What’s inside Earth? See our amazing planet as you’ve never seen it before on page 36.
HIDDEN PHRASES
Can you work out which popular phrases are hidden in our clever illustrations? Test your knowledge on page 16.
REGULARS
FACTOPIA
Follow the trail of crazily connected facts on page 4 from Canada’s doughnut obsession... to why dogs like to poo facing North!
ANIMAL MUTUALISM
It pays to collaborate – especially for these ingenious animals! Find out how they do it on page 42
WORD UP!
Are there words that can only exist in their native language? Explore our list of ‘untranslatable’ words on page 14 to find out.
MAP IT
PUZZLES & GAMES
Page 25
Page 24 IN NUMBERS Page 45 THE BIG QUESTIONS Page 40
DO IT YOURSELF
Learn about the Japanese holiday of Children’s Day. Plus, find out how to make your own carp streamer to celebrate on page 46
WHAT IF?
The world would be a very different place if just a few things had happened differently. Explore some ‘what if’ scenarios on page 17, including what if T. rex still lived among us…
EYE DON’T BELIEVE IT!
Will you be bamboozled by this month’s mind-boggling optical illusion? Turn to page 35 right now to find out!
HOW TO CHAT...
What does the fox say? Discover how to communicate with these clever canids on page 12
EUREKA!
Turn to page 10 for the latest news and scientific discoveries, including a ‘cosmic tornado’, a cute new word in the dictionary, and a robot that can do forward flips!
Follow the trail of crazily connected facts all the way from Canada’s love of doughnuts to… bags of astronaut poo left on the Moon!
By Kate Hale, Paige Towler, Julie Beer and Rose Davidson
Tyrannosaurusrex(T.rex) combines the Greek and Latin words for Tyrannosaurusrex had holes in its skull to help keep its brain cool
The giant squid has a brain shaped like a doughnut – the squid’s throat goes right through the middle
START HERE
Scientists once thought some dinosaurs had a second brain located near their rear ends
Mother dogs will throw up food they’ve eaten and allow their pups to eat the vomit
Canada has more doughnut shops per person than any other country in the world
are
completely white – their spots develop only as they grow up
Illustrations by Andy Smith
Dalmatian puppies
born
A baby T. rex was only about the size of a Chihuahua
‘Scotty’ is the largest T. rex ever discovered. At more than 8,600 kg, this enormous dinosaur would have weighed nearly as much as five rhinos
Dogs prefer to poo facing either north or south, which they can locate because they are sensitive to Earth’s magnetic fields. Scientists aren’t sure why dogs do this
If the world’s fastest species of ant were the size of a person, it could run up to 644 kilometres per hour
Scatologists study animal poo to learn about a critter’s diet and the way it lives
Astronauts have left bags of poo on the Moon!
Poo from astronauts on the International Space Station has been brought back to Earth to be studied in labs
SNAP IT!
Astonishing photos from around the world
CATCH OF THE DAY
This European bee-eater was captured in mid-flight by 14-year-old photographer Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco, who spent several weekends hiding in wait to take the perfect shot.
CUPOTY/ANDRÉS LUIS DOMINGUEZ BLANCO
IT’S A SMALL WORLD
This beautiful ice-covered slime mould is only 1 millimetre high. Photographer Barry Webb had to be careful not to breathe on it while taking the photo – a previous attempt had melted the ice!
CUPOTY/BARRY WEBB
BALANCING ACT
Don’t look down! This photo of Jaan Roose was taken in Dubai, UAE, when Roose became the first person to complete a tightrope walk between the Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Roose’s slackline was 100 metres long and 224 metres above the ground – that’s about 50 storeys high!
RED BULL CONTENT POOL/NAIM CHIDIAC
FUNNY BUSINESS
This adult cheetah, snapped in Kenya, looks as if it’s laughing! Unlike other big cats, cheetahs don’t roar – instead they make growling, purring and even chirping noises. It is not known whether cheetahs have a sense of humour – but they can certainly pull some funny expressions!
COMEDY WILDLIFE AWARDS/ UDARA PATHMINDA
STORM WARNING
This photo shows a supercell storm and tornado in Texas, USA. Supercells are huge thunderstorms that often happen in the central regions of the United States. They have a tendency to produce severe weather, such as very large hailstones, extreme winds and even tornadoes like this one.
ILPOTY/LAURA HEDIEN
Eureka!
The latest astonishing discoveries, inventions and scientific breakthroughs.
Does this puppy make you
Do you ever feel that something is sooo cute it is almost too much to bear? The Oxford EnglishDictionary has added a new word for this very feeling! Gigil (pronounced ghee-gill) means ‘a feeling so intense it gives us the irresistible urge to clench our hands, grit our teeth, and pinch or squeeze whomever or whatever it is we find so adorable’.
Why do giraffes have
Baby giraffes use their spots to hide from predators in the dappled light of bushes. But adult giraffes are much too big to hide in bushes! So what are their spots for? Researchers in Switzerland have found that a giraffe’s spots may be linked to temperature regulation. Male giraffes with smaller spots have better chances
of survival in unusually high temperatures, while those with larger spots do better in much cooler temperatures. This could be because of the way spots absorb heat and light. Larger spots absorb more heat and may contribute to overheating.
New star creates ‘cosmic tornado’
This amazing new picture from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a stellar wonder in a way that’s never been seen before. This ‘cosmic tornado’ is created by an outflow of hot gas from a newly born star meeting
The jet of gas is thought to come from a protostar, Cederblad 110.
denser material such as dust. It is 625 light years away from Earth, and previous images of it were blurry. Scientists can use the JWST’s new images to learn more about how stars are made – including our own Sun!
