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This is what my lecturer is ditching me to do. Dickhead better come back with something cool.

Mission to Reach the Mantle

For over a century, a chance to retrieve a sample from the Earth’s mantle has been an ambition of the geological community. To a geologist, the value of a sample from the mantle can be comparable to a lunar rock, as it provides vital insights into the origins and the evolution of our planet. However, this endeavor is more difficult than landing on the moon. There have been attempts made in the past, and none have drilled deeper than 2 kilometers into the ocean crust.

Keep reading

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This is your brain experiencing a concussion

It may look like this model brain is made of Jell-O, but it’s the same consistency as a real brain.

As Dr. Christopher Giza from UCLA demonstrates, the brain is made of soft tissue and floats in fluid inside of the skull. When the skull moves quickly, the brain can jostle around a lot, which can lead to neurological symptoms.

“Most concussions are recoverable,” Giza said.

But concussions can be difficult to identify and some people suffer more serious symptoms, particularly after multiple concussions.

Lab studies have shown a “window of vulnerability” after a first concussion, Giza said. Concussed athletes are three to six times more likely to get another concussion. If they rush back to play, their reflexes, reaction time and thinking may be slower, putting them at risk of a second concussion and longer recovery period.

Six things parents and athletes need to know about concussions.

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By The Numbers: The Lord of the Rings Films

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If pumpkin spice lattes are made with coffee, and coffee is acidic, why does drinking them make white girls more basic?

A pumpkin spice latte is known to be exactly 6.45 in the pH scale which makes it slightly acidic. When we ingest something acidic, that lowers the pH of our body. But our bodies must maintain a pH very close to 7.4 in order for survival. So the it counteracts this acidity with more alkalinity to “even” it out. So for a moment it makes white girls “more basic” to neutralize the acidity, and this also tells us that they “can’t even” because of the constant pH imbalance in their body due to pumpkin spice latte’s.

*takes a sip from pumpkin spice latte*

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Could really do with being back at Reading festival now.

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People have always had an appetite for science. But the way it’s been taught — where facts are poured into students heads and it’s called science — where’s the joy of discovery there? The science has been eviscerated of the curiosity, the stimulation of your curiosity that we take for granted as children.“ A scientist is someone who simply never grew up. They’ve maintained their childlike wonder of the unknown. And we all have that within us.

Neil Degrasse Tyson (via mindblowingscience)

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Some incredible views while on route to and in our mapping area in Spain with university from back in April.

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Recieved this photo from a friend currently in Australia of some incredible boudinage.

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Stacks and arches from when I was in Iceland.

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10 Tyson Tweets

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I'm moving to Latvia.

Fact Source: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/tobacco/news/news/2015/01/smoking-in-the-presence-of-a-child-is-regarded-as-a-physical-violence,-says-new-law-in-latvia

For more facts, follow Ultrafacts

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My new favourite fact.

Scientists Discover That Eyes Are Windows To The Soul

The eye is the window to the universe, and some would say they are also windows to the soul… We have heard this phrase get passed around before: “The eyes are the windows of the soul”. People usually say this when they can see pain, anger, or some other emotion in somebody else’s eyes.  But recent research gives a whole new meaning to this phrase.  Eyes not only windows to emotions, they are windows to the soul.

How? The answer has to do with the actual eyeball itself.  Everyone has a different structure of lines, dots and colors within the iris of their eye.  Some people may have similar eye color to each other, but the lines and dots on the iris are as unique as a fingerprint.

Although they vary from person to person, there are certain patterns contained within the iris which are widespread, and scientists at Orebro University in Sweden wanted to see if these patterns correlated with specific personality traits.

They focused on patterns in crypts (threads which radiate from the pupil) and contraction furrows (lines curving around the outer edge) which are formed when the pupils dilate.  The studied the eyes of 428 subjects to see if the crypts patters and contraction furrows reflected their character traits.

What they found

Their findings showed those with densely packed crypts are more warmhearted, tender, trusting, and likely to sympathize with others.  In comparison, those with more contraction furrows were more neurotic, impulsive and likely to give way to cravings.

It’s crazy to think how the markings on a person’s eyeball can reveal the most deep-rooted character traits of an individual.

There was an extremely strong correlation between a person’s iris and their personality traits.  But correlation does not imply causation right? Right. But it appears as though both eye detail and a person’s character traits may be caused by the same thing.

The researchers said that eye structure and personality could be linked because the gene sequences responsible for developing the structure of the iris also contribute to the development of the frontal lobe of our brain, which is the motherboard of our personality.

“‘Our results suggest people with different iris features tend to develop along different personality lines,’ said Matt Larsson, a behavioural scientist who led the study at Orebro University.  ‘These findings support the notion that people with different iris configurations tend to develop along different trajectories in regards to personality.  Differences in the iris can be used as a biomarker that reflects differences between people.’”

The scientists also mentioned something very interesting about a gene called PAX6, which controls the formation of the eye in the early stages of embryonic development.  Research has shown that mutation of the gene results in poor social skills, impulsiveness, and poor communication skills.

Eye color reveals even more

According to researchers at Pittsburgh University, women with lighter colored eyes experience less pain during childbirth compared to women with darker eyes. People with lighter eyes also consume significantly more alcohol, as darker eyed people require less alcohol to become intoxicated.

The reason boils down to genes. A senior lecturer in biomolecular sciences at Liverpool John Moores University said, “What we know now is that eye color is based on 12 to 13 individual variations in people’s genes… These genes do other things in the body.”

Take melanin, the pigment that makes eyes darker. Melanin may also makes people more susceptible to alcohol. When psychologists at Georgia State University in Atlanta surveyed more than 12,000 men and women, they found those with light eyes consumed significantly more alcohol than those with dark eyes. The reason brown-eyed people may drink less – and also be less likely to be alcoholics – is because they need less alcohol to become intoxicated.

Melanin not only determines eye darkness, it’s also an insulator for the electrical connections between brain cells. The more melanin in the brain, the more efficiently, sensitively and faster the brain can work, the researchers reported in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.  So the chemical responsible for eye darkness is also responsible for brain efficiency.

Eyes are literally the windows to the inner most aspects of our personality and character traits.  If you look into someones eyes, you can easily tell if they are scared, sad, or worn down inside.  But if you look even closer, you will also be able to see what kind of psychology and personality that person has.  Eyes are literally a window into people’s souls.

By: Steven Bancarz