Belgium

Let's keep learning about the countries in Europe!

Last time we learned about Austria.

Next up is Belgium.

Belgium is a country just North of France, and West of Germany.

(from: wikipedia - belgium)

For breakfast in Belgium, you might have a Belgian waffle!

(from: wikipedia - belgium)

You can visit a giant 335 ft tall building of an iron atom, called the Atomium

(from: wikipedia - atomium)

The saxophone was invented by Belgian musician Adolphe Sax.

(from: wikipedia - saxophone)

Hundreds of years ago, people would visit the town of Spa in Belgium, to relax in cool water springs.

(from: wikipedia - spa)

Mark

Let's keep learning about the four Gospels in the New Testament.

Last time we learned about Matthew, next up is Mark.

Mark was another follower of Jesus who also told of the miracles he performed.
22 miracles are listed in the Gospel of Mark, and 19 of them are the same ones listed in Matthew.


(from: wikipedia - mark the evangelist)

Black Dwarf

We've now learned that our Sun is a Yellow Dwarf,
after it burns for 10 billion years it will turn into a Red Giant,
and after it burns for another 1 billion years it will turn into a White Dwarf.

That white dwarf will burn slowly for a very very long time,
over 10 Undecillion years (One undecillion is a 1 with 36 zeroes after it!),
then it will cool down and turn into a Black Dwarf.

That's such a long time, that no actual black dwarfs exist!
Scientists are just pretty sure that's what is going to happen some day.


(from: wikipedia - outer space)

French - counting to eighty nine

We just learned how to count to 79 in French, let's keep going!

Just like seventy was really sixty-ten, eighty is also a little different.
The word for eighty is quatre-vingts which means four-twenties because 20 times 4 is 80!

80 quatre-vingts - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-n /?/
81 quatre-vingts-un - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-nt un /?/
82 quatre vingt deux - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-n doo /?/
83 quatre vingt trois - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-n twa /?/
84 quatre vingt quatre - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-n cat-uh /?/
85 quatre vingt cinq - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-n sahn /?/
86 quatre vingt six - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-n see /?/
87 quatre vingt sept - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-n set /?/
88 quatre vingt huit - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-n oo-ee /?/
89 quatre vingt neuf - sounds like cat-uh-ah vah-n nef /?/


(from: wikipedia - OIF)

Electroluminescence

Electroluminescence is a pretty fancy sounding word,
but all it really means is a way that some things give off light
when you run electricity through them.

Electro - for electricity
luminescence - a fancy way to say light

Some of the best chemicals for making this kind of light are doped semiconductors,
which we learned before are just two kinds of chemicals mixed together.

When the electricity flows through them, the photons (which are tiny particles of light)
go shooting off of the chemicals and make it glow.

(from: wikipedia - electroluminescence)

Hedgehog

Hedgehogs look kind of like tiny little porcupines.

And just like porcupines, they have poky hairs on their back (called spines) made of keratin.

Their spines don't come out like a porcupine's quills, they are just sharp.


(from: wikipedia - hedgehog)

Hedgehogs also do a funny thing called anointing.
When they find something with a new smell in the wild,
they will lick and bite that thing, and then spit on their spines.

Scientists aren't totally sure why they do this,
but some think it is so they can hide their smell from other animals that want to eat them!

Calf Muscle

We just learned about the Quadriceps muscle.

The muscle on your leg below your knee is called your Triceps Surae muscle,
but most people just call it your Calf Muscle.

You are using your calf muscle when you move your ankle.

(from: wikipedia - triceps surae muscle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Thoracic Cage