Did you really think I wouldn’t spot you?!
COSMIC FACTFILE
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Herbig-Haro 49/50
ALSO KNOWN AS... ‘cosmic tornado’
FIRST SEEN 2006
DISTANCE FROM EARTH 625 light-years away HOME
Chamaeleon I Cloud complex
This robot can forward flip!
EngineAI, a robotics company in China, has developed a new robot that can perform a dazzling feat – a perfect forward flip! Until now, humanoid robots had only been able to do backflips, which are much easier. The forward flip demands greater balance and control. Like a human gymnast, the robot must shift its weight properly and adjust both its centre of
gravity and its limbs to flip and then land on its feet. Engineers also had to work out how to give the robot sufficient revolving speed and force to spin around. Scan the QR code to watch the robot in action!
FOX How to chat...
By Dr Nick Crumpton
by Adrienne Barman
Fox calls are one of the most widely spoken languages in the animal kingdom. Foxes are found on every continent except Antarctica, so this is a must-know language for nocturnal globetrotters.
ACK- AC K- A - A C K - A C K- A
(This is my garden!)
You don’t want to hang around if you hear this. It means the fox is angry and might get aggressive!
M E U W
(You’re the boss!)
A handy phrase when you need to try and calm a fox down!
Illustration
Yyhaaiiiiwww
(Hello there.)
This scream can sound rather terrifying, but don’t worry, it just means ‘hi’!
H U H H UH HUH
(Let’s play!)
(Want to be friends?)
This is an unusual noise for a fox to make, but it means that it is looking for a pal.
DID YOU KNOW?
Although related to dogs and wolves, foxes are not pack animals – they prefer to live alone.
When foxes pant it means that they’re ready for some fun.
W U ! R
THIS MONTH: ‘Untranslatable’ words! Are there words that cannot be translated from one language to another?
By Alison Eldridge, Illustrations by Susanna Hickling
English speakers use words from other languages every day.
Three good examples are ‘café’, which comes from French, ‘frankfurter’, which is named after the German city of Frankfurt and ‘typhoon’, which could ultimately be derived from the Chinese word tai fun, which means ‘great wind’.
If you are a regular reader of Word Up!, you will know that words borrowed from other languages are called loanwords. Loanwords are usually borrowed by another language when that language has no pre-existing word to describe a thing or concept. For example, ‘pizza’ is a food that was at first unique to Italian culture. Nobody else had made anything like a pizza or had any concept of it. In fact, for a while in America, Italian immigrants called pizza ‘tomato pie’ to make it easier for other people to understand what it was.
If your language doesn’t already have an equivalent word for something, it can be difficult to fully understand precisely what this new word means. This is why some people claim that languages can have untranslatable words. These are words for things or
concepts that are unique to a specific culture and can’t be translated into a similar word in other languages.
Below is a list of some ‘untranslatable’ words from languages around the world. We can use English to describe the concepts they refer to. But can we ever know precisely what these words mean? If we were to adopt these words as loanwords in English, do you think we’d be able to use them correctly? Or is there something about their meanings that only people from the cultures that invented them would understand?
Firgun (Hebrew)
A pure, unselfish joy that you can feel when something good is happening to someone else.
Gluggaveður (Icelandic)
This word translates literally as ‘window weather’ and it describes weather that is nice to look at through a window but is unpleasant to be outside in.
Gökotta (Swedish)
The act of waking up early to listen to the birds sing. Gök is Swedish for cuckoo.
Hanyauku (Rukwangali, a language of Namibia)
To tiptoe across hot sand.
Age-otori is a Japanese word that means to look worse after a haircut. Have you ever felt this?!
Age-otori (Japanese)
To look worse after a haircut.
Culacinno (Italian)
The ring-shaped mark left on a wooden surface by a cold glass or cup.
Fernweh (German)
‘Far-sickness’, the opposite of homesickness. A longing to go to a place you haven’t been to or somewhere far away.
Hygge (Danish)
The cosy, emotional warmth a person feels when they relax and spend quality time with loved ones.
Hyppytyynytyydytys (Finnish)
The nice feeling of sitting down after a long day on a comfortable sofa. The word literally translates as ‘bouncy cushion satisfaction’!
Iktsuarpok (Inuit)
A feeling of restless anticipation when you know someone is coming to visit. The impatience might make you keep looking out of the window to see if they have arrived.
Jaysus (Indonesian)
An unfunny joke that is told so badly that you still actually laugh at it.
Poronkusema (Finnish)
The distance a reindeer can travel before it needs to stop to pee.*
Pochemuchka (Russian)
A person, usually a small child, who asks too many questions.
Prozvonit (Czech)
Komorebi (Japanese)
The beautiful effect created by scattered sunlight as it filters through the leaves of a tree.
Karelu (Tulu, a language spoken in India)
The mark left on the skin after wearing clothing, such as a tight pair of socks.
Mångata (Swedish)
Mångata literally translates as ‘moon street’ and is used to describe the long, road-like reflection of the Moon on the surface of water.
Murr-ma (Wagiman, an Australian Aboriginal language)
To feel around in water with your feet in order to find something.
Pana po’o (Hawaiian)
To scratch your head in order to remember something you’ve forgotten.
Pisan zapra (Malay)
The time it takes to eat a banana (according to this term, this is around two minutes).
To call someone’s mobile phone and immediately hang up, so that they have a record of your phone number and can call you back.
Psithurism (Greek)
The rustling sound of leaves being blown by the wind.
Resfeber (Swedish)
The mix of anxiety and anticipation you might feel before a journey or trip.
Shemomedjam (Georgian)
To keep eating something because it is delicious even though you are already full.
