A condenser turns a substance from its gaseous state to its liquid state — by cooling it. Historically, condensers were always oriented vertically so as to allow water to drain by gravity. But then, about five years ago, Virginia Tech researcher Jonathan Boreyko proposed that shedding water from condensers by using surface tension is more efficient because it makes microscopic water droplets “jump” off the surface. This created a “jumping vs gravity” scenario — an “either/or” situation. This doesn’t exist. In May 2019, Boreyko returned to the lab to show that, for efficiency, jumping and gravity should not be mutually exclusive. Water droplets can unleash the power of surface tension whenever two or more drops touch and merge together to jump away from the surface — regardless of the orientation of that surface. For larger droplets, which don’t jump, draining by gravity would be a great insurance policy.” Boreyko said, “It turns out that surface tension and gravity work far better together than either works on its own.” Technologies are easier to grasp when we “see” them as a visual experience.

SNEAK PEEK

1. Small beautiful?

A substantial downsizing of species is taking place in nature. This is the effect of man-made ecological pressures but it could be the cause of some drastic results in the future. Who has predicted a worldwide move towards smaller birds and mammals over the next 100 years?

1. Rob Cooke (University of Southampton)

2. Moon brought water!

Theia’s collision with Earth 4.4 billion years ago led to the formation of the Moon. New chemical reasoning attributes the abundance of water on Earth to the formation of the Moon. “To put it simply, without the Moon there probably would be no life on Earth.” Who said that?

2. Planetologist Thorsten Kleine (University of Munster)

3. Dogs biting children

What breeds of dogs are more likely to bite children? Pit bulls and mixed breed dogs have the highest risk of biting and cause the most damage per bite. And the same goes for dogs with wide and short heads weighing between 66 to 100 pounds. Who found it in the USA?

3. Dr. Garth Essig (Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center)

4. Oh, why, Pandora?

Pandora opened the box despite being warned of its deadly contents. Curiosity can lure us to seek information with predictably dire and painful outcomes. It stems from our deep-rooted desire to resolve uncertainty, heedless of the harm it may bring. Who tested it in a study?

4. Bowen Ruan (University of Wisconsin)

5. Power imbalance

He always brings home Pepsi. She prefers Coke. Brand choice incompatibility may impact relationships. If the dominant partner in a pair constantly imposes his/her brand preferences on the other, this might wear down the relationship in the long run. Who studied the scenario?

5. Dr Gavan Fitzsimons (Duke University in Durham)

6. Chimpanzee norms

How a chimpanzee views a video of an infant chimp being killed can tell us how human social norms might have evolved. Chimps do detect norm violations both within their group and another, though they emotionally respond only within their own group. Who noted the conduct?

6. Claudia Rudolf von Rohr (University of Zurich)

7. A shiny iPhone 7?

“Comparison neglect” means buying an upgraded product without evaluating the product we already own. Overcoming this neglect is a difficult hurdle for a lot of consumers. Who, therefore, asked companies to bear an ethical responsibility to market their products accurately?

7. University of Florida marketing professor Aner Sela

8. Direct measurement

How much of Earth’s oxygen was there 813 million years ago? Exactly 10.9%. The oxygenation on Earth occurred 300 million years earlier than previously concluded from indirect measurement, and the diversity of life emerged right around this time period. Who argued so?

8. West Virginia University geologist Kathleen Benison

9. BMI exaggerated

Superheroes in movies like ‘Avengers: Endgame’ may have what it takes to save the world but, in comic book depictions, they lack a healthy body mass index. In these books, on average, male superheroes are obese, while females are close to underweight. Who noticed it?

9. Binghamton PhD student Laura Johnsen

QUIZ No. 905

1. Your stance on one issue may be dependent on your stance on other issues. Who said it?

– Noah E. Friedkin
– Murray Newton Rothbard
– Karl Raimund Popper

1. Noah E. Friedkin

2. Tickling your ears could improve the health of your heart. Who found it in TENS research?

– Dr Jennifer Clancy
– Roy Glenwood Spurling
– Sergei Korsakoff

2. Dr Jennifer Clancy

3. A grape wrinkles as it shrinks to a raisin. Who noticed the same in the Moon as it shrinks?

– Edward L.G. Bowell
– Hermann Alexander Bruck
– Thomas Watters

3. Thomas Watters

4. “Orca is lying on the beach with a harpoon in it.” This orca was a failed web app used by…

– Jane Maria Swift
– Michael Stanley Dukakis
– Willard Mitt Romney

4. Willard Mitt Romney

5. The people who commissioned this film demanded it’s destruction after seeing it. Name it.

– Our Trip to Africa
– The Phantom of the Opera
– Murder-Set-Pieces

5. Our Trip to Africa