… And Does Earth Have Any?
A quasi-moon, also known as a quasi-satellite, is a celestial body that temporarily orbits a planet, but is not gravitationally bound to it in the same way as a natural moon. Instead, a quasi-moon follows a complicated and often irregular path around the planet, sometimes staying in orbit for a considerable amount of time before being ejected into space or drawn into a different orbit.
Zoozve
Perhaps the most well-known quasi-moon has, until recently, been Zoozve. This is an asteroid that appears to be in orbit around Venus. A closer inspection of its celestial journey, however, reveals clearly that it is not gravitationally bound to the planet. Rather, Zoozve goes around Venus and the Sun in a complex and unstable orbit which means it will be ejected from this quasi-satellite orbit or get drawn into another orbit.
Far Away And Close To Home
What’s fascinating about Quasi-moons is that although astrophysicists as far back as 1913 had predicted their existence, the theory was not confirmed until 2002 when Brian Skiff (of the Lowell Observatory) discovered Zoovze. Since this discovery, 8 more quasi-moons have been found; one associated with Neptune and 7 others that are orbiting alongside Earth. Neptune’s quasi-satellite doesn’t have a name but is referred to as 2007 RW 10 and has been in this state for around 12,500 years. It is believed that it will remain the same for just as many more.
The 7 confirmed current quasi-satellites of Earth are 469219 Kamoʻoalewa and (164207) 2004 GU9, as well as (277810) 2006 FV35, 2014 OL339, 2013 LX28, 2020 PP1, and 2023 FW13, which is the most recently discovered.
Quasi Moon 2023FW13
The new-found quasi-moon 2023 FW13 was first noticed last year on March 28 by the Pan-STARRS observatory and was confirmed by 3 other observatories before being officially revealed on the 1st of April. Experts believe that it has been orbiting the earth since 100 BC and will do so for another 1,500 years. Perhaps reassuringly, tt is thought to be the most stable earth-associated, quasi-satellite ever discovered!
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How The Pomodoro Technique Can Help You
In a recent article, I touched on the Pomodoro technique as a means of being productive when it comes to revision over the Easter break. But, such a fleeting mention doesn’t do justice to just how useful it can be.
The What
The Pomodoro Technique is a strategy aimed at helping people who struggle to focus for long periods and have a short attention span. If you get easily distracted, the Pomodoro is definitely for you. Developed in the 1980s by a University student who struggled to focus on his studies and assignments, the Pomodoro Technique is a strategy for doing work in short stretches. Twenty-five minutes of focus broken up by five-minute breaks, with a longer break of 15-30 minutes after every fourth stretch. It’s a technique that’s applicable beyond revision and can be applied to how you work, manage tasks, and helps you completely remove procrastination as a problem—which is an issue many of us deal with, especially when it comes to those things we just don’t want to do. By breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks to deal with systematically, that mountain in front of you is reduced to a series of steps. It makes you more efficient, mitigates distraction and ultimately makes you much more accountable to yourself.
The How
The Pomodoro Technique is designed to get work done while preventing the chance of overwhelm or the temptation of distraction. It works best with a bit of preparation and with a timer beside you (that timer should not be your phone, we’re here to remove distractions not add them). To prepare, make a list of the tasks or a single large task broken down into smaller ones. Assemble everything you need and remove anything you don’t. What you’re going to do is flip your perspective from sitting down for the long haul and instead stack a series of small wins through short bursts of focused work with breaks in between.
Once you’re ready, the process is fairly straightforward:
STEP ONE: Choose the task.
STEP TWO: Set your timer and work ONLY on that singular task.
STEP THREE: Once the timer goes off take a five-minute break. Stretch your legs, grab a drink, or check your phone.
STEP FOUR: Repeat steps one to three FOUR times.
STEP FIVE: Take a longer break of between fifteen and thirty minutes. Have some lunch, walk the dog or meditate.