Sobremesa (Spanish)
In Spain and Latin America, sobremesa is the time spent after lunch or dinner when you relax and chat with the people you shared the meal with.
Tartle (Scottish)
An awkward moment of hesitation or panic when you are introducing someone and then realise that you have forgotten their name!
Tingo (Pascuense, which is spoken on Easter Island)
Continually borrowing items from a neighbour’s house and never returning them until nothing is left.
Waldeinsamkeit (German)
The calm or spiritual feeling of being alone in the woods.
*According to Finnish reindeer herders, this distance is about 7.5 kilometres. The poronkusema was an official unit of measurement in Finland until the late 19th century.
Mångata, from Swedish, describes the long, road-like reflection of the Moon on water.
HIDDEN PHRASES!
Each of these pictures represents a common expression. Can you work out what each visual clue is trying to say? Don’t worry if you get stuck, the answers are at the bottom of the page.
Illustrations by Esperanza Hickling
What if the Moon disappeared? What if you only ate chocolate? What if everyone jumped in the air at once? Read on to discover the answers to these and other intriguing questions!
Illustrations by Andy Smith
What if... Harold had won the Battle of Hastings?
1066 is an important year in English history. An army from what is now northern France and led by William, Duke of Normandy, crossed the Channel and defeated an Anglo-Saxon army led by King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Legend has it that Harold died after being shot by an arrow in his eye. However, there is no firm evidence. The story was inspired by a figure
in the Bayeux Tapestry with an arrow in his eye near to the words ‘Harold is dead’, but it’s unclear if the figure is Harold or one of his soldiers. If Harold had won the battle, England could have developed very differently. English would not have been influenced by the thousands of French (and Latin) words, including army and battle, that were introduced after the Norman Conquest. As a result, modern English would probably be
more closely related to German. English buildings would also look different. Norman architects introduced new techniques and materials, and constructed a series of impressive stone castles and other buildings, including the Tower of London and Durham Cathedral, both of which are still standing today.
What if... dinosaurs hadn’t gone extinct?
Around 66 million years ago, a giant 10km-wide asteroid smashed into Earth. The impact threw up billions of tonnes of soot into the atmosphere, blocking out the Sun for years and making photosynthesis, the process that enables plants to grow, all but impossible. Around 75% of the species on Earth went extinct, including most of the dinosaurs. But what if something different had happened that day? What if the asteroid had missed Earth completely? Some scientists think dinosaurs would have stayed the dominant animals on land, as they had been for the previous 165 million years. This would have made life more difficult and dangerous for all the mammals that thrived on Earth following the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The Bayeux Tapestry records King Harold’s defeat in 1066.
Imagine if everyone on Earth jumped in the air together!
These lucky mammal species included the earliest primates who, millions of years later, evolved into the first human beings. Other scientists think that certain dinosaur species – such as the small, birdlike dinosaurs with relatively large brains, called troodontids – could have eventually developed higher levels of intelligence, had they survived. This raises the intriguing possibility that these dinosaurs might even have evolved to live alongside humans, perhaps becoming domesticated like
modern cows, pigs, dogs and cats. Of course, we shouldn’t forget that not all dinosaurs did go extinct. And that some of their descendants really are living around us today. They’re called birds!
What if... everyone jumped in the air at the same time?
Surprisingly, not much. In fact, a scientist has calculated that if all 8 billion people leapt and landed at the same moment, the Earth would only move one hundredth of the radius of one hydrogen atom – a movement so tiny that it would be almost impossible to detect.
What if... someone swatted every single mosquito on Earth?
With their buzzing and itchy bites, it can be easy to wish mosquitoes didn’t exist. Especially since the diseases that some species carry, such
Only female mosquitos bite humans and animals.
as malaria, cause the deaths of more than half a million humans each year. However, just a few dozen of the 3,500 mosquito species on Earth are harmful to humans. And, like most animals, mosquitoes play a vital role in many ecosystems, including as a source of food for birds, bats and amphibians such as frogs. So perhaps a better strategy than swatting all the mosquitoes on Earth would be for us to control the small number of species that harm humans – and let the others keep on buzzing.
Continued from previous page
What if... the polar ice caps melted away?
We know that global warming is causing the polar ice to melt and sea levels to rise. And scientists estimate that if the polar ice caps melted completely, sea levels could rise by as much as 70 metres. This in turn would cause widespread flooding and force millions of people out of their homes, as coastal cities, including London, New York and Shanghai, became submerged underwater. This is one of the many reasons humans must work together to combat climate change.
What if... someone had put out the Great Fire of London?
and leaving 100,000 people homeless. If the fire had been put out immediately, it would have spared the city enormous damage and loss. But strangely, stopping the fire might also have prevented some important improvements. At the time, London was overcrowded and full of wooden buildings that were a major fire risk. After the fire, the city was forced to
modernise and make changes that helped it to become one of the world’s great cities. Homes were rebuilt with stronger materials such as brick and stone, and the streets
were made wider and better organised. The building of a new St Paul’s Cathedral was completed in 1710 and it remains one of London’s iconic landmarks. The disaster also led to the creation of the first emergency fire services.
What if... you never washed again?
The human body can survive without washing, but it’s not a good idea! Without regular baths or showers, sweat, dirt and dead skin would build up on your skin, clogging pores and causing spots or other skin problems. You’d also start to smell pretty bad. Sweat on its own doesn’t smell, but when it mixes with the natural bacteria on your skin, it creates body odour. And the longer you go without washing, the more bacteria grow and the worse you would smell. Pew!
What if... Europeans had never sailed to the Americas?
