8th February 2016
Space scientists estimate that daily about 40 tons of cosmic or space dust falls on earth. They are studying this dust by collecting them using high-altitude aircraft and satellites. The origin of this dust is not clear. However, it is speculated that in space the asteroids, meteors and comets collide, thus producing dust.
8th February 2016
A chameleon is a kind of lizard that eats small insects. It uses its unique tongue to catch its prey. The tongue is coiled inside its mouth. During catching its prey, the chameleon projects its tongue out with a force which the scientists call the ballistic mechanism to capture the prey. The tongue can project up to double the size of the chameleon’s body. Sometimes the tongue may extend up to 600 per cent of its original resting size.
8th February 2016
On December 12, 2012, the numbers of the day, month and year all matched, i.e. it was 12.12.12. The next such date will come on 1.1.2101. Here are some other interesting facts about the number 12.
8th February 2016
Alkali metals are chemical elements that are highly reactive with oxygen in the air and water. The alkali metals are sodium, potassium, rubidium cesium, and francium. When any of these metals is dropped in water, an explosion takes place with the generation of heat. The alkali metal breaks water into its constituents, hydrogen and hydroxyl ions, and due to the heat, the hydrogen gas catches fire. They react immediately with oxygen in the air to form oxides. Hence pure alkali metals are not found in nature. Due to their highly reactive nature, pure alkali metals are stored in kerosene or mineral oil (paraffin) to prevent an explosion.
8th February 2016
A lightning is usually produced by the cumulonimbus clouds in the atmosphere. In the clouds, negative and positive electric fields are formed from top to bottom containing negative and positive ions respectively. A column of ions (leader bolt) moves from the negatively charged part to the positively charged part, discharging electricity. The speed of such a bolt could exceed 22,000 kilometres per hour, that is 14,000 miles per hour, and can reach a temperature of more than 30,000-degree celsius.
8th February 2016
The bestselling books by eminent authors were named differently. The book Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell was named Ba Ba Black Sheep, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy was named All’s Well that Ends Well and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly was named Prometheus Unchained.
