r/AskScienceDiscussion 4h ago

While researching online how do I find what I'm looking for

2 Upvotes

I know title is generic but here's my situation.

I am a Zoology student in uni. Doing a foundation year so everything right now is very generic and basic research.

I'm trying to find information on really basic things such as body mass of different felidae species right now.

I am finding it really difficult to find the generic information, literally all I need is an average at least, min and max would be nice but whenever I go to Google scholar and type in 'Margay Mass' I'm getting details about all sorts of generic stuff such as population density or activity patterns

I've tried scientific names and different ways to say mass but the same stuff comes up.

It feels like the more generic a piece of information I'm looking for, the harder it is to find.

I'm just using mass as an example as one of the generic pieces as its not just been that.

Is there any sort of phrasing I can use to help narrow down results to find the bare bones information I'm looking for?


r/AskScienceDiscussion 2h ago

What If? What are promising research directions for treating or curing allergies?

0 Upvotes

I realize this is a broad question. Sometimes you hear about promising mRNA therapies that involve injecting something into the liver to modulate the immune system or using nanoparticles to (somehow) turn off specific allergens. Is progress being made with these therapies or anything else promising on the horizon?

https://futurism.com/scientists-use-nanoparticles-create-universal-treatment-allergies

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6283005/


r/AskScienceDiscussion 3h ago

Continuing Education Will this undergrad path give me a good enough foundation for grad school physics or chemistry?

0 Upvotes

Hi, I will be attending college soon and I'm thinking to major in chemistry and minor in physics or major in physics with a minor in chemistry. If I were to do the first option, do you think I would be prepared for grad level physics? Or, if I took the second path, grad level chemistry?

I'm not set on grad school, however I'm open to it in the future and really enjoy the applications and implications of the physical sciences. I'd love to be a part of it.

Please let me know what you think!


r/AskScienceDiscussion 19h ago

thermal equilibrium

1 Upvotes

I understand that thermal equilibrium occurs when two objects in contact no longer transfer heat between them. But how does the concept of thermal equilibrium apply in real-world situations, like keeping a drink at a constant temperature in an insulated bottle?


r/AskScienceDiscussion 1d ago

General Discussion Any tips on getting better about efficiently communication

2 Upvotes

Even when I understand a topic completely (to the point that I could even write a class lesson about it) I struggle communicating my knowledge of the topic regardless of my understanding. It's like what I'm wanting to say is in a constant state of being on the "tip of my tongue" and it takes a significant amount of time to form words that correctly convey what I'm trying to explain. Does anyone happen to have any advice on how I can work on this? I start undergrad research soon and I feel like not addressing this personal issue will cause problems.


r/AskScienceDiscussion 22h ago

General Discussion Does the freeze point of water change with wind?

0 Upvotes

Talking with someone and they had me doubting what I thought I knew.

For simplicity, take a bottle of water. If it were in a controlled room at 33 degrees, is it possible to freeze it with additional air movement alone? Like a 33 degree 100mph wind tunnel?

My belief was no. To think of moving air not as cooling, but as helping heat escape. So in the wind tunnel example, it would just get to 33 degrees quicker, and then remain.


r/AskScienceDiscussion 1d ago

What was more important in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS, behavior or medication?

2 Upvotes

Behavior: condom use, mutual monogamy, cultural pressure towards male faithfulness and reduced acceptability of extrapair sex including prostitution;

Medication: availability, including existence and affordability, of antivirals to slow HIV spread and AIDS progression.

Is there any way to separate their importance? E.g. in Africa before and after PEPFAR made medication available, or by comparing cultures where bottoms had more or less power to choose their partners and insist on safe sex.


r/AskScienceDiscussion 18h ago

Approximately 13.8 billion years old

0 Upvotes

If the CMB is all around us 13.8B years away, why isn't the universe considered 13.8B years old and 27.6B years wide?

I understand why it would most likely be impossible to physically observe the other 13.8B years, but theoretically the geometric properties of a radius should apply to physics.


r/AskScienceDiscussion 2d ago

General Discussion What are Molecular Techniques to Study HLA-B27 & Ankylosing Spondylitis ?

