Science magazine for children: Packed with science stories, science facts, science features, and other science learning resources for children. Discover the known, the unknown, and little-known facts in our science articles. Learn the how and why of everyday things and explore rare and exotic living species.
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Who Invented The Pen?
The history of writing instruments with which humans have recorded and conveyed thoughts, feelings and grocery lists, is the history of civilisation itself. This is how we know about our ancestors and their lives. The handy sharpened-stone, used for skinning and killing animals was adapted into the first writing instrument. Around 24,000 BC, the cave man started drawing pictures with the stone onto the walls of his cave dwelling. His drawings showed events in daily life such as the planting of crops or hunting victories....
Where Did Numerals Originate?
We deal with numbers all the time. Not just while doing math lessons at school, but also while counting money at the shop, memorising the numbers of our favourite TV channels or even keeping tabs on the number of hours we spend in front of the Internet! But we are so used to numbers that it has never occurred to us to find out where these numbers come from. For that, we must travel back in time....
Why don't Birds on a wire get a shock?
Now how is that possible? The fact is, for a living creature to get a ‘shock’ there has to be a substantial flow of current through the body. However, there is barely any current running through the bird’s body for two reasons. Firstly, the bird not only forms a circuit with the wire, but it also offers a high resistance to current, so the current passes through the wire instead of the bird. It’s a bit like this, would you prefer going on a smooth road or a road full of potholes?...
How do Houseflies Spread Diseases?
The housefly (musca domestica) is one of the most common of all insects. It is a major health hazard, particularly in parts of the world where sanitary conditions are poor. The housefly has a dull gray, bristled body that is about 7 mm in length. It has large reddish compound eyes. Its mouth cannot bite but consists of a spongy pad. It has a peculiar system of feeding itself. At first it releases saliva and digestive juices over food and then sponges up the resulting solution....
What is Cloning?
Which is the most famous sheep in the world? A sheep called Dolly. But why is Dolly famous? That is because unlike other sheep’s, Dolly was not born in the usual manner. She is actually a carbon copy of her mother, like an identical twin. This means that she is the twin sister of her mother who is older by six years and she does not have a father! What is Cloning? [Illustration by Shinod AP] Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, UK, made history on 27th February 1997, when they successfully cloned a sheep....
Why does water stay cool in earthen clay pots?
Have you ever had a drink of cool refreshing water from a ‘matka’ or earthen clay pot placed outside? Surprisingly enough, the pots are exposed to blazing sunlight, yet the water within stays so cool. How is that possible? This is because of a physical process known as evaporation. When a liquid changes to a gaseous (or vapour) state without boiling, it is known as evaporation. A matka is made of mud and has many minute pores (extremely small holes)....
What Happens After an Earthquake?
People often wonder whether an earthquake can drastically change the topography of a region. A few tremors and some buildings that collapse does not mean that the shape of the earth has changed, does it? However, earthquakes can and do change the topography of the region. An earthquake raised Rhodes island. The line of erosion (on the rock to the left) shows the sea level before the earthquake. The rise is uneven in different parts of the island, usually several meters....
Which is the fastest animal on earth?
Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal on earth – it can fly nearly as fast as an airplane. Peregrine Falcon is one of the rare birds that thrive in urban environments. It uses tall skyscrapers as launchpads and hunts pigeons and ducks. It is the world’s most widespread bird of prey and one of the most widely found bird species. It also has a good relationship with humans who use it for hunting. Known as the Duck Hawk in North America, it is a falcon....
Which is the Oldest Living Creature?
The oldest living creature in the world will come as a surprise to you. Many of the animals in the seas, skies, and earth live long lives. Yet the oldest living creature in the world is an immortal jellyfish that has never died. Its family name is Turritopsis Dohrnii. It hails from a class of small animals that live mainly in saltwater. The Dohrnii begin their life journey as larvae with a diameter of no more than 4 millimeters....
Why do Ants walk in a Line?
When I woke up one summer morning, I noticed a string of dashes on my bedroom wall. The line ran from the ceiling to the wall behind my bed and then disappeared under it. As I watched, I saw one of the dashes move. It was a small red ant walking up the line. Soon, another one followed and then another, till it grew into an army of ants marching up the wall. I noticed that while walking in a line the ants were cleaning the wall paint underneath them and, in the process, making a path....