The Scientific Explanation Behind the 'Angel's Glow' at the Battle of Shiloh
By
Elizabeth Rayne
Summary
The article explores the mysterious phenomenon known as "Angel's Glow" that occurred after the 1862 Battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War. Thousands of wounded soldiers lying in cold, wet conditions were observed to have glowing blue-green wounds. It took 139 years for the scientific explanation to emerge: in 2001, a teenager discovered that the bioluminescent bacterium *Photorhabdus luminescens*, living symbiotically with nematodes that infected the soldiers' wounds, produced the glow. The bacteria also released antibiotics that may have helped the soldiers survive, explaining why those with glowing wounds had better survival rates.
Source
Twitter / XThe Scientific Explanation Behind the 'Angel's Glow' at the Battle of Shilohpopular-mechanics.visitlink.meKey quotes
· 4 pulledAt the battle's end, 16,420 soldiers lay wounded throughout the woodlands and ravines of the area.
Many of the injured were unable to move. They shivered in the night, rain streaming down their faces as they waited for either help or death.
When physicians finally reached the scene of the battle's aftermath, they were taken aback by eerie bluish lights glowing in the darkness.
It took 139 years to understand what caused the mysterious 'Angel's Glow' at the Battle of Shiloh.
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