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The human brain

The brain is the control center of our body. It is located inside the skull and floats in a liquid called cerebrospinal fluid. Its shape resembles a large walnut. It  communicates with the rest of the body through “wires” called nerves and through hormones. Neural signals can travel at speeds of up to 428 km/h.

The brain is roughly the size of two fists and weighs between 1,250 and 1,600 grams. Heavier individuals tend to have heavier brains. Men’s brains are heavier than women’s, but the weight of the brain has no connection to intelligence. About 60% of the brain consists of fatty acids.

The brain is divided into three parts: the cerebellum, the brainstem, and the cerebral cortex.

• The cerebellum is responsible for balance, movement, and coordination.

• The brainstem controls digestion and ensures that the heart and breathing do not stop.

• The cerebral cortex is the outer layer that consists of neurons, which you can read about below in our website (issue 4 of the magazine)

Dust

Dust is a fascinating and complex phenomenon that affects our planet in numerous ways. Let's explore what dust is, how it forms, and why it travels through our atmosphere.

Dust consists of tiny solid particles (under 500 micrometers) suspended in air, with sources ranging from soil and minerals to pollen, dead skin cells, industrial emissions, and even cosmic materials.

Formation

Dust forms through both natural processes and human activities:

Natural sources include weathering of rocks, desert erosion, volcanic eruptions, biological materials, and cosmic particles.

Human sources include agriculture, construction, mining, industrial processes, and transportation.

Atmospheric Movement

Dust travels through the atmosphere due to:

Wind patterns and global air circulation

Particle size (smaller particles stay airborne longer)

Vertical air movement through thermal convection

Organized transport systems like Saharan dust crossing the Atlantic

Environmental Impact

Atmospheric dust affects our planet by:

Regulating climate by reflecting or trapping heat

Providing nuclei for cloud formation

Transporting essential nutrients to distant ecosystems

Fertilizing oceans to stimulate marine life

Impacting air quality and human health

This natural phenomenon represents a complex interaction between Earth's geological, meteorological, and human systems.

For more, read the LinkedIn article

3 fun facts about nature

Happy May 1st!

Black Holes

 A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it.

Black holes can be primordial, stellar, intermediate, or supermassive.

Primordial black holes are very small and extremely dense. These black holes are believed to have formed in the early universe, right after the Big Bang. They are thought to be part of dark matter.

Stellar black holes are the most common type of black holes in the universe. They form from the collapse of a massive star at the  end of its life. Their mass can be up to 20 times that of our Sun, and they usually have a diameter of about 15 kilometers.

Intermediate black holes are rare and are believed to form from the merging of smaller black holes or the collapse of massive star clusters. Their mass ranges between that of stellar and supermassive black holes.

Supermassive black holes are found at the center of most galaxies, including our own.  Their mass is millions or even billions of times greater than that of our Sun.

 The supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy is called Sagittarius A*, as it lies in the direction of the Sagittarius constellation. According to Astronio, one of the most fascinating characteristics of black holes is the fact that they warp space and time around them. Due to their immense gravity, time near the event horizon flows much slower compared to a distant observer. This means that if someone were near a black hole, time for them would pass extremely slowly compared to someone far away from it.This phenomenon, known as time dilation, has been confirmed by Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and is a fundamental feature of the nature of black holes. In his video, Astronio mentions that this is one of the most exciting examples of how gravity can affect time itself!

images by NASA

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.” - Albert Einstein

Theory of relativity

A summarized text about the theory of relativity by Albert Einstein, from our monthly blog (May).

The Relativity of Time and Space: How Einstein Changed Our View of the Universe A little over a century ago, time and space were thought to be fixed and absolute. Albert Einstein revolutionized this view with his Theory of Relativity, made up of two parts: Special Relativity (1905) and General Relativity (1915).

Special Relativity introduced the idea that the laws of physics are the same for all observers and that the speed of light is constant. This led to surprising concepts like time dilation, length contraction, and the famous equation E = mc², explaining the link between mass and energy.

General Relativity expanded these ideas by describing gravity not as a force, but as the curvature of spacetime caused by mass. Massive objects like the Sun bend spacetime, guiding the motion of planets. The theory predicted phenomena like the bending of light, black holes, and gravitational waves, which have been confirmed through observations.

Relativity impacts everyday life too — for example, GPS systems correct for time differences caused by the effects of relativity. Near very massive objects like black holes, time slows dramatically.

Einstein’s work reshaped not only physics but also our understanding of reality itself, reminding us that imagination can be even more powerful than knowledge.

Interesting, isn't it?

For more information about this topic, see the whole article about the Theory of Relativity, in our website. It will be available from 5/1/2025 until 5/31/2025.

Ice brinicles

A sneak peak from the (unpublished) next issue of our magazine!

A brinicle seems like it comes from the world of science fiction: a frozen "stalactite" that forms underwater and freezes anything it touches along its path. In reality, it is a rare phenomenon that can occur in the Antarctic Ocean.

Its name comes from the combination of the words brine and icicle. It forms beneath layers of ice as salt is expelled during the freezing process. This concentrated brine, which is extremely cold and salty, doesn't freeze and sinks due to its density.

As this cold brine descends, it freezes the seawater it comes into contact with, forming an ice tube. The outer part of the tube solidifies, while the inside remains liquid, creating a unique underwater stalactite. Brinicles were first noticed in the 1960s, but were only captured on video in 2011, and many of their characteristics remain unexplored.

Brinicles can reach up to 25 centimeters in diameter and can grow several meters per day. When they touch the ocean floor, they form a layer known as "anchor ice." This ice spreads so quickly that it can trap creatures like starfish and sea urchins, leading to their death.

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Solar Eclipses

What are solar eclipses?🤨

That's a good question. As you probably knew, Solar eclipses are spectacular astronomical phenomena that occur when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, partially or completely covering the Sun's disk depending on the geometric alignment of these celestial bodies. But... did you know that there are different types of solar eclipses?

1. Total Solar Eclipse 

    The Moon completely covers the Sun, revealing a phenomenon called the "corona," which is the outer part of the Sun's atmosphere.  

   The total phase of the eclipse is usually brief, lasting only a few minutes.  

   It can be observed only from areas within a specific path called the "path of totality."

2. Partial Solar Eclipse

    The Moon covers only a part of the Sun, leaving the rest of its disk visible.  

    This is the most common type of eclipse and can be seen from a broader area compared to total eclipses.

3. Annular Solar Eclipse 

   Occurs when the Moon is farther from the Earth in its elliptical orbit and appears smaller than the Sun. Thus, it does not completely cover the Sun and creates a bright ring around the Moon, often referred to as the "ring of fire."

4. Hybrid Solar Eclipse

    A rare type that combines aspects of total and annular eclipses. In some areas, it appears as a total eclipse, while in others, as an annular eclipse.

Facts & Interesting Points:  

 Solar eclipses can only happen during the New Moon phase.  

 To safely observe them, special ISO-certified solar glasses or suitable telescope filters are required.  

Historically, solar eclipses have inspired awe and fear, as they were often associated with mythological and religious interpretations.

Now you know all about solar eclipses! 🤓

What is "Scientific Answers"?

Scientific Answers is an online educational magazine for all ages. It's an enjoyable way for all viewers to learn interesting facts about science and more. Scientific Answers of corse has its own website. In that website, not only you can read all published issues for free, but you can also take quizzes based on information from issues of the magazine combined and more!

Note: both magazine and website are available in Greek and English.