Category: Science

Particle Accelerators: The Coolest Machines on Earth

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

I want to talk about particle accelerators. Why? Well, in my humble opinion, I think they are the coolest machines on Earth. That’s a big call, so do I have any evidence for this? Not really, only my misplaced love in technology that I can only describe as beautiful.

You may have heard the words, atom smashers, colliders, or particle accelerators before, but they are more or less words that can be interchangeable, just like the Infinity Stones and the Infinity Gems, but also Paradise Island and Themyscira. That being the case, let’s try to untangle this mess that I’ve made.1

Simply put, particle accelerators smash pieces of atoms together.

Great, thanks for reading and I’ll see….

Image by Achim Weidner from Pixabay

As if. Particle accelerators are massive machines that can fire subatomic particles around a circuit, at speeds similar to the speed of light. The results of each experiment can help scientists to research and investigate answers about our universe, which brings about more questions.

I can only imagine years ago, a group of drunk physicists were enjoying a good night out at the pub, when someone suggests of thinking up the craziest experiments possible. Once again, I can only imagine there would be lots of different ideas, when someone mentions, “Hey, I’ve got it! Let’s take some subatomic particles and using electromagnetic fields, fling them around a circuit at close to the speed of light, and smash them together.”

Everybody would laugh at this and move on to the next crazy idea; but the group’s designated driver would have been listening the whole time. They speak up and say, “I was thinking about the last idea, and it seems quite interesting.”

The actual truth is far less entertaining than a drunken idea. The way I understand it, the design and implementation of various particle accelerators, were created by scientists Gustaf Ising, Ernest Lawrence, Max Steenbeck, Leó Szilárd and Rolf Widerøe, from the 1920’s to 1930’s.

Image by Macedo_Media from Pixabay

So how does a particle accelerator work? That’s a great question, in fact, that’s the best question I have heard all day; even better than, “Should we get pizza tonight?”

Because each particle accelerator is different, they have different components, so they operate differently. Having said that, the best and simplest way I could describe it to anybody 2, means laying down some easy groundwork first.

Let’s look at one of the most famous particle accelerators in the world, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located near Geneva, Switzerland, operated by CERN, to help me to explain them. Hopefully correctly.

Atoms are not the smallest pieces of matter. Within the structure of an atom 3, you would find three basic particles: a proton (it has a positive charge), a neutron (they have no charge, they are neutral), and an electron (it has a negative charge).

With each different element, the quantity of protons, neutrons, and electrons changes. There are other subatomic particles out in the world, but let’s just use protons, neutrons, and electrons for now. Ok?

Scientists can take protons for an example, and accelerate them to speeds, close to the speed of light. They do this by using electromagnetic fields, to accelerate the particles, through a network of tunnels.

These tunnels at CERN, span 27 km; at a maximum depth of 175 m, have been built around the area to house the particle accelerator, because it needs a lot of space and energy.

Now this is crazy, but true. Because of this, the particles can be fired at around 99% the speed of light. They zip around the network of looped tunnels, at a mind crushing speed of 11,000 times per second. Let that fact sink in.

The idea is that when these particles are whipping around, scientists can cause them to smash into each other. This is not because scientists hate subatomic particles, or there is a secret cult, trying to eliminate all subatomic particles from the world 4, but rather to create new subatomic particles and unlock more of the subatomic world.

I know, the whole thing sounds like a bad B-movie plot, but it’s real. By using particle accelerators, scientists have discovered the Higgs Boson (or God particle or Higgs particle); developed better computer scanning imagery; created synthetic elements like Moscovium, Tennessine, Oganesson; medical applications; the W and Z particles; and other subatomic particles.

I remember when the Higgs Boson was announced by the media in 2012, an article citing some scientists and researchers, were explaining that the discovery of the Higgs Boson, could give humanity the building blocks for faster than light technology.

This of course has led to scientists designing various theoretical space ships, with the ability to warp space/time or travel at light speed. How cool is that?!

There is also a real belief, that particle accelerators can help scientists to bridge the gap between the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, to create the Holy Grail of physics: quantum gravity theory.

Image by Achim Weidner from Pixabay

I have never visited or seen a real particle accelerator, but I would love the opportunity to. Honestly, I think particle accelerators are what dreams are made of, so they have been pulled into our reality. They are the coolest machines, not just on this planet, or the solar system; but maybe the galaxy.

Not the universe though, because there will be an alien civilization, in some distant red-shifted galaxy, with real working replicators. How rad would that be?!

Anyway, with the new upgrades to the CERN particle accelerator, who the hell knows what amazing and fascinating surprises, will we discover. Particle accelerators; they are the cat’s pyjamas; the bee’s knees; or just simply, the coolest machines on Earth.

Thanks for reading, wash your hands, and I’ll see you on Wednesday for another special blog.

1 There’s a first for everything.

2 Remember, I’m not a physicist, just someone that likes science. A lot. Probably too much, actually.

3 Hydrogen being an exception, because it has no neutrons; just 1 proton and 1 electron.

4 Good luck with that one.

COVID-19 tracked me down and kicked my arse

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

This is a special blog for today, because I usually post sometime on a Monday; and as you are all very capable of following the Gregorian calendar, today is Wednesday.

The reason I am posting today, is because I want to talk about COVID-19. Why? Because after two years of avoiding it like…um…the plague, COVID-19 finally tracked me down and kicked my arse.

