Stroke Of Good Fortune: A Wealth Of Data From Petrified Lightning

Science News ^ | 2-17-2007 | Sid Perkins

[Doomonyou]

ZOT scat.

[Lost Dutchman]

ROFL

[Doomonyou]

Arizona ZOT scat.

[bert]

Sweet Home Alabama bump.....

[DocRock]

Here in central FL, we have a lot of Fulgurites recovered in the phosphate pits in the Bartow area. I have several but nothing even close in size to the one in the photo.

[Doomonyou]

These things are kinda cool. Southeast Egypt.

[I see my hands]

"ZOT scat."

Scat in song.

[Chode]

iirc it was discovery that had a program where they made them in 5gal buckets of sand with a wire screwed to the bottom of the bucket and a small rocket to get it up into the storm as it passed... they got a couple three of them.

[Kevmo]

Finally a good use for the zot

[siempre_fidelis]

I thought Nitrogen was the most abundant inert gas

[blam]

"I thought Nitrogen was the most abundant inert gas"

Me too.

[edsheppa]

Nitrogen isn't inert. Trivial example, a nitrogen gas molecule is N2 so the two nitrogen atoms are reacting with each other.

[Amadeo]

Nitrogen is, by definition, inert.

[Hank Kerchief]

"Nitrogen is, by definition, inert."

The problem with "deomcracy" is even guys like you can vote.

Every hear of nitrates, nitrites, etc. etc.

Good grief!

Hank

[blam]

"The problem with "deomcracy" is even guys like you can vote."

Hey Hank, stuff it!

[omnivore]

Nitrogen is relatively inert at room temperature, but it not an inert gas like argon (argon is in the rightmost column of the periodic table, the inert gasses column). At higher temperatures nitrogen will react. This is why car exhaust contains oxides of nitrogen (NOx), the nitrogen is present in the air when the gasoline is burned in the engine, and some nitrogen gets into the combustion reactions.

Also, elements aren't inert or not "by definition" anyway. They're inert or not based on experiments which determine what they react with, under what conditions, their electronic structure, and so on. Even some of the "inert column" gasses, such as Xenon, can be induced to react and form bonds under extreme conditions.

[omnivore]

I think a lot of people think of the N2 gas which is the major part of the atmosphere as "inert" in a conventional (non-technical) sense, because it does not play a part in human life, our bodies don't do anything with it when we inhale it at ordinary atmospheric pressure. In that sense, it's just something that "dilutes the oxygen."

[Hank Kerchief]

Here's a thought. If nitrogen were inert, there would be no life on this planet.

[There would also be not gunpowder, nitroglycerin, or tnt.]

Sorry for pulling you chain, Blam.

Hank

[gonzo]

Geez, you wimps can't even get a decent fight goin'!

You're probably both married ............ FRegards