Which is more environmentally-friendly: matches or lighters? [more inside]
posted by chrismear at at 6:20 AM - 6 answers

How long does one smell skunk? (ain't talkin' 'bout weed) [more inside]
posted by NoMich at at 8:37 PM - 13 answers

Help me find reliable research on the validity of hypnosis. [more inside]
posted by TigerCrane at at 12:17 PM - 10 answers

Real-life examples of "transhumanism" / the fusion of body and "machine". [more inside]
posted by tybeet at at 10:58 AM - 23 answers

If the earth's gravity was increased by 10%, would sprint runners be slower or faster? [more inside]
posted by IvyMike at at 9:52 AM - 49 answers

I'm going backpacking for a couple of weeks in the Beartooth mountains next summer. I'll be above the tree line most of the time. I'd like to have some local herbs and greens to make trail food more palatable. Is the flora described in Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies going to be the right stuff for this trip? Is there another pack-reference which will better describe this biome? [more inside]
posted by a robot made out of meat at at 6:30 PM - 3 answers

Is there anything "in between" polynomials and exponentials? [more inside]
posted by metastability at at 2:47 PM - 5 answers

How long should it reasonably take before 2 "Last Men on Earth" meet? [more inside]
posted by mr_book at at 9:36 AM - 23 answers

Does this building's layout represent a particular molecule? [more inside]
posted by Huw at at 2:26 AM - 10 answers

I'm looking for ways to change my behavior. It's important for various reasons that I start reinforcing some behaviors and stopping others. I'm a procrastinator for one, and tend to start projects and not finish them for another. Is there a research backed methodology for doing so? [more inside]
posted by diode at at 6:51 AM - 10 answers

Is it possible to be bad at math and understand the structure of the universe? [more inside]
posted by diogenes at at 9:47 AM - 19 answers

I'm looking for daily data about current global wind patterns. [more inside]
posted by klanawa at at 9:39 AM - 2 answers

Is the amount of matter in the universe infinite, too? How does that work? [more inside]
posted by borkingchikapa at at 6:31 AM - 50 answers

I am looking for statistics about accidents and deaths due to overdose on prescribed drugs vs overdose on Illegal drugs.
posted by zouhair at at 12:12 AM - 2 answers

This one is for the extroverts. As someone who has struggled with social anxiety/shyness to varying degrees my entire life, I'm very curious to know what your inner dialogue is like? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at at 7:22 PM - 32 answers

Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Statview. Anyone know how to set up a datasheet to do this analysis in this program? I know this is an incredible longshot. [more inside]
posted by gaspode at at 7:43 AM - 4 answers

What equation can I use to calculate the number of miles in a degree of longitude for a given latitude? [more inside]
posted by Glendale at at 4:56 AM - 9 answers

Principal components factor analysis and scale construction (filter) again. [more inside]
posted by proj at at 5:43 PM - 13 answers

Ok, so: esoterica time. I'm curious about hazardous materials. Where can I find out (statistically, not anecdotally) what are the most common types of hazmat circulating out there in each class, by volume, in the U.S.? [more inside]
posted by kittyprecious at at 8:23 AM - 11 answers

What is this? 60°24'37.66"N 130°48'59.78"W. View it in satellite on Google Maps or Earth. [more inside]
posted by converge at at 2:02 AM - 15 answers

Math filter: How many equally sized rectangles will fit into a circle, and how should I arrange them in order to make the best-looking approximation? [more inside]
posted by brandnew at at 6:49 AM - 9 answers

When it's really quiet as I try to fall asleep, I'll sometimes hear faint sounds that seem to have been things I'd heard earlier in the day, with what's almost like a residual effect. It mostly seems comprised of co-workers talking, TV/radio broadcasts, and the vocal parts of songs (which doesn't include "Helter Skelter"). It's almost like hearing one's own "inner voice" (at least, I'm assuming), but more faint and on auto pilot. Is this a fairly common occurrence, and what's the cause of it? [more inside]
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at at 11:40 PM - 26 answers

AstronomyFilter: What was that crazy thing I saw in the sky? [more inside]
posted by bmalicoat at at 8:01 PM - 19 answers

Need some help working out electrical sums. [more inside]
posted by deeper red at at 7:50 AM - 12 answers

Which strains of (harmless) bacteria are most susceptible to radiation? [more inside]
posted by iconjack at at 1:52 PM - 6 answers

Looking for an RSS Feed For Meteorological Events [more inside]
posted by SlyBevel at at 12:00 PM - 6 answers

How densely is the air in populated places packed with invisible waves? How harmful is all that? [more inside]
posted by Rykey at at 5:47 PM - 13 answers

Why are the San Francisco sidewalks so wide, and why are so few trees and strips of grass planted between the sidewalk and buildings? [more inside]
posted by dreamphone at at 11:03 AM - 25 answers

