table of contents · • there is a bird that can imitate chain saws, barking dogs, and cars. •...

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AmazingFactsinScience

Table of Contents

Introduction..............................................................................................................................ivScienceTrivia:TrueorFalse?.................................................................................................. 1WhichWasInventedFirst?...................................................................................................... 2WhichWasInventedFirst?—Answers..................................................................................... 3ThenameIstheSame............................................................................................................ 8Puzzle:leonardodaVinci..................................................................................................... 10FreshwaterFish..................................................................................................................... 11FreshwaterFish—Answers.................................................................................................... 13OceanCreatures:General..................................................................................................... 16OceanCreatures: General—Answers................................................................................... 18OceanCreatures:SaltwaterFish........................................................................................... 20OceanCreatures:SaltwaterFish—Answers......................................................................... 23FishIdioms............................................................................................................................ 27OceanCreatures:Mollusks................................................................................................... 28OceanCreatures:Mollusks—Answers.................................................................................. 31OceanCreatures:Crustaceans............................................................................................. 34OceanCreatures:Crustaceans—Answers............................................................................ 36CollectivenounsforBirds..................................................................................................... 40Birds...................................................................................................................................... 41Birds—Answers..................................................................................................................... 44FindtheBirds........................................................................................................................ 48reptiles:AlligatorsandCrocodiles........................................................................................ 49reptiles:AlligatorsandCrocodiles—Answers....................................................................... 51reptiles:lizards.................................................................................................................... 52reptiles:lizards—Answers................................................................................................... 53reptiles:SnakesandTurtles................................................................................................. 54reptiles:SnakesandTurtles—Answers................................................................................ 56Amphibians............................................................................................................................ 58Amphibians—Answers.......................................................................................................... 60Spiders.................................................................................................................................. 62Spiders—Answers................................................................................................................. 64Insects:General..................................................................................................................... 66Insects:General—Answers................................................................................................... 68Insects:Butterflies................................................................................................................. 70Insects:Butterflies—Answers................................................................................................ 72HiddenInsects....................................................................................................................... 74What’stheDifference?.......................................................................................................... 74Insects:BeesandWasps...................................................................................................... 75Insects:BeesandWasps—Answers..................................................................................... 77Insects:Ants.......................................................................................................................... 79Insects:Ants—Answers......................................................................................................... 81AntsAreEverywhere............................................................................................................. 83

TableofContents

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Insects:Beetles..................................................................................................................... 84Insects:Beetles—Answers.................................................................................................... 86Insects:Cockroaches............................................................................................................ 88Insects:Cockroaches—Answers........................................................................................... 90AmazingInsectFact.............................................................................................................. 91Plants:General...................................................................................................................... 92Plants:General—Answers..................................................................................................... 94Plants:Trees.......................................................................................................................... 96Plants:Trees—Answers......................................................................................................... 98Plants:FruitsandVegetables.............................................................................................. 100Plants:FruitsandVegetables—Answers............................................................................. 102Puzzle:“TheYearThereWasnoSummer”......................................................................... 104TheUniverse....................................................................................................................... 106TheUniverse—Answers...................................................................................................... 108PhysicalWorld..................................................................................................................... 111PhysicalWorld—Answers.................................................................................................... 112rocksandMinerals............................................................................................................. 114rocksandMinerals—Answers............................................................................................ 115ScientificMysteries.............................................................................................................. 117logicProblemsGeologists......................................................................................................................... 118Frog-JumpingContest...................................................................................................... 118ZooAnimals...................................................................................................................... 119TheFishMarket................................................................................................................ 119ShoppingforTropicalFish................................................................................................ 120AnswerKeys........................................................................................................................ 121

Table of Contents (cont.)

TableofContents

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Introduction

Studentslovetolearnaboutscience.Theyareespeciallyfondofdiscoveringinteresting,bizarre,andoftensurprisingscientificfacts.Theseunusualfactsthatstudentsenjoyareoftencon-sideredunimportantandignoredinlessonplans.Hereareafewexamples: • TheUnitedStatesDefenseDepartmentstudiedspiderwebsinordertoseeiftheyare

strongenoughtobeusedinbulletproofvests. • Whenamalemudskipperfishwantsamate,itdoespush-ups. • AnAfricanlungfishcansurviveoutofwaterforfouryears. • Clownfishareunusualinthattheyareabletochangetheirsex. • Policehavebeenknowntousesnappingturtlestohelpthemfinddeadhumanbodies. • Pufferfish,whichcontainanervepoisonthatis10,000timesmoredeadlythancyanide,is

usedasfoodinJapan. • Cephalopods,whichincludeoctopusesandcuttlefish,communicatebychangingcolors. • Somelandsnailscourtbyshootingdartsateachother. • Wheneveraseacucumberencountersanenemy,itspitsoutitsintestines. • Incolonialtimes,lobsterswerefedonlytoslaves. • Thetailorbirdwasgivenitsnamebecauseitsews. • Thereisabirdthatcanimitatechainsaws,barkingdogs,andcars. • Somebirdsuseantsasaninsectrepellent. • Thesaber-toothedblennyfishgetssomeofitsmealsbypretendingtobeamaid. • TheGoliathfrogofWestAfricaistwoandhalffeetlong. • TheFoodandDrugAdministrationwillallowanaverageof400ormoreinsectfragmentsor

anaverageof11ormorerodenthairsper50gramsofgroundcinnamon. • Ants,termites,andbarkbeetleswereallfarmersbeforehumanswere. • Whenamaledeathwatchbeetleisreadytomate,itattractsafemalebybangingitshead

againstawall. Thisbookisdesignedasaseriesofquizzesthatincludesthese,andmanyother,amazingfactsaboutscience.Itdoesn’tdealwithalloftheimportantfactsaboutsciencethatstudentslearninschool.Instead,byrevealinglittle-knownscientificfacts,studentsareencouragedtolearnmore. Thebookisespeciallyvaluableasapre-learningactivity.Priortostudyingaunit,oneofthetestsfromthisbookshouldpiqueastudent’sinterest,arousehisorhercuriosity,andgiveadiffer-entperspectivetowhatheorsheisabouttolearn.Itwillbeaspringboardfordiscussion.Justasimportantasthefactsandanswers,aretheexplanationsaftereachquiz.Theexplanationofthecorrectanswergiveselaboratedetailsconcerningtheseunusualfacts.Theanswersandexplana-tionsareprintedjustafterthequestionssotheycanbeduplicatedandgiventothestudentsforfurtherstudy. Inadditiontothequizzes,therearepuzzlesandlogicproblems.Someareveryeasy,andothersarequitedifficult.Also,thereisasectioncalled“ScientificMysteries.”Theseareactualmys-teriesthestudentsareinvitedtosolve.Theycansolvethemysterybythemselves,ingroups,ortheteachermaypresentthemysteryasatwenty-questiontypeofactivity.Inthiscase,theteacherwouldreadthemysterytotheclass,andthestudentswouldtrytosolveitbyaskingtheteacherquestions.Theteachercanonlyanswer“yes”or“no”tothequestions. Here’sanothersuggestion.Haveyourstudentsstarttheirownlistofstrangeandunusualscientificfactstheyfindintheirresearch.Printthelistforyourstudentsattheendoftheyear.

