Mount Vesuvius eruption turned a victim's brain into glass
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE presented its surrounding ancient Roman communities with a number of terrifying ways to die: falling debris, collapsing buildings, asphyxiation from superheated dust plumes, etc.. And while attention is often focused on the destruction of Pompeii and its thousands of victims, the fate of nearby Herculaneum wasn't much better. According to recent analysis of unique samples recovered from the seaside archeological site, the Vesuvius eruption even caused one person's brain to flash-fry into a rare form of organic glass.
The theory, laid out in a study published February 27 in the journal Scientific Reports, is based on examinations of tiny shards found in 2020 inside the skull and spinal column of an individual at Herculaneum–a small port town with a population of around 5,000 people at the time. The victim is believed to have been a roughly 20-year-old man who worked as a guard at the Collegium Augustalium, a public building dedicated to worshipping Emperor Augustus. At the time of his death, however, the guard was laying in his bed—and it was this environment that likely fostered the extremely specific conditions needed for brain and spinal fluid vitrification.
While glass is a foundational component in many industries today, it only naturally occurs in rare circumstances. This is because glass is only created when its liquid state cools fast enough to prevent crystallization as it solidifies. In order to accomplish this, there must be a major temperature difference between the substance itself and its environment. Not only that, but the liquid material must also solidify at a much higher temperature than its surroundings. Because most organic matter is largely water, conditions rarely allow for natural glass formation given its freezing point.'It would therefore be impossible to find organic glass embedded in volcanic deposits that have reached several hundred of Celsius degrees,' wrote the study's authors.
Using X-ray analysis and electron microscopy, the team confirmed the guard's brain could only have turned to glass if it was heated 'well above' 950 degrees Fahrenheit (510 degrees Celsius) before quickly cooling. But the majority of the eruption's known after-effects cannot account for brain and spinal fluid vitrification. The eruption's pyroclastic flows, for example, did not exceed 869℉ (465 ℃) and cooled far too slowly to create the glass.
The study authors therefore concluded that 'the body was exposed to the passage and vanishing of a short-lived, dilute and much hotter pyroclastic flow' that offered an early, quick flash-heating before subsequent rapid cooling.
'The glass that formed as a result of such a unique process attained a perfect state of preservation of the brain and its microstructures,' they wrote, adding that it is now the 'only such occurrence' known on Earth. And according to Guido Giordano, the study's lead author at Italy's Università Roma Tre, it's unlikely they will find another example anytime soon.
'In principle it is possible. There is more to be excavated below the modern city that may have preserved a similar occurrence,' Giordano tells Popular Science. 'However conditions must have been very, very specific because the organic tissue must have experienced a heating fast enough not to entirely destroy it (which is instead the most common occurrence) and then fast-cool to turn into glass.'Giordano believes the building and room in which the guard died offered just the right conditions. But if additional brain glass is to be found, it will be in the ruins of Herculaneum and not Pompeii.
