General Science Thingies

I really enjoyed doing my Animal News Snippets and other posts in that style. It really allows me to sum up some amazing things without having to spend all day on the computer! So without further ado, here is your update on general science (pretty much all kinds, not just animals like last time).

• Bahamas- Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin found a very large (grape-sized) single celled organism leaving trails. They had found similar single-celled organisms in the Arabian Sea, but they didn't move. These have definite trails behind them and the trails look like early fossilized trails. For a long time, scientists believed the fossilized trails were made by a multi-cellular organism.

• Antarctica- High energy electrons have been captured. Scientists believe the findings may help with theories on the elusive "dark-matter." This topic is very complicated so that is all I will leave you with. It hurts my head typing it. :D

• U.K.- A bird of prey that all but disappeared early last century will be reintroduced in England. The sea eagle is the U.K.'s largest bird of prey and if all goes as planned, they will be reintroduced in Norfolk next summer.

• Italy- Puppy smuggling is a growing concern in Rome, where a conference was held to face the challenges of this illegal industry. Poor puppies!

• World- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology finds that contacts between new cells when we learn stay in place. That means that we never really forget anything. The brain reactivates these contacts when you are being taught these things again (refresher courses), making the knowledge a bit better.

• California- Researchers at the University of California, Berkley, found that learning the name of a color changes the part of the brain used in perception. Toddlers, for example, use the right half of the brain for color. After learning the name of the color, this perception and awareness switches to the left hemisphere.

If there is anything you guys really want to learn about, feel free to email me at moya [dot] marizela {at} gmail [dot] com. I welcome all comments and critiques! I guess I just want to know what I can do better. I hope you enjoyed your science news!


Picture of the Sea Eagle is in the Public Domain.

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Kent Couch, Lawn Chair Balloonist

This picture is from the Open Clip Art Library and was released into Public Domain

Yes, that is correct. You read it. Lawn chair balloonist. This man made his first accent into the skies via lawn chair in 2006. Then last year (July 2007), he made a 193 mile flight using a cluster of balloons. As if that wasn't enough, Couch wants to make the trip all the way into Idaho (he usually leaves from Oregon). Well... he did it. This weekend he "flew" 235 miles from Bend, OR and landed in a field in ID. He uses Cherry Kool-Aid as his "ballasts" and a BB gun for buoyancy- control. He has done numerous TV and radio appearances but does it for the fun of it.


So now we go on to the science.

Helium.
Most of the helium that exists on Earth is the result of Radio Active Decay (a topic that takes way to long to explain). It is the second most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen. It is lighter than air (which is about 78% nitrogen) though heavier than hydrogen. Hydrogen burns easily, however, and helium does not, making it the best choice for balloons (score one for safety, Kent). Not only does it not burn, it it the least reactive of all the element on the chart. It is the least water soluble of all the gases and actually heats up when allowed to expand. Since there is little helium in the atmosphere, it would be very expensive to remove it from the air. Economically it is easier to remove helium from natural gas, which contains about 7% of this element. Because of it's low solubility, it is used in air mixtures for deep sea divers. Helium is also used as a tracer gas to find leaks in high-vacuum and high-pressure equipment... and apparently for making trips across state lines in lawn chairs.

Then what causes the squeaky voice from sucking on helium? Well, the speed of sound is also different in helium. It is actually three times faster than air.

Now that you know the basics of helium... does it make lawn-chair ballooning any less scary?

Not to me.

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