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A thread for scientific nerdiness

bellbird

bellbird

MyPTSD Pro
Hi all,

I'm a self-described total science nerd (and I love it). I've noticed a few others on the forum say similar, so I thought it'd be cool if we had a place to revel in our nerdiness and share any cool facts we find.
There's something pretty neat about hearing something that makes you stop and think *damn.. that's really awesome.* I find it can sometimes distract me, if only for a moment, from all the difficult things that are going on in life.

So, here's one to start things off:
In every nucleated cell in your body, you have 2 linear metres of DNA, squished into a 10-20 micro(10^-6) meter diameter nucleus. That's a lot of squishing! (like 100,000 fold, if my maths is correct).
And it means in your entire body, you've got enough DNA to go from here to the Sun and back more than 300 times, or around the Earth's equator 2.5 million times.
(reference: DNA Packaging: Nucleosomes and Chromatin | Learn Science at Scitable)

Go you, you amazing human.:tup:
 
I hope this thread catches on... I won't have anything to contribute that wouldn't have ya'll rolling on the floor laughing... but love learning !!
Can't wait to tell my friend this... she already says I'm a vast storehouse of useless knowledge.... lol.. but your post was fascinating...
 
Hey thanks @ladee , I hope you and your friend will find some enjoyment in this thread!:happy:
Yeah that fact was one of my favourites I learnt in university last semester (and then of course we had to learn how you fit 2 metres into 2 micrometers.. which I won't bore you with the details lol but it's the kind of thing that makes you go woah, and makes your head spin at the same time:p )
 
Found out this interesting little thing: theres a point in the ocean that is impossible to explore. It is around 2500 metres down in the Kermadac trench in the pacific. Every single ROV (remotley operated vehicle) that has been sent there has failed to return...
The cause:

Its a giant squid mating ground...
giant squid think ROVs are suitable mates (you can probably guess what happens)
 
Here's a question I'll propose to my Science friends. This is a theory I've had for a while and maybe you all can weigh in on it.

Maybe were looking to the wrong part of the brain to understand PTSD (or at least missing a piece to the puzzle). Everyone is looking to the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus to understand how PTSD works. However I think our endocrine system is pointing us to a very different part of the brain. One thing PTSD sufferers have in common is altered cortisol levels which is regulated by the HPA axis. This is common with PTSD sufferers. Could the hypothalamus be the key in unlocking the next level of treatment in PTSD sufferers? This is just a theory of mine; I would love to get feedback.
 
Ooooo....the endocrine system (a.k.a. to me as the chakra system)....and the massive amount of endocrine disruptors we're constantly ingesting, breathing, and marinating our skin in fascinates me to no end, especially after totally flipping my entire lifestyle to eliminate them as much as humanly possible.

I'm another curious soul who is endlessly fascinated by many topics, but can't digest, retain, or very well express the data or the reasoning and such. I can know it, feel it, and even live it, but can't explain it worth a shit. lol The meridian system and the lymph system are two more areas of interest and fascination, to me, that I don't hear much about but feel I've definitely benefited from becoming more aware about them. Great thread idea!
 
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