Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Transverse Tarsal Ligaments


We just learned about the Talocalcaneal Ligaments.

Another bunch of ligaments are the Transverse Tarsal Ligaments.

These are the ligaments that tie a bunch of foot bones together:
- Calcaneus: heel bone
- Talus: ankle bone
- Navicularis: top of foot bone
- Cuboid: outside of foot bone

Remember the location words, like dorsal means on top, plantar means on bottom, bifurcated means split into two.

There are 7 ligaments that tie all these together.
- dorsal talonavicular: Connects the talus to the navicularis on the top.
- plantar calcaneonavicular: Connects the calcaneus to the navicularis on the bottom.
- bifurcated (calcaneonavicular): Splits into two and connects the calcaneus to the navicularis in the middle.
- dorsal calcaneocuboid: Connects the calcaneus to the cuboid on the top.
- long plantar: Connects the calcaneus to the cuboid on the bottom. It is the longest of the foot ligaments.
- plantar calcaneocuboid: Connects the calcaneus to the cuboid on the bottom. It is shorter than the long plantar and connects at a different spot.
- bifurcated (calcaneocuboid): Splits into two and connects the calcaneus to the cuboid bone in the middle.


(from: wikipedia - plantar calacneonavicular ligament)


(from: wikipedia - navicular bone)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Dermis

Monday, April 9, 2018

Baja California Sur


We just learned about the Mexico state of Colima.

Another Mexico state is Baja California Sur.

This state is a peninsula, just south of the Mexico state of Baja California.
It has the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Gulf of California to the east.


(from: wikipedia - baja california sur)

The coat of arms of Baja California has four fish on the outside, and a seashell in the middle for the sea around the state.


(from: wikipedia - baja california sur)

The town of Cabo San Lucas is a very popular place to visit, and has a beautiful rock formation called the Arc at Land's End.


(from: wikipedia - cabo san lucas)

The most famous beach at Cabo San Lucas is Medano, where lots of tourists come to visit.


(from: wikipedia - cabo san lucas)

In the town of La Paz, there is a rock that looks like a tall mushroom now, because the water has washed away the bottom of it.
It is a popular place to take pictures, and some people climbed up on the rock for a picture and it broke and fell down.
Because it was such a famous rock, the town put it back up and fixed it with some cement.


(from: wikipedia - la paz, baja california sur)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sierra Madre Oriental

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Prochorus


We just learned about Philip the Evangelist, one of the Seventy Disciples.

Another of the seventy was Prochorus.

In Jerusalem the Apostles chose seven people to help watch over the poor people of Jerusalem.
Prochorus was one of the seven chosen, along with Saint Stephen that we already learned about.


(from: wikipedia - prochorus (deacon))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Josiah

Leshan Giant Buddha


We just learned about the Tang Dynasty Tomb Figures of Liu Tingxun.

Another work of ancient Chinese art is the Leshan Giant Buddha.

This is a statue of Buddha over 230 feet tall, built around 713 AD.
It was carved out of a cliff face made of red sandtones.
This is the largest stone statue of Buddha in the world, and when it was built it was the largest statue in the world.

The statue has pipes on the inside of the body, to help drain water when it rains so that the water doesn't damage the statue over the hundreds of years.


(from: wikipedia - leshan giant buddha)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Scaliger Tombs

Friday, April 6, 2018

Greek - Their car is tall


We just learned in Greek:
this chair is small is Η καρέκλα είναι μικρή (I karékla eínai mikrí),
my drink is cold is Το ποτό μου είναι κρύο (To potó mou eínai krýo), and your food is hot is Το φαγητό είναι ζεστό (To fagitó eínai zestó).

To say their car is tall you would say Το αυτοκίνητό τους είναι ψηλό (To aftokínitó tous eínai psiló).
You're really saying "the car their is tall" because Greek works a little differently than English.

We can break it up like this:

The - Το (To) - sounds like toh
car - αυτοκίνητό (aftokínitó) - sounds like ah-f-toh-KEE-nee-TOH
their - τους (tous)- sounds like too-ss
is - είναι (eínai) - Sounds like EE-nay
tall - ψηλό (psiló) - Sounds like ps-ee-LOH

So all together Το αυτοκίνητό τους είναι ψηλό (To aftokínitó tous eínai psiló) sounds like toh ah-f-toh-KEE-nee-TOH too-ss EE-nay ps-ee-LOH.


center for the greek language
(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: Their car is tall

Italian: La loro auto è alto

German: Ihr Auto ist groß

Spanish: Su coche es alto

French: Leur voiture est haut

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Solid Rocket Propellants


We just learned that Rocket Propellant is the fuel that pushes a rocket along, and they can be solid, liquid or gas.

Solid Rocket Propellants are made up of a few different types of chemicals all mixed together.
Some parts of the mixture are to make a big explosion that will push the rocket along.
Other parts are soft and sticky almost like dough that help hold all the explosive stuff together.
Different chemicals will make bigger explosions or burn longer or hotter, so the rocket scientists have to pick the right kind of propellant for the right job.

Solid propellants are easier to store than liquid or gas, because they don't leak out much.
Also some liquid or gas propellants can eat away at the rocket tanks or rubber seals holding it in.

Solid propellants are heavier than liquid or gas, and a rocket with the same amount of liquid or gas would get more power and weigh less.
Sometimes the solid propellants can even get cracks or bubbles in the mix.
If you think about it like a big ball of playdough, any of the parts that aren't smooth, or any folds in the middle that have air pockets would cause problems.

The NASA space shuttle used two rockets with solid propellant, called the "Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs)"
At the time they were the most powerful solid rocket motors ever flown, and the two of them together weighed 2.6 million pounds.


(from: wikipedia - space shuttle solid rocket booster)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Skivving Machine

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Orthoceras Nautilus


We just learned about the Firefly Squid that can light itself up.

Another cephalopod is the Orthoceras.

This is a type of nautilus that is extinct, which means they aren't around anymore.
We only know they existed because people have found fossils from a long time ago.

They are a type of nautilus, but very different because their body is shaped like a long cone.


(from: wikipedia - orthoceras)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Red Eyed Tree Frog