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Newbie
User of semicolons.



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The Smell of Space
#8021547 - 02/14/08 09:18 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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The Smell of Space By: ISS Science Officer Don Pettit
Few people have experienced traveling into space. Even fewer have experienced the smell of space. Now this sounds strange, that a vacuum could have a smell and that a human being could live to smell that smell. It seems about as improbable as listening to sounds in space, yet space has a definite smell. Being creatures of an atmosphere, we can only smell space indirectly. Sort of like the way a pit viper smells by waving its tongue in the air and thenpressing it to the roof of its mouth where sensors process the molecules that have been adsorbed onto the waggling appendage. I had the pleasure of operating the airlock for two of my crewmates while they went on several space walks. Each time, when I repressed the airlock, opened the hatch and welcomed two tired workers inside, a peculiar odor tickled my olfactory senses. At first I couldn't quite place it. It must have come from the air ducts that re-pressed the compartment. Then I noticed that this smell was on their suit, helmet, gloves, and tools. It was more pronounced on fabrics than on metal or plastic surfaces. It is hard to describe this smell; it is definitely not the olfactory equivalent to describing the palette sensations of some new food as "tastes like chicken." The best description I can come up with is metallic; a rather pleasant sweet metallic sensation. It reminded me of my college summers where I labored for many hours with an arc welding torch repairing heavy equipment for a small logging outfit. It reminded me of pleasant sweet smelling welding fumes. That is the smell of space.
I thought that was cool as hell. I never really stopped and thought, "Hmmm I wonder what space smells like." I wonder if it smells any different depending on where you are.
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MOTH
Wild Woman


Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 23,431
Loc: In the jungle
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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8021566 - 02/14/08 09:22 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Wow... "metallic smell.."
Hmm...
food for thought.
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Ferris
PsychedelicJourneyman



Registered: 03/12/06
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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8021567 - 02/14/08 09:22 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Well, the space station or whatever they were on was probably in low orbit, you would have to go a bit further out to be in more of a true vacuum. I would like to smell it to see what he's talking about.
-------------------- Discuss Politics
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AlteredAgain
Visual Alchemist



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8021665 - 02/14/08 09:48 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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trippy post. 
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igwna
The Cap'n


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i've tasted that metallic taste.. like uhh, i have a post about my teeth fillings when i get stoned i get that metallic taste.
i donno if i ever SMELLED it though.
interesting.
-------------------- I don't believe in cops, bosses, or politicians. Some call that anarchism. I call it having a fucking heart that beats.
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OneMoreRobot3021



Registered: 06/06/03
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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8021721 - 02/14/08 10:04 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Thanks for posting that dude.
-------------------- Acid doesn't give you truths; it builds machines that push the envelope of perception. Whatever revelations came to me then have dissolved like skywriting. All I really know is that those few years saddled me with a faith in the redemptive potential of the imagination which, however flat, stale and unprofitable the world seems to me now, I cannot for the life of me shake. -Erik Davis
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anyone420
mad buddah abuser



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: igwna]
#8021725 - 02/14/08 10:05 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Interesting post !
I've gotten high enough to taste a star before.
True story.
-------------------- for all y’all niggaz out there that be puffin shit when the music go on, y’all listen to this alright
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Robo
R Series 66Y
Registered: 05/08/07
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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: anyone420]
#8021742 - 02/14/08 10:10 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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How cool would it be to work on the space station 
I wonder what it would take to get a job going into space. Im fairly close to the launching site maybe they'll give me a job
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AlteredAgain
Visual Alchemist



Registered: 04/27/06
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hmm, i wonder if space "tastes" anything like DMT..
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Tangerines




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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8022066 - 02/14/08 11:47 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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I am pretty sure space has no smell...considering it is NOTHING except the absence of matter.
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AlteredAgain
Visual Alchemist



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022092 - 02/14/08 11:52 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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space is a ton of energy.
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WakeboardrB
Pepe Silvia



