Plugging a leaking gas well is a complicated and dangerous process. What might work in one situation might not work in another. In 1966, the USSR was dealing with fires in five natural gas wells. They tried everything, including pumping in water via hydraulic fracturing, but were unable to extinguish the problem. So how did they finally stop the leaks? They used a 30 kiloton nuclear bomb. Scientists created a 20,000 ft deep hole near the leak site. They then lowered the bomb into the borehole, covered it in cement, and detonated the device. The nuclear explosion put out the fires within 23 seconds by smothering them with tons of disrupted earth. You can see the moment of detonation at 2:35 in the video. The incredible power of the bomb saved the day. Most remarkably, no radiation was discovered in the surrounding area after the detonation. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/ussr-nuclear-gas-well-plugging/
When Adele returned to the world of music after a brief hiatus, the world responded with an understandably passionate fury. The video for her new single “Hello” has racked up 223,737,427 views since its debut on October 22nd, with no signs of slowing down. She’s become a force of nature in pop music, and what better way to celebrate a force of nature than to have Sir David Attenborough provide color commentary for it? That’s just what BBC’s Radio 1 did this past week when they had the golden-voiced documentarian behind Planet Earth and Life sit down behind the mic and provide his soothing commentary over the video, to great comedic effect. You are about to witness two of England’s greatest exports join forces for the first time. Behold the Sir David Attenborough and Adele mashup you never knew you wanted. Enjoy. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/david-attenborough-narrates-adele-hello/
It’s no secret that soda is bad for your teeth, but did you know that some sodas can cause way more damage than others? Check out this fascinating experiment from a young scientist who got his hands on two of his sister’s teeth and a couple of bottles of soda… Read more: http://www.wimp.com/why-mountain-dew-is-worse-for-your-teeth-than-coca-cola/
We all know that domestic violence and abuse exist around the world. We know that it occurs behind closed doors on a daily basis. However, many perpetrators take caution to cover their tracks, oftentimes leaving bruises and wounds in places that can be covered by clothing. The victims themselves usually help to hide their afflictions – often due to fear and sometimes due to a misguided attempt to protect the offender. Domestic violence affects everyone around the perpetrator and victim as well – particularly children. Even if the attacker never lays a hand on the kids, the impact of witnessing violence and abuse can also have lasting, detrimental effects. If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic abuse, it is important to seek help immediately. There are many organizations out there that dedicate their time and resources to helping victims in need. Here is the story of one such victim who has been suffering the consequences of domestic violence silently for over a decade, and how a local couple has helped her start the healing process both physically and emotionally. When Saundra Crockett was in her twenties, she was an optimistic young woman who had her whole life to look forward to. She had a husband and two beautiful children – the perfect beginning to a life of happiness. Then, at the age of 28, her world was turned upside down at the hands of her own husband. She never thought that someone she had loved and trusted would be the one to destroy her life forever. Saundra had become a victim of domestic violence. Her husband at the time had begun to batter her severely. So severely, in fact, that Saundra sustained an acute infection that was literally eating away at her face. When she was first admitted to the hospital, they told her that she was not going to survive the injury and that she had three days to live. Thankfully, she did survive this unimaginable ordeal. But it was far from over. (deployads = window.deployads || []).push({}); Although she had a new lease on life, it was going to be an uphill battle. The destructive infection had not killed her, but it had taken a large chunk of her face. She couldn’t even open her left eye, and her mouth would not be able to open wide enough for her to eat. One of the most challenging obstacles was dealing with her young children in her new state. She covered her face with a mask going forward – both outside and inside the home. Her children were still young at the time, so it was hard for them to comprehend what was happening. “They could hear my voice so they knew who I was, but they didn’t know who I was because of my face,” Saundra told CBS. “It was ah … pretty awful.” That mask became a part of her physical identity for the next twelve years … until an organization called Face Forward stepped […]
World War II veteran Roy Cadman explains how to spot a sniper – a skill that can only be acquired from experience in the field. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/wwii-veteran-on-how-to-spot-a-sniper/
This officer demonstrated true heroism when a young autistic boy fell into a pond. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/police-officer-saves-autistic-boy-from-drowning-in-pond/
From Klingon to Dothraki, our favorite made-up languages actually have a lot of basis in reality. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/accent-expert-breaks-down-six-fictional-languages/
