Sum
mer is a great time to expand your knowledge on topics that you may have never considered before. Why not use this time to learn some cool and interesting facts that are not commonly known? Here are some "cold" facts to keep you reading and learning during the hot summer months. 1. Did you know that ice isn't actually a solid? Ice is actually a supercooled liquid that has been slowed down to the point where it looks and behaves like a solid. This is because ice crystals form in a chaotic manner, not in a uniform pattern like a true solid. 2. The coldest temperature ever recorded was in Antarctica in 1983, where the temperature dropped to a bone-chilling -128.6°F. To put this in perspective, that's colder than the surface of Mars, which has a temperature range between -195°F and 70°F. 3. The longest ever recorded glacier is the Lambert Glacier in Antarctica, which stretches over 250 miles. It is around 60 miles wide and over 4000 feet thick – heavier than the majestic Mount Everest. 4. Snowflakes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the most common shape is a hexagon. This is due to the way the water molecules within the snowflake bond together to form the crystal structure. In fact, no two snowflakes are alike! 5. The deepest lake in the world is Lake Baikal in Russia, which has a depth of over 5,300 feet. It also contains over 20 percent of the world's unfrozen freshwater – more than all the Great Lakes combined. 6. The phrase "cold turkey" is not just a figure of speech – it refers to the physical symptoms of sudden withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. The term dates back to the 1920s. 7. The process of creating ice cream actually lowers the temperature of the mix rather than raising it, as some may think. The combination of salt and ice creates a brine that can reduce the temperature of the mix to well below freezing. 8. The largest hailstone ever recorded was in Vivian, South Dakota in 2010 It weighed almost two pounds and measured eight inches in diameter – the size of a small watermelon! 9. The average temperature of outer space is around -454°F. This is due to the lack of a medium, such as air or water, to conduct heat. 10 In the cold, harsh environment of the Arctic, some fish and other marine life are able to survive by producing antifreeze compounds in their bodies. This allows them to remain active in water temperatures that would normally freeze their cells. There you have it – ten cool and fascinating facts that will keep your mind engaged as you soak up the sun this summer. Who says you can't learn something new while enjoying the outdoors?
