SuperScience articles from April 2009

SuperScience archives from April 2009

Dialing dumbo.(monitoring elephants using collars that can send text messages on its current location)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Elephants have just joined the text-messaging craze. A new program at a wildlife reserve in the African country of Kenya is using texts to track unruly elephants. When an elephant named Kimani kept wandering into nearby farms to feed,...

Silky security.(metalmark moth caterpillars uses silk strands to detect intruders)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Staying safe in the wild can be tricky, but metalmark moth caterpillars have a clever way of knowing when predators approach. Scientists have found that these silk-weaving critters spin silk webs into home-security...

Driving on air.(compressed air in Air Car's engine)
April 1, 2009... The Air Car may look like a silly clown car that belongs at the circus, but when it comes to saving energy, this car is no joke! Unlike most gas-guzzling automobiles on the road, the Air Car's engine is powered by air that has been squeezed...

Undersea science.(high school science teacher Mark Tohulka helps underwater research at the Aquarius Reef Base)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] High school science teacher Mark Tohulka spent eight days underwater. No, he didn't hold his breath for that long. The teacher worked inside the world's only permanent underwater laboratory. Tohulka was the...

The case of the water walker: this month, learn about surface tension.(science mystery)(Play)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHARACTERS NARRATOR 1 MARTY ERIN MRS. BURKE NARRATOR 2 NARRATOR 3 Scene 1 Narrator 1: Marty likes to collect insects. He asks his friend Erin to come with him to Burke's Pet Shop...

Food for thought: through a school garden project, New Orleans students turn seeds into tasty treats.(life science)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A couple times a week, Ryn'ee Brown, 9, trades in her pencils and paper for gardening gloves and a shovel. She heads outside with her fourth-grade class to a large garden just beyond the classroom walls. There, the...

A seed's needs: what things do seeds need to sprout.(science experiments on plant growth)
April 1, 2009... THINK: Seeds seem like hard, lifeless pellets, but under the right conditions, they suddenly grow into plants. Have you ever planted a seed? What things did it need to grow into a plant? PREDICT: What conditions are best for growing plants?...

Cool science jobs.(practice of oceanographer Daniel Palacios)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHO: DANIEL PALACIOS JOB: OCEANOGRAPHER What is an oceanographer? Oceanographers explore the oceans to learn more about them. There are different types of oceanographers: For instance, some focus on...

Night lights: when electric lights hurt wildlife, they're not a bright idea.(physical science)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During the nighttime on Florida beaches, newly hatched sea turtles crawl out of their eggs. Their goal is to be swept away in the ocean's waves. Instinct should guide the turtles toward the...

Shade or shine: what materials would make the best lampshade?(science experiment on the translucency and opaqueness of materials)
April 1, 2009... THINK: Not all materials allow the same amount of light to pass through. Materials that are transparent let almost all light travel through. Translucent materials let by only some light. Opaque objects block nearly all light. PREDICT: What...

Mystery photo.(peacock feathers)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... WHAT'S PICTURED IN THE MAGNIFYING GLASS? TO FIND OUT, USE THESE HINTS (PLUS A DICTIONARY OR THE INTERNET!). 1. Male birds use lots of these to attract brown-colored females. 2. A display of these is typically 1.8 to 2.1 meters (6 to 7...

You asked.(recycling process)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: Where do recycled items go? A: Recycling is the process of turning something that isn't useful anymore into something new. Sometimes we do this without realizing it, like by turning a milk carton into a bird...

Hidden words.(word puzzles)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Circle the words listed below in the puzzle. Then use the uncircled letters to spell out the fun fact below. (Read the uncircled letters as they appear from left to right in each line.) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANSWER Reflect:...

Happy Earth Day!(environmental sciences)(Editorial)
April 1, 2009... Earth Day is April 22. To help you celebrate, SuperScience has packed this Earth Day-themed issue with material to help you boost your students' environmental IQ. We spotlight students at a New Orleans school who tend to an organic garden, and...