Mind Soup

The following is an actual question given on a University chemistry final exam. The answer by one student was so “profound” that the professor shared it with colleagues via the Internet, which is why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well. Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle’s Law that gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let’s look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that, if you are not a member of their religi...

Since Mind Soup is part of the Bloggers Against Hunger program hosted by the World Food Programme, and because of the current tragic circumstances in Haiti, I am sharing the below as means for anyone who is able to donate and contribute to save lives of people there. A massive earthquake hit Haiti late Tuesday, killing hundreds of people and wounding many more. The quake, measuring 7 on the Richter scale, has caused widespread damage in and around the capital Port-au-Prince, leaving a large number of people homeless and hungry. The people of Haiti need food assistance as quickly as possible to prevent hunger worsening the misery already caused by the disaster. This is said to be Haiti's worst quake in two centuries. Every hour we wait means more lives are at risk.  Donate now by clicking here!

A Lebanese walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan officer. He says he's going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000. The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for theloan, so the Lebanese hands over the keys to a new Rolls Royce. The car is parked on the street in front of the bank, he has the title and everything checks out. The bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. The bank's president and its officers all enjoy a good laugh at the Lebanese for using a $250,000 Rolls as collateral against a $5,000 loan. An employee of the bank then proceeds to drive the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parks it there. Two weeks later, the Lebanese returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $15.41. The loan officer says, "Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were aw...

A coroner has ruled that Chicago Bears defensive end Gaines Adams died of a heart attack, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter's posting on his Twitter account. Adams, 26, was pronounced dead at 8 a.m. Sunday at a Greenwood County, South Carolina hospital, according to the Greenville News. Selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, Adams joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Apparently Adams had an enlarged heart that caused cardiac arrest, according to tweets posted at Schefter and Jason La Canfora's Twitter pages. On Thursday, Southern Indiana senior Jeron Lewis also had an enlarged heart, like Adams, that led to his cardiac arrest during a basketball game at Kentucky Weslyn College. Adams, who played football at Clemson, was considered by many to be a bust at the NFL level and was traded from the Bucs to the Bears last October. The former 2006 ACC Defensive Player of the Year registered 93 tackles, 13 1/2 sacks and two interceptions in four seasons (thr...

Millions of people suffering from malaria now have new hope after British scientists unlocked the genetic map of the plant used to cure the disease. Scientists from the University of York have confidently predicted they will have high-yielding anti-malaria crops available for wide spread plantation in developing countries within two years. The discovery of the genetic map of the medicinal herb Artemisia annua has been hailed as a significant breakthrough that could save countless lives. Researchers said the new plants they will breed will be given to poor farmers who can use them to grow a cash crop that could help build up fragile economies. The research has been funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Malaria kills at least one million people every year even though it can be prevented and treated.The most effective drugs to treat the disease are Artemisinin Combination Therapies.More funding has become available to deliver these treatments which are expected to reac...

The sun is reduced to a ring of gold against the black sky as the Moon slips between it and Earth. This solar eclipse yesterday lasted for 11 minutes and eight seconds, setting a record that will not be beaten until December 23, 3043. A Chinese couple watches the solar eclipse over Zhengzhou, in the country's central Henan province The skies over Hongdao, China, where the spectacular 'ring of fire' could be seen.  The eclipse was annular, meaning the Moon blocked most of the Sun's middle This image show a total solar eclipse which passed over Europe and the Middle East, and into India.  The Moon's umbra can be clearly seen as a black disc, approximately 63 miles across Such events, which only blot out the middle of the Sun, are known as annular eclipses. They occur about 66 times a century and can only be viewed in the narrow band on the Earth’s surface below their path. Yesterday’s light show began in Africa before crossing the Indian Ocea...

  A massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake has struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The extent of the devastation is still unclear but there are fears thousands of people may have died. Haiti's worst quake in two centuries hit south of the capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, wrecking the presidential palace, UN HQ and other buildings. A "large number" of UN personnel were reported missing by the organisation. Many people have spent the night outside amid fears of more aftershocks. The Red Cross says up to three million people have been affected. Describing the earthquake as a "catastrophe", Haiti's envoy to the US said the cost of the damage could run into billions. A number of nations, including the US, UK and Venezuela, are gearing up to send aid. The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude. The tremor hit at 1653 (2153 GMT) on Tuesday, the US Geo...

A hamburger is not inherently an exotic food. However, in the hands of the right creative (or crazy) individual, that single slab of meat and two buns can become nothing short of spectacular. Herein lies the importance of the chef. As KoldCast’s resident chefs Ivan and Sergei teach us in their experiments with raw sugar, food is not only what you make of it, but how you make it. In honor of bootstrap cooking, the possibilities of the burger, and our very own Ivan and Sergei, KoldCast presents you with the weirdest and most unique hamburgers on Earth – or at least on the Internet. Just make sure you don’t read the rest of this article on an empty stomach. Enjoy! 1. The NutBurger Hailing from Butte, Montana, this burger is nutty! Many profess that it’s like eating a sundae topping on a burger…if your Sundae topping consists of mayo and nut clusters. 2. The Fattymelt Simply put, it’s a burger crossed with grilled cheese. This heart attack-worthy burger originates from the Mossy Cre...

I don't like this song as much as I liked "Love This Pain" but it's not too shabby. Continuing their iTunes album countdown, Lady A have released this new single. Enjoy :)