Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

 When Neil Armstrong first stepped on the Moon, it was hailed as one of the greatest achievements for mankind. Since then, the mysteries of the universe have continued to fascinate people, especially those on Answers. Luckily for us, Answers has a user who is more than ready to give us the answers we are looking for about the great unknown. Bruce Birchall, currently the top answerer in the Science & Mathematics category, has been using his in depth cosmos knowledge to build up over 27,000 points, with nearly half of his answers being chosen as the best answer.”

When Neil Armstrong first stepped on the Moon, it was hailed as one of the greatest achievements for mankind. Since then, the mysteries of the universe have continued to fascinate people, especially those on Answers. Luckily for us, Answers has a user who is more than ready to give us the answers we are looking for about the great unknown. Bruce Birchall, currently the top answerer in the Science & Mathematics category, has been using his in depth cosmos knowledge to build up over 27,000 points, with nearly half of his answers being chosen as the best answer.

A Londoner since 1975, Bruce says: “I was interested in astronomy as a teenager as it enabled me to lose myself in the wonder and vastness of the cosmos”. These interests lead him to read up on astronomy.

If you’ve ever wondered about which galaxies are the nearest to Earth, then wonder no more. According to our expert “the two large galaxies nearest to us are M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) at 2.56 million light years distance and M33 (Triangulum Galaxy) at 2.64 million light years distance.” From galaxies to stars, Bruce’s know-how has travelled around the universe and found the most luminous star in our galaxy, as well as the reason why some stars become red giants. While we’re on the subject of stars, it may be useful to know that he has also helped Answerers understand how we classify stars using Roman and Arabic numerals.

Bruce’s understanding of science doesn’t stop at astronomy and space though, as he points out: “I have several interests apart from astronomy…board games…performing arts…theatre and acting”. This is clear to see from the great answer he has given to a confusing chess conundrum: is it possible to put yourself in check while putting another player into checkmate? Even when it comes to other strange questions, such as why water is so heavy or what the gravitational lens effect is, this week’s featured user gives well researched and easy to understand answers.

When asked about what he finds appealing about Answers, Bruce says: “…it kick-starts my brain and means I can remain intellectually curious and re-immerse myself in the awe and wonder of the cosmos at a higher level than was possible as a teenager.” On an ending note, he says Answers reminds him of a quote by Carl Sagan:

“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.”

Your answers have definitely had depth in them Bruce Virchall, and we hope you continue to share your knowledge like this with us. We can’t promise that it’ll make you as famous as Galileo Galilei, but it’s surely made you a star on Answers. Congratulations once again.

–Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team