Science World back issues from March 2006:
Tower of tremors.(Taipei 101, skyscraper cause earthquake?)(Brief Article)
Mar 06, 2006; ... Last December, an earthquake rattled Taipei, Taiwan. Scientists say that Taipei 101--the world's tallest building--may have triggered the earthshaking quake. A scientist has proposed that the 101-story skyscraper may build stress, or force per unit area, on underground faults ....
Saturn's spiral.(SPACE/PLANETS)(Brief Article)
Mar 06, 2006; ... Saturn has long been known for its jumbo rings. Scientists now say that one of those bands isn't a ring at all. Due to its wiggly shape, the F-ring--one of the planet's seven bands of densely packed ice, dust, and rock--has always been an oddball. Images recently collected by ...
Ant trails.(LIFE/ANIMAL BEHAVIOR)(Brief Article)
Mar 06, 2006; ... Ants searching for food establish "road signs" so other ants can follow their trails. Scientists have discovered that ants have another signpost, too: Do not enter! Ants make these trail markers using pheromones. Many organisms communicate by secreting and detecting these ...
Pandas celebrate.(LIFE/CONSERVATION)(Brief Article)
Mar 06, 2006; ... Last December marked the 25th anniversary of wild-panda conservation in China. The long effort bears good news for the endangered species, which is at risk of dying out. Wild pandas' biggest threat is habitat loss due to construction and logging. Conservation has led to the ...
Buzz off.(GRAPH IT/PHYSICAL)(high frequency sound emitting device)(Brief Article)
Mar 06, 2006; ... A mosquito's whining buzz can be as irritating as its bite. That's why a storeowner in England is using a similarly annoying sound to prevent disruptive teens from loitering outside his shop. Last October, Robert Gough installed a device called the "Mosquito" at the entrance to ...
And the winner is ...(LIFE/INVERTEBRATES)(sunset bug, named by Eric A., a Missouri boy)(Brief Article)
Mar 06, 2006 ... This bug has a new nickname: sunset bug. A 14-year-old boy from Missouri, Eric A., suggested the name in the Science Explorations' name-a-bug challenge (SW 11/14/05). Eric says the colors on the male plant bug (a ...
Green machine.(cheap laptops)(Brief Article)
Mar 06, 2006; ... Scientists hope a $100 laptop will let kids all over the world own a computer. The affordable, green laptop, created by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), can even be used in places without electricity. The computer can be powered by winding a ...
One gigantic mystery: scientists use clues to reveal the secretive life of the giant squid.(LIFE MOLLUSKS)
Mar 06, 2006; ... Last fall, word spread around the globe at lightning speed: Japanese scientists had snapped photos of the elusive giant squid swimming deep in the Pacific Ocean. "Until then, no one had ever seen the creature alive," says Neil Landman, a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural ...
Playing with your food: a cartload of fresh veggies, plus a group of musicians, equals savory music.(PHYSICAL SOUND WAVES)(First Vienna Vegetable Orchestra)
Mar 06, 2006; ... For anyone with a stale music collection, the First Vienna Vegetable Orchestra can freshen things up. This group of musicians plays instruments fashioned entirely from fresh vegetables, with a few kitchen gadgets like spoons and mixers thrown in. They use parsnip-flutes and leek-violins to ...
Prescription drugs: their use and abuse.(HEADS UP REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY)
Mar 06, 2006 ... TEACHER'S EDITION Prescription Drug Abuse: Teens in Danger --A message from Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director of NIDA Dear Teacher: A serious threat to r students may be lurking in their families' medicine cabinets. New research by the National ...
Tricky twisters: springtime is tornado season--or is it? Recent studies shed new light on these spinning storms.(EARTH TORNADOES)
Mar 06, 2006; ... Last November 6, a tornado tore through Indiana, killing 23 people. It was the deadliest tornado to hit the state in more than 30 years. But that was just the beginning. Six days later, nine twisters whirled through Iowa, followed on November 15 by a line of thunderstorms that spawned 35 ...
Hands-on science (No Lab Required).
Mar 06, 2006 ... After reading "Tricky Twisters" (p.18), try this activity. PREDICT: Can air pressure be powerful enough to push water up a straw? MATERIALS: modeling clay * drinking straw * metric ruler * scissors * paper clip, with one end straightened * ...
And, they're off! How champion racehorses are built to blast from the starting gate and gallop to the finish line.(LIFE BODY SYSTEMS)
Mar 06, 2006; ... Each spring, racehorse owners eagerly await the greatest racing competitions: The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Over a five-week period during May and June, the world's greatest gallopers compete in a series of three races in the United States: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness ...
Smash hit.(soccer, heading the ball)(Brief Article)
Mar 06, 2006; ... That's going to leave a mark! Last September, during a big soccer game in Lens, France, Eric Carriere of France's Racing Lens team got smacked in the face with the soccer ball. The game was just heating up when Carriere spied the soaring soccer ball--and he charged forward. His ...
