Crystal Science: Grow Your Own Magic Crystal Coral Reef
Crystal Science: Grow Your Own Magic Crystal Coral Reef DIY Science Experiment Topic: Crystallography Level: Easy On a cool January morning I marched into Smyths Toys store in Galway city to find myself standing in front of a small science section. I noticed a Deep Sea Grow Kit for just €5 and decided to give it a try. I never imagined growing crystals or that it was even legally possible (I’m just an amateur on the subject of science, but hey, I’m learning something every day). What does a five euro science kit box contain you ask? Why, multiple things actually. There are 32 objects, including sea-inspired cardboard objects, petri dishes, markers as well as crystal growing solution. To be honest, it was well worth five euro, but let me tell you what happens next! Using the kit, we are going to grow crystals by pouring the growing solution on a…
How Old is the Universe? A Biblical Approach by Irish Archbishop James Ussher
How Old is the Universe? A Biblical Approach by Irish Archbishop James Ussher Ireland has a rich history of scientific contributions that have helped shape our understanding of the world around us. You might not have heard of many of them, or you may struggle to name a famous Irish scientist, but don’t worry—these articles are here to shine a light on the scientific achievements of Irish scientists. Let’s discuss the Age of the Universe. Have you ever looked at the sky and wondered how old is the cosmos? Or when were all the stars, the Sun, the Moon, and all else born? At the present moment As of today, scientists calculated the estimate age of the universe to be around 13.8 billion years old. That is when we believe the Big explosion called the Big Bang happened an the universe came into existence. And this is what we calculated…
What is a Black Hole?
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE? The single thought that something so massive, so dangerous and so glutonous can exist out there in the universe has always sent a chill down my spine. Getting anywhere close to it leads to inevitable annihilation. But is there really no way out? And most importantly – what’s inside it? What is a Black Hole? How is a Black Hole Created? It is difficult to study a black hole formation directly because once a black hole exists, information about its origin cannot easily be observed. A black hole basically destroys its own origin. However, based on theories and observations, scientists believe the following: In the book Black Holes and Baby Universes, Stephen Hawking explains that when a black hole is created, it rapidly settles down and becomes a stationary object. Black holes are characterised by three parameters: This idea is known as the no-hair theorem.…
What is Special Relativity?
WHAT IS SPECIAL RELATIVITY It is near the end of the year 2025, which marks 120 years since Albert Einstein published the Special Theory of Relativity. This theory was a crucial milestone in physics, demonstrating the equivalence of mass and energy, a relationship famously expressed by the equation: E=mc² Almost every book I picked up covers the topic on Special Relativity, and it is perhaps one of the most important checkboxes to tick if you are new to physics. What is Special Relativity? Special relativity was discovered because classical physics (at that present time) couldn’t explain why the speed of light is always the same—and Einstein realized space and time had to adapt. Through theoretical reasoning and experiments, Einstein explained that because the speed of light is constant, time itself must be relative. He introduced time dilation, length contraction, and mass–energy equivalence, which together led to one of the most…
What Are Grand Unified Theories
What Are Grand Unified Theories “Symmetry, once broken, still leaves a trace. That trace is what we see in the laws of nature.” – Salam on the role of symmetry breaking in unified theories. What are Grand Unified Theories? Grand Unified Theories (or GUT for short) are theories which try to merge the three of the four fundamental forces of nature – the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force and electromagnetism into one unified theory. These GUTs are theories take us furthest back in time. Why? Because each one is an attempt to show that the three basic forces of nature – the strong, weak, and electromagnetic interactions – which govern the behaviour of all matter, were once unified into a single force (a so called “Superforce“) in the earliest moments after the Big Bang. Who Proposed the GUT? GUTs were not invented by one single person. These theories…
What is Gravity?