Keep working through the steps like a cycle as you progress through your to-do list, and you’ll soon find yourself racing through it. It may seem deceptively simple, but that’s why it works. The idea behind this method is that the timer instills a sense of urgency. Instead of sitting back with the whole day ahead of you, finding ways to put off the work, time is turned against you. The breaks are there to help you catch your breath and not burn out.
If a task overruns, simply pick it up on the next interval, while if you have tasks that you know won’t take long at all, group them. If you have a sudden revelation of something that needs doing, simply make a note and add it to the list to do later, don’t ruin your momentum by diving into that task immediately. And of course, there are always moments of unavoidable interruption. Whether it’s a knock at the door or being informed of an important phone call, it’s not the end of the world. Simply take that break there, and then start fresh with a new interval from there.
What if you finish that task before the timer is up? Don’t call it early, use your remaining time to brush up further on whatever that task is. Research it more or go over what you’ve done; you’re focused on that particular topic at that moment so it’s important to keep that focus.
Things To Note
This technique isn’t going to change your life and solve all your problems, but it can be a huge help if used properly. With that in mind, it’s important to note that it doesn’t apply to everything and has its limitations. Long-form writing isn’t always the best for this. To really get into the flow of a piece, you do need longer to get the thoughts out of your head, so save the Pomodoro technique for research, editing and planning. Timing-wise, while the windows are relatively short, as you adjust to the technique it’s important to consider lengthening the windows of focused work. As your attention span and working mind adjust to it, you’ll likely find that the short windows begin to hinder more than help and longer stints will be more beneficial. Indeed, with that in mind, you might just come to a point where one day, you may not need it.
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What You Need To Know About AI: A Beginner’s Guide To What The Future Holds by Brian David Johnson
Artificial Intelligence is a bit of a big topic at the minute. A couple of years ago it was just a villain in science fiction, but now it seems like evil sentient robots are here and ready to take over the working world… and do your homework for you. For a lot of people it’s a scary topic because it’s something we see and hear about in the news and online but don’t understand what AI is. Is it really going to take over the world? Or is it actually going to help us achieve some really cool things? Well, artificial intelligence expert Brian David Johnson is on hand to help with his book, aimed at younger minds, What You Need To Know About AI. It’s a beginner’s guide to artificial intelligence, starting off with a very youth-friendly explanation of what it is (fortunately it is not a collection of sentient toasters looking to take over the world) and then dipping into what it can be used for and where it may help us in the future.
Reader-Friendly
As its title says, the guide helps you learn everything you need to know about AI, from how it helps us discover the epic stuff up in space or under the sea, to whether it will help you build your very own dinosaur, and why. It’s presented in short and easy bites of information, with some great little illustrations to go alongside. It’s not a big, long, boring essay full of words you won’t understand, but written in such a way that the understanding will come easily. You’ll probably understand things so well after reading it that you’ll be able to explain everything to somebody who’s never even touched a computer!
Over the course of the book, you’ll learn where AI came from, and how it’s already being used in the world of sport, space, medicine, animals and more. You will discover the amazing possibilities of AI, that might shape the future. Along the way, you’ll learn super cool facts, bust some myths, and gain a balanced and informed view on one of the the biggest topics of our time. Mixed in with it all is a message about how you can use AI positively and help engineer a better future. So if you or anyone you know is a little bit scared of what AI is, you can use this book to put those fears to rest!
Get Ahead Of The Trend
This book has been a great help to plenty of teachers across the world in understanding AI and is a great starting point for young, curious minds looking to the future and how the world might look when they’re older. It will be of great interest to those who might be thinking they want to work in computing or some other field of Science and technology when they’re older. AI will certainly play a an ever-increasing role within those sectors.
And no, artificial intelligence didn’t write this to try and fool you all. Prove it, you say? Chicken nuggets, Spider-Man. A robot wouldn’t write something daft like that now, would it?