I’ll be honest with you, in my utter arrogance, I thought I would avoid it. I told myself, that if I kept washing and sanitising my hands regularly, wearing a face mask in public, and following government guidelines, I would be sweet as. What an idiot.

Currently, the COVID-19 Omicron variant is still ripping it’s way through New Zealand, like Cookie Monster at a birthday party. At the time of writing this blog, 18% of the entire population of New Zealand, has been infected with COVID-19.

I’m thinking about it now, and catching COVID-19 was inevitable for me; just as Winter follows Autumn, or the Joker escaping Arkham Asylum. It was always going to happen.

Image by Spencer Davis from Pixabay

Now as disappointed as I was for actually contracting the virus in the first place, I do feel fortunate for one reason. During my time of being infected, I was suffering from headaches, constant coughing, insomnia, nose bleeds, sneezing, tiredness and a sore throat.

My wife has seen first hand, what kind of damage Man Flu can have on me; but at COVID-19’s peak, she said that I looked, spoke, and walked like a zombie. COVID-19 kicked my arse.

I feel grateful though, because of all of the symptoms I suffered from, things could have been worse for me. I could have been hospitalised or died from it; but I didn’t and it’s down to one reason: vaccinations. As a country, we are sitting at a vaccine rate of 96%, and I was lucky enough to be double vaccinated, as well as receiving the booster.

I have no doubt that the vaccine protected me, from developing even greater and more dangerous symptoms. However I know millions of people around the world are still without their first dose.

I don’t know how to solve that problem, but one thing I can do, is once again thank every single person involved in the research, design, development, testing, manufacturing, and distribution, of the various COVID-19 vaccinations being used on this planet.

I love science. Always have, always will.

Thanks for reading, please look after yourselves and your families, wash your hands, and I’ll see you next Monday.

Who cares about the James Webb Space Telescope? I do!

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

I want to talk about the James Webb Space Telescope or JWST. Why? I like learning about new things, whether it’s the history of the Opium Wars; the mating habits of the kākāpō; or the positive philosophical implications of enjoying Salt and Vinegar chips; I like learning new things.

If I was immortal, then one day I might learn and know everything, but alias, I am not. The exponential growth of my grey hair proves this. Another one of my mortal problems is that my mind is like a black hole; it takes in information, but it’s nearly impossible to retrieve it.

However there are some topics like Astronomy, that once I start talking, it’s easier to make Judge Dredd laugh, than to get me to stop talking about that subject. Which brings us to the James Webb Space Telescope.

James Webb Space Telescope by Northrup Grumman

If you haven’t already heard about it, the JWST is a new space telescope, that was launched on 25th December 2021. Now I could try and give you a detailed analysis and history of the JWST, but I’m not going to.

There are two reasons for this; the first one being after so many delays, the telescope has actually launched, so I’m just ecstatic. The second reason is because there have been so many articles already written about the telescope, explaining the history and the technology, that I feel it’s a bit redundant going over this. However what I am going to talk about, is what the telescope actually means to me and why I’m excited.

Without sounding like too much of a massive geek; which I’m going to fail extremely badly at, the JWST is the next generation of space telescopes. I’m crossing my fingers here, but the telescope is hopefully going to unlock more secrets of the universe, that we have only ever dreamt of.

It’s mission has four goals: to study planetary systems and the origins of life; to understand the formation of stars and planetary systems; to study the formation and evolution of galaxies; and to search for light from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the universe after the Big Bang. No pressure then. I for one, can’t wait for the discoveries that the JWST is going to make.

Hundreds of people from round the world, working thousands of hours, using cutting edge technology, have designed, built and have launched the JWST. I think that’s amazing, and every single person involved in this project deserves our congratulations and thanks.

The information the JWST is going to collect and present to humanity, will give us a better understanding of our place in the universe. It’ll also give us better tools to research and hopefully get answers, to questions that have plagued astronomers and astrophysicists for decades.

That’s exciting, it really is, because it may also help us in finding solutions to problems that the world is currently facing at the moment, like Climate Change, cancer, and Sour Cream and Chives chips.

You might feel anxious about what the future holds for us, but an event like the launch of the JWST, can somehow; at least to me, be truly inspiring, and it gives me the belief that not everything in this world is doom and gloom.

Right now, the telescope is travelling at 1.39 km per second, on it’s way to the second Lagrange Point (L2) in our solar system; which is 1.5 million km, directly behind the Earth, when viewed from the Sun.

A Lagrangian point is a location in space, where the orbital motion of a body and gravitational forces, can balance each other out. They can be used by spacecraft to hover, and that is exactly what the JWST is doing to do. To quote everyone’s favourite Vulcan science officer; to me, that is fascinating.

Whether you’re interested in space exploration, or just like to keep up with latest news events, the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope is quite frankly priceless, and a great way to put 2021 behind us.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week!

Do We Save the World or Leave It?

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

I want to talk about the Earth for my blog today. Why? Because there seems to be a argument floating about, and I feel as a geek, I would like to add my $3.50 to it.

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

So the crux of the argument is this: should we be spending time, resources, and money to try and fix the problems and issues, that are plaguing our world currently, or should we be investing time, resources, and money into the colonisation of space? This is a grossly over-simplified explanation of the issue, but it’s still very valid, much like the terrible photo on my driver’s licence.

