Will the volcanic eruption in Tonga create a "summerless year"? In January 2022, the "Science" rumor list was released

The monthly "science" rumor list is guided by the Beijing Municipal Association for Science and Technology, the Cyberspace Administration of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, and the Capital Internet Association, and is jointly released by the Beijing Science and Technology Journalists and Editors Association and the Beijing Regional Website Joint Rumor Dispelling Platform, and supported by the Science and Technology Journalists and Editorial Committee of the China Association of Popular Science Writers, the China Evening News Science Editors and Journalists Association, the Shanghai Science and Technology Communication Association, and the Institute of Science and Technology Information of the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology.

1. The eruption of the Tonga volcano will create a "summerless year"

gossip:

After the volcanic eruption of Tonga, a large amount of volcanic ash cannot settle for a long time after entering the stratosphere, resulting in a "parasol effect", which will cause a "summerless year" of global temperature decline.

The truth:

Volcanoes do cause the Earth to "cool down," mainly because they inject sulfur-laden aerosols into the atmosphere, which, when they enter the stratosphere, reflect more sunlight, creating a cooling effect within the atmosphere. In the past 100 years, there have been three large-scale low-latitude volcanic eruptions, namely Agung Volcano in Indonesia (2019), El chitron Volcano in Mexico (1982), and Mount Pinatobo in the Philippines (1991). In the winter of the year after their eruption, temperatures were low in most parts of the mainland except the northeast and Xinjiang.

But when it comes to climate impacts, the scale of volcanic eruptions and gas emissions are all key factors that must be considered. The Philippine Pinatubo Eruption Index (VEI), which caused a drop in global average temperatures of 0.5 °C, is 6, and its eruption in 1991 released 20,000 kilotons of sulfur dioxide; the eruption of The Tonga volcano is estimated to be 5-6 magnitude VEI, but the release of sulfur dioxide on the first day of the eruption is only 62 kilotons, which will not have a large impact on global temperature and will not cause a "summerless year".

A series of studies have shown that volcanic eruptions generally have a sustained impact on the global and East Asian climate in the next 1-2 years, causing a certain cooling effect. For the mainland, volcanic eruptions may also weaken the intensity of east Asian summer winds the following year, which in turn will lead to the southward summer rain band of the continent, affecting the rainfall throughout the flood season.

At present, the Tonga volcano is still active and its activity needs to be further monitored. If subsequent volcanoes do not erupt on a larger scale, it will not affect global temperatures for the time being.

2. Refueling sooner or later saves money

The amount of gasoline refueling is charged according to the volume, and according to the principle of thermal expansion and contraction, the same quality of gasoline is smaller in the morning and night when the temperature is lower, so it is more cost-effective to refuel morning and evening.

The argument that refueling sooner or later is more cost-effective is not true. At present, gas stations have built underground oil storage depots, and have a certain degree of protective layer, gasoline is stored at a constant temperature all year round, and will not be affected by external temperature.

Even if the technical level in the early years did not reach the current standard, it was impossible to achieve underground constant temperature oil storage, and the density of gasoline under different temperature conditions did not change much, and the price difference was very small.

3. Small wounds can be disinfected with saliva

Because saliva contains "lysozyme", the finger is broken and contained, and a small wound can be sterilized by applying some saliva.

Lysozyme is an important non-specific immune factor in the organism, which has the functions of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, improve immunity, and inhibit the growth of foreign microorganisms. Although saliva contains lysozyme, it cannot play a role in sterilization and disinfection because the content is too small. In addition, the secretion of saliva is affected by many factors, including people's age, eating habits, drug intake, living habits, etc., which vary from person to person and have irregularities.

Most importantly, smearing saliva on a wound is likely to be "poisoned." Because the oral cavity is one of the areas with the highest density and most species of microorganisms in the human body, saliva also carries various viruses, fungi and bacteria in the mouth. Therefore, small wounds in daily life are still recommended to be treated with Band-Aids and iodine volts.

