Science News for Kids articles from September 2008

Science News for Kids archives from September 2008

Mice sense each other's fear.
September 3, 2008... You can usually tell when people are afraid just by the look on their faces. Mice can tell when other mice are afraid too. But instead of using their beady little eyes to detect fear in their fellows, they use their pink little noses. ...

The tiniest serpent.
September 3, 2008... It may look like a little worm, but a newly discovered creature has earned a spot in the record books: It is the smallest species of snake known on Earth. Blair Hedges of Pennsylvania State University in University Park found the tiny serpent...

Yummy bugs.
September 3, 2008... This summer, the Audubon Nature Institute is opening another museum in New Orleans. Its restaurant will offer everything from soup and main courses to desserts. But the foods will contain ingredients U.S. diners would usually complain about...

Ear pain, weight gain.
September 17, 2008... Life is already painful for kids who get lots of ear infections. Adding insult to injury, scientists say that these kids may also have to worry about their weight. This may sound like a strange connection. But a new study suggests that...

Nanomagnets corral oil.
September 17, 2008... You've probably seen some of the cool things magnets can do. Place one near a paper clip, and the clip zooms across the table toward the magnet. Hold one magnet near another, and the second one mysteriously darts in the opposite direction. If...

The chemistry of sleeplessness.
September 17, 2008... When the school year starts, it can be tough to switch from lazy summer mornings to the blaring buzz of an alarm clock. After a few early mornings, extreme fatigue might make you feel like you're going to fall over. The amazing thing is that...

Lighting goes digital.
September 24, 2008... Computers have transformed our lives so completely that it's difficult to remember what life was like before the digital age. But only a few decades ago, people used typewriters for writing, and calculators solved math and money issues. You...

Math and our number sense.
September 24, 2008... Not all math skills are learned in the classroom. Some of them come naturally. Consider the split-second calculations you make when you estimate the number of empty seats on the school bus or gauge the number of cookies in a cookie jar. ...

The solar system's biggest junkyard.
September 24, 2008... On a clear night, you can look in the sky and see the moon and stars. You might even see the blinking light of a working satellite as it flies past, on its way around the Earth. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] And, even though you cannot see...