On one side of the argument, we have people campaigning for the preservation and protection of Earth; mainly against deforestation, pollution, and Climate Change. To be fair, I agree that Climate Change is one of, if not the biggest problem facing life on this planet. That and Sour Cream and Chives, in all it’s forms.

The issue is the catastrophic changes we are making to this planet, are happening in real world time. It’s happening right in front of us and we are the cause of it. There is a campaign to shift the mindset of people across the world, so they can get them on board, to fight Climate Change and to protect not just humanity, but life all over the world.

Some people say we should be investing in clean renewable energy, and to find new sustainable solutions. Whether this is upgraded solar, wind, and thermal technology or my personal favourite, nuclear fusion energy.1 Sadly, the CO2 rates just keep climbing, so the entire global biosphere in in jeopardy.

We are on the abyss and if we can’t change our ways, if we can’t pull back from this, we’re going to tip over, and we will drag everything with us. To add to this argument, is that there are people who believe that investing in space colonisation is wrong.

They believe this to be a complete waste of time, resources, and money; to be exploring and experimenting with space technology, when we need it on Earth to save the planet. I can understand this, it’s a fair point.

However, on the other side of the argument, are people that believe that space exploration and colonisation, terraforming planets, and the building of generational starships, are not just wants, but a necessity to save our unique species.

Going back to the Moon, landing on Mars, and developing technology that will allow humans to live in space longer, are concepts that some people firmly believe in, to enhance space exploration and colonisation. This is where they believe, we need to be donating our time, resources, and money in developing new technology. Again, I kind of feel it’s a very fair point.

So what can I do to solve this conundrum? As a very proud geek, am I pro-Earth or pro-Space? I think the problem is very much like nearly everything society launches at us. It’s forcing us to make a choice between two options, whether it’s Team Jacob or Team Edward; Team Batman or Team Superman; Freddy vs Jason; or Godzilla vs Kong.

But what would happen, if you choose neither of them and both of them at the same time? We just need to place the Earth in a box, so Schrödinger could explain about collapsing wave functions, and Climate Change could be the poison.

But seriously, my answer is this: why can’t we have both? Why can’t we develop the technology to change our lifestyle habits, and to save yourselves, but also the other nonhuman residents of this planet, by fighting Climate Change? By actively protecting the planet, why can’t we do that, as well as developing technology to take us off the planet and live among the stars?

There’s something about the future, that no matter how much you can dismiss it, no matter how much you don’t want to think about it or read about it, that you can’t escape from. There is something that is going to happen to our planet, but it’s not going to happen in our lifetime.

One day from now, around 5 billion years in the future, life will not be able to survive or exist on this planet. This is because, the closest star to us is currently halfway through it’s life cycle, and one day it will burn through it’s hydrogen reserves, and then start fusing helium. When that happens, the Sun will expand its outer layers, and swallow Mercury, Venus and, quite possibly the Earth. 2

And there is nothing, absolutely nothing humanity can do to stop this fact. The only thing we can do, is preserve the Earth for as long as possible, because one day we are going to have to leave this planet, if we are going to survive.3

The way I see it, we don’t own the Earth, we never have. We’re just renting it. Who or what actually owns the planet, is a blog for another day; but the point is, the Earth is not forever or ours. We are only here for a short period, because we are renters.

As a former renter myself, you try to do whatever you can to keep the house working. You mow the lawns, you wash the windows, you try to keep everything clean and tidy, so the house can still function. Sometimes you may have to get a tradesperson in to the fix the washing machine or the fridge, in consultation with the landlord; but the idea is that, while you are living in that house, you do everything possible to keep it in a working condition, so you can actually live in it and not be evicted.

But like I said, as a former renter, there is always a terrible thought at the back of your mind; you know you can’t stay there forever. It doesn’t matter how much you like living there, or how much blood, money or sweat, you put in to protecting and preserving the house; one day you’re going to have to leave it.

Even if this house goes to the next generation, and the generation after that, their job will be the same: to protect and preserve the house as long as possible. Because one day, you will have to leave, whether it’s your choice or not. And when you do, you’ll need somewhere to go, and the only place we can go, is space.

We need to learn how to live in space on a permanent basis and be safe, but also to terraform planets. If we’re going to survive as a species, we need to do two things: we need to fix our problems and mistakes regarding Climate Change, and we need to do it quickly. We also need to do it together, but at the same time, the long-term plan is that we’re going to have to leave.

Surely we can do this. Surely we can multitask and solve Climate Change, as well as developing space exploration technology, at the same time.

As a species, we’ve made Salt and Vinegar chips, Star Wars, football, pizza, manga, and the Periodic Table. Surely we can solve this. Surely we can have a short-term plan and a long-term plan. Why can’t we do both? There is no reason, no reason at all, why we can’t do this, for the fact to survive as a species, we have to do both.

But then, what do I know? I live in a house with two individuals that believe the height of intellectual entertainment are farts, and my wardrobe is filled with comic books. What do I know?

Anyway, thank you once again for reading, and I’ll see you next week.

1 As a New Zealander, I feel like I’m betraying my country; but I extremely believe that nuclear fusion energy, is one of the best tools to fight against Climate Change.

2 The Sun is a star, so even if you’re outside during the day, you are still being bathed in starlight.

3 If you haven’t just realised, I have just described Kal-El’s origin.

Climate Change: Can you do anything about it?

