So I have been out of school for almost 6 years now. I completed my Master's Degree in December 2006. I always felt after all these years of working that I have rarely applied concepts from my school time into the real life career I have as an environmental professional. Typing was still and always has been the most important class I have ever taken. As it stands, I think one actual class towards the end my graduate program has had some project management concepts I am finally getting to apply.
So, listed below are some facts I will always remember from my time in school:
Humans, and all animals have a barrier layer of heat that keeps us warm in perfectly calm weather conditions. It is just one of those phenomenons of nature that is a little trippy. An infrared scan of the naked human body would show increased heat around a person standing still. It almost looks like an invisible force field, but it is just retaining your heat. When the wind blows strong enough, it breaks the barrier and further allows all the heat to run away from the body. It is also why moving around slightly in the midst of a heat wave feels cooler than standing still in the sun. While working, I wear minimal clothing, enough to protect my barrier layer, and one or two nitrile gloves that is plenty enough to trap the heat on my hands.
If you want something evaporate faster, spread it out so the liquid's surface area is greater. You can have a gallon of water in a gallon sized carton with no lid last way longer than if you poured out that gallon in a 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 foot deep box. Only have one paper towel and a large water spill? Do what you can to spread it out much further than where it is currently sitting and it will be gone in now time.
Particles that make up matter are constantly in motion. The movement of particles is a measure of temperature. When objects are at their lowest speed, they are solid. When they heat up and are able to freely move while still retaining some mass, it is now liquid. Increase the temperature even more so that gravity no longer has an impact on the matter, you have a gas. However, sometimes particles can go directly from solid to gas, and that in between stage is plasma. Bottom line - everything slowly becomes a gas.
When you are outside in the middle of a field and you feel the hair on the back of your neck slowly start to rise, get down immediately. You are the most charged item available for lightning to strike. To be safe, and increase your chances of survival, get on your knees and forearms and stick your ass in the air. You would rather have your ass get struck and have it pass through your knees/forearms than to hit your head first and travel through all your organs.
If you see somebody who has gripped live electricity and cannot let go, drop kick them
If you grab somebody being electrocuted and you are on the ground, consider yourself dead as well. If you can jump up high enough, and turn your body parallel to the ground, then bend your knees to your chest only to extend out as violently and relentlessly as possible, and nail that electric motherfucker so hard he loses his grip. Both of you will end up safe and you forever get to say you kicked you dropkicked your friend.
You will always see something before you hear it. Especially something you see from far away. You will also always here something getting louder as it approaches, and that will happen quickly and you will hear something slowly get quieter.
All soil that we stand on has rock underneath it that is solid, whether it is a couple feet down or a mile down.
Well, that is my 20+ years of education that I carry in my head every day. So glad I am in debt forever for these nuggets of information.
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