Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i Muse: The magazine of science, culture, and smart laughs for kids and children

IF YOU WANT to pick up a jellyfish, you’d better be gentle. Actually, you shouldn’t pick up jellies at all, because some of them sting. But scientists often use robots to collect and study underwater animals. Although robotic grabbers can pick up many kinds of creatures, delicate jellyfish are hard to grasp without hurting them. That’s why researchers are testing a new robotic hand that’s gentle enough to grab jellies. The hand is a rectangular box with six noodle-like fingers hanging down. The fingers are made of soft silicone. When the robot pumps water inside the fingers, they squeeze closed. In the lab, scientists used the hand to very gently catch three different kinds of jellyfish. One of these stories is FALSE. Can you spot which one? The answer is…

Will Gladstone, an amateur birder, was in his 5th-grade science class in Newton, Massachusetts, when he first heard of an eye-catching bird. It’s called the blue-footed booby. The population is declining, he learned. Will decided to raise money to support conservation efforts. As he was brainstorming ideas, his gaze came to rest on his feet, and the idea hit him. Feet, he thought, blue feet! He decided to sell bright blue socks and donate the money to environmental organizations trying to help the birds. His younger brother Matty became his partner. The boys started the Blue Feet Foundation in 2016. Dance of the Silly Birds The blue-footed booby is a unique seabird that lives near the Pacific coast, from California all the way to the Galapagos Islands. These goose-sized birds…

There’s nothing like a foot rub after a long day. The question is, can putting pressure on the toes and heels help other body parts—like your head, back, and stomach—feel better too? Fans of reflexology think so. This practice uses massage on specific reflex points to relieve tension and improve health. It dates back more than 4,500 years, but doctors and scientists do not fully agree that rubbing the feet can cure ailments throughout the body. Ancient Practices If ancient writings could be considered textbooks, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine would most likely be the first on medicine. Originally, scholars thought the book was written around 2600 BCE by the legendary Chinese emperor Huangdi. Newer evidence suggests it may be from around 300 BCE and compiled by a…

If you are one of those people with super ticklish feet, you may want to steer clear of foot treatments. But why are feet ticklish? The short answer is that no one knows for sure. The soles of our feet and palms of our hands have thousands of nerve receptors called Meissner’s corpuscles very close to their surface. This means they will detect very light touches. So one hypothesis is that they can cause a ticklish response. The rebuttal is that hands and fingers have the same up nerve receptors, but are much less ticklish. A second theory is that the parts of the body that are especially vulnerable in close combat (like the feet, underarms, stomach, and neck) are more prone to be ticklish as an evolutionary defense mechanism…

SUPERSTITIONS are beliefs that have no factual basis. Here are some superstitions and customs people have passed down through time about feet and shoes. Some people believe that shoes can help forecast the weather. Throw a shoe. If it lands on the sole, it will be a nice day. If you throw a shoe and it lands upside down, rain is coming. Have a knot in a shoelace? That means good luck, so leave it there. Ever have itchy feet? It means you will be soon going on a journey. If you wish to have a good luck day, get out of bed with your right foot first. Want extra good luck? Put your right sock on first too. Stubbing a toe can really hurt. It is also a sign…

Maybe you have wondered why 12 inches is called a foot. Traditional units of distance such as the Iranian parasang and English league both reflect how far a person could walk in a certain amount of time. Ancient Greeks and Romans measured with the foot (pous in Greek and pes in Latin), which was based on the length of the average adult man’s foot. The units people prefer for measurements change over time. The reasons include convenience, compatibility with other units, and advances in science and technology that allow and require more precise information. Britain started using the foot during the Roman conquest early in the first millennium. The Roman pes naturalis (“natural foot”) was about 10 inches (25 cm). To compare to shoe sizes, a foot that long would…

Pointe shoes have traditionally been designed for women. But men also dance en pointe. Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is an all-male ballet company that performs entirely en pointe. Men are typically heavier, so their shoes need to support more weight, and men’s feet are typically longer, wider, and less flexible than women’s, so they need a different design for a perfect fit. With pointe shoes specially designed for men becoming more popular, we may soon see many more male dancers en pointe.…

WHEN WE’RE SAD, WE FEEL BLUE. When we’re angry, we may see red. People from cultures around the world link colors with certain emotions. And when it comes to the color yellow, that link may depend on the weather. Researchers looked at survey data from more than 6,600 people in 55 countries. The participants had answered questions about the emotions that different colors represent. Many people associate the color yellow with joy, the survey showed. And people are more likely to say yellow is joyful if they live someplace rainy. They also find yellow more joyful if they live farther from the equator. People who live in warm, sunny climates year-round are less likely to connect yellow with joy. This may be because when skies are gray, people are extra…

PEOPLE IN the United States measure things using inches and feet. This way of measuring is based on the old British imperial system. (Britain—along with nearly every other country in the world—now uses the metric system, measuring things in centimeters and meters.) If you use the US system, you know feet are 12 inches long. But there’s a new movement afoot—sorry—to change that. The average adult in the United States has feet that are only 10 inches long. The people behind the Fix Our Foot movement say that’s how long a measured foot should be too. They argue that a 10-inch foot would be easier for kids to learn. It would also be simpler to convert inches into feet: just divide by 10! And more people would be able to…