Activities & oddities.(YOU CAN DO IT)
Mar 06, 2006 ... EXPLAIN THIS! Rodent Trap? TEASE YOUR BRAIN Discover how the two figures on the left are related to each other. Then, use that pattern to fill in the question mark. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANSWERS Explain This! ...
Science news resources.(LESSON PLANS)
Mar 06, 2006 ... For more information related to this issue's news stories, check out the following articles and Web sites: Saturn's Spiral To learn more about Saturn's spiraling F-ring, read this news story: www.space.com/scienceastronomy/ 051128_mystery_monday.html ...
Science news.(CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Name: -- DIRECTIONS: Read the Science News section on pages 4 to 7. Then, test your knowledge by filling in the letter of the correct answer below. 1. Saturn has -- rings made of densely packed --. (A) three; methane and ice (B) six; rock, ...
Toxic blast.(PHYSICAL/CHEMISTRY)(aplysia californica, sea slug)
Mar 27, 2006; ... Predators beware! This sea slug squirts out a purple cloud of toxic chemicals as self-defense. How does Aplysia californica (ap-LEE-zha cal-ih-FOR-ni-ka) store this nasty brew without harming itself? Charles Derby, a biologist at Georgia State University, found that the slug ...
Fast-food facts.(GRAPH IT/HEALTH)
Mar 27, 2006; ... This February, McDonald's started displaying nutritional information on its food wrappers. The new packaging shows the number of calories (unit of energy) and the percent daily values (%DV) of nutrients in the food. The %DV compares the amount of each nutrient, such as fat and sodium, in ...
Classroom case.(intelligent design)
Mar 27, 2006; ... Last December, a judge in Pennsylvania made a ruling that changed biology classes in the state. In 2004, the school board of Dover, Pennsylvania, voted to require teachers to read a statement about "intelligent design" (ID) during a unit on evolution. Students traditionally ...
Bubble blower.(PHYSICAL/MATTER)(colored bubbles)
Mar 27, 2006; ... Toy inventor Tim Kehoe took 11 years to create the world's first colored bubbles. Why did "Zubbles" take so long to invent? Kehoe had to search for a dye that would bond with the molecules, or two or more atoms joined together, that make up a bubble. Most dyes didn't attach to ...
Where's the beach?(EARTH/TECTONICS)
Mar 27, 2006; ... Beachgoers may have a new vacation spot. An ocean may be starting to form in an African desert. On September 14, 2005, an earthquake struck Ethiopia's Afar Desert. Afterwards, scientists watched as the desert surface cracked open along a rift, or boundary along which two slowly ...
Good as gold.(lion treated for arthritis)
Mar 27, 2006; ... What kind of pain reliever do you give to the king of the jungle? Veterinarians in Rome recently treated a lion's painful arthritis by injecting 50 tiny gold beads into his muscles. Arthritis is a disease that causes the joints that connect different bones to stiffen and swell, ...
Twilight zone: follow a scientist as she searches the skies to investigate one of nighttime's fliers--bats.(Nancy Simmons)
Mar 27, 2006; ... The sun is setting in the rain forest of French Guiana (gee-AH-nah), a country in northern South America. Nancy Simmons, a zoologist at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York, hikes along a trail through the trees. She spreads out a large net and strings it between two ...
Name that element!(PHYSICAL: CHEMISTRY)
Mar 27, 2006; ... OUR POPULAR MYSTERY SERIES RETURNS Which element on the periodic table gives maraschino cherries their vivid red color, keeps car headlights shining bright, and is a powerful germ killer? Follow these eight clues to find out. Then turn the page to test your chemistry I!]. ...
Mega melt: get set for Ice Age 2: The Meltdown with our science-guide to glaciers.(EARTH: GLACIERS)(Cover Story)
Mar 27, 2006; ... A squirrel-like creature claws its way up a giant wall of ice. This animal--named Scrat--is after an acorn lodged high up in the ice. Scrat pries the acorn loose--POP. Suddenly, a stream of water gushes through a hole in the ice. As Scrat plugs the hole with his claw, another spout forms, ...
Vanishing forest: a northern forest is disappearing at a rapid pace--that spells trouble for billions of animals.(LIFE: BIOMES)
Mar 27, 2006; ... A long the rim of Earth's northernmost land-masses sits an ancient forest. Its mix of pine, spruce, and other hardy trees encircles the globe like a giant green halo (see map, p. 19). This interconnected web of trees, mosses, birds, and other organisms is called the boreal forest. It is ...
No lab required.(HANDS-ON SCIENCE)(experiment)
Mar 27, 2006 ... After reading "Vanishing Forest" (p. 18), try this activity. PREDICT In which container would you expect water to evaporate, or change from a liquid to a gas, more quickly: one with a larger or smaller surface area (area that is exposed)? MATERIALS ...