For thousands of years, the peoples of North and South America had
The biggest fire in London’s history began on 2nd September, 1666, in a bakery on Pudding Lane. The fire quickly spread and raged for four days, destroying more than 13,000 homes and 87 churches (including the original St Paul’s Cathedral)
Scientists estimate that if the polar ice caps melted completely, the seas could rise by 70 metres.
little contact with the rest of the world. That changed in 1492, when Spanish navigator Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean. His voyage began a period of European exploration and colonisation that brought war, enslavement and deadly diseases to which indigenous Americans had little immunity. However, some positive things did come from the meeting of these previously separate civilisations, including the introduction of turkeys, potatoes, tomatoes and, most importantly of all, chocolate to Europe for the first time.
What if... aliens destroyed the Moon?
It’s an unlikely scenario but if the Moon did suddenly disappear, it would cause big problems down on Earth. Tides would shrink to about 30% of their current strength, disrupting coastal ecosystems. Earth’s tilt, which is stabilised by the Moon’s gravitational pull, could wobble more, causing dramatic shifts in climate and the seasons. Even our 24-hour day could shorten, as Earth’s rotation would accelerate without the Moon’s gravitational pull to slow it down. Animals such as birds and sea turtles use the Moon for navigation, so their behaviours would change, too. Plus we humans would no longer have something so strange and magical to gaze up at in wonder during the night.
a single language could lead to the loss of unique human traditions and identities. To find out more, turn to page 14, where Word Up! is celebrating words that are seemingly unique to different languages and cultures around the world.
What if... you never cut your hair?
It would just keep on growing – but only up to a point! On average, human hair grows about 12 to 18 cm per year. So, in theory, if someone never cut their hair over a lifetime, it could grow to more than 10 metres long! However, most
What if... everyone used the same language?
Having one universal language would clearly have some benefits. It would be easier to share knowledge. And global trade would be more efficient. But there would be major downsides, too. Language is closely tied to culture, so using
people’s hair stops growing at between 60 and 90 cm. Once hairs reach their maximum length, some fall out and new hairs grow in their place. But there are exceptions. Smita Srivastava from India holds the record for the longest hair on a living woman. After growing it for 32 years, it was officially measured at 2.34 metres!
What if... the Olympic flame goes out?
A flaming Olympic torch, which symbolises the connection between the ancient Greek and modern
Continued on next page
Turkeys were brought to Europe from the Americas in the 1500s.
making it harder for life on Earth to survive.
Olympic Games, is carried by a series of people in relay from Olympia in Greece to the host city of each new Games. Although the flame is meant to burn continuously throughout the relay and the Games, organisers are prepared for wind, rain or a technical glitch. If the torch accidentally goes out, it is relit using a special back-up flame, also taken from Olympia, which is kept in secure lanterns. The torch must never be relit from a lighter or match, as that would break the ancient tradition.
What if... Earth lost its magnetic field?
Earth’s magnetic field is like a giant invisible shield that surrounds our planet. Without it, solar winds would strip away the atmosphere,
Power grids, satellites and other navigation systems would be disrupted by solar storms. And animals such as bats and whales that rely on Earth’s magnetic field to migrate would get lost.
What if... the Titanic had sailed straight into the iceberg?
On 14th April, 1912, the ocean liner Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank. The disaster shocked the world and led to the deaths of more than 1,500 people on board. When the crew spotted the iceberg, they tried to steer around it but this caused the iceberg to scrape along the side of the ship, which led to water flooding into several compartments below deck. Six compartments flooded, which was two more than the Titanic was
designed to withstand. Some experts think that if the ship had hit the iceberg head-on, only two compartments might have flooded. This could have kept the ship afloat longer, enabling more rescuers to arrive. But that’s just a theory. The best outcome of all would have been Titanic avoiding the iceberg entirely.
What if... you only ate chocolate?
Eating nothing but chocolate might sound like a dream. But it would be a nightmare for your body, which would miss vital nutrients such as protein, iron and vitamin C. The high sugar and fat content in chocolate could lead to weight gain and diseases such as type 2 diabetes. So while chocolate is a nice treat,
eating it for every meal would seriously harm your health – and upset your dentist!
What if... earthworms didn’t exist?
It’s easy to overlook the earthworm, but these little creatures are vital to life on Earth. There are thought to be more than a quadrillion earthworms in the world. Sometimes referred to as ‘ecosystem engineers’, worms improve the soil by burrowing. This helps water and air reach plant roots. They also digest dead plants, producing nutrient-rich waste called worm castings that make soil more fertile. Without earthworms, farmers would grow less food, and soils would be more prone to erosion and flooding. So the next time you see one popping up in a garden, remember: the tiny earthworm is one of planet Earth’s true superheroes!
Continued from previous page
Earth’s magnetic field protects us from solar radiation.
MICS & SPEAKERS
Sound is a fascinating thing, partly because it’s a mix of matter and energy. It is caused by matter (such as your vocal cords or a musical instrument) vibrating, and it travels in pulses of
motion energy called sound waves, which can go through solids, liquids and gases. When sound waves hit our eardrums, the energy causes them to vibrate, too, and nerves pass those signals to our brain.
Speaker
Speakers and microphones are essentially the opposite of each other. In a speaker, electrical impulses cause a voice coil inside a magnet to move back and forth. The coil is attached to a diaphragm that pushes against the air, producing sound waves that move out through the speaker towards your ear, where they vibrate your eardrum. If the sound was recorded digitally, the process starts by converting the 1s and 0s recorded on a computer file into an electric current.
