How a Volcano Helped to Discover the Speed of Light
The eruption of Krakatoa provided scientists with a unique way to measure the speed of light.
Discover strange, surprising, and little-known facts from science, history, nature, and beyond.
ScienceThe eruption of Krakatoa provided scientists with a unique way to measure the speed of light.
ScienceIn human vision, specific pairs of complementary colors cannot be seen together; they're called 'forbidden colors.' However, due to a scientific anomaly, some people have reported being able to perceive these.
ScienceQuantum levitation, also known as quantum trapping, allows particular objects, when cooled at extremely low temperatures, to levitate against a magnetic field due to a phenomenon described by the Meissner effect and quantum locking.
ScienceIn 1851, Jean Bernard Leon Foucault, a French physicist, experimentally demonstrated the rotation of the Earth through his pendulum, which became known as Foucault’s pendulum.
ScienceVantablack is the darkest material on earth, absorbing 99.995% of light.
ScienceYour household smoke detector is slightly radioactive.
ScienceSir Charles Vernon Boys, a British physicist, accidentally invented invisible glass while trying to create ultra-thin fibers known as 'spun quartz.'
ScienceThe scent produced when rain falls on dry soil is known as Petrichor. This term was coined in the year 1964.
ScienceThe phenomenon where consumers tend to have a change in preference between two options when a third, asymmetrically dominated option is presented, is known as the Decoy Effect.
SciencePony beads can act as a visual aid in demonstrating a polymer chain and illustrating the concept of 'polymerization'.
ScienceWater can remain a liquid below its freezing point in a state known as 'supercooling'.
ScienceThe Decoy Effect uses a less appealing third option to influence decisions, pushing consumers toward pricier choices by making them seem more attractive.
ScienceOil-soaked rags can spontaneously combust and start a fire.
ScienceRubber duckies, very popular bath toys for kids, have an interesting physics behind their quacking sound.
ScienceThe largest known prime number, as of January 2019, was discovered not by a mathematician or scientist but an electrical engineer.
ScienceCertain species of bacteria found in deep sea hydrothermal vents are capable of a unique form of photosynthesis.
ScienceThe 'Sonic Hedgehog' gene is a protein coding gene in both humans and mice which plays a crucial role in the organization of the brain and body structure during embryonic development.
ScienceThe bacteria Staphylococcus offers fascinating model systems for interspecies interactions.
ScienceDid you know that iron and ice share a common property? They both are known to shrink when they melt!
ScienceThe Random Walk Theory is a financial theory that stock market prices cannot be predicted.
ScienceDid you know that the Earth once had a naturally occurring nuclear fission reactor?
ScienceYou can make invisible ink and reveal the text with heat, using common household items like lemon juice and heat.
ScienceDid you know that there are facilities called 'Biobanks' that store a diverse range of biological materials at ultra low temperature for scientific research, conservation, and medical purposes?
ScienceIt's a mathematical concept that states you can theoretically take a solid ball, separate it into a finite number of non-overlapping pieces, and use those pieces to construct two solid balls identical to the original.
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