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Science

I want to talk about Climate Change. Why? Because it’s a hot button topic currently and it needs to be discussed, and backed up with action. You may have noticed that I have used upper case letters for Climate Change; the reason is, at least to me, the situation is that severe, it deserves capital letters.

Before I go any further, we need to clear up two things about this blog post. Firstly, I try in vain to make my blog posts funny and entertaining, which is more difficult than I thought it would ever be. Talking about comics, being a parent, the DMZ, are lots of fun to me. However, I find nothing funny about the concept of Climate Change.

Secondly, I have to assume something about you.1 If you’re reading this blog, I have to assume you must accept two things: 1.) Climate Change is real, and 2.) Climate Change is caused by human activity and it’s increasing. Also let’s make sure we all agree what Climate Change actually is.

The way I understand Climate Change, are the overall global weather patterns, caused by an increased build up of greenhouses gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and others, like methane. This is done through burning fossil fuels like coal, petrol and oil; deforestation; agricultural techniques and livestock farming; among other things.

What this means, is that the Earth is slowly becoming warmer. Because global weather patterns are connected, and if the average global temperature continues to rise, the regions that are hot, will get hotter; the regions that are cold; will get colder. Basically, global weather patterns will take steroids, and dial worldwide disasters up to 11.

Sweet, we’re on the same page, now.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

So…. can you stop Climate Change by yourself? No, no you can’t. The situation is too massive for any one person to solve. However, can you do anything about Climate Change? Yes, yes you can.

From my perspective, Climate Change is a leveller. It doesn’t matter about your age, gender, religion, nationality, job, sexual orientation, or anything else; Climate Change affects every single person in the world, in addition to the non-human residents, that we share this spinning ball of rock and water with.

The world’s greatest living science communicator, Sir David Attenborough, recently said at COP26 (26th summit of Conference of the Parties):

“We are, after all, the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on Earth.” “If working apart, we are a force powerful enough to destabilise our planet. Surely working together, we are powerful enough to save it.”

That man is 95 years old, and he can still kick more arse in one day, that I can do in my entire life. With that message, what can any one person do, to reduce the amount of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere? You can do it by making small changes in your lifestyle, but also inspiring others to change as well.

Slowing down Climate Change, can seem quite over whelming for a species, let only for a single person. Having said that, here are some simple lifestyle choices, that can help you reduce your CO2 emissions, on a daily basis. You don’t have to sacrifice anything, it’s all about making small changes, that slowly add up.

I need to point something out: Climate Change was not caused by you, and you alone. It’s not your personal responsibility to fix this problem; however you are more than entitled to help, and inspire others to help as well.

Central and local governments; international, national, and local companies; corporations; and communities, all have to help, not just you. There are many factors that stand in our way like technology, poverty, taxes, employment, politics, laws, and the economy, that need to be considered and solved.

This is because my CO2 emissions, will be different from somebody living in the USA, or Libya, or Ghana, or China, or any other place that ends with the letter “A”. You however, are allowed to make other people care, so they can act too.

Small changes can be:

  • Switching to an electric car or lawnmower.
  • Setting up a car pool.
  • Riding more public transportation.
  • Walking or cycling more.
  • Buying local produce.
  • Buying and planting more trees.
  • Eating less meat.
  • Turning off electricity, when you don’t need it.

These changes can help with the battle against Climate Change, but if we as a species want to win this war, we need to get very serious, very quickly. If you want real changes against rising CO2 emissions, then you only have one last resort: democracy.

Large changes can be:

The answer is about elections, in particular, voting. To really bring about meaningful and positive results in the campaign of lowering CO2 emissions, we need to do two things: influence the decision makers; and vote into power, people whom are passion about solving this problem. The decision and law makers hold the future of life on this planet in their hands; it’s our job to convince them to save this world.

You need to get them to care.

At local and national elections, you should look for candidates that have strong Climate Change polices, and vote for them. We do not need any more people of authority, dismissing or not understanding how severe the situation is. We need the right polices, the right technology and the right people in power.

It’s up to us to put them there, so they can execute our will and solve the problem of Climate Change; and we need it now.

Before I go and stop UMC1 and UMC2 from jumping on their beds again, I want to credit and thank Kurzgesagt for their Climate Change video. Their video can explain things to a far better clarity on the topic, than I could ever hope to achieve.

They are not a sponsor, because I am not popular enough to be sponsored; I just love their work. They are the best at what they do, and what they do is amazing.

To quote Jonathan Hickman, the writer of East of West:

“No. It’s not a game. This is the world. It is not the one we were supposed to have, but it’s the one we made. We did this. We did it with open eyes and willing hands. We broke it, and there is no putting it back together. But I’m damned already… so at least I’m going to try.”

With fighting Climate Change, we need to do better. I’m in; are you?

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week.

1 You know what they say; you should never assume, because it makes an ass out of you and me.

Lockdown Edition: Part 5

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Science

I want to talk about face masks. Why? Because after at least 18 months, a face mask of all things, has become a political symbol. The thing is, you already know this. You’ve read about it, heard about it, and quite honestly have talked about it.

All around the globe, mask wearing has been a hot button subject, and I feel a lot of the discussions about them has been centred on the science fact vs science fantasy debate. Do masks actually work? By wearing a mask, can it reduce the risk of you contracting COVID-19? The answer to both of these questions is yes.

