30th Jun 2008
Happy Tunguska Event Day!
Well, there’s actually no such thing, officially. However, today marks the centennial anniversary of a big explosion near the Tunguska River in Siberia, Russia. The remote location and lack of scientific observation of the occurrence have led to a number of silly theories; however, established theory is that it was a very big meteor that exploded very close to the surface of the planet.
But reality is dull. Let’s amuse ourselves with a bit of ridiculous nonsense instead! Namely, that the explosion caused hyperfertility in local flora, now captured for the modern world in a nutritional supplement (originally found via Bad Astronomy Blog).
Rather than making a desert of the area, the event created a kind of Garden of Eden, an oasis of fertility resulting in “miracle harvests” of the plants grown there.
Oh, it gets better… with their the Tunguska Timeline.
1927-1930 … lush, green vegetation is emerging from beneath felled trees and charred earth.
ZOMG! The plants are growing back!
1931-1949 … While the world is in the throes of war and Russia suffers the oppression of Communism, the Tunguska plants are quietly thriving.
Amazing! Communism usually kills plants!
1950s … As WWII ends and the Cold War begins, Tunguska research becomes the passion of courageous scientists around the world whose curiosity can be slowed but not stopped by the Communists.
OH NOES! Communism also tries to kill scientific curiosity!
1980s … Menotti Galli of Bologna, Italy, visits Tunguska and determines that embedded in the Tunguska vegetation are unusual concentrations of essential minerals known for their ability to conduct energy.
Actually, Galli didn’t physically visit Tunguska until 1991. When he did, he learned that the trees picked up “unusually high levels of elements like copper, gold, and nickel”. (I am fairly sure this only applies to trees around in 1908 which got showered with bits of exploding rock.) At least one of these essential minerals can be introduced to your body by drinking Goldschläger, which is probably cheaper.
2000-2005 … From among thousands of plants reborn from the ashes of Tunguska, scientists identify the ten most concentrated with therapeutic properties.
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