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The 7 Major Types Of Electromagnetic Waves And What They Do
To fully understand electromagnetic waves we should familiarise ourselves with the electromagnetic spectrum, (or the EM spectrum), representing all the electromagnetic radiation in the universe. This type of energy is distributed throughout space in the form of electric and magnetic waves. It allows for the transfer of both energy and information.
Spectrum Placement
There are seven electromagnetic groups on the EM Spectrum. On the left of the spectrum exist Radio waves which have the lowest frequency and the longest wavelengths. Planets, stars, and even lightning emit radio waves, and of course, humans use radio waves to communicate sound and information.
Similarities And Differences
Microwaves come next on the EM spectrum, followed by infrared, visible light (the one we can see), Ultraviolet, X-rays, and Gamma rays. What these types of EM radiation have in common is that they all travel at the same speed in the vacuum of space, which is the speed of light. They differ in the fact that each form of EM radiation has a different wavelength and frequency range giving it different qualities.
For example, radio waves are great for communicating information for TV and radio as their long wavelengths allow them to transfer data over long distances within minimal signal degradation.
Microwaves (and radio waves), have long wavelengths and give scientists unique visibility into dense molecular clouds containing nascent stars. These same qualities make microwaves perfect for cooking as their frequencies can penetrate molecules found in food.
Infrared is a great heat source due to its ability to release heat from chemical bonds and it is also used in night vision cameras/goggles.
Visible light of course allows humans to see and do tasks, and UV radiation can help humans produce Vitamin D and is increasingly used to sterilize water.
Gamma radiation has profound medical applications allowing doctors to target and destroy cancer cells.
Exam Questions On The Horizon
It might only be March, and May may seem so far away, but two things are worth mentioning: it’s never too early to be exam-ready, and time moves faster than you think it does.
So while you’re stepping up your revision, one of the best and most effective approaches is getting stuck into past exam papers. You’ll have a lot of the fundamentals of whichever subject you’re tackling in your memory already, but these questions will test how you apply what you know. It’s not just about information retention, but how you can use it alongside your problem-solving skills to reach an answer. Don’t think of them as tests but as puzzles.
The Anatomy Of An Exam Question
First of all, let’s pull apart these questions, and typically how they’re put together and the big clues they contain that will tell you what kind of response examiners are looking for (unfortunately, it won’t outright tell you the answer, just how to structure it).
The Prompt: This is the stem, the important part of the question amongst all the jargon and other information you’re given. It’s here that you’ll find the core information and the context for the question. It’s also where the imperative verbs will be that will tell you how to answer it.
Imperative Verbs: pay attention to these, because they are the indicator of just how to go about it. ‘Describe’, ‘compare’, ‘evaluate’ and ‘justify’ will all demand different answers. ‘Describe’ simply wants you to explain, while ‘compare’ will want you to look at the differences between two sets of data/sources. ‘Evaluate’ is likely going to want to you point out the flaws and the strengths of a source and decide on its reliability, and ‘justify’ will be wanting you to back up your answer using evidence from the text. These are just a few examples, so be sure to make a note of all the different ones you run into when looking at past papers, you may just notice a trend.
Supplementary Materials: these will be your data sets/graphs/images/sources depending on the exam you’re taking. It’s important to take the time to give them a good read-through. Your impulse will be to do so quickly and the temptation will be there to skim. Don’t. You’ll run the risk of misreading the information and that can derail your entire answer.
Mark Allocation: Have a glance at the marks available for the question. While not applicable to all exams (those that require longer-form responses) these can be a good indicator of just how much time and effort is required. If there are only a couple of marks at stake and you’re scratching your head at the way to answer it, chances are you’re overthinking it.
Planning Makes Perfect
Be sure to spend a few minutes before writing your answer to plan out what you’re going to say. Jot down some key arguments and examples, and highlight anything you think could be relevant. Prioritise the points you think best fit the answer, and then write. Taking the time here will help focus your writing and stop you from meandering from your point. Plus, should you run out of time, that plan will point out where your answer is going. It may not have much of a bearing on your marks, but you can’t rule out the marker not taking it into account.