There are several myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines, which I took apart in my previous blogs. It’s interesting to note that a lot of anti-vaxxers, are also against wearing face masks; whether it’s for religious, political, moral or scientific reasons. So now it’s time for some mask wearing facts!

Image by Please support me! Thank you! from Pixabay

FACT 1: Wearing a mask, is one of the best ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

FACT 2: You can not reinfect yourself with COVID-19, by wearing a mask.

FACT 3: Wearing a face mask, does not decrease your oxygen levels.

FACT 4: Even if you don’t have any COVID-19 symptoms, you should still wear a mask.

FACT 5: You don’t need to mock and ridicule anybody, for wearing a face mask.

FACT 6: COVID-19 precautions like hand washing and social distancing, should still be used along with mask wearing.

FACT 7: Cloth face masks can still protect you from COVID-19.

FACT 8: Your carbon dioxide levels will not increase, when using a face mask.

FACT 9: Wearing a face mask, protects the wearer and the people around them.

FACT 10: Wearing a face mask, will not weaken your immune system.

FACT 11: By wearing a face mask, does not mean you will develop pneumonia.

FACT 12: A child wearing a face mask, is not abuse; it’s actually sensible parenting.

FACT 13: A face mask is only effective, as long your nose and mouth are covered.

FACT 14: Even if you are vaccinated, you should still wear a mask.

FACT 15: You don’t need to wear a face mask while exercising.

FACT 16: As the designated shopper for my house, I had the joy of going to the supermarket during lockdown. While I was there, I noticed a lot of single guys; with their white bread, pies and beer filled trollies, testing out a new flirting technique: “Hey, I like your mask,” hoping a conversation could flow from there.

As opening lines go, it’s better than, “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven, because you’re an angel,” but not as good as, “Falling in love with you takes less time than my DNA takes to replicate.”

If you have the opportunity to wear a mask, please do it. Not just for yourself, but for the people around you. The science behind face masks is rock solid, so please be brave and wear a face mask.

We are currently at Level 2 with our national lockdown, with some other regions still at the highest level, which is Level 4. That being the case, this is my last lockdown post, until we have another one. Maybe. Until then, I’ll return to my regular scheduled programming of geeky content.

Until then, mask up, get a vaccine, wash your hands, and look after yourselves and your families.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in a few days!

Lockdown Edition: Part 4

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Science

We are still in lockdown currently in New Zealand, though we are slowly moving down the levels. Sadly, this means that COVID-19 vaccine myths are still floating around on social media and across the dinner table. In my last blog, I looked at some of the insanity surrounding five COVID-19 vaccine myths, so today I aim to finish what I started with five more.

Image by hakan german from Pixabay

Myth 6: The COVID-19 vaccine is making people magnetic.

Reality: I want you to really think about this; people are claiming that a vaccine is giving them magnetic powers. Now if Magento or Doctor Polaris were claiming this, my reply would be, “How could you tell?”

Human magnetism; it sounds like the next step in human evolution, but it’s not. There have been numerous people involved with articles, photographs and video footage, around this subject. They are claiming that after they have received the COVID-19 vaccine (I don’t think it’s been cleared up which one they are talking about), metal objects like phones, spoons, knives, forks, etc, can now stick to their body.

I saw some hilarious footage in America, with people standing up in court to testify that the COVID-19 vaccine had made them magnetic, because of microchips in the vaccine or some other insane reason.

Let’s clear this up quickly, not a single case of magnetism has been found, by someone receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s not possible.

To clarify:

  • There are no metallic, microelectronics or magnetic materials in the vaccines.
  • There is nothing in the vaccine that can produce the electromagnetic force, at the vaccination point or in your body.
  • A dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is usually less than a millilitre, which means the shot is too small to carry a microchip.
  • You have iron in your blood, but it’s not ferromagnetic; which means it’s not receptive to magnetism. This means it can’t build or interact with an electromagnetic force field.
  • If you were a human magnet, only steel or iron objects would be an attracted to your body, not silver ones, like in the anti-vaxxer videos.

To me, this myth is utter garbage, so please ignore it.

Myth 7: The COVID-19 vaccine makes women infertile.

Reality: The old anti-vaxxer crazy train, is breaking new ground now. Apparently, thousands of women across the world, have been made infertile by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine; in addition to the claim that a woman could be made infertile, simply by standing next to a vaccinated person. Really?

I believe these misinformed people think that while different drug companies have been developing the vaccines, they never thought about testing pregnant women?! Really?

Throughout the different vaccine trials and phases, pregnant women, women that are trying to conceive and those that are breastfeeding were studied, and no adverse effects on fertility were seen. Source: Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist at NYU and Bellevue Hospital.

The COVID-19 vaccine does not cause infertility in women. If it did, it would not have been approved by medical authorities for public use.

Myth 8: The COVID-19 vaccine gives you COVID-19.

Reality: Anti-vaxxers want you to believe that by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, you are actually having the virus injected into you, so then, you’ll get sick.

Some COVID-19 vaccines do contain an inactivated or weakened version of the virus, to stimulate your immune system, however you can’t catch COVID-19 from this. mRNA vaccines like Pfizer, do not have any live or dead strains of COVID-19. You can not contract COVID-19 from a COVID-19 vaccine. This is nonsense, once again.

Myth 9: People that are vaccinated are catching COVID-19, proving the vaccines don’t work.

Reality: Let’s break this statement down; firstly, the notion that some people that have been partly or fully vaccinated, have contracted COVID-19, is actually true. It is.

