HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: paul.burnett@pcs.sj.ca.us (Paul Burnett) 
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Yet Another "New Look
Date: 11 Dec 92 13:57:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: PCS-BBS - San Jose, CA - 408-270-4085
Reply-To: paul.burnett@pcs.sj.ca.us (Paul Burnett) 

TO: rbunge@access.digex.com

RB>>    Can
  >>    you see the three-volume set of ATM being published today?
  >>    I've been reading mine since the fifties and still find
  >>    useful stuff in it.

RB>Interesting that you mention the the ATM books.  I've heard that
  >Willmann-Bell has acquired the rights to these books and hopes to
  >reprint them.  That's GREAT news, if you ask me.

Why?  Granted that some things stay the same, a collection of articles
from _Scientific American's_ ATM columns from the 1930's and 1940's is
simply too old to be of much use at all.  That's on of the reasons back
issue collections of S&T are in such demand - at least they're up to
date.

---
 . QMPro 1.0 41-8688 . ...from San Jose, CA
                                                                                                                                                                       
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: mcdonald@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (J. D. McDonald)
Subject: Re: Purchasing a portable telescope
Organization: UIUC SCS
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 20:01:57 GMT

In article <1992Dec16.174400.3986@linus.mitre.org> chaloux@mandolin.mitre.org (Dave Chaloux) writes:


>Some thoughts about off axis masks: I find it interesting that Mike has mentioned
>using a 3" off axis mask to help. If a mirror is a figure of revolution with
>a 1/2 mirror masking the mirror it is still 1/2 wave. Maximum Longitudinal and
>transverse aberrations will be just as bad.


Those last two statements may be true .. or they may be false, totally false.

If the mirror has a smooth surface, but has spherical aberration,
and is 1/n wave full aperture, it will be 1/(4*n) wave at half aperture.
The same is true for pure third order astigmatism.

If. in the other hand, it has narrow zonal aberrations and **no**
third order spherical or astigmatism, then indeed stopping down will still
leave a 1/n wave mirror 1/n wave.

Doug McDonald
Newsgroups: sci.misc
From: M.T.Carnell@lut.ac.uk (MT Carnell) 
Subject: Request for Telephoto Lens
Reply-To: M.T.Carnell@lut.ac.uk (MT Carnell)
Organization: Loughborough University, UK.
Distribution: uk
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 92 15:54:15 GMT

Wanted 80-150 mm diameter (war surplus) telephoto lens
or similar for Schlieren system.

Newsgroups: sci.misc
From: dan@netcom.com (Dan Liddell)
Subject: Re: Acoustic-Archaeology
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 23:14:41 GMT

In article <32130@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM> wats@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Bruce Watson) writes:
>Arthur C. Clarke, in a letter to _Spaceflight_ publication of the
>
>He goes on to say that "Dr. Woodbridge hoped that sounds might
>be recorded by, for example, a potter's wheel acting as a primitive
>phonograph. He did succeed in locating, after a tedious search, the
>word 'blue' in the brush strokes of a painter on a blue portion
>of canvas!
>...
>Has anyone of this forum heard any recent work?

In fiction. In one of the Nevereyon books, published in the 80's,
Delany uses this kind of recording as a segue to a descriptive
fragment.

-- 
Dan Liddell   dan@netcom.com
From: ehling@rice-chex.ai.mit.edu (Teresa A. Ehling)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: New book on Nanotechnology
Date: 17 Dec 1992 19:50:50 GMT
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: rice-chex.ai.mit.edu

Now available from the MIT Press!