4. Fresh meat suddenly beats because there are parasites

The new year is approaching, and every household has begun to prepare for the New Year goods. But beware of finding that the bought meat will beat spontaneously, which is a manifestation of parasites in the meat.

In fact, the meat that has just been slaughtered will beat, not because there are parasites, but because the meat is fresh and the slaughter time is very short.

Shortly after slaughter, the central nervous system of fresh meat has died, but the nerve endings around the muscles have not completely died, and the energy substance adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the muscles has not yet been exhausted. Therefore, under the slight stimulation of the outside world, the muscles can also produce beating, which is also called "super-reaction". After a period of slaughter, the ATP in the meat is exhausted, and the muscle fibers lock up and do not beat.

5. Artificially waxed apples are harmful to eat

Apple if the skin is smooth and bright, it is also sticky to the touch, scraping a few times and the powder falls off, indicating that it is artificially waxed and toxic!

Fruit wax belongs to the world's permitted food additives, as long as it is regular waxing, it will not be harmful to human health.

In fact, during the normal growth process of apples, the epidermis will naturally secrete a layer of fruit wax to prevent external harmful substances from invading the pulp, which is a favorable measure for apples to fight against the external environment and harmless to the human body.

The artificial waxing treatment of the fruit after being picked is an important part of the commercialization of the fruit, the purpose is to prevent the loss of water from the apple, the shrinkage of the epidermis, resulting in a decrease in freshness, and at the same time prevent the invasion of microorganisms to prolong the storage time.

In the process of apple production and transportation, waxing is actually a formal operation. Many countries, including the mainland, allow waxing on the surface of fruit to be kept fresh. The mainland's "Sanitary Standards for the Use of Food Additives" stipulates that morpholine fatty acid salts (also known as fruit wax), carnauba wax, etc. can be used as coating agents for the surface of fresh fruits.

Although regular waxing is not harmful to the human body, many people may feel that it is not clean enough and want to completely remove the fruit wax before eating apples. Experts say the easiest way to remove the wax from the peel is to peel it. If you want to save more nutrition for apples, there is a simple and easy way to do it, which is to boil it with hot water.

6. The dose of THE NEW CROWN vaccine given to children should be halved

Most children's medication is halved or reduced according to the amount of medication for adults. The dose of the COVID-19 vaccine given to children also needs to be halved, otherwise the body will be "overloaded".

Currently, the dose and composition of the COVID-19 vaccine is exactly the same for all ages, including children. The use of a uniform dose while ensuring safety is a global approach. The dosage of therapeutic drugs is either considered weight, and some also consider the surface area of the body, which is related to factors such as pharmacokinetics of drugs in vivo and liver metabolism.

However, the mechanism of vaccine function is different from that of therapeutic drugs, after the antigen in the vaccine enters the body, it is not directly "exerting the drug effect", but through the immune system to present the antigen, the immune cell recognizes the antibody, and the antibody then plays a role in blocking viral infection or preventing the onset of disease. The above process has no correlation with body surface area and weight.

In fact, the vast majority of vaccine doses do not distinguish between adults and children. For example, there is no dose difference between hepatitis B vaccine, cervical cancer vaccine, and pneumonia vaccine. In terms of mechanism, after the vaccine enters the body of a child, the mechanism of producing antibodies is exactly the same as that of adults, and there is no difference.

Immunization program experts said that when vaccinating the new crown, we should pay attention to the health of our children, because children over 5 years old may have some psychogenic reactions, older children should avoid strenuous exercise, stay for 30 minutes, and if the children are suspected of being related to adverse reactions, they should report in time. If there is overlap in time with vaccinations from other immunization programmes or non-immunization programmes, it is important to ensure that covid-19 vaccines are more than 14 days apart from other vaccinations.

7. The prepared dish is not fresh and also contains preservatives

Compared with fresh dishes, the most popular Chinese New Year's Eve rice "prepared dishes" in this year's Spring Festival are not fresh after freezing and reheating, and some pre-made dishes have a shelf life of up to one year, which must contain additives and preservatives.

