Doyle - A Young Scientists Guide to Defying Disasters

A Young Scientists Guide to Defying Disasters with Skill and Daring

Includes 20 Experiments for the Sink, Bathtub and Backyard

James Doyle

Illustrations by Andrew Brozyna

A Young Scientists Guide to Defying Disasters with Skill and Daring

Includes 20 Experiments for the Sink, Bathtub and Backyard

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2012 James Doyle

Illustrations 2012 Andrew Brozyna

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

This book contains activities that may carry an element of risk or danger. Readers of the book are urged to make wise decisions and to consult prudent adults before engaging in activities. The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for injury resulting from the performance of any activities described in this book. Readers assume all legal responsibility for their actions.

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

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www.gibbs-smith.com

ISBN: 978-1-4236-2441-7

Milky seas are not really life-threatening, but they are a really cool and very rare natural phenomena that any intrepid explorer would be bursting to experience. Milky seas have long been recorded and described in maritime or oceangoing folklore. In the 18th century, these weird phenomena were written about in the Jules Verne classic novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , but until recently there was no real scientific proof to back up the crazy claims of seafarers.

Many sailors would describe what they were experiencing as though they were sailing upon a field of snow or gliding over a giant sea of milk, all of which was experienced in absolute darkness with not so much as the light of the moon.

The glowing waters appear to extend right out to the horizon in all directions and can last from several hours to several days.

More recently, it has been possible to gather clearer scientific evidence about milky seas. On the night of January 25, 1995, a British merchant vessel, the S.S. Lima , was sailing through the northwestern Indian Ocean off the coast of the African nation of Somalia, when it sailed into a milky sea. The ships captain wanted the event recorded and so contacted the Naval Research Laboratory (or NRL for short). It was able to track the milky sea from space using a special satellite that can detect extremely low levels of visible light.

The satellite detected images of an enormous area of glowing water spanning over 6,000 mi2, or approximately 15,000 km2 (thats the same surface area as the entire State of Connecticut in the United States). The glowing continued for three whole nights. The cause of these strange nighttime events is still being discussed, but scientists believe they are linked to strong bioluminescence (which is science-speak for natural biological light). The light is thought to be produced by huge colonies of bacteria in surface waters. In other words, this is the oceans own version of billions upon billions of tiny fireflies grouping and glowing together. Those guys are a real bunch of bright sparks!

Young Scientist Activity How to Make Water Glow

This experiment will allow you to make glowing water.

Equipment Needed:

A bottle of tonic water

A fluorescent highlighter

A very dark room

An ultraviolet black light (which can be picked up cheaply at most stores)

Instructions:

1. Take a fluorescent highlighter pen. Be careful to break it open and remove the felt tip inside. Now soak the felt in a glass of water for several minutes.

2. Take the glass of water and UV black light into a very dark room.

3. Turn on the UV black light near your water and get ready, set, glow!

Science Factoid

The fluorescent highlighter and the tonic water both contain phosphors, which are special substances that give out light and have the ability to make ultraviolet light that is usually invisible to the human eye, visible. The UV black light and the phosphors combine to make the water glow. Tonic water also works because the UV light reacts with phosphors in a chemical within the tonic water called quinine.