Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2019 i Ask Science and Arts Magazine for Kids and Children

Rock-a-Bye, Mousey Babies love being rocked. Even grown-ups like it. What’s more relaxing than a nap in a hammock? Now researchers have found that adult mice also sleep better when they’re rocked. The scientists put mouse cages onto a moving platform during the day. (Mice are nocturnal, so daytime is when they usually snooze.) The platform moved side-to-side with a steady rhythm. By watching the brain activity of the mice, the scientists could see when they were asleep. Mice slept about 12 percent longer when they were being rocked. Researchers think an organ deep inside mouse ears is involved. Normally, this organ helps with balance. So would humans also sleep better in moving beds? More research is needed, but it’s possible. SEAL EEL NOSES ARE A MYSTERY Why does this…

120 million years ago, an iguanodon stood on a riverbank, chewing a leaf. It had been raining, and the bank was full of fresh new plants for his breakfast. The rain also turned the hillside above into mud. Some of the mud began to slide, faster and faster, down the hill. And right in the middle of breakfast, Wham! The poor iguanodon was rudely buried under a ton of mud. Sadly, that was the end of the iguanodon. But it was the beginning of a brand new fossil. Under the mud, bacteria and worms nibbled away all the soft bits of the iguanodon’s body. They left a collection of bones and teeth under the muddy river. Like all bones, the iguanodon’s were not completely solid. Each bone was filled with…

Far out in the ocean, a tiny clam creeps over a coral reef. Brightly colored fish dart in and out. Something startles a puffer fish. It goes from fish-shaped to spiky balloon in seconds. In the distance, an eagle ray slowly flap, flap, flaps. Many of these colorful animals would like to eat the tiny, slow clam. It needs a hiding place! The clam finds a small crack in the coral. It’s just the right size. The clam slides in. Wedged inside the hard coral, the clam is safe from hungry mouths. To eat, the clam pushes its brightly colored lips, or frill, out into the water. Algae living in the frill gather sunlight. They make food for themselves and the clam. The clam also sucks in bits of food…

Space is full of planets, moons, and asteroids. Are any besides Earth home to living things? Astronomers would love to know. When NASA and other space agencies send spacecraft and robots to explore Mars, they look for signs that anything ever lived there. What exactly are they looking for? Rocks! Follow the Water Most scientists think that any kind of life needs liquid water. So the first Mars missions looked for signs of water. And sure enough, they found it. Although Mars is now pretty dry, water once flowed on the planet’s surface. The Curiosity rover is a car-sized robot that has been exploring Mars since 2012. In Gale Crater, it found rocks that have been shaped by flowing water. Now it’s sampling the rocks to see what’s in them.…

Would you like a pet that’s easy to care for, doesn’t eat much, and won’t keep you up at night? How about a nice pet rock? For this month’s contest, find a rock that might make a good companion. Get to know your rock—is it hard, smooth, flaky, shiny, talkative? Would it like some extra eyes? Draw us a picture or send us a photo of your new friend, and we’ll host a rock star party an upcoming issue of Ask. Contest Rules: 1. Your contest entry must be your very own work. Ideas and words should not be copied. 2. Be sure to include your name, age, and address on your entry. 3. Only one entry per person, please. 4. If you want your work returned, enclose a self-addressed,…

Rocks wear down, blow away, dissolve, and get melted down into new rocks—very slowly, over millions of years. And living things play a part in the process. Without living things, Earth’s rocks would look very different. When a volcano erupts, magma oozes out. Magma is melted rock, recycled from deep inside Earth. Cooled magma makes volcanic, or igneous rock. In some places, magma pushes up to the surface, making a volcano. Volcanic rock is full of minerals that plants can use. Wind, rain, and rivers break off bits of rock and carry them away as sand and grit. Bacteria living deep underground ooze acids that dissolve rocks to form caves. Plant roots grow into rocks and help break them up. Plants and animals also make chemicals that change rocks. Deep…

In the shallow water of Shark Bay, Australia, strange rocky columns stick up from the sandy bottom. Shark Bay is named for the 29 species of shark that have been spotted here. But the scientists who visit this remote place don’t come for the sharks. They come to see a far more remarkable creature—rock-making microbes from the dawn of time. The lumpy columns that dot this bay are no ordinary rocks. If you cut one open, it would look like a stack of pancakes, with some green fuzz on the top. That fuzz made the rock. It also made a lot of our air. Meet the cyanobacteriaone of Earth’s most ancient life forms. Cyanobacteria is sometimes called blue-green algae, but it is not algae. It’s a single-celled microbe that lives…

Dear Editor, I think you should write about wood. Wood is useful for a lot of things. I like to whittle and make crafts with wood. I‘d like to know more about wood, where to find it, what kinds live the longest, and what makes the best paper. Sincerely, Simeon B., Wisconsin Dear Simeon, It is so nice to hear from someone who really appreciates the wonder of wood! I’ve always wondered what makes those round shapes in burlwood, and why we can’t eat it. So many mysteries to uncover! Curiously, Plush Dear Avery, Could you do an issue on sloths? I like trees too. I also have red hair! What’s your experience with dogs? I don’t mean robot dogs. Does Bot chase you? Do you like books? I do.…

Challenge your friends to a sorting contest. Who can separate mixed salt and pepper the fastest, using only a plastic spoon? You can, with your secret weapon: static. What You’ll Need • Salt • Pepper • Sheet of paper • Plastic spoon (or knife, or ruler) • Wool, silk, or fleece cloth (or sweater, hat, or mitten) What To Do First, mix together the salt and pepper in a pile on the paper. Grab the spoon and rub it briskly with a bit of wool, silk, or fleece. This could just be the sleeve of your sweater. Rub 10-20 times at least. Now, hold the spoon just above the pile of salt and pepper. And—the pepper will leap up to the spoon! If some of the salt leaps too, try…