Diamonds that are forever lost
Good news, everyone. Scientists think they have detected a massive quadrillion tonnes worth of diamond underground. Researchers who were studying seismic data, had found that sound waves were travelling faster than expected in an ancient layer of rock under tectonic plates, called craton roots. So, after testing virtual 3D models of various rocks, they deduced that the region must be teeming with diamonds, whose structure is stiff and hard enough to allow sound to travel through them at speeds of 12,000 m/s, which is really fast. Bad news is, the craton roots lie as deep 250 km down, which further than any drill has ever gone, so the gems are virtually trapped down there.
Something fishy about smell
If fish could talk by the year 2100, they’d probably say: “Something smells fishy…” Except, forget vocalisation, fish are actually losing their very sense of smell, as global carbon emissions rise and oceans turn more and more acidic. When scientists exposed sea bass to elevated CO2 levels, they found that it blocked their nose. No big deal? Well, the olfactory sense is crucial for a fish’s survival. As the study found, a fish that can’t smell loses its enthusiasm for life, can’t find food, can’t sense when a predator is approaching, can’t recognise its family, or ever find a mate, and becomes more stupid overall. Which is ironic, given that eating fish is supposed to make you smarter.
Think twice before believing your brain
“You know what’s weird? I don’t remember much of anything until I was three years old,” remarked a bemused Calvin as Hobbes looked on phlegmatically. Science agrees with Calvin. It’s called infantile amnesia. Studies have shown that the brain of a human simply does not have the bandwidth to retain memories until the age of around 3. That’s why researchers were puzzled when nearly 40% of 6,641 participants of a survey in the U.K. claimed to recall memories from their infancy, like wearing a diaper or riding a pram. Are these people lying then? Scientists think this is our brain concocting false memories by piecing together information we have gathered about our childhood from photographs and what family members tell us. Moral of the story: Think twice before believing what your brain tells you.