Introduction

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name: Date:


Science Trivia: True or False?

Directions: Indicateifthestatementslistedbeloware“True”or“False”bycirclingthecorrectresponse.

True False 1. Untiltheearly1960s,silkthreadswereusedingunsights. True False 2. Spidersareamongtheoldestinsects. True False3. Asealionwillgetseasickifputonboardaship. True False4. Thewoodfrogdoesn’tcroaklikemanyfrogs,butquackslikeaduck. True False5. AgeoduckisaduckinEurope. True False6. Onlythefemalecanarysings. True False7. Thetotalweightofinsectseatenbyspiderseveryyearismorethanthe

combinedweightoftheentirehumanpopulation. True False8. Byweight,spidersilkistwiceasstrongassteel. True False9. Morehumandeathshavebeencausedbyfleasthanbyallofthewars

everfought. True False10. Thedesertlocust(Schistocera gregaria),whichinhabitsIndia,Africa,and

theMiddleEast,maybethemostdestructiveinsectintheworld. True False11. Theneanderthal’sbrainwassmallerthanyours. True False12. Todefendthecolony,sometermitesshootgluefromagunontheirheads. True False13. Marsiscalledthe“redplanet”becauseitisrusty. True False14. Queentermitesmayliveforfiftyyears. True False15. Atarantulaisabletogooneyearwithouteating. True False16. Afemaleseahorsestoresherbabiesinsideherstomach. True False17. Agiantsquid’seyesaresmallerthanthatofagoldfish. True False18. Thejellyfishisnotasingleanimal,butacolonyofanimals. True False19. Ifapersonhaspartofhisorherliverremovedbecauseofanaccident

ortobeusedinatransplant,itwillgrowbackinafewmonths. True False20. Arainbowisacoloredarcinthesky. True False21. Thesoundonehearswhensomeonecrackshisorherknucklesiscaused

byligamentssnapping. True False22. Oneofthemainingredientsinglassissand. True False 23. Wheneverhumanplasma,theliquidpartofbloodorlymph,isnotavail-

able,coconutwaterissometimessubstituted. True False 24. naturalgashasanodorthatsmellslikerotteneggs. True False 25. Withoutgravity,astronautsgettaller. True False 26. Thefunnyboneisaboneintheelbow. True False 27. TheFoodandDrugAdministrationhasarulethatbrined,fresh,canned,

orfrozenmaraschinocherriescannotcontainanaverageof5%ormorecherrypiecesthatwererejectedduetomaggots.

True False 28. Ifaspongeiscutintopiecesandsqueezedthroughascreensothatitisjustabunchofloosecells,itwillreassembleitselfintoacompletelyfunctioningorganism.

True False 29. Sharkscansenseadropofbloodfromtenmilesaway.

ScienceTrivia:TrueorFalse?


name: Date:


Which Was Invented First?

Directions: lookatthetwopairsofinventionsshownbelow.Onthelinenexttoeachpair,writewhichyouthinkwasinventedfirst.

1. Toothbrushortoothpaste?

2. Airplaneorparachute? 3. Mechanicalreaperorcropinsurance? 4. Pendulumclockorpocketwatch?

5. Beerorsoap? 6. Trafficlightsorautomobiles?

7. Automobilesorodometers?(Anodometeristhedeviceonthedashboardofacarthatmeasuresthetotalnumberofmilestraveled.)

8. Medicaltextbookorpaper?

9. Eyeglassesorfalseteeth? 10. Plywoodorglass? 11. Bread-slicingmachineorpop-uptoaster?12. Dynamiteorbombs?

13. Elevatororskyscraper? 14. Automaticcalculatororaddingmachine?

15. Telephoneansweringmachineortalkingmovies? 16. remotecontrolortelevisionset? 17. Gasoline-poweredautomobileorsteam-poweredautomobile? 18. Sunglassesoreyeglasses?

19. Washingmachineordishwasher?

20. Golfortennis?

21. Bifocalsorbluejeans?

22. Matchorcigarettelighter?

WhichWasInventedFirst?


1. Toothpaste .Whenwethinkoftoothpaste,wethinkofitasbeingusedwithatoothbrush.However,toothpastewasactuallyinventedabout1,200yearsbeforethetoothbrush.Thefirstknowntoothpastewasusedinfourth-centuryEgypt.Itwasacompoundmadeofsalt,pepper,mint,andflowers.Severalcenturieslater,theromansusedtoothpastethatin-cludedhumanurine.Apparently,theammoniaintheurinewhitenedtheteeth.Beforetheinventionofthetoothbrush,ancientpeoplecleanedtheirteethwithtwigsandwood.Aspeoplebecamemorecivilized,theywouldrubchalkorbakingsodaontheirteethwithclothorrags.Itwasn’tuntil1498thatthefirsttoothbrushwasmadefortheemperorofChina.Itconsistedofabonehandlewithhogbristles.ToothbrushesdidnotcomeintogeneraluseintheWestuntiltheseventeenthcentury.

2. Parachute .Afewmedievaldocumentsrecordtheuseofparachute-likedevicestoallowapersontofall(somewhat)safelyfromacertainheight.Ina.d .852,aMuslimnamedAr-menFirmanjumpedfromatowerinCordobausingacrudeparachute.Hesustainedafewinjuries.Threehundredyearslater,anotherMuslimtriedtoduplicatethisfeatinCon-stantinople,butwashurtsobadlythatheeventuallydiedofhisinjuries.Thefirstreallysuccessfulparachutewas inventedbySebastienlenormand in1783.Hewastheonewhofirstcalledita“parachute.”Twoyearslater,Jean-PierreBlancharddemonstratedaparachutebythrowingadogattachedtoaparachuteoutofahotairballoon.Helaterusedaparachutetojumpoutofaballoonhimself.WhiletherewereglidersbeforetheWrightbrothers’flight,OrvilleandWilburWrightarerecognizedforbuildingandtestingthefirstpoweredairplane.ThetestflightoftheirairplanetookplaceatKittyHawk,northCarolina,onDecember17,1903.

3. Crop insurance .CyrusHallMcCormickwasanAmericanfarmerandinventorwhoinventedthemechanicalreaperin1831.BenjaminFranklinwasanauthor,scientist,printer,diplo-mat,andinventor.FranklinsuggestedcropinsuranceaboutacenturybeforeMcCormickinventedthereaper.

4. Pocket watch .Earlycivilizationsbeganmarking timebyseasons. It isestimated that,about6,000yearsago,somecivilizationsbegantocreatedevicestodividethedayintosegments.Theyfirstmadedevices thatused thesun tomark time.WaterclockswereusedbyEgyptians,Greeks,andothercivilizations.Thesewerestonepotsthathadslopingsides,enablingthewatertodripoutataconstantrate,ormetalbowlswithaholeinthebottom.later,waterclocksbecamemoresophisticated.MechanicalclocksappearedinItalyinthefourteenthcentury.In1510,PeterHenleinofnuremberginventedawatchthatcouldbecarried.Itwastheforerunnerofthemodernpocketwatch.ChristiaanHuygens,awell-knownDutchmathematicianandphysicist,wasinterestedinmakingaccurateclocksfornavigation.In1657,heinventedthependulumclock.