Microphone
In some microphones, sound waves (often music or speech) push against a thin membrane called a diaphragm. The diaphragm moves a coil of wire called a voice coil back and forth around a magnet. This creates pulses of electricity. If the microphone is attached to a computer or other storage device, the electric current goes through a converter that translates it into a digital series of 1s and 0s for storage. If not, it goes right to an amplifier which boosts the signal so that it can play through a speaker.
The Greatest Stuff on Earth, written by Steve Tomecek and illustrated by John Devolle, is out now
MAPIT
DID YOU KNOW?
Chile sits on the volcanic region at the edge of the Pacific called the Ring of Fire. It has thousands of volcanoes – around 100 of which are active!
CHILE – THE LONGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
If you overlaid Chile in South America on a map of Europe, it would stretch from the top of Norway all the way down to North Africa! Measured north to south, Chile is 2,653 miles long – which is more than three times longer than the UK. Yet at its narrowest point, the world’s longest country is only 40 miles wide!
DID YOU KNOW?
Easter Island, which is famous for its giant Moai statues, is part of Chile – even though it’s located 2,300 miles away from the mainland.
2,653 miles (length)
THE AREA WHERE MOST PEOPLE LIVE
Because it is so long, Chile has an extremely varied geography. There are deserts in the north and snowy mountains in the south. Most people live in the temperate region in the middle, including in Chile’s capital city, Santiago.
DID YOU KNOW?
Algarrobo in Chile has the world’s largest swimming pool. It’s filled with filtered sea water and is the size of 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
217 miles (widest point)
Inside this 10-page activity section, you will find quizzes to do, puzzles to solve and fun activities to try. And don’t worry if you get stuck – all the answers are on page 34.
ANIMALS
1
A hummingbird, pictured above, is the only type of bird that can do what?
a. Fly underwater
b. Fly backwards
c. Catch insects in mid-air
d. Hum to attract a mate
2 Which of the following words is sometimes used as a collective noun for a group of bears?
a. A band
b. An assembly
c. A sloth
d. A slumber
3
What does the word orangutan, which originates from the Malay language, mean in English?
a. King of the jungle
b. Orange-coloured ape
c. Person of the forest
d. Orange tree-dweller
4
Which of these animals has the largest number of legs?
a. Millipede
b. Woodlouse
c. Caterpillar
d. Centipede
1
How are Maglev trains – including the high-speed train in China pictured below – propelled forward along the track?
a. Steam
b. Lithium batteries
c. Solar energy
d. Magnetism
2
What is the nickname of Manchester United Football Club?
a. The Gunners
b. The Toffees
c. The Red Devils
d. The Magpies
3 What is the most-eaten type of fruit in the world?
a. Apple
b. Banana
c. Tomato
d. Orange
4 Approximately how many climbers have reached the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain?
a. 72
b. 720
c. 7,200
d. 72,200
NUMBER TRIANGLES
In the triangles below, the numbers inside the squares are the sum of the two numbers in the connected circles. For example:
EMOJI ANIMALS
Each of the emoji sequences shown on the right represents a type of animal. Can you work out which animal it is in each of the five examples?
Can you work out which number should appear in each of the circles? All the numbers in the circles are between 1 and 10 and a number can only be used once in each triangle.
CHANGING ROOMS
Can you find your way through our maze of square rooms? Enter through the door marked with the red arrow, then try to find your way to the exit by going through the correct sequence of open doors. Good luck!
Fill all the empty squares so that every row, column and 3x2 box contains each of the numbers 1 to 6.
Fill in the missing numbers so that every row and column includes the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. Use the inequality signs as clues and make sure numbers always obey the inequality sign between them. This means that the arrows between the numbers always point towards the smaller number.
Here is an example:
In the three squares shown above, the number A must be less than 3 and greater than the missing number B. We know all the numbers must be between 1 and 4 , so therefore A must be 2 and B must be 1.
HUMAN BODY
1 What important vitamin does your body produce after exposure to sunlight?
a. Vitamin K
b. Vitamin C
c. Vitamin E
d. Vitamin D
2 Which part of the body has no blood supply and so gets the oxygen it needs direct from the air?
a. Skin
b. Hair
c. Cornea
d. Finger and toenails
3 An average adult’s heart beats approximately how many times each day?
a. 1,000 times
b. 10,000 times
c. 100,000 times
d. 1,000,000 times
4 Which of the body’s main five senses is thought to be most closely related to memory?
a. Smell
b. Touch
c. Sight
d. Sound
HIDDEN ANIMALS
Four sneaky animals are hiding somewhere in these photos. Can you find them – and tell what kind of animals they are?
1 The word galaxy is derived from the Greek word galaxias. What does galaxias mean in English?
a. Far away
b. Gigantic
c. Glowing
d. Milky
2 What is the coldest naturally occurring place in the universe?
a. Oort Cloud
b. Pluto
c. Boomerang Nebula
d. The dark side of the Moon
3 Which planet has winds of up to 1,200 mph (the fastest in our solar system)?
a. Neptune
b. Saturn
c. Jupiter
d. Uranus
4 Which element is the most abundant in the universe, making up about 75% of its total mass?
a. Helium
b. Hydrogen
c. Oxygen
d. Carbon
Use the word wheel to help find the answers to the clues below. All the answers contain the middle letter and each letter can only be used once.
Clue: a female ballet dancer (9 letters).
Answer:
Clue: a written language for blind people (7 letters).
Answer:
Clue: the capital city of Germany (6 letters).
Answer:
WORD WHEEL
L N A L A E R B I
Clue: a constellation and sign of the Zodiac represented by a pair of scales (5 letters).
Answer:
Clue: a being from another world (5 letters).
Answer:
Clue: where dragons live and keep gold (4 letters).
Answer:
Clue: the pointed end of an ink pen (3 letters).