NANOTECHNOLOGY
Research and Perspectives

edited by BC Crandall and James Lewis

Advances in physics, molecular biology, and computer science 
are converging on the capacity to control, with  molecular 
precision, the structure and function of matter. These twenty 
original contributions provide the first broad-based 
multidisciplinary definition and examination of the 
revolutionary new discipline of molecular engineering, or 
nanotechnology. They address both the promise as well as the 
economic, environmental, and cultural challenges of this 
emerging atomic-scale technology.
  Leaders in their field describe current technologies that 
feed into nanotechnology -- atomic imaging and positioning, 
protein engineering, and the de novo design and synthesis of 
self-assembling molecular structures. They present 
development strategies for coordinating recent work in 
chemistry, biotechnology, and scanning-probe microscopy in 
order to successfully design and engineer molecular systems. 
They also explore advances in molecular and quantum 
electronics as well as reversible computational systems and 
the fundamental physical constraints on computation. 
Additional chapters discuss research efforts in Japan and 
present the prospects of nanotechnology as seen from the 
perspective of a microtechnologist.
  The final section looks at the implications of success, 
including the prospects of enormous computational power and 
the radical consequences of molecular mechanical systems in 
the fields of medicine and life extension. 


Contributors: Robert Birge. Federico Capasso. BC Crandall. 
K. Eric Drexler. Gregory Fahy. Richard Feynman. John Foster. 
Tracy Handel. Bill Joy. Arthur Kantrowitz. Joseph Mallon. 
Norman Margolus. Ralph Merkle. Lester Milbrath. Gordon 
Tullock. Hiroyuki Sasabe. Michael Ward.


ISBN 0-262-03195-7   CRANH
381 pp. -- 136 illus., 29 in color 
$39.95, hardcover


From your enlightened bookseller or order directly from 
The MIT Press.

The MIT Press
55 Hayward Street
Cambridge, MA  02142


Tel orders: 1-800-356-0343  -or-  617/628-8569
From: irikura@enh.nist.gov
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: RE: Stable Orbitals: 1/2 full
Date: 16 Dec 92 09:05:28 GMT
Organization: NIST

I believe that the standard explanation involves the quantum-mechanical
"exchange energy," usually denoted "K."  It's related to the electrical
repulsion between pairs of electrons, but doesn't show up in classical
mechanics.  Anyway, the result is to stabilize high-spin configurations
relative to low-spin ones.  Most p-chem texts have pretty complete discussions
(e.g., Karplus & Porter). 

If the orbitals involved are of sufficiently different energies, then the
exchange energy is overwhelmed.  This is the reason that transition metal
complexes may be either high-spin or low-spin (depending upon the ligands). 

I hope this makes sense! 

Karl 
Newsgroups: sci.chem
From: alison@wsrcc.com (Alison Chaiken)
Subject: Re: Stable Orbitals: 1/2 full
Organization: W S Rupprecht Computer Consulting, Fremont CA
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 03:51:27 GMT

dl10696@ehsn4.cen.uiuc.edu (Dat Trieu Le) writes:
>Why is a half filled shell more stable? 

A half-filled shell maximizes the total spin S of an atom.  One of
Hund's rule for determining the most stable configuration for an atom
tells you to maximize S, because the configuration with the largest S
has the largest negative exchange energy.  Of course, there are two
other Hund's rules which also have to be considered, but the
maximization of exchange energy is the origin of the stability of a
half-filled shell.  What is exchange energy, anyway?  That's another
topic (recently discussed extensively on sci.physics).

More information about Hund's rules: any first-year-graduate QM text,
say _Quantum Mechanics_ by E. Merzbacher.
-- 
Alison Chaiken 				alison@wsrcc.com
(510) 422-7129 [daytime] 		or chaiken@cmsgee.llnl.gov
Look if you like, but you will have to leap.

Newsgroups: sci.chem
From: schneid@sp94.csrd.uiuc.edu (David John Schneider)
Subject: Re: ESR Spectra Simulation
Organization: Univ. of Ill. Center for Supercomputing R&D
Date: 11 Dec 92 15:23:15


>
>In article ... uchef153@unibi.hrz.uni-bielefeld.de (o163) writes:
>
>   Hi, 
>   is there a program available that simulates ESR spectra ?
>   Especialy for transition metals
>
>   Carsten carsten@chec02.uni-bielefeld.de
>

Carsten,

It would be easier to help if you supplied more information about
your needs for example:

	What is the symmetry and spin of the complexes you are
	investigating?  

