h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

All right, rather tired. It has been a long day. But I think we have found the problem with the model, the problem that we have been trying to fix for the last 2 weeks, so that is good.

how are you, yourself?

I'm fine, I've just found lots of circuit symbol diagrams to prove to my lab demonstrator that the lab script was wrong, and so I had no hope of performing the experiment properly
I misconnected a push switch because the diagram was wrong and I misinterpreted it... It took me an hour before the demonstrator found the problem and pointed it out, by which time I was a) furious and b) out of time.
However, this is good because I just have to conclude that I couldn't do the experiment properly, saving me time working out errors
What are you modelling? (I'm sure I ought to know, but I have a short memory)

that is fairly typical of lab expts.
one electronics one they had, my partner and I were both female. they had changed the CROs since the previous year and following the script, we couldn't get the thing to give the display we should have had. we switched 2 connectors over and it worked.
our (male MCP) demonstrater came over and said "that's wrong" and switched them back.
we then spent 30 mins with him going over our circuit to find where we had made the mistke in it (losing lab time fast)
eventually WE asked the head of lab to look, as the first guy was getting nowhere and the HoL had wandered over and said he liked my hat . the HoL said "oh, they changed the CROs and so the connectors are the wrong way round in the script", he leaned over and changed them and then said "didn't you two have them the right way round earlier, why did you change them over?"
We just smiled and looked pointedly at MCP.

I'm modelling the earth's atmosphere. specifically at the moment trying to put a tracer in to cross the tropopause. (point at which dT/dz changes sign where T is temperature and z height - the atmosphere cools with height up to the tropopause and then warms with height above that for a while)

LOL
I wish I understood more about the atmosphere etc... The troposphere is where weather happens, isn't it? Why does it have variations in temperature like that, and not just get colder proportional to height?

In the troposphere, the atmosphere does get colder with respect to height, this is the lapse rate, dT/dz. It is fairly linear up to the tropopause. the troposphere is where mixing by convective overturning occurs, and yes there's the weather. Above the tropopause is the stratosphere, here there is lots of radiative heating, due to the gases that are present, and so the atmosphere gets warmer with height. this stops at the stratopause and another process that causes cooling takes over, but I am a bit hazy on that .

I would write a guide article on it, but my knowledge of the subject is not really good enough, I think. I may do some research and try to work out how to say it in a not too long article. but that is quite a challenge.

*Descending from the troposphere above his soup*

Yum for the soup. I loved the fact you left the Cauliflour and Brocolli pieces in just the way I like it.

I think you should definitely write an article on it, its a fascinating subject, and it wouldn't have to be very long I'm know I don't have lots of knowledge on the articles I write, not something to be proud of, but anyway....

Trouble is, for this subject, an MSci+PhD is not really a good enough length to understand it all fully. I would not want to be too long, but how do I fit enough in to make it right? And how do I get it simple enough for the lay-person? And I have to not make mistakes, as the editors probably would not know and then I may be misleading someone!

I have only written 2 articles so far, and only submitted one. I didn't know lots about that, but I did the research... I hope it is accepted, the couple of comments I have had so far seem positive, but ...

Glad you enjoyed it.
What would you like for your main course?

Often times you needn't understand it all, as long as you know that the basic processes are correct and you're not writing things that aren't true... If they expected researchers to all have Msci and PhD qualifications in the fields that they write their articles in there would be no hope for most of us. Besides, I think your style of writing is very good... you nearly had me crying over Sadako and the Peace Crane... the subject is very moving, but I'd heard about it before without feeling so moved
I do research into my entries, but I'm afraid I mostly write on things that interest me rather than subjects I know about in great deals of depth.... there aren't many subjects I know, either.

I've tried to write an article on solitons... I've been aiming for 'if it sounds technical, explain it'. You should try to write a short article anyway; you could even submit to the fun-run, and if you really don't like it you can always cancel it.

I back that sentiment up but then I'm constantly writing articles.

Now main course. I fancy a nice vegetarian couscous dish, if there is any on the menu.

there is ALWAYS just what you fancy on the menu. case of having a really great kitchen , that Menza provided for me
now, what would you like in your couscous?

I do have an MSci, and am trying for the D.Phil.
I do need to have a good understanding of the basic processes to be able to explain them to a lay-person without too much difficulty.
I need to be able to do it simply and clearly, so that others can read about it without having to have loads of diagrams etc. It would need some thinking about.
I am glad you liked Sadako's story.
I too write about subjects that interest me or ones that I feel deeply about.
I was thinking about my next project being about the Guide Association and then one about early history of guiding/scouting and thinking day. Hmm... too much to do and too little time... Maybe on a train journey...
Solitons - I had to precis an article on Solitons for my fourth year project. Have a look in the back issues of Physics World, there was a good article about it in that that you may find useful.

I'll do that, thanks

Courgettes, peppers, Aubergine(eggplant) and tomatoes, with a dash of mint in the couscous while it cooks.

Any chance of some food.

check out the fridge and freezer. I just got back from guides and I am shattered!

Ah service with a woggle, I like.

Surprisingly, I find it hard to make a suggestive comment out of that. I'm just not on form tonight.

tonight, for my dinner I had boiled egg and crackers.
but
I have been planning a meal for a murder mystery dinner party this Saturday.
shall I try out the menu on you?

to start - London Fog soup.
main course - chicken breasts wrapped in spinach, stuffed with cheese (our one vegetarian opted for cheesey nuggets), served with "carrots in marmite" (sliced carrots in a marmite and water gravy, baked), "potato and onion layers" (baked layers of potato and onion) and "green peas and sweetcorn in a tomato sauce".
dessert - plum cobbler with cream.