A simple challenge

[Double Trouble]

I got 60%

Not bad seeing as I guessed every single answer.

[dep]

keep out,
this is a sexist thread.

[stewart38]

keep out,
this is a sexist thread.

A honest answer

I wonder why so many pretend to get 90% plus ??

[dep]

Pretend?
we don't have the brain power to say anything bar the truth.

[straycat]

I wonder why so many pretend to get 90% plus ??

Why do you think we're pretending? It's hardly a proof of genius - just a matter of what one has studied. Pose me a similar level of historical or geographical quiz, for example, and I'll probably get about 25% .

[dep]

25%
you can't be that bad.
50% indicates total lack of knowledge and 60% sounds like a typical female score.
I'm sure glad I asked (told) DT to keep out.

[tsh]

So it's fine to say a rock is mostly empty space but not really to say it's mostly a vacuum.

I'm sure I remember empty space being referred to as vacuum, in the context of nuclear physics. Saying it's empty is really quite misleading, as (e.g The structure of the QED vacuum and electron - positron pair production in super-intense, pulsed laser fields ) it's actually full of electron-positron pairs which just pop out of nowhere and then vanish again.

I just noticed you said 'a vacuum', but I said 'vacuum' which are subtly different...

Sean

[straycat]

25%
you can't be that bad.
50% indicates total lack of knowledge

Fair point - I forgot their were only two choices per question (see what I mean about my historical skills? )

[FirstMove]

We had a running debate at work for about 6 months on the question: "Why do clouds stick together?"

I got so bored with arguments about whether they actually stick together or whether water droplets/vapour just happen to be sufficiently dense in some parts of the sky that I can't actually remember whether we came up with an answer

[straycat]

We had a running debate at work for about 6 months on the question: "Why do clouds stick together?"

Because there's safety in numbers?

[Barry Shnikov]

I'm sure I remember empty space being referred to as vacuum, in the context of nuclear physics. Saying it's empty is really quite misleading, as (e.g The structure of the QED vacuum and electron - positron pair production in super-intense, pulsed laser fields ) it's actually full of electron-positron pairs which just pop out of nowhere and then vanish again.

I just noticed you said 'a vacuum', but I said 'vacuum' which are subtly different...

Sean

Yes. Also quantum foam - somewhat smaller, below the Planck length.

But I remain of the opinion that 'vacuum' (or 'a vacuum') is a misleading term for the space between sub-atomic particles - or indeed, atoms within a molecule, etc.

[Barry Shnikov]

yes, but do you consider it a trick question or not ?

The question isn't designed to see if you can work out which two coins add up to 11p, it's designed to make you shake your head when you realise that you've wrongly understood the grammar used in the question itself.

...so of course it's a trick question.

[stewart38]

Yes. Also quantum foam - somewhat smaller, below the Planck length.

Some would argue you cant get smaller then a 'Planck length'. Being discussed on another forum as we speak

The Hadron collider - Netweather Forum - UK and Worldwide Weather Discussion

[dep]

Grammar! what's grammar?

[Dreadful Scathe]

The question isn't designed to see if you can work out which two coins add up to 11p, it's designed to make you shake your head when you realise that you've wrongly understood the grammar used in the question itself.

...so of course it's a trick question.

I agree, but is this exactly the same as the cloud question ? Do we all consider that a trick question ? Is it not clear cut, and no play on grammar - surely the mistake with points of science is yours, not the questions ?

[dep]

I want to know why my Physics teacher didn't tell me about the new definition of Litre way back when I was doing my O grade.
He allowed me to go 44years with the wrong volume in my peanut sized brain.
Will I ever forgive "cloverbud"?

[Barry Shnikov]

Grammar! what's grammar?

She's married to yer granther.

[Barry Shnikov]

I agree, but is this exactly the same as the cloud question ? Do we all consider that a trick question ? Is it not clear cut, and no play on grammar - surely the mistake with points of science is yours, not the questions ?

Oh, I don't think the science quiz questions are trick questions at all. Some of them are phrased less clearly than they might, but no tricks. It only feels like that when you get the answer wrong.

[Barry Shnikov]

I want to know why my Physics teacher didn't tell me about the new definition of Litre way back when I was doing my O grade.
He allowed me to go 44years with the wrong volume in my peanut sized brain.
Will I ever forgive "cloverbud"?

Um...prompting the question "what was the OLD definition of 'litre'?"

[dep]

The pre 1964 def. is in the explanation behind the question/answer.