Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Ask Science and Arts Magazine for Kids and Children

Duck! It’s an Octopus! Octopuses usually live alone. But some Australian octopuses live crowded together—and it might make them grumpy. Scientists have caught them throwing things at each other. The scientists used underwater cameras to film a species called gloomy octopuses. The octopuses often fling shells away after eating. Sometimes they also threw algae or sand by holding the material in their arms, then letting go while squirting a jet of water. They might just be clearing their spaces... but they quite often hit other nearby octopuses. From studying the videos, the scientists think it was on purpose. Plant Makes Prank Poop Dung beetles have a dirty job. They collect animal poop, make it into balls, and roll it away to bury it. They use the dung for food and…

On Earth, gravity pulls pee and poop into the toilet and keeps it there. When you flush, gravity pulls waste through the pipes to the sewer. But in space, things float around. The motion of the Space Station as it orbits Earth makes it feel like there’s no gravity on board. “In space, if you had a regular household toilet, the water would just float around and eventually float out,” says NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik. Yuck! So going to the bathroom in space takes a special kind of toilet. In space toilets, gentle vacuums do the work of gravity. Flowing air sucks everything into the toilet and holds it there. To pee, astronauts use a simple funnel attached to a hose. There are different tops for men and women. Astronauts…

Do you like a long bath with bubbles and toys, or a quick shower? Throughout history, people have found many different ways to keep clean. Often, a bath was a swim in a handy river or lake. In ancient Egypt or Rome, you might have bathed every day (although not alone). But people have always found a way get clean. Bathe like an Egyptian Bathing began as a simple operation—just rinse off in a nearby river. Ancient Egyptians bathed regularly in the Nile. (Of course, they had to keep an eye out for crocodiles.) You’ll Never Bathe Alone The Romans built big public bath houses where they would hang out, play sports, soak in hot and cold pools, and talk with their friends. Everyone bathed, rich and poor. But they…

Send your letters to Ask, 1 East Erie Street, Suite 525, PMB4136, Chicago, IL 60611, or have your parent/guardian email us at ask@cricketmedia.com. Dear Marvin, Hi, what is your favorite food? I really like cheeseburgers. Do you know cows are really easy to prank? My favorite month is coming up, April! April 1 is THE BEST. Bye! Sincerely, Ben Z., California Dear Ben, What kinds of pranks do cows like? Sneak some chocolate syrup into the milking pail and tell them they’ve started giving chocolate milk? April is the best! But it’s too short. So I changed my calendar so April has 30 April 1sts. Most fun month ever! Prankmaster Marvin Dear Ask, I’ve been reading your magazines for a year and I have one question. Where do you learn…

Have you thanked your toilet today? Maybe take a moment to appreciate this useful appliance. Unfortunately, many people around the globe do not have good toilets. World Toilet Day started in 2001 to draw attention to the problem. Since then, inventors around the world have been hard at work on designs for better toilets that are clean, cheap, earth-friendly, and work without running water or electricity. The goal is clean toilets for all. A Waterless Flush Why do so many people live without good toilets? One problem is water. Traditional toilets use water to flush the waste away. But lots of places don’t have a lot of water to spare. And if there’s no sewer system or water treatment plant, the flushes might go into rivers or onto fields. For…

Underwear: What We Wear Under There by Ruth Freeman Swain Kings and revolutions are all very well, but sometimes it’s fun to take a peek into the hidden parts of history. In this amusing romp through the history of undies, you can see what kings and grandmas wore underneath, and how your own underwear got the way it is. It will give you a new appreciation for elastic. Gee Whiz! by Susan E. Goodman Why do we pee? Do fish? Why is bird pee white? How did knights in armor go to the bathroom? Find all the answers here, plus see an amazing invention for peeing far away, and learn how pee is used for making everything from dye to fireworks. And if your mom has not banned you from…