Atoms And Bonding Skills Lab Comparing Atom Sizes: Fill & Download for Free

Yeah!thankyou for following me … let's start with astronauts…The name astronaut comes from the Greek words for “star-sailor.” Astronauts are most commonly associated with U.S. spacecraft. The word was formally adopted in 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - otherwise known as NASA. Space travelers that fly for Russia are known as cosmonauts — from the Greek for “universe — sailor.” In China, space explorers are called taikonauts. This word is a blend of the Chinese word for “space” combined with the Greek word for “sailor.” Whatever we call them, they are great explorers and scientists.Astronauts, cosmonauts and many others, have been important to the understanding we have of space. But in addition to learning about space, there have been a lot of other contributions to science and technology.SpaceBefore learning about the life of an astronaut it is important to know about the environment where astronauts work. Space is located approximately 76 miles above the earth's surface, although the exact border between the earth's atmosphere and the location of space is not well defined. Because it is above the atmosphere, there is no air - more specifically there is no oxygen.We often hear people say that gravity does not exist in space. Gravity does exist and is the reason that the moon stays orbiting Earth or Earth continues to obit the Sun. The gravity is weaker the further from an object you get. So because astronauts are miles above the Earth, there is less pull of gravity than if standing on the surface of the Earth. Scientists call it microgravity. Visit this NASA site to learn more about microgravity and how astronauts float in space. Visit the ScienceTrek site on gravity here.Space is also not empty. There is a lot of distance between objects, but it is not empty. Stars, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, black holes, meteoroids , gaseous clouds, galaxies, and solar systems are among the objects found in space.Space Isn't Like HomeSpace is a dangerous place to travel, filled with unique challenges for working and living there. And yet, it somehow draws man to go there and explore this vast unknown. So what makes space so dangerous? Let's look at a few of the problems that scientists face in traveling and living in space.The first big issue, which has already been discussed, is the fact that there is no oxygen in space. Astronauts just like all of us, need oxygen to breathe. So what do you do about getting oxygen? On earth we have plant life to recycle the gases around us and create oxygen for breathing. The plants also remove carbon dioxidefrom the atmosphere in photosynthesis. In space there are a few different methods for providing oxygen. The most obvious way is to carry tanks of oxygen with you. But how much is enough and what happens if it gets all used? Besides, pure oxygen is highly flammable, making it very dangerous to carry along. Interestingly enough, scientists use chemistry knowledge to create oxygen from the chemical reactions of the electrical generators on board the International Space Station — (ISS).When the humans breathe, they put off carbon dioxide as a waste product. Carbon dioxide gas is poisonous if there is too much of it. So there needs to be a way to get rid of the carbon dioxide that is exhaled in their breathing. Science has found ways to scrub the carbon from the breathable air. On earth we have plants that use the carbon dioxide in their food making processes to clean the air. Scientists have also found ways to use electricity to split water into oxygen and hydrogen — it is called electrolysis. At some point, scientists want to be able to use the left over hydrogen and the carbon dioxide to create water.Micrometeorites, orbital debris and other particles are constantly flying past the astronauts' spacecraft, the ISS and when astronauts must perform a spacewalk, this material flies past their fragile space suits too. This matter can rip through delicate equipment or space suits causing damage or even death to an astronaut. Space is a dangerous place to go for a walk. Learn more about this danger here. Find out more about orbital debris here.Extreme temperatures are another factor that makes space travel dangerous. On earth we have cool breezes and warming air from heat rising from the sidewalk to affect our temperatures. Because there is no air, temperatures are not impacted by air behavior. Consequently cold is really cold and hot is really hot. While the exact temperature is a complex question, it ranges from hundreds of degrees below freezing all the way to hundreds of degrees above freezing. Then there is the radiation - a kind of invisible wave of subatomic particlesthat can be dangerous to life and mechanical equipment. Much of this radiation comes from the sun.In order to spend lengthy time in space, astronauts have to carry all their food, all their water, find a way to get rid of human waste, prevent boredom, keep a routine of cycles because there is no day and night, and live in cramped quarters. Sleeping, eating and personal hygiene present problems in space.Because of microgravity, muscles of astronauts become weakened. Astronauts' bodies go through some difficult changes while they live and work in space. Special equipment is needed to provide exercise opportunities in space. Blood pressure, bones, muscles and many organs and systems go through changes during their time in place. Astronauts actually get 1-2 inches taller while living in space. They return to normal height when they return to Earth and have time to adapt to gravity. Visit this site from NASA to learn about living in space.Space ExplorationDespite all of the danger, scientists continue to go to space and to explore more and more and travel further and further. Let's take a short look at the history of space exploration.Early 1930s to 1950s - early rocket launches and experimentsJuly 11, 1948 - a rhesus monkey made a test flightOctober 4, 1957 - Russians launch Sputnik I into spaceNovember 3, 1957 - Sputnik 2 which