Articles written by David Shane - Page 3

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About me - David Shane

I'm a physics graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis. To make a living I use nuclear magnetic resonance to study potential hydrogen storage materials. The articles I write on Helium tend to fall into 1 of 4 categories.

1. Physics articles:

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Politics, News & Issues > US Economy Should eliminating federal deficits be a priority of the U.S. government?: 1 of 2
There are several different deficits one might consider eliminating, but the one you probably think of most often, and the one this article will consider the benefits of eliminating, is the federal budget deficit. That is, should it be a priority for the government to spend less money than it takes in? I will argue that yes,... More..
Sciences > Physics Intermediate physics: Explaining capacitors and capacitance: 1 of 1
A capacitor is simply a circuit element used for storing charge. It is generally constructed of two closely spaced metal plates. When we apply a voltage across the plates, a positive charge will develop on one plate, a negative charge on the other. When that voltage has magnitude V, and a charge of magnitude Q develops on on... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political & Economic Theory Book reviews: Liberal Fascism, by Jonah Golderg: 1 of 1
Jonah Goldberg's book Liberal Fascism is, immediately after the cover is opened, a surprise. Readers who open it expecting to find a scorching attack on modern liberalism will find, instead, a history book. And this history book, centered as it is around a term that is thrown around in politics by everyone with an enemy, beg... More..
Sciences > Physics Intermediate physics: Explaining electrical fields: 1 of 1
The first fact most students learn about electricity and magnetism is that there exists a physical property known as charge, which can be positive or negative. Two particles of like charge repel one another, and two particles with opposite charges attract one another, with a force proportional to the strength of each charge,... More..
Sciences > Physics The solid matter with the lowest density: 1 of 1
The solid material with the lowest known density is called aerogel. It was original invented by chemist S.S. Kistler in 1931 as part of a bet. The article reporting his discovery is available online. The idea was to somehow remove all the liquid from a jelly without it shrinking. As detailed in his paper, Kistler was able to... More..
Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History The legacy of Woodrow Wilson: 5 of 9
"As the life of the nation changes so must the interpretation of the document which contains it change, by a nice adjustment, determined not by the original intention of those who drew the paper, but by the exigencies and the new aspects of life itself." Woodrow Wilson wrote this in his book "Constitutional Government," and ... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market Investing in oil: 4 of 7
With the price of oil currently undergoing what many investors believe is just a pullback in a bull market, now might be a great time to start an investment in oil. There are many different ways to invest, but perhaps the easiest is in units and shares of oil-related corporations and trusts. This article will consider a few ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political & Economic Theory How changes in the minimum wage affect the economy: 8 of 13
The only change we are likely to see in the minimum wage is an increase, and the primary economic effect of an increase in the minimum wage is to increase unemployment. The reasoning behind this conclusion is simple - if an employer is forced to pay an employee more than his or her productivity is worth, the employee will si... More..
Sciences > Physics How electricity is generated: 5 of 8
Nearly all the electricity on the planet, with the exception of batteries and photovoltaic solar cells, is generated by taking advantage of a single physical law: magnetic fields produce a force on moving charges. So how can we produce an electrical current? Make a loop of conducting copper wire. Place that loop in between t... More..
Autos > Fuel Economy Exploring the wonder that is hydrogen cars: 5 of 7
Switching to vehicles that use hydrogen instead of gasoline as fuel would have several benefits. Chief among these benefits: a significantly reduced dependence on an ever decreasing, and sometimes volatile, oil supply and reduced pollutant emissions. There are several obstacles that must be overcome before we can get there. ... More..