However the problem with this is not calling the efficacy of the vaccines into question, but rather explaining how vaccinated people can contract COVID-19. These people are called breakthrough cases, and the reasons why this happens, can be quite varied.

No vaccine is 100% proof, so the vaccine is different from one person to the next, in terms of their immune system and immune response. Your immune response can be weakened or boosted by medications, age and overall health, and people with a weakened immune system, do have a higher chance of becoming a breakthrough case.

Having a COVID-19 vaccine does not make you 100% bullet proof against COVID-19, but it can lower the risks of you being infected, supported by social distancing, mask wearing, wash handing and using sanitisers. The largest group in the community that has the greatest risk for transmission for the virus are the unvaccinated. It’s a simple, but tragic fact.

If 100 people were exposed to COVID-19, it means that 80-90 vaccinated people, would not get any symptoms, but 10-20 people may get symptoms, with 5 people needing hospitalisation. The COVID-19 vaccines actually do work.

Myth 10: People are dying after receiving the COVID-19 vaccines.

Reality: It’s true, there has been reports of some people that have received the COVID-19 vaccine have died, but correlation doesn’t equal causation. An example of this issue is the serial killer scenario. Let’s say serial killers prefer to kill people during summer or hotter months. This might mean, that during this period serial killers would eat ice cream as a treat; therefore we can link serial killers and ice cream! Eating ice cream turns you into a serial killer!

But eating ice cream does not turn you into a serial killer, just the same as people dying after their vaccination, does not mean the vaccine killed them. You could discover that 500 people were vaccinated over 24 hours in your home town. After a week, you track them all down to gauge the effects of the vaccination, only to discover that 5 people have died.

You assume that the one thing they all had in common was the vaccination, so you assume that the vaccine killed them, because they died after the vaccination was given to them. However, you later learn that two people were killed in car accident, one person had a heart attack, one person drowned and one person was shot.

It’s true, all five people died after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, but the vaccine did not kill them. They could have died for any reason, especially if there was an underling health issue. Correlation does not equal causation.

Conclusion: Vaccinations, in my small and humble opinion, could quite possibly be the single greatest invention in human history and also the world’s best tool to eradicate diseases, that cause avoidable deaths in children and adults.

Basically, you don’t get the COVID-19 vaccine for yourself; you get it for your grandparents, your children, the people that are immune compromised or people for other medical reasons, that can not take the vaccine. You get the vaccine to protect other people, like others are doing it for you. By protecting other people, you protect yourself. Any 1980’s Saturday morning cartoon character could tell you that.

I received my first COVID-19 vaccination on Sunday 5th September, which was Father’s Day. It was a Father’s Day present, but it wasn’t for me; it was for UMC1 and UMC2. Also, I have not gained magnetic powers; big surprise there!

If you are unsure about the vaccine, please go and talk to your doctor about your vaccine concerns. It’s alright to have concerns about the vaccine, but please talk to a medical professional about it.

I think the COVID-19 vaccines are miracles, but that’s just my geeky opinion. For the next blog, I’m going to debunk the myths surrounding masks, because the anti-vaxxers are not staying in their lane.

Until then, mask up, get a vaccine, wash your hands, and look after yourselves and your families.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in a few days!

Lockdown Edition: Part 3

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Science

I want to talk about COVID-19 vaccines. Why? Because currently in New Zealand, just like many other countries around the globe, we are facing a SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant or Delta Variant outbreak. Our vaccinations rates have been low, due to the staggered rollout, but the good news is that they are increasing every day. I’m booked in for my first of two vaccinations on Sunday 5th September, so I’m actually excited about this.1

At the time of writing this blog, our rates are as such:

Source: Department of Health, New Zealand Government

Like I said, these rates are low, however they are getting better. Now for the bad news (dramatic music would play here), the number of anti-vaxxers are growing, locally and nationally. When I went to a clinic, a few months ago for my yearly influenza vaccination, I got chatting to one of doctors about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and its progress for the region.

The doctor told me that it was not going well, because of the large number of anti-vaxxers that were campaigning against the vaccine. The doctor also said the anti-vaxxers’ online misinformation, along with their protests and meetings, were placing seeds of doubt into people’s minds, thus making them more hesitant about receiving the vaccine.

The doctor added that the DHB (District Health Board) were going to have to find a way to push back against the anti-vaxxers, otherwise hundreds, if not thousands of people, will refuse to receive the vaccine, which will put more people at risk.

I will be honest with you; anti-vaxxers are in my top five worse conspiracy theorists, along with flat earthers, evolution deniers, climate change deniers and holocaust deniers. They upset me. Misinformation and disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine seem to be on the rise in New Zealand and throughout the world, so I wanted clear up some myths and misconceptions about the vaccine.

I’ll tackle five myths in this blog and another five myths in the next blog, because my kids are asking if I can play their 500th game of Hide-in-Seek with them. I mean, who would want to write a blog about COVID-19 vaccines, when you could be playing Hide-in-Seek in lockdown for the 500th time?!

Image by torstensimon from Pixabay

Myth 1: There is only one COVID-19 vaccine.

Reality: There are several COVID-19 vaccines that have been developed by different companies. They include Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Janssen, Covaxin, and Novavax to name a few. New Zealand is primarily using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Myth 2: The vaccine’s side effects are terrible and it’s not safe.