carried a dog, Laika, into spaceJanuary 31, 1958 - U.S. satellite Explorer I put into orbitOctober 1, 1958 - NASA created - National Aeronautics and Space Administration1959 -1967 Multiple unmanned missions to the moon - U.S. and RussiaApril 12, 1961 - Russian Yuri Gagarin - first person to orbit EarthMay 5, 1961 - Alan Shepard - first American to travel into spaceFebruary 20, 1962 - John Glenn - first U.S. astronaut to orbit EarthDuring the 1960s the U.S. set a goal to land on the moonJune 14, 1964 - first woman in space - Cosmonaut Valentina TereshkovaNovember 28,1965 - Mariner 4 launched to fly by Mars and take picturesJuly 20, 1969 - Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the moon1960s to the present - unmanned spacecraft photograph and study the moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, the moons and rings.May 14, 1973 - Skylab - a space station was set upMay 31, 1975 - The European Space Agency was created - 11 European nations began a program to explore spaceJuly 15, 1975 - Apollo Soyuz mission - a joint U.S./Russian projectApril 12, 1981 - Shuttle missions began which allowed reusable spacecraftJune 18, 1983 - Sally Ride became the first American woman in spaceMay 4, 1985 - Magellan unmanned spacecraft launched to explore VenusApril 24, 1990 - Hubble Space Telescope sent into spaceMarch 19, 1991 - Japan launches its first moon mission1994-1998 - Joint mission between the U.S. and Russia - astronauts and cosmonauts live together on the Mir - this program prepared the way for the ISSJuly 4,1997 - Sojourner Mars Rover lands to begin the surface explorationNovember 2, 2000 - first crew of the ISS begins working togetherFebruary 12, 2001 - NASA lands a probe on Eros - an asteroidSeptember 27, 2003 - Europe's first moon mission - European Space AgencyJanuary 3 and another on January 24,2004 - Mar's Rover missions landJuly 1, 2004 - Cassini-Huygens probe orbits SaturnJuly 21, 2011 - last shuttle mission comes to an endMars LandscapeMany nations and private businesses have all jumped into space exploration over the years. The International Aerospace Information Network maintains a list of national space agencies.This is just a small bit of the history of space exploration. Many steps took place between each of these events to make sure that space travel was safe and that problems found in previous steps were solved. Lots and lots of flights orbiting the Earth, trips to the moon, and trips to the ISS make up the manned space flights. There were some sad losses to human life in this history. Additional unmanned flights have gone to many of the planets in our solar system and beyond. Today, space exploration continues to be an important topic and discussion is underway to plan a manned mission to Mars.At one time early in the history of space exploration, the U.S. and Russia seemed to be in competition with one another to be first, best, longer and more. This was at one time called the “space race.” In more recent years Russia and the U.S. have been working in cooperation with one another, teaming up to create the International Space Station.Training to Be An AstronautIn the early days of the astronaut program, all U.S. astronauts were chosen from the military. They chose men with engineering training and flight experience. NASA thought these qualifications would be a good beginning. Seven men were selected as the original U.S. astronauts: L. Gordon Cooper, M. Scott Carpenter, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Virgil I. Grissom, Walter Schirra and Donald K. Slayton.In time, the military training became secondary to the capacity to learn and show academic ability. When an astronaut is selected, they must go through years of instruction to include earth science, meteorology, space science, other languages - including Russian, survival skills - including scuba training and swimming tests, medical training, jet flight, public speaking, weightless training, space station systems and much, much more. Above all, they must learn to work as a team with the others they serve. The final portion of their training is focused on their specific mission and the technology and science related to that mission.Most of the training is done at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, but time might also be spent in simulators and locations outside this location as necessary for the mission they will be assigned to do. Astronauts practiced walking on the “moon” in training for the Apollo Moon missions by going to Idaho's Craters of the Moon National Monument.Today there are two types of astronauts — pilot astronauts and mission specialist astronauts. The pilot astronauts are trained in piloting and flight and are concerned with the spacecraft and getting the rest of the crew and equipment to wherever that mission is headed — and back home safely. The mission specialists are the members of the crew that perform experiments, maintain equipment and launch satellites. Mission specialists might be physicians, scientists, teachers, or engineers.SpacewalksSometimes astronauts are required to leave the safety of the spacecraft or the ISS and go out into space. They might need to repair something on their craft or they might be performing an experiment. For a spacewalk they put on a special protective suit which maintains their body temperature, protects them from radiation and provides an artificial environment for breathing. They are also tetheredto their craft by a line so that they don't drift away. Learn more about spacewalks from NASA's website here.InventionsA number of inventions that came out of the space program are helping us non-astronauts every day. You might find some of these to be surprising. Here are just some of the innovations that came through the space program that you, your family, or your friends may be using right now: scratch resistant lenses in glasses, satellite communications, improved cordless power tools, water filter systems, memory foam, CAT scanners - used in hospitals to diagnose, invisible braces, freeze dried food, cochlear implants — used to give hearing to the deaf, life