5. Beer .Beerisoneoftheoldestbeveragesmadebyhumans.Manydifferentcivilizationsmadebeerusinganykindoffoodthatcontainedspecifickindsofsugarscapableoffer-mentation.Thereisevidencethatbeerwasusedasfarbackas5,000b.c .inthecountrynowknownasIran.TheearliestknownformulaforsoapwasusedinBabyloniain2200 b.c .Itconsistedofalkali,water,andanoilthatgavethesoapascentlikecinnamon.An-cientEgyptiansbathedwithasoapmadefromalkalinesaltsandtheoilsofanimalsandvegetables.

Which Was Invented First?—Answers

WhichWasInventedFirst?AmazingFactsinScience



6. Traffic lights. Therewereafewmechanicalvehiclespriorto1885,butmanybelievethattheGerman,KarlBenz,madethefirstrealautomobilein1885.Beforeautomobiles,therewerehorsesandbuggies,andtrafficwassuchaproblemthatpoliceofficershadtodirecttraffic.Theworld’sfirsttrafficsignalwasinstalledinlondonin1868.Itwasarevolvinggas-poweredlanternwithgreenandredsignals.Greenmeant“caution,”andredmeant“stop.”Itwasturnedbyapoliceofficer.

7. Odometer .ItisthoughtthatArchimedesmayhaveinventedthefirstodometer.Itwaslaterdescribedbyaromanwriterin23b.c .Everyrevolutionofthewheelofthechariotengageda400-toothcogwheel,whichinturnengagedanothergearthatdroppedapebbleintoabox.Every400rotationsequaledaromanmile,whichwasabout1,400meters.Awheelturnwas1/400ofamile.Allapersonneededtodowascountthepebblestofindouthowfarachariothadtraveled.AnotherversionoftheodometerwasinventedinancientChinabyZhangHeng.KarlBenzmadethefirstrealautomobilepoweredbyaninternal-combus-tionenginein1885.

8. Medical textbook .Written communication was a major leap forward for a civilization.About4000b.c ., theSumerianswroteonclay.Whileclayworkedforawritingsurface,itwasnotpractical.Formanycenturies,peopletriedtofindbettersurfacesuponwhichtowrite.Silk,bamboo,cloth,andwoodarejustsomeofthematerialstriedasawritingsurface.Egyptiansprocessedpapyrus,aplantavailablealongthenileriver,asawritingsurface.Theword“paper” istakenfromtheword“papyrus,”butpapyruswasnotreallyconsideredpaper.Ts’ailunofChinaistheonegenerallycreditedwithinventingpaperintheyeara.d .105.Usingthebarkofamulberrytreeandbamboofibers,hemixedthemwithwater,poundedthem,andpouredtheresultingmixtureontoaflatpieceofcoarselywovencloth.Thewaterdrainedthroughandleftthefibersonthecloth.Theresultingpaperwaslightweight,cheap,andeasytomake.ItwouldtakemorethanathousandyearsforthisprocesstomakeitswaytoEurope.Earlymedicaltextbookswerenotwrittenonpaper.ThecivilizationsbetweentheTigrisandEuphratesrivers,theareathatisnowcalledtheMiddleEast,thrivedfrom3000b.c .Thesepeoplewroteonclayandothermaterials.Therearefortyclaytablets,datingfromabout700b.c .thatgivediagnosesandcuresforvariousdiseases.ItiscalledThe Treatise of Medical Diagnoses and Prognoses.AncientEgyptiansrecordedaccountsofthemedicalpracticesavailablein2,000b.c .,whichincludedcasestudiesandremedies.Thereareotherrecordsonpapyrusthatdatebackto1600b.c .and1550b.c .TheGreekswrotedownmedicalpracticesaround500b.c .

9. False teeth .Althoughwedon’tknowforsurewheneyeglasseswereinvented,itislikelytheywereinventedinnorthernItaly inthelate1280s.Whoinventedthemisunknown,althoughArabshadmagnifyinglensesinthetenthcentury,sothereisspeculationthattheymighthavebeeninvolved.Chinainventedeyeglassesataboutthesametime.Thefirstspectacleswereheldbyhandandlaterjustputonthebridgeofthenose.Theywerelaterheldwitharibbonoveraperson’shead,andthenheldinplacebyahat.Itwasn’tuntil1727thataBritishopticiandevelopedglassesthatwereheldinplacebyearpiecesfittingovertheears.Falseteeth,alsocalleddentures,weremadeofboneandivoryandwereinuseby700b.c .Intheeighteenthcentury,falseteethwerecarvedbyhandandheldinplacebysilkthreads.Theyweresocrudeatthistimethatpeoplehadtotakethemoutoftheirmouthsinordertoeat.later,falseteethwereheldinplacewithsteelsprings.

Which Was Invented First?—Answers (cont.)




10. Plywood. Glassoccursnaturallyinnature.Obsidian,whichisproducedfromvolcanoes,isanexample.However,thefirstrecordofglassbeingmadebyhumansoccurredinabout1500b.c .inEgypt.Glass-blowingwasdevelopedinthefirstcentury.

Plywoodismadeupofthinsheetsofwoodthatarestackedtogether.Thegrainofeachsheetofwoodisstackedata90-degree-anglefromthelastlayer.Thelayersaregluedtogetherunderpressureandheat.PlywoodwasusedinAncientEgyptaround3500b.c .SincetherewasashortageofgoodwoodinEgypt,ahighqualityofwoodwasgluedoverapoorqualityofwoodtogivetheimpressionthattheentirepieceofwoodwasmadeofthehigher-qualitywood.

11. Pop-up toaster. Bread isoneof thefirstprepared foods thathumanscreated. Itcon-sistedofcerealgrainsmixedwithwater,makingapaste,andthenitwascooked.GeneralElectricpatentedthefirstelectrictoasterin1909,althoughHotpointsaysthattheyhadmadeatoasterpriortotheoneproducedbyGE.Thesefirsttoastersrequiredtheusertoconstantlywatchthetoasterandtakeoutthetoastbeforeitburned.Thepop-uptoaster,whichactuallyejectsthetoastwhenitisready,wasinventedbyCharlesStritein1919. Whilepeopletoreorslicedbreadovertheyears,itwasn’tuntil1928thatOttoFrederickrohwedderdevelopedamachinetosliceandwrapbread.Hisfirstinventionwasamachinethatonlyslicedthebread.Itwasnotwidelyusedbecausebakerswereafraidthatslicedbreadwoulddryout.

