Real science is based on "What If?", too, but is based on curiosity about real, observable things and testable evidence.The difference is that science fiction is a flight of imagination although it is better if the science and  engineering repre...  moreReal science is based on "What If?", too, but is based on curiosity about real, observable things and testable evidence.The difference is that science fiction is a flight of imagination although it is better if the science and  engineering represented at least seems a credible projection of current knowledge. It is intriguing that lot of things in past science-fiction have become more or less real, at least in principle or similarity. That's where the authors have not tried to break the Laws of Physics; or have written a story that is not science-fiction as such but is set in a future that has developed something already known. A classic example of the latter is from George Orwell's 1984. Although we do not (yet...) have the compulsory two-way television in our homes, with its ability for the sort of conversation Winston Smith has with a bureaucrat criticising him, we  now have the eavesdropping carried out by so-called "smart speakers" like Alexa. I have recently read a far-fu...    less

I've tried establishing why creationists and  bible-literalists are so aggressively against learning anything else; some to the extent of mounting concerted campaigns to control education in their favour. They can't or won't answer that question...

Well, science is very much a "What If?", or "How"? matter.A planet could not be hollow, because it forms by matter coalescing and compressing itself around a central point. So it has a "core" of some sort, but ours happens to be of metal. &...  moreWell, science is very much a "What If?", or "How"? matter.A planet could not be hollow, because it forms by matter coalescing and compressing itself around a central point. So it has a "core" of some sort, but ours happens to be of metal.     

That's a great poem, Shuhak!Of course we shouldn't go around gratuitously offending or hurting people, but I think society is becoming too self-virtuous and humourless.

I don't mind you asking. It's a rude question though I don't actually believe in astrology.I'm a Leo, though I am more like a domestic pussy-cat than a big predator on the African grass-lands! :-) Looking at your reply to Malizz, yes, there are appli...  moreI don't mind you asking. It's a rude question though I don't actually believe in astrology.I'm a Leo, though I am more like a domestic pussy-cat than a big predator on the African grass-lands! :-) Looking at your reply to Malizz, yes, there are appliances now available that you can control remotely,  but to be honest I can't see the point of that for kitchen appliances. Especially a microwave! It looks more like a case of "because it can" than because it needs to. Even so, it is possible to monitor your home while you are away, and a few years ago it hit the news in Britain when a man on holiday in Spain or France was able to call the police while it was being burgled, and could even tell them which room the burglars were in.   less

You'd pronounce it as written - the first two as if you were reciting the number-plate on a car, the third as "Cal-Twenty-Cee". :-)

Roundup, and quite a number of other pesticides, have been banned in some countries due to their health or environmental hazards.

No, of course not. Conception merely fuses two unicellular, practically non-sentient organisms into one. It is a long way from developing anything that could be said to "decide" anything.

No I don't; but all manner of rubbish is circulating among the Russians, so I  can believe they believe their allegation against China.

I don't believe in exorcism because I don't believe in the things supposedly being exorcised. Even before it leads to that sort of twisted savagery.That poor child was not the first though. A Swiss girl was murdered in a similarly foul way some ...  moreI don't believe in exorcism because I don't believe in the things supposedly being exorcised. Even before it leads to that sort of twisted savagery.That poor child was not the first though. A Swiss girl was murdered in a similarly foul way some time back in I think the middle of the last century.  

King Canute was far brighter than the Politburo. He was trying to prove to fawning nobles that even kings do have limits to their powers.

It would have a "Core" of some sort,  but presumably rock rather than metal, and might well not have a magnetic field. (Actually most of the planet's primary rocks are mixtures of silica and complex compounds of metals.)I think it would sti...  moreIt would have a "Core" of some sort,  but presumably rock rather than metal, and might well not have a magnetic field. (Actually most of the planet's primary rocks are mixtures of silica and complex compounds of metals.)I think it would still have a sizeable force of gravity, maybe not as much as it does have, because those rocks are themselves very dense. Given the appropriate dimensions and densities it would be possible to estimate the difference if we assumed the interior is all basalt.Would it still be hot? I think so because its internal heat is not from the nickel-iron but from the radioactive decay of uranium.    less

