Black Power: The Force of Coal

In the third installment of the power series, the topic is coal. I will briefly describe the origin of coal and a couple common types. I shall then go into the uses of coal. Finally, I will discuss the problems associated with the material. As with the discussion of natural gas, my main source for this article is the book Beyond Oil.

(Coal)

Coal, like other fossil fuels, is formed from organic materials. However, unlike oil and gas, which form from the decomposition of said materials, coal is formed in an entirely different manner. Coal was formed mainly during was has been termed the "Carboniferous period," which was approximately 280-310 million years ago. However, there are coal beds that are both younger and older than the Carboniferous period.

Basically, the period was a cycle of flooding as the glaciers would melt and the sea level would rise. The rise in sea level would bury bogs and swamps, areas of significant botanical accumulation. Layers of soil and fossils would be deposited on top of the area and "baked" (for lack of a better term). The materials used in coal production, not just the temperature, helped determine the type of coal that resulted. For example, spores and pollen produce a type of coal that burns easily and leaves very little ash (cannel coal). Jet, on the other hand, is a product of wood, and is usually glossy black. It can be used in jewelry.

Coal is further categorized by age. It ranges from liginte (jet) to bituminous to anthracite. Each new category has a greater percentage of carbon. Anthracite, the last of the line, is over 90% carbon. It can be ignited for use in industrial heating. The most commonly used coal, however, is bituminous. It is used both for producing electricity and something called coke. Coke is treated coal burned in large ovens to produce charred lumps.

The byproducts of coke can be used for various industries. For example, the gases can be burned for light and heat. Others of the gases can be used as catalysts for other reactions which produce iron from ore. "Coal oils" (hydrocarbons) can be used in lamps. Most interestingly, the tars produced have lead to vibrant synthetic dyes.

The main use for coal, however, is in the generation of electricity. Coal is burned to heat water. The steam created is then used to turn turbines which create electric current. However, this is a major problem with the use of coal. Most coal is impure, containing amounts of sulfur and mercury. Since coal is a hard material, it is difficult to remove the impurities in that form. And while the smoke can be scrubbed, but it is still difficult. Since the main byproduct of burned coal is CO2, that creates a problem with "greenhouse gases." Despite these problems, there are a lot of coal burning plants in the United States. Another major issue with coal burning is sulfur dioxide (SO2). In the atmosphere, sulfur dioxide becomes sulfuric acid. That, in turn, becomes a contributor to acid rain and smog. Other coal issues include mercury pollution, underground mind drainage, and major surface disruptions caused by open-pit mines.
Despite this, coal is the best source of energy. It is the cheapest per unit of energy. It is also quite an industry. The US is one of the major producers of coal worldwide. There are over 6000 coal mines in the US alone. The former Soviet Union is also a major producer of coal. And coal reserves are large enough that, at the rate it is being mined, production should be able to continue for a few hundred years.

So, the problem is, do we continue using coal? Do we continue burning coal, producing greenhouse gases and acid rain? Or do we look for alternate sources of energy, which is inevitable anyway?

Have gas? We do!

This is the second of the series of energy related blogs. In this post I will discuss natural gas. My main reference for this post is Kenneth S. Deffeyes' Beyond Oil.

A few things should be noted about natural gas:
1. It is produced from the decay of organic material in the absence of air.
2. It is mainly methane, but contains quantities of ethane, butane, propane, nitrogen, and helium.
3. It can be mined for a profit from rock that isn't easily permeable by oil.
Natural gas comes from two sources, "conventional" and "unconventional." Conventional gas comes from standard sources, generally mining of some form or another. Unconventional gas comes from other sources, such as swamp gas or coal beds.

Conventional gas production comes in three varieties. Solution gas is dissolved in oil and comes out of solution when the pressure drops. Basically, when the oil pocket is breached, the gas held in solution separates. A useful analogy would be carbonated beverages. Mining the oil in such pockets is not terribly profitable, but the games comes free. Production of natural gas from these types of mines previously kept gas prices down.

Gas caps form above oil reservoirs when there is more gas than the oil can dissolve. Miners can choose to get the oil first, leaving the gas for later production. Mining from such pockets is more effective at recovering larger percentages of oil, as well. As opposed to the 20-40% from solution gas, mining from gas caps recovers up to 50% of the oil contained therein.