Reality: To start with, no medicine, drug or vaccine is 100% safe for 100% of the population. People can have different rare side effects or reactions to certain medicine, while other people do not. Every medicine that you take is a risk, but you take a risk every time you drive a car, eat an apple or walk across the road. There are risks with any medicine or vaccines, but the risks always outweigh the benefits.

The best or worse example of this, is the late great, Bruce Lee. He died from an edema in the brain, caused by having a reaction with Equagesic, a prescription painkiller, which contained both aspirin and the tranquilizer meprobamate.

Some common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine include:

  • pain or swelling at the injection site
  • feeling tired or fatigued
  • headache
  • muscle aches
  • chills
  • joint pain
  • fever
  • redness at the injection site
  • nausea

Source: Department of Health, New Zealand Government

In the clinical trials, uncommon side effects were reported in every 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000 people. These include:

  • enlarged lymph nodes
  • feeling unwell
  • pain in limb
  • insomnia
  • itching at injection site

Source: Department of Health, New Zealand Government

For rare side effects, temporary one-sided facial drooping and temporary inflammation of the heart wall (myocarditis) have been reported as rare side effects, affecting every 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 people.

Source: Department of Health, New Zealand Government

Myth 3: The vaccine has been rushed and has not been tested.

Reality: It’s unfair to say these vaccines have been rushed; it’s more like they have been fast tracked. The researchers and scientists that have developed the different vaccines, have not cut corners in their development, in terms of safety.

Research funds were released for such a crisis, which has meant vaccine development was given a top priority for the world’s population. Even if some company is reckless with their vaccine development, the vaccine still has to pass a country’s vaccine medical authority, which is usually an organisation or agency, and not a business.

For New Zealand, that agency is Medsafe, and the Pfizer/BioNTech has met their standards and passed. Independent studies have researched the vaccines through trials and phases, and they will continue to be studied for safety and effectiveness.

Myth 4: The vaccine has microchips in it, so the government can track you.

Reality: Not a single COVID-19 vaccine has been developed to contain microchips, to track the public. Seriously, this is absurd. Governments and large technology companies don’t need to track us, by inserting microchips into vaccines; they are already tracking you through your smartphone and computer.

Myth 5: The vaccine can change your DNA.

Reality: No COVID-19 vaccine can rewrite or change your DNA. The various vaccines have been developed in different ways.

  • Inactivated or weakened virus vaccines, which use a form of the virus that has been inactivated or weakened so it doesn’t cause disease, but still generates an immune response. (Covaxin)
  • Protein-based vaccines, which use harmless fragments of proteins or protein shells that mimic the COVID-19 virus to safely generate an immune response.
  • Viral vector vaccines, which use a safe virus that cannot cause disease but serves as a platform to produce coronavirus proteins to generate an immune response. (AstraZeneca and Janssen).
  • RNA and DNA vaccines, a cutting-edge approach that uses genetically engineered RNA or DNA to generate a protein that itself safely prompts an immune response. (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax).

Source: World Health Organization

This DNA changing myth has spread from the vaccines using RNA (mRNA) like Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax. Also known as Deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA is a molecule that resides in the nucleus of cells. It contains coded information that regulates the maintenance and growth of living organisms; and it’s the shape of a double helix.

mRNA vaccines send instructions to your body, to create an immune response to fight COVID-19. At no point does the mRNA vaccines interact or affect your DNA; it’s physically impossible. The mRNA vaccine teaches your cell on how to create special proteins that activate your immune system; it never enters the nucleus of the cell, where DNA is stored.

Now I’ll tackle the remaining five myths about the COVID-19 vaccine in the next blog post.

Until then, mask up, get a vaccine, wash your hands, and look after yourselves and your families.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in a few days!

1 I’m a geek, so what would you expect?

Lockdown Edition: Part 2

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Science

Lockdown, lockdown, lockdown. I think this second national lockdown is bringing out some interesting behaviour in people; though it’s not limited to humans. I’ll do my best to explain, but since I’m on lockdown time, things will get done, when they get done.

I love that during lockdown, the highlight of your day, could be a solo trip to the supermarket. Whether it’s for some small or large items, you mask up and off you go. It’s so satisfying and so sad at the same time, though. It’s a strange feeling being the designated shopper, because to me, it’s like you’re being rewarded and punished altogether.

The days are starting to merge into each together, so the only way to identify any of them, is to mark Wednesday on the calendar, which is bin day. The arrival of the rubbish and recycling trucks has fast become a weekly highlight to our household, as well as other homes.

Beady eyed children can be seen peering through their windows, staring at the trucks; along with their parents. Previously, the arrival of the trucks would have escaped the attention of a lot of parents, but now they are just as excited to witness the trucks appear, as their children.

Speaking of windows, I have tried very hard to raise my kids to not judge people by their appearance. Whether it’s by their gender, religion, race, you name it, we have discussed it. That policy is in the bin, thanks to lockdown.

We all eat lunch by the front window now, passing the time and some type of judgment on anything or anyone we see now. It could be their shoes, car, hair, jacket or even a dog; the family that judges together, stays together. This is our new form of entertainment.

I’ve also noticed a few odd things during lockdown in my house. One is that my house has slowly turned into a museum of Lego and Duplo projects. There are space shuttles, space probes and starships in the hallway; fire engines and police cars under the table; a train outside the bathroom; a construction site in the boys’ room; a submarine and a dump truck in the kitchen; and for some unknown reason, there is a postie that is sitting on a flying pizza delivery motorcycle, on my bedside cabinet.