I have no so-called "smart" 'phone - just a basic portable 'phone and land-line.I need a proper PC with decently-sized monitor for most of the software I use; also because I need a proper-size keyboard. My telephones are just that - telephones. The portab...  moreI have no so-called "smart" 'phone - just a basic portable 'phone and land-line.I need a proper PC with decently-sized monitor for most of the software I use; also because I need a proper-size keyboard. My telephones are just that - telephones. The portable one, PAYG, will handle text messages but only very awkwardly. I believe it can be linked to the Internet,  but would need a contract, and its screen smaller than a playing-card is no use for looking at web-sites.I did have a "smart"-'phone for a while but found it very difficult to use, physically bulky and surprisingly heavy, did nothing I needed extra to a simple 'phone. So I paid off the 2-year contract and sold it to my sister after only about 6 months. My ISP (BT Broadband) keeps trying to sell me a "smart"-phone but I won't play ball, at least not until Big Business has finally forced all of us into bowing to their commands.  less

It seems the books' publishers have become sensitive about allegedly "racist" material in some of them - but I have no idea of the details.

That, or more accurately the security forces having uncovered a plot to attack, was reported on the News over here. Let's hope it doesn't happen - no-one needs that.

Mmmm. I think you are right there.My brother-in-law has one of these gadgets for finding things on-line. It has a female name, and my sister reckons it's his girlfriend!Well, I have a computer (using it  now!), and land-line 'phone.  I have a ba...  moreMmmm. I think you are right there.My brother-in-law has one of these gadgets for finding things on-line. It has a female name, and my sister reckons it's his girlfriend!Well, I have a computer (using it  now!), and land-line 'phone.  I have a basic portable 'phone, not internet-linked. A few radios. No wire-less (Bluetooth etc.) gadgets.And no television!    

So far at least the Covid variants have not been too difficult to deal with, but the British authorities are busily trying to trace those who brought the so-called Brazilian one home. This one does seem tougher and more dangerous. These things c...  moreSo far at least the Covid variants have not been too difficult to deal with, but the British authorities are busily trying to trace those who brought the so-called Brazilian one home. This one does seem tougher and more dangerous. These things can mutate fairly easily, so because the disease is world-wide it is very possible there are other strains yet to be identified , already around.The side-effects only lasted a couple of days. I was still a bit weak on the second day but definitely better than on the night of the vaccination.Good lick with yours!   less

Thank you. I recall reading passing references to it in accounts by cave-divers. Yes - it would be low pressure, only 1 Bar at 10m. I think they mentioned times like 10 minutes.

Oh, I agree.Further, I think what's happened alongside that dependence is a growing ignorance about the materials - indeed about anything engineering-related - so if some campaign groups say to them "Plastic - wrong" they accept it without think...  moreOh, I agree.Further, I think what's happened alongside that dependence is a growing ignorance about the materials - indeed about anything engineering-related - so if some campaign groups say to them "Plastic - wrong" they accept it without thinking.You and I know the basic differences between thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics and synthetic-resin products, can name common uses for each, their disposal problems and their likely environmental effects if not disposed of properly - but do they?    less

Yes - a good point. I would not be surprised if there are people here who have only ever known "smart" phones, too!

A cable for dual use presumably contains 2 separate wire pairs, one for the data, one for the 5V d.c. charging supply, or perhaps just 3 wires (data, charger, common 0V);  but I would ask:a) does the charger itself contain any for...  moreA cable for dual use presumably contains 2 separate wire pairs, one for the data, one for the 5V d.c. charging supply, or perhaps just 3 wires (data, charger, common 0V);  but I would ask:a) does the charger itself contain any form of further data connection? If the appropriate socket pins in the charger are not connected to anything, no data can flow through the cable.b) is the charger lead screened, perhaps with the screen earthed, to shield it from incoming radio interference hence also preventing it acting as a transmitting aerial?  c) do you leave the phone switched on while charging it?  less

Habit, probably;  but most organisations still quote the prefix.

