Monday, February 6, 2023

Send us your science questions!

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2/6/23

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Inside Science News Explores

Science News Explores answers science questions from kids and teens in every issue of our new print magazine and on Instagram! We’ve answered inquiries about how black holes work and why giraffe tongues are blue. And we’re always looking for new topics to explore. If you know a kid or teen with science questions (on pretty much any topic in the universe), send them our way! You can email questions (with the asker’s first name and last initial) to explores@sciencenews.org. Multiple questions from the same curious mind are welcome.

A New Magazine for Kids

Learn more and subscribe to Science News Explores, a new magazine designed to satisfy young readers’ curiosity about how the world works.

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Three droids from Star Wars: BB-8, C3PO, and R2D2 are standing together on a stage

Catch up with the latest from Science News Explores

Can a robot ever become your friend?: Social robots can teach, help and keep people company. What would it take for machines to form real friendships with people? And do we even want that? Readability: 6.4 Resources: classroom questions, power words, word find puzzle, video

Gas stoves can spew lots of pollution, even when they’re turned off: A new study finds they can leak benzene and other harmful chemicals into homes, sometimes at very high levels. Readability: 7.8 Resources: classroom questions, power words

This parasite makes wolves more likely to become leaders: Gray wolves infected with Toxoplasma gondii make riskier decisions. This makes them more likely to become pack leaders or strike out on their own. Readability: 7.8 Resources: power words, alternate version at Science News

Let’s learn about the quantum realm: On the smallest scales, the universe behaves in some pretty strange ways. Readability: 7.2 Resources: power words, video

Some screen time may aid kids’ recovery from concussions: A few hours a day on digital devices may actually aid recovery by connecting kids with friends and giving their brains some stimulation. Readability: 6.8 Resources: power words

Opportunity

K-12 students around the world are invited to accept the annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenge. This year’s challenge: Build a device out of paper, string, tape and paper clips that can pick up and carry a Ping-Pong ball. The longer the distance carried and the fewer materials used, the higher the score. Students, who can work alone or in small teams, are invited to submit their results by March 19 to be entered in random drawings for $10,000 in prizes.

Find out more about the resources available for using Science News Explores stories for learning. And if you like this newsletter, please share it with a friend or colleague. Did someone share this with you? Subscribe to this newsletter here. If you’ve got questions, suggestions or comments, email us at sns@sciencenews.org. Thank you for reading!