MEXICO'S BLUE HOLE

Taam Ja

The world's deepest blue hole (marine sinkhole) lies off the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It's at least 420m (1,378ft) deep, but explorers still haven't found its bottom.

Known as 'Taam Ja', or 'deep water' in the Mayan language, it was discovered more than 20 years ago by a local diver, but it wasn't until 2021 that scientists attempted to measure its depth. Using an echo sounder to bounce sound waves off the bottom of the hole, they estimated Taam Ja' was 275m (902ft) deep.

But another expedition in 2023 used a device called a conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) profiler, with sensors that measure water pressure, to estimate its depth. This returned a reading of 420m (1,378ft), but they're not sure it reached the bottom.

Blue holes are naturally occurring caverns on the sea floor, with vertical walls. They're usually found in coastal regions where the bedrock is made of soft, soluble rock, such as limestone. This is gradually eroded, causing the rock above to collapse. Although usually only a few tens of metres deep, blue holes sometimes connect to underwater cave systems.

With poor water circulation, blue holes are low in oxygen deep down. This makes it hard for organisms to survive, but some microbes thrive there, consuming sulphur-based compounds, such as hydrogen sulphide. Other small creatures - including shelled single-celled organisms called foraminifera and tiny worm-like creatures called nematodes - have also been found living in blue holes. Scientists are keen to explore Taam Ja' to find out what creatures live in its dark blue waters. 

DO YOU KNOW

How do self-driving cars detect other vehicles on the road?

Self driving cars use many sensors as a replacement for the driver’s sense of sight and hearing. Autonomous cars create and maintain a map of their surroundings based on a variety of sensors situated in different parts of the vehicle. Radar sensors monitor the position of nearby vehicles. Video cameras detect traffic lights, read road signs, track other vehicles, and look for pedestrians.

MATHEMATICIAN

Pythagoras

One of the most famous names in the history of mathematics is Pythagoras. He is recognised as the first true mathematician. Pythagoras made influential contributions to philosophy and religion in the late 6th century BC. He is often revered as a great mathematician, mystic and scientist and is best known for the Pythagorean Theorem which bears his name.

Early Life: He was born on the Greek Island – Samos in the eastern Aegean. His birth date is estimated to be somewhere in 570 BC. His father was a merchant and travelled a lot for business. Pythagoras also accompanied his father in various expeditions.

Inspiration: When Pythagoras was 18, he met Thales - the first known Greek philosopher and scientist. It was this meeting which triggered his interest in the science of mathematics and astronomy. Thales advised him to travel to Egypt and explore these avenues. Pythagoras spent years in Egypt in search of all available knowledge and received wisdom from an Egyptian priest Oenuphis of Heliopolis.

Mathematikoi: In around 530 BC, Pythagoras settled in Croton- Italy, where he founded a philosophical and religious school that instantly attracted many followers. He established and headed a society called Mathematikoi. The members of his society lived permanently together and followed strict rules. Pythagoras taught all the members of the society personally.

Pythagorean Theorem: Pythagoras has commonly been credited for discovering the Pythagorean Theorem of geometry. It is widely believed that Pythagoras or his students were the first to construct its proof. Pythagoras believed that numbers had personalities like perfect or incomplete, masculine or feminine, beautiful or ugly. He also studied properties of numbers which would be familiar to mathematicians today like even and odd numbers.

Later years: Pythagoras desired to stay out of politics, yet his society was always affected by politics. In 510 BC Croton attacked and defeated its neighbour Sybaris and there are certainly some suggestions that Pythagoras became involved in the dispute. Then in around 508 BC the Pythagorean Society at Croton was attacked by Cylon, a noble from Croton itself. Pythagoras escaped to Metapontium and the most authors say he died there. His society expended rapidly after 500 BC and its contributions to mathematics are still recognised and respected.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN NATURE CALLS AT 10,000 METRES HIGH?

How do aeroplane toilets work?

Aeroplane loos don’t work like your toilet at home, which uses water and gravity to move waste into the sewer system. Instead they use a strong vacuum, along with a blue chemical that cleans and removes smells every time you flush.