All the same instruments except the so-called "smart"-phone has more functions and processing-power than the plain cell / mobile ' phone. They are all portable not mobile too - the latter adjective was applied in the UK by advertisers not knowing the...  moreAll the same instruments except the so-called "smart"-phone has more functions and processing-power than the plain cell / mobile ' phone. They are all portable not mobile too - the latter adjective was applied in the UK by advertisers not knowing the difference, and soon adopted by sellers and customers ignorant of the difference too.My portable 'phone augments my broadband phone and spends more time off than on. It is always off when I am - - In bed, - Driving (it's dangerous and a serious traffic offence to use them for calls or text when actually driving), - At an entertainment event or something like a church service (the latter's only funerals), - In social company (simple etiquette). Usually too if I am out simply shopping or going for a walk; and I usually leave it at home then, as well.I have not connected it to the Internet, but I doubt a screen only 57 X 42mm could display a web-site in any useful way anyway. Besides, it helps keep&n...    less

LG? The 'phones themselves are still made even if it no longer has its own network. A quick look on-line revealed its 2021 catalogue.I don't know about the other companies you list, but LG caught my attention because I had one of their LG20...  moreLG? The 'phones themselves are still made even if it no longer has its own network. A quick look on-line revealed its 2021 catalogue.I don't know about the other companies you list, but LG caught my attention because I had one of their LG2017 so-called "smart"-'phones on EE (now part of BT) in 2017. I sold it a few months later, paid off the rest of the 2-year contract, and stayed with BT Broadband augmented by a basic DORO 'phone on PAYG - and I can't remember its network.  less

Battery-powered cars.They are not as "environmentally friendly" (or grammar-friendly) as often thought - they risk basically swapping one lot of problems for another. Nor are they new. Battery-powered cars, small lorries and even motor-cycles were common ...  moreBattery-powered cars.They are not as "environmentally friendly" (or grammar-friendly) as often thought - they risk basically swapping one lot of problems for another. Nor are they new. Battery-powered cars, small lorries and even motor-cycles were common 100 years ago - but battery and motor designs had not advanced very much yet, and they were soon supplanted by the increasingly greater range and convenience of the internal-combustion engine that was advancing rapidly at the same time.  There is no such thing as a "free lunch"...+==We have to be careful when talking about "plastic" though. Tell me "plastic is bad" and will I ask you what is the class of plastic, specific plastic, and physical forms of its end-products you mean; what are its specific problems, and what constructive solutions including viable alternatives can you suggest that do not bring other problems of their own.  less

Yes. Aluminium is aluminium.Recovered metals are purified then their various alloys are made from that to give materials suitable for particular classes of use. Pure aluminium is very soft and very weak; pure iron is suitable for only a few spec...  moreYes. Aluminium is aluminium.Recovered metals are purified then their various alloys are made from that to give materials suitable for particular classes of use. Pure aluminium is very soft and very weak; pure iron is suitable for only a few special purposes.The aluminium of a drinks-can might be practically pure, but what is used for aircraft and indeed most other applications is an alloy of aluminium and traces of other metals such as copper to increase its strength.All of the materials and parts used for critical structures like air-frames also have to meet very stringent, traceable quality standards, irrespective of the raw-material form and source.  less

And competing with the Ford Phallopian is the Toyota Priapus and the Renault Coil.It's said that Rolls-Royce were going to call one model the Silver Mist.... until they found what 'mist' is in German.

100 miles South: just about in France. So a big change (different country, different language and culture.) I am not good at learning languages.Or maybe the Channel islands -  very attractive way of life but you have to be rich!100 miles East: poorer...  more100 miles South: just about in France. So a big change (different country, different language and culture.) I am not good at learning languages.Or maybe the Channel islands -  very attractive way of life but you have to be rich!100 miles East: poorer. Too close to London and the Home Counties - higher cost of living.100 miles North: South Wales. Probably not very much change to my life. Learning Welsh would be a challenge!100 miles West - in Devon or Cornwall, very attractive but a long way from the rest of the country, rather deprived and with high house-prices due to wealthy Londoners buying second-homes there.   less

To be honest things like Alexa and Siri are not much less energy-using than taking two steps across the room to switch the TV on, or to use a computer.We can be couch-potatoes without electronic aids, because those are not stopping us keeping ourselv...  moreTo be honest things like Alexa and Siri are not much less energy-using than taking two steps across the room to switch the TV on, or to use a computer.We can be couch-potatoes without electronic aids, because those are not stopping us keeping ourselves fit and healthy physically and mentally anyway. They bring problems of their own, and can be used as an excuse for being lazy; but our human qualities are still under our own control.  

Interesting question I don't suppose anyone can answer, and of course we cannot know if it would be allowed in the future society. If we think of your other question, relating to age, we might ask if it would become a law of diminishing returns. It w...  moreInteresting question I don't suppose anyone can answer, and of course we cannot know if it would be allowed in the future society. If we think of your other question, relating to age, we might ask if it would become a law of diminishing returns. It would also assume having the funds available.  

