Fearman's definitions
Violent explosion of a star. The star is destroyed, with a remnant forming a neutron star (pulsar) or black hole (collapsar) depending on the residual mass.
There are generally two forms of supernova. One results at the end of the life of a star with at least about eight solar masses, which in a series of progressively shorter-lived and less efficient thermonuclear reactions generates ever heavier chemical elements in layers about the core. Effectively this is a star that lives fast and dies young. When each step in the process chokes up the core with nuclear "ash", contractions follow under gravity, driving up temperatures until they are sufficient to synthesise the next heavy element from this waste product. When the core fills with iron, the end point is reached; it takes more energy to fuse iron into anything heavier than the fusion reaction produces. At this point the star collapses, driving temperatures into perhaps twelve figures Kelvin and triggering an explosion that blows most of the star to smithereens.
A second type occurs in close orbiting binary systems where one star A, being more massive, evolves more quickly to the red giant phase and develops a thin outer envelope and a core rich in carbon. Its companion B skims off the outer layer, grows in mass and itself evolves to the red giant stage. At this point the carbon-rich star A begins reclaiming the hydrogen; when the gas accreting onto it drives its mass over 1.4 solar masses a huge nuclear reaction ensues and A blows itself apart.
Supernova explosions can briefly outshine the combined output of all the stars in at least a modest galaxy. They are also responsible for seeding the Universe with the heavy chemical elements of which the Earth and our very bodies are made.
There are generally two forms of supernova. One results at the end of the life of a star with at least about eight solar masses, which in a series of progressively shorter-lived and less efficient thermonuclear reactions generates ever heavier chemical elements in layers about the core. Effectively this is a star that lives fast and dies young. When each step in the process chokes up the core with nuclear "ash", contractions follow under gravity, driving up temperatures until they are sufficient to synthesise the next heavy element from this waste product. When the core fills with iron, the end point is reached; it takes more energy to fuse iron into anything heavier than the fusion reaction produces. At this point the star collapses, driving temperatures into perhaps twelve figures Kelvin and triggering an explosion that blows most of the star to smithereens.
A second type occurs in close orbiting binary systems where one star A, being more massive, evolves more quickly to the red giant phase and develops a thin outer envelope and a core rich in carbon. Its companion B skims off the outer layer, grows in mass and itself evolves to the red giant stage. At this point the carbon-rich star A begins reclaiming the hydrogen; when the gas accreting onto it drives its mass over 1.4 solar masses a huge nuclear reaction ensues and A blows itself apart.
Supernova explosions can briefly outshine the combined output of all the stars in at least a modest galaxy. They are also responsible for seeding the Universe with the heavy chemical elements of which the Earth and our very bodies are made.
by Fearman December 3, 2007
Get the Supernova mug.by Fearman March 25, 2008
Get the incest mug.Look at those nouveaux-riches types at the boarding school on sports day. They want everyone to know they have diamonds on the soles of their shoes.
by Fearman August 7, 2007
Get the diamonds on the soles of their shoes mug.Someone who is remarkably in love with the idea of Social Darwinist survival of the Fittest, given that their idol LOST the 1939-45 war. Someone who given half a chance would wipe out all the blacks, Jews, gays, Slavs, left-wingers and other obvious non-Nazis in the world but isn't brave enough to declare their allegiance openly, instead using coy group names like Combat-18 (the number being code for Hitler's initials), or some such. A coward.
by Fearman August 3, 2007
Get the neo-nazi mug.An ideology based essentially on the idea expounded by Karl Marx, that in an ideal society everyone would receive what they needed and would produce according to their capacity. From this idea was elaborated a doctrine whereby a Socialist state would be established that would in time subsume the economic structure of society into itself. At this point the State itself would wither and the new ideal Communist society would emerge. It's surely a beautiful idea on paper, and may even work with small tribal bands ... but just try to apply it to a society made of millions of us naked apes and see what happens.
Marx incidentally suggested that agrarian societies would be more likely to develop in time along such lines; the adoption of Communist doctrine by industrial societies like Leninist-Stalinist Russia may arguably be in itself a perversion of Marx's idea.
Marx incidentally suggested that agrarian societies would be more likely to develop in time along such lines; the adoption of Communist doctrine by industrial societies like Leninist-Stalinist Russia may arguably be in itself a perversion of Marx's idea.
Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man. Communism is the exact reverse. - John Gardner
Any man who is not a Communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still a Communist at the age of thirty is an even bigger fool. - George Bernard Shaw.
Communism: right idea, wrong species. - Jermaine Evans
The Catholic and the Communist are alike in assuming that an opponent cannot be both intelligent and sincere. - George Orwell.
A Communist is like a crocodile - when it opens its mouth you cannot tell whether it is trying to smile or preparing to eat you up. - Winston Churchill
Any man who is not a Communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still a Communist at the age of thirty is an even bigger fool. - George Bernard Shaw.
Communism: right idea, wrong species. - Jermaine Evans
The Catholic and the Communist are alike in assuming that an opponent cannot be both intelligent and sincere. - George Orwell.
A Communist is like a crocodile - when it opens its mouth you cannot tell whether it is trying to smile or preparing to eat you up. - Winston Churchill
by Fearman December 21, 2007
Get the communism mug.1. A really sexy looking, easy going hippie chick. Free loving, Earth Momma type. A hot altie.
2. Mould growing on food, often from a combination of lack of preservatives due to Luddite fears and either a tendency to forget the food is there, or an inability to use it up fast enough, on the part of the slightly addled individual who bought it.
2. Mould growing on food, often from a combination of lack of preservatives due to Luddite fears and either a tendency to forget the food is there, or an inability to use it up fast enough, on the part of the slightly addled individual who bought it.
Ginny's walking out topless with her bump again. She's a real bit of hippie pepper, all right.
Guess what? There's hippie pepper all over the great BIG bag of garlic again.
Guess what? There's hippie pepper all over the great BIG bag of garlic again.
by Fearman January 13, 2008
Get the hippie pepper mug.Chap who lived back in the nineteenth century. Grew a big beard, in which he invested quite a lot. Had a good head for mathematics and wrote a lot about property and political evolution. A bit boring, not always on the money, and misunderstood by airheads and meatheads, as dead white males usually are. He overestimated both human generosity and the idea of membership of the working class as a badge of pride. Someone recently posted that he taught that the lazy should be allowed leech off the hard-working. This actually is a pretty good picture of present-day America, where the lazy keep getting away with it because the hard-working keep voting for them.
by Fearman November 18, 2007
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