Few interesting facts about water (1)
Everyone knows that life comes out from water, that we ought to drink about 2 liters of water a day and that it covers a greater part of our planet. But there are still facts about this substance which can amaze anyone. Here are a few of them which I found interesting to describe.
First topic which may be interesting is : why can we play ducks and drakes?
Known from ancient times but described for the first time in 2004 by a French scientist. They recorded throne stones in slow motion. They used in this experiment a special catapult which allowed them to control speed of the projectile and the tempo of its rotation. They discovered that it is necessary to make stone jumping on water as it has to cross some threshold value. Otherwise the projectile will glide through water and it will stop and sink. Scientists discovered that during all stones’ way its vertical speed is constant while its horizontal speed decreases. Also what is necessary to play duck and drakes, the throne stone must rotate with sufficient speed to stabilize its movement. And the last condition which has to be executed is to throw the stone at a proper angle. There is a magic angle , around 20 degrees, at which stone must be leaning to reach the longest stone flight.
The world record is 51. Here is the video with the record and also the site where you can find tips how to achieve the best stone skip.
http://www.spryciarze.pl/ciekawostki/rekord-swiata-w-puszczaniu-kaczek-na-wodzie-51-odbic
http://prostoneskipping.com/index.htm
It appears that about water we know everything but it is not true. There are different types of clouds: cirrus’s, cumulus’s and other which we know from the lessons from the college. But there is one type of clouds which was not described: the mammatus. Translation from latin means, that these are clouds in the shape of breasts. If you do not believe here are the pictures.
Their shape is smooth and bulging. First documented mammatus clouds we can find on the XVI century paintings, but just a few years ago first serious researches were initiated. Mammatus cloud can form from every type of cloud and even from the smoke from a jet plane or smoke from volcanic eruption. Scientists who were into this “sky breasts” reported that from time to time they were from the ice crystals, another time they were formed from heavy rain drops.
The newest researches of these clouds resemble mammography. Clouds are scanned by the radar in high resolution to notice what the air circulation looks like inside. Till now no one can tell what the cause of its clouds’ shape is.
How many stone skips on water is your best score?
Do you think that researches on mammatus can help people to understand nature better?
Dou you think we know a lot about the world or it is only the top of the iceberg?
In comparison to record my score is ridiculously small, if I remember correctly it is under 10. I can not believe that this record is so high.
ReplyDeleteI think that any discovery of causes that we know more about the world around us. The findings are not important at this moment to be in a few years may be usefull. What we know about the world this is the tip of the iceberg. In the past, after all, people thought that the globe is flat. However, it seems to me that some of the findings will not be for us. will be for children grandchildren and generations to come, which will use it to their advantages. Thanks to this, people will still live on Earth many generations. I think that this is evolution.
Going back to my childhood life, reminds me very well that with bunch of friends we were going to the river and also at the lake and we were doing the competition of the stone skips but unfortunately I do not remember how many I did. Looking now there always was something’s to be discovered about it, I find it very interesting,
ReplyDeleteResearches about the mammatus clouds I think can help people and scientist to continue on the discovery missions to much more about the nature.
Our world itself is still so complicated, a lot of researches proved that ahead of us is still to work a lot and discover.
It` a quite strange that everything contains a water. We cannot see this but it`s in a fact. We have to realize that everything to exist what surround us need water. The problem is we do not know we waste priceless water making simple things like clearing teeth. For sure one day we can wake up and realize we have lost something and we cannot regain.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don`t remember my score in skip on water but for sure not spectacular :)
I think we know small part of world and we cannot predict what can happen. We destroy nature each day even if claim we do it because of human goods, nothing excuse us.
Definitely it is some mystery, that water is a part of most objects on earth, because in space on planets we know not on every of them water exists.And only on our planet is life. Do You think that there is some connection between this dependence? But do You all think that researches on for example ducks and drakes will be a milestone in whatever domain? I personally can not understand people taking part in such strange experiences.
