Nature Abhors a Vacuum Fact
Aristotle once postulated “horror vacui” (Nature Abhors a Vacuum). It turns out nature really can’t stand a perfect vacuum.
Space
Space is the 3D realm in which all things occur, typically referring to the outer space beyond the atmosphere of the earth.
Factoids tagged with "Space"
The Sun Can Reverse its Magnetic Field Fact
The Sun’s magnetic field “flips” in cycles, with its field regularly weakening and strengthening, and reversing polarity roughly once every eleven years.
The Dark Side of the Moon Is Always Dark Myth
The “Dark Side” of the moon is not actually dark. Every month, it gets two weeks of sunlight and two weeks of darkness, just like the rest of the moon.
Nothing Can Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light Fact
No “thing” (including particles) can travel faster than light speed, but some “non-things” can. In both ways “nothing travels faster than the speed of light”.
The Earth Isn’t Flat Fact
The Earth is not flat; the Earth is an oblate spheroid (a bumpy sphere with a fat equator and skinny poles). There are many ways to prove the earth’s geometry.
There are More than 8 Planets in Our Solar System Myth
There are 8 known planets in our solar system, indirect evidence of a 9th as of 2016, 5 major dwarf planets including Pluto, and many smaller dwarf planets.
Richard Garriott Revolutionized Video Game RPGs Fact
Richard Garriott revolutionized video game RPGs by creating one of the first popular RPGs Ultima (1981), and one of the first MMORPGs Ultima Online (1997).
Everything is Made of “Star Stuff” Fact
As Carl Sagan correctly stated, “we are made from star stuff”. The elements in our body, and everywhere else were transformed by nucleosynthesis in stars.
Water Bears are the Only Known Animals to Survive in Space Fact
Water bears (tardigrades) are the only known animals to survive the vacuum of space. Water bears are extremophiles, meaning that they can survive extreme conditions (like high temperatures, and high pressure).
The Universe is Mostly Empty Space Myth
The universe and everything in it, including humans, is mostly “empty space.” However, space is not actually “empty,” it’s filled with quantum fields and dark energy.
Energy is Neither Created or Destroyed Fact
Energy can’t be created or destroyed and neither can mass. Although energy can change forms, all energy in a closed system must remain constant.
Things Can Actually Touch Each Other Myth
Things never touch because everything is made of atoms. Atoms contain electrons and electrons repel each other. This is basic physics.
Time is Relative Fact
Time is relative to speed and gravity (time dilation), and so is space (length contraction). Light speed is constant for all observers, so time and space can’t be.
Galileo Invented the Telescope Myth
The telescope is credited to Hans Lippershey in 1608. The following year Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei began making improvements to its design.