12. Bombs. ThereissomeevidencethatgunpowderwasprobablyinventedinChinaabouta.d .850.Itwasnotoriginallyusedformilitarypurposes.IntheeleventhcenturyinChina,bombsmadeofgunpowderwerefiredfromcatapults.TheChinesealsodeveloped“firingcannons,”whichweretubesofbamboofilledwithgunpowderthatwouldthrowaflamingmissileat theenemy.Thefirstgunwithametalbarrelwas inusebya.d . 1290.Today,gunpowderisusedmainlyinfireworks.Dynamite,whichisanexplosivemadefromnitro-glycerinandothermaterials,wasdiscoveredbyAlfredB.nobel,aSwedishchemist,in1866.HealsoestablishedthenobelPrizesinhiswill.Firstawardedin1901,theprizeshavebecomeverydistinguishedawards.

13. Elevator. Primitivehoistsandelevatorswereinuseasearlyasthethirdcenturyb.c .Theywereoperatedbyhumans,animals,orwaterwheels.Inthenineteenthcentury,powereleva-tors,mostlysteam-operated,werewidelyusedinfactoriesandmines.ElishaOtisisanamethatitisoftenassociatedwithelevators.Strangelyenough,Otisdidnotinventanelevator.Whatheinventedin1852wasabrakethatisusedinmodernelevators.Thebrakemadeelevatorssaferandpavedthewayforskyscrapers.Workbeganonwhatisconsideredthefirstskyscraperin1884inChicago.Itusedasteel-framedinteriorandwasninestorieshigh.In1891,twomorestorieswereadded.In1931,thebuildingwasdemolished.

14. Automatic calculator. AcomputingdevicewasinventedinBabyloniaabout5,000yearsago.Itwascalledanabacus .Theabacuswasaframemadeofwoodthathadaseriesofbeadsthatcouldbeslidupordown.Itenabledapersontoadd,subtract,multiply,anddivide.Apersonwhoknowshowtooperateanabacuscancalculateasquicklyassome-oneusingamodernelectroniccalculator.However, theabacuswasnotamechanicalcalculator.ThepersonwhoreceivedcreditforinventingthefirstautomaticcalculatorwasWilhelmSchickard,aministerandaprofessorinGermany,in1623.Thisdevicewascalledthecalculatingclockandcouldaddandsubtractsix-figurenumbers.Onlytwocalculating





clockswereproduced,andtheydidnothaveaprogramstoredinsidethem.Theaddingmachinewasinventedin1642byanineteen-year-oldFrenchboynamedBlaisePascal.Hisfatherwasaclerkandneededtomakealargenumberofmathcalculationseveryday,soBlaiseinventedasimplemachinethatwascapableofaddingandsubtractingveryquickly.

15. Telephone answering machine. ValdemarPoulsen,aDanishtelephoneengineerandinventor,inventedtheTelegraphonein1898.Itwasthefirstpracticaldeviceforrecordingandreproducingsound.TheTelegraphonerecordedsoundonawireandwasusedtorecordtelephoneconversations.Films,ormovies,astheyareoftencalled,wereoriginallysilentwiththeactorsconveyingthemeaningofthefilmbytheiractionsorwithdialogueflashedatthebottomofthescreen.Earlyattemptstoaddsoundtofilmsencounteredamajorproblem.Thesounddevicewasseparatefromthefilm,andthetwowouldoftennotbesynchronized.Inotherwords,anactor’slipswouldbegintomove,andthenashorttimelater,theaudiencewouldhearwhatheorshewassaying.In1923,leeDeForestovercamethisproblemwhenheinventedthefirstfilmwherethesoundwasactuallyrecordedonthesideofthefilm,soitwasimpossibleforitnottobesynchronizedwiththeimagesonthescreen.Hemadeseveralfilmsusingthisprocess.ThemostfamousoftheearlytalkingmovieswasThe Jazz Singerin1927.

16. Remote control. nikolaTeslawasaCroatian-bornAmericanphysicist,electricalengineer,andinventor.Hewasapioneerintheuseofalternatingcurrentelectricityandinventedthealternatingcurrentinductiongenerator,whichchangedmechanicalenergyintoalternatingcurrentelectricity.In1898,TeslademonstratedaremotecontrolbyguidingtwomodelboatsonthelakeinMadisonSquareGardeninnewYorkCity.remotedeviceshavebeenusedtocontrolcars,boats,planes,televisionsets,andotherdevices.PhiloTaylorFarnsworthwasanAmericanwhoconceivedtheideaforthevacuumtubetelevisiondisplay,developingitwhenhewasonly21yearsold.Farnsworth’sothertelevisionpatentscoveredfocusing,power,scanning,synchronizing,contrast,controls,andpower.Thefirstpatents for theFarnsworthtelevisionsystemwerefiledJanuary1927.Manypeopleconsideredthistheofficialdateoftheinventionoftelevision.

17. Gasoline-powered automobile. KarlBenzmadethefirstrealautomobilepoweredbyaninternal-combustionenginein1885.SylvesterHowardroperwasanAmericaninventorwhodevelopedthefirststeam-drivencarin1889.

18. Sunglasses .EyeglasseswerelikelyinventedinnorthernItalyinthelate1280s,butde-vicestoprotectaperson’seyesfromthesunwereinventedbyseveralancientcivilizations.Archaeologistshaveuncoveredevidencethatsunglassesmayhavebeeninventedevenbeforewritingwasinvented.EarlynativesofwhatisnowAlaskamadesunglassesofivory.AncientAfricansusedbonestoprotecttheireyes.Itisbelievedthatthetintingofglassesbeganin1300whenChinesejudgesworesmoke-colored,tintedquartzlensesinordertohidetheireyeexpressionsincourt.About1,430vision-correcting,smoke-coloredlenseswereinuseatthattime.

19. Dishwasher. JosephineCochrane,wholivedinShelbyville,Illinois,inventedthedishwasherin1886.Mrs.Cochranewasarichwoman,andalthoughshehadservantswhodidthedishes,shewasalwaysannoyedwhenaservantbrokeadish.Also,shethoughtitjusttooktoolongtowashthedishes,sinceshehadmanylargedinnerparties.Soshetook





acopperboileranddesignedwirecompartmentsintowhichthedifferentkindsofdishesfit.Thecompartmentswereplacedonawheelthatlayflatinsidetheboiler.Whenthemo-torwasturnedon,thewheelturned,andhot,soapywatershotupfromthebottom.Herinventionwassosuccessfulthatmanywhosawitaskedhertomakeoneforthem.Sheeventuallypatentedthedesignofthismachine.

Whenhumansfirstbeganwearingclothes,theyscrubbedthemonstonesinstreamsandrivers.Thisworkedformanycenturies,buteventuallypeoplemadewashboardstoreplacestones,andthestreamswerereplacedbytubs.Thefirstelectric,motorizedwasherwasinventedbyAlvaFisherin1907.

