Amazing Science Facts

It Can Rain Diamonds on Other Planets

According to American Scientist, the atmospheres of Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn contain atmospheres with such high pressure that they can crystallize carbon atoms and transform them into diamonds. We learned this scientific fact, but how? To demonstrate that this occurs on Neptune and Uranus, scientists were able to reproduce the necessary conditions in a lab. Separately, other experts hypothesize that Saturn's moons could get up to 2.2 million pounds of diamond rain annually.

Helium Can Also Work Against Gravity

Helium may flow without resistance when cooled to extremely low temperatures, which are only a few degrees above absolute zero (-460 F or -273 C). It has the ability to scale the sides of a glass and spill out through tiny breaches in a lid. It will never cease pouring once it begins to flow like a fountain. You call it a superfluid then.

And the Loudest Animal in the World is…

Either the sperm whale or the blue whale. It depends on how you define "loudest": do you measure the loudest animal by the decibels it registers or by the impact of the sound itself? According to the BBC, the sperm whale is perceived as louder than the blue whale. The call of a blue whale has a frequency of 20 Hz, the click of a sperm whale is 10,000 Hz. The volume of the sperm whale is 230 dB, that of the blue whale 188 dB. Such a volume could already kill us humans due to the sound pressure bursting the alveoli in the lungs.

6 Billion Tons of Stars in a Teaspoon?

The remains of a huge star that has ran out of fuel are known as neutron stars. While the dying star's core gravitationally collapses in on itself to become a super-dense neutron star, it also bursts into a supernova. Solar masses are used to measure the mind-bogglingly massive masses of stars and galaxies, with one solar mass equal to the mass of the Sun. Neutron stars typically have masses of up to three solar masses, making them some of the densest objects in the cosmos. A teaspoonful of neutron star would weigh 6 billion tons.

Cold Welding

Cold welding, also known as contact welding, is a solid-state welding procedure in which joining occurs at the intersection of the two components to be welded without fusion or heating. There is no liquid or molten phase in the junction, unlike fusion welding.

In the 1940s, cold welding became known as a widespread phenomena in materials. Then it was found that if two clean, flat surfaces of comparable metal were brought into touch while in a vacuum, they would strongly attach (see Van der Waals force). Cold welding at the newly discovered micro- and nanoscales offers potential for use in nanofabrication techniques.

Creating a Black Hole With Sound

Physicists have discovered that it is possible to create a massive black hole with sound. But that's no reason to worry, because a volume level of 1100 dB would be necessary to do this and the black hole that would then be created would be capable of destroying the entire universe. So why would anyone want to create such a black hole. You can find an explanation of how this black hole comes about here.

It Takes a Photon up to 40,000 Years to Travel From the Sun's Core to the Surface...

But only 8 minutes to make the rest of the way to Earth. A photon, on average, travels a certain distance before being briefly absorbed by an atom and emitted, scattering in new random directions. To travel from the core of the Sun to the surface of the Sun (696,000 kilometers) and escape into space, photons must make numerous drunken jumps.

The math is tricky, but the bottom line is that it takes a photon drunk thousands or millions of years to reach the surface of the Sun. In a way, some of the light that reaches us today is energy that was created millions of years ago. See the explanation here.

The Average Human Body has Enough DNA to Travel From the Sun to Pluto - 17 Times

The human genome (the genetic code for all human cells) contains 23 DNA molecules (called chromosomes), each containing between 500,000 and 2.5 million pairs of nucleotides. A DNA molecule of this size is 1.7 to 8.5 cm long when unwound, averaging about 5 cm. The human body has approximately 37 trillion cells. So if we roll up all the DNA trapped in each cell and position the molecules end to end, we have a total length of 2 x 1014 meters. This is long enough for his 17 round trips to Pluto (the distance from the Sun to Pluto). again 1.2 x 1013 meters). We should know that we share his 99% of his DNA with every other human being. See more information on human genome.

The Human Body is Mostly Bacteria: 10 Times More Bacterial Cells than Human Cells Found on Average

Isn't it funny how we go to great lengths to sanitize our surroundings and protect ourselves from germs, when in reality, our bodies are a thriving ecosystem of microorganisms? Believe it or not, if we were to collect all the bacteria living inside us, we'd have enough to fill up a half-gallon jug! And here's a mind-blowing fact: there are 10 times more bacterial cells in our bodies than human cells, as microbiologist Carolyn Bohach from the University of Idaho has pointed out.

Note that most of these bacteria are beneficial and crucial to our well-being. For example, they produce chemicals that help us break down and extract nutrients from our food. In fact, experiments with germ-free rodents have shown that they need to consume almost a third more calories than regular rodents just to maintain their weight. And when these same rodents were later exposed to bacteria, their body fat levels soared even though they didn't eat any more than they had before.

Moreover, our gut bacteria play a vital role in maintaining our immune system, underscoring the importance of taking care of our microbiome. So next time you feel the urge to reach for the sanitizer, remember that not all bacteria are bad. In fact, we owe our very survival to these tiny companions.

The Great Barrier Reef, stretching over 2,000 kilometers, holds the title of being the biggest living structure on our planet

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world, and it is a source of national pride for Australians. This coral reef system is a living organism that is made up of over 2,900 individual reefs and around 900 islands, stretching for over 2,300 kilometers off the coast of Australia. It is the largest living structure on earth and is even visible from space.