Timing
Spending too much time on one question has the consequence of leaving you considerably less time for any subsequent ones. If you’re struggling with a question, the next one you may find much easier—how you’ll kick yourself if you waste time on a lost cause when you could maximise your marks elsewhere on the paper! Two partially answered questions will net you more marks than one good one and one terrible one, bear that in mind.
Using your time wisely is very important, and while it’s understandable that exam situations can cause a bit of stress, and once you get momentum in a question you can lose track of that clock; discipline with your timing is one of the most valuable assets to have in an exam.
Cross Your ‘T’s, Dot Your ‘I’s
Keep in mind to leave yourself five minutes at the end to give your answers one last read-through to catch any errant spellings and missing punctuation. The amount of marks dropped for not adhering to the fundamentals of writing keeps teachers up at night, and you wouldn’t want to lose out on a grade because you misplaced too many commas.
Whatever You Do, Don’t Do Any Of These
Panic! Of course, that’s easier said than done, but keeping your cool will help you save precious time. You can help mitigate your angst by practicing exam papers under timed conditions. It won’t solve everything, but at least it will give you one less thing to be worried about.
Waffle! Keep in mind the points above, and don’t jump straight in to writing your answer, and you’ll do well to avoid this. Long answers that dance around the point don’t score as well as concise ones that are half the length.
Dwell on it. Coming out of the exam wondering what could have been and talking to your friends comparing answers is a great way to bring your mood down. Once time is up, there is nothing else you can do. Take a break, do something to take your mind off it—then on to the next one!
There’s plenty of time between now and the exam, so use it wisely. Just remember, whatever may come results day, if you can get to the end of May and tell yourself that you tried your very best, what else could you do? Nobody can ask more of you than that.
You’ve got this, good luck.
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We know now that a journey to the centre of the earth would be nowhere near as fantastic as Jules Verne’s depiction, with dinosaurs, secret civilisations and sunken cities. Rather, it would be more like a hi-tech, brute force drilling exercise through gigatonnes of rock, much like what was seen in the 2003 science-fiction disaster movie, The Core. The film depicted a group of scientists who constructed a super drill to take them to the centre of the earth to restart the its core with a nuclear bomb. Well, if a bunch of pioneering scientists really took that journey, this is what they would find…
Journey To The Centre Of The Earth: Mariana To Mantle
Just like in the movie the scientists would probably start the journey at the bottom of the the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, which at 11km in depth, would cut out a lot of unnecessary drilling. Initially, they would encounter the Earth’s crust. This is the outermost layer of the Earth, ranging from about 20 to 80 kilometres in thickness beneath the continents and about 8 kilometres beneath the ocean floor. This explains why it would make sense to enter the earth through the thinner oceanic crust.
Beneath the crust lies the mantle, a layer of mostly solid rock made of iron, magnesium, and silicon that extends to a depth of approximately 2,900 kilometres. The mantle is dense, hot and semi-solid. and for any pioneering geonauts, they would be drilling through a caramel candy like substance. In the cooler first 200 kilometres of the mantle, they could encounter diamonds in crystalline form.
Outer And Inner Core
The next part of this geological journey to the centre of the earth would be the outer core, which is made of iron and nickel and is in pure liquid form, sitting around 5000 to 3000 kilometres below the surface. It’s heated by the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium, and the liquid churns in a huge turbulent current, which would make for a bumpy ride for any geonaut traversing it. These currents create electrical current and generate the earth’s magnetic field.
Having navigated the radioactive swamp of the outer core our geonauts would now arrive at the Earth’s core proper, the subject of the far-fetched disaster movie I referenced earlier. This is a sold metal sphere made from nickel and iron. With a radius of about 1,200 kilometres it has a temperature of 5,400 degrees Celsius which is almost as hot as the surface of the sun. Pressures here are thought to be 3,000,000 million times greater than on the surface of the earth. It’s mind-blowing! Scientists believe there may be an inner, inner core built of iron and the temperatures and pressures here would be unimaginable!
