Ask Science and Arts Magazine for Kids and Children November/December 2015

ROBOT RUMBLE Who can build the world’s best rescue robot? This June, a two-year-long contest reached a final face-off as robots tackled an obstacle course full of tricky tasks for robots—like turning doorknobs and climbing stairs. The goal of this DARPA Robotics Challenge was to improve robots’ ability to help humans in a disaster. In the final contest, robots from 23 teams competed in tasks like climbing stairs, drilling holes, and walking through rubble. The winning robot, DRC-Hubo, came from South Korea. It could transform from a two-legged walker to a four-wheeled roller. None of the robots seemed quite ready for daring rescues yet—but at least they can open the door. If Chimps Could Cook Chimpanzees don’t know how to build a fire or turn on an oven. But if…

What you’ll need Big, sturdy shoebox with top cut off 2 wooden dowels, cut into four 2-foot lengths. Dowels should be the right size for a clothespin to clamp around tightly (we used 5/16 inch dowels). Smooth rough ends by rubbing on concrete or with sandpaper. 10 spring-closing clothespins Ballpoint pen, ruler, scissors, glue Paint or markers to color dowels Construction or wrapping paper Ping-Pong ball or other small ball Adult helper for gluing and cutting What to do Make the holes for the dowels and the goals. 1. Turn the box on its side and ask a grownup to help you place 4 clothespins about equally far apart, with the wide end lined up along the shoebox bottom. Use a marker to make dots on the box where each…

What you’ll need 2 or 3 chopsticks or sticksStringScissorsGluePaper and things to color withSome paper clips What to do Make your fish. 1. Fold a piece of paper in half and draw an outline of a fish (or other creature) so that its mouth is at one edge (not the fold). Make lots! 2. Put a paper clip inside the folded paper so that one end of it is coming out of the fish’s mouth. Holding it in place, tape it to the paper. Do this for all the fish. 3. Unfold the paper and cover the inside of the paper with glue. Fold the paper back together with the paper clip inside. Rub it down and let the glue dry. 4. When the glue is dry, decorate each fish.…

Need a hand? Print one out! Faith Lennox is seven years old and is missing her left hand. She knows how to do lots of things without it, like ride a bike, braid her hair, and even surf. But to make her life a little easier, she has a new hand that looks like a robot’s. It was created just for her on a 3-D printer. Hundreds of kids like Faith are getting cool new 3-D printed hands. It’s possible thanks to helpful makers living all around the world. And the kids even get to choose the colors themselves. Reaching Out Faith got her new hand with the help of a group called e-NABLE. It’s an online community that connects people who need artificial hands with designers and volunteers who…

What you’ll need Old pair of tights that it’sOK to cut upClean plastic garbage bagDried beansStringCotton stuffingGoogly eyesScissors, glue What to do 1. Loosely fill one long side of a clean garbage bag with dried beans. Place cotton stuffing on top of the beans. Roll up the bag lengthwise, and tie it loosely into sections so the beans and stuffing don’t move around too much. 2. Cut a leg off the tights. The foot will be the head of your snake. Slide the filled garbage bag into the leg, with the bean side down. Tie the opening closed, and decorate your snake. 3. Place your draft snake along the bottom of a drafty door and stay warm!…

What you’ll need Small, clean glass jar with tight lid Small plastic figurines that you don’t want back Waterproof glue (hot glue gun or superglue—ask an adult to help with this) 1 or 2 teaspoons silver or other metal glitter (white plastic glitter floats) About half a cup of glycerin (you can buy this at drugstores) Water Adult helper for gluing What to do 1. Take the lid off the jar and compose a nice scene with your plastic figures on the inside of the lid. Make sure your scene fits inside the jar. Ask your adult helper to help you glue your scene in place. Waterproof glue is tricky, so use care! 2. Add the glycerin and glitter to the jar, and fill to the very tip top with…