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Robo]
#8022101 - 02/14/08 11:54 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Omni said: How cool would it be to work on the space station 
I think it would be cool at first, but imagine how bored and claustrophobic you would feel after a while. I'm quite suprised no one has ever gone nuts up there and hacked the rest of the crew into little pieces and wore their skin as pajamas.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
-------------------- Same thing happened to me when I played Neil Armstrong in Moonshot. They found me in an alley in Burbank trying to re-enter the earth's atmosphere in an old refrigerator box.
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Tangerines




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How do you figure? Space by definition is the lack of matter. So by having the lack of matter you have energy?
Granted space is supposed to consist of 99% dark matter...but then again we have no clue what exactly dark matter it as we can only detect it.
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AlteredAgain
Visual Alchemist



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022123 - 02/14/08 11:59 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tangerines said: How do you figure? Space by definition is the lack of matter. So by having the lack of matter you have energy?
Granted space is supposed to consist of 99% dark matter...but then again we have no clue what exactly dark matter it as we can only detect it.
Just because empty space has no matter does not mean there is no energy in it. Michael Talbot writes about this in his book The Holographic Universe. He even goes as far as saying that every cubic centimeter of empty space contains more energy than the total energy of all the matter in the known universe.. which if true, goes to say that space is not empty at all. It is full, a plenum as opposed to a vacuum, and is the ground for the existence of everything, including ourselves.
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Tangerines




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Energy smells though? I have smelt light before and it never smells. Pure flame has no smell. Heat has no smell. I am confused.
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igwna
The Cap'n


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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022134 - 02/14/08 12:01 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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i've smelled heat.
-------------------- I don't believe in cops, bosses, or politicians. Some call that anarchism. I call it having a fucking heart that beats.
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Tangerines




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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: igwna]
#8022138 - 02/14/08 12:02 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Pure heat smells? Please do tell.
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Tangerines




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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022143 - 02/14/08 12:03 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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There is a difference in smell when you are outside in the shade and then the sun comes out and brings its warmth upon you? I never noticed that.
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igwna
The Cap'n


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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022154 - 02/14/08 12:06 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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yeah its got some kinda smell.
i remember having smelled and saying "it even smells hot today."
-------------------- I don't believe in cops, bosses, or politicians. Some call that anarchism. I call it having a fucking heart that beats.
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Cowgold
Bullshit


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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022167 - 02/14/08 12:09 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tangerines said: I am pretty sure space has no smell...considering it is NOTHING except the absence of matter.
Smelling smells our entire life, the absence of scented particles would still have a smell. That or there are scented particles in space.
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Tangerines




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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Cowgold]
#8022172 - 02/14/08 12:10 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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In that case I want to know what nothing smells like. I will never have that chance though.
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Cowgold
Bullshit


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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Cowgold]
#8022175 - 02/14/08 12:11 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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It's possible that light radiation changes scent particles to smell like metal.
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Tangerines




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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Cowgold]
#8022181 - 02/14/08 12:12 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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There are no particles in space though. Right? Or maybe I am just thinking about this wrong.
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AlteredAgain
Visual Alchemist



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022191 - 02/14/08 12:15 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tangerines said: There are no particles in space though. Right? Or maybe I am just thinking about this wrong.
I would say there are, as few and tiny as they may be.. I mean how else do we end up with something like a planet?
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Ferris
PsychedelicJourneyman



Registered: 03/12/06
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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022196 - 02/14/08 12:16 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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I already mentioned this, but maybe I need more links in order to nerd this up.
The space station is in low earth orbit:
Space Station
Low Earth Orbit
Also known as the thermosphere:
Thermosphere
I quote:
"The thermosphere is the layer of the earth's atmosphere directly above the mesosphere and directly below the exosphere. Within this layer, ultraviolet radiation causes ionization."
The only ionized particle I can think of is ozone, ionized oxygen, but there might be others too probably depending on the specific height of the craft.
Sorry for ruining it, I drank my coffee this morning.
-------------------- Discuss Politics
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Tangerines




