Science News for Kids articles from December 2008

Science News for Kids archives from December 2008

A clean getaway.
December 3, 2008... Criminal investigations begin with a search for clues. Teams of investigators arrive at a crime scene armed with special fact-finding gear. They look for standard evidence like fingerprints, footprints or blood at the scene of a crime. But...

Vitamin D-licious mushrooms.
December 3, 2008... Over the past few years the sun has gotten a bad rap. Too much sunshine can put you at risk for skin cancer. And an overdose of sun can also lead to nasty sunburns, or even heatstroke. But the sun isn't always bad for the body. Scientists...

Caterpillars tattletale to police.
December 10, 2008... Clothes moth caterpillars may be a nuisance for your wardrobe, munching holes through sweaters and socks. But the pests don't just eat clothing, they also feast on human hair. And though that may not sound as tasty as a glass of milk and...

Double take.(twins)
December 10, 2008... I have a friend who looks just like me. We both have light brown hair that we wear pulled back, often in pigtails. We dress in the same types of sporty clothes. Our glasses have thick rims and a blue tint. We are both journalists, athletes and...

Math is a real brain bender.
December 10, 2008... Don't feel bad if it took forever to wrap your brain around math. Mastering arithmetic requires major reorganization in the way the brain works. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As kids grow up, the parts of the brain used to do math problems...

Graphene's superstrength.
December 17, 2008... Big technology comes in tiny packages. New cell phones, music players and personal computers get smaller every year, which means these electronics require even smaller components on the inside. Engineers are looking for creative ways to build...

Meteorites may have sparked life on Earth.
December 17, 2008... Thoughts of meteors hurtling toward Earth usually generate visions of mass extinctions. But some recent studies paint a new picture: Large rocks hurtling in from space may have actually helped spark life on Earth. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Sugar-pill medicine.
December 17, 2008... Feeling sick? You wouldn't want to take fake medicine for an earache or major illness. But in some cases, the fake stuff can help. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Studies have long shown that fake medicines, or placebos, can produce the same...