1. Plasma is just really really hot gas...I think anyone who knows me pretty much knows where I'm at with that, but for those who don't, well, you can probably guess: FAAAAART!
I am helping a faculty member put together an application for an award but in order to do that, I needed him to explain some very basic things about physics to me as though he were talking to a 6 year-old. Kris advised me that asking researchers to explain their work to you like you are a kindergartener is really the best way to fully grasp what it is they do. Every discipline has a specific vernacular and if you're not familiar with it because, say, you received a general liberal arts education, then you need to start from the very very very beginning. It was very helpful and I think he didn't mind too much.
Current plasma applications include: PLASMA TVs!!! Also, the Sun.
2. Homeowners don't always bother to learn the proper way to install light fixtures before installing light fixtures. When we (read: Kris) replaced about a hundred million light fixtures in our house in Ottawa, we waited until his dad came to visit to show us how to do it properly. Here's a key element: with a wire stripper, remove the plastic covering from the end of the wire before connecting it to anything. If you don't you end up with a melted fire hazard that might eventually really piss off the next owners of your home in a very serious way.