The final conventional production is gas found below the depth where oil is located. Oil is found between 7500-15000 feet. Below that, oil deposits are quite rare. These pockets of gas are very good money makers for miners seeking the fossil fuel.

Unconventional gas production comes from four sources: swamp gas, coal bed gas, basin-center gas, and fractured shales. Swamp gas, as it is called, it produced by a bacteria which converts organic matter into methane gas. This would be the same bacteria which resides in the digestive tract. Some pockets of swamp gas can be commercially viable, but have no attracted the attention of major companies. However, since it is relatively easy to access, such deposits are quite rewarding for smaller countries.

Coal bed gas comes from the coal itself. As the coal is natural material, the decomposition of it produces the natural gas. However, the only reason such deposits exist is the sheer size of the plant matter used in the production of coal. Despite this, coal beds have managed to produce nearly 8% of the United States natural gas production.

Basin center gas is that which has completely permeated the host rock. However, this is not as viable a source of gas as, say, the coal beds. The natural gas is much harder to get and there never seems to be enough to completely saturate less-porous host rocks. By the same token, fractured shale gas can be equally as difficult to come by. More porous rocks like sandstone can become more saturated. However, the fractures in the rock produce wells that can be tapped slowly.

The use of natural gas is nothing new. Homes have stoves that use natural gas. Grills burn propane, a form of liquefied natural gas. Natural gas is also the third largest product used for the generation of electricity, after coal and nuclear power. Overall, it generates just over 600 kilowatt-hours of energy annually in the United States. But natural gas is also used for heating and industrial use. A portion of it also goes to make fertilizers because of the hydrogen that can be produced from natural gas. Since it has come to be used, in large part, for the production of electricity, the reserves of natural gas have been severely depleted.

Another interesting use for natural gas is in the automobile industry. The technology exists to use natural gas as fuel, instead of oil. Overall, these cars would use less than the equivalent of ten gallons of oil. A couple other benefits exist, such as the production of less carbon-dioxide and a high octane rating. (This basically means that it much reach a relatively high temperature before it spontaneously ignites.) However, the gas must be contained under high pressure. That also leads to another issue, that of refueling. The number of refueling stations for natural gas-run vehicles is scant, to say the least. They require specialized equipment, because of the high pressures. But this, in turn, exacerbates the problem. Deffeyes says, "individuals will not buy natural gas-powered vehicles because there are no filling stations; filling stations don't exist because nobody own natural gas powered vehicles" (Deffeyes 58).

As you can see, natural gas has its uses. It heats our homes and office buildings. It produces electricity for our gadgets. It can even be used to run our cars. However, reserves are dropping worldwide. Eventually, we will run out of easily accessable reserves and will need to find other methods to produce natural gas. Whether we will turn to the "unconventional" methods is yet to be known.

Do you have any thoughts on the matter? Is there an alternative for natural gas? Should we be reducing our reliance on this particular fossil fuel? Or should we simply continue as we have been?

The Explosive Past and Productive Present - Nuclear Power

I have decided to do a small series or posts about energy. This includes energy sources as well as energy issues. This first post will cover nuclear power. I intend to discuss the benefits of nuclear energy, as well as one or two reactor types. For that, I will contrast the common pressurized water reactor to the "reactor cooled by water and moderated by graphite" (RBMK) reactor used for the Chernobyl reactor.

Chernobyl. The name sends shivers down the spines of any who know about what happened there. Chernobyl. A nuclear power station in the Ukraine whose #4 reactor exploded, releasing nuclear fallout over a wide swath of land. It is over 20 years since the explosion and there are still issues with radioactivity. This catastrophe is, perhaps, the paradigm of what can go wrong with nuclear reactors. It might even be enough to turn someone off the idea of nuclear power completely. However, as horrific as the Chernobyl incident was, the reactor used was poorly designed.