Answer:
Can you spot the names of 20 living things hidden in our jumbo woodland word search puzzle? Good luck!
Draw a line to connect each pair of planets. You can’t use diagonal lines and the lines can’t cross or touch each other. You must fill the whole grid with lines but only one line is allowed in each square.
WORDS
A link word is a word that can be added to the end of one word and the start of another word to create two new words. For example, the word FRIEND can be added to the end of GIRL to create GIRLFRIEND, and also added to the start of SHIP to create FRIENDSHIP. Can you think of link words that fill the gaps below and create two new words in each case?
1
The picture on the right shows a beautiful view of Rome, the capital city of Italy. What is the name of the famous river that runs through the city?
a. Rhine
b. Seine
c. Tiber
d. Danube
2
After it has erupted from an active volcano like the one shown above, molten rock from inside Earth can reach temperatures of more than 1,000°C. What name do geologists call this hot molten rock?
a. Mantle
b. Magma
c. Tephra
d. Lava
3
Which is the only continent that has land in all four of Earth’s hemispheres (North, South, East and West)?
a. Asia
b. Africa
c. North America
d. Europe
4
Found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, what is the only sea in the world that does not have a coastline?
a. Sargasso Sea
b. Caspian Sea
c. Caribbean Sea
d. Black Sea
The six-sided shape on the left can be folded up to form a cube. Only two of the cubes on the right can be made by it. Which are they?
Can you spot all 2O differences between these bug-tastic illustrations?
THE GRAND BUG HOTEL
THE GRAND BUG HOTEL
D
S
THE GRAND BUG HOTEL
Washing
Grasshopper
Gecko
Shrimp
Peacock flounder
Woodland Word Search
EYE DON’T
BELIEVE IT!
Amazing optical illusions that trick your brain…
Poggendorff Illusion
Look at the lines marked A, B and C in the diagram above. Line A forms a continuous straight line with either line B or line C. Without using a ruler to check, can you tell which of lines B and C it is? Many people think that line A forms a straight line with line B. And if you are one of those people, then you are completely wrong! Line A actually forms a straight line with line C. (If you don’t believe us, check with a ruler, or go to whatonearth.co.uk/illusions or scan the QR code to see visual proof!)
So, why do our brains get this seemingly simple question wrong? The reason is to do with the fact that another shape – the grey
rectangle – has been placed in the middle between line A and lines B and C. The presence of the rectangle causes our brains to underestimate the small acute angle between line A and line B. Scientists think the reason for this (and other geometric illusions) could be that our brains have evolved to perceive scenes in nature, where straight lines are rarely aligned perfectly, as they often are in geometry. This mind-bending optical illusion is named after the 19th-century German physicist who discovered it: Johann Christian Poggendorff. Thanks Johann!
Welcome to planet Earth!
Earth is a unique planet – as far as we know, it is the only place in the universe that supports life. Life thrives here because of the liquid water on Earth’s surface, the abundant oxygen in its atmosphere and a comfortable average temperature.
From Britannica’s Encyclopedia Infographica Infographics by Valentina D’Efilippo
71%
OF EARTH’S SURFACE IS WATER
Water covers almost three-quarters of Earth’s surface, and almost all of this is ocean.
Earth is not quite a perfect sphere! It’s actually something called an oblate spheroid, a shape that’s wider at the equator than at the poles.
km
AFRICA
Earth’s continents are constantly moving – at about the same rate your fingernails grow!
29% OF EARTH’S SURFACE IS LAND
Just over a quarter of Earth’s surface is land, made up of continents and islands. (Percentages for each continent have been rounded up to the nearest whole number.)
SPEED OF ROTATION AT THE EQUATOR 1,670 km/h
SPEED ORBITING THE SUN 29.8 km/s
MASS
5,970,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000 kg (that’s 5.97 septillion kilograms!)
What is inside Earth?
When Earth first formed it was a ball of very, very hot liquid rock. Over time, it cooled and heavier elements such as iron and nickel sank into the centre of the planet, which we call the core. Surrounding the core is the mantle, a layer of hot, semi-solid rock that contains crystals. Earth’s outermost layer is the crust, which is mostly made of solid basalt and granite rock. Read on to discover what lies beneath…
6,400
3,470 Outer core
1,220
1. THE CRUST
There are two types of crust: oceanic and continental. Oceanic crust is about 6 kilometres thick. Continental crust is about 30–40 kilometres thick.
2. THE MANTLE
One scientist estimates there is enough gold in Earth’s core to cover the surface half a metre thick!
The mantle lies below the crust and is up to 2,900 kilometres thick. It’s made of semi-solid rock called magma, and the crust ‘floats’ freely on top of it.
3. THE CORE
The core is the centre of Earth and has two parts: the liquid outer core and the solid inner core. The inner core is solid because of the immense pressure of all the rock pushing down on it from the surrounding layers.
The Earth’s inner and outer core are together roughly the same size as the planet Mars!
HOW DID EARTH FORM?
Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago from clouds of gas and dust left over from the formation of the Sun. Pulled together by gravity, these clouds created a ball of hot compacted rock, which eventually became our planet.
4.6 billion years ago
Earth forms from dust and rock orbiting the young Sun.
mantle (see opposite) inside Earth
4.5 billion years ago
2 billion years ago
The sky turns blue as a result of the gas methane clearing from the atmosphere.
THE EARTH IS A BIT LIKE A BOILED EGG!
The proportions of a boiled egg are a good way to imagine the relative sizes of Earth’s crust, mantle and core. Just like a boiled egg, Earth has a thin, hard outer shell. And the size of Earth’s core relative to the rest of the planet is roughly the same as the size of an egg yolk relative to the rest of the egg!