Bog body.(Clonycavan Man, 2300 year old dead body found)
Mar 27, 2006; ... Field workers in Ireland got a grisly surprise in February 2003: While cutting through mossy grasses, they spotted a brown-colored, leathery human head and torso in the mud. After an 18-month investigation, experts have uncovered some secrets about this mysterious man's life and death. ...
Explain this! Sunny-side up?(Sculpture by the Sea, Sydney)
Mar 27, 2006 ... What's this giant fried egg doing on a beach in Sydney, Australia? It's a display at the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition, which took place last November, Australian artist Jeremy Parnell created the sunny side up egg sculpture--called Big Chock--out of fiberglass and glossy, waterproof ...
Tease your brain.(YOU CAN DO IT)
Mar 27, 2006 ... Look at the two flowers, above. One flower has five petals and the other has eight petals. Assume there is a vase filled with a mixture of the two types of ...
Science news resources.(LESSON PLANS)
Mar 27, 2006 ... For more information related to this issue's news stories, check out the following articles and Web sites: Toxic Blast To learn more about the study on the sea slug, read the press release at this Web site: www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-12/gsu.ssm121605.php ...
Science news.(CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING)
Mar 27, 2006 ... DIRECTIONS: Read the Science News section on pages 4 to 7. Then, test your knowledge by filling in the letters of the correct answers below. 1. How does the Aplysia californica store predator-harming toxins in its body without harming itself? (A) It stores the toxins ...
It's elemental!(VOCABULARY BUILDER)
Mar 27, 2006 ... DIRECTIONS: First, read "Name That Element!" (p. 12). Then, solve the clues below to complete this crossword puzzle. To spell out the bonus words, unscramble the letters in parentheses. Across 1. The (-)------ is a gland found in the format. 2. Iodine ...
Give a hoot.(CHART-READING/CRITICAL-THINKING SKILLS)
Mar 27, 2006 ... In "Vanishing Forest" (p. 18), you learned that the boreal forest is disappearing at a rapid rate. This robs many bird species--including owls--of their food source and breeding ground, affecting their ability to survive. How do scientists know if the populations of certain owl species in ...
The world's biomes.
Mar 27, 2006 ... A biome is a large region where a distinct variety of plants and animals live together, Each biome has its own particular climate, or the average weather in an area. This poster shows some of the world's major land biomes. Explore the color-coded map, and to learn what makes these biomes ...
Lesson plans.
Mar 27, 2006 ... Dear Teacher: Take a trip to the world's major terrestrial biomes--without ever leaving the comfort of your classroom. How? Explore Science World's latest poster "The World's Biomes." There's loads to discover. To help your students understand how each biome is ...
Biome survival: Part I.(CHART-READING SKILLS (1))
Mar 27, 2006 ... Each biome has a unique climate. So each biome's plants and animals have developed a variety of adaptations, or traits that help them survive in their environment. Study the chart below to learn about each biome and how certain plants and animals are adapted to live there. <Pre> ...
Biome survival: Part II.(CHART-READING SKILLS (2))
Mar 27, 2006 ... Study the chart (Biome Survival: Part I) describing the world's biomes and adaptations that help plants and animals thrive in their habitats. Then, read the questions below and circle the correct answer. 1. In which biomes do plants have adaptations to store scarce water? ...
Treetop resort.(MAP-READING SKILLS)
Mar 27, 2006 ... Every year up to 3 billion birds--more than 300 different species--migrate to the boreal forest to breed, or reproduce. Study the map below showing the spring migration routes of four species of birds. Then, use complete sentences to answer the questions that follow. 1. Which ...
Resources.(science education)
Mar 27, 2006 ... We want to thank Colby Loucks, senior conservation specialist at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for help in reviewing this poster. For more about his research and about WWF, visit: www.worldwildlife.org/sclence/staff/colby_l.cfm This NASA site has well-organized information on land ...
What's the weather?(GRAPH AND CHART-READING SKILLS)
Mar 27, 2006 ... To get a snapshot of a biome's climate, scientists create climographs, or graphs that show the area's average precipitation and temperature for every month of the year. Below is a data table showing the average monthly rainfall and temperature for a particular biome. Use the ...
Carbon cleanup.(MATH SKILLS)
Mar 27, 2006 ... When you flip on the television, you are using electricity. Much electricity comes from power plants, where fuels--such as oil--are burned to create electricity. The downside: Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide. This greenhouse gas can trap heat in the atmosphere, ...
Worldly words.(VOCABULARY BUILDER)
Mar 27, 2006 ... The front and back of this poster are filled with vocabulary words. Use them to solve the clues below and complete the crossword puzzle. Then, unscramble the letters in the parentheses to spell out the bonus words. ACROSS 1. Trait that helps a plant or animal survive ...