April 2019 > One-pot Science

Have you ever imagined what you would do if you got trapped in quicksand? Is quicksand a living being? Why does it suck things down? Let’s figure out the ins and outs of this amazing and at the same time weird thing in this new post.

What is quicksand?

First of all, no, it is not a living being who is going to “eat” you. It is a colloid hydrogel, made of a mixture of sand, clay or slit and water. It is mainly formed in areas where there is lots of underground water. This kind of hydrogel is also called a non-newtonian fluid. These fluids get completely different behaviour, depending on the stress you apply to them, as they can change its viscosity (continue reading to know more about non-newtonian fluids). When there is a lot of stress, they behave as a solid: they are tough. However, when there is no stress, it becomes soft and behaves like a regular fluid.

Continue reading “Quicksand: science behind the scenes.”

Last Wednesday was an important day, probably the most important of the year related to science. I was about to publish another post with a different topic. However, this revelation has marked a new starting point in the discovery of the universe, and I do have to talk about it.

Most of you might have watched in the news, newspapers or social media (since it is everywhere) the first real picture of a black hole. Many people say it looks like Sauron’s eye, but joking aside, the image looks like the one I was told when I was in school.

What is a black hole?

You have heard a lot about black holes – and even seen it in some films! – , but do you know exactly what it is? Why is it so hard to see? Let’s answer these questions first. Continue reading “Black holes: the discovery of the year and the decade”