A stinky tank

This sucking system is very much like the vacuum cleaners people use at home to remove dirt and dust from their floors. This dirt and dust ends up in a container that you empty into a rubbish bin. Similarly, the waste and the blue cleaning fluid from the aeroplane’s lavatories ends up in an underfloor storage tank, at the very back of the plane’s cargo hold. With so many people on a plane needing to use the toilet, you can imagine how big this tank has to be.

The vacuum pressure system moves all the solid and liquid waste from the toilet along a plumbing pipe that connects to the storage tank. There is a valve on the storage tank that opens when the loo is flushed and snaps shut when the toilet is not in use. This prevents foul odours escaping from the tank. This, along with the blue chemicals, helps keep the stink down.

What happens when the plane lands?

Once the plane has touched down on the ground, a special truck comes to meet it. A large hose is plugged into the waste tank valve and sucks out all the poo and wee into a container on the back of the truck.

Once everything has been emptied from the aircraft, the truck is driven to a special area at the airport where the waste from all the aeroplanes goes. From here, all of this faecal matter (a posh way of saying “poo”) is emptied into the airport’s sewer system. Driving this truck is a very important – and delicate – job. It takes three days of training for operators to learn how to use it.

FAST-FLYING FAECES On some planes waste zips into the storage tank at speeds of up to 130 miles per hour.

Watch out for blue ice

It has been reported that sometimes the valve that allows the truck to connect to the aeroplane’s waste tank can leak a small amount of the waste and blue chemical. This happens more often on older planes. The outside temperature at a normal cruising altitude of 10,000 metres is around -56°C, so the chemical turns into what is known as “blue ice”.

This blue ice remains attached to the plane as long as the temperature remains below freezing. However, as the aeroplane descends the blue ice begins to thaw, and may even fall off. There have been several occasions reported in the news where people have witnessed this flying poo.

FLUSHED WITH SUCCESS On a long-haul flight, the onboard toilets may be flushed more than 1,000 times.

In-flight dumping

In case you were wondering, the captain of the plane doesn’t have a button to release all the poo and wee from the storage tank while the plane is flying. Any waste that might leak out of the plane would be totally accidental.

Some people do think that aeroplane contrails (the white lines aircraft sometimes leave behind them in the sky) are either a special mind-control chemical or the toilet waste. Neither is true. What you are actually seeing is water vapour from the engines turning into solid crystals of ice, and forming a thin cloud in the sky.

DISCOVER THE MANY SECRETS SURROUNDING THIS ANCIENT SITE

Angkor Wat

Located in Cambodia, a country in southeast Asia, Angkor Wat is the world’s largest temple, and a hugely important historical site. It stands within the ancient city of Angkor, which was one of the biggest cities in the world in the 13th century. Angkor was much bigger than the largest cities of Europe that existed at the same time.

Despite Angkor’s great size and importance, the site is shrouded in mystery. Little is known about its past and even its original name has been forgotten. The temple’s modern name, Angkor Wat, simply means “city temple” in Khmer (Cambodia’s official language). At one point, the city was abandoned, and no one knows why or what happened to the people who lived there. Let’s take a journey through the mists of time, and see how science has tried to uncover the secrets of this ancient monument.

A mega city

Angkor Wat was built to house the remains of a king called Suryavarman II after his death. The temple was completed around 1150, shortly after the king’s death. It was designed to be a version of heaven on Earth, with lots of incredible carvings and decorations.

Constructing Angkor Wat was an epic task. It took 300,000 workers 37 years to build it. Around 6,000 elephants were used, stone was transported using canals, and around 4,000 people may have worked in the temple. Today, much of the city’s splendour has crumbled and been covered by jungle, but when it was constructed, Angkor Wat was filled with wonders both inside and out. A magnificent staircase led pilgrims to a statue of the Hindu god Vishnu, the temple’s roofs were gilded (covered in gold), as were the towers, which symbolised Mount Meru – home of the gods. After it was finished, Angkor Wat became a place of pilgrimage, visited by people for religious reasons, and the ancient temple is still a sacred site for Cambodians.

Wiping the record

Angkor Wat has had a turbulent history, and this is why there are so many mysteries surrounding the place. Shortly after it was built, the city was sacked (vandalised) by invaders. It was rebuilt by the powerful King Jayavarman VII and in 1589 a Portuguese monk, Antonio da Madalena, became the first westerner to visit Angkor. He wrote, “It is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe with a pen.” Given its splendour, many have wondered why Angkor Wat was left abandoned.

