DAY 8: Solar eclipses, zombie apocalypses and kangaroo mouse kidneys

The final three

We’re down to the top 3 scientists as voted for by the students, but who will make it to the top two?

Today’s highlights:

  • Did you know that the Sun is 400x the size of the moon yet 400x further away? Image by Tdadamemd for WIkimedia

    Did you know that the Sun is 400x the size of the moon yet 400x further away? Image by Tdadamemd for Wikimedia

    In the Indium Zone, some interesting eclipse facts:

dhynoable : How does a solar eclipse occur

christinapagel : it’s when our moon is exactly in the way of the sun… by coincidence the moon is 400 times smaller than the sun but the sun is 400 times further away so they look the same size to us!

dhynoable : So are we lucky that were in the right place for it to happen

christinapagel : yes we are! and eventually we won’t get them anymore as the moon as gradually moving further away from us

Do you think that in 200-300 years time that computers will be able to function as well as the human brain does now?

  • In the Quantum Zone, we learn how close we are to a zombie apocalypse:

emperor9271 : What is the possibility of a real zombie apocalypse?

davidfreeborn :  There are some funguses that make animals like ants behave as “zombies” by manipulating their brain. I don’t think any affect humans though

  • The kangaroo mouse has highly efficient kidneys. Image by Poco a poco for Wikimedia

    The kangaroo mouse has super efficient kidneys. Image by Poco a poco for Wikimedia

    A fundamental science question in the Energy Zone:

What is energy and why do we have it, who thought that we need it and what would like be like without it?

How far back can people trace their genes?

Which species of animal has the most efficient kidneys?

 

Posted on June 26, 2013 by in News. Comments Off on DAY 8: Solar eclipses, zombie apocalypses and kangaroo mouse kidneys