Science, Art, Litt, Science based Art & Science Communication

Qs people asked me on science and my replies to them - part 219

Q: Why did Mount Everest's height change?

Krishna: The world's highest mountain is now officially a little higher. China and Nepal presented a new official figure of 8,848.86 meters (29,031.69 feet) above sea level.

China and Nepal agreed this week on a new standard height for Mount Everest. Geological changes, the complicated business of measuring a mountain and varying criteria for determining the world's highest peak will likely ensure the question isn't settled for good.

The mountain's height changes. The movement of tectonic plates can lift it up ever so gradually, while earthquakes can bring it down.

The countervailing forces may help maintain a degree of stability over time.

Moreover, measuring the height above sea level has always been tricky because ocean levels vary considerably depending on tides, magnetism and other factors. Rising sea levels are creating another factor for future measurements.

How high above sea level is just one way of measuring a mountain's height. One reason why Everest is measured as the highest is its base sits high up on already lofty foothills.

Q: Don't you think a solar eclipse is more effective than a lockdown in India in terms of locking people inside their homes?

Krishna: Don't you think a solar eclipse is more effective than a lockdown in India in terms of locking people inside their homes?

I read an interesting similar observation earlier. ‘A black cat at a traffic junction can halt traffic better than a red light.’

This shows the mental state we are in.

We don’t trust science but readily trust pseudo-science, superstitions, and irrationality. We prefer living in a pseudo-world!

So get ready for second and third waves of covid. Science strikes back when you ignore it.

Why is Einstein more valuable and great over his predecessors?

Krishna: Einstein’s value and greatness depend on your perception. There are many scientists who are as great as Einstein. But nobody talks about them. Some people say the media created and enhanced Einstein’s ‘greatness’.

Yes, Einstein did some good work. Who can forget his discovery of the photoelectric effect, for which he won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921? Einstein developed a theory of special and general relativity, which helped to complicate and expand upon theories that had been put forth by Isaac Newton over 200 years prior.

Einstein is generally considered the most ‘influential physicist’ of the 20th century.

But Einstein, like other scientists, made some mistakes too with regard to his work: The Importance of Peer Review: How even great scientists make mista...

Apart from his friend and classmate Marcel Grossmann who helped Einstein in his work, Mileva Marić Einstein, Einstein’s first wife, who was a Physicist herself, helped him a lot.

Einstein’s first wife : there is evidence that she contributed significantly to his ground-breaking science but was sadly side-lined even by her husband:

The Forgotten Life of Einstein's First Wife

This is my perception: Einstein ‘s ‘one of the good scientists’. Many scientists are as good as Einstein. But I don’t consider him as ‘the greatest’. You don’t grade scientists like that. That is undermining the contributions of other good scientists. Influential? Famous? Yes! Because of the media hype and the resultant perception of the general public.

Q: Is dry ice dangerous?

Dry ice can be a very serious hazard in a small space that isn't well-ventilated. As dry ice melts, it turns into carbon dioxide gas. In a small space, this gas can build up. If enough carbon dioxide gas is present, a person can become unconscious, and in some cases, die.

Q: What is Dry Ice?

Dry ice is solidified carbon dioxide. When dry ice melts, it turns into carbon dioxide gas. Carbon dioxide gas is always present in the environment, but in low concentrations. It is colorless and odorless. Use Dry Ice Safely Carbon dioxide gas is heavier than air, and therefore, it can pool in basements or other low areas. When transporting dry ice, always keep vehicle windows open to bring in fresh air. The quantity of dry ice used in a regular freezer or refrigerator is unlikely to produce carbon dioxide gas in sufficient quantity to cause a health problem. Dry ice can readily be used to keep foods cool in those types of containers. Are there any special precautions I should take when using dry ice? There are a number of important precautions to take when handling dry ice: Dry ice is much colder than regular ice, and can burn the skin similar to frostbite. You should wear insulated gloves when handling it. Wear safety glasses and a face shield if you are cutting or chipping it. Keep dry ice out of the reach of children. Never eat or swallow dry ice. Avoid inhaling carbon dioxide gas. Can I actually suffocate from dry ice? Dry ice can be a very serious hazard in a small space that isn't well-ventilated. As dry ice melts, it turns into carbon dioxide gas. In a small space, this gas can build up. If enough carbon dioxide gas is present, a person can become unconscious, and in some cases, die. Can I use dry ice in a walk-in cooler or freezer? It is very dangerous to use dry ice in a walk-in freezer, cooler, closed truck bed, or other small space with poor ventilation. A large amount of dry ice in a walk-in cooler or freezer can produce a great deal of carbon dioxide, which can possibly be fatal to someone entering that space. What are signs of being exposed to too much carbon dioxide? Symptoms of overexposure to carbon dioxide include headache and difficulty breathing, and with greater exposure, nausea and vomiting. What are some tips for using dry ice to keep foods cool? Order dry ice in the form and size in which it will be used. It can be difficult and dangerous to cut. Store dry ice in a container that allows some leakage. If unvented, carbon dioxide gas can build up pressure inside a jar or container as dry ice melts. How much dry ice will I need? The quantity of dry ice you will need to maintain temperature in a storage freezer or refrigerator will vary. Some basic tips for using dry ice to cool foods are: In a Refrigerator: A home-style refrigerator may use about 10 pounds of dry ice per day. Dry ice may freeze items, so place foods that may become damaged by freezing as far from dry ice as possible. Place ice on the bottom of a household type unit. Place newspaper or other materials as insulation on glass shelves to prevent the shelves from cracking. Keep liquids tightly covered so they do not become carbonated as th e....

https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/7081/index.htm

Q: If a planet has no atmosphere, would bodies on it rot?

Krishna: By using the word ‘bodies’, I surmise you mean ‘dead bodies’.

Right.

Let us take the example of Mars. Mars lost much of its atmosphere over billions of years. So what happens to a dead body on Mars?

Mars may not contain life of its own, atleast on the surface it might not have microbes. So there won’t be Martian surface microbes to act on the body. If left out on the Martian surface, a dead (human - because we are planning to go to Mars) body would last a very, very long time.

But immediately after death, the body would still start to decompose there. The bacteria inside the human body , transplanted from Earth (we protect ourselves from radiation, so the microbes inside our bodies too get protected), would go to work. If a dead body ‘s left outside at the Martian equator, where temperatures sometimes reach highs during the day, this could go on for a few hours. Without an insulating atmosphere, though, the planet cools quickly, and even balmy Martian nights are as cold as polar nights here. The body would freeze, stopping the work of the bacteria, and begin the slow, dry process of mummifying.

But something can work against this. Working against the preservation of the cold would be ionizing radiation, which destroys organic compounds. Eventually, radiation would degrade the body, but it would take several million years on Mars. It’s possible that the person’s bones could still be found after millions of years.

Mars is famous for its large, planet-wide dust storms. Mars has an atmosphere which is much thinner than the atmosphere on Earth, but which still creates winds. When these winds pick up the fine, dry particles of dust on Mars, a dust storm can occur.

And, because of the Martian dust storms, if the body gets buried, it would get protected from harsh radiation and might linger in the states of mummification and thawing during night and day because of the temperature variations. The final fate of the body is decided by how deep or shallow it is buried and what effects it is subjected to.

Well this is my guess work based on my knowledge. There is no way to confirm this until we get to the Mars and really study what happens.