Friday, May 31, 2019

Norwegian - March, April


Let's keep learning about the months of the year in Norwegian!

We already learned that January, February is Januar, Februar

Let's keep going!

March - Mars - sounds like mah-r-ss
April - April - sounds like ah-p-d-eel

norwegian language
(from: wikipedia - norwegian language)

Greek: Μάρτιος (Mártios), Απρίλιος (Aprílios)

ASL: March, April

Italian: Marzo, Aprile

German: März, April

Spanish: Marzo, Abril

French: Mars, Avril


Thursday, May 30, 2019

Forensic Entomology


We just learned about how Forensic Dentistry can help use teeth to solve crimes.

Another type of science used by detectives is Forensic Entomology.

Entomology is the study of bugs!

Bugs can be pretty scary and gross, but sometimes they can actually help solve crimes that no one else can figure out.
When someone dies, and a detective has to figure out how it happened, they can look at all different types of bugs.

When a scientist is in a laboratory looking at the body of someone who died, they can sometimes find clues of different types of insects that touched the body.
This can help them figure out how long it's been since the person died, and even sometimes it can tell them where the person was at when they died.
This can be very useful in solving crimes!

Studying bugs can also help scientists figure out if there is a problem with bugs in an area.
Like if someone complains that there are fleas in their house, scientists can come by and help figure out where they are coming from, how they got in there, and how to get rid of them.

Forensic entomology also helps figure how helpful insects like bees are being killed, like if there is a type of chemical somewhere that is causing problems for them.

Bugs are not always pretty, but studying the science of bugs can help solve mysteries!


(from: wikipedia - forensic entomology)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Specific Impulse

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

White Spotted Jellyfish


We just learned about the Lobed Comb Jellyfish that lights up like a rainbow.

Another type of jellyfish is the White Spotted Jellyfish, also called the floating bell, Australian spotted jellyfish, or phyllorhiza punctata.

This type of jelly started out living in warm water in the Pacific ocean by Australia and Japan, but has now been found all the way over by California, and even in the Gulf of Mexico.
It grows to about 20 inches wide, and does have a sting but it doesn't really hurt humans.

They swim in large groups with other white spotted jellies, and because of this they can be harmful to other life in the ocean.
In their groups they swim along and eat all of the tiny little things like zooplankton, or eggs of crabs, shrimp or fish.
They also clog up the boat motors and cause problems with ships on the sea.



(from: wikipedia - phyllorhiza punctata)


(from: youtube - Underwater Beauty: Spotted Jellies - Shedd Aquarium)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Giant Cuttlefish

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Lips


We just learned about the part on the roof of the mouth called the Palatine Raphe.

Another part of the mouth is the Lips.
The big long names for the upper and lower lips are the Labium superius oris and "Labium inferius oris.
Labium means lip, superius and inferius are for upper and lower, and then oris is for the face, near the mouth.

The lips have no sweat glands, and can not grow hair.
Skin on the lips is softer than the face skin.

Most of the skin on the face has 16 layers, but the skin on the lips only has about 4 layers.
It also doesn't have the same coloring cells as the face does, so you can see right through the top skin and see the blood vessels underneath it.
That's why the lips are pink or red, because of the blood vessels underneath.

There are a whole bunch of muscles for the lips that we learned about a while ago:
Upper lip: levator labii superioris and levator anguli oris
Lower lip: depressor anguli oris, depressor labii inferioris, mentalis

Lips are used to open and close for food, to help make sounds when we talk, and also to kiss!
Because lips are on the human face, people try very hard to make their lips look nice, sometimes using makeup or lip gloss, and sometimes even having surgery to make their lips look bigger.

The lips are very important to keep healthy, which is why there are things like lip balm to protect them.
Healthy lips help protect the mouth from the outside, and keep a healthy mouth!


(from: wikipedia - lip)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Central Incisors

Monday, May 27, 2019

Curtain Wall


We just learned about the hole in a castle wall called the Machicolation.

Another part of a castle is a Curtain Wall.

This is another wall that goes around the main castle, to help protect the castle inside the wall.

Its name makes sense because it's like a big curtain going around the outside of the castle.


(from: wikipedia - curtain wall (fortification))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Castel del Monte

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Church of the Pater Noster


We just learned about the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

Another part of early Christian history is the Church of the Pater Noster in Jerusalem.

In the Bible there was a place called the Mount of Olives, where Jesus appeared to the disciples and then ascended into heaven.

When the emperor Constantine sent his mother Helena out to find some of the important places in Christianity, she came to this place and made a church where the Mount of Olives was.

It's called Church of the Pater Noster because "pater" means father and "noster" means our.
In a cave below the Mount of Olives is where people believe Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer, which starts with the words "Our Father".



(from: wikipedia - church of the pater noster)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Luke the Evangelist

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Pisa Griffin


We just learned about the Trà Kiệu Pedestal from the ancient Champa kingdom.

Another famous sculpture is the Pisa Griffin, made around 1000 AD somewhere in Spain.

It is about 3 feet tall, and is the largest Islamic metal sculpture ever found.
It has carvings on it, and some holes.
Some people think the holes were used to make it into a fountain, and others think maybe the holes were to make sounds like a horn.

The sculpture is in Pisa, Italy now, and people think it was taken as a treasure from war long ago when some people from Italy battled some Islamic people in Spain.


(from: wikipedia - pisa griffin)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Six Ritual Jades - Hu