My Worlds My Words My Worries: Three Percent Nothing

Absent For A Bit ....

2012-06-29

Three Percent Nothing

While studying the chemical element boron, I came across this sentence in Wikipedia:

Borosilicate glass, which is typically 12–15% B₂O₃, 80% SiO₂, and 2% Al₂O₃, has a low coefficient of thermal expansion giving it a good resistance to thermal shock.

I noticed that the best you can get to with 15+80+2=97 percent.

So the only reasonable eXplanation is that it is 3 percent Nothing.

So the neXt time your chemistry lab partner makes a remark like, "Gee, your beakers are reaLLy shiny." - just say, "That's because they're at least 3 percent nothing! ... maybe as high as 6 percent nothing!"

9 comments:

Rob Z Tobor said...: Hello Mr ESB, if nothing equals 3% of something, putting nothing in your chicken sandwich would mean you would be leaving quite a substantial meal somewhere.

And the old saying..... There is nothing like the truth is only 3% right.
A bit like nothing lost nothing gained, now means you have by 3%; June 29, 2012 at 6:15 PM
esbboston said...: RobZT: Rob, I have eXamined 'truth' very carefuLLy. By 'very carefuLLy' I mean that I have taken the word truth in aLL its Times New Roman fontiness and eXpanded it multiple times like any new Roman would do with the screen capture function of my iPad. With word large enough to fiLL the screen I was able to use the fingernail of my right hand pinky finger as a measuring gauge to match the same width of the vertical part of the letter t, and found that the truth is approximately 68 times longer than it is wide. So each part of the letter t that sticks out to the side is approximately equal to 2 parts in 68, or almost 3 percent, or Nothing. I am not sure how to work that into a conversation that would impress women. I wiLL bring it up in conversation width my wife while she is distracted by cooking chicken fajitas, and let you know how it turns out.; June 29, 2012 at 6:59 PM
Marianne said...: "While studying the chemical element boron...." Really? You making this up, esb? You're just being ironical, right? Help a girl out.; June 29, 2012 at 9:59 PM
esbboston said...: Marianne: um, no, I was reaLLy studying the chemical element boron. I noticed the mathematical inconsistency. I have a degree in chemistry with a minor in math, then spent the better part of three decades being a computer scientist. I just recently completed a college diploma in HVAC, and I study physics. I like material science. I fix typos in wikipedia. I hope to start another diploma program soon in basic electronics, just waiting on certain events. I also seLL shoes and care about my dog very much. Oh, there is a wife and some children, too. I also like my pineapple plants, and aLL my friends in the blog world, and aLL the wonderful folks at the diner where I get my griLLed chicken sandwich w bacon. I just wish I had time to play the piano, I love the piano
........ ...... ..... .... ... .; June 29, 2012 at 11:59 PM
Rob Z Tobor said...: You are a man of great talent Mr ESB. All that stuff you do would explode my brain..... Electronics I vaguely remember V=IR so that R = V/I ..... and to help you I found this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Y8mKFpkcc; June 30, 2012 at 11:21 AM
esbboston said...: Marianne: I noticed the word 'ironical' in your comment, with the word 'iron' in it, and I thought of something new I learned about very pure iron. Most iron is produced with a process that leaves some carbon in it, which makes iron and steel hard, even in small amounts. But pure iron that is prepared in a relatively carbon-less method is soft, softer than aluminum. So I made up a new word for you as weLL, derived from 'ironical', using the ical ending, and boron has a ron in it, so:
Boronical
I don't have a definition yet, though. How about things that are ironic and involve boron and (for triple word score) boring!; June 30, 2012 at 11:55 PM
esbboston said...: RobZT: Thanks for the musical electrical lesson.

I started thinking about RVing and realized that I don't think I have ever been. I have gone camping a few times, but my wife has a great resistence to that kinda activity, so we just stay ohm alot. I did discover that I have access to three phase power on my property yesterday, something I have had for over a year and semi-accidentaLLy discovered while researching a problem/project.; July 1, 2012 at 12:08 AM
Mia said...: I can't tell you how often I have this exact problem.; July 1, 2012 at 1:18 PM
esbboston said...: Mia: There are multiple problem possibilities in my blog post, so I wasn't sure which one you meant. There are a variety of strange numerical typos in Wikipedia.; July 1, 2012 at 5:47 PM