How do you build an Earthquake-proof building?

After the massive earthquake near Japan this morning one wonders if it’s possible to build an earthquake-proof building? The answer is yes and no. There are of course, engineering techniques that can be used to create a very sound structure that will endure a modest or even strong quake. However, during a very strong earthquake, even the best engineered building may suffer severe damage. Engineers design buildings to withstand as much sideways motion as possible in order to minimize damage to the structure and give the occupants time to get out safely.

Effect of isolating the base of a building subject to a sideways ground movement.

Buildings are basically designed to

How Volcanic Ash Preserve Materials

Volcanic Ash

Volcanic ash can ascend hundreds of kilometers into the atmosphere—and stay there for years.

Astronaut photograph ISS020-E-9048 taken by the ISS Expedition 20 crew

Andisol

Andisol is a type of soil formed from volcanic ash. Andisols are generally

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

 

   

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Portrait of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) by Jan Verkolje
Born	(1632-10-24)October 24, 1632 Delft, Dutch Republic
Died	August 26, 1723(1723-08-26) (aged 90) Delft, Dutch Republic
Residence	Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Fields	Microscopist and Biologist
Signature

Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek^{[note 1]} (/ˈleɪvənhʊk/, Dutch: [ɑnˈtoːni vɑn ˈleːuə(n)ˌɦuk] ( listen); October 24, 1632 – August 26, 1723) was a Dutch tradesman and scientist. He is commonly known as "the Father of Microbiology", and considered to be the first microbiologist. He is best known for his work on the improvement of the microscope and for his contributions towards the establishment of microbiology.
Raised in Delft, Netherlands, Leeuwenhoek worked as a draper in his youth, and founded his own shop in 1654. He made a name for himself in municipal politics, and eventually developed an interest in lensmaking. Using his handcrafted microscopes, he was the first to observe and describe single-celled organisms, which he originally referred to as animalcules, and which are now referred to as microorganisms. He was also the first to record microscopic observations of muscle fibers, bacteria, spermatozoa, and blood flow in capillaries (small blood vessels). Leeuwenhoek did not author any books; his discoveries came to light through correspondence with the Royal Society, which published his letters.

Contents

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• 1 Early life and career
• 2 Microscopic study
  • 2.1 Recognition by the Royal Society
  • 2.2 Scientific fame
• 3 Techniques and discoveries
• 4 Death and legacy
• 5 See also
• 6 Notes
• 7 References
• 8 Sources
• 9 External links

Early life and career

Sir William Davidson of Curriehill had appointed Leeuwenhoek in 1648 as his assistant. Leeuwenhoek left after six years.^[2][3] (By Abraham van den Tempel, 1664)

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was born in Delft, Dutch Republic, on October 24, 1632. Christened Thonis, he is believed to be of Dutch ancestry: his father, Philips Antonysz van Leeuwenhoek, was a basket maker who died

The structure of the Earth

Imagine a Scotch egg...... The outer shell of the Earth is called the CRUST      (breadcrumbs) The next layer is called the MANTLE     (sausage meat) The next layer is the liquid OUTER CORE     (egg white) The middle bit is called the solid INNER CORE      (egg yolk) DEAD EASY ! The deepest anyone has drilled into the earth is around 12 kilometres, we've only scratched the surface. How do we know what's going on deep underground?

There are lots of clues:

A Timeline of Earthquakes that have graced Earth

 

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3600BC    The Supe people, a maritime farming community along the coast of Peru, disappeared about this time. In 2009 researchers found their disappearance coincided with earthquakes and landslides followed by massive flooding.
    (SFC, 1/20/09, p.A13)

373BC    The Greek city of Helike was destroyed by an earthquake. Historians recorded that rats, snakes and weasels had abandoned Helice just days before the quake struck.
    (NH, 10/02, p.78)(WSJ, 5/16/08, p.A6)

360BC    Greek philosopher Plato, in his "dialogues" from about this time, said an island he called Atlantis "in a single day and night... disappeared into the depths of the sea." He described Atlantis as "an island situated in front of the straits which are by you called the Pillars of Hercules." In 2011 a US-led research team, using a satellite photo of a suspected submerged city, suggested a site just north of Cadiz, Spain, as the site of Atlantis.
    (Reuters, 3/12/11)

27BC        An earthquake hit

Eruptions that shook the World

The following table lists the deadliest volcanic eruptions in the world on record according to name, year, number of deaths, and major cause of deaths. In 1812,

EVOLUTION IN PERSPECTIVE

 

 

 

Evidence of Evolution

The Nobel Prize winning scientist Linus Pauling aptly described science as the search for truth.  Science does this by continuously comparing its theories objectively with evidence in the natural world.  When theories no longer conform to the evidence, they are modified or rejected in favor of new theories that do conform.  In other words, science constantly tries to prove its assumptions to be false and rejects implausible explanations.  In this way, scientific knowledge and understanding grow over time.  Religious explanations for the order of things are not science because they are based primarily on faith and do not subject themselves to be objectively falsified.  Because of this fundamental difference in the approach to understanding our natural world, the U.S. Supreme Court in effect decided in 1987 that the Biblically based "creation science" is not a science and cannot be taught as such in public schools as an alternative or in addition to the mainstream evolutionary theory of the biological sciences.  However, religious creation stories and the idea of "intelligent design" can be taught in philosophy, religion, or history courses.  Religion and Science provide different approaches to knowledge.  It is important to understand both.

What Is Evolution?

Biological evolution is