Ask a physicist anything. (7)

[Orogeny]

Who's gonna win the NFC this year?

 

[acropolis]

Q: What's the best design for a Desktop Sized Trebuchet for a School Project?

I don't know all the parameters, but I know the key is to allow the counterweight to fall in a straight line down. One way to accomplish this is to put wheels on the frame allowing the trebuchet to roll forward and back.

 

[mzungu]

I don't know all the parameters, but I know the key is to allow the counterweight to fall in a straight line down. One way to accomplish this is to put wheels on the frame allowing the trebuchet to roll forward and back.

Two things are vital for a trebuchet to work: 1 is velocity and 2 is force. In order to achieve the velocity you need two things: 1 enough force and enough travel of the arm in order to attain the maximum velocity for the projectile.

Obviously this requires that the force be applied on the short end of the lever and this means more force must be applied in order to overcome the lever ratio to weight factor. So a very heavy weight applied to the short end of the lever will mean increased velocity for the projectile but the weight applying the force will have to be much heavier than the weight of the projectile!

Trebuchets at WoodworkersWorkshop.com

 

[Zippy the Wonderslug]

Okay, so I had like the weirdest thing happen to me earlier today.

Some kind of lounge piano music was coming out of my computer's speakers.

It was only piano, it didn't sound like a recorded song, it almost was like someone practicing or something.

I checked the task manager on my Windows XP and only Explorer and Microsoft Security Essentials were running.

My firewall was on.

I do have TightVNC installed with a 5 letter childish password but it wasn't running.

I do have Putty somewhere on my computer but that wasn't running either.

What could this have been?

No programs were running at the time but the piano came out loud through my speakers.

I'm actually a little spooked by this still even though it happened a few hours ago.

I've since turned my computer off.

Maybe some kind of bizarro virus perhaps?

Oh, and my speakers are not wireless.

 

[Orogeny]

That was pretty obviously a ghost.

 

[Chalnoth]

Okay, so I had like the weirdest thing happen to me earlier today.

Some kind of lounge piano music was coming out of my computer's speakers.

It was only piano, it didn't sound like a recorded song, it almost was like someone practicing or something.

I checked the task manager on my Windows XP and only Explorer and Microsoft Security Essentials were running.

My firewall was on.

I do have TightVNC installed with a 5 letter childish password but it wasn't running.

I do have Putty somewhere on my computer but that wasn't running either.

What could this have been?

No programs were running at the time but the piano came out loud through my speakers.

I'm actually a little spooked by this still even though it happened a few hours ago.

I've since turned my computer off.

Maybe some kind of bizarro virus perhaps?

Oh, and my speakers are not wireless.

Explorer? As in Internet Explorer? If you had your browser open, it could very easily have been an ad. I run into ads that play sound from time to time. They're really annoying, but they're out there. If you just mean explorer.exe, though, that's different, and won't have been the cause.

It's also worth mentioning that sometimes the sound system will get hung up and will continue playing sound even after a program is closed, though usually it will be stuck on a very short repeat.

In any event, you shouldn't use IE. It's by far the least secure browser. Second thing to do is get some anti-malware software and scan your computer.

 

[acropolis]

In case anyone wondered, this is what it looks like to Do Science:

 

[mzungu]

Okay, so I had like the weirdest thing happen to me earlier today.

Some kind of lounge piano music was coming out of my computer's speakers.

It was only piano, it didn't sound like a recorded song, it almost was like someone practicing or something.

I checked the task manager on my Windows XP and only Explorer and Microsoft Security Essentials were running.

My firewall was on.

I do have TightVNC installed with a 5 letter childish password but it wasn't running.

I do have Putty somewhere on my computer but that wasn't running either.

What could this have been?

No programs were running at the time but the piano came out loud through my speakers.

I'm actually a little spooked by this still even though it happened a few hours ago.

I've since turned my computer off.

Maybe some kind of bizarro virus perhaps?

Oh, and my speakers are not wireless.

That is just the prelude music before this happens:

 

[Zippy the Wonderslug]

Explorer? As in Internet Explorer? If you had your browser open, it could very easily have been an ad. I run into ads that play sound from time to time. They're really annoying, but they're out there. If you just mean explorer.exe, though, that's different, and won't have been the cause.

It's also worth mentioning that sometimes the sound system will get hung up and will continue playing sound even after a program is closed, though usually it will be stuck on a very short repeat.

