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rd and Wonderful: Cold Knowledge When we think of cold weather, we might imagine snowflakes, hot chocolate, and cozy blankets. But did you know that the science of cold goes much deeper? From frozen frogs to the coldest place in the universe, here are some weird and wonderful cold facts you might not know.
1. The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -12
8.6 degrees Fahrenheit (-8
9.2 degrees Celsius). This was measured at the Soviet Union's Vostok Station in Antarctica in 198
3.
2. In space, the temperature can reach a staggering -454 degrees Fahrenheit (-270 degrees Celsius). This is the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is leftover energy from the Big Bang.
3. Speaking of space, the coldest known place in the universe is the Boomerang Nebula, where the temperature is just one degree above absolute zero (-45
9.67 degrees Fahrenheit or -27
3.15 degrees Celsius).
4. Some animals have evolved strange ways to survive in the cold. The wood frog can survive being completely frozen during the winter, thanks to a special antifreeze in its blood. Meanwhile, the Antarctic icefish has no red blood cells or hemoglobin, but instead has a blood serum that is more efficient at carrying oxygen.
5. Snowflakes are not all unique. While it is true that every snowflake has a different pattern, there are only about 35 different basic shapes that they can take.
6. The North Pole and the South Pole actually have different climates. The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land, which means it tends to be colder and drier than the Antarctic, which is a continent surrounded by ocean.
7. There is a phenomenon called "frost flowers" that can form on sea ice. These delicate, intricately-patterned structures are made of ice crystals that grow in the presence of extreme cold and moisture.
8. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located near the North Pole, is sometimes referred to as the "Doomsday Vault". This is because it contains samples of nearly a million different seed varieties, stored in case of a global catastrophe.
9. Researchers have discovered that the sound of icebergs cracking can be heard from hundreds of miles away. This is because the sound travels through the water, which is a better conductor of sound than air.
10 Finally, while we often think of the North Pole as being permanently covered in snow and ice, this is not always the case. In the summer, there are periods of time when the ice melts and the North Pole becomes a vast, open ocean. These are just a few examples of the strange and fascinating world of cold science. The more we learn about the properties of cold and the way it affects living creatures and the environment, the more we realize just how much there is left to discover. So the next time you bundle up against the cold, remember that there is much more to this chilly phenomenon than meets the eye.