4.4 billion years ago The Moon forms.
3.8 billion years ago
The oceans form.
2.8 billion years ago
Cyanobacteria start producing oxygen.
2.2 billion years ago
Oxygen becomes a measurable part of the atmosphere.
Earth’s mantle forms.
How do crystals form?
Crystals often start out in pools or droplets of water that have tiny bits of mineral in them. These pools might exist in teeny gaps deep within the Earth, in cracks on Earth’s surface or even in little gaps inside rocks. Sometimes the bits of mineral stick to the nearest rough surface and start to join up. But this isn’t any old muddly clump! They join up in a beautifully neat
Gemstones are sparkling, coloured crystals.
pattern. This is the start of a crystal. The crystal grows as more bits of mineral join the organised little gathering. Crystals can also form when rock gets very hot and the tiny particles inside it rearrange themselves into that neat crystal pattern.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ice, salt and sugar are also types of crystal!
Why do frogs croak?
It’s mainly male frogs who make all the noise. They croak to attract female frogs and to warn other males to stay away. If attacked, some frogs croak to frighten off their enemies. They also croak to warn their froggy friends of danger. Females find male croaking very attractive. They may even join a froggy chorus and sing to a male whose croak they particularly like.
DID YOU KNOW?
The tiny coquí frog from Puerto Rico is about the size of a hazelnut. Yet it’s as noisy as an electric food mixer!
Most frogs have vocal sacs at the bottom of their mouths, which they fill with air. These inflatable chins make their croaks sound even louder. This male tree frog croaks love songs at night.
Crystals can form many shapes, including rectangles, triangles and squares.
The inner plug contains a set of small pins pushed down by springs. The pins here have two parts: a red part and a blue part.
Keyhole
How do keys open locks?
A key is a tool, usually made of metal, that has been cut into a special shape so that it can open a particular lock. There are many different types of lock, but the most common is the pin tumbler lock. The key only works if the grooves along its blade match the shape of
When the correct key is inserted, the pins are pushed into the right position, where all the blue bits line up. This allows the key and the inner plug to turn.
the keyhole. When the key is inserted into the keyhole, the shape of the cuts along the top of the key’s blade help to lift a set of pins inside the lock to different heights. When the pins are in the correct position, the key can turn and – hey presto! – the lock will open.
As the key is turned, a cam pulls the bolt backwards, which unlocks the door.
DID YOU KNOW?
The enormous Goliath frog can weigh more than 3 kg – that’s as much as a human baby!
First Big Book of Why, writtenby SallySymes and Kate Drimmer,and First Big Book of How, writtenby SallySymes and Saranne Taylor,are bothoutnow!
The key needs to be the right shape to fit into the keyhole.
Bolt
Cam Door catch
ANTS AND APHIDS
Some species of ant eat a substance called honeydew that is made by tiny insects called aphids from plant sap. In order to protect their supply of honeydew, the ants help the aphids by keeping them safe from predators. As you can see above, the ants also herd the aphids to new plants so they can find fresh sap.
FAVOUR! DO ME A
Seven amazing examples of
‘animal mutualism’.
Do you sometimes work in collaboration with a friend to do something that benefits both of you? Well, it might surprise you to know that in the animal kingdom, different species have evolved to help each other out, too. The scientific term for this is animal mutualism, and it is used to describe collaborations between two organisms in which both species benefit. So, from hitchhiking fish to a bird that’s brave enough to be a crocodile’s dentist, read on to learn about some of the most astonishing partnerships in nature.
GOBY AND PISTOL SHRIMP
The goby fish (on the left) and pistol shrimp are underwater besties that live together on the sandy sea floor. The shrimp digs and maintains a burrow which the two species then share. The goby, which has good eyesight, acts as a lookout, warning the shrimp when predators are near by flicking the shrimp’s antennae with its tail. The shrimp also benefits by eating scraps of food dropped by the goby.
SHARKS AND REMORAS
Remoras are small fish that attach themselves to sharks and other large marine animals. The remoras keep the sharks’ skin free of parasites and are even allowed to swim around the sharks’ teeth to remove bits of food that might otherwise become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. In return, the remoras enjoy free meals – while also hitching a ride!
Impala allow oxpeckers to perch on them to eat ticks, flies and other insects that live on their skin. The impala benefit by having pesky parasites removed. And the oxpeckers get a free lunch! Oxpeckers also provide this service for rhinos, hippos and warthogs.
Continued on next page
Continued from previous page
CLOWN FISH AND SEA ANEMONES
Clown fish are often found swimming among the tentacles of sea anemones, which sting nearly all other fish. Thanks to a special mucus (slimy coating) on their skin, the clown fish aren’t harmed. In return for a safe place to live, the clown fish chase away the anemone’s main predator – the butterflyfish.
HONEYGUIDES AND HUMANS
Honeyguide birds are very good at finding wild bees’ nests. They then use a special chattering call to attract humans’ attention before flying ahead to indicate the location of the nest. Human hunters can use fire or tools to subdue the bees and open the nest, allowing the humans to take the honey while the birds feed on the beeswax. Humans and honeyguides have worked together in this way for thousands of years!
DID YOU KNOW?plants,Althoughtheylooklike animalsseaanemonesare tentaclesthatusetheir tosenseand captureprey!
CROCODILES AND PLOVERS
Would you stick your head in a crocodile’s mouth? That’s what the plover bird does in this unlikely partnership. First, the crocodile holds its jaws wide open. A plover will then fly in and perch right inside the crocodile’s mouth, so the bird can eat bits of food, parasites and leeches stuck between its teeth and gums. The plover gets a meal while the croc receives a free dental check-up!
