science:

The Brocken Spectre, here seen in Poland, is an optical phenomenon in which the observer’s shadow appears to be magnified on clouds or fog below. The Spectre can be observed from mountaintops when the sun is low and behind you, and there’s dense fog or clouds below. It is often accompanied by a glory, a rainbow-like halo that can also be observed when one is between the sun and a layer of clouds, and the movement of the clouds plus the apparent magnification can give the impression of a supernaturally tall ghost being walking the mountain.

The phenomenon is named for Brocken, also known as Blocksberg, a mountain peak in northern Germany long associated with witches and devils in local lore and literature. Another place to see it is the Scottish mountain Ben MacDhui, a frequently fog-shrouded peak where legend has it an unusually tall “Grey Man” resides. It isn’t hard to image how a lone mountaineer—halfway lost and hearing his own footsteps oddly distorted in the mist—could conjure up mythical beings when faced with a ghostly giant in the distance.

englishteachingtoolbox:

discoverynews:

The Teen Brain on Rage

“Adolescents can make good decisions,” insists B. J. Casey, a neuroscientist at Weill Cornell Medical College. “They can make better decisions than you or I. But it is in the heat of the moment that they get into trouble.”

That’s because the reward-sensitive areas of the brain are maturing with the onset of puberty. There’s been a long-held view that teens make poor decisions because they don’t think through consequences. Since the 1990s, we’ve known that brains go through extensive development in adolescence.

Myelin, or white matter, provides more insulation and boosts the ability of the axons to send signals faster. New connections are being made in the frontal cortex and older ones are dying.

This is fascinating and very relevant to my day job. I teach high school pupils who are aged 11 to 18 years old, and yes in the eat of the moment they do make bad decisions! Often, after a cooling off period, they realise.

eligoesrawr:

No matter how long the slinky is, the bottom of the slinky will stay still (hover) until the top reaches it. Even if the slinky is over 1000 feet long.

shortformblog:

A poster inspired by yesterday’s amazing marshmallow cannon situation. Obama’s mouth has never been so agape.

lolseriouslytho:

LOL, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) message: “Lack of clean water killing more than 4,500 a day, let’s resolve to do better.”

Often, CSR is viewed as a marketing gimmick…