Such a journey might be purely hypothetical, but it is nonetheless an interesting one to make.
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Nikola Tesla was a famed inventor best known for his work in developing the alternating-current (AC) electrical system and Tesla Coil. He was a brilliant but modest man who spoke eight languages and had a photographic memory. His inventions changed the lives for future generations; we can power our homes with just the flick of the switch, listen to our favourite songs delivered on radio waves and buy electric cars branded in his name. Yet despite these incredible achievements, Tesla has often been underappreciated for his work and spent most of his life in poverty.
The History Behind The Man
Nikola Tesla was born in Smiljan, Croatia (formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian empire) in 1956. Even before immigrating to the United States to start his career as an inventor, Tesla always aspired to become an engineer. His dreams were met with resistance from his father, a priest of the Eastern Orthodox Church, who insisted he follow in his footsteps. His mother, however, spurred on his interest in electrical devices and the world of invention; She herself invented small household appliances during her spare time. Nikola followed his calling and went on to study mechanical and electrical engineering at the Polytechnic school in Graz, Austria.
The Early Work Of Nikola Tesla
Tesla was constantly inventing. Even while working as a telephone line repairman, he would tinker around with the equipment and through this invented a precursor to the loudspeaker – although he never filed a patent for it. It was, unfortunately this lack of business acumen that affected his financial success throughout his life. In 1884, Nikola moved to America and started working with the famous American inventor, Thomas Edison.
Their working relationship was, however short-lived; Edison was a businessman who had strong ideas for developing his direct current (DC) and also took advantage of Tesla’s own designs and work. After helping Edison to overcome a series of engineering problems, Tesla was offered very little in the way of remuneration and was also refused a pay rise. Because of their personal and scientific differences, they parted ways after just a year of working together.
The Battle Of DC vs AC
Soon after his departure, Tesla went on to develop his polyphase system of AC dynamos, transformers and motors at Westinghouse Electric Co. Edison believed that DC was the future for electricity distribution – which at the time, was the standard form of electricity supply in the USA. Tesla however, believed that due to the difficulty DC had travelling long distances and its voltage inflexibility, AC would provide the answer by overcoming these issues. With the help of promotional events, including the illumination of the Chicago World Fair in 1893, Tesla finally convinced the nation to adopt AC electricity.
The Tesla Coil
On top of his other inventions, Tesla imagined a method of transmitting electricity around the world without the need for wires or cables. It was here that he unveiled one of his most important inventions – the Tesla Coil – a high-frequency transformer capable of creating a very high voltage at a low current. Early radio antennas were able to harness the ability of the coil, which could transmit and receive radio signals that were tuned to resonate at the same frequency. The coil was so effective that it is still used today in modern day radio technology.
Throughout his lifetime, Tesla had filed over 700 patents, although many of ideas weren’t brought to fruition. He made a profound impact in the scientific world and with his invention of AC electricity, helped Thomas Edison bring the electric light bulb to the masses.
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The Power To Transform The Future Of Genetic Engineering
In the field of science, few breakthroughs have sparked as much excitement and intrigue as CRISPR-Cas9. It’s probably not something you will have heard of, but is in fact a revolutionary genetic tool that has the potential to transform the future of genetic engineering, and thereby our lives. It is not without its critics or problems, as we will come to, but firstly, what exactly does CRISPR stand for?
CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, a system derived from the defence mechanisms of bacteria and archaea (microorganisms) against viruses. It was discovered relatively recently, but its applications have far-reaching implications for medicine, agriculture, and beyond.
