Indholdsfortegnelse for Special Edition 6 i MiniMag - Easy Science Special Edition

Do you find it difficult to remember the order of the planets from the sun? Here is an easy way to help you remember: MERCURY VENUS EARTH MARS JUPITER SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE My ......... Very ... Educated.. Mother.. Just ..... Served ... Us ........ Noodles! Our solar system consists of the Sun and everything that orbits that Sun, like the eight (once nine) planets. But the main planets, as diverse and fascinating as they are, are just the beginning. Earth’s neighbours in space include comets, asteroids, dwarf planets, mysterious moons and a host of strange phenomena that are so out-of-this-world they elude explanation.…

Did you know that taking care of our planet is super important? Nature conservation means saving and protecting all the wonderful plants, animals and habitats that make our Earth so special. Let us explore why nature conservation is crucial and how we can all play a part in keeping our planet healthy and happy. Nature conservation is like being superheroes for the environment! When we protect nature, we help keep plants and animals safe and ensure that they can live happily in their homes. It’s not just about being nice to nature – nature actually takes care of us too! Forests give us fresh air to breathe, rivers provide clean water to drink, and all the different plants and animals work together to make sure our planet stays balanced. Nature…

Did you know that young people like you have the power to make our world a greener and more sustainable place? It’s true! Every year we celebrate International Youth Day on 12 August to recognise the important role that young people play in creating a better future. The theme,, Green Skills for Youth:Towards a Sustainable World,, teaches us more about what this means and how we can contribute! The green transition Our planet is facing a big challenge called the climate crisis. This means that the Earth is getting hotter, causing extreme weather events like hurricanes and droughts. It’s important for all of us to take action to protect our planet and make it a healthier place to live. One way to do that is by transitioning to a greener world,…

If you look carefully at a mountain range, you can often see how layers of rock have been deformed into structures that look like “waves” – these waves are called folds by geologists. The folding is caused by forces operating in the Earth’s crust. A majority of earthquake and volcanic activity occurs above plate boundaries. You can see this folding at a scale of kilometres. What is fascinating, is that if you should pick up a rock from the same terrain, you may see the same fold patterns reflected on a smaller scale, possibly millimetres. And if you look at a very thin section of the rock under a microscope, you may also see fold patterns at a scale of tens of microns (there are a thousand microns in a…

How long can you hold your breath? A couple of seconds, a minute maybe? Definitely not much longer than that or you will start to feel faint and gasp for air. One thing is sure, we all need to breathe. Humans, just like all the other animals on this planet, need oxygen to live. We get our oxygen from Earth’s atmosphere. The word atmosphere talks about the layer of gasses that surrounds a planet. Could humans live and breathe anywhere else in the solar system? Join EasyScience as we take an interplanetary tour and discover how the atmospheres of some of our neighbouring planets compare to Earth’s. Earth’s atmosphere: A life-giving layer of protection Earth’s atmosphere contains lots of nitrogen gas (about 80%), oxygen (about 20%) and a sprinkling of…

Imagine somebody you love needed to go to the hospital for an important operation. Who would you prefer to operate? A doctor with a small medicine case or a doctor with a whole room full equipment and instruments and a team of assistants. The latter right? Diversity is power, especially if you don’t know what you might need. Variety is the very reason for the success and resilience of life on planet Earth. Why bother with biodiversity? High levels of biodiversity are really healthy for our planet, especially to deal with change. Scientists found that ecosystems with healthy biodiversity, meaning many species with enough individuals to offer a wealth of variety in their genes, are more able to cope with pressure like a volcanic eruption or a chemical spill. Biodiversity!…

Ecosystem services are the benefits we get from nature. They include things like clean air, fresh water and fertile soil. Biodiversity, which means the variety of plants and animals in an ecosystem, is important for providing these services. Different species play different roles and help maintain a healthy balance in nature. Regulating services are like nature’s superheroes that maintain balance in the environment. Trees, for instance, absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and release oxygen, helping to regulate our climate. Wetlands act like natural sponges, absorbing excess water during heavy rains and preventing floods. Insects like bees pollinate flowers, ensuring the growth of plants and the production of fruits and seeds. Animals like bats eat insects, controlling their population and preventing the spread of diseases. All these ecosystem services are…

