When we hear the word scientists, we usually think of people in white lab coats working in cozy labs, but you can never imagine what these scientists do. Today we’re going to take a look at 5 insanely dangerous places where scientists work. These scientists put their life on the line to help us understand the world around us.
Vostok Station
Located in Antarctic region, Vostok Station is a Russian research center built in 1957 for geophysical research. It’s one of the coldest places on Earth, and has the lowest recorded temperature of any place on Earth, which is -89.2 °C (-128.6 °F). Researchers working at the station drill out ice cores that reveal information about Earth’s climate in the past. This place makes your coldest winter look like a sunny day in the tropics of Hawaii. In the summer, the station has 25 scientists and engineers and by winter only 13 stay behind.
Mount Kilauea, Hawaii
Speaking of Hawaii, many volcanoes in Hawaii, including Kilauea one of the world’s largest active volcano. This volcano has been actively spewing molten hot lava, which gets as hot as 1,200 °C (2192 °F), you don’t want to be anywhere near this place. Unless you’re a volcanologist, of course. These daredevil scientists get up-close and personal with this volcano, they study the eruptions and the molten hot lava to understand how and why these volcanoes erupt. Their research will eventually lead us to predict future eruptions more accurately and help save lives of people who live around these volcanoes. Check out the video below for more.
Mariana Trench
In the Pacific Ocean close to Mariana Islands lies a trench in the ocean that’s 2,550 kilometres (1, 585 miles) long, but that isn’t what makes this place so special. Mariana Trench is the deepest place on Earth, at its deepest, the trench has a measured depth of almost 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from the surface! Its amazing depth makes it an intriguing place for oceanographers, marine biologists, and oddly, James Cameron. It takes special submarines to dive down that deep, the deepest dive so far has been made by James Cameron in 2012 in the Deepsea Challenger. The trench pushes our submarine technology to its limits, the pressure at the bottom of the trench is a thousand times more than the surface, scientists need better and more durable submarines to explore the unique and deadly environment of Mariana Trench.
Outer Space
We move from a place with immense pressure to a place which has no pressure at all. Outer space is one the most dangerous environments to work in, there’s no oxygen and pressure, as if that wasn’t enough, getting there is an extremely dangerous task itself. Scientists are specially trained to withstand the perilous journey to the International Space Station where various experiments routinely take place. These scientist go against the odds to understand the effects of microgravity on plants, various animals, and other objects.
Biosafety Lab Level 4
Level 4 biosafety labs handle some of the most dangerous biomass and diseases known to man. Unlike other labs, most of the diseases researched in level 4 biolabs have no known cures or vaccines. Scientists are required to wear special pressurized suits with separate air supply to protect them from the deadly bacteria. A single prick of a needle in these labs can cost scientists their lives. In 2004, a Russian scientist died after he accidentally pricked himself with an Ebola laced needle.
So the next time you think of scientists, think of them with respect as they risk their lives to make this world a better place.