20. Tennis .Manyearlycivilizations,suchastheancientEgyptians,Greeks,andromans,playedgamesinwhichaballwasbattedorhit,butthesegamesweremuchdifferentthanthemoderngameoftennis.Mosthistorianssaythemoderngameoftenniscanbetracedbacktotheeleventhortwelfthcenturies.Frenchmonksplayedagamewheretheyhitahandballagainstthemonasterywallsoroveraropestretchedacrossacourtyard.Eventu-ally,aglovewasputonthebarehand,laterapaddlewasused,andfinallyaracquetwasdesigned.Theball,whichhadbegunasawadofwoolorhair,tookonseveralchanges,andthewallwasreplacedbyanet.Otherstookupthegame,anditbecamesopopularthatlouisIVandthePopetriedtobanthegameoftennis.

Whilesomearguewhereandwhenthegameofgolfbegan,mostagreethatthegamehaditsbeginningsinScotland.Theoriginalgamewasdifferentthanitistoday,butitdidinvolveacrudekindofclubandthemovementofaballfromoneplacetoanotherusingasfewstrokesaspossible.Thefirstreferencetogolfoccurredin1457whenKingJamesIIofScotlandissuedabanontheplayingofbothgolfandsoccer.Thekingfelthisarcherswerespendingsomuchtimeonthesegamesthattheyweren’tpracticingtheirarchery.

21. Bifocals .BenjaminFranklinhadtwopairsofglasses.Onepairenabledhimtofocusonthingsclosetohim,andanotherenabledhimtofocusonthingsfartheraway.Hebecamefrustratedeverytimehehadtochangehisglasseswhenheneededtofocusatadifferentdistance.Soin1784,hehadthelensesoftwopairsofhisglassescutintwoandputhalfofeachlensinoneframe.Thesewerethefirstbifocalglasses.

leviStrauss,animmigrantfromBavaria,wassellingtentsandwagoncoversmadeofcanvasintheCaliforniagoldfields.Whenamanaskedhimwhathewasselling,Strausstoldhim.Themansaidhereallyneededsomepantsthatwouldwithstandroughtreatment.In1850,Straussdecidedtomakesomepantsoutofthecanvas.Themenlikedthepants,butsaidtheyweretoorough,soStrausssubstitutedatwilledcottonclothfromFrance,whichlaterbecameknownasdenim.

22. Cigarette lighter. In1816,aGermanchemistnamedJ.W.Dobereinerinventedawayofautomatically ignitinga jetofhydrogen,whichhecalled“Dobereiner’slamp.”While itspurposewasnottolightcigarettes,itwasamechanicalmeansofcreatingaflame,andtheideawaslaterusedtocreatedevicesspecificallytolightcigarettes.In1827,JohnWalker,anEnglishchemistandapothecary,inventedthefirstmatch.Hecoatedtheendofastickwithcertainchemicals.Afterthestickdried,itcouldberubbedagainstasurface,causingittoignite.Thiswasthefirstfrictionmatch.




name: Date:


The Name Is the Same

Directions: Chancesarethatyouhaveneverheardtheword“eponym.”Eponymreferstoapersonwhosenameisthesourceofaninvention,process,city,orevenera.Forexample,the“Bessemerprocess,”which is an inexpensive industrial process for themass-productionofsteelfrommoltenpigiron,wasnamedafteritsinventor,HenryBessemer .Variousinventionsaredescribedbelow.Youaretofillintheblankwiththenameofthepersonassociatedwiththeinventionorthenameoftheinventionitself.Sometimestheinventionisspelleddifferentlythanthatofthenameofthepersonafterwhomtheinventionisnamed.

1. Whilehedidnotinventthisknife,thisfamousadventurerwasaheroofearlyTexas.His

namewasJim .

2. TheFrenchinventorofthissystemofwritingandprintingfortheblindwasnamedlouis

.

3. Thiswrenchhasajawthatcanbeadjustedinorderforittoturndifferentsizesofnuts.It

wasinventedbyalondonblacksmithnamedCharlesMoncke.

4. Thisbrushforartistsismadefromananimal’shair.ItwasinventedbyaFrenchmanwhose

lastnamewas .

5. Theworld’sbest-sellingdollwasfirstsoldin1959.Itwasnamedafterthecreator’sdaughter.

Thisdoll’snameis .

6. Hans ,alongwithWaltherMuller,developedaninstrumentthat

detectsandmeasurestheintensityofradiation.

7. WhileJoseph-Ignace ofFrancedidnot invent thismechanical

deviceusedtoexecutepeoplebydecapitation(cuttingofftheirheads),hisnameisas-

sociatedwiththemachine.

8. George ,Jr.,inventedthisamusementparkride,whichconsisted

ofalargewheelthatrotatedonashaft.Therewereanumberofseatsonthewheelthat

carriedpassengers.

9. Thisweaponisamachinegunthathasseveralbarrelsrevolvingaroundacentralaxisand

canbefiredquickly.TheweaponwasfirstusedintheCivilWar.Thegunisnamedforits

inventor,richardJordan ,aphysician.

10. This typeof internal-combustionenginewas inventedby theGermanengineerrudolf

.Theenginewasdesignedtousecoaldustasfuel,butnowburns

low-costfueloil.Theengineisusedinmosttrucksandafewautomobiles.

11. louisPasteurwasanineteenth-centurybiologistandchemistwhodevelopedaprocess

forkillingmicroorganismsthatcauseddiseaseorspoilage.Thisprocessinvolvesheating

abeverageorotherfood,suchasmilk,toacertaintemperatureforaspecificlengthof

time.Whatistheprocesscalled?

ThenameIstheSame


name: Date:


12. Thispopular itemconsistsofmeator other foodplacedbetween twoslicesof bread.

After many years, it was named after John Montagu, a gambler who liked to eat at

thegambling table rather than tostopgambling.Montagu’s titlewas the fourthEarlof

.

13. Samuel wasanAmericaninventorwhopatentedapistolwitha

revolvingcylinderthatwascapableoffiringsixbullets,oneaftertheother.

14. robertWilhelm wasaPrussianchemistandphysicistwhoinvented

agasburnerthatisusedinmanychemistrylaboratories.

15. Scientistsmeasuretheseismicwavesfromanearthquakeusingascaledevisedin1935

bytheAmericanseismologist,CharlesF. .

16. In1858,John patentedawide-mouthedglassjarwithascrew

neckthatisusedforcanningandpreservingfood.

17. Dr.Henry ,anAmericanthoracicsurgeon,developedamaneuver

tohelpapersonwhoischokingonaforeignobject.

18. AdolpheSax,aBelgian,putaclarinetmouthpieceonabrassinstrument,addedsome

keys,andproducedaninstrumentthatproducedamellowsound.Thisinstrumentiscalled

a .

19. Thisswimmingsuitwasinventedin1946bytwoFrenchmen.Theynamedtheverysmall

suitafteranislandwheretheatomicbombwastested.Itsnamewas .

20. Henry , a nineteenth-century British Army officer and inventor,

devisedanartilleryshellcontainingmetalballsthatexplodedaboveenemytroops.The

metalfragmentsfromabombstillcarryhisname.

21. Thisinventionisakindofrigidairship,sometimescalledadirigible.Itwasnamedafter

CountFerdinandvon .

