Science News for Kids articles from February 2008

Science News for Kids archives from February 2008

Healing honey.
February 6, 2008... Coughs, sniffles, sneezes, runny noses: Colds and other nasty lung infections are especially common in winter. To fight the misery, many people swallow syrups and pills that claim to clear stuffy noses, soothe sore throats, stifle coughs, and...

New elephant-shrew.(Rhynchocyon udzungwensis)
February 6, 2008... The world is full of quirky creatures, and the elephant-shrew is a perfect example. These furry, long-nosed animals resemble a mix between miniature antelopes, anteaters, and rodents, says Galen Rathbun of the California Academy of Sciences in...

The essence of celery.
February 6, 2008... Celery has a certain something, as most chefs will tell you. Even though the vegetable's flavor is mild, it's an ingredient in a variety of soup recipes. To figure out how celery has gained its popularity among cooks, Japanese scientists...

Baby number whizzes.
February 13, 2008... It takes years of school to develop math skills, but learning about numbers starts earlier than you might think. At 3 months of age, babies have already started acquiring a concept of "how much," according to a new study. The finding isn't...

Hearing whales.
February 13, 2008... Ears are for hearing--everyone knows that. But for a creature called the Cuvier's beaked whale, hearing starts in the throat, a new study finds. The observation might help explain how all whales hear, researchers say. The work might also...

Why cats nap and whales snooze.
February 13, 2008... At first, it may seem like a treat to stay up late--but the next day will be no picnic. There'll be yawning, heavy limbs, and a cranky disposition. At times like these, the desire to sleep can feel overwhelming. And it should. ...

Cool penguins.
February 20, 2008... Raising a baby takes a lot of work, especially when that baby is a king penguin. Now, it looks like climate change will make life even harder for these birds. A new study suggests that warmer waters could shrink their numbers. Most king...

Settling the Americas.
February 20, 2008... The world was a very different place tens of thousands of years ago. People didn't yet inhabit many regions that are crowded today. Scientists have long wondered exactly when people first journeyed far from their homelands to settle all around...

The other side of the zoo fence.
February 20, 2008... Architects often have to deal with difficult clients, but Lee Ehmke's customers are especially hard to work for. They sleep through meetings. They never pay. They don't even use bathrooms when they have to go. Nevertheless, Ehmke puts up...

Flight without sonar.
February 27, 2008... Bats are famous for their ability to use sound to "see." The technique, called echolocation, involves making high-pitched sounds that bounce off objects and return to the animal. On the basis of the pattern of sound that comes back, a bat gets...

Mercury unveiled.
February 27, 2008... Astronomy isn't a popularity contest, but some planets seem to get all the attention. Jupiter is biggest. Saturn has lots of rings. Mars may harbor life. For years, Mercury has lurked in the shadows of its flashier neighbors. Now, the...

Tiny pterodactyl.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Imagine a creature that's a cross between a dinosaur and a bird and you'll have a good idea of what a pterodactyl looked like. These ancient creatures were reptiles, but they flew. In fact, they were probably the first vertebrates to fly. ...