shears — a kind of cutting tool used by emergency workers and firemen, ear thermometers, improved fire detectors, and pacemakers. These are just a few you might have come in contact with, but since 1976 there have been approximately 1400 inventions from the space program that have been used in industry, medicine and the home. Here is a timeline from 2008 that shows how the various inventions from NASA have benefitted society.International Space StationThe International Space Station (ISS) is an orbiting science laboratory and also a docking port for international space flights. It orbits the Earth about 240 miles from the surface. Astronauts and cosmonauts work together on the station and crews change about every six months with a rotating schedule that has been keeping the station functioning since November 2000. The station is constantly under construction and is currently the size of approximately two commercial airplanes. It is the largest piece of equipment to ever orbit the Earth.The ISS is powered using solar panels to convert the sun's energy to usable electricity. Supply ships from Earth come on a regular basis to provide needed food, water, and other supplies necessary for life and for the ongoing experiments, repairs and construction on the station. To see the current view of Earth from the ISS - click here.Idaho's AstronautBarbara Morgan was chosen in 1985 as part of the “Teacher in Space Program” to train to be an astronaut. She was at that time, teaching at McCall-Donnelly Elementary in Idaho. In 1998 she was chosen by NASA to become a mission specialist. She became the first Teacher in Space on August 8, 2007; flying on board the Endeavor Space Shuttle. To learn more about Barbara Morgan, click here.Lots of HelpIt takes more than just the people aboard a spacecraft to run a mission. There are about 270 experts, the ground controllers, who work on the ground at the Johnson Space Flight Center. This earth crew is divided into different groups to make sure each part of a mission is well planned and carried out. The Flight Dynamics Department is responsible for orbital maneuvers. Payloads is in charge of the shuttle cargo. There is a department for Guidance, Navigation and Control Systems. The communications group directly talks to the shuttle's commander. A flight director is the top authority for each shuttle mission.You don't have to be an astronaut or a part of the Earth crew to be a part of space exploration. Those who design and build the shuttles, space stations, rockets, computers, and navigation systems are a part of the exploration team. You can be a mechanical engineer, machinist, electronic assembler, manager, or part of the administrative support team. Aerospace Scientists can be astronomers, chemists, physicists, biologists, geologists, and botanists. If you think space is the place for you, click here to learn more about careers in space exploration. You'd be surprised how many people it takes to get a mission off the ground and to its completion.The flight crew from the Apollo 11.Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin (left to right)Astronauts have special gear called a spacesuit that they use when they must leave the safety of their spacecraft. These spacesuits provide them with air, protect them from the extreme temperatures of space, and protect them from the radiation of the Sun. Sometimes the spacesuits are tethered to the spacecraft so the astronaut won't float away. Other times the spacesuit is equipped with small rocket thrusters to allow the astronaut to navigate around the spacecraft.There are thousands of other planets out there.We have eight planets in our Solar System. However, outside of our Solar System there are thousands of other planets. The extra-solar planets or exo-planets are in orbit around another star. So far we have almost 1800 confirmed new worlds, with another 3000 awaiting confirmation. Astronomers are looking to a star’s goldilocks zone for planets that may be habitable, just like the Earth. The majority of planets discovered so far are hot gas giant planets.There are thousands of planets out there! This artist’s impression shows what those multiple Solar Systems might look like. (Image Credit: NASA/ESA/ESO)2. In space the skin on your feet peels off!This is a pretty gross fact but in the micro-gravity environment, astronauts are not using their feet to walk. Therefore the skin on their feet starts to soften and flakes off. As laundry facilities do not exist in space, astronauts will wear the same underwear and socks for a few days. Those socks then need to be taken off very gently. If not those dead skin cells will float around in the weightless environment.3. On Venus a day is longer than a year.This is tricky one to get your head around but a year on Venus (that is the length of time it takes to complete one whole orbit around the Sun) is 224.7 Earth days. However it takes 243 Earth days to rotate on its axis just once.4.The astronauts were placed in quarantine after returning from the moon.There is a famous image of President Nixon talking to the Apollo 11 crew consisting of Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. This continued until after the Apollo 14 crew returned safely. After this it was decided that the Moon did not contain any deadly diseases. The Apollo 13 crew, who had a malfunction and had to return to Earth, did not have to be quarantined after their re-entry as they didn’t actually walk on the moon.Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin meeting President Nixon after their safe return to Earth. (Image credit: NASA)5. One million Earths can fit inside the Sun.Ancient astronomers once believed the Earth was at the centre of the Universe but now we know that the Sun is at the centre of our Solar System and our planets orbit the Sun. The Sun makes up 99.8% of the entire mass of the whole Solar System. One million Earths would be needed to be the same size as the Sun.Image: You can fit one million of our home planet inside the Sun. (Image Credit: NASA/SDO/Steele Hill)6.You become taller in Space.Another change to the human body in micro-gravity is that spine straightens out, as gravity is not pushing you down. In fact you can be up to as much as 5cm taller in the Space Station.7. Extreme weather warning!Some times on the Earth, especially here in Northern Ireland the weather can be a bit rubbish! However our weather is awesome compared to some of the other planets. Jupiter has fast winds and the Great Red spot, a massive hurricane style storm, has raged there for the last 300 years. Mercury and Mars have extreme temperature changes in the same day. Venus is a scorching five times hotter than boiling water. Saturn and Uranus also have extremely fast winds. However Neptune has the fastest ever wind speeds reaching a staggering 1600mph!Neptune the windiest planet as captured by Voyager 2 in 1989. (image Credit: Voyager 2, NASA)8. Space is not that far away.Space officially begins at the universal marker of the Karman Line. This invisible boundary is 100km above the Earth. In theory if you could drive your car upwards, you could be in space in less than hour.9. The hottest planet is not the closest planet to the Sun.Even though Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, it is not actually the hottest. Mercury does not have any atmosphere meaning that this planet is only hot in the daytime when it is directly facing the Sun. At this stage temperatures can rise to 425°C but at night the planet’s temperature can drop down to a freezing -180°C. Venus is the hottest planet. Its thick clouds trap the Sun’s heat causing Venus to be a sizzling 500°C all of the time!A surface probe would not exist on the surface of Venus for very long. This is an reconstruction of the surface of Venus as captured by Radar by the space craft Magellan in the 1990s. (image credit: E. De Jong et al. (JPL), MIPL, Magellan Team, NASA)10. The moon looks bigger on the horizonThere is an optical illusion which makes the moon appear to be larger the lower it is in the sky. The apparent magnification is not caused by our atmosphere. It is more of a mind trick. When the moon is closer to the horizon, it is closer to objects like buildings and trees which therefore in comparison makes the moon look bigger. However there are times when the moon really is bigger. During its elliptical orbit the moon has times when it is actually slightly closer to the Earth (Perigee) or further from the Earth (apogee). This happens about once a month, due the moon’s orbit around the Earth. Usually is not noticeable to the eye. However when a full moon occurs at the same time of the moon’s perigee it can be called a Super moon and appears 12-14% bigger than normal!11. There’s a moose looseEccentric Astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) believed that the Moon and Sun orbited the Earth but the other planets orbited the Sun. He catalogued many stars and objects, and has a crater on the moon, and supernova remnant named after him. However his wild antics are perhaps just as interesting. He wore a fake silver nose after losing his real one in a sword fight and he also had a pet moose which died falling down the stairs after one to many drinks. When his body was exhumed and examined in 2010, it is thought that a burst bladder was the cause of his death not mercury poisoning by a jealous colleague which was considered a cause of death.Astronauts are literally star sailors12. The word astronaut comes from the Greek word “Astron” which means star and “nautes” which means sailor. The Russian cosmonaut has a similar meaning from ‘kosmos’ meaning universe and again “nautes” sailor.Astronaut Mark Lee, a real star sailor. (Image Credit: NASA)13. You can cry in space but your tears don’t fallOn-board the International Space Station, water floats like bubbles or spheres. However the water will cling to a surface until it is dislodged. This means that tears start to form bubbles around your eyes as the weightless environment is not causing your tears to fall. This sounds really cool but it can be dangerous. ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano suffered a space suit leak whilst on a spacewalk. The water leaked into his helmet covered his eyes and ears, but thankfully he made it back into the Space Station unharmed, but if not he could have drowned in space.14. Dirty underwear and toilet paper has helped grown plants on the ISSAmerican astronaut Don Pettit discovered that by folding a pair of underpants into a sphere shape and stitching in some Russian toilet paper (which is thick, wool like gauze), this created a warmer environment for some tomato and basil seeds to start to sprout. Like their socks, underwear is only changed every 3-4 days so he figured the pants might provide some extra nutrients for the plants!15. There is a dwarf planet named after an Easter island legendDwarf planet Makemake was discovered at Easter 2005. The Easter Island Moai figures were the inspiration for its name. Makemake in Rapa Nui mythology was the creator of humanity and the god of fertility. He is also a feature in many rock and cave drawings on the island.16. Nebulae come in all shapes and sizesNebula means cloud in Latin. These are areas in which stars are being created or where a star has died. The cosmic clouds come in all shapes and sizes and are made out of interstellar dust and gases. There is a Christmas tree nebula, a horsehead, a unicorn, a hand, fried egg and lots more. These beautiful clouds which are not visible to the naked eye really highlight the fact there is a lot more happening in the night sky than you can see.Unicorn in space. Otherwise known as the Trifid nebula, this stallar cloud is a pillar of gas and dust. (Image Credit: NASA, HST, WFPC2, J. Hester (Arizona St. U) et al.)17. The North Star will change…eventuallyThe North Star used for navigation, a steady point in the night sky will change, however not in our lifetime. The Earth is rotating like a spinning top and therefore the pole of our planet wobbles. Currently it points to Polaris but in the year 13727 our Pole Star will be the star Vega, in the constellation of Lyra. Vega was the also North Star in 12000BCE.18. The