22. Thislightweight,compact,submachinegunismanufacturedbyIsraelMilitaryIndustries

andwasnamedafteritsdesigner,UsielGal.

23. Thiscast-ironheatingstove,whichwasshapedlikeafireplace,wasinventedbyBenjamin

,writer,inventor,andpatriot.

24. ThisclassicFrenchdessertconsistsofthreelayersofflakypuffpastrythatarefilledwith

pastrycreamandwhippedcreamandtoppedwithacoatingofsugar.Itwasnamedafter

theEmperorofFrance, Bonaparte.

25. James ,(1797–1868),wasaBritishgeneralwholedthecharge

ofthelightBrigadeagainsttherussiansintheCrimeanWar.Asweaterthatopensdown

thefulllengthofthefrontisnamedafterhim.

The Name Is the Same (cont.)

ThenameIstheSame


name: Date:


Answer:

Puzzle: Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci wasanItalianwhohadmanyinterestsandabili-ties.Hewasapainter,sculptor,architect,engineer,andscientist.HisnewideasintheareaofpaintinginfluencedthecourseofItalianartforyearsafterhisdeath.AmongsomeofhismostfamouspaintingsareThe Last SupperandtheMona Lisa.Healsoexcelledinastronomy,mathematics,engineering,botany,architecture,andgeology.DaVinci’sinventionswereyearsaheadofhistime.Hisdesignsofsomeinventionstechnicallycouldnothavebeencompletedintheperiodoftimeinwhichhelived;however,theywerecreatedcenturieslaterbyothers.Someexamplesincludetheparachute,submarine,contactlenses,helicopter,andmechanicalsaw.

DaVincioncesaidsomethingabouteducation.Doyouknowwhatthisquotewas?ItishiddenintheframearoundthepictureofdaVincishownabove.Todiscoverthequote,youmustgoaroundtheframetwice,reading everyotherletter.Wheredoyoustart,andwhichwaydoyoureadaroundtheframe?That’swhatyouhavetofigureout!

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ET P

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S AH

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ASTR

Leonardo da Vinci

Puzzle:leonardodaVinci


name: Date:


Mudskipper

Pupfish

Freshwater Fish

Fishareagroupofanimalsthatliveinwater.Theyareabletobreatheunderwaterbecausetheyhavegills.Mostfishhavefinsforswimmingandscalesforprotection.

1. Whenamalemudskipperwantsamate,it: A. Selectsonebasedonsize. B. Kidnapsafemale. C. Goestoa“datingschool.” D. Doespush-ups.

2. Ifyoukeepagoldfishinadarkroom,itwill eventually: A. Die. B. Growsmaller. C. Turnwhite. D. loseitsabilitytobreathe.

3. Thearcherfishgetsitsmealsofinsectsby: A. Usingadisguise. B. Spittingatthem. C. Stealing. D. Bartering.

4. TheburitipalmofSouthAmericaisoftenplantedby: A. Birds. B. Fish. C. Otherpalmtrees. D. Monkeys.

5. Onespeciesofthepupfishisunusualbecause: A. Itcanbeamotherorafather. B. Itcanfly. C. Itgrowsuptobecomeadogfish. D. Itlivesinthedesert.

6. Inordertofindtheirway,theelephant-trunkfishofAfricaandtheAmazonknife-fishofSouthAmerica:

A. Useaflashlight. B. Useaseeing-eyesnail. C. Memorizelocations. D. Useradar,poweredbyelectricity.

7. AnAfricanlungfishcansurviveoutofwaterfor: A. Fourhours. B. Fourweeks. C. Fourmonths. D. Fouryears.

8. Thewalkingcatfishgotitsnamebecause: A. Itcanwalkonland. B. Itwalksunderwater. C. Itcanwalkonwater. D. Itlooksasifithaslegs.

9. Apersoncanfindouttheageofafishby: A. Thesizeofitseyes. B. Checkingitssize. C. lookingatitsscales. D. Thelengthofitsfins.

FreshwaterFish


name: Date:


10. AllAmazonmollyfishare: A. Black. B. Perfectlyround. C. Female. D. Bornonland.

11. Thelampreyeelbuildsanestmadeof: A. Seaweed. B. Stones. C. Mud. D. Emptycrabshells.

12. Maleandfemalediscusfishkeeptheiryoungfish: A. Intheirmouths. B. Inshells. C. Onleashes. D. Incagesofseaweed.

13. Apregnantgoldfishiscalleda: A. Mollycoddle. B. Twit. C. Dunce. D. BigMama.

14. ThereisafishlivingintheAmazonrivercalled“quatroojos,”whichmeansfour eyes.Itwasgiventhisnamebecause:

A. Itstwoeyesaredivided. B. Itlooksasifitiswearingglasses. C. Ithasfourlargespotsonitshead. D. Ithastwolargeeyesonitshead.

15. Piranhasliveinlargegroupscalled: A. Schools. B. Packs. C. Shoals. D. Congresses.

Freshwater Fish (cont.)

FreshwaterFish


Freshwater Fish—Answers

1. D. Does push-ups. Themudskipper is a fish that is about six inches long. It lives inswampsandonmudflats.Itisabletowalk,climb,andskipinandoutofthewaterwithitslong,largefins.Bothmaleandfemalemudskipperslooksimilarexceptwhenitistimetobreed.Themalebecomesverycolorfulandtriestoattractafemalebyraisinguponitspectoralfinsinfrontofthefemale.Itcontinuestomoveupanddownuntilafemaleshowsinterest.Thenthemaleleadsthefemaleintoaburrowwherethefemalelayshereggs,andthemalefertilizesthem.

2. C. Turn white. ThegoldfishbreedwasdevelopedinChinaover2,000yearsago.EuropeansdidnotknowoftheirexistenceuntilMarcoPolodiscoveredthem.Iftheyaretakencareof,goldfishcanlivefor40years.Goldfishlosetheircoloriftheyarekeptindimlightoriftheyareplacedinabodyofrunningwater,suchasastream.Theyremaingoldonlywhentheyhaveadequatelightandarekeptinapondorbowl.

3. B. Spitting at them. ThearcherfishisfoundinbothfreshwaterandsaltwaterriversinIndia,Asia,andnorthernAustralia.Itusuallystaysnearthesurfacesoitcanfindin-sectsonvegetationabovethesurfaceofthewater.Whenitseesaninsectonabranchjustabovethewater,itspitsajetofwateroutofitsmouth,knockingtheinsectintothewater,wherethefishdevoursit.Anarcherfishcanhitaninsectfivefeetaway.

4. B. Fish. Theburitiisapalmthatcangrowupto90feettall.ItgrowsintheAmazonrainforest.Thefruit iseatenbytapirs, jaguars,deer,parrots,andmanyothercreaturesoftherainforest.Inthewild,thisverypopulartreereliesoncatfishtoplantitsseeds.Whentheforestfloorisfloodedbytheheavyrain,thefruitoftheburitipalmfallsintothewaterthatsurroundsitstrunk.Thefruitisswallowedbycatfishandeventuallyspreadstoothershallowareas.Whenthewaterrecedes,theseedsspringtolife,andnewburitipalmtreesbegintogrow.

