What can we say or do to stop the nearly 3,000 kids and teens who will start smoking today? I certainly don’t know, but I think the following Web sites have some pretty good ideas. Some of them use outrageously …[Continue]
Sharks
Roughly fifty of the approximately 350 species of sharks are considered dangerous for human swimmers. And although a scan of recent headlines may suggest that shark attacks have increased this year, experts report that statistically nothing has changed: annual worldwide …[Continue]
Fossils
A fossil is a window into the history of our world, providing clues about plants and animals that lived thousands or millions of years ago. And because fossils are fairly easy to find, many kids and grownups enjoy the sleuthing …[Continue]
Giant Pandas
Although I didn’t want to wait in line in the hot summer sun, I was glad my visiting nieces insisted. I finally saw the giant pandas at the World Famous San Diego Zoo! Naturally this made me curious, and so …[Continue]
Cell Biology
Cells are the LEGOs of all living things. Everything living is built from cells. Some organisms (such as amoeba and bacteria) consist of only one cell. At the other end of the scale, our bodies have more than ten trillion …[Continue]
Mars Opposition
During June, night sky observers will be treated to a Mars opposition. About every two years, the Earth passes between the Sun and Mars such that Mars and the Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth. During an opposition, …[Continue]
Asteroids
When I began research for this week’s topic, my first quest was learning the difference between an asteroid and a comet. Here’s what I discovered. Comets (dirty snowballs) are primarily composed of ice and dust. As they near the sun, …[Continue]
Acid Rain
Tales of rain drops that remove the color from automobiles sound like science fiction, but unfortunately are not. The good news is the problem of acid rain (or more accurately acid deposition) can be curbed by simple steps of conservation. …[Continue]
Cloning
Clones are organisms that are genetically identical. Most clones are single-cell bacteria or protozoa that reproduce by making exact copies of themselves. But these are not the clones that are making headlines in Washington D.C. and around the world. What …[Continue]
Electricity
In 1752, with his famous storm-flying kite, Ben Franklin discovered lightning was electricity. In 1879, Thomas Edison perfected the electric light bulb. In the twenty-first century, we take our electricity for granted until we don’t have any. A few weeks …[Continue]