Apollo crews did not have any life insurance.On the chance that the 3 man crew of Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins did not return safely from the moon, they were not covered by any life insurance policy. So before their trip all 3 men signed photographs that could be sold in the event of their death. These Insurance covers were also stamped and posted on the start date of the mission, July 16th1969 by a friend.Before their mission to the moon. The Apollo 11 crew were in quarantine to make sure they didn’t get sick. During this time they signed lots of photos and cards to act as life insurance for family. Credit: NASA.19. In space metal sticks togetherIn a vacuum like space, when two pieces of metal touch each other they bond together. This is a process called cold welding. On the Earth because of the oxygen in our environment this does not happen naturally but it is used during some manufacturing processes. It is something to take into account but it is not usually a problem as the astronaut’s tools maintain an oxide layer even when leaving Earth.20. The furthest manmade object is Voyager 1. It has messages for aliens on-board.In 1977, Voyager 1 and 2 were launched. Their primary mission was to visit Jupiter and Saturn. Voyager 2 continued onto Uranus and Neptune; Voyager 1 has now made its way into interstellar space. Voyager 1 is further away from Earth than the distance between the Sun and Pluto. Both craft carry a golden record on board, which will act like a time-capsule of Earth. It has greetings from Earth as well as different kinds of music. It also has noises of rocket engines, the sea, people talking, animal’s sounds and lots of images. All of which sum up the Earth. United States President Jimmy Carter said at the time “This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe.” These messages have been recorded as electronic impulses which can be translated into written words. If any aliens find it then can enjoy some Louis Armstrong as well some Peruvian panpipes!The position of the North Star will change over timeNavigation will be weird when Polaris stops being the North Star in about 13,000 years. In case you didn't know, Earth's axis goes through a motion called "precession" which means that the planet's axis will change, and trace out the shape of a cone--even if it's slightly.When this occurs, it takes around 26,000 years for the axis to trace out a complete cone shape. To add to this, Polaris, the Earth's current "North Star" will eventually begin to shift positions as the Earth undergoes precession.In 3,000 B.C., it's believed that the North Star was the star Thuban, otherwise known as Alpha Draconis. In about 13,000 years, the star Vega will be the new North Star -- but in 26,000 years, Polaris will return in its original position as the Earth continues to go through precession.Let's come to scientists…There are more trees on Earth than stars in our galaxyCreative Travel Projects/ShutterstockNASA experts believe there could be anywhere from 100 billion to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, Snopes reports. However, a 2015 paper published in the journal Nature estimated that the number of trees around the world is much higher: 3.04 trillion.Oxygen has a colorBackground All/ShutterstockAs a gas, oxygen is odorless and colorless. In its liquid and solid forms, however, it looks pale blue. Some science facts are just plain weird. Next, learn fascinating facts about America and its history that you never learned in school.Only one letter doesn’t appear in the periodic tabledemarcomedia/ShutterstockIt’s the letter J. Go ahead and double check. We’ll wait. Don’t miss these science “facts” that aren’t actually true, either.Bananas are radioactiveCapture Collect/ShutterstockFor one of our strangest science facts, bananas contain potassium, and since potassium decays, that makes them slightly radioactive. But it’s nothing you need to worry about. You’d need to eat 10,000,000 bananas at once to die of radiation poisoning, Forbes reports.Hot water freezes faster than cold waterBachkova Natalia/ShutterstockThis fact seems counterintuitive, but it’s called the Mpemba effect, after a Tanzanian student named Erasto Mpemba who told his teacher than a hot mixture of ice cream froze faster than a cold one. Scientists now believe this is because the velocities of water particles have a specific disposition while they’re hot that allows them to freeze more readily. If proven correct, this finding could also have implications in daily life, like cooling down electronic devices.Cold water heats up faster than hot waterSergey Parantaev/shutterstockThe researchers who investigated the cause of the Mpemba effect made this discovery as well. They unsurprisingly named the phenomenon the inverse Mpemba effect.Humans are related to fungiKateryna Kon/ShutterstockA 2015 study from the University of Cambridge suggests that mankind may have evolved with genes that came from plants. Because of those findings, researchers accept that about 1 percent of the human genome could have been acquired from plants, The Telegraph reports. So all those times your corny uncle called himself a “fungi”? He was actually sort of right.But don’t worry—we have a lot of DNAvitstudio/shutterstockScientists predict that there are over 3 billion base pairs of DNA in human genes and over 25,000 genes in the human genome. An entire copy of that genome exists in each of the 10 trillion cells in the human body. If all of that DNA were lined up, it would cover the distance between Earth and the sun 100 times. Don’t miss these mysteries about the human body no one can solve.It can rain diamonds on other planetsKamil Hajek/ShutterstockDiamonds are definitely the Milky Way galaxy’s best friends. Studies have examined the potential that Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, and Saturn have to produce diamonds. The atmospheres in all four planets have such extreme pressure that they can crystalize carbon atoms and turn them into diamonds. Scientists were able to create the correct conditions in a lab to prove this