Smoof Blog: Archives for Apr 2007

Here are a few questions that I believe occur rather obviously to laypersons who have an interest in science. However, they are almost never addressed in popularizations of science. I believe the answers are all subtle and very interesting, Although the only one I fully understand is the math one.

• Why does an electrified comb attract bits of paper? Presumably the bits aren't electrical charged. How does an electric field interact with this apparently electrically inert matter?
• Why does it matter what capacitors are made of?
• What precisely is temperature and how does it relate to heat? What is entropy?
• What does the "dx" in an integral mean? Are you really multiplying something times dx?
• How do cells decide which genes to use to make proteins at any given time? Is there other information in DNA besides genes (sequences that code for proteins)?
• What data do you need to know about an organism to make one from scratch? Is the DNA sequence enough?
• How does DNA code for macroscopic anatomy?
• If sexual reproduction mixes up the DNA of both parents, why doesn't it cut in the middle of genes and mangle them?
• What precisely is ph?
• What can quantum computers really do? What does a quantum programing language look like? How much QM do you need to know to write a program for a quantum computer?
• How do T cells work? Is there a gene for each type of antibody? If not how are different antibodies "designed"?