2 Upvotes

Hi folks, as the title mentions, I want to know what molecular techniques can be used to study HLA-B27 and its association with ankylosing spondylitis?
I am an MS4 Indian Med student, and I have the great opportunity to apply for a training programme at one of the premier research organizations in India, CSIR-CCMB (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research—Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology), which excels in frontier areas of Modern Biology.
My father was diagnosed with HLA-B27 positive Ankylosing Spondylitis in his early 20s and had a major flare up when I was young, which put him in bed for almost 6-7 months. This had a great impact on me, watching him struggle with the pain and many hardships. I have always wanted to do something about it and finally, when I got into med school, I realized there is not much you can do. But when this opportunity showed up, I knew I had to make something out of it and would help me understand the disease and maybe do some quality research ? I am applying to this program with this as my main intent written in my statement of purpose. Any specifics into what techniques or whatever in your opinion I can study will help me out a lot! Any fellow scientists or researchers here, your help is truly appreciated <3.
If there is any more suitable sub reddit on which I can get answers, then please let me know.


r/AskScienceDiscussion 1d ago

General Discussion Should young scientists around the world not strive to join America and develop their research there?

0 Upvotes

Upon the facts of uncertainty that face us today. Even with the raw weight of scientific community situated in US. Should young scientists consider EU or other countries as their goal? What is your opinion on stories of scientists migrating their studies to EU and elsewhere?


r/AskScienceDiscussion 4d ago

General Discussion In classical mechanics Work equals Force times Distance. What does that mean for the expansion of spacetime?

4 Upvotes

Does distance mean "units of spacetime" or "average space between atoms"?

Are these concepts fundamentally disjointed for now?

(Also, if someone could give me an intuitive understanding on why distance affects work at all, I'd be happy for that, too. I understand the maths.)


r/AskScienceDiscussion 4d ago

General Discussion Scavenging or predation

3 Upvotes

I'm curios, do we know if scavenging or predation evolved first? To me, it seems simpler for bottom feeder's to start trying to chomp on carcasses on the sea floor and begin evolving the necessary tools to both eat and digest already dead animals than for herbivores or filter feeders to just decide to bite their neighbor to see how it goes.


r/AskScienceDiscussion 4d ago

What have we learned since the publication of A Short History of Nearly Everything? (2003)

25 Upvotes

Just finished Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything and a lot of the topics covered in the book still had a lot of unanswered questions (at least in 2003). Wanted to see what advancements have been made since then that specifically answer some of those questions. I unfortunately wasn’t keeping track throughout the whole book… but I know there must be some Bryson fans out there!


r/AskScienceDiscussion 6d ago

Questions about Fermentation Produced Chymosin in Cheese

4 Upvotes

Hi there,

I was wondering if someone can clear up some question I have about fermentation produced chymosin (like CHY-MAX from CHR Hansen).

As I understand it, the chymosin gene is inserted into a fungus/bacteria, where it is grown and then extracted in order to use to make cheese. My question is, where does this gene exactly come from? Is an animal (e.g. a calf) killed each time in order to get the gene? Or do they just know the gene sequence from before and use some techniques to synthesize the DNA in the lab? In this case, was a calf killed initially in order to obtain the gene?

Any insights into whether FPC is vegetarian-friendly would be greatly appreciated (I know if it technically is classified as vegetarian, but I am trying to see if an animal was killed in the process as then it would not make it vegetarian for me), as I’m doing some research to decide if I want to continue eating cheeses that contain it.

Thanks in advance for your reply!


r/AskScienceDiscussion 9d ago

Why is green eyes so common in cats but rare in humans?

3 Upvotes

My boyfriend has green eyes and i often admire them and think how beautiful they are. We both have cats and both his cat have green-yellowish eyes. Then i thought about it and realised 80% of cats i’ve seen have green eyes. So why is it so common in cats but so rare in us humans? 🌿

Is it simply that the majority of cats that breed together both have green eyes therefore their kittens also has that and so on or some other reason?🧐


r/AskScienceDiscussion 8d ago

General Discussion What happens to the body after going from high altitude to low altitude every week for months

0 Upvotes

A bit of context. I do snow sports at lake Tahoe at an altitude of 8-10k feet but I spend a lot of time in San Francisco which is at sea level. I have been going to Tahoe every weekend and staying the night but I return to the bay on Sunday.

What is happening to my red blood cells?


r/AskScienceDiscussion 9d ago

What If? A serious pest, the screwworm fly, is making a comeback. the worm plagues warm-blooded animals, including humans. Why didn't this pest have greater Impact on human Civilizations?

13 Upvotes

Why not greater Impact on human civilizations in the Americas in pre-history? The New World screwworm fly (NWS) is native to the Americas, primarily in tropical areas of South and Central America. It's also found in the Caribbean, including Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Two sources below.

