SuperScience articles from January 2007

SuperScience archives from January 2007

Open wide.(LIFE SCIENCE)(tooth brush for hippopotamuses at London Zoo )
January 1, 2007... The average toothbrush won't do when the teeth that need brushing belong to a hippopotamus. That's why zookeepers at the London Zoo in England built giant brushes for their two pygmy hippopotamuses, a species of small hippos. Zookeepers...

Moos in the news.(LIFE SCIENCE)(cow behavior)
January 1, 2007... Farmers from southwest England think that the moos from their cows sound awfully familiar. The farmers believe the cows are imitating their accents! Can animals really develop accents? Yes, says John Wells, a scientist at the University of...

Caught in the middle.(PHYSICAL SCIENCE)(car's middle seat is the safest spot during a crash)
January 1, 2007... Don't complain if you get stuck in the middle backseat. Research shows that a car's middle seat is the safest spot during a crash. To protect passengers in the event of a crash, most cars have an area called a "crush zone." This area of...

Batteries not included.(EARTH SCIENCE)(toy car powered by water)
January 1, 2007... A new toy car called the H-Racer is making a splash in the toy world. That's because this coot car is powered by water! How does it work? First, water is poured into the car's tank, Water is made of two elementshydrogen and oxygen. When the...

The case of the trashed table: this month, learn about condensation.(science mystery)
January 1, 2007... "That cloud is shaped like a turtle," said Cristina Garcia. Nearby, her brothers Andy and Sam were shoveling snow from the sidewalk. "Stop looking at the clouds and help us shovel," said Andy. He sounded very annoyed. "You're doing...

Feeling the heat: can walruses survive warming waters? A SuperScience reporter sails north with researchers to find out.(life science)
January 1, 2007... Snowflakes pelt my face and a cold wind blasts my body. I zip up my coat, but there's no escaping the chill. That's because I am sailing on an icebreaker in the Bering Sea (see map, above). Here, temperatures can dip to -1[degrees]C...

Walrus warmth: how does a walrus keep warm in the cold?(hands-on)
January 1, 2007... Procedure: [] 1. Mush together two sticks of clay and form a large walrus shape. [] 2. Form the remaining stick of clay into a skinnier walrus shape. Both of your walruses should be the same length. [] 3. Push the bottom end of...

Cool science jobs.(dolphin trainer)
January 1, 2007... Who: Alexis McKenzie Job: Dolphin Trainer What is a dolphin trainer? A dolphin trainer is someone who teaches dolphins learned actions, or behaviors that an animal learns through observation. One of the behaviors that I teach...

All that glitters: discover how rocks buried below the ground turn into the sparkling gold that coats shiny awards.(earth science)
January 1, 2007... What do the Olympic Games, the Academy Awards, and the World Cup in soccer have in common? The most-prized award for each contains a sparkling metal that comes from a mineral: Gold. But before gold can be added to an award, miners must dig...

Mystery photo.(the Back Page)
January 1, 2007... WHAT'S PICTURED IN THE MAGNIFYING LENS? TO FIND OUT, USE THESE HINTS (PLUS A DICTIONARY OR INTERNET!). 1. This vegetable is a good source of Vitamin C. 2. It belongs to the same family of vegetable as cauliflower. 3. It grows in a...

You asked.(burping)
January 1, 2007... Q: Why do we burp? A: Burping is the sound of gas leaving your body. When you eat or drink, you swallow a lot of air, which contains gases such as nitrogen and oxygen. When your stomach becomes too full, it squeezes some of those gases...

Ice map.(the Back Page)(Arctic Ocean)
January 1, 2007... Look at the map (right), it shows that the amount of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has changed over time. Use the map to answer the questions below. 1 Which U.S. state does the Arctic Circle cross? 2 In which country does the land reach...

Bringing real-life science into your classroom.
January 1, 2007... Welcome to a new year! As you dive into 2007, you can count on every issue of SuperScience to take your students on exciting adventures in science. In this issue, you and your students will head north to get the scoop on walruses in the...

Gas blast.(Super SCIENCE)
January 1, 2007... Human beings release the heat-trapping gas carbon dioxide into the air through many activities, such as burning fuels for use in transportation. Burning trees or cutting them down for land use also releases carbon dioxide. To see the sources of...