Cas9 And Revolutionary Medical Applications
The core of the CRISPR system is the Cas9 protein, an enzyme capable of precisely cutting DNA strands at specific locations. What makes CRISPR-Cas9 truly remarkable is its ability to be programmed to target and edit specific genes within an organism’s genome. This level of precision was previously unimaginable. It offers a powerful means to address genetic diseases, develop new therapies, and modify organisms for various other purposes.
One of the most significant applications of CRISPR technology is in the realm of genetic medicine. In the past, treating genetic diseases often involved complex and invasive procedures. Now, with CRISPR-Cas9, scientists can potentially correct the genetic mutations that cause diseases such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and muscular dystrophy. The implications for patients and their families are profound, offering hope for a future where these debilitating conditions could be effectively treated or even prevented.
Agriculture
Beyond medical applications, CRISPR holds enormous promise for aiding the Agricultural sector. It offers a way to engineer crops that are more resilient to pests, diseases, and environmental stress – an increasingly common problem. By modifying genes responsible for plant growth and disease resistance, scientists hope to develop crops that can thrive in challenging conditions and contribute to global food security. However, this technology also raises ethical questions and concerns about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that need to be addressed as it continues to advance.
CRISPR has even found its way into the realm of environmental conservation. Scientists are exploring the use of gene editing to help threatened or endangered species adapt to changing habitats, resist diseases, and overcome challenges to their survival. While this application remains in its early stages, it offers a new dimension to wildlife conservation efforts.
Ethical Issues Surrounding CRISPR
To further the point, as with any transformative technology, CRISPR comes with ethical considerations. The ability to manipulate the genetic code of living organisms raises questions about potential misuse and unforeseen consequences. There are concerns about designer babies, gene doping in sports, and the very alteration of the human germline that could have permanent effects on future generations. As scientists and policymakers navigate these ethical waters, it is crucial to ensure responsible and transparent use of CRISPR technology.
Promise, Innovation And Careful Thought
CRISPR is a powerful tool that holds immense potential to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. As we venture further into the era of genetic engineering, we must carefully balance the incredible promise of CRISPR with ethical considerations and a commitment to responsible innovation. The power of CRISPR is transforming the way we think about genetic engineering, offering hope for a healthier, more sustainable, and genetically edited future. So long as we are careful in monitoring its development, it should bring us great benefit.
When the Sun Attacked the Earth
On September 1st 1859, as the skies turned red and their technologies failed them, the entire population was left stunned, confused and terrified as the earth was brought to a halt by an unknown celestial force. Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, many would come to think the apocalypse was at hand.
When Night Became Day
Vivid reds witnessed in Sweden, green on the west coast of the United States and purple in Australia. Reports came in from various parts of the world, including the Caribbean and even areas close to the equator. Witnesses described the night sky as being ablaze with colours, shifting from one to the next as they surged like waves in the sky. From here, things only took a turn for the even more bizarre. The lights were so bright it was as if night had become day. People in the affected areas were waking up, thinking it was morning, only to be halfway to work realising that it wasn’t the sun in the sky, but something far stranger. It was so bright that birds were singing at midnight and people were reading newspapers. Confusion soon turned to fear, as people’s superstitions got the better of them. Many interpreted the lights in the sky as divine omens and signs of the end times. More than a few people were locked up for their own safety as they succumbed to the madness, convinced the apocalypse was at hand, and tried to convince others of their lunacy. The strangeness didn’t stop there.
Literally Quite Shocking
It wasn’t just the people that these mysterious lights were disrupting. Beyond the celestial light show, more peculiar incidents unfolded. Telegraph systems, the cutting-edge communication technology of the time, experienced unprecedented interference. Operators reported receiving electric shocks, telegraph lines sparking, and even telegraph paper catching fire. In some instances, for the sake of safety, operators were instructed to disconnect their machines from their batteries. And yet, despite the telegraph systems being disconnected from their power sources, the operators soon found that messages could still be transmitted and continued to do so! By the time the evening of September 2nd had come around, the phenomenon was all but over. But people were still left with questions, wondering just what in the name of God had happened over the previous 24 hours. Nobody had a clue. Well, almost nobody.
