Stephen Tremp's Blog, page 44

J is for Jupiter

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Could life evolve in our solar system without the Jovian planet? Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It's believed Jupiter's large mass attracted many of the asteroids that would have otherwise smashed into our Earth.

On the other hand, too many Jovian planets, or one that is too large, could lead to a non-stable solar system, sending the smaller planets into the central sun or ejecting them into the cold of space.

So a single Jupiter is in just the right distance from the sun...

H is for Hydrogen

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Seems I transposed the dates for H and I. We'll get back on track with J is for Jupiter tomorrow.

What is hydrogen? Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless naturally occurring highly flammable gas, the chemical element of atomic number 1.
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The hydrogen atom is so simple and small, it is hard to believe that it is the most important and abundant substance in the universe. We are all byproducts of hydrogen as we can trace elements we are made up of back to nuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms in...

I is for Isotope

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Okay, so isotopes, on the surface, may not be very exciting. Or interesting. Or sexy. But our world would be a very different place without them.
Elements are identified by the number of protons they have. Carbon (C) has six protons, hence its Atomic Number is 6. Isotopes are variants of a particular element that maintains the same number of protons, yet can vary in the number of neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
Example: the element carbon (C) has six protons, yet individual carbon...

I is for Isotpe

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Okay, so isotopes, on the surface, may not be very exciting. Or interesting. Or sexy. But our world would be a very different place without them.

Elements are identified by the number of protons they have. Carbon (C) has six protons, hence its Atomic Number is 6. Isotopes are variants of a particular element that maintains the same number of protons, yet can vary in the number of neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

Example: the element carbon (C) has six protons, yet individual carbon...

G is for Gap Theory

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Okay, let's take a bit of a breather and think outside the box. The Gap Theory tries to bridge the gap between two camps: some Creationists who believe the universe is 6,000 years old (counting back in time to the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve) and science which claims the universe is around 14 billion years old.

Basically, the theory states there is an undetermined amount of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (insert Gap...

F is for Force

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There are four fundamental forces that describe the ways elementary particles interact with one another:

* Strong Nuclear Force: binds protons and neutrons together to form nucleas of atoms
* Weak Nuclear Force: responsible for the radioactive decay of subatomic particles
* Electromagnetism: concerned with the forces that occur between electrically charged particles
* Gravity: force that attracts a body toward any other physical body having mass
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According to Professor Michio Kaku, from a cosmic...

E is for Energy

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A constant energy output from the star is necessary for life to exist and thrive (theoretically). If the star's energy output suddenly decreases, even for a relatively short while, all the water on the planet would freeze. This situation is irreversible, since when the star resumes its normal energy output, the planet's now-white surface will reflect most of this energy, and the ice will never melt.





Conversely, if the stars energy output increases for a short while, all the oceans will...

D is for Distance and The Insecure Writers Support Group

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Today's post is straight forward. Earth is 93 million miles from the sun. The distance over the coarse of a year actually varies a bit due to our elliptical orbit. This allows Earth's temperature to remain stable and for life to exist and thrive. Earth's distance from the Sun is thought to be one of the key reasons why it is home to widespread life.

However:

If Earth were 4%–7% closer to the sun, oceans would never have condensed. Hence, no life.

And if Earth were farther away, it would have...

C is for Composition

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Composition: The nature of something's ingredients or constituents; the way in which a whole or mixture is made up.

Example: The earth's atmosphere near the surface is composed of:

Nitrogen - 78.084%
Oxygen - 20.95%
Argon - 0.934%
Carbon Dioxide - 0.036%
Neon - 0.0018%
Helium - 0.0005%
Methane - 0.00017%
Hydrogen - 0.00005%
Nitrous Oxide - 0.00003%
Ozone - 0.000004%

In addition, water vapor is variable but typically makes up about 1-4% of the atmosphere. Oxygen allows us to live. Carbon dioxide allows...

B is for Bees

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I've got to give it up to the bees! Bees perform a very important function on Earth: they pollinate various plants and flowers. Pollinators strongly influence ecological relationships, ecosystem conservation and stability, genetic variation in the plant community, floral diversity, specialization and evolution.

Bees play an important, but little recognized role in most terrestrial ecosystems where there is green vegetation cover. In tropical forests, savannah woodlands, mangrove, and in...