What is Gravity? What is Gravity? The story of gravity is deeply tied to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (1915-1916). Einstein realized that the gravitational field is not something separate from space — it is the curvature of spacetime itself. Even after more than a century, General Relativity remains our best theory of gravity. What is Gravity Made of? What is the Purpose of Gravity? When that balance fails, the star collapses — sometimes forming a black hole, where gravity becomes so strong that not even light can escape. Some Phenomena of Gravity Newton’s Law of Gravitation – Is it Correct? Well, Newton was born before Einstein, and back then people believed that space was flat. So did Newton. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t contributed the the work on gravity. His work and formula needed to be updated or enhanced. As Richard Feynman said in Six Easy Pieces: “Newton’s law…
What is a Star, Why Do They Shine?
What is a Star and Why Do THey Shine? “For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” Vincent van Gogh Today we’re exploring the fascinating world of stars. On a clear night, we can see countless stars in the sky. Some shine brightly, while others appear dim, like a sprinkle of cosmic dust that gently illuminates the night. What is a Star? Check out my full video of this article below, or scroll down to continue reading the article. How are Stars Born? When a Star Dies Eventually, every star will die. As thermodynamics teaches us, nothing lasts forever. When a star reaches the end of its life, one of three outcomes may occur, depending on its mass: Facts About our Sun Mysteries About Stars Resources The following books helped with my research for this article: Please note: I carefully…
Electron – What is it and Who Named it?
Credit: Zhang et al. 2022
What is Light? Why is the Sky Blue?
What is Light? Why is the Sky Blue? “We begin with light.[..] Light is like raindrops, each drop is called a photon and all the raindrops are of the same size. When we say light, we mean all aspects of light.” – Richard Feynman What is light? Light is more than just light. All of this is light, just different numbers. And it’s made of particles. What is light made of? The speed of light Why is the sky blue? Here is where I paused and asked myself: if the red light has a longer wavelength, how come it doesn’t scatter more easily than blue? This is due to a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering. When light is traveling to Earth, it hits the atmosphere and interacts with molecules like oxygen and nitrogen. Rayleigh scattering is stronger for shorter wavelengths — specifically, intensity is inversely proportional to the fourth power of…
What is Time? When Did Time Begin?
What is Time? When Did Time Begin? “A mystery is only a mystery as long as it remains uninvestigated, sir.“ – Data, Star Trek: The Next Generation What Is Time? In everyday life here on Earth, time can be seen as an invisible straight arrow on which we track when events in our lives occur. Our clocks measure how long an event lasts using familiar units like seconds, minutes, and hours. Time vs. Spacetime It’s important to understand that time is viewed differently in science. “What we have to do is treat time as an additional dimension. Space has three dimensions: left-right, up-down, and forward-backward. When we try to add time into space, we create four coordinates and a four-dimensional space.” So why treat time as a dimension? When Did Time Begin? No one knows exactly when time began. Humans weren’t handed a cosmic manual on how to manage it…
Predicting Weather with a Storm Glass?
What is a Storm Glass? Long before the popular TV source RTÉ – and even further back, before the 17th century—people relied on keen observation to predict the weather. Changes in cloud formations or wind direction were often key natural indicators of what was to come. What is a storm glass? A storm glass is a glass container that is sealed and filled with water and chemicals, and demonstrates a chemical process of crystallisation. The storm glass was used to predict weather changes based on the appearance of the crystals inside the container. What is it made of? The liquid in a storm glass is a mixture of various ingredients, often containing distilled water, ethanol, camphor, ammonium chloride, and potassium nitrate. Who Invented the Storm Glass? The credit goes to Robert FitzRoy, an English Meteorologist and Officer of the Royal Navy. Although a device similar to this was already developed…
Who Was Newton?
Who Was Newton? Quick Info: Sir Isaac Newton Newton’s Work Sir Isaac Newton’s past is overflowing with achievements throughout many fields, such as physics, mathematics and optics. Here are some of his most incredible work: Laws of Motion – Law 1 “Any object stays still or moved at a steady speed in a straight line at a constant velocity UNLESS it is pushed or pulled by a force.” In other words, an object does not move unless something forces it to (inertia) and it will go on moving at the same speed ad direction unless force to change (momentum). Laws of Motion – Law 2 The greater the mass of an object, the more force is needed to make it speed up, slow down, or change direction. Laws of Motion – Law 3 “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction” . In short – when something pushes…