| Dr Hypothesis - Q&A |
| Sunday, 01 October 2006 | |
|
Dear Dr Hypothesis, When I was on a trip to Italy over
the summer holidays, I heard a
group of Italian sparrows cheeping
to each other. This got me wondering:
can birds from different countries
understand each other, or is it
all pigeon to them? Passerine Phil  Image by Lakshmi Harihar Phil, this is quite a difficult question to answer without being able to ask the birds directly. I can tell you that ornithologists— people who study birds—know that different species of birds can sing characteristic songs, and it is therefore believed that different species cannot understand each other… just like we can’t understand the languages of other animals. Bird song is also thought to vary within a species in much the same way that people can speak different dialects of the same language. Continuing this analogy, I suspect that birds of the same species, but in different countries, may be able to recognize the meaning of a foreign bird’s chirping, even if they can’t understand every single word.
Dear Dr Hypothesis,
I work as a postman, which is a fantastic
job in the summer. It is not so
good in the winter, however, due to
the risk of ice and other cold-weather-
related problems. In the dark
mornings on my rounds, I have spent
a lot of time wondering why I am
able to see my breath at this time of
day, but at no other time. Can you
help me figure this out? Delivering Derek DR HYPOTHESIS SAYS: You can see your breath because of the chemistry between air and water and the phenomenon of condensation. Condensation is the conversion of a vapour to a liquid. As you are no doubt aware, water can be suspended in the air as vapour.The concentration of water that can be held like this decreases as the air cools down. You are able to see your breath as the water in it condenses. The temperature has fallen to a level at which your breath has more water in it than the air can hold.
Dear Dr Hypothesis, As the nights start becoming longer, I’m looking forward to getting my
woolly jumper on, filling up my Thermos and getting back to my first love: astronomy.
I pride myself on being a bit of an expert on the night sky. Despite this, I
was stumped when a friend asked me who had named the planet Uranus. And, perhaps
more importantly, were they having a laugh? Can you please help me maintain
my pride? Celestial Clive  Image by Lakshmi Harihar Uranus was discovered by Sir William Herschel on 13 March 1781. He originally recorded it as a comet and named it George’s Star, after King George III. Unsurprisingly, European astronomers were not as keen as Sir William on this name, and several discussions ensued as to what the planet should be called. It was the editor of the Berlin Astronomisches Jahrbuch who ultimately suggested Uranus, the Latin name for the Greek god of the sky. Reluctant to give up their sovereignty, the British continued to use the name George’s Star until at least 1850. So Clive, you can tell your friend that the naming of Uranus was definitely not a laughing matter for eighteenth-century astronomers. |
| Next > |
|---|
News Archives
| News Archives |