What is a birder? A birder is a person who enjoys observing birds in the wild and trying to identify them. Most birders invest in a good set of binoculars. Will’s pair was purchased by his parents on a whale-watching adventure in Alaska, but they’ve turned into a fine set of birding binoculars. What is a list? Most birders keep lists of all the birds they’ve been able to identify in their natural habitats. At last count, Will had about 250 different birds on his. He’s studied them enough that he can identify them by their physical appearance, and sometimes he can recognize them by their unique calls. Each species has its own. Will’s best birding tips: “Get some bird guides, or just go out in nature and explore.” You…

No, not the kind where you can’t hang out with friends or use your phone for a week. The kind where your feet are connected with the ground. Also called “earthing,” grounding is the practice of going barefoot or wearing natural-soled shoes (such as leather) to connect the human body with the Earth. Practitioners claim that results include better sleep, more energy, reduced inflammation, and less stress, anxiety, and depression. As with reflexology, scientific studies don’t strongly support the practice. But whether or not grounding is a real thing, you may enjoy mindfully walking barefoot outdoors in warm temperatures. The experience of connecting to nature may enhance energy and reduce stress—as long as you avoid stepping on prickly plants, sharp rocks, and ground bees! So get up, go outside, and…

“Will it hurt, Mother?” Changying met Mother’s deep brown eyes. Was she crying? Mother rubbed Changying’s feet, massaging oil on the bottom and over the toes. Her light touch felt almost like a hug. Then Mother took firm hold of the pinky and snapped it. Lightning stabbed Changying. She fought the thrust of her stomach. Mother continued. A second toe. A third. A fourth. Unbelievable pain. Agony even. Pain that started now and would last the rest of her life. “You are a good daughter, Changying,” Mother said when it was done. Changying nodded, choking back the sobs. She could not stop the tears, but she did not scream. This was important. This was what a woman had to do. This was beauty. What Is Beauty? How important is beauty…

NEW CONTEST Just Right for the Job We’ve seen how animal feet are specially adapted to perfectly fit their needs. What special adaptation do you need in your life—extra-long fingers to snag the last slice of pizza? Ears that close so you don’t have to listen to your brother snoring? Night vision so you can catch any late-night prank attempts? Send us a picture of you with your new adaptation, and show us how it works! CONTEST RULES 1. Your contest entry must be your very own original work. Ideas and words should not be copied. 2. Be sure to include your name, age, and full address on your entry. 3. Only one entry per person, please. 4. If you want your work returned, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. 5.…

Tyler Clites is a tinkerer. He’s been this way since childhood—coming up with inventions and taking things apart. At summer invention camp he invented an automated egg cracker and a remote-controlled submarine. While in grade school he started an inventor’s club. They took apart old computers. “It was loads of fun until we got shut down because I accidentally blew all the fuses in the library,” he says. Clites is now an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. He still likes to figure out how things work. His latest invention is a medical procedure that makes it possible for people without feet to feel like they have biological feet. He still regularly blows fuses. WHAT IS YOUR FIELD CALLED, AND WHAT ARE…

Catherine Amoroso Leslie studies clothes and accessories from different time periods in history. Fashion designers, both past and present, are problem-solvers; they engineer creative solutions to problems of culture, communication, and environmental challenges. Leslie explores what we can learn about the problems—and solutions—in historical cultures by exploring their clothes. WHAT PROBLEMS WERE HISTORICAL DESIGNERS, AND EVEN PREHISTORICAL DESIGNERS, TRYING TO SOLVE WHEN THEY MADE SHOES? So, I think when we look at clothing, there’s function, of course, which is to cover your feet and protect your feet. But the communication of style is really highly valued at the same time. The earliest kind of footwear is really just wrapping skins or other materials around one’s feet. AS A COSTUME HISTORIAN, WHAT WOULD YOU START OBSERVING IN AN UNFAMILIAR SHOE TO…

How do ballerinas dance on the very tips of their toes? It’s called “en pointe,” a phrase from the French language. A professional dancing en pointe looks almost magical. How does she balance like that? Does it hurt? It may look dainty, but it is one of the most strenuous things anyone can do. It takes major strength, years of training, and special shoes called pointe shoes. And yes, it does hurt. Otherworldly Origins Marie Taglioni was the first woman to popularize dancing en pointe. In 1832, she danced an entire ballet this way. Many classical ballets are full of magical creatures, like fairies in The Nutcracker and enchanted swans in Swan Lake. Rising en pointe makes the dancers seem to float weightlessly like the otherworldly beings they portray. But…

MANY ROBOTS ROLL AROUND ON WHEELS. But wheels don’t climb, step over things, or make it easy to get up after a fall. Legs and feet can do all that and more. Meet three robots with fascinating feet. Give an award to each one: Creepiest, Coolest, and Cutest. DALER At first glance, DALER doesn’t seem to have any feet at all. This flying robot looks like a kite or a paper airplane. When it lands after swooping around in the sky, though, it’s not stuck in one place. To move on the ground, it scrunches its wings up close to its body. Then it rotates its wing tips, turning them into feet. Engineers have a name for these dual-purpose appendages: “whegs.” That’s wings + legs. As the whegs rotate, they…