Exposing synthetic materials to large stresses tends to result in simple failure, unlike many biological systems, which respond by enabling physiological processes such as hearing and balance

Carbonatite lavas are unusual because they contain over 50%carbonate minerals and almost no silicate. Volcanic gases captured from Oldoinyo Lengai in northern Tanzania, which is the only currently active volcano to produce such lavas, are shown to be indistinguishable from those emitted along mid-ocean ridges