Have you ever wondered what heavy water tastes like? Indeed, you may be tempted to taste deuterium oxide and find out for yourself. That is what the chemistry Nobel laureate Harold Urey and a colleague did in 1935, reporting that the taste of heavy water was indistinguishable from normal water. This contradicted previous reports that heavy water was sweet or caused a dry and burning sensation in the mouth.
Now, an international team of chemists has repeated those taste tests in humans and mice – along with chemical and computer studies of human taste receptors. They concluded that heavy water is indeed sweet to humans, but not to mice. While deuterium and hydrogen are identical chemically, the fact that deuterium is twice as heavy means that there are small differences in the properties of molecules containing the different isotopes.
Harvard researchers reach the conclusion that exoplanet raindrops are just like Earth's
With a nod to B.J. Thomas' 1969 pop hit, "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," it appears that no matter where you are in the universe being pelted with liquid droplets originating from alien skies , the size and structure of those individual precipitation units basically remains the same as Earth's.
As described in a new research paper published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets , Harvard University researchers have provided a more unified theory on the physics of cloud formation and precipitation cycles on exoplanets whose weather conditions differ from our Big Blue Marble.
What Would Raindrops be Like on Other Worlds? - Universe Today
Precipitation is much more widespread throughout that solar system than commonly assumed. Obviously it rains water on Earth. But it snows carbon dioxide on Mars , rains methane on Titan , sulfuric acid on Venus , and could potentially rain diamonds on Neptune . The type of material falling out of the sky is almost as varied as the planets themselves.
There are two main causes for this: small raindrops evaporate while large raindrops separate into smaller ones. To determine what those levels might be, the scientists looked at what size droplets could be on planets similar to Earth, such as Mars or Venus.
Origin of water on planets in our universe | Mirage News
But how does this water find its way from interstellar space to the comets and planets it is found on? This was one of the questions that Professor Michel Fich from the Faculty of Science, and his international colleagues set out to research, using observations from the Herschel Space Observatory.
Measuring infrared light waves from its orbit around the Earth, this telescope had a unique eye on the stars, away from the water vapour in the Earth’s atmosphere. This let the telescope search the infrared wavelengths for signs of water in the far reaches of our universe.
Raindrop size can help identify habitable planets beyond the solar system: Study- Technology
A new study by researchers at Harvard University has proposed that understanding the behaviour and size of raindrops is key to identifying potentially habitable planets beyond the solar system. This is because raindrops are remarkably similar across planetary environments. The study has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research . The researchers at Havard are trying to find simpler ways to understand how clouds evolve.
The shape of raindrops helps in determining the falling speed which varies depending on the thickness of surrounding air and gravity.
Three Planets Spin so Fast They're Tearing Themselves Apart | Digital Trends
A team of astronomers has identified three brown dwarfs which are spinning ten times as fast as a typical planet, making them the fastest ever discovered.
Brown dwarfs are bodies in between planets and stars in size. They are sometimes known as “failed stars” as they don’t become large enough to sustain fusion of hydrogen. These particular brown dwarfs are notable because they are the fastest spinning examples of their type ever discovered. With a full rotation completed every hour, they are spinning so fast that they are on the verge of being torn apart. That helps researchers see the limits on how these bodies can form.
How Our Planet Shapes Its Creatures, And How Other Planets Might | Jefferson Public Radio
It's possible that the first alien from space encountered by humans will be neither a bug-eyed green dude or a dead ringer for Mr. Spock. Our own planet provides the clues: creatures on the bottom of the sea do not move and communicate the way us land-based bipeds do.
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原子炉でも利用されている重水は通常の水よりも「甘い」ことが判明 https://t.co/Gqc22rB8Ig gigazine Sat Apr 10 06:00:13 +0000 2021
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