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How Many Cows Does It Take To String A Tennis Racquet?

How many cows does it take to string a tennis racquet? According to Professor Rod Cross of the University of Sydney, an expert on the physics and technology of tennis, the answer is 3. Many top professional tennis players still prefer to string their racquets with natural gut instead of synthetics due to natural gut's soft feel, high elasticity and ...

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TennisRacquet
Geology

Why Don't We Try To Destroy Tropical Cyclones?

There have been numerous techniques that we have considered over the years to modify hurricanes: seeding clouds with dry ice or Silver Iodide, cooling the ocean with cryogenic material or icebergs, ... Continue reading

TropicalCyclones
Astronomy

An Old Science Experiment On The Moon

The most famous thing Neil Armstrong left on the moon 35 years ago is a footprint, a boot-shaped depression in the gray moondust. Millions of people have seen pictures of it, and one day, years from ... Continue reading

AnOldScienceExperimentOnTheMoon
Geology

Types of Volcanoes

Geologists describe four types of volcanoes. Cinder cones, the simplest of volcanoes, grow as pieces of congealed lava rise from a central vent and form a funnel-shaped crater. Lava domes arise from ... Continue reading

TypesofVolcanoes
Geology

The Importance Of Clouds And Aerosols To Climate Change

Everything, from an individual person to Earth as a whole, emits energy. Scientists refer to this energy as radiation. As Earth absorbs incoming sunlight, it warms up. The planet must emit some of ... Continue reading

CloudsAerosols

Is Heartburn a Heart Burn?

IsHeartburnaHeartBurnHeartburn is a bad name for a complaint that has nothing to do with the heart. TV ads call it acid indigestion. It's a burning sensation that begins under the breastbone and moves up into the throat. The pain may be at its worst when lying down or bending over. It may feel like bitter liquid rising into the throat or mouth. If it happens frequently, doctors call it GERD (for gastroesophageal reflux disease).

It happens when acid escapes back through the valve at the top of the stomach and moves up into the esophagus. Sixty million Americans say they get it at least once a month. Heartburn is common after a big meal, and some foods--such as tomato sauce, fried food, sour beverages, coffee, or soft drinks--trigger it in some people. It's more common among people who are overweight, smoke, or drink too much alcohol. It can be associated with a stomach ulcer or a hiatal hernia, which is a bulge of part of the stomach into the chest cavity. The hernia causes the stomach valve to work improperly.

Some people find they can avoid heartburn by watching what they eat and drink, learning to relax, and not eating two or three hours before bedtime. Over-the-counter antacids are effective for many. They make stomach acid less acid. When antacids fail, doctors recommend prescription drugs. In severe cases, a surgeon can stitch the stomach valve tighter, preventing the backup of acid.