'Such [a] hot ash cloud hit Herculaneum during the night when Pompeii was still under the fallout of pumice,' he says. 'The early pyroclastic flows arrived and buried Pompeii the day after, but at lower temperatures.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Researchers make stunning discovery about the Arctic that could impact entire globe: 'Fixing these models is essential'
For decades, scientists have used complex computer models to predict how Earth's most vulnerable regions will respond to increasing global temperatures. But in the case of the Arctic — which is warming at least three times faster than the rest of the planet — those models have consistently fallen short. Now, researchers believe they've found one big overlooked reason: winter clouds. Scientists at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, have made a breakthrough that could reshape how we understand Arctic warming — and what it means for the rest of the planet. In a new study published in Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research, researchers found that many leading climate simulations have a key flaw: they misrepresent Arctic cloud composition during winter, overestimating the ice and underestimating the liquid water content. That small detail? It has major consequences. In the Arctic's long, dark winters, clouds made of liquid trap heat more effectively — almost like a thermal blanket. And when those clouds are modeled incorrectly, it skews predictions about how quickly the Arctic is warming. "We found that the more liquid water these clouds contain, the better they are at trapping heat," explained co-author Momoka Nakanishi. This finding could help explain why the Arctic has been warming three to four times faster than the global average — faster than scientists had predicted. And while this might sound like a modeling issue with future implications, the reality is more urgent. The current models may be underestimating today's warming and overestimating tomorrow's. That's a dangerous mismatch — especially when polar warming influences everything from sea level rise to extreme weather patterns across the globe. And even if global warming were limited to the international target of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, another study warns that it may still be too late to prevent irreversible melting in the polar ice sheets. That would mean multimeter sea level rise — with long-term consequences for coastal communities worldwide. As cloud study co-author Takuro Michibata said, "Fixing these models is essential not just for the Arctic, but for understanding its impact on weather and climate change across the globe." Should the government ban gas stoves? Yes Only in new buildings Only in restaurants No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Meanwhile, researchers continue to refine our understanding of polar systems, while clean energy advocates and policymakers push for major upgrades that can make our homes and communities more resilient — including solar panels and battery storage systems that can keep the lights on during extreme weather — while reducing the sort of pollution that leads to increasing global temperatures. Installing solar in conjunction with a battery system can prepare your home for outages and drive your energy bill close to $0. EnergySage makes it easy to compare vetted local installers and save up to $10,000 on installation through tax incentives that may end after 2025. Even small changes matter. Reducing reliance on gas-powered appliances, supporting clean energy legislation, and staying informed are all actions that help — because understanding today's warming is key to preparing for tomorrow. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Viking woman buried in ceremonial boat with her dog
In 2023, metal detector enthusiasts scouring Norway's remote Senja Island stumbled across a remarkable archeological find. While searching near a rural road, they noticed a pair of partially exposed bronze brooches sticking out from the dirt. A closer inspection also revealed what appeared to be rib bones barely eight inches below the soil. The amateur metal hunters contacted archeologists at Norway's Arctic University Museum, who upon arriving at the site, ordered a full excavation. Now that recovery work is underway, the team has confirmed the site holds an unexpected scene: a Viking boat grave for a respected local woman buried with her beloved pet dog. '[Her pet] appears to have been placed with real care,' archeologist Anja Roth Niemi told Science Norway. Niemi added that while not unheard of, such a burial companion was rare in Viking culture. The trove dates to around 900–950 CE, and features numerous artifacts in the roughly 18-foot-long burial vessel. Apart from the skeletal remains and ornate bronze brooches, these include agricultural tools, what appears to be a weaving sword made from whale bone, and a spindle whorl indicative of her domestic responsibilities. 'We believe the woman buried here held significant status locally, and perhaps even across the region,' said Niemi. 'She wasn't at the very top of the social ladder, but she was clearly an important figure.' The region where the grave was discovered is particularly well-suited for preserving ancient bodies and archeological items. Accompanying metal artifacts help prevent bacterial growth, while the soil's rich lime and shell sand contents aid in conserving skeletal material. There are signs indicating that more Vikings (and possibly their pets) are buried nearby. In the course of their excavation work, Niemi's team found another brooch located multiple feet beyond the main grave. This suggests other graves may be present. Experts plan to conduct a more expansive survey of the area using ground-penetrating radar and other tools to see if anything else awaits discovery.
