Myth: Lightning always move from the sky to the ground! FALSE As soon as lightning makes contact with the ground, it generates a return stroke that moves upward. In rare cases, lightning can even start at the top of tall buildings or TV antennas and move up from there.
Scientists in Florida are attempting to control one of nature’s strongest and most unpredictable forces by firing rockets into thunderclouds — the real-world equivalent of creating lightning in a bottle. As dark clouds gathered over central Florida, a small team of scientists frantically ran about the ground below, checking that their equipment was ready to …
A sauna is a small, enclosed room – usually lined with wooden panels -used by people to experience two main kinds of heat session, the goal of both being to induce sweating and the cleansing of the skin. The two main types of heat generated in saunas are dry and wet, which are differentiated by …
Discover how big is it, how it was built, the materials that were used and which features make this the best-ever Olympic arena. Let’s kick off with some fast facts. The London 2012 Olympic Stadium was created by the excavation of 800,000 tons of soil – soil that was then reused in construction throughout the …
How do these large slants grow, nourish themselves and provide oxygen for us? Trees are oversized plants that become so big that they require a woody stem to support their weight. Not only are they attractive to have in your garden, but they’re also amazing natural air filters, capable of absorbing harmful carbon dioxide and …
How the natural world can be replicated to grow plants. To grow, plants generally need a combination of water, sunlight, carbon dioxide and nutrients. Through photosynthesis they convert these four basic elements into sugars and oxygen, allowing them to survive, grow and reproduce.
What’s the science behind these oddly shaped clouds? Mushroom clouds are usually the result of a colossal explosion, such as that produced from a nuclear weapon or another type of large explosive device. Mushroom clouds can tower many miles in the sky, but they will flatten out around the stratosphere, hence how they acquired their …
Often perceived today as a detached, artificial and random threat, trapped In deep geological time or areas of the Earth that we have little contact or relationship with, extinction Is in fact an ever-present force that looms over all life. It Is a reality of existence and an Inevitable by-product of natural selection; if species …
Discover physics in action as we explore the pure science at the heart of several of your favourite Olympic sports events. With the Olympics fast approaching, it’s not just sport lovers who should be getting excited, but physics fans too. Because whether it’s how fast they run, how high they jump or how many records …
We take a look at some of the security measures used to put an end to fake currency. Counterfeit money has been around for thousands of years – indeed as long as legitimate currency. From Roman times to modern society, fake money has forever been a problem.