Enter: Carrington
The man in the know was Richard Christopher Carrington, a British astronomer who had come across the answers the day before the cosmic event. Carrington was at his private observatory at Redhill, Surrey. While sketching sunspots, he witnessed an intense brightening, marking the first recorded observation of a solar flare. This event, later known as the Carrington Event, proved instrumental in advancing our understanding of solar activity.
After Carrington realised the significance of his observations he promptly communicated his findings to the scientific community. He documented his observations and sent a letter to the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) detailing the solar flare and its subsequent effects on Earth. In his letter to the RAS, dated November 1st, 1859, he provided a thorough account of the solar flare he had observed. The description included details of the flare’s appearance and duration.
Carrington’s letter to the Royal Astronomical Society was presented at a meeting on November 10th, 1859. His work received recognition and acclaim from his peers, establishing him as a prominent figure in the field of solar astronomy. As the news of his finding spread, it soon became known as the Carrington Event and went on to become a pivotal moment in the study of space weather and solar-terrestrial interactions. Despite the limitations in technology at the time, Carrington’s meticulous documentation and prompt communication of his findings laid the foundation for future research in solar astronomy. The Carrington Event remains one of the most studied space weather events in history, and Carrington’s contributions continue to be acknowledged in the scientific community. But just what exactly was happening?
The Carrington Event Explained
It was no celestial being laying siege to the planet, nor was it a message from God or a supernatural force, or a world-ending event. The reality was far less exciting. The Carrington Event was a solar flare of exceptional intensity. Following the solar flare, a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred. CMEs involve the expulsion of a vast amount of solar material, including charged particles and magnetic fields, into space. In the case of the Carrington Event, this CME was particularly powerful and directed toward Earth.
The Northern Lights, Everywhere
The Northern Lights, scientifically known as auroras, are breathtaking natural light displays that usually occur near the Earth’s polar regions. These lights are caused by the interaction between charged particles from the Sun and the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere. As a result of the solar storm, there were now a lot more of these charged particles hitting the earth’s atmosphere, all over it in fact. As a result, these auroras were witnessed across the globe during the event. Fortunately for those who were panicking, the lights were not in fact, signs of the end times. The brightness of these particles reacting with the Earth’s atmosphere was also the reason for night becoming day.
Telegraph System Disruptions
In the mid-19th century, telegraph systems were the primary means of long-distance communication. The geomagnetic storm induced electrical currents in telegraph lines, causing malfunctions and disruptions. These charged particles in the air were what were responsible for the shocks, the fires, and for the telegraph equipment continuing to function even when disconnected from power sources. The Carrington Event highlighted the vulnerability of emerging technologies to space weather.
What About Today?
The event demonstrated the vulnerability of emerging technologies to space weather and has hinted at the potential risks for modern electronic infrastructure. Our technology has come a long way in the past 150 years, and we are a lot more reliant on electricity now than we were back then. Today, our interconnected world relies heavily on satellites, power grids, and electronic systems, all of which are susceptible to the impact of severe space weather events. Just what could happen if such an event were to occur today? Though purely speculative, there are two likely scenarios that would occur:
The Best Case
With all the technology we have today, we have the tools to monitor the sun’s behaviour. Should a CME be likely to occur, we’d have a warning of it. With that information, it would be very easy to insulate the planet from any adverse effects of the solar storm. It would involve some minor disruption to the public, as power grids would need to be taken offline for the duration of the event in order to protect them. Power systems can’t be fried if there’s no power running through them. People would have to read a book for a day or two instead of accessing Netflix or TikTok, but Earth would come through the storm unscathed.