Scientific American
18 hours ago
- Scientific American
Thermal Runaway Explains Why Waymo Cars Burned So Completely in the Recent Los Angeles Protests
Imagine watching a car burn until it seems to vaporize and the street itself begins to sag. That happened on Sunday in Los Angeles, when protesters torched at least five Waymo-branded Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis. When the smoke cleared, virtually the entire shell of each car—its roof, doors, hood, trunk and body panels—was gone, leaving only wheel rims and traces of aluminum lacing. Why did the fires cause such obliteration? The answer starts with the battery. Each I-Pace can carry roughly 90 kilowatt-hours of stored chemical energy, comparable to about 170 pounds (77 kilograms) of TNT. That energy is distributed across hundreds of lithium-ion pouch cells, which are sealed in flammable electrolyte and separated by polymer films as thin as snack-bag plastic. When any one cell is punctured or overheated—or set aflame with an incendiary device—chemical reactions generate more heat than the cell can shed, and neighboring cells follow in a chain reaction. This positive-feedback loop is called 'thermal runaway.' According to a 2024 study in the Journal of Power Sources, as the battery burns, its temperature can soar past 1,000 degrees Celsius. At that point, the pack becomes its own furnace. Aluminum sections of the car's floor surrender, liquefying at about 660 degrees C and taking the underbody with them. Magnesium parts—seat-base frames, the bracket that holds the steering column and the cross-car beam that is located behind the dashboard—flare bright white. Patches of magnesium can catch fire and burn fiercely. Plastics disappear as vapor, wheels lose their tire, and even the lidar mast on the roof quickly resembles an overcooked marshmallow. A 2025 study in Fire Technology and a 2023 study in Applied Energy noted that the placement of the battery on the floor—sometimes referred to as a 'skateboard architecture'—makes the floor the hottest zone. Thus, flames radiate upward and outward, cooking everything above. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. All the while, the battery cells vent hydrogen fluoride, a toxic, lung-searing gas documented in laboratory test burns of commercial lithium packs. Among the disturbing scenes from the recent Los Angeles protests, which erupted over federal immigration raids, are those in which protestors stood around the flaming Waymos. Historically, first responders without supplied-air protection have developed throat burns and breathing difficulties upon arriving at scenes with burning lithium-ion batteries. Depending on the hydrogen fluoride levels, an exposed person can begin coughing up blood within minutes. Whereas inhaling concentrations above roughly 30 parts per million (ppm) is immediately dangerous to health, 50 ppm may be fatal when inhaled for a half-hour to an hour, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that exposure to 170 ppm for 10 minutes can be deadly. Measurements taken near electric-vehicle (EV) fires show peaks of 150 to 450 ppm, with levels during much of the fire hovering around 50 ppm. Firefighters call such blazes 'battery box fires,' and they hate them. Flame-retardant foams do little, and fire departments now favor high-pressure water lances or immersion pits. Dousing a runaway battery usually means lowering temperatures below the runaway threshold for every last battery cell—a task that, according to the Independent, can swallow 30,000 to 40,000 gallons (about 114,000 to 151,000 liters) of water. That's at least 40 times the amount of water required to extinguish a gasoline-car fire. If you hit the flames too lightly, stranded energy reignites hours later—a quirk the National Transportation Safety Board flagged in its 2020 report on EV firefighting hazards. Car designers have tried to address the danger. Software monitors cell temperatures and slows the rate at which batteries charge to prevent overheating. And it automatically cuts current if anything looks amiss. Yet even the best code cannot rewrite chemistry: in 2023 Jaguar recalled more than 6,400 I-Pace cars after at least a dozen of them caught fire from overheated batteries—which had likely shorted from manufacturing defects in their pouch cells. Six of the fires happened while the car was either plugged in or within a few minutes of being unplugged. Waymo's fleet got the update to better regulate the batteries, but software can't help when someone smashes one of the car's windows and lights up its interior with a 'makeshift flamethrower,' as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Could a Waymo van have burned just as thoroughly? Only with great effort. The company's earlier Chrysler Pacifica hybrids, which were phased out in 2023, stored a tenth of their battery energy in a steel-framed shell. Steel keeps its shape beyond 1,300 degrees C, so after a typical blaze, you would still recognize the carcass. To prevent thermal runaway, Teslas have batteries that use thousands of small cylindrical cells locked inside an aluminum tray with titanium undershields and built-in firebreaks. And most brands of electric-car batteries now sit in similarly rigid aluminum or steel boxes—and are shifting toward less volatile chemistries. Importantly, however, the scene in Los Angeles by no means indicates that electric cars are tinderboxes. A 2023 study in Finland showed that, mile for mile, they caught fire less often than gasoline cars. But when an EV does burn, the physics shift. You're no longer fighting a puddle of gasoline on asphalt; you're battling an energy-dense, metal-oxide battery that is determined to finish what it started—and in such cases, a single Molotov cocktail can turn a sleek robotaxi into a pool of molten alloy.