	How many nuclear spins are strongly coupled to the electron 
	spin?

	Do you want to simulate rigid-limit, slow-motional, or 
	fast-motional spectra?  

	Are your radicals embedded in a single crystal, powder,
	liquid crystal, or an isotropic liquid?  

	Are you trying to extract parameters from experimental data 
	by fitting to calculated results, or are you just interested 
	in computing lineshapes?

--

		Dave Schneider 

		University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
		Center for Supercomputing Research and Development
		367 Computer and Systems Research Laboratory
		1308 W. Main Street
		Urbana, IL  61801-2307
		MC-264

		phone : (217) 244-0055  
		fax   : (217) 244-1351
		E-mail: schneid@csrd.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: sci.chem.organomet,sci.chem
From: ns14@crux3.crux2.cit.cornell.edu (Nathan Otto Siemers)
Subject: Re: simple way to measure reducing agent strength?
Organization: Department of Chemistry, Cornell Univ.
Date: 18 Dec 92 19:16:52

>>>>> On Fri, 18 Dec 1992 19:34:47 GMT, btbg1194@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Bradley T Banko) said:

 Bradley> Hi!

 Bradley> I am a graduate student in biological physics who prepares
 Bradley> protein samples using Sodium Hydrosulfite as a reducing
 Bradley> agent (~100 mM concentration), and I am wondering if there
 Bradley> is an easy way to measure reducing agent "strength" in order
 Bradley> to determine if a day old reducing mixture is still good
 Bradley> enough to use for samples (stored in a gas tight vial with
 Bradley> CO or N2 gas replacement)?

 Bradley> I am thinking that there must be something that chemists or
 Bradley> biochemists might use to measure this (like pH paper or
 Bradley> indicators?).

	you can always titrate with an oxidant.  MnO4 perhaps?
assuming you know the stoichiometry of the reaction.  This approach
would take more time than making fresh solutions, but you could do a
time course over a few days, then you will know that generally a
solution will be usable for N days....


Nathan Siemers
--
--
/  | / /__|  /  /---/ /__| /  | /    nathan@chemres.tn.cornell.edu
Xref: sparky sci.chem.organomet:7 sci.chem:5515
From: hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (William Hodgeman Jr)
Newsgroups: sci.chem.organomet,sci.chem
Subject: Re: simple way to measure reducing agent strength?
Date: 19 Dec 1992 15:48:34 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Reply-To: hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.4
Originator: hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu

From article <BzGzq2.1zu@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, by btbg1194@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Bradley T Banko):

> 
> I am a graduate student in biological physics who prepares protein samples
> using Sodium Hydrosulfite as a reducing agent (~100 mM concentration), and
> 
> Brad Banko
> b-banko@uiuc.edu
> 

We are doing research on Sulfur-oxy anions, with our main
emphasis on sodium dithionite (or commonly:hydrosulfite).
What pH are you working at?  Unless you are working
under very basic conditions (pH>11) your solutions
are not even good for 1 day, even under N2.  At
neutral pH, your solution will have undergone *significant*
decomposition in as little as a couple hours!

E-mail me if you have further questions.

Bill            (hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu)
Newsgroups: sci.chem.organomet
From: eng10179@nusunix1.nus.sg (TAN CHEE LEONG)
Subject: gut
Organization: National University of Singapore
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 04:15:38 GMT



i was wondering when will the unificATion 
of the four forces be completed?any idea?

Xref: sparky sci.chem.organomet:2 sci.chem:5485 sci.materials:1018
From: dejongh@dutiws.twi.tudelft.nl (De Jongh.TI-tel-1670)
Subject: Any alkalipeople out there?
Organization: Delft University of Technology
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 10:03:28 GMT

First of all, I'm NOT the sender, as mentioned in the header of this posting.

Are there any organo-alkali people here? Love to hear from their experiences!

We'll see what this newsgroup will bring, as long it isn't catalytic rubbish
(oops, excuse me).

