Mud Volcano, Reindeer’s Eye, and Ribbon Lightning Meteor

#Mud #Volcano #Reindeers #Eye #Ribbon #Lightning #Meteor

Are there mud volcanoes on Mars?

A close-up of the surface of Mars from the Perseverance rover | photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A mud volcano is a landform formed by periodic eruptions of mud, water and gases, especially hydrocarbons. The resulting shape resembles the flat cone of a volcano. Mud volcanoes range in size from a few meters to hundreds of meters in height and kilometers in width. Even the brief description from Wikipedia excludes that these volcanoes could be on another planet. There is not so much water anywhere, and hydrocarbons are proof of life. Still, photographs of Mars suggest that mud volcanoes are there, too. Dr. Petr Brož from the AV Institute of Geophysics conducted several experiments on how mud would behave on Mars, because liquid water there boils and freezes at the same time.

Did dinosaurs stand on their backs?

Video of Jurassic Park (1993) – Welcome to Jurassic Park Scene

In 1993, Steven Spielberg’s film Jurassic Park stunned the world. The realistic depiction of living dinosaurs was breathtaking. Many fans, including paleontologist Vladimír Socha, also notice the details. In one scene, for example, a gigantic herbivorous dinosaur climbs up on its hind legs to reach the higher levels of a tree for food. New scientific results bring an answer to the question of whether he would really be able to do this.

What does the brain look like?

Human brain | photo: Profimedia

The idea that the human soul resides in the heart ended when Thomas Willis, a poor farmer’s son by birth, published a Latin treatise in London on January 20, 1663 Anatomy of the brain, to which is added the description and use of the nerves. Anatomy was published last year and established the new medical field of neurology. In total, it was published twenty-three times and was used until the 19th century. At forty-five, Willis had become the richest man in Oxfordshire and the most famous doctor in England. We reminded you of this in the column It happened this day, which is prepared by Ing. Francis Houdek.

Do reindeer have a “winter” eye?

Every driver knows that, especially at certain times of the year, there is a risk of a collision with wildlife after dark. Fortunately, doe does make themselves known by glowing eyes. Similar to reflectors, they can return light to the source. It has to do with the ability of animals to see at night. Even a deer’s eye can do it. Scientists studied why the reindeer’s eye glows yellow in summer and blue in winter. A very interesting result was presented in Meteor by biologist prof. Jaroslav Petr.

How is ribbon lightning formed?

Storm, lightning|photo: Shutterstock

In some photos, it is possible to see the flash, which seems to be blurred. Upon closer inspection, you will find that this is not a decay, but a real phenomenon. Several lightning bolts follow almost the same path. They are only slightly shifted. This so-called ribbon lightning is proof that several discharges can pass through the same conductive channel in a row. Ing. Ivana Kolmašová from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics described how lightning occurs and that the brightest flash points upwards from the ground.

Will carbon dioxide vacuum cleaners save the climate?

In recent years, the theme of the green deal has been resonating in Europe – about Europe achieving climate neutrality by 2050 through a series of measures. This primarily means reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to the situation in 1990. The task is both difficult and expensive and requires a whole range of measures. New technology could also help. Carbon dioxide traps are being built, which store CO2 from the atmosphere underground. Will they have enough power? Don’t they need too much energy? Petr Daniš writes about this in his book entitled Climate is an opportunity. Read by Jan Kovařík.