Google: People Also Ask

a recent Jeopardy clue suggested that experts are unsure if there is really a difference? or whether there was a difference originally? something like that [I forget]

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What is the difference between a hobgoblin and a goblin?

The difference in folklore seems to be that hobgoblins were originally helpful household fairies that would do small chores around the house in exchange for food. They were occasionally mischevous [sic] but not wicked. Goblins were wandering spirits of mischief, often not only mischeivious [sic] but dangerous

when you take science courses, but never become a scientist, the fragmentation of retained knowledge, and retained interest, can make you, well, weird. Sometimes you have conversations with someone where this fragmented knowledge and interest intersect, then you wind up with questions.

I had a conversation with someone about electron microscopes. An engineer, he knew the history of them better than me, but I asked him if he knew why electron microscopes were better on the very microscopic scale, and he didn't know. It's because electrons have such a short wavelength, allowing super resolution. All these types of particles that can be beamed have both a particle nature and a wave nature.

I had to think later about how this microscopes got electrons to do this. It's not just creating a spark, in sparks the electrons are sort of contained, going somewhere under a force ... they are not released, if that's the way to think about. A beamed particle is 'gone', traveling at a substantial fraction of the speed of light, going off till maybe it hits something.

So the above is what I think, and the below seems to confirm it. Weird interest, eh?

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What is the electron beam?

electron beam, stream of electrons (as from a betatron) generated by heat (thermionic emission), bombardment of charged atoms or particles (secondary electron emission), or strong electric fields (field emission)
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electron beam velocity?

A high voltage, often as high as 3000 V, is connected between the cathode and the anode and this accelerates the electrons to a high speed – around 30 000 000 m/s or about 1/10 of the speed of light! The beam of electrons is called a cathode ray because it starts from the cathode.
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how short is the wavelength of an electron beam?

The wavelength of electrons is much smaller than that of photons (2.5 pm at 200 keV). Thus the resolution of an electron microscope is theoretically unlimited for imaging cellular structure or proteins. Practically, the resolution is limited to ~0.1 nm due to the objective lens system in electron microscopes.

images taken by an electron microscope [wikipedia]

pollen



surface of a kidney stone

another question

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Who introduced the idea of particles having wave properties?

French physicist Louis de Broglie proposed (1924) that electrons and other discrete bits of matter, which until then had been conceived only as material particles, also have wave properties such as wavelength and frequency

[Einstein discovered that light is a particle, a photon, as well as a wave ... de Broglie realized *all particles* have a wave nature and won the Nobel prize too]

I'm sometimes amazed at new parents when it comes to St. Nick. They are so eager to do the Santa thing it's almost perverse. I tried to get Google to go into this, but the question gets deflected mostly. You have to try this, you can make it go on and on and on, just ask if Santa is real. Some of the questions would seem to come from children...

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Is Santa Claus real or is it your parents?

Over time, various traditions and stories have evolved around Saint Nicholas, including the idea of a generous gift-giver who travels on a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer. In many cultures, parents play a role in perpetuating the myth of Santa Claus by dressing up as Santa and delivering presents to their children.

finally I got directed to this site which went into some reasons the Santa thing could have some down sides. And offered this explanation for why new parents get into it so much

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Quote:

In addition to collecting the treats and sweets children leave out for Santa the night before Christmas, adults also get to cash in on a nostalgic sense of holiday magic that comes with perpetuating the “Christmas lie,” the authors write. Playing Santa for their children, they suggest, lets parents briefly escape to “a better place and time” where the use of imagination was encouraged and nurtured.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/psychologists-think-your-lies-about-santa-will-damage-your-kids_n_5835d898e4b01ba68ac3e3a7

For anyone who has struggled with outdoor Christmas lights a rain.
How are GFCI outlets different from circuit breakers?

GFCI outlets are receptacles that will interrupt circuits if they sense a 4 to 6 milliamp difference in current between the hot and neutral wires at the outlet. Circuit breakers stop electrical currents when there is an overload on the circuit. GFCI and AFCI outlets connect directly to the circuit.

So GFCIs are meant to detect current leaking to ground which might be passing through your body.

I was visiting my nephew and family down on North Captiva Island (Drich could throw a rock from his house, add 30 miles and he'd hit it) and my nephew treated me to this one.

"Peanut butter walk"

Quote: rxwine

I was visiting my nephew and family down on North Captiva Island (Drich could throw a rock from his house, add 30 miles and he'd hit it) and my nephew treated me to this one.

"Peanut butter walk"

Show Spoiler

When you're going to shoot your terminally ill dog and you put peanut butter on the barrel of the gun and let him lick it off.

OH!

nothing worse than having to do that [if you bonded with it] ... adding this to it would torment you ever after

Quote: rxwine

I was visiting my nephew and family down on North Captiva Island (Drich could throw a rock from his house, add 30 miles and he'd hit it) and my nephew treated me to this one.

"Peanut butter walk"

Show Spoiler

When you're going to shoot your terminally ill dog and you put peanut butter on the barrel of the gun and let him lick it off.

I could never put my pet down myself. It is hard enough for me to take them to the vet to be put down.