All nuclear reactors use particles, such as neutrons, to bombard fuel cells, such as Uranium. The effect of this process is the splitting of the target atom, releasing energy and neutrons. It is a chain reaction. Some of the energy released is radiation, in the form of heat. In order to ensure the continued production of energy, all reactors use a sort of buffer, which slows down the neutron sufficiently that it has a greater chance of hitting the target atom(s). In most American and Canadian reactors, this is water. The RBMK reactor used carbon in the form of graphite. (Reactor Design)

The design technology of the RBMK reactor was nearly 45 years outdated. It was, in fact, the same technology used by Enrico Fermi in 1942. As such, there were two major design flaws. The first was the carbon used as a moderator.
It does not stand up well under high pressures. Not only that, it burns in the core when exposed to air. The burning increases the speed of the neutrons, creating even more heat. To prevent this from happened, air had to be kept out of the reactor core. The second major problem with the RBMK design was its decided lack of containment. There
was a seal designed to keep pressure in, but nothing to protect and shield in the case of an explosion.


Modern nuclear reactors, such as those used in America and Canada, are much safer than the RBMK design. Both designs are pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Instead of graphite, they use water to moderate the reaction speed and efficiency. They work via a double coolant system. The water in the primary coolant system, around the core, is pressurized so that it can remain liquid above its natural boiling point. In US reactors, ordinary water is used. On the other hand, Canadian reactors use heavy water (water that contains deuterium), which is a slightly more effective moderator.

The secondary coolant system uses the heat from the primary system to turn the water flowing through the pipes into steam. That steam is then used to rotate a turbine, producing electricity in a generator. The water is then run over a condenser, returning it to a liquid state so that the process may be repeated. The only water in the system which is irradiated is that in the primary coolant system. Water used in the secondary system does not come in any direct contact with the radioactive water. Additionally, each reactor is surrounded by a steel-reinforced concrete container. This is a safety measure designed to contain the escape of radiation in the event of an accident. It is the last of a line of defenses meant to protect and reduce radioactive fallout.

Of course, it goes without saying that even the safest reactor has the possibility of malfunctioning. So, then, the question is, why even consider nuclear power? What are the benefits of it, if there are any? Well, for one, they are more environmentally friendly that coal burning power plants. Additionally, the 103 nuclear plants have consistently produced about 20% of our power output for the past decade. According to a National Geographic article, the problem with cheaper coal plants "is the two billion tons of climate-warming carbon dioxide spewing skyward every year... The Nuclear Energy Institute estimates that without nuclear power playing its current role in the generation of electricity, the U.S. would spew 29 percent—190 million metric tons—more carbon than it does now."

Aside from being more environmentally friendly, reactor technology is always advancing. In a few years, designs could lead to reactors that work more efficiently at higher temperatures. Such "intense nuclear reactions at such temperatures would leave waste that, compared to today's, is less toxic and lasts for a shorter period of time." In the long run, this means storage of these materials could be handled more easily. Not only that, the fuel would not be nearly as useful to terrorist groups looking to steal it.

Other countries use nuclear power. France, for example, derives nearly 80% of her electricity from nuclear power plants. Despite China's race to build coal plants, it also has designs for several nuclear plants. India, a nation with a massive population, has a significant number of reactors, with several more that are being built. In the US, a poll found that 59% of the population is in favor of nuclear power. But what about other, less dangerous, less expensive, forms of power?

~Interminable Immediacy

The Science of Belief

Okay, so maybe today won't be so driven by facts and statistics. Today's post will be a musing on religion. With perhaps a few stats plugged in where relevant. I'm not entirely sure which way this post is going to go. It might just turn out like a regular blog post. I shall do my best to prevent that from happening, but I guarantee nothing.


Please note, the above chart is based solely on a sociological data.

Religion is a major part of modern society. From it we derive our value system, ethics, a model of how to live, and the hope of something more. Values? Ethics? We know what those are, right? Values help us determine what is right and wrong, while ethics help us determine how to live by our vales. Religious leaders provide examples of how we should live our lives as good people and good citizens. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, religion generally provides the hope of an afterlife, a promise that death is not an end.

But in some ways, religion is a social convention. It was "invented" by humans as a way to control the population, keep them in check, and, in some societies, to justify the amount of power held by certain individuals. By now, every rabid believer is probably slavering to get at me right now. How dare I call religion an invention! I do and I can. And at the same time, I can still have a strong faith. I have some points to make on the matter.