The prepared dish is no different from the food we usually eat, with no additional preservatives added. The standardized and traceable production and processing process will make the taste of dishes more stable and the quality safer.

Factory pre-made dishes are standardized production, consumers take home as long as they are placed on the gas stove to heat up to restore the taste, the degree of taste recovery and dine-in fresh stir-fry is comparable.

Most of the prepared dishes need to be cooked at high temperatures, which is itself a sterilization process; then the use of liquid nitrogen and other quick-freezing techniques, through ultra-low temperature freezing, can completely inhibit the reproduction of microorganisms, so there is no need to add additional preservatives.

On the other hand, according to the requirements of the packaging standard, all the raw materials should be listed, so the relevant additives in the seasoning used will appear in the ingredient list.

But that doesn't mean that pre-made dishes add more additives than dine-in or homemade dishes. Even foods that consumers buy and cook themselves often contain additives. For example, many soy sauces contain sodium glutamate and potassium sorbate, and some flavored spices contain hydroxypropyl diamyl phosphate, citric acid and the like. As long as it meets the additive standards set by the state, the rational use of additives will not cause harm to the human body.

8. "Cold fireworks" have a low temperature and there is no danger in setting off them

As the name suggests, "cold fireworks" are fired at a low temperature and do not belong to dangerous goods such as fireworks and firecrackers.

The term "cold fireworks" is misleading, not only are they fireworks, but the basic properties of flammable and explosive dangerous goods have not changed.

"Fairy stick" and "electronic fireworks" are fired, and the temperature decreases rapidly after the flame (spark) is emitted, and the temperature drops to about 80 ° C at 20 cm from the jet port, and the temperature at 50 cm from the jet port drops to about 40 ° C, so it is commonly known as "cold fireworks". When firing such products, the temperature at the injection port is as high as 700-800 ° C, which can still burn the human body and ignite flammable substances.

Therefore, when producing, operating, storing and discharging "cold fireworks", it is still necessary to strictly abide by the regulations on the safety management of fireworks and firecrackers. When the public discharges "cold fireworks", safety measures generally applicable to fireworks and firecracker products should be adopted, and it is strictly forbidden to display fireworks indoors and in any place where fireworks and firecrackers are prohibited.

9. Wearing diapers can lead to "O-legs"

Diapers will make the baby's legs unable to be together, and when the child grows up, it will become "O-legs"!

"O-legs" have nothing to do with diapers. The fetus is curled up in the mother's belly, and the legs are O-shaped, which will continue to be about 2 years old after the birth of the fetus, which is a normal phenomenon.

After the age of 2, as babies learn to walk and squat, in order to adapt to physiological needs, their lower limbs will adjust themselves and gradually become "X" shaped appearance, and the degree of "X" is often the most obvious when they are about 4-5 years old. After the age of 6, the curvature of the "X" shape gradually decreases, growing to about 7-8 years old, and the legs gradually form the same appearance as adults.

The current disposable diaper design has no restrictions on the baby's leg movement, and the legs can be naturally extended and frequently moved to make the joints and muscles develop normally. Therefore, the baby's "O-shaped legs" before the age of 2 are normal developmental conditions and are not caused by diapers. If there is really an abnormal situation, it cannot be ignored, and the baby must be taken to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment by a doctor, and do not correct it yourself.

Sources for this issue:

Xinhua News Agency, CCTV Finance, China Global Television Network, China News Network, China Net, Science and Technology Daily, Farmers Daily, Guangming Network, Economic Daily, Science Popularization China, Scientific Rumor Debunking, Tadpole Stave, Publicity and Education Center of the Ministry of Emergency Management, Beijing Daily Client, Beijing Science and Technology News, Beijing News, "Rumor Filter" WeChat public account, Tianjin Internet Rumor Dispelling Platform, "Shanghai Network Rumor Dispelling" WeChat public account, Fruit Shell Network, "Lilac Doctor" WeChat public account.