u/TheMuseumOfScience

What's the most distant galaxy ever observed? 🌌

Astrophysicist Erika Hamden explains it's called MoM-z14, and its light took 13.53 billion years to reach us. But thanks to the universe's expansion, that galaxy is now a staggering 33.8 billion light years away. When the light was emitted from MoM-z14 the universe was smaller. The space between us and that galaxy has gotten stretched out so much  that it actually sits outside our observable horizon. It's a mind-bending reminder that we're seeing galaxies as they no longer even look today.

This project is part of IF/THEN®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies.

How does fire make tea bags fly? 🔥☕️

Alex Dainis demonstrates how lighting a tea bag causes the air inside to heat up, expand, and rush out. Just fold open a few empty tea bags into tubes on a baking sheet, then light the top with an adult and a fire extinguisher handy. The now-less-dense air inside sends the bag rocketing upward, similar to how a hot air balloon works, except this one's a one way trip once it burns.

We are getting closer to the launch of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope! 🧪

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is designed to combine the strengths of the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope. It’s going to look and live in the same space as JWST while using a Hubble-style mirror to see things completely differently. The Roman telescope will observe patches of space bigger than the full moon and will see 50 times as much space in five years as Hubble has in 30!

Can sugar substitutes cause faster brain aging?

Scientists conducted an eight-year study on the effects of seven popular sugar substitutes and found that six were linked to mental decline. People in the study who used sweeteners the most saw their memory slip away 62% faster than the lowest-consumption group. This is like adding an extra year and a half of aging to your brain! Scientists believe this pattern is worth watching as we reevaluate our relationship with artificial sweeteners.

Can scientists use earthquake sensors to detect hurricanes? 

​A new study from Stanford University found that seismometers, normally used to measure earthquake-related ground motion, can also detect hurricanes. Researchers looked at Hurricane Isaac from 2012 and found that seismometers could detect when the storm made landfall as well as subtle changes in atmospheric pressure. These sensors could potentially track how hurricanes evolve beyond the limitations of radar and flight missions during storms.

Rainwater is not as clean as you think! 🌧️ 

Quinten Geldhof, also known as Microhobbyist, put a drop of rainwater under the microscope to show what each drop carries. For a raindrop to form, it needs to condense around tiny particles in the atmosphere called condensation nuclei. As the droplet falls, it can pick up pollen, fungal spores, smoke particles, and more. If you’re ever tempted to drink rainwater, don’t forget to treat and filter it first!

A lunar eclipse is coming and it’s going to turn the mood blood red!🌕🩸

On August 27th and 28th, Earth's shadow will sweep across the lunar surface, turning it a deep, dark crimson for skywatchers across the USA, Canada, and Latin America. No special glasses needed, just your eyes and the right local viewing time. Miss it and you'll be waiting until 2029 for a lunar eclipse this striking again.

You can make an electrical circuit on paper with no wires required! ✏️

Alex Dainis explains pencil lead isn’t actually lead, but actually graphite and clay. Graphite is a crystal made of layers of carbon atoms which are good at conducting electricity. When drawing on the paper, the layers of graphite turn the drawing into a functional circuit!

What does a porcupine eat on its birthday? 🎂

Meet Guillermo, our prehensile-tailed porcupine! Porcupines' teeth never stop growing, so Guillermo eats tough foods like raw sweet potato to help wear them down. For his birthday, our Live Animal Care Center makes an herbivore cake with nutrients like those he’d get in nature. The special cake gives him his usual food in a fun new shape or texture, making mealtime feel like play. Happy birthday, Guillermo!

What really happens to a helium balloon after it floats away? 🎈☁️

Greg Wolf recreates a helium balloon’s journey to the edge of space using a vacuum chamber. As the balloon rises through Earth’s atmosphere, the surrounding air pressure drops, allowing the helium gas inside to expand until the balloon reaches its limit and pops! 💥