Ciao, Remco (besten@chem.ruu.nl)


Newsgroups: sci.chem.organomet,sci.chem
From: btbg1194@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Bradley T Banko)
Subject: simple way to measure reducing agent strength?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 19:34:47 GMT

Hi!

I am a graduate student in biological physics who prepares protein samples
using Sodium Hydrosulfite as a reducing agent (~100 mM concentration), and
I am wondering if there is an easy way to measure reducing agent "strength"
in order to determine if a day old reducing mixture is still good enough to
use for samples (stored in a gas tight vial with CO or N2 gas replacement)?

I am thinking that there must be something that chemists or biochemists might
use to measure this (like pH paper or indicators?).

Thanks for your help.  (Please respond by email.)

Brad Banko
b-banko@uiuc.edu

-- 
Brad Banko;  Dept of Physics;  U of Illinois;  b-banko@uiuc.edu
=========================================================================
Tatiana Gutsu for President!                     73 de kb8cne @ n9lnq.il
Newsgroups: sci.chem.organomet,sci.physics
From: mroussel@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Marc Roussel)
Subject: Re: gut
Followup-To: sci.physics
Organization: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1992 23:49:52 GMT

In article <1992Dec19.041538.10724@nuscc.nus.sg> eng10179@nusunix1.nus.sg
(TAN CHEE LEONG) writes:
>i was wondering when will the unificATion 
>of the four forces be completed?any idea?

     Try asking your question on sci.physics.  If you're just soliciting
opinions, I would say that the most sensible answer to your question is
"not soon".  There aren't currently a lot of experimental results which
cry out for a unified theory, although the current theories have a lot
of problems which might be solved in this way.  I'll let someone more
expert than me take it from here.

				Marc R. Roussel
                                mroussel@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca

P.S.: I have redirected followups to sci.physics because that's where
      this discussion belongs.
Newsgroups: sci.chem.organomet
From: dwdyer@eskimo.com (Wayne Dyer)
Subject: Re: Any alkalipeople out there?
Organization: -> ESKIMO NORTH (206) For-Ever <-
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 02:39:54 GMT

You mean organo-lithium, sodium etc?  I'm not -personally-, but I did work
closely in grad school with folks working on "novel" (I -hate that word!)
organo-lithiums, mostly *#@&$^! if you ask me.  Glad my old boss doesn't
read this group!  What the hell?  I don't work for him anymore!


-- 
Wayne Dyer, aka   || "I mistrust all systematizers and I avoid them.
dwdyer@eskimo.com ||  The will to a system is a lack of integrity."  F.W.N.
-- 
Wayne Dyer, aka   || "I mistrust all systematizers and I avoid them.
dwdyer@eskimo.com ||  The will to a system is a lack of integrity."  F.W.N.
From: bspencer@cs.mcgill.ca (Brian SPENCER)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: types of chemical bonds
Date: 17 Dec 92 20:22:52 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: SOCS - Mcgill University, Montreal, Canada

In article <1gqi7uINNgl@uwm.edu> hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu writes:
>From article <1992Dec17.151935.27999@mcc.com>, by rsb@.mcc.com (Richard S. Brice):
>> 
>> 
>> Can someone explain to a chemistry novice what the real physical 
>> differences are between covalent and ionic bonds?  Can one tell by
>> looking at some properties of atoms (molecules?) whether they will
>> combine with one or the other type of bonds?  The high school
>> chemistry book my kids are using really muddles through these
>> issues in a very unclear way.
>
>
>Here's a couple of general ideas.
>
>1) The simplest way to predict whether a molecule has ionic/covalent
>   bonding is to compare the electronegativities of the atoms
>   in the molecule.  If the difference is very large (say > .75)
>   then the molecule will be largely ionic.  If the electronegativities
>   are very close, the molecule will be largely covalent in its
>   bonding.
>
>2) Molecules are not necessarily only covalent or only ionic.
>   Certain molecules can be 100% ionic, and others can be
>   100% covalent (only homonuclear molecules).  But there
>   is a whole range in between, where most molecules are found.
>   Again, an easy way to predict this is the difference in
>   electronegativities.  The larger the difference, the closer
>   the molecule is to 100% ionic.  The smaller the difference,
>   the closer the molecule is to 100% covalent bonding.
>
>3) What is the real physical difference?  The way that the electrons
>   are shared between the two molecules.  A bond is not a line
>   between two atoms, but rather represents a sharing of the electrons.
>   If the electrons are shared equally (in some sense) then it is
>   a covalent bond.  If they are not shared equally (the electron
>   is more localized on one of the two atoms), then the bond is
>   more ionic.
>
>I hope this is clear enough,
>Bill                                             (hodgeman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu)
>

