Scienceland articles

Recent articles from Scienceland

A little bit of autumn. (maple leaves change color)
September 22, 1997... The shadow on the cover is a katydid (ka te did). What can you actually see? (A pair of antennals and parts of the katydid's legs) The long, warm days of summer have come gone. This pair of maple leaves is not as green as it was in summer. Let us watch the calendar to see how these leaves...

From green to red. (ground charry changes color as it becomes ripe)
September 22, 1997... The ground cherry is also called the Chinese lantern plant. Can you tell why? When most plants grow fruit, their flowers dry up or fall off. But the ground cherry flower closes around the fruit like a cage. Ripe ground cherries can be eaten by people as well as animals. Can you...

The hare. (the hare changes color in winter)
September 22, 1997... Winter has come. This hare has changed from thin, cool summer fur to thick, warm winter fur. Its color, too, has changed -- from brown to white. Now the hare cannot easily be seen in the winter snow. What is the difference between a rabbit and a qhare? Hares are born with open eyes and...

Ready for winter. (how animals change in preparation of winter)
September 22, 1997... What do you do when the cold comes? You wear a sweater or coat to keep warm. What about animals? Many change their coats of fur or feathers. Their coats become thick and warm. How do these animals change color? Feather by feather, hair by hair. When animals grow new skin,...

The crow. (bird behavior)
September 22, 1997... The day after a storm, a crow walks along a river bank. It collects bits of junk that the storm tossed onto the bank. The crow carefully hides its treasure behind some rocks. What do you think it will do with these things? Crows are the largest of the songbirds. They can be as long...