Category Kids Queries

These microorganisms hitch a ride into our bodies on the food we eat, in the air we breathe, or through a variety of other methods. Once they’ve invaded our personal spaces, germs reproduce and create toxic waste, which triggers our body’s most repulsive reactions. They make us sniffle, upchuck, run on the toilet, break out in rashes and fevers, and suffer even more unpleasant symptoms.

These “bad” bacteria are the reason why we diligently disinfect our hands and wipe down our kitchen and bathroom sinks, as well as any other places where germs tend to congregate. We also have developed a wide range of antibiotics, which are drugs designed to kill the bacteria that cause disease. 

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Our decimal number system – which is based on the numbers one through ten – was inspired by the ten fingers (and toes) of your ancestors. That’s why the world digit means ‘’finger’’ in many languages. If we had evolved with, say, seven numbers (once we counted to seven, we’d move right to eleven). And it would seem totally natural to us.

The human hand has 5 fingers, or to be precise, one thumb and four fingers. So, with both hands, it’s very easy to count to 10. In this case, there’s no particular order in which an individual assigns a value to a particular finger. The little finger on his left hand could very well be 5 or 6, according to each person’s preference. The only requirement is that the individual never repeats the use of the same finger.

Most people probably use the three segments (knuckle spaces) on their fingers to count even higher. Each segment would count as one number, bringing the highest possible count to 12 when using 4 fingers on each hand. In this method, there is also no preference for any particular finger, although the individual is required to follow a single direction, namely up-down or down-up, to avoid errors.

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Like a fingerprint, the tongue has its own shape and texture, and its tiny bumps and ridges are distributed in a way that is uniquely yours. These patterns rarely change over time since the tongue is protected inside the mouth (unlike fingertips, which may become scarred). Researchers are developing 3-D tongue imaging to aid in identification.

The tongue is a unique organ in that it can be stuck out of the mouth for inspection, and yet it is otherwise well protected in the mouth and is difficult to forge. The tongue also presents both geometric shape information and physiological texture information, which are potentially useful in identity verification applications.

Another interesting fact is that each person’s set of teeth is also unique — much like their fingerprints. Even identical twins do not have exactly the same set of teeth.

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The brain remains largely a mystery.  We know it is made up of about 100 billion nerve cells, called neurons, connected like wires in a giant telephone exchange.  We know messages pass down them like electrical signals, and jump from one neuron to the next by release of neurotransmitter chemicals.  We even know where many of the different brain functions, such as memory, sight, and smell, reside. But what we don’t really have a grasp on is the link between the micro and the macro: how the pattern of electrical and chemical signals results in such amazing things as consciousness, intelligence, and creativity.

Although scientists are mapping out the brain’s neural network and have a decent understanding of which parts do what, they still don’t know where your mind – aka your consciousness, personality, and everything else that makes you fits into the puzzle. Maybe someday you’ll solve that mystery – if you put your mind to it.

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The term ‘’germ’’ encompasses an army of tiny terrors, including viruses, fungi, parasites and bacteria. These ‘’pathogens’’ all have the ability to spread from victim to victim (called a host). Germs are so small you can see them only through microscope. They look like spiky blobs, oozing spirals, hairy hot dogs, or other microscopic monsters.

Once germs invade our bodies, they snuggle in for a long stay. They gobble up nutrients and energy, and can produce toxins, which are proteins that act like poisons. Those toxins can cause symptoms of common infections, like fevers, sniffles, rashes, coughing, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Most germs are spread through the air in sneezes, coughs, or even breaths. Germs can also spread in sweat, saliva, and blood. Some pass from person to person by touching something that is contaminated, like shaking hands with someone who has a cold and then touching your own nose. Washing your hands well and often is the best way to beat these tiny warriors. Wash your hands every time you cough or sneeze, before you eat or prepare foods, after you use the bathroom, after you touch animals and pets, after you play outside, and after you visit a sick relative or friend.

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1. Chewing gum during takeoff and landing on a plane helps equalize your ears during the periods where the pressure changes the most rapidly.

2. If you don’t have any gum, try moving your jaw back and forth, sniffing rapidly, or yawning.

3. If you need to travel with a cold or allergies, ask your parents about taking a decongestant before your flight to help clear your ear tubes.

4. Some people can clear their ears underwater by moving their jaws.

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