Science Experiments that you don't have to try.

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I know, my 2nd blog post today. Sorry.

The other day I tried something new. I sliced a bit of skin off my thumb with a mandolin slicer.

My left thumb is, of course, the test bed for all kinds of fun and wonderful scientific experiments.

Several years ago I tried putting a bullet through the same thumb. While the bullet left sensation in this thumb somewhat less than normal, I can say unequivocally after the slicer test that sensation is still there.

For my science-minded friends, I will say this. The amount of blood from a mandolin slicer test is much more satisfying than a bullet wound, as the bullet just leaves red spray on the snow in front of you (if your experiment is conducted in winter and outside as mine was) while the slicer leaves huge droplets all over the floor and sink!

From a pain standpoint, I feel that the bullet wound is much more satisfying as the pain for that lasts several days while the slicer is over in just several hours.

All in all, both experiments yield impressive results, but I recommend not trying yourself as I've done it for you and posted my results here.

Comments

Didn't you listen to mom or dad?

BarbieLee's picture

A lot of those things we experience has been done and passed on to us as sage advice either in "this is what Donna or Billy Bob did" or they did themselves. Usually told in humorous form as everyone laughed because the person didn't die. Like my cousin who came home one night, smelled propane and lit a match. He lived and the story was funny. Moral, if I smelled propane (or gas) I wasn't lighting any matches or fires. On to the story about guns. Every year someone(s) died from a gun accident. The guy who laid a loaded shotgun down on the pickup seat and it went off. The story wasn't funny. The boy who was climbing through a fence. There is a safety on those things for a reason. The story wasn't funny.
The funny story is when my daughter brought a friend out and I was target practicing. He wanted to shoot my pistol. I doubted my own wisdom after I handed him the gun.
"Where's the safety?"
"There isn't one on the gun. It's between your ears. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are focused on the target."
Rose, I love you hon but your story isn't funny. I'm not sure I'd want to be around you if you were handling a gun? One may have lapse of attention when driving or other things and nothing happens. Firearms requires a hundred percent focus even while thinking of other things. True multi tasking required like hunting rattlesnakes
Hugs Rose
Barb
Life is a gift, treasure it..
Now the funny story is when I shot a skunk inside the chicken house. My ears rang for hours. I carry a big bore gun for coyotes and other things. I learned to close the door, go get the twenty two if it is inside the hen house. See, I can learn.

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

No firearms

Daphne Xu's picture

... for me. A stereotypical absent-minded professor, scatterbrained, Aspergers, something akin to ADHD...

-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)

Before I get into this, I

Rose's picture

Before I get into this, I will say, I'm not in a very happy mood today, for reasons my next blog post will show, so my reaction here might be a bit over the top, but here goes.

The point of my story, (which is 100% true, and posted on facebook, probably about 8 years ago, under my IRL name) was not to actually be some wonderful scientific experiment. It was rather, to say to all those people who read it, "Look. We all do stupid things. You do them? Me too!" It is a way of take the embarrassment off of those people who do something and feel really bad about it, because then they can focus on me, who is inviting the laughter, and not on themselves.

As a minister, I have learned that that helps people who are feeling down on themselves because they can laugh at the idiocy of someone like me.

The really funny things, is I have an IQ high enough to be considered a genius, and yet I still do these stupid things. Possibly because with my autism, my mind is constantly running at high speed.

Another thing I wish you would consider is the fact that gallows humor is frequently a way to relieve the stress of "what might have happened." When I did this (with the gun, not the mandolin slicer) I was walking back to the house. For a long time, I had serious bouts of panic, and nightmares regarding the fact that my children were sitting inside that house, and if God hadn't made sure that my rifle was aimed in the correct direction, I might have shot one of them. I praise God that He did, because I don't know what I would have done had I hit one of my kids with that bullet as well as turning my thumb into hamburger.

You wouldn't want to be next to me if I was holding a gun? Well, neither would I, which is why I sold them (back when you could sell them in a yard sale) right after I did this stupid thing. I do still have a couple of crossbows, but they're a bit harder to get snow on the muzzle and wipe if off with your thumb forgetting that your finger is on the trigger.

Anyway, I'm quite upset today for other reasons, and praise God I didn't send my first response to your statement. Please take what I've said into consideration, however. I would really appreciate it.

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Hugs!
Rosemary

The blade is tempered in fire

BarbieLee's picture

Character can not be developed in ease and quiet.
Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
Helen Keller

It seems God tests the faithful.
Hugs Rose
Barb
Life is a gift, treasure it until it's time to return it.

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

I agree wholeheartedly. I

Rose's picture

I agree wholeheartedly. I apologize if I came off as being angry. What I said was probably a lot less gently than I meant.

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Hugs!
Rosemary

Shudder

Mandolin Slicers are IMHO just about the most lethal kitchen impliment known to human kind.

I got some advice from a chef when he gave a talk at a place I was staying at. He said to that he only ever used them while wearing a steel mech glove like the ones used in butchers.

Just thinking about them gives me the heebies.

Samantha

Experiment

Daphne Xu's picture

Equipment, experimental procedure, theory that one is investigating or verifying (or falsifying)? What numbers did you get? How did it compare with theory, etc.?

Every once in a while, I have an impromptu physics experiment, involving torque, work, concepts of force vs. distance, static friction. Sometimes body mass times (acceleration + g) as I stomp on the jack to get it to turn. I'm changing a flat tire, replacing it with my spare.

-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)