Registered: 04/17/05
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Well there are masses of particles solid, gas, or plasma(I do not think liquid can exist in pure space). But for the other 99.999% or whatever is there little particles floating around? I am too lazy/burnt out to look this up. I am interested and am not just arguing for the sake of it.
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xdzt

Registered: 02/05/08
Posts: 427
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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022207 - 02/14/08 12:18 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tangerines said: There are no particles in space though. Right? Or maybe I am just thinking about this wrong.
There are DEFINITELY particles in space. In fact, ISM (Inter-stellar matter) makes up something like 5% of all the mass in our galaxy.
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Tangerines




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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: xdzt]
#8022219 - 02/14/08 12:20 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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yea you are right. I forgot light is made op of particles. Duh.
I have been up for 36 hours so forgive me.
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Ferris
PsychedelicJourneyman



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022223 - 02/14/08 12:21 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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This will help a little I guess.
-------------------- Discuss Politics
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Tangerines




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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Ferris]
#8022226 - 02/14/08 12:22 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Yea I understand that graph. But that is not what I was wondering. We do not even know what dark energy or matter really is anyways.
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sam420
CertifiedReptilianOverlord



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022231 - 02/14/08 12:24 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Wrong. The average particle density of the stellar medium in the Milky Way is about a million particles per square meter.
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i'm a spy huntin rap dinosaur from the future
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Tangerines




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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: sam420]
#8022237 - 02/14/08 12:25 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Ok I am wrong. Continue with your smell of space discussion.
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Ferris
PsychedelicJourneyman



Registered: 03/12/06
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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: sam420]
#8022243 - 02/14/08 12:27 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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There's not only light traveling in space, there's also gamma radiation, x-rays, and all those fun heavy particles. Even at the edge of the universe, scientists estimate the temperature (energy), caused by background radiation from the big bang, to be about 2 point something kelvins, which is pretty high considering. So there is indeed matter "everywhere," at least inside the universe.
You'll have to trip into another dimension to get away from the heat.
-------------------- Discuss Politics
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SixCee
keep rolling



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8022247 - 02/14/08 12:28 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Out of all the things it could possibly be he guesses the smell must be 'space.' Oh c'mon...
edit: When I inoculate I smell rubbing alcohol, therefore spores smell like rubbing alcohol
-------------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -->The above statements may or not be true. ->Quote of the Moment : "Yea. All bitches are whores who love sex." -Cubie ----> PMs checked daily.
Edited by SixCee (02/14/08 12:29 PM)
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Ferris
PsychedelicJourneyman



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Tangerines]
#8022248 - 02/14/08 12:28 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tangerines said: Ok I am wrong. Continue with your smell of space discussion.
I think it smells like waffles.
-------------------- Discuss Politics
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Tangerines




Registered: 04/17/05
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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Ferris]
#8022255 - 02/14/08 12:30 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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I always figured it would smell like goatse.
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Cowgold
Bullshit


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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Ferris]
#8022262 - 02/14/08 12:32 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Ferris said: There's not only light traveling in space, there's also gamma radiation, x-rays, and all those fun heavy particles.
Gamma rays and x-rays are light.
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Ferris
PsychedelicJourneyman



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Cowgold]
#8022292 - 02/14/08 12:38 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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You got me there.
-------------------- Discuss Politics
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Cowgold
Bullshit


Registered: 04/04/05
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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Ferris]
#8022299 - 02/14/08 12:40 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Ferris
PsychedelicJourneyman



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Cowgold]
#8022309 - 02/14/08 12:43 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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-------------------- Discuss Politics
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Newbie
User of semicolons.



