# Don't Stump the Layman: Science Addition **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 27, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-stump-the-layman-science-addition/447129 "2008-04-27T21:03:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-stump-the-layman-science-addition/447129/141 "2008-04-30T23:06:58Z")
1. What is the Kuiper Belt? 2. What is the Van Allen Belt? 3. What are the 3 major layers of the Earth? 4. What is Pangaea? 5. What is the Von Neumann architecture? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-stump-the-layman-science-addition/447129/142 "2008-04-30T23:16:01Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] 11. What is the Kuiper Belt? 12. What is the Van Allen Belt? 13. What are the 3 major layers of the Earth? 14. What is Pangaea? 15. What is the Von Neumann architecture? [/QUOTE] 1. It’s a belt of objects on the outskirts of our solar system that contains a lot of comets and other icy objects. 2. From what I remember, it’s a belt of radiation surrounding our planet. 3. Core; Mantle; Crust. 4. That’s a theory that at one point, long ago, all our continents were adjacent to each other… one big land mass. 5. Why does that sound really familiar? I can’t even think of a guess! ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-stump-the-layman-science-addition/447129/143 "2008-05-01T01:56:17Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] 11) It’s a belt of objects on the outskirts of our solar system that contains a lot of comets and other icy objects. 1. From what I remember, it’s a belt of radiation surrounding our planet. 2. Core; Mantle; Crust. 3. That’s a theory that at one point, long ago, all our continents were adjacent to each other… one big land mass. 4. Why does that sound really familiar? I can’t even think of a guess! [/QUOTE] 1. Correct. +1 2. Correct. Specifically, it’s a region of charged particles held by the Earth’s magnetic field. +1 3. Correct. +1 4. Correct. +1 5. Von Neumann architecture describes the basic components and data flow of most modern computers. -1 Asked: 15 Right: 9 Wrong: 6 Score: 3 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-stump-the-layman-science-addition/447129/144 "2008-05-01T04:29:55Z")
√15) For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction; What’s in motion, tends to stay in motion? √16) All orbits are elliptical; and planets will sweep equal areas in equal time, even in an eccentric orbit? (thank god you only said two on this, cuz I really can’t remember the last one!) ETA: Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if I should get this one. The law states that the planets orbits are elliptical, not all orbits. Then again, I asked for Kepler’s laws of planetary motion so maybe the planet part is implicit. Thoughts? √17) I think (think) it’s chromium? ?18) Acidic? (wait, are you looking for answers on all three? or are they all of the same group?) I’m going to give you another shot on this question with the clarification that I’m looking for three answers (one for each chemical.) X19) Ouch, I’m not sure how to calculate that. Specific gravity is the ratio of a substance’s density to water’s density. Thus, using 1 g/cm^3 as water’s density as substance with SG=1.3 would just have 1.3 g/cm^3. √20) 4. √21) Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa (attempt to landings there). Questions asked: 21 Right: +15 Wrong: -5 Total: +10 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-stump-the-layman-science-addition/447129/145 "2008-05-01T14:17:20Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] 16) Wow. Umm, I’m not sure. I’m gonna wild guess here… (thinking along the zodiac) Cancer? [/quote] Almost the exact opposite direction. 😃 You’re right to think on the ecliptic, but it’s Sagittarius. -1 > [@cmyk](#): > > 1. An asterism is any arbitrary configuration or group of stars. Close enough that I’ll give it to you/me. It’s a grouping of unrelated stars that’s not one of the 88 “official” constellations. The Big and Little Dippers are technically asterisms, being parts of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. +1 > [@cmyk](#): > > 1. I think one is Callisto. No, sorry. Titan has an atmosphere thicker than Earth’s. Uranus’ moon Triton has a very thin atmosphere. -1 > [@cmyk](#): > > 1. It’s gotta be one of the gas giants. I’ll just go with Uranus, cuz it’s the one I associate more with the bathroom (also I think it has the lowest mass/density). 😉 It is one of the gas giants, but not Uranus. Sauturn has a lower density than water, so if you put it in a bathtub, it would float. It might leave a ring, though. -1 > [@cmyk](#): > > 1. I don’t know this. Does it hold water/ice? Galle is better known as the “Happy Face crater.” I can’t cut and paste a link to a pic because my computer is screwing up, but it looks like a smiley face, i.e. one of these ----\> 🙂 . It had a small part in Alan Moore’s _Watchmen._ Asked: 20 Right: 13 Wrong: 7 Score: +6 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-stump-the-layman-science-addition/447129/146 "2008-05-01T14:19:00Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Il Palazzo√16) All orbits are elliptical; and planets will sweep equal areas in equal time, even in an eccentric orbit? (thank god you only said two on this, cuz I really can’t remember the last one!) ETA: Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if I should get this one. The law states that the planets orbits are elliptical, not all orbits. Then again, I asked for Kepler’s laws of planetary motion so maybe the planet part is implicit. Thoughts?[/QUOTE] I think it’s implicit in the question. Take it. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-stump-the-layman-science-addition/447129.md?page=7)