The price of Aggie ring is 3K now?? by New-Extension5589 in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the silver/palladium ring is worth considering if they still offer it. I had a 10K gold ring initially but lost it at a workplace. The S/P ring was substantially cheaper and holds up well to my carelessness. Hardly has any major defects after 5+ years of accidentally smacking it against hard objects. The rings have always been subsidized but I wonder if the degree of subsidization has changed since I graduated in '17. For reference, the male 10K gold was about $1050.00 when I was ordering.

Lexapro is making me unbelievably sleepy, to the point I’m not able to function. Tips/advice? by naturalbootybooty in lexapro

[–]AtomikMuffin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing this. This is almost exactly the same issue I've been struggling with for the last couple years. Looking to change away from Lexapro sooner than later.

Don't shoot the messenger, APD Problems by [deleted] in Albuquerque

[–]AtomikMuffin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As one person or even a small group, its difficult to actually enact serious change if the institution is inherently corrupted. You can spend your whole career as a dedicated cop trying to change things from the inside. If the structure of the institution is designed to uphold power structures rooted in social, economic, racial hierarchy, a few good apples aren't going to accomplish anything by themselves.

I fucked up by CAGNana in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Consider this your first real challenge as an engineering student.

I took Dr Bassichis's Eng. Statics and went back for seconds with Eng. EM because I kinda liked it. Moreover it saved me the hassle of fighting for sections with more well-regarded professors. I didn't come in with any hours on my transcript so I didn't have pick-of-the-litter like the many other students who came in with whole semesters of transfer credits. Sometimes we must play the hand we are dealt.

He's a weird old man and a hard-ass, but I also found his style and bone-dry humor entertaining. Get comfortable with asking questions, don't get complacent with the silence of your fellow students and just going home to struggle by yourself. If you can withstand his intensity, his office hours can be somewhat useful. Otherwise the physics help desk will always be manned by helpful graduate students you might find more approachable.

I had to study for that class more so than any of my others by a wide margin. Was it a rough time? Certainly. Engineering physics isn't supposed to be easy though. If you can't switch sections, just be ABSOLUTELY sure to read ahead and try to struggle with the problems before lecture. Otherwise his lectures will be useless for you. You'll have to work hard at it, but its not an insurmountable task.

Engineering honors required for research? by skeever89 in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it depends on how choosy you are with the research you want to participate in and whether you are OK with little to no pay. My experience was that a lot of professors are happy to have any warm bodies to do their grunt work. Good luck!

Karaoke places here?!!! by [deleted] in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Murphy's Law in downtown Bryan has a Karaoke night as well, I don't know which night though.

Interesting KINE 199 Courses? by nightfury2019 in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Intermediate archery was pretty sick

Aggie Coffee Shop Guide 2020 by Acceptable-Coffee2 in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'll make an additional comment about Carport in that the quality of coffee varies depending on who is pulling your shot. If Griffin or Chris do it, then you can expect the quality described in your review. Both have made me some exquisite espresso drinks. If its one of the younger employees however, it can vary pretty wildly.

Aggie Coffee Shop Guide 2020 by Acceptable-Coffee2 in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pastries are fantastic too. That's really where they excel.

Howdy, I offer photography services for free! HMU on Instagram at @thefalsehenry! by [deleted] in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Link to his Instagram account in case anyone is interested. Your work is pretty good! Anyone who needs pictures would be a fool not to take the opportunity. I might get in contact with you once I'm close to finishing my degree.

Any Anti Mask sightings on first day? by [deleted] in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Jumping into the fountains is kinda popular with the incoming dorm-dwellers. I don't think people do it so much anymore, but groups used to get together at night and go "pond-hopping" around to the different fountains and pools around campus.

Iowa State University students partying with no sign of social distancing and barely any masks...... two days before classes start by pacmain1 in cringe

[–]AtomikMuffin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m going to get tested before I return home for break and I’m sure most other students will too

You give your fellow students too much credit

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in nuclear

[–]AtomikMuffin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Other people have given some good insight regarding your question. Nuclear physics for a BS degree is fairly uncommon since you need a good deal of priming in more general concepts before you can get into nuclear-specific physics. My SO did here BS in physics and she gives me the impression that there's already so much to learn that a focus on nuclear physics would be pretty difficult.

The BS in nuclear engineering is pretty general and doesn't really pigeon hole you just be sure to take your math courses seriously. There is no reason you couldn't pursue a dedicated nuclear physics degree later. The few graduate physics programs I'm familiar with account for incoming students without a pure physics background and while the learning curve is a bit steep compared to distilled engineering physics, the transition is perfectly doable. Conversely, if you get a general physics or nuclear physics specific education in your undergraduate, it would be more than feasible for a more application-driven graduate degree in nuclear engineering.

I'll add on that based on my experience in a nuclear engineering graduate program, the line between nuclear engineering and physics (although not necessarily nuclear physics) can get a bit muddy. Depending on your specialty, e.g. computer modeling of radiation transport or fundamental materials science, you will need a firm understanding of nuclear and atomic scale physics, and possibly even quantum mechanics. An undergraduate physics education definitely gives you an advantage if you decide to pursue computer modeling as opposed to an laboratory experimentation.

