Learning gained from Marking Papers

A job I took on this year was marking papers.   For the most part it's fairly easy work, but lately it's also been fascinating work.   The students are writing papers on items that interest them.  Tonight I learned about two things (for lack of a better word) that just fascinated me.

Ball Lightning.
a video that teaches a bit about them.

and here's one in real life

Ball lightning:
The term ball lightning refers to a strange and unexplained phenomenon in which eye witnesses have reported seeing spherical balls of light floating in the sky. They can be the size of a dime or several meters wide. People often compare the brightness to that of a 60-watt light bulb. Though it’s called lightning, it lasts longer than a lightning strike and when it disappears or explodes, it can leave behind the odor of sulfur. There have also been incidents where the explosion was fatal.  They can appear anywhere, including inside buildings. 

Fascinating eh??

 Lion's Mane Jellyfish

World's largest Jellyfish.    I find it interesting how the colder the water is, the larger they get.   Smaller ones are found in warmer water.  Aren't they gorgeous?

 

Large individuals are often red or purple, while smaller specimens tend to be shades of tannish-orange.   Frequent denizens of harsh, Arctic waters, lion’s mane jellyfish are seldom seen below the northern 42nd parallel. Also, they gravitate towards the surface and almost never venture beneath depths of 66 feet.  (source)

I am loving this aspect of writing papers and can't wait to show my son in the morning!   :)