First of all, Hinduism is a religion based on castes. There are four of them: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Sudra. The Brahmin and Kshatriya, priests and leaders respectively, were the highest classes in Hindu society. But there are two things here that I must point out. One of the Hindu creation myths states that the Brahmin came from the mouth of Purusha, the first man. That automatically sets them up as the leaders of society, giving them the most power. Whether this was so justify the Aryan power in India or simply a religious convention, it matters not. The religion puts a certain group above others in society, a direct contrast to a religion like Buddhism, which has no caste system.

Okay, Hinduism is just one religion. That doesn't mean all the others are like that. Well, allow me to reference an old religion, that of the Celts. Collectively, they worshiped nature deities and they had a priestly class. That class held the power in Celtic society, talking to the spirits and leading the people. What did the invading Romans do? They killed off all the priests, in order to break their hold. How about another example; the Egyptians. They believed their rulers were not just descended of the gods, but living gods in their own right. That belief gave them the right, the divine right, to rule. What about something a little more modern? For centuries, European rulers believed that God granted them the right to the monarchy.

So, then, with divinely backed rulers in place, what now? Well, the Mesopotamians had an interesting relationship with the gods in their pantheon. They believed that if an individual messed up, the entire society would be punished for that person's mistake. Their kings were depicted being given the law by the chief god, Shamash (Hammurabi being the prime example in this case). Here, religion is used to make the people fearful enough to follow the law. Because if they didn't, everyone would be punished.

To quit referencing ancient religions, the same applies today. Jews, Christians, and Muslims have laws they must follow. For Jews, not only do the Ten Commandments apply, but the laws in Leviticus as well. For Christians, there are the Ten Commandments and directions from the popes and other past leaders. For Muslims, they have the Qu'ran and the precepts of Muhammad and the other caliphs.

You may not agree with me or you may. I have presented what evidence I could. Just remember, I am not bashing religion. It is a good thing in that can help people lead better lives and gives them hope. Hindus and Buddhists believe they will eventually escape the cycle of samsara. Jews, Christians, and Muslims believe in a heaven, where they will see God and meet the saints and holy people. Zoroastrians believe they will cross a bridge at death and if they are true, they will reach a good afterlife. People see these promises and strive for them.

Do you have any thoughts on the matter? Please feel free to discuss what I have written.

I'd like "Things that go BANG!" for 1000.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am returning to topics that require at least some research. Hopefully, however, you will find this post to not be as dry as some of the others could be. At least for me, this one is quite interesting. So, should I kill the suspense and just tell you aready? Oh, all right. As you may have guessed, based on the title, this blog will be about explosive material.

First I will list some generic characteristics of explosives. Then I'll discuss the differences between the basic classes into which these materials are categorized. Finally, I might discuss some materials that fall into each category.

Explosive material is something that is chemically or energetically unstable. This means, under the appropriate conditions, these materials can produce heat and pressure changes. They are usually accompanied by a flash or loud noise. Explosives generally either undergo deflagration (decomposition due to rapid burning) or detonation (decomposition propagated by a concussive shockwave). Generally, they have less potential energy than petroleum fuels, but the pressure is created by the rapid energy release. Since the force released by explosives moves perpendicular to the explosion itself, shaped charges can be made to direct the blast.

The overall properties of any given explosive determine the class into which it is categorized. There are two main categories, high explosives and low explosives. Low explosives are materials such as black powder, smokeless powder, and flash powder. For the most part, these materials are use as propellants. Under normal circumstances, they deflagrate rather than detonate. However, if set off in a confined space, the effect produced can be similar to a detonation.

High explosives are materials such as nitroglycerin, TNT, and RDX. They are used in mining, demolition, and military warheads. This class of material will always detonate rather than deflagrate. This class of explosives can be further subdivided into primary and secondary explosives. Primary explosives can be detonated by shock, heat, or friction. Secondary explosives are generally resistant to such forces and are used to add power to blasting caps (devices used to detonate more powerful explosives.)


Black powder, or gun powder, is composed of a nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur. Each ingredient provides vital element to the mixture. The nitrate provides oxygen, the charcoal fuel, and the sulfur fuel and a lower ignition temperature. A typical use of black powder is firearm ammunition and pyrotechnics (fireworks).