occurs on Neptune and Uranus. Separately, a different group of researchers speculates that it may rain as much as 2.2 million pounds of diamonds on parts of Saturn every year––this is definitely the richest of our science facts!You can make balls flyVyas Abhishek/ShutterstockIf you spin a ball when you drop it, it will fly through the air as it falls. This is called the Magnus effect, and it makes playing tennis and soccer a whole lot easier.Water can exist in three states at onceMarta navarroP/ShutterstockThis is called the Triple Boil, and at that temperature, water exists as a gas, a liquid, and a solid simultaneously. It requires very specific conditions to achieve, so don’t even think about trying it at home. Check out these other “facts” you’ve always believed that are actually false.Only one type of mammal has wingsGizmoPhoto/shutterstockThose mammals would be bats. While flying squirrels can jump from trees and glide, they can’t truly fly like bats can.Helium can also work against gravityKhrystyna Bakuchava/shutterstockWhen helium is cooled to extreme temperatures, just a few degrees away from absolute zero (-460˚F or -273˚C), it turns into a superfluid, meaning it can flow without friction. It can climb up and over the sides of a glass. It can leak through molecule-think cracks in a container. If it starts flowing like a fountain, it will never stop.Solar flares are scarily powerfulTwin Design/ShutterstockThe energy they release is the equivalent of 100-megaton atomic bombs exploding at once. It’s a good thing the Earth’s atmosphere protects us from their radiation.It’s impossible to burp in spaceVadim Sadovski/ShutterstockWhen you burp on Earth, gravity keeps down the solids and liquid from the food you just ate, so only the gas escapes from your mouth. In the absence of gravity, the gas cannot separate from the liquids and solids, so burping essentially turns into puking. Check out these foods that are actually banned from space.About half of your body is bacteriaJezper/ShutterstockThat’s right. A 2014 study estimates that the human body consists of 39 trillion bacteria and 30 trillion human cells. In the past, researchers thought we were more bacteria than human with a ratio of 10:1. While this new calculation is probably closer to the true numbers, it’s not a hard fact. Here are 20 more obscure facts you never knew about your own body.Men are more likely to be colorblind than womenHUAJI/ShutterstockThe genes responsible for the most common type of colorblindness are found on the X chromosome, the National Eye Institute explains. Even if women have the genes on one of their two X chromosomes, a properly functioning gene on the other one makes up for that loss. If men inherit the gene on their only X chromosome, they’ll become colorblind.We have no idea what most of the universe looks likeMaraQu/ShutterstockAbout 96 percent of the universe is made up of dark matter and dark energy, which are undetectable to humans. Scientists believe this is because the particles that make up these substances don’t interact with regular matter or light. Even though scientific discoveries are constantly being made about the stars, planets, and other galaxies we can see, it’s impossible to make conclusions about things that are invisible to our eyes. Next, brush up on these 50 interesting facts about basically everything.1. A human organ that no-one knew about has been hiding in plain sight all this time. Called mesentery, it connects the intestine to the abdomen and is believed to perform important functions for the body ranging from helping the heart to aiding the immune system.2. The Earth appears to have a whole new underground continent called Zealandia. The discovery itself isn’t new – some geologists have been arguing for its existence for many years. However, in 2017 a team of scientists concluded Zealandia fulfils all the requirements to be considered a drowned continent.3. Pugs’ cute little flat faces are the result of a genetic mutation. Their features have been strongly linked to a gene variant called SMOC2.4. For the first time in human history, gene-editing has been performed to fix a mutation for an inherited disease in embryos. Using a powerful tool called Crispr-Cas9, scientists successfully altered the DNA in defective embryos so they were no longer programmed to develop congenital heart failure.5. Your appendix might not be a useless organ after all. Research suggests it might play a role in the immune system as a secondary defensive organ, acting as a “safe house” for helpful gut bacteria.6. Giant penguins about the size of a grown man waddled around New Zealand about 59 million years ago.This fidget spinner is tiny (ORNL/PA)7. The world’s smallest fidget spinner is 100 microns wide. It is smaller than the width of a human hair and is barely visible to the naked eye.8. Lungs do more than help us breathe – a surprising discovery has found they also make blood. The organ, present in mammals, is believed to produce more than 10 million platelets (tiny blood cells) per hour.9. A new state of matter exists (alongside solid, liquid and gaseous states) and it is known as time crystals. Created in the lab, the outrageously hard-to-grasp time crystals are structures that repeat periodically in time rather than space, potentially defying the laws of physics.10. Great apes, including chimpanzees and orangutans, have absolutely no appreciation of music whatsoever. Research has shown they can’t tell the difference between Beethoven and Bieber, and that music is all just meaningless sound to them.The dinosaur family tree many have to be redrawn (Owen Humphreys/PA)11. The dinosaur family tree may have to be redrawn for the first time in 130 years. New evidence revealed the two categories of dinosaurs – the lizard-hipped meat-eaters (like the T. Rex) and plant-loving bird-hipped beasts (like the stegosaurus) – should actually be grouped together, making you question everything you ever learnt about these extinct animals in school.12. Humans accidentally created a protective bubblearound Earth. Decades of use of very low frequency (VLF) radio