night sky, and then the concept must have warped into its modern form.

[Xevross]

What should I write about for my physics article??

We have to first make a plan of what we want our article to be about and then present to our tutor group (about 20 people) and then write a 3-4 page article on the chosen area of Physics.

It has to be fairly advanced but not anything that is currently high level research or anything. An example I found that a previous student did it on is "How Citizen Science is Finding New Worlds" and its about the science of discovering new planets.

I'm not very good with ideas so have you guys got any?  

Do we live in a Multiverse?

I like to think that we do, where lots of universes are created and destroyed, all having different physical laws etc. Maybe our universe is just a blip in the vast multiverse

[DD_Bwest]

a question ive never seen answered..

wtf is a "kind"?

[the-pi-guy]

a question ive never seen answered..

wtf is a "kind"?

In what context?  ,

[SWORDF1SH]

Do I look stupid enough to be asking questions in this thread?
...
Wait a minute!

[the-pi-guy]

Do I look stupid enough to be asking questions in this thread?
...
Wait a minute!

Asking questions can only make you smarter!  

[Legend]

What should I write about for my physics article??

We have to first make a plan of what we want our article to be about and then present to our tutor group (about 20 people) and then write a 3-4 page article on the chosen area of Physics.

It has to be fairly advanced but not anything that is currently high level research or anything. An example I found that a previous student did it on is "How Citizen Science is Finding New Worlds" and its about the science of discovering new planets.

I'm not very good with ideas so have you guys got any?  
I like to think that we do, where lots of universes are created and destroyed, all having different physical laws etc. Maybe our universe is just a blip in the vast multiverse

Ligo type gravity wave detection. The stuff being discovered is super new, but the detection method is well understood. Kinda like planet searching.

Quantum entanglement used for secure communication? China recently launched a sat to test that. A signal is sent using normal methods and quantum state is used to decrypt it. Impossible to intercept.

Rotation of stars within a galaxy. How spirals don't move and edges rotate fast. Maybe that's a bit too active with study.

Geological activity on pluto caused by water freezing and generating heat.

How neutron stars are basically giant atoms and don't collapse due to Pauli's exclusion principle.

How the distance to stars is calculated. That's kinda cool.

How ground telescopes deal with the atmosphere distorting images. Real cool ways they handle that.



Just throwing out what comes to mind.

[DD_Bwest]

In what context?  ,

i was making a jab at creationists lol noah took 2 of each "kind" lol