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Q & A


Answers from our experts to important scientific questions.

Submit a question Our editors will select questions from those submitted and post their answers here.

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Agriculture, Forestry & Soils:
Field crops, grasses, plant fibers, spices, tree crops, herbs

- How was corn domesticated?

- What is the Green Revolution?

- What types of spectrometers are used specifically in drug testing?

Forestry

- How would you research the best way to design an environmentally friendly town center? I am a teacher planning a project for an environmental science class. The town center would include a movie theatre, stores, restaurants, a park and an art center.

- How do temperate rainforests differ from tropical rainforests?

General

- What is "precision agriculture"?

- What is the Green Revolution?

Plant breeding

- How was corn domesticated?

- What is the Green Revolution?

Soil/crop practices

- How was corn domesticated?

- What is the difference between weathering and erosion?

- What is the Green Revolution?

Soils

- Assuming that Fuel Cell automobiles are the most likely candidates to replace the internal combustion engine, can our forests reduce the CO and CO2 in our atmosphere, or is it too little - too late?


Sample questions from Q & A:

Mechanical Engineering
Q: When planning a wind farm, how are wind resources estimated? And if the average wind speed is known at 10 meters is there a general rule for estimating the wind speed at higher elevations (for example, 40 to 50 meters)?

A: The wind resource at a wind farm can be estimated in two ways: by measurement or by modeling. As for estimating windspeed, if it is known at 10 m (33 ft) above the ground level, it is possible to estimate the wind speed at any other height [up to about 200 m (660 ft)] by use of a logarithmic wind profile.

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Physics
Q: Why does a baseball curve in flight?

A: With pitched baseballs, the pitcher imparts spin on the ball at the moment of release. The spin of the ball in combination with the seams causes the air flowing around the ball to be redirected, producing the Magnus force that redirects the ball.

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Computing & Information Technology
Q: Technologically, is it possible to make a conscious robot? (Answer 1)

A: Such a robot would most likely have a computer "brain." Before addressing the question, we need to consider if a computer could be conscious. This question opens others, all within the areas of computer science and artificial intelligence.

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