The Worst Case
Let’s imagine a huge CME hits the planet with no warning. Any electrical system in operation would be fried – meaning pretty much all of the bug power grids across the globe. There would be mass blackouts, resulting in infrastructure falling apart pretty rapidly. Traffic lights, hospitals, cooling systems and the internet are just a few of the things that would be rendered useless. There would be mass panic, and certainly a lot of casualties too. It’s fair to say it would be an end-of-the-world situation, and it’s likely that society would fall apart if that much infrastructure unravelled. Fortunately, there are people working hard to prevent this from happening.
Sunpredictable
Given the potential impact of severe space weather on modern technological systems, there are ongoing research and monitoring efforts to better understand solar activity and improve our ability to predict and mitigate the effects of space weather events. Organisations like NASA and space agencies around the world continuously monitor the Sun to provide early warnings and protect critical infrastructure from the potential consequences of intense solar activity.
Severe space weather events are relatively rare on a human timescale. The frequency of such events depends on the solar cycle, which is an approximately 11-year cycle during which the Sun goes through periods of high and low solar activity. While less intense space weather events occur more frequently, events on the scale of the Carrington Event are estimated to have a return period of roughly once every 150-500 years. It’s also important to note that these estimates are based on historical records and reconstructions, as direct observations of such events are limited to the relatively recent past when our technological capabilities allowed for detailed monitoring of solar activity.
Assuming it’s 150 years, any mathematician will tell you that means we are a decade overdue. Bear that in mind the next time you think about leaving your plugs switched on.
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil’s Triangle, has long captivated the imagination of the world. This region, spanning the area between Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, has long been associated with unexplained disappearances of ships and aircraft. The scientific community has endeavoured to unravel the its enigma, seeking rational explanations for perceived anomalies. In this article, we delve into the scientific mysteries surrounding this intriguing phenomenon.
Geographic Factors And Weather Patterns
One of the most common explanations given lies simply in its geo-commercial location. The region is characterised by a convergence of major shipping lanes, which leads to high traffic and an increased likelihood of accidents. More scientifically, the Bermuda Triangle is prone to severe weather patterns, including sudden storms, powerful currents, and rogue waves, which can all pose significant risks to ships and aircraft.
Methane Gas Hydrates And Seafloor Vents In The Bermuda Triangle
Another scientific theory proposes that the area within the Bermuda Triangle may be influenced by methane gas hydrates present on the seafloor. These icy formations can be released in large quantities due to geological activities, creating areas of decreased buoyancy in the water. As a result, ships passing through these regions may encounter unstable conditions, and as with extreme weather events, this can lead to accidents and hence, disappearances.
Electronic And Navigational Interference
Electromagnetic anomalies in the Bermuda Triangle have also been extensively studied as a possible explanation for disappearances. The region is known for sporadic compass variations, which can disorient pilots and mariners relying on navigational instruments, particularly in past years. This phenomenon is referred to as “compass deviation.” Furthermore, the Bermuda Triangle is situated near the magnetic North Pole, where the Earth’s magnetic field is less stable, potentially causing disruptions in electronic systems.
Human Error And Sensationalism
While the Bermuda Triangle has gained notoriety for its mysterious instances of vanishing craft, sceptics argue that human error and sensationalism play a significant role in the perceived mystery. Accidents and disappearances that occur in the region can often be attributed to standard maritime or aviation incidents, such as equipment failures like those already mentioned, or indeed by plain human error. Furthermore, the media’s tendency to sensationalise and exaggerate stories related to the Bermuda Triangle only serves to contributes to its reputation.
An Enduring Mystery
The Bermuda Triangle remains an enduring scientific mystery that has fascinated the world for decades. While sensational theories and unverified claims continue to circulate, scientists strive to debunk them and establish the facts by exploring rational explanations grounded in geography, weather patterns, and human error. And while the Bermuda Triangle’s reputation may never be entirely stripped of its aura of mystery, understanding the scientific theories behind its anomalies brings us closer to demystifying this captivating phenomenon. By continuing research and analysis, we can gain valuable insights into the region’s unique challenges, promote safer navigation practices, and separate fact from fiction.
