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What every kid should know about hiccups Hiccups can be funny, goofy or frustrating. But have you ever wondered what makes you hiccup or why you get them at all? Here’s what you should know about hiccups. WHAT CAUSES THEM There’s a layer of muscle under your lungs called the diaphragm. When you breathe in, it stretches your lungs so they can fill up with air. When you breathe out, the diaphragm relaxes and air flows out of your mouth and nose.
Solar system quiz
Hic!
Hic!
Hiccups are an involuntary jerking of the diaphragm, which makes you take in air really fast. This speeding air then hits your voice box, which makes your vocal cords close and causes you to make a “hic” sound. An irritated diaphragm is what causes hiccups. Some things that can irritate it are eating or drinking too fast and feeling nervous or excited. Sudden changes in temperature and an upset tummy can do it too. WHY WE HAVE THEM We don’t know why people get hiccups — they serve no real purpose! However, some scientists think it’s possible that our evolutionary ancestors found hiccups useful in some way, and that we’ve simply inherited our jerky diaphragms. Tadpoles have a hiccup reflex, which helps keep their lungs safe until they become air-breathing adults. So, our hiccups might be left over from our amphibian relatives.
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Hic!
Another theory about why people have hiccups is that they may help protect the lungs of babies while they’re still growing in the womb (all babies hiccup before they’re born). A further possibility is that hiccups help strengthen breathing muscles after the baby is born. HOW TO CURE THEM There are many stories about how to get rid of hiccups. Putting sugar under your tongue, holding your breath and counting to 10, and drinking from the wrong side of a cup are just some of the socalled cures. However, scientific studies that compared the different methods found that none of them really work. No one knows for sure why people get hiccups, and there isn’t really a way to cure them. But there’s no need to worry. In most cases, hiccups go away on their own within a few minutes.
1. Which planet is a thousand times bigger than Earth and the largest in our solar system? a) Saturn b) Jupiter c) Neptune 2. It gets colder and colder the further away you get from the sun. Which icy cold planet is the farthest distance from our sun? a) Venus b) Saturn c) Neptune 3. Saturn is best known for having large rings that surround it. What are its rings made of? a) Cosmic debris b) Ice and rock particles c) Gas 4. There are more than 200 moons in our solar system, but not all planets have them. Which two planets have no moons? a) Mercury and Venus b) Venus and Mars c) Mars and Saturn 5. The sun is a yellow dwarf star that burns at the centre of our solar system. How hot is its core?
How to make your own
a) 5 million degrees Celsius b) 10 million degrees Celsius c) 15 million degrees Celsius
slime
What’s squishy, squelchy and super fun to play with? Slime, of course! Here’s a recipe so you can make your own at home. Just be sure to ask a grown-up for help. INGREDIENTS • 1/4 teaspoon borax powder • 1/2 cup hot water • 1/2 cup water • 1/2 cup school glue • Food colouring • Glitter and/or sequins (optional) combined, mix it with your hands. Lots of kneading will help you create the perfect slime. 5. After you’re done playing with it, store your slime in an airtight container.
PRO TIP If you get slime stuck on your clothes or hair, use vinegar to instantly dissolve it.
Answers: 1-B, 2-C, 3-B, 4-A, 5-C
DIRECTIONS 1. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of school glue. Stir until the mixture is uniform. 2. Add the food colouring as well as any glitter or sequins you want to use. Stir thoroughly. 3. In a bowl or measuring cup, add the borax to the 1/2 cup of hot water to make liquid borax. Mix thoroughly. (A few particles floating in the mixture is OK.) 4. Slowly add the liquid borax to the bowl with the glue mixture. Stir continuously. The slime will start to form almost immediately. Once it’s well-
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