Tag: pkar

How do meteorites from Mars end up on Earth?

How do meteorites from Mars end up on Earth? REBECCA JONES, VIA EMAIL There are several strands of evidence implying that some meteorites found on Earth actually originate from Mars. Scientists have used a technique called ‘radiometric dating’ to determine the ages of these chunks of rock. The method, which is analogous to radiocarbon dating […]

Why can I raise one eyebrow and not the other?

Why can I raise one eyebrow and not the other? JENNIFER BRUCE, VIA EMAIL There isn’t much of a consensus on this. Some people think it’s due to greater muscle dexterity on one side of the face, others say one eyebrow is dominant in the way that one hand is dominant, while others argue that […]

If we colonise the Moon, will the colonists experience night and day?

If we colonise the Moon, will the colonists experience night and day? FRED VERNON, VIA EMAIL Yes, anyone living on the Moon will experience night and day, but a lunar day and night would last almost an entire Earth month. Earth’s gravity causes the Moon to elongate slightly on the sides nearest and farthest from […]

Christmas Quiz

1. At the start of the year, it was announced that China’s Artificial Sun broke the world record for the longest sustained nuclear plasma reaction after running for 17 minutes, 36 seconds. But how hot did it get? A. 50,000,000°C B. 70,000,000°C C. 30,000,000°C 2. The largest known bacteria, Thiomargarita magnifica, is found in the […]