Hypnic Jerks - 

Last night I was very tired, so you can imagine the frustration at not being able to sleep because my body was spasm-ing! 

In the morning I went to look this up and it turns out it’s a registered thing. A Hypnic Jerk (or Myoclonus contraction) often happens to people just as they’re falling asleep. This is caused by the brain getting confused about the signals of the body’s relaxation. The feeling of muscle relaxation before sleep is very similar to that of the loss of contraction in your legs when you’re falling (I.e. you don’t do anything to stand up any more). So, as a reflex, the body jerks in order to try and ‘catch’ yourself and retain balance.

This is also an explanation of why people often think about falling or roller coasters before sleeping. It’s not really a dream, but the body hallucinating to compensate for why you feel like you’re floating. 

Acoustic Resonance (or:how the singer breaks the glass) - 

All molecules naturally oscillate (‘vibrate’), and they all do this at differing frequencies.  Resonance is the theory that when we find the natural vibration frequency of an object, and then project a wave of that frequency at it: it absorbs more energy and more force is given out by the vibrations. (Or: the opera singer sings at the frequency that the glass is naturally vibrating, resonance occurs, and the glass smashes)

People have found many uses for this, and one you’re probably familiar with is the microwave. Here, instead, the electric field matches the water molecules frequency, and these oscillate to heat the food. 

Resonance can also be a disadvantage, however. Navy sonar has been known to match cranial air-spaces inside whales and dolphins: increasing pressure inside their  skulls and killing them. 

Addiction: Addiction to drugs or behaviour is caused by associating the action with pleasure. When a gambling addict gambles: endorphins, adrenaline and serotonin is released to the brain. The brain ‘learns’ this, and then makes connections to seek this behaviour. This, in things like drugs, leads to tolerance; as more is needed to produce the levels one was initially experiencing.  

It is important to note that physical chemical dependence is very much different from addiction. When someone who is dependant goes ‘cold-turkey’ they can experience withdrawal symptoms. These tend to be the exact opposite of the drugs affects. (i.e. depressants will cause seizures and spasms). The longer the half-life of the drug the longer the withdrawal stages. Withdrawal symptoms can include anything from depression, cravings, violent shaking and vomiting to death. It is not suggested an addict abruptly stop taking drugs, although withdrawal symtoms can be treated and subdued.

What’s in a Cigarette: 

There are over 4000 chemicals included in a cigarette and 51 are proven carcinogenic. However, a lot of them have shocking uses in house-hold products. 

Starting with the Obvious: 

Tar - Roads
Nicotine - Insecticide. (In it’s pure form a very small amount of nicotine can kill. The amount of nicotine in a pack of cigarettes in pure form is illegal in the US) 

——- More Obscure 

Hydrogen Cyanide - WWII Gas Chambers
Acetone - Nail Polish Remover
Ammonia - Bleach Cleaners (This helps the absorption of nicotine to ensure addiction. Also: Propylene Glycol)
Arsenic - Rat Poison 
Sulphuric Acid - Car Batteries
Formaldehyde 

— If most of any these chemicals are found in an industrial factory is starts emergency evacuations. If a pet/human eats a pack of cigarettes it becomes a medical emergency. 

Of course these risks are exaggerated as I would hope someone would only smoke a cigarette which produces very low amount of these chemicals in the body. 

Fire (zero gravity): The image here is an example of how a lit candle behaves in micro-gravity. The pointy flames we’re all familiar too is the product of gravity forcing it into a pillar. Where gravity is zero, energy behaves in the way it would without forces acting on it: by radiating in all directions. 

Dimensions: Most will be familiar with the concept of 2-D and 3-D. If something has 2 dimensions: any point on it can be labelled with (x,y) co-ordinates. And anyone who has been to see a 3-D film will know the extra dimension is towards or away.

Easy concepts.

Although we understand our world looks 3-D, we’re in no way certain.  For example some physicist will argue things like electrons and quarks are just points and are therefore 0-Dimensional. However, string-theorists would argue that the world is composed of 1-Dimensional oscillating strings. We believe it is possible that the universe could be a 1-Dimensional line folded in on itself… Or it could be a 4-Dimensional one (theoretical design above)… Or again if you’re a string-theorist: there are 9. Time even has a direction, but then things are getting confusing. 

Why does Ice Crackle? - Ice cubes crackle when you put them in water because the ice warms and expands. However, ice doesn’t conduct heat very well, so the outside ice expands before the inner. This causes pressure to increase and physically cracks the centre of the ice cube.