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Why Does Water Freeze?
Why Does Water Freeze? In a Nutshell ... Water freezes because water molecules stick to one another when they get cold and slow down.
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Were the Moon Landings Fake ? – Debunking The Conspiracy Theories
To have to be forced to even think about debunking this question is something of a sad indictment of our current zeitgeist. That said, the Moon Landing conspiracy, is one of those theories that seems to persist – so we’ll give it our best shot to explain the most pertinent objections that are often quoted as ‘proof’ that it was all fake, and nothing more than an attempt to humiliate the Russians and hoodwink the world in the cause of American glory.
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How Can Flies Fly at Speed into a Pane of Glass and Seemingly Remain Uninjured ?
How Can Flies Fly at Speed into a Pane of Glass and Seemingly Remain Uninjured ?
The answer lies in a basic physics equation – one we would all have learned at school – and in the fact that the anatomy of a fly is rather springy.
How is it that a Yacht Can Travel Faster than the Wind ?
There is something undeniably odd about a yacht doing 25 knots while sailing into a 15 knot wind. So, how is it that a yacht can travel faster than the wind ?
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Are Old Windows Thicker at the Base Because Glass Flows Like Syrup ?
This is one of those urban myths that refuses to die. The idea that glass is really a viscous liquid, so thick that it takes centuries for it to flow. But what is the truth ?
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Brew Time Conundrums : Why does a kettle of water quieten down just before it starts to boil ?
They say that “a watched pot never boils”, but next time you’re in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil for a fresh brew take a moment to listen, rather than watch, to what happens just before your kettle reaches boiling point. A short period where it actually gets quieter – so what’s going on here then ?
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Strange but True : Medical Scanners from Old Battleships
The idea that all war is forever over and that swords will be put to a more peaceful use is appealing, but seemingly ever beyond our grasp. The literal forging of weapons into a better purpose seems far fetched, so it will surprise you to know that today we literally are doing this! Medical Scanners are being made from old WW2 and pre-WW2 Battleships. But why ?
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The Mile High Tea Club – Or is it Possible to get a Good Cuppa whilst In-Flight?
At guernseydonkey.com we take our tea very seriously to wit our advice on “Making the Perfect Cup of Tea”. So, to the next tea conundrum : Is it possible to get a decent cup of tea while on an aeroplane ?
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Measuring Infinity – How Many Atoms Are There in the Universe ?
t’s no secret that the universe is an extremely vast place. But can we calculate how many atoms it contains?
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Hard Science : The Relative Hardness of Being
Here’s a rather random, but nevertheless interesting, science fact : Did you know that there’s a Scientific scale of hardness ? And when you see it you’ll find that its surprisingly simple – no equations, no calculus and no test tubes involved at all.
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The Joy of Slinky – The Physics of a Metal Marvel
I’ve recently re-discovered the joy of the Slinky – one of the simplest of all children’s toys and yet, so beguiling, as it seems to defy the laws of physics by hinting at some sort of perpetual motion. So how on earth does this work?
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How to Measure the Speed of Light Using Chocolate, a Microwave and a Ruler
It took over 300 years of experimentation and refinement to arrive at the figure for the speed of light which we use as standard today. That being the case, the method proposed in this article for determining that speed yourself might seem more than a little surprising.
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Is it True that Opera Singers Really Can Shatter Wine Glasses by Singing ?
The renowned soprano Dame Nellie Melba is reputed to have performed this trick and in 1971 the audio-tape maker Memorex based a very successful advertising campaign around Ella Fitzgerald shattering glass both when singing live and when recorded on its tape cassettes (a claim the company still stands by today).
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Why are only some substances magnetic?
Magnetism is a manifestation of some very fundamental physics, ultimately linked to the orbital motion and spin of the electrons in atoms.
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Can Magnets Wear Out?
Toy magnets sometimes come with warnings not to drop them or heat them up, lest they lose their magnetic power. But is that true can magnetic substances really lose their magnetism ?.
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Where Does All the Light Go When you Switch Off the light Switch ?
It seems simple enough – you flip a switch, and in the blink of an eye the room has gone completely dark. But where exactly did all of the light go ? What actually makes the room dark?
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Why Does Ice Float?
Water is one of the strangest chemicals in the universe, and many of its strangest features turn out to be essential for life as we know it, particularly the almost unique property of water related to freezing. So why does it float when it becomes a solid?
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