【#這個知識不太冷︱甚麼是鬼火】 中西方不少傳說都有提到鬼火，清代蒲松齡所寫《聊齋誌異》中是其中一個例子。事實上，鬼火真的是存在。不信？晚上去墓地，就有機會看到！ 鬼火，英文又叫Will-o‘-the-wisp，是一種晚上會出現在墓地的青綠色火燄，由於人體和動物身體含有磷(Phosphorus)，屍體腐化的時候，會產生磷化 (Phosphine)，當周邊氣溫較高，加上接觸到空氣，磷化氫就會在空氣中自燃，產生鬼火現象。 夏天的時候，溫度較高，更加容易產生這個現象，所以無論在早上和晚上都可能會有鬼火！不過其實這種火燄並不明顯，只是因為晚間黑暗的時候，火燄會較容易被察覺，加上現場恐怖的環境，才會令人望而生畏。 古時候民間未知鬼火的成因，只是知道多屍體的地方會出現鬼火，才會以為是鬼怪現象。雖然知道是化學現象，但還是很令人害怕呀！ ------------------------ ◆ 每日分享冷知識 ◆ 網站：https://www.beginneros.com/ ◆ Facebook：Beginneros ------------------------⠀ #冷知識 #香港 #hongkong

【Outreach亂講嘢就要科學家執手尾】 因為上月有好多outreach人士周圍散播「金星可能有生命」嘅謠言，國際天文聯會天體生物學委員會特地發聲明予以駁斥和澄清，並提醒科學家和outreach人士緊記科學傳播的道德。 The commission F3 (Astrobiology) of the IAU has issued a statement on the possible detection of a single phosphine (PH3) line in the Venusian atmosphere. link: https://www.iau.org/static/science/scientific_bodies/commissions/f3/commission-f3-statement-5-october-2020.pdf “... The Commission is concerned with the way the potential detection of phosphine has been covered for the broad audience. It is an ethical duty for any scientist to communicate with the media and the public with great scientific rigor and to be careful not to overstate any interpretation which will be irretrievably picked up by the press and generate great public attention in the case of life beyond Earth. The way results about phosphine were reported lead some news organization to report that evidence for life in Venus was found. The Commission understands that such a reaction by the press would reflect high interest in astrobiology research by the public. Such a report, however, misleads the public, and might be harmful to the advancement of astrobiology research. Finally the Commission would like to remind the relevant researchers that we need to understand how the press and the media behave before communicating with them. It is quite important for any researcher to keep a good relationship with the press since they have great power to disseminate our research results to the public. We, researchers, should provide the press with sufficient background information so that they can report our research outcomes as faithfully and scientifically as possible.”

【鬼火真面目︱化學元素：磷】 中西方唔少傳說都有提到鬼火，清代蒲松齡所寫《聊齋誌異》中係其中一個例子。事實上，鬼火真係存在。唔信？夜晚去墓地睇下，就有機會見到！ 鬼火，英文又叫Will-o‘-the-wisp，係一種夜晚會出現喺墓地嘅青綠色火燄，由於人體同動物身體含有磷(Phosphorus)，屍體腐化嘅時候，會產生磷化氫(Phosphine)，當周邊氣溫較高，加上接觸到空氣，磷化氫就會喺空氣入面自燃，產生鬼火現象。 夏天嘅時候，溫度較高，更加容易產生呢個現象，所以無論喺朝早同夜晚都可能會有鬼火！不過其實呢種火燄並唔明顯，只係因為晚間黑暗嘅時候，火燄會較容易被察覺，加上現場恐怖嘅環境，先會令人望而生畏。 古時候民間未知鬼火嘅成因，只係知道多屍體嘅地方會出現鬼火，先會以為係鬼怪現象。雖然知道係化學現象都好，但都仲係好得人驚呀救命！ ------------------ ◆ 每日分享知識、每月提供課程 ◆ Beginneros網站：https://www.beginneros.com/ ◆ Youtube：https://goo.gl/OEJrGt ◆ 冷知識投稿：http://goo.gl/zEYS3q