Random Thought

Illustration by Jayne Doucette, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution When it comes to history and especially archaeology one of the biggest questions is "When did it happen?" In 1940 Martin Kamen introduced the world to Carbon14. Carbon14 (C14) is an isotope of Carbon. If you are not sure why it is Carbon14 as opposed to just Carbon or a different isotope, such as Carbon12 (C12), it has to do with the number of protons and neutrons that each contain. All carbon atoms have 6 protons, but the isotopes C14 and C12 have different numbers of neutrons and thus have differing levels of radioactivity, a C12 isotope has 6 neutrons therefore C14 has 8 neutrons, this difference in numbers of neutrons also changes the mass(weight) of the atoms as well. Willard F. Libby via ACS Seven years later Willard F. Libby presented the world with a method using C14 for radiocarbon dating. The theory of radiocarbon dating is based on the belief that the atmosphere contains a constant amoun...

If you look at things around the world....especially when it comes to the time before radio, television, and, of course, the internet...it seems that there are a whole lot of cultures that supposedly had no contact with far flung others that seem to have independently created the same images. One of the most iconic images, that is world-wide, is the pyramid. From Giza to Mexico to India and many places in between. In addition to the existing true pyramids there are also mounds and raised platforms , that some consider to be forms of pyramids in many other places as well. Let's take a look at some of the most famous of the amazing structures. While Giza pyramids are probably the most famous, they are considered by some to be younger than the Mesopotamia Ziggurats, which were the living places of the Gods. Yet, they resemble those of Mesoamerica that are considered thousands of years younger. The ones from India seem to have more in common visually with the ziggurats, yet th...

probably by Domenico Zampieri, c. 1602 (Palazzo Farnese, Rome) Throughout known history man has told fantastic stories of wonderful creatures and terrifying monsters. There are even depictions of creatures at ancient sites that some argue are representation of dinosaurs or other extinct creatures that supposedly the artisans would have no knowledge of. Of these mythical creatures, one of the most beloved is the unicorn. In modern romanticize versions this majestic creature has all the characters of a horse with a spiral shaped horned. But what is the actual basis for the unicorn? In the Old Testament of the Bible, there are up to 5 verses that use the word unicorn to describe a beast , either metaphorically or realistically. It is believed that these references refer to an animal more like an oxen, bull or bison with large horns. This would make sense since the bull was a very important animal to most cultures of the time. An animal listed as an unicorn can also be found listed i...