Activity for KernelOfChaos‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Question	—	How would eyes that evolved in air differ from our own? In one of the documentaries he's featured in, Neil deGrasse Tyson talked about the evolution of the eye. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SXHMm5I-68 The part that's always intrigued me is this: Our eyes originally evolved to see in water. ... For land animals, the light carries images from the ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Question	—	Would the tropic and arctic climate bands switch if the Earth's axial tilt changed to 60 degrees? At 4:56 in this video essay, Edgar states that at an axial tilt of 60 degrees, the tropic and arctic climate bands will be switched, so that equatorial regions would be cold and polar regions hot. https://youtu.be/J4K3H9aNLpE?t=4m56s Is this plausible? It seems to me that it should be more complica... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Question	—	What's the most plausible way to bio-engineer an underground ecosystem, without photosynthesis, to produce oxygen? Here's the full question: What's the most plausible way to bio-engineer an underground ecosystem, without using photosynthesis, so a mine system would not need an active air exchange system? (It was over 150 characters, again.) So, inspired by Jim2B's response here: How low underground could you g... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Question	—	How would a plant adapted to living at -23 degrees Celsius keep ice from clogging its stomata? Full version of the question: How would a plant adapted to living at -23 degrees Celsius keep the water vapor it transpirates from flash freezing to the surface of/within its leaves and clogging its stomata? (It was over 150 characters.) So, this is partially inspired by this question: I want a lay... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Question	—	Is it feasible for a Dune-style sand worm to have silica scales? This question (and the links I found for my answer) Can a "dune" worm actually swim in sand? got me thinking about how a sandworm might reduce friction while "swimming." One idea I hit on would be natural glass scales, lubricated with some kind of oil. There's only one species that forms silica she... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Question	—	What would the minimum mass of a water world need to be to form ice Vll, due to pressure, at its core? What about ice X, ice Xl, and higher? I'm thinking of a planet in a Goldilocks zone similar to Earth's, with a similar atmosphere, and similar atmospheric pressure and temperature at the surface. Gravity would be variable, based on the mass needed to sustain the kinds of pressures to form exotic ices at the core. I realize there are at ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago