Radioactivity – 50 years that changed the world: part 2

This post is the second of three articles first published by Xiaoduo Media in “Front Vision”. Front Vision is a Chinese online science magazine for children. My original English text produced with permission. War and fascism – everything changes The research described in the previous chapter involved scientists from across Europe, all sharing information and working… Continue reading Radioactivity – 50 years that changed the world: part 2

Radioactivity – 50 years that changed the world: part 1

This post is the first of three articles first published by Xiaoduo Media in “Front Vision”. Front Vision is a Chinese online science magazine for children. My original English text produced with permission. Around 1.7 billion years ago, a thick layer of rock rich in the element Uranium began to heat up. The tiny blobs… Continue reading Radioactivity – 50 years that changed the world: part 1

What drives plate tectonics?

In the previous section we described how plate tectonics controls many things on the earth both today and in the past. Here we’ll describe the forces that drive the movements of plates, the patterns of how plates have moved and how computer modelling lets us understand the links between the deep mantle and the surface… Continue reading What drives plate tectonics?

Plate tectonics

Deep in the earth, solid rocks can flow, but the surface layers are cold rigid plates that move across the surface. This means that continents are constantly drifting across the earth and oceanic crust is being created and destroyed. Plate tectonics is one of the most successful scientific theories of the Twentieth Century. It explains… Continue reading Plate tectonics