ReplyDeleteMy best score in stone skips on water is 11. I think that researches on mammatus are one this researchs which don't get us necessary information how it really arise. For me it seems to be not needed. It just some kind of clouds and that is all. I don't see any reason to research it. It just look a little bit diffrent that normall clouds and nothing else. I think that we know a lot about our planet but there is still a huge areas which is still undiscovered.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember what's my best score. Actualle I used to play stoneskipping as I was a child ;) I remember going to the mountains with my parents to a small town at the river... And I tell you what :) The riverside was covered with flat stones. That was just a heaven for stonekipping!
ReplyDeleteDo I think that researches on mammatus can help people to understand nature better? I think so. We don't know about the World everything. The nature still remains as a mystery to some extent. But people always prefer to think that they already know everything ;) that's just comfortable.
It's hard for me to recall my best score but I'm sure it was a bit over 10. I'm no professional :)
ReplyDeleteIt's the first time I've heard about mammatus and I have to say it sounds quite interesting. I think everything is worth examining, one never knows what we can find out. We are not able to accurately predict the weather so I'll refrain from commenting on the rest.
In my opinion what we know now is just a tip of the iceberg, there is still much to discover (and what is more important - to understand).
Exactly I don't remember my best score, but I think it was something between 6-9 skips on water. I was thinking that I'm very good in that but after watching that film my record is very low. To make that score I had to practise a lot.
ReplyDeleteEvery researches some how can help people to understand nature better but we will destroy our nature faster than we will discover something.
When I was small, really enjoyed play duck, if I remember good my best score was 5-8 skips on water. I really liked to wath how a small, flat, oval stones are jumping at water. I always wondered how it is. Now I know, thank you :) (but I'm not good with scientis).
ReplyDeleteI really like water, but I don't like to know scientis side of water ;) (I know among other things, I know that our body consists maybe of 70% water.)
As Adam, it's my first time to hear about mammatus (I had a sailing camp and my teachers NEVER mentioned about that type of clouds).
I think that despite all the research we will never know everything about the Earth. For sure we will know more, but as we all know, the Earth can surprise us..
I always can't play ducks and drakes. The stones has been sinking every time I tried to throw them :( so my best score is zero :(( I think I am broken when it is about this game :/
ReplyDeleteDiscovering anything new and making researches on it helps people to get nature better. Even if they are bringing us smal step to knowing our world it is still a step ;) I think we should always appreciate the scientific study :)
In my opinion we know only a little about our world. Every day many of new species is discovered. Scientists strive to find new molecules. There are many thing that are going on our world that we can't even imagine ;)
That is great that You had some ideas how to comment this presentation, because after I put it here i was not sure if it suits this blog. I knew that topic about ducks and drakes maybe will bring for some of us the answer for the question from childchood "how to throw a stone to reach the highest score", but i will be in trouble to write something constructive about mammatus - cool that they are in the shape of boobs ;) maybe that is the cause they are not talking about them at sailing camps, because they may be a danger as the advertisements with naked girls next to the road.
ReplyDeleteWow, I thought I was good in 'playing ducks', but that movie proved me wrong. I have to practice more, as my record now is about 15 and that's not even close to 51.
ReplyDeleteI think that any (rational) research helps us understand the nature better. I agree that our knowledge about the world is quite little and it's so much more to learn about it. As Jan Milewski said, some researches which may seem pointless at the moment may reveal a lot in future. Many of the recent findings are just connecting the dots using a different dot-order. New researches can add new dots that would change everything.
My record in stone skipping is around ten, but I never thought of becoming a pro in that field :). What can be said about it? It's pure physics, I think it is possible to calculate the optimal throw parameters knowing the properties of water, air and the stone being thrown.
ReplyDeleteThe forming of clouds is also just a matter of natural sciences. Even though, we know a lot about nature, there is still a lot to be discovered. Most of the discoveries allowed us to do things, that previously were impossible. For example knowing enough about meteorology (also about clouds :)) and physics allowed us to travel long distances on airplanes in a matter of hours in a relatively safe way.
I wonder what may be discovered in the field of quantum physics. This is relatively new kind of science, still dominated by hypotheses and unconfirmed models, but proven useful in for example computing, where traditional electronics seems to approach its limit.
I never even get 10 in playing ducks. That score is amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe more interesting part of this post is that clouds. They have been discovered many years ago, but I never heard about them until now. Maybe becouse they are so rare.