I can't understand it either, but the idea of such preservation obviously appeals to enough people for the cryonics companies to invest in very expensive facilities while still looking forwards to handsome profits and dividends.I wonder how many of t...  moreI can't understand it either, but the idea of such preservation obviously appeals to enough people for the cryonics companies to invest in very expensive facilities while still looking forwards to handsome profits and dividends.I wonder how many of the owners will have their bodies "preserved" ?====I'm feeling very un-preserved today. First Covid vaccination yesterday, and I had a sleepless night and am now feeling utterly washed-out! I did know something like this might happen, and the centre gave me the medical-information slip that comes with each dose.   less

Isn't pure oxygen used as a nitrogen-scavenger in late-stage decompression from very deep dives, having risen to about 10m from the surface?

Take an eraser to the original art-work.....

Wasn't there even a senior politician who was so taken in by the joke that he called for this mysterious DHMO to be banned? I think that's how it became widely-known.On a planet covered naturally over much of its area with the stuff: DiHydrogen  Mono...  moreWasn't there even a senior politician who was so taken in by the joke that he called for this mysterious DHMO to be banned? I think that's how it became widely-known.On a planet covered naturally over much of its area with the stuff: DiHydrogen  Monoxide, or H2O, or Water.  

Yes - those are all questions the cryonics companies would not want you to ask.
They cannot honestly guarantee anyone would "wake up" at all because even if it proved medically possible, it is impossible to guarantee that the facilities would be...  moreYes - those are all questions the cryonics companies would not want you to ask.
They cannot honestly guarantee anyone would "wake up" at all because even if it proved medically possible, it is impossible to guarantee that the facilities would be operating for long enough. Though how would anyone prove it would work, is anyone's guess... Allegedly one of the leaders in this has received an award for managing to revive rabbits, but that's a small animal and the time involved would have been fairly short - and the award was within the trade, not from a recognised scientific or medical advancement organisation. I think it foolish to pay good money for this "service",  but I do not associate silly decisions with a "mental defect". Perhaps it exploits a mixture of natural fear of being dead, vanity and possibly curiosity. One of the primary reasons for religion was to offer some sort of continuing life, but at least religions define that as existing as a "soul" and rec...    less

I'm with Spunky on that one.I think it a very cynical and frankly very unethical, commercial experiment with absolutely no guarantee of physical, psychological and social success, but a good guarantee of the proprietors' bank-balances. I believe...  moreI'm with Spunky on that one.I think it a very cynical and frankly very unethical, commercial experiment with absolutely no guarantee of physical, psychological and social success, but a good guarantee of the proprietors' bank-balances. I believe in some forms it's not the entire body that is preserved but just the head, hoping that it will become possible to regenerate the body. (Or give a head a donated body, the body being the transplant "organ"?)'There are points the cryonics companies and their customers don't seem to consider. Or they do but they ignore. Let's stick to the whole-body preservation.... That's bad enough, but the idea of heads-only is too much.  The person has to be clinically dead but whisked off for processing extremely rapidly after death because the first part to deteriorate irreparably is the brain, and that happens very quickly. So no time for sitting at the hospital bed-side for a while to say goodbye; but that time-limit also places one huge and very ...    less

Rosie - ever been had? If that DHMO is what I am pretty sure he means....   :-)Surely this NDMA though can only form from the right compounds containing the appropriate elements, and in the right conditions. If it's in water it might b...  moreRosie - ever been had? If that DHMO is what I am pretty sure he means....   :-)Surely this NDMA though can only form from the right compounds containing the appropriate elements, and in the right conditions. If it's in water it might be something that occurs naturally and not related to chlorinating the water (it has no chlorine in its name), but otherwise I take it that it's a breakdown product or impurity that occurs only in certain medicines.Shuhak mentions asbestos in the rocks. Well, certain rocks, that is; by no means all. It is a naturally-occurring mineral particularly associated with igneous rocks like granite. Same with radon gas, emitted by the breakdown of trace uranium in igneous rocks especially. It can drift through fissures in overlying rocks and sometimes accumulates in cavities like caves, mines and cellars to potentially hazardous levels, but is easily warded off by barriers or ventilation.The one hazard Shuhak omits is....  existing.  less