Also, a pure ionic bond is electrostatic in nature. That is, there are
attractive and repulsive attraction between positively and negatively
charged ions. In general, an ionic molecule sets itself up so as to
maximize the attractive forces and minimize the repulsive ones.

Brian Spencer (bspencer@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca)
From: bspencer@cs.mcgill.ca (Brian SPENCER)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: types of chemical bonds
Date: 18 Dec 92 06:02:42 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: SOCS - Mcgill University, Montreal, Canada

In article <BzFAu3.Eor@knot.ccs.queensu.ca> polowin@chem.queensu.ca (Joel Polowin) writes:
>In article <1992Dec17.202252.23289@sifon.cc.mcgill.ca> bspencer@cs.mcgill.ca (Brian SPENCER) writes:
>
>>Also, a pure ionic bond is electrostatic in nature. That is, there are
>>attractive and repulsive attraction between positively and negatively
>>charged ions. In general, an ionic molecule sets itself up so as to
>>maximize the attractive forces and minimize the repulsive ones.
>
>I get twitchy over the phrase "ionic molecule".  Except (perhaps) in the	
>gas phase, there really isn't such a thing; in solution the ions are generally
>dissociated, and in a crystal there's an ionic lattice with no defined 
>molecular units.
>
>Joel Polowin
>polowin@silicon.chem.queensu.ca, polowin@chem.queensu.ca,
>polowinj@qucdn.queensu.ca

I apologize. Poor choice of words. Remember, the original poster is not
a chemist.

Brian Spencer
Organization: Doctoral student, Urban and Public Affairs, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 12:30:43 -0500 
From: Lawrence Curcio <lc2b+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Soft Drink Ingredient
Distribution: usa

The glycerol esters of wood rosin don't bother me as much as the
brominated vegetable oil. Why is that stuff in my soda? Aren't
halogenated organics a bit hard on the liver?

Then, of course, there's the yellow Prussiate of soda in my salt - for
that extra zing, I suppose. I've filed that away for the next time I'm
despondant :(
From: bco100@cd4680fs.rrze.uni-erlangen.de (N. van Eikema Hommes)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: Mollecular Modelling
Date: 19 Dec 1992 14:33:59 +0100
Organization: Regionales Rechenzentrum Erlangen
NNTP-Posting-Host: cd4680fs.rrze.uni-erlangen.de

mulman@hmcvax.claremont.edu (Mike Ulman) writes:

>Hi!
>Can someone explain to me the difference between Ab Initio and Semi-Empirical
>modelling? 
>The way I understand it: the former uses the exact Hamiltonian and an approx.
>wave equation while the latter uses an approximate Hamiltinian (PM3, etc) and
>an exact wave equation. What does that mean? Which is recommended for Cope
>Rearrangements and why?
>Also, what is a singlet, doublet and triplet state, as in multiplicity 1, 2, 3.