Join us as we embark on a thrilling journey to learn about World Ozone Day and the essential role it plays in fixing the ozone layer and reducing climate change. Our planet Earth is like a magnificent spaceship that we all share, and it’s up to us to take care of it and protect it from harm. First things first, let’s understand what the ozone layer is and why it’s so crucial. Imagine the Earth wrapped in a giant, invisible blanket high up in the sky. This magical blanket is called the ozone layer. It’s made of a special gas called ozone and it sits in the stratosphere, which is a layer of the Earth’s atmosphere. The ozone layer is like our planet’s sunscreen, shielding us from harmful ultraviolet (UV)…

Rocks contain a record of the events that formed the Earth and thus of the history of the Earth. Rocks also contain records (in the form of fossils) of the creatures that lived on the Earth over the course of its history – from the most primitive one-celled organisms to the powerful dinosaurs. Rocks have amazing stories to tell to those who understand them. The science of Geology is the key to unlocking this treasure trove of information. Why is geology important? Geology is the study of the formation of the Earth and other planets and of all the rocks and minerals on them. Geologists also study the processes, such as erosion, that form the rocks and soil. We are not only interested in understanding the history of our planet,…

Have you noticed that people love to talk about the atmosphere? Is the atmosphere cloudy, rainy, or do you see clear skies? Weather tells us what the atmosphere looks like at a specific place and a point in time. Here is a great experiment to do at home to see how clouds form in the atmosphere. YOU WILL NEED: • A clear plastic bottle with a cap• Warm water• A match (Ask an adult to help you) What to do: • Add a little warm water to your clear plastic bottle. Just enough to cover the bottom of the bottle. • Ask an adult to light a match for you. Blow out the match and hold the smouldering matchstick inside the bottle so that some of the smoke goes into…

“Biodiversity can’t be maintained by protecting a few species in a zoo, or by preserving greenbelts or national parks. To function properly, nature needs more room than that. It can maintain itself, however, without human expense, without zookeepers, park rangers, foresters or gene banks. All it needs is to be left alone.” – Donella Meadows Biodiversity is threatened by human activities, such as habitat destruction, over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution and climate change. Test your biodiversity knowledge! Use the clues on the right to complete this crossword. Fish provide 20 per cent of animal protein to about 3 billion people. Over 80% of the human diet is provided by plants. As many as 80% of people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on traditional plant-based medicines for basic…

Animal classification is the process of organising and categorising animals based on their shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships. This system of classification is important because it helps scientists and researchers better understand the diversity of life on Earth and how different species are related to one another. By grouping animals into categories based on their physical and genetic traits, we can gain insights into their behaviour, diet, habitat and other important aspects of their biology. Animal classification helps us identify new species and track changes in populations over time, making it a critical tool for conservation efforts and understanding the impact of human activities on the natural world.…

Scientists are inquisitive and imaginative people who go around asking questions that often begin with the words “why” and “how” and “what if” and “why not”. What makes geoscience especially interesting is that we work with things and events that we often cannot observe in real time and space Ð either because they happened in the very distant past (millions of years ago), or because they are buried deep inside the Earth. And yet, these unseen aspects impact in so many ways on our daily lives Ð the food we eat, the water we drink, the minerals we use in industry, the economy of our country, the materials we use to build with, the safety of everything we build and the protection of the natural environment. These are important factors…

Let’s embark on a fascinating journey to uncover the secrets behind the magic that happens when we cook. Today, we’ll delve into the captivating role of yeast in baking bread and how it works its wonders in the fermentation of cheese and yogurt. Discover the science behind these kitchen marvels as we explore how tiny micro-organisms and their chemical reactions make our favourite foods delicious! Baking, brewing and fermentation Thousands of years ago man discovered how to make bread, cheese, yoghurt and not to mention wine and beer. These foods and drinks have become part of our daily lives. Bread has been around for thousands of years, but before the discovery of the use of yeast, bread was unleavened. This means that is was flat like roti or pita bread.…