Sunlight can only reach a few hundred feet down into the ocean, and below that is completely dark. The water is not as clear as you might think, either, but contains a lot of fine sediment - a lot of it is fish poo! - slowly setting to the botto...  moreSunlight can only reach a few hundred feet down into the ocean, and below that is completely dark. The water is not as clear as you might think, either, but contains a lot of fine sediment - a lot of it is fish poo! - slowly setting to the bottom. That helps to scatter the light from the flood-lamps, reducing their range.From what little I know about them, the only submarines that give you a first-hand knowledge of being underwater are the small research ones with viewing-ports. I think there are some tourist versions too, that take you on trips in fairly shallow waters close inshore or along coral reefs. The nearest I've been to anything like that was a glass-bottomed boat operating near my home. Naval submarines are not noted for luxury, but the modern ones have comfortable mess-rooms that give the crew a bit of off-duty respite from working inside a big steel tube crammed with machinery and electronics. I read once that because there is nowhere inside one of those givin...    less

Unfortunately perhaps, intelligence does not come into it for most terrorists, and certainly not those behind them who know exactly what they are doing, and are very cunning. I  can't remember his name,  but the man who organised the World Trade...  moreUnfortunately perhaps, intelligence does not come into it for most terrorists, and certainly not those behind them who know exactly what they are doing, and are very cunning. I  can't remember his name,  but the man who organised the World Trade Center destruction was university-educated, and I think he did qualify in civil-engineering - knowledge that would have helped him plan the attack. Pol Pot held a degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris, and though not a "terrorist" he was clever enough to organise and lead one of the vilest, and anti-education, regimes in the 20th Century. Terrorists are no more or less bright than anyone else; but usually have little knowledge or understanding of the ideas and people they think are their enemies, and are unable or refuse to see things from the others' perspective. The brighter ones may even be more dangerous because they can plan their attacks and cover their tracks more effectivelyThey are emotionally weak though, ...    less

Well, that' neither you nor I reaching the summit of Everest then.I  certainly could not climb it, and helicopters can't fly high enough! Even so it must a wonderful experience, as you say.The craft they use for exploring the oceans is a bit more sop...  moreWell, that' neither you nor I reaching the summit of Everest then.I  certainly could not climb it, and helicopters can't fly high enough! Even so it must a wonderful experience, as you say.The craft they use for exploring the oceans is a bit more sophisticated than a bathysphere, but they certainly would not suit anyone with claustrophobia. Bends is not a problem though as the air inside them is at normal atmospheric pressure.  I think they do take a long time on both the descent and ascent so the structure takes the pressure changes gradually, but I don't know how long. The craft is fitted with a depth-gauge but I don't think you'd have any sensation of depth once you are out of daylight. It imagine it's bit like being a cave where you know your are underground but there's no sensation of the thickness of rock above the passage roof - though you are aware of having gone in for a long distance, or downwards to a considerable depth. A lot of oceanic work is now done with un-manned, remotely-controlled s...    less

They'll turn him down. They'll want only intelligent men.

They are not important in a practical, everyday sense, no; but we are an inquisitive species, and research like that is as important and enriching to us culturally, aesthetically, philosophically and intellectually as for example, great wor...  moreThey are not important in a practical, everyday sense, no; but we are an inquisitive species, and research like that is as important and enriching to us culturally, aesthetically, philosophically and intellectually as for example, great works of art.  Naming astronomical objects is not easy. There are fine points of etiquette involved, but there are also so many things out there that names are best left for really significant things. Even galaxies are normally just numbered, but some have names as well; rather like the nick-names given to some orchestral music formally listed as things like Blogg's Violin Concerto in A Minor, K123. So astronomers prefer formal designations as an international cataloguing system for their serious work, but they also have a normal sense of wonder and romance  - otherwise they might not have become astronomers.I  think I've recounted the story I was told of a Canadian radio-astronomer who visited a rural area of ...    less

They are very important, the primary representatives at national level of one country to another.

