Tabla de contenidos para February 2024 en What on Earth! Magazine

START HERE There’s a company creating ROBOTIC BOOTS that, while you’re wearing virtual reality gear, will make you feel like you’re walking around – even though you’re not moving anywhere One of the first virtual-reality experiences was created in the late 1950s. Called the Sensorama, it simulated a motorcycle ride through a city – even allowing viewers to smell the motor’s exhaust Some doctors use virtual reality to train for surgery Virtual-reality technology tricks your brain into thinking you’re looking at the real world, not a screen. It does this by projecting a slightly different image into each of your eyes, which mimics the way your real vision works The colugo is called a ‘flying lemur’, even though it can’t actually fly and it isn’t a lemur. Instead of jumping,…

Talking with smells Some animals use special types of chemicals called pheromones to communicate. Pheromones are given off by organs in an animal’s body, or in their pee or poo. They can be used to attract mates, mark territory or find prey. Pheromones give out information about an animal. They can tell others whether it is male or female or what type of animal it is. Animals such as dogs will spray their pheromones onto surfaces, such as lamp posts, so that other dogs will know that they have been there. Lamp posts can become like doggy chat rooms with lots of different pheromones from lots of different dogs. Animals can detect pheromones using a special organ inside their nose or mouth. Pheromones can also be sniffed directly from the…

During a volcanic eruption, magma escapes from an opening in Earth’s crust. Magma released by a volcano is called lava. In some eruptions, lava flows slowly out of a crack in the ground. In others, lava, rock, ash and other materials are thrown high into the air. The type of eruption depends on several things, including the stickiness of the magma, the size and upwards thrust of the bubbles of hot gases it contains, and the rock formation through which the magma escapes. We use the volcanic explosivity index (VEI) to compare volcanic explosions. The index ranges from 0 to 8, with each number representing an eruption ten times more powerful than the last. Hawaiian Eruption (VEI of 0 and 1) Though small and gentle compared to stronger eruptions, these…

ANIMAL WORD SEARCH Can you spot the names of 22 animals hidden in our jumbo word search puzzle? Good luck! CUBE IT! The six-sided shape on the left can be folded up to form a cube. Only two of the cubes below can be made by it. Which are they? SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Can you spot all 2O differences between these two toy shop illustrations? WORD WHEEL Use the word wheel to help find the answers to the six clues below. All the answers contain the middle letter, and each letter can only be used once. Clue: a group of musicians who play together using a range of instruments (9 letters). Answer: Clue: a person who shoots a bow and arrows (6 letters). Answer: Clue: an orange vegetable (6 letters).…

PHOTOS GEE WHISKERS! This male walrus got up close and personal with photographer Paul Souders near Lågøya, Svalbard, Norway. Its bristly whiskers are more than a fashion accessory – the whiskers help the walrus to sense and catch its next meal! AAAH! BOLTS FROM THE BLUE This photograph taken near Lake Puma Yumco, Tibet, China, captured a dazzling display of lightning sprites, which are brief yet beautiful electrical discharges in Earth’s upper atmosphere. ROCKIN' ROO Who knew kangaroos could rock out? This cuddly kangaroo was caught making a pose that looks as if it’s strumming on an air guitar by photographer Jason Moore. Jason’s hilarious photo won first prize in the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. To see more funny animal photos like this one, go to: comedywildlifephoto.com SPHERE OF…

ANIMALS 1. Only one of the following four bird species is able to fly. Which is it? a. Penguin b. Swan c. Kiwi d. Ostrich 2 How many humps does a Bactrian camel have? a. None b. One c. Two  d. Three 3 Lemurs are primates found only on the island of Madagascar. Which of these words is a collective name for a group of lemurs? a. Leap  b. Gang c. Posse d. Conspiracy 4 How many times a second can a woodpecker peck on a tree trunk? a. 2 b. 5 c. 10 d. 20 5 Which animal has the largest number of legs? a. Millipede b. Woodlouse c. Caterpillar d. Centipede 6 What do male penguins often give to female penguins during courtship? a. A starfish b. A pebble c. A rose d. A hug SPACE & NATURE 7 How many planets in our…

