I think you would have trouble igniting the wick near absolute zero. Below a certain temperature (and I used to know what it was, but have, of course forgotten) there's no chemistry, and therefore no oxidation of whatever wicks are made of.
Harmony: Somebody remembered to pick me up the sweetest unicorn. Guess someone was feeling guilty for standing me up in tenth grade. Brad: What? Had to get her something. She sired me. Peaches: Sire-whipped.
'Beneath You'
Natter 65: Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, pandas, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
-t - Jan 12, 2010 2:40:23 pm PST #1069 of 30001
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
tommyrot - Jan 12, 2010 2:43:16 pm PST #1070 of 30001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
I think you would have trouble igniting the wick near absolute zero. Below a certain temperature (and I used to know what it was, but have, of course forgotten) there's no chemistry, and therefore no oxidation of whatever wicks are made of.
I disagree. The wick extends out from the candle and has a very high surface are to mass ratio (compared to the candle). It would heat up pretty quickly to a temperature where the wax impregnating it would burn. My question is, would the resulting flame be able to melt enough of the cold wax in the body of the candle to stay lit once the source of the initial flame (e.g. a match) was removed.
eta: This is once the candle is removed from the liquid helium.
But I think you'd be right if you tried to light the candle while it was immersed in liquid oxygen.
Sue - Jan 12, 2010 2:45:32 pm PST #1071 of 30001
hip deep in pie
SUV has Naveen Andrews guesting tonight. Nummy.
-t - Jan 12, 2010 2:46:14 pm PST #1072 of 30001
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
Ahhh, candle has been in liquid helium but is not presently? Then it's just a question of whether the flame can heat up the very cold wax enough to melt before it runs out of burning wick, I guess. Yeah, this is going to require empirical tests.
Edited to add:
But I think you'd be right if you tried to light the candle while it was immersed in liquid oxygen.
Ha, you won't get me to do that!
Jessica - Jan 12, 2010 2:55:11 pm PST #1073 of 30001
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
The BNO updates about Haiti are simply heartbreaking.
Jesse - Jan 12, 2010 3:04:31 pm PST #1074 of 30001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
Oh man, now I have almost-relatives in Haiti, so I have to worry about them, too, instead of just generally.
amych - Jan 12, 2010 3:05:32 pm PST #1075 of 30001
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?
Some Haiti pics: [link]
Looks completely awful; the epicenter was right outside Port-au-Prince, so tons of infrastructure damage, millions of people felt it, maybe thousands dead.
ChiKat - Jan 12, 2010 3:07:48 pm PST #1076 of 30001
That man was going to shank me. Over an omelette. Two eggs and a slice of government cheese. Is that what my life is worth?
Dudes. It has been a looooooong week and it's only Tuesday. I'm just now leaving work. Ahhh....12 hour work days. Joy.
brenda m - Jan 12, 2010 3:08:49 pm PST #1077 of 30001
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there
Gah, Haiti. Can think of hardly anyone who needs this less.
F - Lena Headey
M - Claudia Black
C - Katee Sackhoff
F - Matthew Gray Gubler
C - Joseph Gordon Levitt
M - Neil Patrick Harris
§ ita § - Jan 12, 2010 3:10:50 pm PST #1078 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
I can't look at the Haiti pics. I will tear up too badly.
Geek suggestions for casting a Rockford Files remake. When I saw the title, I knew Nathan Fillion would be on it, but that's not why my friend sent it to me.
How can you C JGL, brenda???