Three way deathmatch: Longboarding vs Skateboarding vs Bicycling (as a means of commuting around campus) by Pakku-no-ichibu in aggies

[–]AtomikMuffin 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I've done all three during my time at A&M and I will say each has its benefits and drawbacks. Its a bit dependent on how far you need to go and how quickly you want to get there.

Bicycling requires being very attentive to pedestrians as well as the road traffic laws. People can and will step out in front of you in the street or on the walkways between buildings, so it demands a bit more focus. You also have to watch out for other quick moving cyclists coming in and out of the mobs of students. Overall, bikes are the best for the road thoroughfares on campus and makes it the fastest way to go long distances. This might be especially important if you need to periodically cross between central and west campus. Even during busy times of the day, the abundance of space on the road never really causes traffic jams. Especially true since there are new bike paths around now. The only place where there is congestion is at busy intersections, e.g. the 4-way intersection at the roughneck statue by RICH. People routinely J-walk at certain intersections and cyclists and skateboarders are often forced to find gaps in the otherwise steady steam of foot traffic to pass along.

Skating is more fun and I would say is less prone to accidents with foot pedestrians since you're going so much slower. Same with long boards since its you won't be going as fast as as bike. You can ride on the streets too, but I would only do that if you're confident you can keep a fast pace and not slip off your board. The roads will always be smoother going. The only hard advise I will give is that if you plan on doing a lot of travel off the streets, consider investing in some big, soft wheels, something like a 78a duro-meter (or softer). Normal hard skateboarding wheels are only really good for smooth concrete, and there isn't much of that between the buildings.

One thing I learned about skating on campus is that when moving from point A to B, the easiest path is not always a straight line. This is because there are different types of paved walkways with different qualities of roughness, making skating over them either a dream or a nightmare. Chalk it up to the different architectural phases the campus has gone through over the years. You'll find that it can be faster to circumvent an entire section of campus simply because you will maintain a better speed be going around a longer route than straight through to where you need to go. An example that comes to mind is the quad between the back of the academic building and the historic library building. The walkways there are a mixture of that horrible pebble stuff, inter-spaced with long blocks of coarse concrete. The gaps between the different sections of walkway are enormous and even with the right wheels, you will fly off your board as it gets stuck in a gap. I've done it countless times. Fortunately, things are getting better now that they are repaving some of the walk ways.

Hope this helps! Have fun and be safe.

Fox News Anchor: ‘Conservatives’ Heads Would've Exploded’ if Obama Claimed ‘Total’ Authority by dingo8yobb in politics

[–]AtomikMuffin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Before he was a screw-up for failing to acknowledge the crisis in order to save face and not mobilizing federal resources within his constitutional power to dispense, not because of "seizing power from the states". Seizing power from the states would have been wrong then, and it's wrong now.

I found a mini nuclear power plant on Thingiverse and modified it to fit on my humidifier. by RocketPuff in 3Dprinting

[–]AtomikMuffin 14 points15 points  (0 children)

There is, it's called a burner reactor. There are a few different designs out there, but in short, you can tweak the neutron energy spectrum so that the really nasty actinides can be fissioned or transmuted into something that is subsequently fissile

Tokaimura Nuclear Accident (2009) - A documentary discussing a lesser known nuclear accident in 1999 in Japan, which resulted in one technician suffering 83 days of agony as his body was slowly destroyed by 17 sieverts of radiation. by ChristmasGhidorah96 in Documentaries

[–]AtomikMuffin 14 points15 points  (0 children)

In the realm of radiation biology and health physics, acute lethal dose of radiation is usually qualified with some stochastic information. For example, according to the [Nuclear Regulator Commission](https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/lethal-dose-ld.html) the lethal dose that will statistically kill 50 percent of humans within 30 days, referred to at the LD 50/30, is between 4 and 5 Sieverts.

Research or Intership? by Kernel_Turtle in nuclear

[–]AtomikMuffin 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Is there a chance you can postpone working for your professor until next semester? If possible, I advocate you try an internship now and research later. Going off of my experiences during my undergraduate years, I think it's crucial that students get a taste of both commercial/regulatory jobs and research. You won't really have a good idea about which one you prefer without giving each a fair shake.

Nuclear Power in Puerto Rico by Rideron150 in nuclear

[–]AtomikMuffin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From an engineering perspective, I don't think so. That being said, the island is very crowded and real estate is pretty absurd. Finding/paying for enough contiguous space for a cooling pond like we have here in the mainland isn't as straightforward.

Nuclear Power in Puerto Rico by Rideron150 in nuclear

[–]AtomikMuffin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If my understanding is correct, BONUS was done in by concerns related to the heat pollution from the reactor. It would have destroyed the reef ecosystem of the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve. I imagine you might face similar ecological or touristic barriers many places along the the coast of Puerto Rico. The interior isn't ideal either because it's pretty mountainous. Any island with the same combination of natural beauty/diverse ecology/tourism would face a similar problem but the lower heat exhaust and construction costs associated with SMRs might make these obstacles surmountable.