Table of contents for April/May 2024 in Brainspace

chemistry What is the pH Scale? If you're wondering how to measure how acidic or basic a liquid is, you'll need to know about the potential of hydrogen (pH). The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 and measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. A neutral liquid, such as pure water, that has an equal number of hydrogen and hydroxide ions, has a pH of 7 right in the middle of 0 and 14. An acid has a pH of less than 7 and a base has a pH of more than 7. A liquid, such as orange juice, is acidic with a lower pH of about 4. To test a substance's pH, scientists use litmus paper. Acids turn blue litmus paper red and bases turn red…

biology Robert Harding Whittaker was a prominent ecologist, famous for his system of categorization of all living organisms into 5 kingdoms. This system provided a framework for understanding the diversity of life on Earth. The kingdom chart help us investigate the structure and function of living organisms, including common traits such as how they breathe, reproduce, eat, move and grow. This chart continues to grow too. Just a few decades ago, only 5 kingdoms of life were recognized. Archeabacteria is the latest kingdom to join scientific classifications. These are ancient organisms that survive extreme conditions and many have only recently been discovered. How have these life-forms managed to stay off of science's radar until now? With advancements in science, better technological tools and continued research, a rapidly growing number of findings…

biology Your environment, your memories and the rules you understand to be true about the world are what empower your imagination. And your imagination is important. Creative thinking, problem solving and planning ahead all depend on your imagination. When you solve problems, create something new, write or do anything that requires some abstract thinking, your brain draws on the knowledge you've stored through past experiences. Keeping your imagination active means living it up! Exploring, reading, and experiencing new things help build your brain's “bank” of knowledge. This means that your imagination is based on what you have seen, heard, touched, tasted, felt and learned in your lifetime. How does it work? Honestly? Scientists aren't completely sure. What we do know is that imagination requires many areas of the brain to…

technology RESPECTING YOUR PRIVACY Imagine if someone read your diary without asking and then shared your secrets. Not cool, right? Ethical AI respects people's privacy. It protects you by keeping your personal information safe and won't share it without your OK. PLAYING FAIR Picture a bike race where one person has a super-fast, motorized bike while everyone else has regular bikes. It isn't fair when equality doesn't exist. Ethical AI is about inclusivity and giving everyone a fair chance. It's like a referee, making sure everyone plays by the rules. BEING UNBIASED What is bias? Think of an AI that only learns information about cats and nothing about dogs. The AI would think there were no such thing as dogs. What if the AI were taught that all dogs are…

chemistry According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, osmosis is the movement of a solvent (such as water) through a semi-permeable membrane (as of a living cell) into a solution of higher solute concentration that tends to equalize the concentrations of solute on the two sides of the membrane. What does that mean? Use the Zappar app and scan this code to watch this video If lots of particles are crammed into one area, they will move through a semipermeable barrier to another area to spread themselves out evenly. This is an important function for our cells and bodies. A great example is how the kidneys absorb excess particles, such as salt, from the body, allowing us to pee them out. Without osmosis, our cells could not absorb nutrients!…

space THE YEAR WAS 1988, and Russian astronauts aboard the Mir space station made a frightening discovery. One of the windows of the space station was being covered over – from the outside! And whatever it was, it was damaging the titanium-quartz surface of the window! Described as an “aggressive space fungus” by a Soviet microbiologist, the invader even managed to get inside the station, eating away at control panels, air conditioners and cable insulators. It even contaminated the crew's food and water supply! NASA asserted the fungus was a stowaway that had originated on Earth, and a deep, daily clean rid the space station of the threat. The disturbing discovery may have been the first time fungus was observed in space, but it would not be the last. In…

ecology WHAT IS REWILDING? “Rewilding” is a strategy to promote biodiversity and balance in ecosystems, by reintroducing plant and animal species that have been killed or driven out by human activity. Some species, known as “keystone” species, are very important to their ecosystems. Their absence can cause a chain of disruption to a particular habitat and, by contrast, their re-introduction can cause a cascade of positive effects, allowing the area to return to health quite quickly. Rewilding is not easy. There are many factors to consider: Is the habitat still suitable, and large enough to support the addition of this species? Are there pollutants or poisons present? Are there possible negative effects to reintroducing a species? It's important to monitor what impact your rewilding efforts are having. There are several…

botany How do seeds travel? Fertilized seeds are fully developed in the ovary and they need to be scattered and planted in order to grow. Luckily seeds can be spread and planted in several different ways. The methods used by plants to disperse seeds is called dissemination. Here are some examples: • Aquatic plants often use water to disperse their seeds. When the seeds fall into water, they are carried away to a place where they germinate. • Plants such as dandelions and maples rely on wind to blow away their seeds and drop them into the ground where they can grow. • Other plants explode their seeds almost like a sneeze when triggers such as heat occur. • Ants and tunnelling insects are also great seed spreaders! Animals disperse…