Perhaps the most well-known explosive is nitroglycerin. It was first produced by Ascanio Sobrero in 1846. Nitroglycerin is a clear, slightly oily, highly unstable liquid. Of the more interesting uses for this material is as a medical vasodilator. In other words, it widens the blood vessels to reduce blood pressure. When taken, it can decrease blood pressure and increase heart rate. More commonly, however, it is absorbed into wood or a powedered material. This acts to stabilize the nitroglycerin. The product is then called Dynamite. In such a form it can be used for mining or demolition.

One last comment. Explosives are not something to be taken lightly, even the ones in the low explosive category. All of them should be handled with caution and properly contained.

~Interminable Immediacy

(sources:
Wikipedia Article
Fire and Safety)

Do you D.A.R.E.?

Instead of my regularly scheduled discussion of a completely different issue, I have decided that today's entry will revolve around drugs and drug abuse. Obviously I refer mainly to illegal drugs, such as cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines, and hallucinogens. However, there are some prescription and over-the-counter drugs that can be taken improperly. I will try to refrain from discussing those drugs in this blog. Also, please note, I am not taking a stand for either side of the argument. My personal preferences aside, this is simply to state facts.

Anyone who has taken a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) class knows the dangers of drugs. But allow me to go over the basics one more time. Drugs are taken in various manners, from inhalation, to ingestion, to injection. When taken in sufficient quantities, they induce a state of euphoria known as a "high." In some cases, that high might also lead to a low. Eventually, however, the euphoria passes and the individual must somehow obtain more of the drug to repeat the effect. Over time, the dosage required to create the effect increases as the body becomes resistant to the drug. Most drugs also carry the risk of dependency.


Having re-iterated the basics of drug use, perhaps it is time to list a few interesting facts, courtesy of SADD. SADD was previously mentioned in the blog about alcohol.

• Half of teens (50%) have tried an illicit drug by the time they finish high school.
• Two-fifths of 8th graders (41%) and almost three fourths of all 10th graders (73%) consider marijuana to be easily accessible; compare these figures with the percentage of 12th graders - 86%.
• Nationwide, 25.4% of students had been offered, sold, or given an illegal drug by someone on school property.
• Youths ages 12-17 who believed their parents would strongly disapprove of their using a particular substance were less likely to use that substance than were youths who believed their parents would somewhat disapprove or neither approve nor disapprove.

With those statistics in mind, I will now briefly discuss two or three drugs. I will attempt to provide some basic history, relevant statistical data, and some health effects. For this, I will be referencing the White House Drug Policy website.

The first drug I would like to discuss is cocaine. Cocaine is a drug that can be smoked, snorted, or injected. Initially, it was used by doctors because of its ability to act as an anesthetic and to limit bleeding.

• Approximately 8.8% of college students and 14.3% of young adults (ages 19-28) surveyed in 2005 reported lifetime use of cocaine.
• The 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicated that there were 872,000 persons aged 12 or older who had used cocaine for the first time within the past 12 months. This is a statistically significant reduction from 2002 when there were more than one million past year cocaine initiates.

Cocaine stimulates the nervous system. Its use can lead to constricted blood vessels and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. It is extremely addictive and smoking or injecting the substance leads to a more rapid addiction. Smoking crack leads to a short high, lasting 5-10 minutes, while a high from snorting can last up to 20 minutes. Users who smoke or inject the substance are at even higher risk of bodily harm. Some of these risks include coughing and shortness of breath. Users who inject run the risk of transmitting or acquiring diseases from shared needles.

Cannabis is a general term for any drug that comes from the cannabis sativa plant. These products include marijuana, hashish, and sinsemilla. They are all psychoactive, containing the chemical THC. Marijuana, the most common from of cannabis, is generally smoked. But it can also be brewed into a tea and ingested.

• The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) surveys high school students on several risk factors including drug and alcohol use. Results of the 2005 survey indicate that 38.4% of high school students reported using marijuana at some point in their lifetimes. Additional YRBS results indicate that 20.2% of students surveyed in 2005 reported current (past month) use of marijuana.
• According the to Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 77.6% of State prisoners and 71.2% of Federal prisoners surveyed in 2004 that they used marijuana/hashish at some point in their life.

