AtomicSchool

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251013040341.htm

A single protein could stop sudden death after heart attacks A team at Massachusetts General Hospital uncovered that an immune defense protein, Resistin-like molecule gamma, attacks heart cells after a heart attack—literally punching holes in them. This discovery explains why dangerous, fast heart rhythms can strike after an infarction. By removing this mol...

More angles of the Atomic Spectacular show.

The first shot shows liquid nitrogen expanding 700 times as it changes into gaseous nitrogen ... with a little help from little droplets of H2O which we call fog.

The second shot shows a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen combusting, which the audience can confirm is louder than just hydrogen alone. And faster.

The Atomic Spectacular show makes a direct hit on Saturday 27th September!!!

Yet, beyond the macrosopcic visuals lies an even more fascinating narrative: the atomic and molecular stories woven into every Joshua tree and Cholla cactus. This starting chapter of the Atomic Tour 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary—and there’s so much more to come. Stay tuned for the next post, where I’ll delve deeper into the microscopic atomic secrets of the Joshua Tree and Cholla cactus.

To be continued...

The rugged terrain of Joshua Tree NP reminded me of Girraween National Park in Queensalnd's Granite Belt, though a hundred million years younger. Perhaps that’s why the decomposed granite sand grains here are bigger and coarser. Wind and water takes geological time to smooth them out.

Not to be outdone, the Cholla cacti blew my imagination with their fractal-like repetition of detail. These cacti aren’t just a visual thrill; their spikes cling to you painfully in their plan to spread their DNA. A local owl ingeniously uses the cactus spikes, hurling small mammals against them to secure its dinner, showing a glimpse into nature’s survival tactics. For the owl, that is.

See Rebecca and Ivey from Real Science For Kids (rs4k.com) with this great Cholla specimen. Real Science-4-Kidskids

Camping on BLM land is as raw as it is beautiful—a front-row seat to natuire's elements (not the Periodic Table ones) playing out in full force, in our case a wind chill factor well below zero at night. After four days of spirited discussions and shared visions with R and D, we finally headed into Joshua Tree National Park to get up close to its iconic trees. And what an experience they were! The Joshua trees, with their hallucinogenic shapes, are a unique invention that seem to defy the arid landscape.

Ivy is Rebecca's pure Aussie Blue Heeler. She is a great ambassador for us over here in the US, and feels totally at home.

We rendezvoused on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land just outside the park, where the American spirit of "wild" RV camping thrives. This land allows "boondocking" where RVs can park free for weeks without a permit governed only by the simple rule to “leave no trace.” Most RVs can achieve this with their own inbuilt toilets and showers plus a respect for nature. The RV culture here is a world of its own, complete with lingo like “5th wheel,” “full hookup,” and "Wallydocking" (more on that later).

And not to forget Bluey, aka Ivy, who rounds us up if we stray too far from camp. Like all blue heelers, Ivy is smart and can even do differential calculus. She only does it in her head, but you can tell when she's solved an equation when she comes over and licks you.