5. D. It lives in the desert. Mostpeopledon’tthinkoffishwhentheythinkofthedesert,butinthenevadadesert,thereisasmallpoolofwateratthebottomofacavethatishometotheDevil’sHolepupfish.Thepoolisfedbyaspringandisaboutthesizeofaswimmingpool.Thereareabout500pupfishinit.Over12,000yearsago,thisareawasn’tadesert,butwasacool,wetareawithlakesandrivers.Overtime,theclimatechanged.Itbecamehotteranddrier,andtheriversandlakesevaporated.However,thepoolthatishomeforthepupfishremainedbecausethepoolwasfedbyaspring.Asaresult,thefishsurvived.Pupfisheatalgaefromasubmergedlimestoneshelfwheretheyalsospawn.Thepupfishsurvivedinthissmall,isolatedenvironmentforthousandsofyears,butinthe1970s,humansthreateneditsextinction.Asagriculturebeganusingthewatertableforirrigation,theareaforthelimestoneshelfthatsustainedthepupfishdecreased.Thepupfishweresavedbyacourtrulingregulatingwaterpumping.TheUnitedStatesSupremeCourtestablishedawaterlevelforDevil’sHolethatwouldensurethepupfishcouldsurviveinthefuture.Meanwhile,researchershavebuiltsimilarhabitatsinthedesertandhavetransferredafewpupfishtothesehabitats.Thiswillhelpthespeciessurvive,incasethereisanaturalormanmadedisasterattheoriginalsite.

6. D. Use radar, powered by electricity. TheAmazonknife-fishandtheAfricanelephant-trunkfishuseelectricitytoguidethemandfindprey.naturehasmadeitpossibleforthemtogenerateanelectricfieldaroundthemselves,andtheyareabletodeterminewhatisnearthembythepulsesthatbounceback.

FreshwaterFishAmazingFactsinScience



7. D. Four years. Wheneverariverorlakedriesup,mostofthefishdiefromalackofoxygen.Theirgillsaredesignedtogetoxygenfromwater,notair.Whenthewaterdisappears,theysuffocate.Therearesomefish,however,thatinadditiontogills,orsometimesinplaceofgills,havedevelopedtheabilitytobreatheatmosphericair.Onesuchfishiscalledthelungfish.ThesefishlooklikeeelsandarefoundinAfrica,Australia,andSouthAmerica.Somereachlengthsofoversixfeet.Theyoftenliveinshallowlakeswherethereislittleoxygen,sotheymustcometothesurfacetobreathe.Asthelakeorswampbeginstodryup,thelungfishbuildsaburrow24inchesdeepandsealsitselfinside.Itleavesasmallairpassagefromtheburrowtothetopsoitcangetoxygenfromabove.African lungfishcansurviveforupto fouryearswithoutwater in theseburrows,althoughrainoftencomeswithinafewmonths.Duringthespawningseason,theSouthAmericanandAfricanlungfishbuildanestfortheiryoung.Afterthefemaledepositstheeggs,themaleprotectsthenestuntiltheeggshavehatched.

8. A. It can walk on land. Thewalkingcatfishcannotonlywalkonland,itcanbreatheairwhenitisoutofwater.Thesecatfishliveinpondsorpoolsthatsometimesdisappearwhenthereisadrought.Whenthisoccurs,thecatfishcanleavethewaterthatisdis-appearingandmovetoanotherplacebyusingitspectoralfinsaslegs.Ifthereisnootherwateravailable,thewalkingcatfishwillburyitselfinmudandremainthereuntilrainsreplenishitspond.

ThewalkingcatfishisnotnativetotheUnitedStates.ItisafreshwaterspeciesoriginallyfromSoutheastAsia.ItwasbroughtintotheUnitedStatesbytropicalfishbreeders.SomeeitherescapedorwerereleasedinsouthernFloridainthe1960s.TheyarenowthrivingintheEvergladesandarespreadingtootherareaswheretheypreyonnativefish.

9. C. Looking at its scales. Fishhavegrowthringssimilartotrees.Eachyearofthefish’slifeisrepresentedbyapairofrings.Summerisrepresentedbywider, lighterrings,whilewinterisrepresentedbydarker,narrowrings.

10. C. Female. TherearenomaleAmazonmollies.TheAmazonmollyfromCentralAmericaisrelatedtotheguppy.Thisraceoffemalefishnevergivesbirthtomales.Inordertoreproduce,onceayeartheAmazonmollyborrowsamaleofacloselyrelatedspe-cies—thesailfinmolly—inordertohaveoffspring.TheAmazonmollyhaseggswithacompletesetofchromosomes.Themaledoesnotactuallyfertilizethefemale’seggs,butactivatescelldivision,sotheoffspringinheritnothingfromthemale.Alloftheoffspringareidenticaltothemother.Inotherwords,theyareclones.Eachoffspringinheritsthesametraits,becausetherehasnotbeenamixtureofgenesthatcouldhavebeenin-heritedfromthefather.Eachgenerationcontinuestobeacloneofallthegenerationsthathavegonebefore.

SincetheAmazonmollyisrelatedtotheguppy,themothermustprotectherbroodfromcannibalism.Maleguppiesarecannibalistic—theyeattheirownyoung.Whenafemalestartstogivebirthtoherlivebabies,themalewillswimunderthefemaleandeatthemastheyareborn.TheAmazonmollypreventscannibalismbymaintainingherownterritory.Sheleavesherterritoryonlytomatewiththesailfinmollyandthenreturnstoherterritory.Ifthemaletriestofollowher,shebeatshimwithherfinsandramshimuntilheleaves.

Freshwater Fish—Answers (cont.)

FreshwaterFish



11. B. Stones. Thelampreyeelspendspartofitstimeintheoceanandpartofitstimeinfreshwater.EachMarch,thelampreyleavestheoceanandgoestowheretheriversemptyintotheocean.Hereitwaitsforafishcalledashad.Itattachestotheshadandwillstayattachedastheshadswimsupstreamtospawn.Duringthejourney,thelam-preywillsucktheeggsoftheshad.ByJune,thefemalelampreywillleavetheshadandstartbuildinganestofrocksinaswiftcurrent,firsthollowingoutanarea,carryingstoneswithhermouthuntilthenestmeasuresfourfeetaroundandthreefeethigh.Shemovestheselarge,heavystonesbystickinghermouthtothestoneandpullingitintoplace.Themalelampreystayscloseby,butdoesnothelp.Whenthefemaleisfinishedbuildingthenest,thelampreylayshereggsinit,swimsaway,anddies.Whenevertheyhatch,theyounglampreysgoashoreandburythemselvesinthesand.Therearetwootherinterestingfactsaboutthelamprey.Ifputoutinthesun,thelampreymeltslikebutter,andonlyagreasespotremains.Also,thelampreyeelisactuallynotaneelatall,butaneel-shapedfish.