communications have resulted in an artificial cocoon that could help protect the planet from solar flares and radiation particles.13. Precious metals on earth, such as gold and platinum, may have originated in the stars. Scientists confirmed this after detecting a titanic collision of two super-dense neutron stars 130 million light years from Earth.14. The Kepler-90 star system has as many planets as our own solar system, making us tied for the most planets revolving around a single star known so far.Combining data from the Kepler Space Telescope with Google’s artificial intelligence system, Nasa uncovered an eighth planet – called Kepler-90i – that astronomers missed in their previous analysis.15. Pandas are black and white because their patterns serve as a combination of communication and camouflage, according to a study published in Behavioral Ecology.16. The moon once had an atmosphere. Recent tests from lunar samples collected by the Apollo astronauts reveal volcanic eruptions that occurred about four billion years ago released trillions of tonnes of gas. Since the gases were being produced faster than they could escape into space, an atmosphere was formed. The gases eventually became lost to space.17. Scientists may finally have an answer to why eggscome in different shapes and, apparently, it is all down to the bird’s flying ability. It seems the best fliers are the ones that lay more “pointy” or elliptical shaped eggs while the others are more likely to lay rounded or oval-shaped eggs.18. It is theoretically possible to travel back and forth in time. Two physicists developed a mathematical model for a time machine based on Einstein’s theory of relativity (which was proven in 2015), that gravitational fields are caused by distortions in the fabric of space and time. What’s holding us back is that the technology that can physically bend this space-time fabric hasn’t been invented yet.19. Scientists at Harvard have stored a GIF animation of a galloping horse in the DNA of bacteria, using the Crispr-Cas9 tool.20. Bees have been shown to understand the concept of zero. Scientists discovered this after training the insects to count shapes, following previous research that revealed they can count to four.21. Humans are still evolving. Researchers tracking eight million mutations found that a number of genes – such as the one that predisposes you to Alzheimer’s disease – are gradually being filtered out of human DNA.22. There are extraterrestrial dust particles on your rooftop. They are called micrometeorites and are about 400 microns in size. More than 100 billion micrometeorites are believed to fall to Earth each year.Let's count again… I give some astronomical facts also in scientists corner…1. Babies have around 100 more bones than adultsMany of a baby’s bones fuse together as they growBabies have about 300 bones at birth, with cartilage between many of them. This extra flexibility helps them pass through the birth canal and also allows for rapid growth. With age, many of the bones fuse, leaving 206 bones that make up an average adult skeleton.2. The Eiffel Tower can be 15 cm taller during the summerLarge structures are built with expansion joints which allow them some leeway to expand and contract without causing any damage.When a substance is heated up, its particles move more and it takes up a larger volume – this is known as thermal expansion. Conversely, a drop in temperature causes it to contract again. The mercury level inside a thermometer, for example, rises and falls as the mercury’s volume changes with the ambient temperature. This effect is most dramatic in gases but occurs in liquids and solids such as iron too. For this reason large structures such as bridges are built with expansion joints which allow them some leeway to expand and contract without causing any damage.3. 20% of Earth’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforestThe Amazon rainforest covers 5.5 million square kilometres (2.1 million square miles) of EarthOur atmosphere is made up of roughly 78 per cent nitrogen and 21 per cent oxygen, with various other gases present in small amounts. The vast majority of living organisms on Earth need oxygen to survive, converting it into carbon dioxide as they breathe. Thankfully, plants continually replenish our planet’s oxygen levels through photosynthesis. During this process, carbon dioxide and water are converted into energy, releasing oxygen as a by-product. Covering 5.5 million square kilometres (2.1 million square miles), the Amazon rainforest cycles a significant proportion of the Earth’s oxygen, absorbing large quantities of carbon dioxide at the same time.4. Some metals are so reactive that they explode on contact with waterThis is what happens when sodium reacts with waterThere are certain metals – including potassium, sodium, lithium, rubidium and caesium – that are so reactive that they oxidise (or tarnish) instantly when exposed to air. They can even produce explosions when dropped in water! All elements strive to be chemically stable – in other words, to have a full outer electron shell. To achieve this, metals tend to shed electrons. The alkali metals have only one electron on their outer shell, making them ultra-keen to pass on this unwanted passenger to another element via bonding. As a result they form compounds with other elements so readily that they don’t exist independently in nature.5. A teaspoonful of neutron star would weigh 6 billion tonsNeutron stars contain some of the densest matter in the known universeA neutron star is the remnants of a massive star that has run out of fuel. The dying star explodes in a supernova while its core collapses in on itself due to gravity, forming a super-dense neutron star. Astronomers measure the mind-bogglingly large masses of stars or galaxies in solar masses, with one solar mass equal to the Sun’s mass (that is, 2 x 1030 kilograms/4.4 x 1030 pounds). Typical neutron stars have a mass of up to three solar masses, which is crammed into a sphere with a radius of approximately ten kilometres (6.2 miles) – resulting in some of the densest