By the 20th century a big effort was begun to rescue the temple from being taken over by the jungle. However, the restoration work was interrupted in the 1970s, when a violent group known as the Khmer Rouge came to power. They destroyed much of the evidence from the city’s past and even used the temple walls for target practice. One man who lived during this time, Dy Proeung, made drawings of Angkor, which he saved by burying them in the jungle undergrowth. Many people’s stories, and the histories of Angkor Wat, were lost during this time.

Extreme weather

Scientists have put forward many different theories as to why the city was abandoned. Looking at the land and damage to buildings, climate scientists and environmental historians (people who study weather in the past) think the area was affected by flooding, and other disasters caused by extreme weather (such as drought), which made living there too hard.

New discoveries

In recent years, a new technology called Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) has helped unlock more of Angkor Wat’s treasures. Archaeologists (experts who study ancient objects to help us understand history) use this technology to “see through” the jungle, and have discovered the remains of houses, waterways and gardens. Some think that the gardens at Angkor Wat may have been bigger than anything seen in Europe until the 18th and 19th centuries.

However, despite these discoveries many mysteries still remain. The highest part of Angkor Wat is raised up on a mound, and some scientists think there could even be underground chambers hidden underneath. This ancient site still seems to have more secrets left to reveal.

THE HOLE IN A LOLLIPOP STICK

Lollipop stick notch / Lollipop stick groove

The hole in the "lollipop stick notch" or :lollipop stick groove", serves a functional purpose during the candy-making process and enhances the eating experience for consumers. When lollipops are manufactured, the liquid candy mixture is poured into moulds, and the sticks are inserted into the mixture. The hole in the stick allows the candy to adhere and harden around it, securely holding the stick in place within the lollipop. 

For consumers, the hole in the stick offers a practical grip, making it easier and more comfortable to hold and enjoy the lollipop without the risk of it slipping or falling off the stick. It also prevents accidental swallowing of the stick as it creates an air passage while consuming the candy. 

SHE HEARD THE STARS

Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Jocelyn Bell Burnell, an eminent astrophysicist from Northern Ireland, is known for her perseverance, discovery and advocacy. In 1967, she revolutionised the field of astronomy with the discovery of 'pulsars'.

Jocelyn was born on July 15, 1943, in Belfast, Northern Ireland to Allison and G Phillip Bell. Her father was an architect who helped design the Armagh Planetarium. During her visits there, the staff encouraged her to pursue further studies in astronomy. Even as a child, she used to read her father's book on astronomy, which also encouraged her to explore the field. 

Jocelyn grew up in Lurgan and attended the Preparatory Department of Lurgan College from 1948 to 1956. This was a time when boys could pursue technical fields, but girls were expected to learn skills like cooking and cross-stitching. However, it was different for Jocelyn, as her parents and a few others challenged the school's policies, and she was able to study science. But then, she failed her eleven-plus exam, and her parents sent her to The Mount School, a Quaker girls boarding school in York, England, where she completed her secondary education in 1961. Here, she was impressed by her physics teacher Mr Tillot, and said, "You don't have to learn lots and lots..... of facts; you just learn a few key things, and.... then you can apply and build and develop from those.... He was really good teacher and showed me how easy physics was." 

After finishing her secondary education at The Mount School, she joined the university of Glasgow for a Bachelor of Science in Natural Philosophy (physics) and graduated in 1965. Then she joined New Hall, Cambridge, where she gained her Ph D in 1969 in radio astronomy. As a research assistant at Cambridge, she helped in building a large telescope, and in 1967, while reviewing the experiments monitoring quasars, she discovered a series of extremely regular radio pulses. Extremely puzzled over this peculiar occurrence, she consulted her advisor, astrophysicist Antony Hewish, and together their team spent months eliminating possible sources of the pulses, which they dubbed LGM (Little Green Men). Once they monitored the pulses using more sensitive equipment, they discovered several more regular patterns of radio waves and determined that these waves were emanating from rapidly spinning neutron stars, which the press later named as 'pulsars'.

This discovery was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1974, but it was given to only Antony Hewish and Martin Ryle. Jocelyn did not receive the award, but she maintained that: "The fact that I was a graduate student and a woman, together, demoted my standing in terms of receiving a Nobel Prize." This decision continues to be debated even today.