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Ferris]
#8024185 - 02/14/08 07:41 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Wow this thread exploded while I was at work! I think he really was smelling space air SixCee, because the way they let them in would also let a lot of space air in. It's not a COMPLETE vacuum, so it's definitely going to fill up the area before they shut the first door. Then they seal the first door, open up the second, and all the space air comes inside (provided they don't turn the room into a vacuum first).
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wrestler_az
PsiLLy BiLLy



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8024195 - 02/14/08 07:44 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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i was instantly reminded of this episode of futurama
-------------------- how's your WOW?
Edited by yageman (04/20/06 4:20 PM)
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Plok
Life is fractal


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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8024276 - 02/14/08 08:04 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
NewbieShroomie said: Wow this thread exploded while I was at work! I think he really was smelling space air SixCee, because the way they let them in would also let a lot of space air in. It's not a COMPLETE vacuum, so it's definitely going to fill up the area before they shut the first door. Then they seal the first door, open up the second, and all the space air comes inside (provided they don't turn the room into a vacuum first).
space air?? hahaha
Space has hardly any matter at all in it. Far too little for us to detect with our noses. It is a near complete vacuum on the largest scales possible. SPACE does not smell like anything. To smell something you have to have particles entering your olfactory organ in significant quantities. We can't even smell a lot of things here on Earth, let alone in space. There are so many other reasonable explanations that are not even being considered.
NewbieShroomie where did you get that quote? There is no source listed.
-------------------- Just say NO to the War on Drugs.
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Newbie
User of semicolons.



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8024279 - 02/14/08 08:05 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
NewbieShroomie said: The Smell of Space By: ISS Science Officer Don Pettit
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KetamineKatalyst
Skyhighatrist



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: wrestler_az]
#8024282 - 02/14/08 08:07 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Wouldn't he be smelling particles and matter in space and not space itself? I'm confused.
Edit: I'm thinking what Plok is thinking!
-------------------- "Cosmic Love is absolutely ruthless and highly indifferent: it teaches its lessons whether you like/dislike them or not." John C. Lilly
Edited by KetamineKatalyst (02/14/08 08:08 PM)
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Plok
Life is fractal


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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Newbie]
#8024295 - 02/14/08 08:11 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Yeah, I saw that. And I'm wondering where you pulled the quote from.
-------------------- Just say NO to the War on Drugs.
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Gumby
Fishnologist


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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Cowgold]
#8024532 - 02/14/08 09:06 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Cowgold said:
Quote:
Ferris said: There's not only light traveling in space, there's also gamma radiation, x-rays, and all those fun heavy particles.
Gamma rays and x-rays are light.
No, they're waves/particles of energy.
Yeah I'm talking out of my ass. I never understood how something can be both a wave and a particle.
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Banana03
The 3rd Conchord



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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Cowgold]
#8024657 - 02/14/08 09:31 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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I've brought this question up to some friends; Do you think anyone has ever been high in space? You think they have let them take brownies up to test the effects?
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Cepheus
Balance




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One theory is that there is exactly 0 energy in the universe.
Some speculate that the universe began because of a 'quantum blip', where something can 'teleport' to another place providing it does not loose or gain any energy (i.e total energy = 0). (obviously this is disgustingly gross over simplifictation)
Now all of the positive energy in the universe (which is pretty much inifinte) is cancelled out by the negative gravitational potential energy, which allows the quantum blip to occur.
All the math works as well
-------------------- "I only ever hope to reach equilibrium, in Nature's matrix, in line with the meridian" ~ Jehst
"...and I know that I have to keep breathing, as tomorrow the sun will rise, who knows what the tide will bring?" Free Spore Ring Europe Send any spare spore prints you might have and help the distribution
Open Source. Freedom. GNU/Linux Addicting is not a word.
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Ferris
PsychedelicJourneyman



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Re: The Smell of Space *DELETED* [Re: Banana03]
#8025679 - 02/15/08 01:31 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Post deleted by FerrisReason for deletion: .
-------------------- Discuss Politics
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igwna
The Cap'n


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Re: The Smell of Space [Re: Ferris]
#8025771 - 02/15/08 02:14 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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i bet they get some kind of anxiety drug, just incase they bug out or something.
i doubt they have time or means to get 'high' off something. but i'm no expert.
-------------------- I don't believe in cops, bosses, or politicians. Some call that anarchism. I call it having a fucking heart that beats.
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