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movers and quakers
whoever made this instagram post for penn deserves a pulitzer prize
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Deadliest animal in the world? It’s not what you think
When it comes to the deadliest animals on Earth, the tiny mosquito tops the list by a staggering margin.
Responsible for approximately 700,000 human deaths per year, mosquitoes transmit deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, and yellow fever. Despite their size, their global impact on public health is immense. In contrast, humans themselves cause about 400,000 human deaths annually through acts of violence, ranking second on this sobering list.
Other animals also contribute to significant mortality rates. Snakes are responsible for around 138,000 deaths each year, mostly due to venomous bites in regions with limited access to medical care. Dogs, largely through rabies transmission, account for about 59,000 deaths globally. These figures highlight the often-overlooked dangers posed by familiar creatures and reinforce the importance of public health efforts, vaccination programs, and awareness to reduce preventable deaths.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO), Global Burden of Disease Study. BBC Science Focus.
Responsible for approximately 700,000 human deaths per year, mosquitoes transmit deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, and yellow fever. Despite their size, their global impact on public health is immense. In contrast, humans themselves cause about 400,000 human deaths annually through acts of violence, ranking second on this sobering list.
Other animals also contribute to significant mortality rates. Snakes are responsible for around 138,000 deaths each year, mostly due to venomous bites in regions with limited access to medical care. Dogs, largely through rabies transmission, account for about 59,000 deaths globally. These figures highlight the often-overlooked dangers posed by familiar creatures and reinforce the importance of public health efforts, vaccination programs, and awareness to reduce preventable deaths.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO), Global Burden of Disease Study. BBC Science Focus.
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ChatGPT aims to please
ChatGPT just giving away the password set up so son wouldn’t use it to cheat on his homework
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Think chess is just a board game?
Think again. Scientists say the number of possible chess games is greater than the number of atoms in the entire universe — and that’s not an exaggeration. Known as the Shannon Number, this mind-melting figure (around 10¹²⁰) means that every move you make could open a new universe of possibilities — literally!
That’s what makes chess so endlessly fascinating. Even after centuries of play, no two games have ever been the same. From ancient kings to modern AIs, everyone’s still trying to master this infinite puzzle. It’s not just a game of strategy — it’s a glimpse into the boundless complexity of human thought.
That’s what makes chess so endlessly fascinating. Even after centuries of play, no two games have ever been the same. From ancient kings to modern AIs, everyone’s still trying to master this infinite puzzle. It’s not just a game of strategy — it’s a glimpse into the boundless complexity of human thought.
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11th century method for calculating Earth's radius!
Al-Biruni calculated the Earth's radius to be approximately 6,339.9 km (or 6,336 km in some sources), which is an incredibly close estimate for his time. He used a method involving trigonometry, the height of a mountain, and measuring the angle of the horizon's dip from the mountaintop. This calculation was highly accurate, with a margin of error of less than 1% compared to modern measurements.
Al-Biruni's method:
Concept: Al-Biruni understood that the Earth's curvature causes the horizon to appear lower from a mountaintop than from sea level.
Height measurement: He determined the height of a mountain by measuring the angle of elevation from two different points on flat ground.
Horizon dip: Using an astrolabe, he measured the angle of dip (or depression) of the horizon below the horizontal line from the mountaintop.
Calculation: He applied the law of sines to the large triangle formed by the Earth's center, the mountaintop, and the horizon to calculate the Earth's radius.
Result: His calculation for the radius was about 6,339.9 km, and his estimate for the circumference was within 0.3% of today's accepted value.
Al-Biruni's method:
Concept: Al-Biruni understood that the Earth's curvature causes the horizon to appear lower from a mountaintop than from sea level.
Height measurement: He determined the height of a mountain by measuring the angle of elevation from two different points on flat ground.
Horizon dip: Using an astrolabe, he measured the angle of dip (or depression) of the horizon below the horizontal line from the mountaintop.
Calculation: He applied the law of sines to the large triangle formed by the Earth's center, the mountaintop, and the horizon to calculate the Earth's radius.
Result: His calculation for the radius was about 6,339.9 km, and his estimate for the circumference was within 0.3% of today's accepted value.
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