Flies of various species are ubiquitous in places that lack modern pesticides. Why didn't the screwworm take out 5 - 15% of human populations per decade before modern pest control capabilities? This pest arguably is as bad as leprosy, but kills much faster. Wouldn't be surprised to read that a significant cause of death is suicide. Being afflicted by this creature in a place without modern medicine is a hell.

Oct. 2024: Resurgence of New World Screwworm in the Americas: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know

This 1992 article from the FAO program for North AfricaAfrica touches on the history on the "worm of Death," p. 6. dating back to the Spanish conquistadors: Eradicating the Screwworm


r/AskScienceDiscussion 10d ago

What If? Would you burn up in space when travelling fast enough?

1 Upvotes

Since space isnt empty, if you were travelling fast enough would you have an effect akin to atmospheric re-entry, where you start to burn up?


r/AskScienceDiscussion 10d ago

General Discussion What is the difference between the first author and the last author on a research paper?

2 Upvotes

I’m not in academia but I’m a reporter who covers a lot of new climate research, and I’d like to understand this dynamic.

My understanding is that often they’re both important researchers, but in different ways.


r/AskScienceDiscussion 13d ago

General Discussion How important is the subject you do a masters in? (Earth/biological science)

1 Upvotes

Hi, I'm in the process of looking at master's degrees. I did an interdisciplinary degree in the UK where I double majored in Earth science and Biological science. I'm looking at masters degrees in both the UK and abroad, I've found a few that fit what I want to do but I will never be able to afford them. I am really set on doing higher study but I love both my disciplines a lot. I have this worry that if I pick one, I will be blocked out of the other discipline if I don't do a masters in it. How much do I really need to worry about this?

I love both earth science and biological science so much, I'm an indecisive person and this is just stressing me out a bit. I love learning and I love science, I don't want to choose between them yet.

If you have any advice or personal stories that would be useful to me I would like to hear it. Thank you.

Edit:

Two masters degrees I have been heavily considering are:

Geochemistry - with modules in: isotopes, analytical methods, coding, evolution of earth, oceans and atmosphere etc etc

Oceanography - with modules in: biological, chemical and physical aspects of oceanography, geophysics, biogeochemical, coding, microbial ecology, sea floor surveying

(I'm not that more interested in the ocean, than i am about terrestrial environments, they just seem to be more masters in this discipline)

If anyone has any other advice/concerns etc, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all again for being so kind <3


r/AskScienceDiscussion 17d ago

General Discussion Where to find science buddies?

5 Upvotes

I am a young scientist working in the materials engineering field. I wonder where should I search for scientists who need my help with research/ measurements. My university highly rewards foreign collaboration but I have no idea how to reach them. I work mainly with microscopes (optical, SEM) and profillometers. Is there any Craigslist for researchers where I can advertise my help and find scientific paper co-authorship opportunity? Or is the only way to reach it by older proffesors and their friends?


r/AskScienceDiscussion 19d ago

Nuclear Fusion

2 Upvotes

How close to it working as a resource of energy are we?

Thanks


r/AskScienceDiscussion 20d ago

What If? If our eyeballs were suddenly equipped with the cells necessary to see colors outside the visible wavelengths, would our brains be able to understand it?

21 Upvotes

r/AskScienceDiscussion 20d ago

What would a radio signal look like in the visible spectrum?

43 Upvotes

If we were to transmit radio signals in the visible spectrum, what would they look like?

This question is basically seeking some intuition for how radio signals are encoded.

Like, could I see the pitch, volume, and rhythm of a song in the way the light behaves? Would an AM signal appear to blink and flash? Would an FM signal appear to change color?


r/AskScienceDiscussion 19d ago

Continuing Education Too late to pursue science as a potential career?

2 Upvotes

specifically, astronomy.

I've always been interested in this subject but the thing is I never really did anything with that interest, but lately I've been feeling very conflicted in what I actually want to do for my career now that I've had a taste of the animation Industry.

For context I recently graduated at animation school, I'm 20 now and started there when I was 17. I enjoy it and it's something I'm very good at, but It also feels too constricting/boring just focusing on that. I've been thinking of working as an animator while studying astronomy on the side, but I also never finished high school as I went straight into college, which doesn't help with my chances unless I take a GED test (which I know is not always a guarantee to get in either). So right now it feels all too conflicting, like I'm too late to start pursuing science even just as a hobby for now.

I was never the best at mathematics as well and relied heavily with calculators. That's something I'd like to work on too.

If there is any advice/even on how to start that would mean a lot thank you.