Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2015 i Ask Science and Arts Magazine for Kids and Children

April 13 We set sail this morning and are headed to the Antarctic. It was a beautiful day as we traveled through the Magellan Straits. Lots of birds followed us for a bit, and some Commerson’s dolphins zipped alongside the boat. April 17 We arrived at Palmer Station today and got to work unpacking supplies. Palmer Station can house about 46 people. It’s very cozy. Along with the icefish team, there are scientists here studying birds, ocean worms, Earth’s magnetic field, ocean microbes, and more. Everyone’s projects are so interesting, I want to check them all out! Tomorrow we head out for our first fishing expedition. April 20 Today we set fish traps. We put a little bait in each. The fish can swim in, but can’t get out. Then…

It’s a warm summer day, perfect for a dip in the pond. But when you come out of the water, you notice a small, worm-like creature stuck to your foot. As you watch, it swells in size—filling up with your blood. Congratulations! You’ve just met a leech. Don’t worry, it won’t drink much. Meet the Blood Eaters The leech in your pond, like mosquitoes and vampire bats, is a hematophage, which means “blood eater.” Eating blood might seem unusual to us—and maybe a bit icky—but for some insects and animals, it’s a clever way to get a good meal full of protein without the trouble of hunting. Blood eaters prefer to be sneaky, not scary. Some, like vampire bats, hunt at night when their prey is asleep. They nip gently,…

Try this: press two fingers gently against the side of your neck, below your chin. Feel the little thump-thump? That’s your heart pumping blood through your veins. Your blood is always on the move. Once every minute it travels all the way around your body and back again to your heart. Your heart pumps all that blood around. Today, every school kid knows that. But for thousands of years, even the greatest doctors in the world didn’t know why the heart beat or what flowed through the body’s many tubes. (Some thought veins also carried air or even your spirit.) What goes on inside the human body was just as mysterious as the stars. Gladiator School That’s really not too surprising, once you stop to think about it. After all,…

You’re going to need some blood. Preferably, blood as fake as your vampire’s removable fangs. Real blood is no good. It starts to clump and thicken the minute it meets air. Plus it smells, attracts flies, and is hard to clean up. And, eeewww! So what’s a poor actor to do? In the early days of movies, before color film was invented, the favorite fake blood was chocolate syrup! Filmed in black and white, it looks just like blood. Modern movie magicians buy their fake blood by the gallon from special effects companies. There’s blood specially made for spattering, Now, how do you get that fake blood flowing when you need it? When a scene calls for some bloodshed, actors first tape small bags of fake blood under their costumes.…

Flower Numbers Count the number of petals on flowers in your backyard, out in the country, or in a picture book. You’ll find that the number five keeps coming up. Buttercups, pansies, tomato blossoms, and geraniums all have five petals. You may also find flowers with 3 petals, and others with 8, 13, or even 21 petals. But it’s harder to find flowers with 4, 6, 7, or 10 petals (unless some have been nibbled). Is there something special about the numbers 3, 5, 8, 13, and 21? As a matter of fact, there is. To see what, start with 1. Then add 1 + 1 = 2. Then add the two numbers on each side of the equal sign. Keep doing this, and you get a pattern: This set…

Mix in a bowl: 1 tablespoon hot water 2 teaspoons corn starch 1 small packet dry fruit punch drink mix Add: 1/4 cup corn syrup 2 teaspoons chocolate syrup 1 teaspoon red food coloring 1 drop blue food coloring Mix well. If needed, add drops of red or blue food coloring (one drop at a time!) until the blood is just the right shade. To make thicker blood, add sugar or jelly. To make it thinner, add water. If you’re going to be using your fake blood on clothes but not near your mouth, add a few drops of dish soap to help it wash out.…