Tire Skid Marks

We just learned about the Forensic Podiatry.

Another part of forensic science is Tire Skid Marks.

These are the marks left on roads from tires.
Sometimes cars can leave these marks if they are going really fast, taking a sharp turn, stopping very fast, or if there is an accident.

The marks on the road usually look like one of three kinds:

- acceleration marks: These are when someone goes from slow to really fast and the tires are just spinning.

- braking marks: These are when someone hits the brakes and their tires lock up and slide.

- yaw marks: If the car slides sideways either on a turn or because they hit something.

When there is a car accident, the police can look at the skid marks to figure out how the crash happened.


(from: wikipedia - skid mark)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gimbaled Thrust

Venus Girdle Jellyfish

We just learned about the very dangerous Sea Wasp jellyfish.

Another type of jelly is the Venus Girdle Jellyfish, also called the cestum veneris.

This is a very different kind of jellyfish because it looks like a big long clear ribbon with glowing white blue edges.

They can grow to be 1 meter (about 3 feet), and they usually live in the very warm waters of the ocean.


(from: wikipedia - venus girdle)


Venus Girdle Jellyfish - Rave Toy - DaveScuba

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: White Spotted Octopus

Philtrum

We just learned about the Vermillion Border no the top of the lip.

Another part of the mouth is the Philtrum.

The philtrum is on the outside of the upper lip, right in the middle, going from the nose to the lip.

For most people this is a little indent or groove.
Some scientists think that this part of the lip used to be used to try and help guide smells up to the nose, back when we used to have to hunt or smell our food more to see if it was ok to eat.


(from: wikipedia - philtrum)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Maxillary First Premolar

Moat

We just learned about the small castle guard buildings called Barbicans.

Another part of a castle is a Moat.

A moat is a trench or ditch going around the outside of the castle walls, to try and make it harder for attackers.
Usually a moat has water in it, but sometimes it doesn't and is called a "dry moat".

Moats make it so that people can't dig tunnels under the ground to sneak into the castle, and they also make it hard for attackers because they have to swim over to the castle.

Sometimes the water in moats was also used as water for the people in the castle to grow plants.

In some countries like Japan a castle might have 3 different moats, and the moats might be built like a winding river going around the castle.


(from: wikipedia - moat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cité de Carcassonne

True Cross

We just learned about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Helena said she found the true cross.

The True Cross is said to be the actual wooden cross that Jesus was crucified on.

In her travels, Saint Helen went to Jerusalem and looked for it.
She had buildings torn down and had people dig around to try and find the cross, and they found three different crosses that they thought might be the right one.

The legends of Saint Helen say that she had a woman who was very sick come to see the crosses.
She touched the first two crosses and nothing happened, and then she touched the third one and was healed.

Today there are many churches that say they have a piece of the True Cross.


(from: wikipedia - helena (empress))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Crescens - Bishop of Carchedon in Gaul

Benin Bronzes

We just learned about the Mask for King Obalufon II in Africa.

Another famous set of sculptures are the Benin Bronzes, from an old kingdom called Benin that is now part of Nigeria.

In the years of the 1700s, the people from Europe who were taking over parts of Africa did not think the art in all parts of Africa was very good.

Then in 1897 people from another country came to Benin and saw thousands of very good bronze and ivory sculptures that had been made over hundreds of years.




(from: wikipedia - benin bronzes)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Yixian Glazed Pottery Luohans

Norwegian - July, August

We already learned that January, February is Januar, Februar,
March, April is Mars, April, and May, June is Mai, Juni.

Let's keep going!

July - Juli - sounds like yoo-lee
August - August - sounds like ah-goo-st


(from: wikipedia - norwegian language)

Greek: Ιούλιος (Ioúlios), Αύγουστος (Ávgoustos)

ASL: July, August

Italian: Luglio, Agosto

German: Juli, August

Spanish: Julio, Agosto

French: Julliet, Août

Forensic Podiatry

We just learned about the Forensic Epidemiology, trying to prove what causes things like diseases or accidents.

Another part of forensics is Forensic Podiatry.

Podiatry is the study of feet, so this means looking at a person's foot to figure out evidence.
This might be checking to see if a footprint matches their bare feet, or it might be looking at a shoe footprint and trying to find out if that person's foot fits into that shoe.


(from: wikipedia - foot)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rocket Thrust Vectoring

Sea Wasp

We just learned about the Diplulmaris Antarctica.

Another type of jellyfish is the Sea Wasp also called the chironex fleckeri.

Some people call this jellyfish the most lethal jellyfish in the world, because it has caused deaths because of its painful sting.

They mostly live around the north side of Australia, and can have tentacles up to 10 feet long.

Their sting hurts very badly, and after getting stung a person needs to get to a hospital right away!

Luckily because these jellyfish only live in one spot in the world, people know to watch out for them, and try to put warning signs up where they are at in the water.



(from: wikipedia - chironex fleckeri)


(from: youtube - BOX Jellyfish - The Most Dangerous Sea Creature - Free Documentary)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Glass Squid

Vermillion Border

We just learned about the line of the top of the lips called the Cupid's Bow.

Another part of the lip is the Vermillion Border.

Vermillion is actually a word that means red.
The vermillion border is the place where the lip skin changes from pink or red to the color of the rest of the face.

(from: wikipedia - vermillion Border)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Maxillary Canine

Barbican

We just learned about the small back door on a castle called the Sally Port.

Another part of a castle is a Barbican.

This is a small building on the outside part of the castle that was built to help defend the castle.
Sometimes a barbican has a wall that goes from the barbican back to the castle, that defenders can walk on.

These small buildings would usually have some soldiers in them to help be the first line of defense before attackers could get to the main castle, and also help warn the castle that danger was coming.



(from: wikipedia - barbican)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Leeds Castle