• Question: What is the most fascinating fact you've ever heard?

    Asked by raushan to Amy, Drew, Julia, Kimberley, Sara on 21 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by eimearconnolly.
    • Photo: Sara Imari Walker

      Sara Imari Walker answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Hello raushan and eimearconnolly! Hmmm, this is tough one! So many good ones out there! However, one of my favorites I’ve been thinking on recently because it has come up with some other IAS questions. Are you ready to be astounded?????

      Have you ever looked at the Hubble Ultra Deep Field image? This is deepest image of the universe humanity has ever taken. It is a photograph of light from galaxies that has taken 13.7 billion years to get here! If that is not mesmerizing enough, in the image there are about 10,000 galaxies (each with billions of stars). The image comprises on area on our night sky that is about the size of a pencil tip if you hold the pencil at arms length!!! Amazing!!!!!! 10,000 galaxies in an area of the sky the tip of a pencil!

    • Photo: Drew Rae

      Drew Rae answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Hi guys. Usually when I hear fantastic facts my first reaction is “I don’t believe that is true”, so I go to find out.

      Here’s one that is true: Electrocution as a means of execution was invented by an assistant of Thomas Edison, and was strongly supported by Edison. Edison was opposed to the death penalty, but couldn’t resist the opportunity to discredit AC power, which was sold by George Westinghouse (who incidentally was helped out by Nicola Tesla, the scientist I named my dog after). Edison was trying to sell DC power, which is much more inefficient to transmit over distance.

    • Photo: Amy MacQueen

      Amy MacQueen answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Its probably not the most fascinating but Venus is the object most commonly mistaken for a UFO.

      Otherwise I would probably say If the DNA from every cell in your body was put end to end it would reach to the moon and back over 800 times!!!! now, that AMAZING!!!! 🙂

    • Photo: Julia Griffen

      Julia Griffen answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      So many… I’ve learnt so much on here from the other scientists. I’m certainly not a speicalist in any of thier areas of science..! 🙂

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