Apparently UMC1 and UMC2 are not claiming ownership of these vehicles, but I am not allowed to move them, in case the owner or owners came back. Seriously, these projects are driving me crazy, because I feel like I’m Godzilla that has to walk carefully through a city, so I don’t destroy anything.

Another problem is that the couch in the lounge keeps exploding every 15 minutes, but luckily it’s only the cushions that end up on the floor, and nobody has been injured yet. In a totally unrelated matter, UMC1 and UMC2 have informed me that the floor in the lounge has sadly turned into lava. I had no idea my house was a prime location for convection, since the house was so obviously been built over a hot spot.

How do you judge success? During this lockdown, it’s just making everybody get out of their pyjamas before 11am; the beds get actually made; everybody gets fed; teeth get brushed; nobody gets divorced; and the dog gets a walk. The bar is set very low indeed.

ZOOM calls can be a bit dicey at the moment. I feel conflicted about having ZOOM meetings and calls, while sometimes wearing pyjama pants. Also, have you ever tried to take a ZOOM meeting or a call, with two children under 7 years old in the house?

It takes a lot of self control, not to bury my head in my hands during a ZOOM session, when my youngest son enters into the room to proclaim that he has removed his underwear, because he is now a rocket sensor, and rocket sensors don’t wear underwear.

He then flings his undies at me, to stress how serious he is about not wearing underwear. I have no idea about what exactly is a rocket sensor; but we have introduced a new rule in the house: Even rocket sensors have to wear underwear.

Image by J Garget from Pixabay

New Zealand society is also starting to change and an example of this are the cats. Yes, you heard me correctly, the cats. I live in a cul-de-sac that does not get a huge amount of traffic. Because of this, the cats in the neighbourhood tend to wander about, wherever they want…because they’re cats.

The thing is, since we have gone into lockdown, the cat population has become seriously more assertive. Instead of a cat visiting our property once every three days, we are getting three-four cats, every single day. Our dog is enjoying chasing them away, though to be fair, during lockdown he is unofficially off duty.

The cats are now sitting on the footpath and the road like they have claimed everything. Some of them stretch out and to go sleep. They are everywhere. If you were walking on the footpath and met a cat before lockdown, they would quickly get up and run away.

Not now though. Now, if you are walking along the footpath and encounter a cat, they refuse to move. Whether you step round them or step over them, they will not move. Even if a cat is sitting in the middle of the road, and a car is driven towards them, they will not move. It’s almost like they are saying “You want me to move? Come and make me.”

I’m not sure if it’s because the cats are slowly taking over the neighbourhood or they are just sick of lockdown and they don’t want to spend extra time with their families. I’m not intelligent enough to know the answer.

In addition to this, we have an issue at multiple supermarkets across the country. Some supermarkets have been running out of toilet paper and it’s getting that bad, some stores are restricting one bag of toilet paper per customer. I can think of only two reasons for the shortage: Either the entire population of New Zealand have diarrhoea or people are stockpiling toilet paper, because they’re selfish; and I don’t know which scenario is worse.

I have also noticed the rise in anti-vaxxing and anti-mask content, both locally and nationally. Because these two delightful little misinformed groups have actually managed to push my science literacy buttons, I’m going to donate the next two blog posts addressing myths and claims surrounding mask wearing and COVID-19 vaccines.

Until then, mask up, get a vaccine, wash your hands, and look after yourselves and your families.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in a few days!

Lockdown Edition: Part 1

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Science

At the time I’m writing this blog post, we have entered our second national lockdown, because of the appearance of the COVID-19 Delta Variant within the community. Now I’m not going to talk about the dangers of the Delta Variant or the need for higher vaccination rates. That could be an entire blog post by itself!

What I really want to talk about are the people that are helping, which is actually everybody. Sorry, this is basically a long overdue thank you letter. I realise many other people have done this before, but I still want to say thank you.

Image by Klaus Hausmann from Pixabay

Thank you to the scientists and researchers that have dedicated hundreds of hours in developing COVID-19 vaccines.

Thank you to the frontline medical workers that are administering and analysing COVID-19 tests, as well as conducting the vaccinations.

Thank you to doctors and nurses that are working at hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, as well as running and operating clinics.

Thank you to emergency management workers like police, firefighters and paramedics, that are still working.

Thank you to the teachers doing online learning from their homes, while looking after their own children.

Thank you to the children giving up birthday parties with their friends and playing at the park.

Thank you to the farmers that are working hard to produce our food.

Thank you to the cleaners that are keeping public spaces clean and safe.

Thank you to health officials that are educating us about COVID-19 prevention and vaccines.

Thank you to the media for providing us with up to date information.

Thank you to our families for continuing to put up with us.

Thank you to the aged care workers for keeping our elderly safe.

Thank you to petrol station workers for being there.

Thank you to the public for staying home to save lives.

Thank you to the truck drivers that are moving freight and goods around the nation.

Thank you to the posties and courier drivers for keeping us sane, with your deliveries.

And finally, thank you to the supermarket workers for actually turning up and providing us with what we need.

I know this blog post is not very entertaining, however Lockdown Edition Part 2, will be about my observations about my family and society during lockdown.

See you in a few days and thanks for reading!