Use of marijuana can lead to issues including memory loss, increased heart rate, panic attacks, and tolerance. Marijuana leaves users at a greater risk for respiratory system cancer as it contains 50-70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. THC affects the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory formation.

The last drug I am going to discuss is methamphetamine, or meth. Meth affects the central nervous system and can be administered by injection, ingestion, smoking, and snorting. It increases activity and decreases appetite. It has limited use in the medical field for narcolepsy, attention deficit disorders, and obesity.

• Approximately 4.1% of college students and 8.3% of young adultes (ages 19-28) surveyed in 2005 reported lifetime use of amphetamines.
  

When used for extended periods, amphetamines lead to addiction, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior. Other effects are similar to those created by hallucinogens such as LSD or PCP. These include hallucinations and delusions that can last for years after meth use has stopped.

Please feel free to add any other information you have or to discuss the use/effects of drugs.

~Interminable Immediacy

Phobias - Are you afraid?

Overall, approximately 18.1% of the United States population suffers from some sort of anxiety disorder. The people who suffer from such disorders are 3-5 times more likely to visit the doctor, 6 times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders. (http://www.adaa.org/) Aside from social disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorders, a portion of the population lives with constant, unreasoning fear. These are known as phobias. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), a phobia is characterized by “strong, irrational, involuntary fear reactions to a particular object, place, or situation…”

My main focus is these phobias. On average, about 10% of the American population suffer from a phobia of some kind. What is interesting is that women are more susceptible to phobic disorders than men. The problem with having a phobia is that the fear makes no sense in the context of the every day. But there is no way for the phobic to control or stop the reactions he or she has.

Phobias can disrupt the everyday life of an individual, lessen his or her efficiency, lower self-esteem, and strain relationships. More often than not, the onset of a phobia is sudden. It can occur at any point in a person’s life, but usually develop during childhood or adolescence. They can spring up due to a traumatic or stressful situation. But they can also occur during situations that were previously of a benign nature to the individual. According to James S. Nairne, in Psychology Fourth Edition, phobias derive from four categories: 1) animals, 2) natural environments, 3) blood/injection/injury, and 4) specific situations (Nairne 482). There are, of course, phobias that do not fit into any of the four categories, such as fear of baseballs, clowns, choking, or costumed characters.

The first type, Zoophobias (animal fears), is quite self-explanatory. Arachnophobia, the fear of arachnids such as spiders and scorpions is one common example from this category. Another example would be Ophidiophobia, or the fear of snakes. Both fears have a certain basis in truth, as some arachnids and some snakes are poisonous. However, phobics don’t fear just the dangerous creatures, they fear all of them.

Natural environment phobias, the second group, cover fears such as Acrophobia, the fear of heights, and Astraphobia, the fear of thunder and lightening. Astraphobia is most common among children, though teens and adults can exhibit symptoms of it as well. Often, dogs and cats also show signs of being astraphobic. Most of these fears develop from personal experience or behavioral conditioning.

Trypanophobia, the fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles, is an example of the third category of phobia. These fears, blood, injection, and injury, can be brought on be reflex. In other words, they see a close family member show fear at these things. There are other phobias that fall into this category, as well. Some of them refer specifically to an object, such as the fear of needles or pain, like Algophobia. Others have a decidedly medical aspect to them.

Finally, phobias such as Claustrophobia and Nyctophobia, fall into the situational category. Claustrophobia is the fear of small, confined spaces. It can be anything from an elevator to an airplane, to a train. Sometimes it develops because of a panic attack while in a confined space, but that is not always so. Children commonly exhibit nyctophobia, the fear of the dark. In most instances, the fear recedes as the individual ages.

There are other fears as well, that do not easily fall into the aforementioned categories. Notable ones among those are Triskaidekaphobia, fear of the number 13, and Coulrophobia, fear of clowns. Thankfully, there are ways to treat phobias. Some of them include exposure to the cause of their phobia, therapy, and medication. The type of treatment depends on the individual, as to the results.

To conclude, phobias can be debilitating. They are unreasoning fears that make little to no sense in every day life. They can occur suddenly, but they can also be treated. Do you have a phobia? Or do you know someone with a phobia? What sort of effects to their fears have on their lives? Please feel free to discuss this.