Nasolacrimal Duct

We just learned about the Lacrimal Sac.

Another part of how the eyes work is the Nasolacrimal Duct.

Remember tears in the eye go into the lacrimal punctum, through the lacrimal duct and then to the lacrimal sac.
After that they drain out into the nasal cavity through the nasolacrimal duct.

If you cry too much and there are too many tears, the nasal cavity will overflow, giving you a runny nose.
This is why sometimes if you cry a lot it makes your nose run.


(from: wikipedia - nasolacrimal duct)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Fimbriated Fold

McMurdo Station

We just learned about the Amundsen-Scott - South Pole Station.

Another research base in Antarctica is McMurdo Station.

This is the biggest station in Antarctica, and can have over 1,200 people staying there!

The land is claimed by New Zealand, but the United States runs the base.
This base has an airport where people can land cargo planes, and a port where big ships can dock.
If someone wants to go to the south pole, they first start at the McMurdo station.
People bring supplies to McMurdo base that are then brought to the south pole.

One of the ways people get around at the McMurdo base is a big bus called Ivan the Terra Bus.
It is 46 feet long, 12 feet wide and 14 feet tall, with tires that are over 6 feet tall!
Ivan can carry 56 people, and weighs 67,000 pounds.
With all that weight on the snow it can get up to 26 miles per hour.




(from: wikipedia - mcmurdo station)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Zwinger

Peace and Truce of God

We just learned about the Leif Erikson - Christianity in Greenland.

Another part of early Christianity is the Peace and Truce of God.

Long ago around the time of year 1000 AD, there was a lot of war and people killing each other trying to take over each other's lands.

The church wanted to try and stop this, or at least to help protect people that couldn't fight.
So they started something called the "Peace of God", also called Pax Dei.

This was a rule that the church came up with that said no one could attack poor people, women or children. They were not allowed to steal things from poor people or farmers.
Churches were also protected so that it was against the rules to attack them or rob them.

Later on the church also started something called the Truce of God, or Treuga Dei.
This made it against the rules for anyone to fight on Sundays.
It also made everyone promise never to attack any churches or the lands that churches owned, or the people that worked for the churches.

With the Peace and Truce of God, it helped stop all the people in power from just going around killing and robbing people all the time.


(from: wikipedia - peace and truce of god)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: The Great Persecution

Bucky O'Neill Monument - Solon Borglum

We just learned about the sculpture of Theodore Roosevelt, Rough Riders by Alexander Proctor.

Another famous American sculpture is Bucky O'Neill Monument by Solon Borglum in 1907.

Borglum was born in 1868, and grew up in Western states like Utah and Nevada.
He moved all over the country to study and make art, living in Nebraska, Missouri, California, Ohio, Connecticut, South Dakota, New York and even France.
Bucky O'Neill was one of the Rough Riders that fought in the Spanish American war with president Teddy Roosevelt.
He died in battle and was considered a hero by many people, so they made this statue of him in Prescott Arizona.


(from: wikipedia - bucky o'neill monument)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ajanta Caves

Russian - Their car is tall

We just learned that in Russian:
This house is big: Этот дом большой (Etot dom bol'shoy)
This chair is small: Стул маленький (Stul malen'kiy)
My drink is cold: Мой напиток холодный (Moy napitok kholodnyy)
Your food is hot: Ваша еда горячая (Vasha yeda goryachaya)


To say their car is tall you would say Их машина высокая (Ikh mashina vysokaya).

Their - Их (Ikh) - sounds like ih-kh 文A

car - машина (mashina) - sounds like mah-shee-nah 文A

tall - высокая (vysokaya) - Sounds like v-soh-kah-yah 文A


So all together Их машина высокая (Ikh mashina vysokaya) sounds like ih-kh mah-shee-nah v-soh-kah-yah.



(from: wikipedia - russian academy of sciences)

Norwegian: Deres bil er høy

Greek: Το αυτοκίνητό τους είναι ψηλό (To aftokínitó tous eínai psiló)

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

Pneumatic Cylinder

We just learned about the Pneumatics.

One use for pneumatics is a Pneumatic Cylinder.

This is a type of tube that is filled with pressured air.
More air can be pushed into it to make something move like a pole because the air is pushing it out.

We've learned before about using water or liquids in machines called hydraulics.
Some people choose to use pneumatics instead of hydraulics because if there is a leak then it is just air and no water will drip on anyone.

One good example of this is the Tiki Room at Disney Land.
The people chose pneumatics to do the movement of the birds and plants, and if there is a leak it won't make a mess for when the people are watching the show.


(from: wikipedia - pneumatic cylinder)


(from: wikipedia - walt disney's enchanted tiki room)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Fingerprints

Bobcat

We just learned about the Jaguarundi.

Another type of wild cat is the Bobcat.

This cat is usually a little over 4 feet long, and about 2 feet tall.
They weigh about 40 pounds, and they have a short little tail.
Because their tail is short, or "bobbed" they got the name of Bobcat.

A Bobcat's fur is usually grey or brown, with black lines on it's body.
The tips of their ears have short black tufts and are black tipped and pointed.

For a cat, their faces look extra wide because the sides of their faces have fur sticking out.

Bobcats live in North America, in Mexico, the United States and Canada.
They can live anywhere from the swamps, to deserts, forests or mountains.






(from: wikipedia - bobcat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cannonball Jellyfish