Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2018 i National Geographic Kids

STONE-COLD MYSTERY SOLVED? These statues, called moai, were built at least 800 years ago by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, in the South Pacific Ocean. Once carved, the stones had to be moved as far as 11 miles from their quarry into place. The prehistoric people who built them had no metal tools or wheels. Their method was a mystery until 2012, when researchers built a replica of one of the figures to crack the case. The scientists showed that just 18 people with three strong ropes could’ve moved the statues. Pulling one statue at a time, they could’ve “walked” the statues on their large, rounded bases. Since the islanders didn’t write down their technique, scientists can’t be sure this is the method. But it’s the most likely…

See these and 20 other sea-saving pieces of art at National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey in New York City! For more information, grab a parent and go online. natgeoencounter.com…

CART TAKES OVER PARKING LOT You’ll never run out of room for groceries again. This vehicle holds the record for the world’s largest motorized shopping cart. Taller than an African elephant, the cart can carry more than 360 grocery bags. Driver and creator Frederick Reifsteck maneuvers the cart using a car’s steering wheel while perched in the “baby” seat. Just don’t take this for a joyride down the store aisles—the cart can zoom legally on highways at up to 60 miles an hour. —Molly Marcot TEENY TINY CAT Lilieput may be the world’s shortest cat, but she doesn’t let her other feline friends get in her wayshe just runs right under them! Lilieput, which is a breed of cat known as a munchkin, is less than six inches tall at…

TOTALLY WILD FACTS ABOUT ANIMALS A CROCODILE GROWS up to 3,000 TEETH in its LIFETIME. A SQUID HAS 3 HEARTS. AN ANTEATER’S TONGUE 2 FEET LONG— IS that’s about the LENGTH TENNIS of a RACKET! GIRAFFES HAVE ZERO VOCAL CORDS. AHUMMINGBIRD’S WINGS can beat up to 200 TIMES a second. A SLUG HAS 4 NOSES. ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF A CAT’S BONES ARE IN ITS TAIL. A POLAR BEAR’S PAW CAN BE 12 INCHES ACROSS— THAT’S AS WIDE AS A FRISBEE! THE WORLD’S LEGGIEST CREATURE— a TYPE of MILLIPEDE—HAS 750 LEGS! WIN THE BOOK! TRY ONLINE OCTOBER 17-24. natgeokids.com/november…

IN CALIFORNIA, IT’S ILLEGAL TO EAT AN ORANGE IN THE BATHTUB. A LAW limits MOURNERS at FUNERALS in MASSACHUSETTS to just 3 SANDWICHES EACH. EATING FRIED CHICKEN with anything other than your fingers is OUTLAWED in Gainesville, Georgia. IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, A LAW MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO TAKE HOME LEFTOVER PIE FROM A RESTAURANT. In WISCONSIN, it’s ILLEGAL to serve MARGARINE in SCHOOLS and HOSPITALS. IN FRANCE, KETCHUP IS BANNED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. IN SINGAPORE, chewing gum IS ONLY AVAILABLE WITH A PRESCRIPTION. IT’S AGAINSTTHE LAW IN KENTUCKY TO CARRY AN ICE-CREAM CONE IN YOUR POCKET. COOL CONTEST! Got a Weird But True! fact about your town or state? Send it to us by January 15, 2019, for a chance to win a copy of Weird But True! USA, plus…

SAY “AWW!” Scientists have found that humans are drawn to animals that have facial features similar to a human baby’s. When we see creatures with large eyes, chubby cheeks, or big foreheads, our brain sends a chemical called dopamine through our body. This dopamine makes us experience the sensation of reward. It’s the same chemical released when we eat a super-sugary treat, hit a home run, or fall in love. Looking at baby animals might even boost your brainpower—sort of. For an experiment, a team of psychologists had students play one round of a game that took a lot of concentration. Then they had half the students look at pictures of puppies and kittens. On the second round, this group did better than another group who didn’t look at…

The BRAINY weaverbird is the only bird that can TIE KNOTS. » The bird can also judge how tight to pull on a strip of grass before it will snap. » Male birds often build several nests, and the female picks her favorite. » Weavers are quick learners, making a better nest every time. » Weavers build nests that weigh over 2,000 poundsand house over 100 mini-nests inside. » Weavers build their nests using dozens of different knots and loops— even while hanging upside down!…

ANCIENT EGYPTIANS GROUND DEAD MICE INTO A PASTE FOR TREATING TOOTHACHES. IN THE 1600S, SICK PEOPLE IN BATH, ENGLAND, DRANK HEALTH-GIVING WATER THAT SMELLED LIKE ROTTEN EGGS. IN THE MIDDLE AGES, PEOPLE PASSED GAS INTO JARS AND TOOK SNIFFS TO WARD OFF PLAGUE. 17TH-CENTURY HOME REMEDIES FOR BURNS INCLUDED GOOSE DUNG FRIED IN BUTTER. IN THE FUTURE, GROUND-UP COCKROACH BRAINS COULD BE USED TO TREAT INFECTION. A TRADITIONAL CHINESE RECIPE FOR SOOTHING SORE JOINTS INCLUDES SNAKE OIL. VICTORIAN DOCTORS ADVISED MEN TO GROW BEARDS TO PREVENT ILLNESS. RED, SLIMY HIPPO SWEAT CAN BE USED AS SUNSCREEN.…

THE CODE: POLYBIUS SQUARE This cipher puts the alphabet on a square-shaped grid and turns each letter into a number. Check out the Polybius square on the right. The row number to the left of the letter is the first digit, and the column number above the letter is the second digit. So you write D O G like this: 14 34 22 The table has only 25 spaces, so the letters i and j share a square. When you’re decoding a message with the number 24, use your judgment to decide if the letter should be an i or a j based on the rest of the word. This cipher is named after the ancient Greek historian Polybius (puh- LIH-bee-uhs), who is thought to be the first person to…