It is home to an incredible array of marine life. It is estimated that there are over 1,500 species of fish, 600 species of coral, and numerous species of sharks, rays, turtles, and dolphins that call the reef their home. This diversity of marine life makes the Great Barrier Reef one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. Aside from being an ecological wonder, the Great Barrier Reef is also a significant tourist attraction, bringing in millions of visitors and billions of dollars in revenue to Australia each year. 

However, it is also facing significant threats. Climate change, pollution, and overfishing are all taking a toll on the health of the reef. Rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification are causing coral bleaching and other damage. These threats have led to significant declines in the health and diversity of the Great Barrier Reef in recent years, raising concerns about its future.

Discovering the Secret of Immortality: Turritopsis Dohrnii, the "Immortal
Jellyfish

Turritopsis dohrnii, also known as the immortal jellyfish, is a small species of jellyfish found in temperate to tropical waters worldwide. It is biologically immortal, capable of reverting to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity. The species begins its life as tiny, free-swimming larvae, settling to the sea floor and giving rise to a colony of genetically identical polyps.

The polyps then bud off into a free-swimming jellyfish form that eventually becomes sexually mature. If exposed to environmental stress, physical assault, or is sick or old, it can revert to the polyp stage, forming a new polyp colony through the cell development process of transdifferentiation. This theoretically can go on indefinitely, rendering the jellyfish biologically immortal, although individuals can still die.

The jellyfish is a target of basic biological, aging, and pharmaceutical research. Turritopsis dohrnii is found in temperate to tropical regions in all of the world's oceans, and it is believed to be spreading across the world through ballast water discharge.

New AI system can translate brain scans into words, offering hope for communication-impaired patients

A new technique based on artificial intelligence (AI) has been developed by computational neuroscientists that can translate brain scans into words and sentences. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the non-invasive method tracks changes in blood flow within the brain to measure neural activity. The goal is to associate each word, phrase, or sentence with the particular pattern of brain activity that it evokes, which could eventually help individuals with brain injuries or paralysis regain the ability to communicate. Previous brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have relied on electrodes implanted in the patient's brain, while non-invasive techniques based on methods such as electroencephalogram (EEG) have fared less well.

The new BCI based on fMRI taps more directly into the language-producing areas of the brain to decipher imagined speech. The system could someday aid individuals who have lost their ability to communicate because of brain injury, stroke, or locked-in syndrome, a type of paralysis in which individuals are conscious but paralyzed. However, that will require not only advancing the technology by using more training data, but also making it more accessible. The authors tested whether a decoder trained on one individual would work on another—it didn’t, but privacy is still a big ethical concern for this type of neurotechnology.

Honey Never Spoils

Did you know that honey is a truly extraordinary substance that never spoils? Archaeologists have discovered pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old and still perfectly edible. This remarkable fact showcases the incredible longevity and preservation properties of honey. Honey's ability to resist spoiling is due to several factors. Firstly, it has a low water content, typically around 17%, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Additionally, honey has a high sugar concentration, which creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria and other potential spoilage agents.

Lastly, the acidic pH of honey, usually between 3 and 4, further prevents the growth of harmful organisms. Throughout history, humans have valued honey not only for its delightful taste but also for its potential medicinal properties and long shelf life. Its antimicrobial properties have made it a natural remedy for various ailments, and its ability to remain unchanged over extended periods has made it a valuable food source in many cultures. So, the next time you enjoy a spoonful of honey, remember its incredible longevity, a testament to the unique and fascinating properties of this sweet and golden nectar created by bees.

Oceanic Oxygen: The Vital Source of Life on Earth

The ocean plays a crucial role in producing oxygen and is often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth." The majority of Earth's oxygen actually comes from marine plants, specifically phytoplankton, algae, and seaweed, through a process called photosynthesis. These microscopic organisms produce oxygen as a byproduct of converting carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy. While it is challenging to determine an exact figure, it is estimated that marine plants are responsible for producing about 50% of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere. The remaining oxygen comes from land-based plants, particularly trees and forests. Therefore, both marine and terrestrial ecosystems contribute significantly to the oxygen supply on our planet.

It's important to note that the oxygen produced by marine plants does not directly escape into the atmosphere but rather dissolves in the ocean. However, the oxygen-rich waters eventually mix and exchange gases with the atmosphere, ensuring a balance between oxygen production and consumption. Protecting and preserving the health of the oceans is crucial not only for marine life but also for the overall oxygen production and the well-being of our planet.

Venus: Where a Day Outlasts a Year in a Cosmic Twist!

Venus has a very slow rotation, taking approximately 243 Earth days to complete one full rotation on its axis. This means that a day on Venus (the time it takes for one complete rotation) is longer than a year on Venus (the time it takes to orbit the Sun).

In contrast, Venus takes approximately 225 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Sun. Therefore, a year on Venus (the time it takes to complete one orbit around the Sun) is shorter than a day on Venus (the time it takes for one complete rotation).

This unique characteristic of Venus, where its day is longer than its year, is due to its retrograde or backward rotation. It is one of the reasons Venus has complex and unusual patterns of day and night cycles compared to other planets in our solar system.