12. C. On leashes. Discusfishareflat,freshwaterfishes.Theyareverygoodparents.Theynursetheirbabies.Theyhavecellsintheirskinthatsecreteamucustonourishthebabies.Whileababyislearningtoswim,ithasthreadsthatareattachedfromittooneofitsparents.Afterawhile,theparentthatisleadingtheyoungdiscusfishonthethreadwillswimtoitsmateandshakeoffthethread,andthebabybecomesattachedtotheotherparenttocontinuetheswimminglesson.

13. B. Twit. 14. A. Its two eyes are divided. Whilethisfishhasonlytwoeyes,theeyesareabletooperate

asiftherewerefour.Eacheyeisdivided,sothereisanupperandalowerpart.Whenthefishswimsjustbelowthesurfaceofthewater,itisabletocheckforfoodunderneaththewater,andatthesametime,itwatchesforpredatorsabovethewater.

15. C. Shoals. FoundintheAmazonriver,piranhasarecarnivorous ,whichmeanstheyeatthefleshofanimals.Piranhasarenotedfortheirstrongjawswithsharp,triangularteeththeyusetoteartheirpreyapartbeforeeatingit.Theyhuntingroupsofmorethan100,calledshoals.Mostofthetime,theshoalswimsintoaschooloffish.Whilemanyoftheirpreyswimaway,someareisolatedandattacked.Thesmallpreyareswallowedwhole,whilelargepreyfishhavebigchunkstornfromthem.Whileitisrare,piranhassometimesattacklargeanimalsthatcometothewatertodrink.Therehavebeenre-portsofpiranhasattackinghumans,buttheseinstancesareveryrare.

Freshwater Fish—Answers (cont.)

FreshwaterFish


Science Trivia: True or False? (pg. 1)1. False.Until theearly1960s,spider web filamentswere

usedingunsights.2. False.Spidersarenotinsects.Allinsectsmusthavethree

pairsoflegsandthreebodysegments.Spidershaveeightlegsandtwobodysegments.

3. True.4. True.Somefrogshavestrangecalls.Thewoodfrogquacks

likeaduck.Theeasternnarrow-mouthedtoadbleatslikeanewbornlamb.Thecarpenterfrogsoundslikeacarpenterhittinganailwithasteelhammer.TheMexicantreefrogsounds likea car having trouble starting.TheMexicanburrowing toad’s call sounds like someone shouting“Whoa!”

5. False.Ageoduckisalargeclam.6. False.Onlythemale canarysings.7. True.8. True.9. True.Theycarriedthebubonicplaguewhichresultedin

thedeathofone-thirdofthepopulationofEuropeinthefourteenthcentury.

10.True.Alargeswarmofdesertlocustscanconsume3,000tonsofgreenplantseachday.

11.False.The neanderthal’s brain was bigger than yoursis.

12.True. Different kinds of termites have various methodsofdefendingthemselves.Anasutitermestermitesoldierhasaspecialglandinitshead.Thisglandmakesakindofgluethatitsquirtsoutofitselongatedsnout.Thegluetanglesuptheenemysothetermite isabletoescape.Anothertermite,theAfricanMacrotermes,forcesawaxlikemixtureintoitsattacker.Thetermiteisalsoabletoputasolutiononanattackingantthatpreventstheant’sbloodfromclotting.Thenwhenthetermitebitestheant,theantbleedstodeath.

13.True.14.True.15.True.16.False.The male seahorse stores its babies inside its

stomach.17. False.Agiantsquid’seyesarethelargestofanyanimal.

Theireyesarebiggerthandinnerplates.Onereasontheireyesaresobigisthattheyarehugeanimals.Agiantsquidcan weigh as much as 1,980 pounds! Scientists don’tknowforsurewherethegiantsquidlives,buttheythinkitmightlivebetween660and2,300feetbelowtheocean’ssurface.Withsuchlittlelightavailableatthatdepth,thesquidneedslargeeyesinordertosee.

18.True.Jellyfishareanentireanimalcolonycomposedofseveral typesof tentacles.Sometentaclestakecareofbalance, others sting enemies, some catch prey, andothersareinchargeofbreeding.

19.True.Theliveristheonlybodyorganthatcangrowback.Evenifmorethanhalfofaperson’sliverisremoved,itcangrowbacktoitsnormalsizeinjustafewweeks.Ifapersonhas75percentofhisliver,80percentofhisintestines,onelung,onekidney,hisspleen,andhisstomachremoved,hecanstillsurvive.

20. False.Arainbowisnotanarc,butacompletecircle.Usu-allyapersoncanjustseeapartofit.Itispossibletoseethewholecirclewhenflyingovercloudswiththesunaboveyou.rainbowscanalsooccuratnight.Sometimestherearedoublerainbows.

21. False.Thesoundonehearswhensomeonecrackshisknucklesiscausedbynitrogengasbubblesbursting.

22. True.23. True.Coconutwaterhasbeenusedasasubstitute for

bloodplasmabecause it issterile, readilyacceptedbythebody,anddoesnotdestroyredbloodcells.

24. False.naturalgashasnoodor,color,ortaste.Achemicalthatsmellslikerotteneggsisaddedtogiveitanunpleasantodor.Thisway,peoplewillnoticeifthereisaleak.

25. True.Without gravity, astronauts suffer many physicalchangeswheninspace.Theygettallerandtheirredbloodcells increase.Their muscles get smaller and so doestheirbonedensity.Initially,theirheartsenlargeandthenshrink.IttakesawhileforthemtoreturntonormalwhentheycomebacktoEarth.

26. False.Thefunnyboneisanerveandnotabone.27.True.Want toseesomethingsurprisingaboutour food

supply? Go to http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/cpg/cpgfod/.Theseare thepolicyguidelinesand limitsforwhattheFoodandDrugAdministrationwillallowincertainfoods.Forexample:

Ground cinnamon: cannotcontainanaverageof400ormoreinsectfragmentsoranaverageof11ormorerodenthairsper50gramsofcinnamon.

Chocolate: cannotcontainanaverageof60ormoreinsectfragmentsper100gramsofchocolate.

Peanut butter: cannotcontainanaverageof30ormoreinsect fragments per 100 grams; or the peanut buttercannotcontainanaverageof1ormorerodenthairsper100grams.

Cherries: Brined, fresh, canned, or frozen maraschinocherriescannotcontainanaverageof5%ormorecherrypiecesthatwererejectedduetomaggots.Thecherriescannotcontainanaverageof4%ormorerejectsduetoinsectsotherthanmaggots.

28.True.29.False.Onlyonemileaway.The Name is the Same (pg. 8–9)1. Bowie 2. Braille3.Monkeywrench 4.Camel(Camel’s-hairbrush)5.Barbie 6.Geiger7.Guillotine 8.Ferris9.Gatling 10.Diesel11.Pasteurization 12.Sandwich13.Colt 14.Bunsen15.richter 16.Mason17.Heimlich 18.Saxophone19.Bikini 20.Shrapnel21.Zeppelin 22.Uzi23.Franklin 24.napoleon25.Cardigan

Answer Keys

AnswerKeysAmazingFactsinScience

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