On screen chemistry with Jonathan Hare
2012 is a modern, 1970s style classic disaster movie. The movie scenario goes something like this: The energy processes in the Sun are being affected by a very unusual planetary alignment. The alterations to these nuclear processes are causing vast quantities of a new type of particle to be emitted, which on interaction with the Earth’s core is heating it up dramatically. This causes the Earth’s tectonic plates to start to move rapidly causing vast earthquakes and tidal waves leading to unfolding chaos. So how much, if any at all, does this agree with what we know about the science of the Earth and the nuclear chemistry going on in the Sun?
Choose an account option to continue exploring our full range of articles and teaching resources