In any event, you shouldn't use IE. It's by far the least secure browser. Second thing to do is get some anti-malware software and scan your computer.

No. Just explorer.exe, the desktop thingy.

I have a bunch of songs but nothing like piano lounge music that I heard.

Quite honestly, it really did freak me out.

I've never seen my speakers pick something up like they appeared to have done.

I'm thinking it's probably a virus I picked up somehow but wouldn't there be at least something running it the task manager?

 

[Exiledoomsayer]

Human settlements are good in that they're unlikely to be older than 50,000-70,000 years, which means we can use good old-fashioned carbon dating. Calibration has to be performed as [sup]14[/sup]C levels are not constant - things which are 6000 years old are carbon-dated as 7000 years old, if uncalibrated.

Interestingly, radiocarbon dating hits a problem for things from between 400 and 800 BCE - we can't be more accurate that that. So, if something was made in 600 BCE, radiocarbon dating will only be able to say that it's true date is 800-400 BCE.

I see thank you.
What kind of things would be put through the process though? Like say, a clay pot shard or something? How would that work?

 

[Chalnoth]

No. Just explorer.exe, the desktop thingy.

I have a bunch of songs but nothing like piano lounge music that I heard.

Quite honestly, it really did freak me out.

I've never seen my speakers pick something up like they appeared to have done.

Yeah, this seems very strange to me. I can't imagine the value for malware of alerting the victim to its presence. Chances are I could figure it out if I was sitting at your computer while it was happening, but the fact of the matter is that computer issues are generally extremely difficult to debug remotely. At this point, I don't know. Malware is my best guess, but it's not a very compelling one.

I'm thinking it's probably a virus I picked up somehow but wouldn't there be at least something running it the task manager?

Definitely not. Viruses and other malware know how to hide themselves very well these days.

 

[Zippy the Wonderslug]

Well my neighbor brought over his laptop to try and sell me two days ago.

I logged onto the internet with it and typed in my WIP password.

Maybe he's leeching from me and somehow I got some backwash from his side.

I should figure out how to change my wip key.

 

[Orogeny]

No. Just explorer.exe, the desktop thingy.

I have a bunch of songs but nothing like piano lounge music that I heard.

Quite honestly, it really did freak me out.

I've never seen my speakers pick something up like they appeared to have done.

I'm thinking it's probably a virus I picked up somehow but wouldn't there be at least something running it the task manager?

I feel like you may have overlooked the fact that it was ghosts, even though I told you it was ghosts. Question: was your house formerly owned by a member of the Rat Pack?

 

[mzungu]

Well my neighbor brought over his laptop to try and sell me two days ago.

I logged onto the internet with it and typed in my WIP password.

Maybe he's leeching from me and somehow I got some backwash from his side.

I should figure out how to change my wip key.

Download and install SPYBOT SEARCH & DESTROY - update it - run the search - once all is done then immunise your files! Also try MALWAREBYTES. If you really have a serious problem use the Russian DR WEB CURE IT. It is free and is one hell of a virus buster.

Good luck!

 

[Zippy the Wonderslug]

^ I do have other electronic weirdness in my home.

DVD player, the tray will constantly open then close immediately.

I have to grab and hold on to it.

My TV is the worst. I'll try and take a picture of it when it freaks completely out on me and post it here.

I don't even turn it on with me in the living room anymore, because yeah, it's that terrifying to me.

 

[acropolis]

The only scientific explanation for that is ghosts.

 

[mzungu]

The only scientific explanation for that is ghosts.

After much thought and having burned the midnight oil for nights on end, I have come to the conclusion that Ghosts it is! ghost busters theme song - YouTube

 

[Zippy the Wonderslug]

Well, I promised a pic of my TV weirdness.

Sorry, I forgot to use the flash on my camera.

I can take a better one of it tomorrow. I also reduced the image by 33% on this.

Anyway, I don't have cable, only air.

This usually happens when the Samsung HD TV is cold.

It also belts out this terrifying, demonic screech from Hell when I first turn it on.

And yeah, I'm usually in another room because it stands my hair on ends.

Should I be asking a priest about this instead?

If you want the original image, I can post that too.

 

[ChristianT]

I see a cartoon magician and a toon version of shlock holmes. But, that's what I see in the static.

 

[Zippy the Wonderslug]

It's Fox TV, I'm watching football right now.

Nice guess though.