Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

A Bizarre Moon-Shaped Disk Of Spinning Ice In Maine Has People Flocking To Catch A Glimpse 😼

A Bizarre Moon-Shaped Disk Of Spinning Ice In Maine Has People Flocking To Catch A Glimpse 😼
@ABC/Twitter, @bouncbackgator/Twitter

Westbrook residents in Maine discovered an interesting phenomenon that left them wondering if they were being visited by extraterrestrial visitors.

Slowly spinning counter clock-wise in the Presumpscot River was a massive disk of ice that scientists assured was simply a natural occurrence, albeit, a very rare one.


The disc that closely resembles the moon is supposedly formed with the help of a cross current creating a whirlpool in frigid temperatures.

But is it as simple as that?


However, the exact cause of the icy disc eludes University of Southern Maine physics professor, Paul Nakroshis.

The professor told Maine Public Radio that "It's probably formed — and this is speculation — by the aggregation of small little bits of ice or in an initial big chunk of ice that, because of initial rotation, little pieces of ice glob onto it."

He referred to research found in a monthly scientific journal, called Physical Review E, "in which the researchers created a small ice disk in the laboratory and found that it rotated. But in the preface to their paper they say that the creation of these disks is actually not well understood."



He described the conditions contributing to the unusual sight that is captivating Westbrook residents.

"The paper that I referenced talks about the cause of the rotation being the ice melting underneath the disk, and as it melts the water sinks downward and causes a vortex that causes the disk to rotate."



But Nakroshis found that the spinning glacial matter in Maine did not necessarily correspond with the conditions mentioned from the research paper.

"However, based on my reading of the paper, the water in the Westbrook river is not actually warm enough to cause the effect that the paper talks about."
"So most likely the cause of the rotation is just the river water going by the disk and once it starts rotating in that direction it's probably going to continue."





It's time for a re-christening.


Meanwhile, people braced themselves for the Flat Earthers to start their theorizing.






People preferred speculating over listening to scientific lectures.









Whatever it is, this is the bottom line.




Westbrook is seven miles away from Portland and is experiencing a surge of interest with all the media coverage for their arctic wonder, according to NPR.

The city hopes to lure more visitors before warmer temperatures melt it all away.


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

TikToker @richi_luvv; Sabrina Carpenter
@richi_luvv/TikTok; Sabrina Carpenter/YouTube

Kidz Bop Just Released A Cover Of A Super Suggestive Sabrina Carpenter Song—And Fans Are Not OK

Kidz Bop, the long-running music outfit that refashions pop songs for the ears of children, usually focuses on upbeat, bubble gum pop tunes, right?

It's like the kind of songs you'd hear at, say, the grocery store, retooled for the elementary school set.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot from Fox News broadcast
Fox News

Sean Hannity Roasted After Claiming His Friends In NYC Are 'Scared' After Mamdani's Win

When Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor in June, Republicans and some old school Democrats were positively apoplectic.

An immigrant Muslim of Gujarati and Punjabi Indian parents who has lived in NYC since he was 7 years old, the 34-year-old New York State Assembly member was the stuff of nightmares for the MAGAsphere. Mamdani was a non-White, non-Christian, Uganda-born immigrant and progressive Democrat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Zohran Mamdani
Andres Kudacki/Getty Images; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

AOC Has Democrats Applauding With Her Viral Reaction To Zohran Mamdani's Historic Win

New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had people nodding their heads after she opened up about why democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City mayoral election on Tuesday is so important for the country at large as well as for the future of the Democratic Party.

Mamdani successfully took on the establishment to become the first South Asian, first Muslim, and first millennial mayor-elect, running a campaign that focused predominantly on the city's affordability crisis and that successfully batted away racist and Islamophobic backlash from right-wingers who claimed his policies would "destroy" the city.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Mike Johnson
Fox News

Mike Johnson Gets A Swift Reality Check After Trying To Downplay The Election Results

House Speaker Mike Johnson was called out after displaying his clear denial over Tuesday night's election wins for Democrats, claiming that "no one should read too much into" the results despite major upsets.

Democrats won races around the country, particularly in Virginia, where Abigail Spanberger became the first woman to the win the governorship in the state's history, and in New York City, where Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, successfully took on the establishment to become the first South Asian, first Muslim, and first millennial mayor-elect.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man in a suit walking down the sidewalk and pulling a bag
person in black suit jacket with r ed bag walking beside metal fence
Photo by Romain V on Unsplash

People Who Quit Their Jobs On Day One Reveal What Made Them Say 'Nope, Not Doing This'

Every now and then, simply because we need money, we might take a job that doesn't fulfill us in any way, but at least keeps our bank accounts happy.

Some jobs, however, are so soul-sucking that even with no other prospects immediately on the horizon, we can't, in good conscience, keep working them.

Keep ReadingShow less