SuperScience articles from October 2006

SuperScience archives from October 2006

Sand art.(Sand sculpture)
October 1, 2006... Last summer, sculptors from around the world met on a beach in Brighton, England. Their mission: to re-create ancient Rome--with sand! The artists created sculptures of soldiers, horses, and monuments. To make these sculptures, the...

Hot stuff.(Mount Merapi)
October 1, 2006... Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in the Asian country of Indonesia, erupted recently. The eruption was extremely violent. Why was the eruption so violent? According to Ken Hon, a scientist at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, a dome of...

Disappearing act.(metamaterials could make objects invisible)
October 1, 2006... Do you wish you could slip on an invisibility cloak like Harry Potter and wander around unseen? One day it may happen! Researchers are now working on a material that could be used to make people and objects invisible. John Pendry, a...

To the rescue!(LIFE SCIENCE)
October 1, 2006... When two scientists learned that a deadly disease was about to wipe out frogs in the Central American country of Panama, what did they do? They went on a daring rescue mission! Scientists Joseph Mendelson and Ron Gagliardo knew that frogs...

The case of the terrible treat: this month, learn about climate.(science mystery)
October 1, 2006... "Mom, did you do anything fun on your business trip to Brazil?" asked Shannon King. She and her sister Katie watched their mother unpack her briefcase. "I did get to go to the beach," said Mrs. King. "The beach?" said Katie. "But it's...

Mummies unwrapped: mummies can't talk, but they do have a lot to say. Discover what some mummies reveal about the lives and deaths of ancient people.(life science)
October 1, 2006... In a still, dark tomb, an old wooden coffin opens. Inside lies an ancient body that's so well-preserved its eyes, teeth, and even hair still remain. It's... a mummy! A mummy is a dead body that has managed to stay intact for thousands of...

Make a mummy: can you make an "apple mummy"?(hands-on)
October 1, 2006... THINK: What types of foods make you thirsty? When you are thirsty, do you think your body is gaining or losing weight? PREDICT: When moisture is removed from a dead body, the body dries up and becomes a mummy. Which of the following...

It wants to suck your blood! A fearless scientist searches for bloodthirsty leeches.(Mark Siddall )
October 1, 2006... Mark Siddall takes off his shoes and socks. Then, he begins to make his way through a rain forest in Madagascar. A steady rain pelts down on the leafy trees and plants, making for a wet, slippery hike. Siddall looks down at his feet: A handful...

Aquaman! When it comes to underwater technology, Phil Nuytten is king of the sea.(physical science)
October 1, 2006... When inventor Phil Nuytten was just 11 years old, he decided that he wanted to learn to scuba dive. There was just one problem: No stores sold diving gear for hundreds of miles around his Vancouver, Canada, home. But Nuytten didn't throw in the...

Under pressure: what are the effects of water pressure?(hands-on)
October 1, 2006... THINK: Suppose you were to dive to the bottom of a pool. Would descending through the water become easier or more difficult the closer you got to the bottom? PREDICT: Water pressure is the force of water squeezing an object from all sides....

Mystery photo.(the Back Page)
October 1, 2006... WHAT'S PICTURED IN THE MAGNIFYING LENS? TO FIND OUT, USE THESE HINTS (PLUS A DICTIONARY OR THE INTERNET). 1. In the mid-1800s, they were fingerless. 2. It's sturdy and well-padded. This helps absorb the force (push) of a ball traveling...

You asked.(the Back Page)
October 1, 2006... Q: Why does your foot fall a sleep? A: Your foot falls asleep when your nerves are squashed. Nerves are like tiny wires that run throughout your body. They carry messages between your body and brain. When you sit on your foot, you...

Hidden words.(the Back Page)
October 1, 2006... Circle the words in the puzzle. Then use the uncircled letters to spell the answer to the riddle below. (Read the uncircled letters as they appear left to right in each line.) FUNGUS CELL DECAY LAVA DRAG MUMMY ...

SuperScience combines science and reading!
October 1, 2006... SuperScience fulfills a very special niche in your classroom. It weaves the wonders of science and the natural world with today's increasing pressure to teach language arts. Each issue of SuperScience contains feature-length nonfiction articles...

Wrap stars.(ASSESSMENT)
October 1, 2006... There have been many great mummy discoveries in the last 100 years. Seven of them are noted in the time line below. Use the information in the time line to answer the questions below. 1906 1916 1922: Explorer Howard Carter...

No-sweat bubble test.(mummies)
October 1, 2006... (reading comprehension) DIRECTIONS: Read each question below, and then use the article "Mummies Unwrapped" (pp. 6-8) to determine the best answer. Fill in the correct bubble completely. 1. Where was the oldest and best-preserved mummy...