Observation 18
Rain - Part of the Water Cycle where ice crystals in clouds melt and combine together, heavy enough to fall from the cloud and down to the earth's surface as rain. Rain, however, is usually experienced when surface temperatures are well above freezing; rain is related to other forms of precipitation including hail, sleet, and snow, which are formed in similar fashion.

Skidding on a slippery road - Whenever a road is slick, usually by rain or any other wet precipitation, a number of factors can cause a skid. Taking slick turns at high speeds, tire conditions (bald tires make things worse), braking too hard, then subsequently losing steering control--all of these are probable causes of skidding on slippery roads.

Earthquakes are caused by the release of energy in the form of elastic strain that causes seismic waves. They also can result from the movement of tectonic plates that collide with each other at fault lines within the Earth's upper crust. Some earthquakes are also caused by the movement of magma in volcanoes.

Mosquito bites itch because when you are bitten the mosquito stabs its needle like mouthpart into your skin and before it sucks your blood it injects it's saliva under your skin which is filled with anticoagulants and digestive enzymes. With the first bite, there is no effect on the person. However, with subsequent bites, the person becomes sensitized to the foreign proteins and an itchy red bump appears within 24 hours.

Fall of Communism 1989 – The fall of Communism started in 1985 when a reformer named Mikhail Gorbachev came into control of the Soviet Union. He paved the way for political and economic reforms within the Union. He abandoned the Brezhnev Doctrine, which said that military force would be used to secure Communist control in regions. These reforms lead to open elections in many Soviet Union regions. Since the Soviet Union would not intervene with military force revolutions started all over the place and communist parties began to cede power back to the people. The fall of the Berlin wall was the catalyst for every other region in the Union to demand independence.

Space Shuttle Columbia Explosion – The destruction of the space shuttle Columbia was caused by a whole in the heat shield on the underside of the shuttle. This piece more than likely broke off during take off and was deemed unimportant by NASA. Improper care and inspection of the space shuttle Columbia is what caused it to blow up.

The Burning Man Festival was started in the late eighties as a way for people to express themselves. A group of artsy people got together and burned a wicker figure on the beach, and it caught on with all the other artsy freedom lovers as a way to have a hippy community one week every year.

The rise in autism in the recent years is normally attributed to a change in the classification, and greater public knowledge, meaning that more people know about it and think they might have it, and the lesser classification means that it applies to more people.

Causes of the common cold - The leading cause for a common cold is viral infections. About 200 viruses are known to cause symptoms for the common cold. A cold is a viral infection to the nose and throat.

Popularity of Harry Potter films - J.K. Rowling's series of Harry Potter books have brghtened the imaginations of children everywhere. And what better place to see their imaginations come to life then at the movies. The movies have been successful because they are strictly from the book and doesn't change the contents to something completely different then what the readers want.