11,400
The weight in kilograms of all the poo the average human will produce in a lifetime. That’s roughly the weight of two African elephants!
HUMAN BODY HUMAN BODYINNUMBERS ...
23
2.5
The distance in kilometres from which someone with good eyesight can see a candle flame.
0.01
The time in seconds it takes a nerve impulse to travel from the spinal cord to your big toe.
The typical number of bones in an adult human skeleton.*
60
The percentage of DNA** that a human being shares with a banana!
128,000
The distance in kilometres which the average human walks in a lifetime!
*The animal with the most bones is the python. It can have as many as 1,800!
**Found inside the cells of all living things, DNA is a set of genetic codes that tells an organism how to develop.
How to make your own… Koinobori!
Celebrate the Japanese holiday of Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day) with this fun activity. Plus, discover the tradition of koinobori – carp streamers!
In Japan, the end of April and first week of May is a special time when families go on holiday and celebrate together. It is known as Golden Week. One of the key moments of Golden Week is Kodomo no Hi, or Children’s Day. Although it’s only been a national holiday since 1948, some version of Children’s Day has been celebrated for centuries! Traditionally, the 5th May holiday was a time when samurai (Japanese warriors) would put their swords and armour on display in the hope of protecting their children. Over time, families started to display samurai dolls for the same reason. Today, because many people live in flats and other smaller living spaces, it is more common to display miniature helmets.
Another Children’s Day tradition is to fly colourful windsocks or streamers called koinobori (carp streamers) that look like carp fish (called koi in Japan). The carp symbolises strength and determination. – and the windsocks flapping in the wind look like fish swimming upstream! In the past, Children’s Day was a celebration of boys, and a family would raise a pole
with carp windsocks for each boy in the family, with the eldest boy represented by a red carp. Today, families fly carp for every member of the family. Often, a large black carp represents the father, a smaller red carp the mother, and increasingly smaller carp represent the children. Why not try making koinobori to represent you and your family? Read on to find out how!
Scan the QR code below to listen to a Japanese folk song about koinobori. The lyrics are provided in Japanese and in English – try singing along as you make your own!
Japanese children flying koinobori in 1911.
Top Tip!
You can use the traditional colours for koinobori: black for father, red for mother, and individual colours for you and your siblings.
What you need
White paper
Black felt-tip pen
Toilet roll tubes
Scissors
String
A stick or dowel rod
Tissue paper in several colours
Double-sided tape or glue stick
Here’s how to make it…
Cut circles out of your tissue paper to make the carp’s scales. Make them about 4 cm in diameter, and then cut them in half to make semicircles. These can be any colour you like.
2 3 4 5
Place a piece of double-sided tape around one end of your toilet roll tube, or apply glue from a glue stick. Start placing fish scales on the tape with the straight edges lining up with the inside edge of the tape or glue line.
Make sure the scales overlap slightly so they cover the tube all the way around. Leaving a gap of about 2 cm, apply another strip of tape or glue. Repeat adding the scales to this layer.
Continue making layers of scales until your tube is covered, making sure the final scales cover the rim of the tube completely. This end will be the carp’s head.
Cut a circle out of your white paper for the carp’s eye, about 2 cm in diameter. Draw a black dot in the centre for the pupil. Attach the eye using tape or glue.
6 1
Cut strips of tissue paper to make streamers for the carp’s tail. They can be any length you like! Apply tape or glue to the inside of the tail end of your carp, and then attach the streamers.
7
Repeat this process to make a carp for each member of your family.
8
Cut a piece of string for each carp, about 20 cm long. Tie the strings around your stick or dowel rod and then tape or glue the ends inside the head end of your carp.
9
Fly your carp outside your house for everyone to see!
Your photos: from puzzling pooches to a giant fig tree!
Find out what fellow What on Earth! readers have been up to this month…
Congratulations to intrepid wildlife photographer Rufus, pictured right, who took this spectacular photo of the Curtain Fig Tree in Queensland in northern Australia. This famous and historic tree is a popular tourist attraction in Queensland. It is estimated to be around 50 metres high and at least 500 years old. Great photo, Rufus!
As you can see in these fantastic photos, our readers love to enjoy their What on Earth! magazines in some pretty exciting and unusual places. So whether you are climbing a mountain, stalking a tiger or going on a family camping trip this spring, send a photo of you reading your magazine to letters@whatonearth. co.uk! If your photo features in a future issue, you will win a copy of the brilliantly disgusting GrossFACTopia!
Our jokes editor, May, was thrilled and impressed to receive this fantastic – and hilarious – collage of jokes. Well done Aoife!
Scarlett-Maria loves her rabbits, Flora and Clover, so much she is even happy to share her copy of What on Earth! Magazine with them!
We have lots of canine subscribers. Sammy the cocker spaniel (and his proud owner Emmeline) loves doing the puzzles. If you get stuck, Sammy, the answers are on page 32.
It’s fantastic to see this photo of Koopa the tortoise reading the jokes in our April issue. Hopefully he found them shell-arious! Thanks to Jasmine for sending it in.
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With thanks to Andy Forshaw, Natalie Bellos, Helen Thewlis and the whole team at What on Earth Publishing
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For Encyclopaedia Britannica
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Awards
What’s and noisy?
black, white
WhatQuestion: canyou serve but never eat?
Answer: A tennis ball!
Question: What can be made, cracked, told and played?
Answer: A joke!
Send your name, age and favourite joke to our jokes editor May at jokes@whatonearth.co.uk. If your joke is featured in a future issue of the magazine, you will WIN a copy of Secret FACTopia!
What do you call a man who can’t remember where he parked?
gym? go to the triangle and the square Why did the
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