Facts You Don't Know About The World and The Solar System.

Science is essential for understanding the world we live in. The formation of our solar system began with a cloud of gas and dust collapsing under gravity. This cloud started to spin, forming swirling matter that eventually became planets like Earth. The Earth continues to rotate due to the initial angular momentum from the primordial clouds. Today, we have 4 entertaining science facts to share with you. Let's get started!

1. Alkali metals are a group of highly reactive elements that are located on the far left of the periodic table. These elements, such as lithium, potassium, and sodium, are characterized by their soft and shiny appearance. They are grouped together because they all possess a single electron in their outermost shell. While the other alkali metals exist in a solid state under normal temperature and pressure, hydrogen, which is also considered an alkali metal, is an exception. Although hydrogen is primarily found in its gaseous state on Earth, it can become a liquid at extremely low temperatures below 33 Kelvin and a solid below 14 Kelvin. These temperatures are close to absolute zero, requiring specialized equipment to achieve. Despite this, the concept of metallic hydrogen has been theorized for nearly a century due to the consistent behavior exhibited by alkali metals. It is believed that under extremely high temperatures and pressures, metallic hydrogen could be formed. In fact, it is speculated that gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn contain significant quantities of liquid metal hydrogen within their interiors. The immense gravitational pressure within these planets generates the necessary heat and conditions for metallic hydrogen to exist. As metallic hydrogen is an electrical conductor, this theory could potentially explain the strong magnetic fields observed in these gas giants. Although there is currently no definitive proof, the abundance of evidence supports the existence of metallic hydrogen in these celestial bodies.

2.According to a study published in the journal Plus One in 2014, crows possess intelligence comparable to that of human adults. However, interestingly, the same study also found that crows exhibit cognitive abilities similar to those of human children, specifically seven-year-olds. Crows can even comprehend abstract concepts such as analogies and the use of zero as a quantity. Additionally, these remarkable birds have exceptional memories. But here's where things take a chilling turn: crows are not to be underestimated. They have the ability to recognize and differentiate human faces, and they never forget a grudge. If a crow witnesses one human causing harm to another crow, that person may become the target of years of harassment and attacks by crows. Through their social nature and complex communication, crows effectively spread the word about which humans to despise. Their strategy is simple: the best defense against future wrongdoings from a particular human is a strong offense. Crows will strike first, dive-bombing the offending party. It remains unclear whether this information is primarily communicated through vocalizations or if crows simply observe one of their own taking action against a human and follow suit. Nevertheless, the spread of information among crows is remarkably efficient. In an experiment, a small group of crows were terrorized by a researcher wearing a gorilla mask once a year. Over time, the percentage of crows that recognized and attacked the masked researcher increased significantly. In the first year, 26% of the crows recognized him, but by the third year, a staggering 66% immediately identified the mask. These shared grudges are so pervasive that some speculate there may be an epigenetic component, meaning a generational hatred of specific individuals passed down to a crow's offspring through their genes. However, conclusive research on this matter is yet to be conducted.

3. Humans are hardly involved in this matter, considering how prevalent micro plastics have become. It would be quite a challenge to find a control group for future studies. However, in 2004, NASA's Spritz Space Telescope made an exciting discovery. It detected an exoplanet called GLE 436b, located just 33 light years away from us. This exoplanet holds the distinction of being the first hot Neptune ever discovered. A hot Neptune, as the name suggests, is a planet similar in size to Neptune or Uranus but orbits so close to its star that it becomes scorching hot. In fact, GLE 436b's orbital radius is only 30% of Earth's, making it even closer to its star than Mercury is to our sun. This proximity to its star results in a surface temperature of approximately 800 kelvins, which adds to the intrigue surrounding its composition. Based on our observations, the planet is too large to be predominantly gaseous like Jupiter, yet too small to be a rocky planet like Earth. Researchers believe that GLE 436b is covered in burning hot ice, a fascinating concept. It is thought that the planet is composed of an exotic form of water that has been transformed into ice due to immense pressure, rather than temperature. This unique characteristic prevents the ice from melting or boiling under extreme heat.

4. It's a phrase we've all heard countless times in movies and TV shows: "my life flashed before my eyes." This phenomenon, known as Life review, is often reported by individuals who have had near-death experiences. But is there any scientific basis for this phenomenon, or do people simply believe they experience it due to cultural expectations about death? For a long time, this question remained unanswered because studying it was a challenge. You can't just connect a group of sick or elderly individuals to EEG scans and wait for them to pass away. And even if researchers were to intentionally cause the death of a test subject, it would raise serious ethical concerns. As a result, it wasn't until 2021 that a group of researchers accidentally stumbled upon the answer to this question. In a study aimed at detecting and treating seizures, an 87-year-old epilepsy patient was connected to an EEG machine. Unfortunately, he suffered a heart attack during the study. Since the patient had a do not resuscitate order, the researchers continued monitoring his brain activity as he passed away. What they discovered was truly fascinating. The brain scans revealed that for 30 seconds before the heart stopped beating, and for an additional 30 seconds after, the brain appeared to rapidly replay memories. This finding provides scientific evidence that, indeed, your life does flash before your eyes before you die.