Pilots and medical personnel: Exactly why are cell phones and wireless devices prohibited at takeoff/landings and in ICUs (etc.). Are there known consequences on certain equipment? And why, precisely, are microwaves bad for pacemaker wearers? I'm interested in knowing exactly what mechanisms are/could be affected, how and why. [more inside]
posted by spock at at 10:26 AM - 15 answers

Neuroanatomy filter: is there PC software to visualize in 3D the different anatomic parts of the brain (with labels) and maybe even their interconnections (tracts)?
posted by bbranden1 at at 8:48 AM - 9 answers

Why do we recycle paper? [more inside]
posted by jbickers at at 5:27 PM - 29 answers

Can anyone offer me some suggestions for how to make a relatively inexpensive sound trap (i.e. like those echo reducers that large auditoriums have). Info about materials, shapes, etc. would be helpful. [more inside]
posted by n8stew at at 3:04 PM - 3 answers

Just started a PhD in cognitive neuroscience/imaging genetics and looking for some way to fund my research. [more inside]
posted by doctor.dan at at 4:18 AM - 10 answers

What does "longitudinal prediction" mean? And more generally, where can I find an online glossary of such terms related to research statistics? [more inside]
posted by harwons at at 8:25 PM - 3 answers

Does sound carry downwards? [more inside]
posted by Ms. Informed at at 8:04 PM - 11 answers

I have an infant son and have become terrified that he'll die of SIDS. I'm dumb about statistics, so I'd like a few examples of things that are more likely to happen to him than SIDS. [more inside]
posted by christinetheslp at at 5:58 PM - 30 answers

The Perseid meteor shower is almost upon us and my kids and I were wondering what effect a golf ball-sized meteorite would have if it fell on a two story wood frame house. Any ideas?
posted by salishsea at at 9:26 PM - 14 answers

Statistics Filter: How to pick a red ball from n buckets, when there could be multiple red balls in one or more of the buckets, and multiple bucket sets? [more inside]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at at 11:55 AM - 11 answers

Why did the wasps attack me? What are these wasps? And am I a marked person? Shall I seek revenge? [more inside]
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at at 5:09 PM - 33 answers

I'll be at the Grand Canyon during the peak of the Perseids. Help me make the most of the experience. [more inside]
posted by pluckemin at at 8:37 PM - 3 answers

Looking for an engaging, well-written book that explains scientific thinking [more inside]
posted by ManInSuit at at 7:34 PM - 30 answers

Would Tai Chi work in outer space? [more inside]
posted by nímwunnan at at 3:42 PM - 6 answers

I'm on honeymoon in Quebec right now, and my new wife really wants to see a beaver in the wild. What's a good place to see some (either on our own, or ideally, with a guide) in areas that I'll be in? We've got a car, so are pretty flexible, we just need a tip off! Details of our specific location follow... [more inside]
posted by ascullion at at 4:06 PM - 13 answers

I vaguely recall seeing some kind of online/download that tracked in near realtime all of the satellites orbiting earth, allowing the user to pan around. Am I insane, or does that exist?
posted by sharksandwich at at 11:24 PM - 7 answers

I am building a zip line. The supports are 70m apart and one is 7m higher than the other. I want the lowest point of the zip line to be 2m lower than the lower support. How long is the wire? [more inside]
posted by unSane at at 6:43 AM - 17 answers

What useful technologies have been developed or are in development due to advances of knowledge in modern physics? [more inside]
posted by wigglin at at 1:11 AM - 16 answers

You know the large hadron collider? What happens if it kills us all? [more inside]
posted by spilon at at 12:42 PM - 28 answers

Please help me identify this bird in Washington State (nocturnal). I didn't see it, but I heard it. It was a long screech, starting at a low pitch, and ending at a high pitch. The screech lasted a full second or so. There was one right in front of my house, and another in the backyard. If it helps for region, I'm out in Snohomish where there's tons of pine trees around.
posted by DCTapeworm at at 11:03 PM - 7 answers

Is there a differentiable function f(x) such that the derivative is nowhere continuous? That is, f'(x) has no point of continuity? [more inside]
posted by thrako at at 7:23 PM - 16 answers

I want to do something (maybe embroidery, maybe a tattoo, maybe plant a garden) with plants that symbolize my three children. My youngest is named Rosemary, so that's quite easy, but I am having a harder time coming up with plants that would symbolize the names Evan and Nathaniel. I've googled and had no luck. I'm looking for something that contains the names, or something recognizably similar to them in the common or botanical name, or maybe a plant that is somehow associated with those names, or... anything you can think of. And the plants probably shouldn't look odd with a Rosemary plant next to it.
posted by Shoeburyness at at 2:46 PM - 9 answers