Both ab-initio and semi-empirical methods use many approximations and give you
approximate wave functions. Semi-empirical methods are much more approximate,
but compensate this by the use of parameters, which are optimized to reproduce
experimental data.
A good introductory textbook is "A Handbook of Computational Chemistry"
by T. Clark (Wiley-Interscience, 1985). It contains a description of the
various computational methods (Molecular Mechanics, Semi-empirical and
Ab-Initio), as well as a general introduction into quantum mechanics.
For the newer methods (AM1, PM3), refer to the original literature (AM1:
M.J.S.Dewar, JACS, 1985; PM3: J.J.P.Stewart, J.Comp.Chem. 1988 or so, don't
have the references available at the moment).
Ken Houk just published a review on pericyclic reactions in Angew.Chem., a few
months ago. Much computational stuff, should be worth reading.
What is recommended largely depends on what your computational facilities are.
If you have problems keeping your private Cray YMP-90 busy, then ab-initio is
the method of choice. Otherwise, semi-empirical methods are at least a good
start. AM1 should do well.

All the best,

    Nico van Eikema Hommes
--
+======================================+=====================================+
|  Dr. N.J.R. van Eikema Hommes        |  hommes@organik.uni-erlangen.de     |
|  Institut fuer Organische Chemie I   |  Tel. : 49/0 - 9131 - 85 - 4096     |
|  Henkestr. 42, D-8520  Erlangen, FRG |  Fax  :                  - 9132     |
+======================================+=====================================+
From: whitbeck@equinox.unr.edu (Michael Whitbeck)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: Acid-base equilibrium (triprotic)
Keywords: acid base equilibrium triprotic
Date: 16 Dec 92 19:14:10 GMT
Organization: University of Nevada, Reno

In article <c60a-gx.724438370@danube.Berkeley.EDU> c60a-gx@danube.Berkeley.EDU (Jeffrey Twu) writes:
>Alright, I've been pondering over this question for the last few days,
>and have deduced it impossible to solve (with respect to the constraints,
>not the difficulty).  I would like your comments on it.
>
>You are given four stock solutions, each one molar (1 mol/L) in their
>concentrations:  H3PO4, NaH2PO4, Na2HPO4, Na3PO4 (charges omitted).  From
>only these four solutions (no H2O lying around), you will make a buffer
>solution with the following restraints:
>
>1) pH = 6.8 (reasonably buffered around there)
>2) total volume of new solution = 1 liter
>3) Free phosphate concentration = [PO4] = 0.10 M
>
>How much of each solution will you use?
>
>You are given the following data:
>_Acid_	       _pKa_	_Ka_
>H3PO4		2.148	7.11 * 10^-3
>H2PO4		7.199	6.32 * 10^-8
>HPO4	       12.15	7.1  * 10^-13
>
>Now, if this problem is actually impossible as written, would it be
>solvable if you removed one or more of the constraints?  (This question
>isn't part of the actual problem.)


Using your Ka values...
If you relax the 'free phosphate' restriction a bit
then if you mix 0.53 liter of the H3PO4 with 0.47 liter of
the Na3PO4 solution you should get (to 1 sig. fig :-)

H3PO4	0.144e-4
H2PO4	0.702
HPO4	0.187
PO4	0.112  (pretty close to .1!)
H	0.157e-6  (~ 6.8 pH)

Of course in reality if you mix .53 l of X with .47 liter of
Y you will not (probably) get 1.0 liter of the mixture
[i.e. volumes may not add; a level of detail usually
forgiven in such classwork]

Also we have neglected the activity coefficients!

Now unless I have made an error you have, to 1 sig. figure,
1 liter of solution at pH 6.8 (ok thats 2 figs) and 
PO4 ('free') 0.1 M


Wheee... back in freshman chemistry again!
(sung to "back in the saddle again")

Mike W.
From: mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: What kind of oil to make waves?
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 19:02:59 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
  <8788@lee.SEAS.UCLA.EDU>

I once made one of these with the bottom layer water plus blue food coloring
and the top layer paint thinner.  I did a pretty good job of getting all
air out of the gallon wine jug I was using.  While I was playing with it
I noticed the bubble of air had gotten smaller.  And the cap was bulging.
Then, the whole bottle suddenly broke apart (very silently, no flying glass).
What I figure happened was that the cold paint thinner from the garage had
warmed up indoors, and expanded.  Fortunately, no fire resulted, but it was
a mess.
Newsgroups: sci.chem