matter in the known universe.6. Hawaii moves 7.5cm closer to Alaska every yearHawaii’s pace is comparable to the speed at which our fingernails grow.The Earth’s crust is split into gigantic pieces called tectonic plates. These plates are in constant motion, propelled by currents in the Earth’s upper mantle. Hot, less-dense rock rises before cooling and sinking, giving rise to circular convection currents which act like giant conveyor belts, slowly shifting the tectonic plates above them. Hawaii sits in the middle of the Pacific Plate, which is slowly drifting north-west towards the North American Plate, back to Alaska. The plates’ pace is comparable to the speed at which our fingernails grow.7. Chalk is made from trillions of microscopic plankton fossilsChalk is made from single-celled algae that lived in Earth’s oceans for 200 million years.Tiny single-celled algae called coccolithophores have lived in Earth’s oceans for 200 million years. Unlike any other marine plant, they surround themselves with minuscule plates of calcite (coccoliths). Just under 100 million years ago, conditions were just right for coccolithophores to accumulate in a thick layer coating ocean floors in a white ooze. As further sediment built up on top, the pressure compressed the coccoliths to form rock, creating chalk deposits such as the white cliffs of Dover. Coccolithophores are just one of many prehistoric species that have been immortalised in fossil form, but how do we know how old they are? Over time, rock forms in horizontal layers, leaving older rocks at the bottom and younger rocks near the top. By studying the type of rock in which a fossil is found palaeontologists can roughly guess its age. Carbon dating estimates a fossil’s age more precisely, based on the rate of decay of radioactive elements such as carbon-14.8. In 2.3 billion years it will be too hot for life to exist on EarthOur planet will eventually become a vast desert similar to Mars today.Over the coming hundreds of millions of years, the Sun will continue to get progressively brighter and hotter. In just over 2 billion years, temperatures will be high enough to evaporate our oceans, making life on Earth impossible. Our planet will become a vast desert similar to Mars today. As it expands into a red giant in the following few billion years, scientists predict that the Sun will finally engulf Earth altogether, spelling the definite end for our planet.9. Polar bears are nearly undetectable by infrared camerasPolar bears keep warm due to a thick layer of blubber under the skin.Thermal cameras detect the heat lost by a subject as infrared, but polar bears are experts at conserving heat. The bears keep warm due to a thick layer of blubber under the skin. Add to this a dense fur coat and they can endure the chilliest Arctic day.10. It takes 8 minutes, 19 seconds for light to travel from the Sun to the EarthIt takes five and a half hours for the Sun’s light to reach Pluto.In space, light travels at 300,000 kilometres (186,000 miles) per second. Even at this breakneck speed, covering the 150 million odd kilometres (93 million miles) between us and the Sun takes a considerable time. And eight minutes is still very little compared to the five and a half hours it takes for the Sun’s light to reach Pluto.11. If you took out all the empty space in our atoms, the human race could fit in the volume of a sugar cubeOver 99.99999 per cent of atoms are empty spaceThe atoms that make up the world around us seem solid, but are in fact over 99.99999 per cent empty space. An atom consists of a tiny, dense nucleus surrounded by a cloud of electrons, spread over a proportionately vast area. This is because as well as being particles, electrons act like waves. Electrons can only exist where the crests and troughs of these waves add up correctly. And instead of existing in one point, each electron’s location is spread over a range of probabilities – an orbital. They thus occupy a huge amount of space.12. Stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve stainless steelYour stomach lining entirely renews itself every four daysYour stomach digests food thanks to highly corrosive hydrochloric acid with a pH of 2 to 3. This acid also attacks your stomach lining, which protects itself by secreting an alkali bicarbonate solution. The lining still needs to be replaced continually, and it entirely renews itself every four days.13. The Earth is a giant magnetThe Earth’s magnetic field is used by compass needles worldwide.Earth’s inner core is a sphere of solid iron, surrounded by liquid iron. Variations in temperature and density create currents in this iron, which in turn produce electrical currents. Lined up by the Earth’s spin, these currents combine to create a magnetic field, used by compass needles worldwide.14. Venus is the only planet to spin clockwiseVenus was likely knocked off course by a gigantic asteroid.Our Solar System started off as a swirling cloud of dust and gas which eventually collapsed into a spinning disc with the Sun at its centre. Because of this common origin, all the planets move around the Sun in the same direction and on roughly the same plane. They also all spin in the same direction (counterclockwise if observed from ‘above’) – except Uranus and Venus. Uranus spins on its side, while Venus defiantly spins in the complete opposite direction. The most likely cause of these planetary oddballs are gigantic asteroids which knocked them off course in the distant past.15. A flea can accelerate faster than the Space ShuttleFleas experience 100 g when they jumpA jumping flea reaches dizzying heights of about eight centimetres (three inches) in a millisecond. Acceleration is the change in speed of an object over time, often measured in ‘g’s, with one g equal to the acceleration caused by gravity on Earth (9.8 metres/32.2 feet per square second). Fleas experience 100 g, while the Space Shuttle peaked at around 5 g. The flea’s secret is a stretchy rubber-like protein which allows it to store and release energy like a spring.I hope you enjoy…Please follow me and give your precious upvote to me…