After two thrilling days of fierce, fact-filled competition, the winners of the second annual What on Earth! Quiz Challenge have been crowned. Held at the 350-year-old Stationers’ Hall in London, this year’s live finals saw teams and individuals from all parts of the country do battle by quiz buzzer as they answered quick-fire questions on topics ranging from space, animals and science, to art, history and sport. On the right, you can find out who won the trophies in the different age categories. But all the finalists should be hugely proud of their performances. As 9-year-old Holly from Thorn Grove Primary said: ‘Today is a day I’ll never forget. Win or lose, I’ll remember it. It was really fun!’ To fnd out how you and your school can enter our…

How to see a sea monster The skull of an enormous prehistoric sea monster is now on display at the Etches Collection in Dorset, UK. The skull belonged to a pliosaur, a marine reptile that lived 150 million years ago. The skull is 2 metres long, more than most humans are tall! Discovered in the cliffs of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, it is one of the most complete fossils of its kind. Scientists hope to learn a lot more about pliosaurs by studying it. They already know the pliosaur had a powerful bite, with 130 razor-sharp teeth! Chimps can recognise faces they haven't seen for decades! Scientists have discovered that chimpanzees and bonobos are able to recognise fellow animals they had known years before – sometimes even after entire decades have…

WHY DO VOLCANOES ERUPT? A volcano is formed by molten rock called magma that rises towards Earth’s surface. During an eruption, the magma escapes from an opening in Earth’s crust. Bubbles of gas often form inside the magma as it rises. In some volcanoes, the gas bubbles can’t escape, so the pressure builds up. When the volcano erupts, it sends hot gases, ash, lava and rock spewing into the air. Eruptions may be very destructive, but they can create new landforms. 3 TYPES OF VOLCANO ACTIVE VOLCANOES have erupted recently and may erupt again. DORMANT VOLCANOES have not erupted for a very long time but may still erupt in the future. EXTINCT VOLCANOES erupted thousands of years ago and will probably never erupt again. WHAT'S INSIDE A VOLCANO? Volcanoes are…

HOW TO READ IT Volcanoes that have been active during the last 10,000 years The margins of the major tectonic plates Volcanic eruptions in 2021 are highlighted with a red circle. The bigger the red circle, the bigger the eruption. Major volcanic eruption Where do volcanoes happen on Earth? Earth’s crust is divided into giant slabs of rock called tectonic plates. These are slowly moving around on the liquid rock beneath. Most volcanoes and earthquakes occur at the plate edges (margins), where different tectonic plates meet and grind against each other. About 75 per cent of all volcanoes erupt at the margins of the Pacific Plate, around what is known as the Ring of Fire. 1. KRAKATOA (INDONESIA) When this huge volcano erupted in 1883, it made the loudest sound…

Scientists and bird lovers alike have long been impressed by the beautiful and interesting characteristics of our feathered friends. Some birds have brightly coloured feathers, others have beautiful songs or impressive dance moves and some use their beaks in very clever ways. Birds have taught us a lot about evolution – from the ways in which they find food to how they choose their mates. They are also an evolutionary link to dinosaurs! CHOOSING A MATE Many animals choose their mates based on certain characteristics that they find attractive – this is called sexual selection. Sexual selection is an important driver for evolution. Animals with certain ‘attractive’ features or habits are more likely to be selected by a mate. They will then have young who will inherit their characteristics. Here…

Why did the orchestra have bad manners? It didn’t know how to conduct itself! Question: What flies without wings and cries without eyes? Answer: A cloud! What do you call a moose with no name? HA! HA! An anony- moose! Why was the man fired from his job at the calendar factory? He took a day off! How does a skeleton call her friends? On the tele-bone! What do you call an alligator with a map? A navigator! What should you do if you’re scared of elevators? Take steps to avoid them! Question: What is right in front of you but can never be seen? Answer: Your future! Question: How do you make the equation 8I x 9 = 80I mathematically correct? Answer: Read it upside down! What is a…