MATERIALS 2 eggs (raw in shell) 2 clear glasses White vinegar Yellow highlighter UV flashlight METHOD 1. Place one egg into each clear glass. 2. Fill each glass with white vinegar. The egg should be completely covered. 3. To create an egg that glows in the second glass, ask an adult to cut the casing off the highlighter to expose the ink tube. Remove the ink tube and submerge it into the second glass. NOTE: This step can be skipped. It is for glow-in-the-dark added fun. 4. Let the eggs sit in the glasses for 48 to 72 hours. 5. Keep checking on your eggs over the next few days to observe! 6. After 48 to 72 hours, remove the eggs from the glasses. Rinse each egg to remove any shell pieces, then dry. 7. Shine a flashlight through the…

zoology Remy, the loveable rat in Disney's™ Ratatouille, created food and pastries as beautifully as any human chef could imagine. But Remy is a cartoon rat and real rats can't use imagination. Right? It has long been thought that the one trait separating humans from animals is the ability to imagine. With imagination we create images in our minds to envision things that aren't there; we can predict the consequences of an action that hasn't happened. Similar to humans, rats can communicate, learn and solve problems. But can they imagine too? A group of virtual reality (VR)-playing rats in Virginia, USA is showing they just might! A good imagination is particularly helpful in the computer-generated world of VR. Within VR a person can interact with a simulated 3D environment using…

biology A KEYSTONE SPECIES Bison are the largest land mammal in North America, reaching nearly a ton in weight. They make an important contribution to a healthy grassland ecosystem. Consider their poop alone – a single bison produces 10 to 12 quarts of dung a day. That's a lot of fertilizer, but it also attracts a variety of insects that help break down the nutrients and in turn feed birds and bats. Bisons’ grazing, wallowing, and trampling behaviours also help keep grasslands healthy. Bison once roamed the Western grasslands of North America in huge herds. But all through the 1800s, bison were hunted relentlessly until the original population of about 30 million had dwindled to only 1,000. Luckily, steps were taken to protect the remaining bison. Today, some wild herds…

ecology Coral reefs are amazingly beautiful – and extremely valuable. They provide habitat for many ocean creatures, protect coastlines by absorbing storm surges, and provide a living for millions of people through fishing and tourism. But reefs are in trouble. Global warming, pollution and other factors are killing off coral at an alarming rate. The way to save our reefs is by reversing climate warming, but that's going to take time. To ensure reefs survive the wait, scientists are finding ways to help damaged reefs recover. There are projects underway all over the world, from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to the Caribbean. WHAT IS CORAL, ANYWAY? Coral is actually a type of marine animal related to jellyfish. Each coral is made of a polyp. It's basically a tiny…

archeology Use the Zappar app and scan this code to watch this video Luckily, outside of the Jurassic Park movies, we don't have to worry about escaping dinosaurs. But Paleontologists have long debated the top speed of prehistoric theropods. To determine the speed of any dinosaur species, scientists require a series of footprints – or tracksets – which are extremely rare. These can reveal walking speeds based on the distance between each of the prints. For years, scientists believed that the Tyrannosaur's top speed was 53 kilometres per hour (km/h) or 33 miles per hour (mph). In 2016, a trackset of 3 fossilized footprints made by a Tyrannosaur was discovered in what is now considered to be Wyoming. Paleontologist William Sellers, from the University of Manchester, conducted a study that…

MODERN-DAY AVIAN RAPTORS (BIRDS OF PREY) Peregrine Falcon: Among modern avian raptors, the peregrine falcon is one of the fastest birds of prey on the planet. Its diving speed is 390 km/h (242 mph). However, a falcon is more closely related to a parrot than it is to an eagle. Golden Eagle: They are powerful and known for their agility and speed. Similar to other raptors, the golden eagle hunts its prey using keen vision, incredible flight speed and sharp talons. A golden eagle can reach speeds of 320 km/h (199 mph). While both avian and non-avian raptors are impressive in their own ways, avian raptors, particularly the peregrine falcon, are faster than non-avian raptors. PREHISTORIC NON-AVIAN RAPTORS (DROMAEOSAURIDS) Velociraptor: Estimates of the running speed of Velociraptor vary, but it…