The more they find, the  more wonderful it is.Calculating orbits is a lot simpler than we might think. It might be beyond my mathematical skill but the laws governing them have been known for nearly 400 years. The more difficult part is making the ne...  moreThe more they find, the  more wonderful it is.Calculating orbits is a lot simpler than we might think. It might be beyond my mathematical skill but the laws governing them have been known for nearly 400 years. The more difficult part is making the necessary measurements from observations. The planetary laws of motion were established by the German astronomer Johannes Kepler as far back as the 17C. This is one of his remarks:"I demonstrate by means of philosophy that the earth is round, and is inhabited on all sides; that it is insignificantly small, and is borne through the stars."(The study of nature was called "philosophy" then. The word "science" was not yet invented.) I wonder what Kepler would say if he could come back now and see that recent photo a NASA probe took from somewhere far out in the Solar System, looking back towards the Sun. It was just an engineering test but the NASA staff published it because they were so startled and impressed by what it shows - they real...    less

Tesla, I think. I don't know a great deal about either, but I think Tesla's research was the more original and far-reaching than Edison's inventions and developments.

No, not an equaliser at all. It might even be the opposite.The ones wanting to kiss your arse are trying to curry favours or scrounge from you; others would want to give you a bloomin' great kick there.And would you want to be adored by extremists of any ...  moreNo, not an equaliser at all. It might even be the opposite.The ones wanting to kiss your arse are trying to curry favours or scrounge from you; others would want to give you a bloomin' great kick there.And would you want to be adored by extremists of any colour? No? Nor would I!  

I think one has more chance to climb Mt. Everest than to take a trip into the Challenger Deep (the deepest part of the Marianas Trench) but climbing and mountaineering were never for me even at my fittest.  No head for heights. I might have managed t...  moreI think one has more chance to climb Mt. Everest than to take a trip into the Challenger Deep (the deepest part of the Marianas Trench) but climbing and mountaineering were never for me even at my fittest.  No head for heights. I might have managed the trek to Everest Base Camp I suppose. Magnificent scenery and challenges though.I suspect the Challenger Deep might be a bit of an anti-climax because your submersible's flood-lamp range would quite short, and although there is life down there, it is not very spectacular or populous. I don't know if the geology and geomorphology would be visible either. The Trench slopes are probably not steep enough to keep them clear of silt. The steeper landward one might be, the gentle seaward slope not; but anyway they'd be very uniform rock, granite and basalt respectively. I think it's too wide to see both walls at once though. It's not shaped like a submarine version of the Grand Canyon, and is much wider. There are more interesting and sp...    less

I don't know how effective or otherwise it actually is against particular strains, but that doesn't make it completely useless.It is not only the Oxford / Astra-Zeneca vaccine either. The new strains are resistant to other vaccines too. Unfortun...  moreI don't know how effective or otherwise it actually is against particular strains, but that doesn't make it completely useless.It is not only the Oxford / Astra-Zeneca vaccine either. The new strains are resistant to other vaccines too. Unfortunately it's how virii survive.    

It makes no sense to me, too; but sadly we seem to be seeing a rise in all sorts of offence-taking, censorship attempts, intolerance, death-threats and actual violence.Whether there really is any more than there used to be I have no idea, but so-call...  moreIt makes no sense to me, too; but sadly we seem to be seeing a rise in all sorts of offence-taking, censorship attempts, intolerance, death-threats and actual violence.Whether there really is any more than there used to be I have no idea, but so-called "social media" has made it far easier for such people. Maybe the sites they create and infest ought be called "antisocial media".'I have the News on at the moment.  Just as I typed the above it announced that an ISIS suicide-bomber killed himself and about 20 of his comrades in one go. It seems as he drove away he sounded the horn as a farewell to them, forgetting it was wired to the car-bomb.  less

The chemical involved was Sodium Hydroxide, colloquially Caustic Soda. It is an alkali used to adjust the pH of the water, in very low concentrations. In high concentrations it will corrode the skin and eyes, but I think (without experimenting) you'd noti...  moreThe chemical involved was Sodium Hydroxide, colloquially Caustic Soda. It is an alkali used to adjust the pH of the water, in very low concentrations. In high concentrations it will corrode the skin and eyes, but I think (without experimenting) you'd notice an odd taste before drinking much. The reported concentration the hacker set would not be as dangerous, but still enough to be an irritant. I don't think it's absorbed through the skin;  but it makes the skin feel soapy - in fact soap is or used to be, fat dissolved in caustic soda - so you would soon notice it. The problem of course is that the quickest and most effective remedy is washing it away with lots of water. OH...Washing dishes and clothes with it? Well, detergents and water-softeners are alkalis too. Who may have done it and why? One possibility is somebody with a grudge against the water-company, perhaps a disaffected former employee.For the News reports I heard commented that the method of attack may have been a...    less