Innehållsförteckning för June/July 2023 från Brainspace

math 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34… 0+1=1, 1+1=2, 2+1=3, 3+2=5, 5+3=8, 5+8=13, 13+8=21, 21+13=34… Leonardo Fibonacci made cool discoveries about the number patterns in life. The code to many elements in nature, such as flowers, which have 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 or more petals. You can observe the Fibonacci pattern yourself by counting the rows of bumps on a pineapple or noting the number of spirals on seashells. The growth of tree branches also follows the sequence, with sets of tinier branches extending from a single trunk. Once you try it, you'll notice countless other natural patterns that are true to the Fibonacci sequence. LAUNCH ZAPPAR ON YOUR DEVICE TO WATCH The Fibonacci sequence is the pattern of sums that begins with 0. Each…

math Items Needed: • A ruler and a tape measure • A ball that is about 23 cm across, such as a volleyball, to be the Sun • Two objects that are 0.8 mm across, such as a grain of salt, to be Mercury and Mars • Two objects that are 2 mm across, such as a peppercorn, to be Venus and Earth • An object that is 2.4 cm across, such as a 25¢ coin, to be Jupiter • An object that is 2 cm across, such as a 10¢ coin to be Saturn • Two objects that are 0.8 cm across, such as the top of a pushpin, to be Uranus and Neptune Step 1 Using a ruler, search your home for objects to represent the Sun and…

MATERIALS - large empty plastic soda bottle - a cork - a pump with a needle adaptor (a good bicycle pump is best) - 2 sheets of card-stock paper - scissors - paint and paint brushes - hot glue LAUNCH ZAPPAR ON YOUR DEVICE TO WATCH METHOD 1. Push the needle adaptor of the pump completely through the cork. If necessary, you may trim the cork – have a parent help you with this step. 2. In a prepared area, paint the bottle with any colour of paint. Let dry completely. 3. The hole of the bottle should be the bottom of your rocket. Use the first sheet of cardstock to create a coneshaped topper for your bottle rocket, using the hot glue to hold the cone together. Trim if necessary. Glue the cone to the…

math LET'S BEGIN WITH 12 × 23: STEP A: Draw diagonally, 1 line for the number "1" in 12, leave a large space and draw 2 lines for the number "2" in 12 STEP B: Over the existing lines, from the bottom up, we draw horizontally, 2 lines for the number "2" in 23, leave a space then draw 3 lines for the number "3" in 23 STEP C: Group quantities starting from the right STEP D: Add red dots where the lines intersect and count: WATCH THE VIDEO FOR MORE EXAMPLES AND LEARN HOW TO APPLY THIS FUN TECHNIQUE TO EVEN BIGGER MULTIPLICATIONS WITH "CARRY OVERS." YOU'LL LOVE IT! 276 IS THE ANSWER! 12 × 23 = 276…

geology The Galápagos Islands are a volcanic archipelago (series of islands). “They’re formed by the action of a mantle plume, a column of hot solid rock that’s rising from deep in the Earth,” explains Professor Karen Harpp, a volcanologist and a geochemist who specializes in the volcanoes of the Galápagos, and a professor at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. “When it gets near the surface, it starts to melt and that makes magma and magma is less dense than rock, so it rises to the surface and it makes a volcano.” The mantle plume is stationary, but the tectonic plate – the Nazca Plate – above it is slowly moving to the east, and this movement drags the volcano away from its source of magma, which causes it to…

chemistry HIGH PURITY POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON Early hunters used it to make spear heads. You are using it make the augmented reality of this magazine come to life. Throughout history, silicon has been an essential element in the progression of human advancements, starting from the crudest hunting tools of the stone age to today’s sophisticated electronic devices. STONE AGE HUMANS PRODUCED SOME OF HUMANKIND’S EARLIEST TOOLS WITH SHARP FLINTS MADE FROM SILICA. THESE INCLUDED ARROWS AND SPEARS FOR HUNTING, AS WELL AS SCRAPERS AND PICKS FOR WOODWORKING. SILICON (SI) MAY BE NUMBER 14 ON THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS, BUT IT IS NUMBER TWO WHEN IT COMES TO ABUNDANCE ON OUR PLANET. THE LATIN WORD ‘SILEX’, FROM WHICH SILICON GETS ITS NAME, MEANS FLINT OR HARD STONE. ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF…

language Equality and equity are two words that you have probably heard, and maybe even used before. But what do they really mean? These two words are related and often used interchangeably, but there is an important difference between the two. First, let’s look at the similarities. Both equality and equity originate from the Latin word aequus, which translates to “equal.” And since equality and equity are each a descendant of the same ancestor, they each relate to two or more things being even, level, balanced or the same. Now, let’s look at how these terms differ from each other. We already know that each of them is concerned with sameness. But the difference is where we want to see the sameness. When we are talking about equality, we are…

LAUNCH ZAPPAR ON YOUR DEVICE TO WATCH It may come as no surprise that the sun is responsible for storms on the planets within its system. The intensity of the weather events depends on what scientists call the solar cycle, which lasts approximately 11 years, though it can be as short as 4 years or as long as 14. This long and fairly regular pattern of change is identified by tracking spots on the sun's surface that are (uncreatively) named sunspots. During a cycle, sunspots range in size and frequency: from low (minimal sunspots) to high (maximum sunspots) and then back down again, indicating the end of the cycle. When the sunspots are at a high rate, the storms rage. Here are some of the storms that happen on other…

METHOD 1. Fold the aluminum foil around the plastic fork in the shape of a spatula. Make sure it is very flat. 2. If using a rubber balloon, blow up the balloon. Rub the rubber balloon or styrofoam plate on your hair or wool. 3. Put on rubber gloves and place the plate or balloon on your cutting board. Use your gloved hand to pick up the aluminum foil spatula. 4. Place the aluminum foil part of your spatula on the plate or balloon. Touch the foil slowly and lightly with your bare finger. You should see and feel a spark when you touch the foil. (Observe) 5. Lift the spatula from the plate or balloon and touch it again. You should feel and see another spark. (Observe) 6. Experiment…

geography LAUNCH ZAPPAR AND SCAN TO PLAY A FUN AND EDUCATIONAL GALÁPAGOS VIDEO GAME FROM COLGATE UNIVERSITY! About a thousand kilometres off the coast of Ecuador lie the Galápagos Islands, an archipelago (a series of islands) created by volcanic eruptions. These islands are incredibly unique and important for our planet. In fact, they have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You may have heard about some of the wonderful creatures that live on these islands, such as the Galápagos giant tortoises or the Galápagos penguins (the only penguins who live on or above the equator). But there’s way more to the islands’ story. Read on to learn more about what makes them so special. Born from volcanoes According to UNESCO, there are 127 islands, islets and rocks that make…

biology Trillions of microscopic organisms called phytoplankton live in fresh or salty water, and while you may not be able to see many of these tiny plants by looking at the water, they have a massive impact on all life on this planet. Most phytoplankton are single-celled organisms. According to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, they include two different types: bacteria and what’s known as a protist. Some types of phytoplankton you may have heard of are green algae, dinoflagellates (some of which are bioluminescent) or cyanobacteria. The first way phytoplankton impact the world is by being the base of the aquatic food chain. They are eaten by zooplankton, small fish and invertebrates, explains NASA’s Earth Observatory. Then, some of those smaller creatures get eaten by larger ones, like penguins…

science IMAGINE THIS: It's a hot summer day at the beach. You hear waves whoosh, kids laugh and seagulls squawk. As your feet shuffle through the hot sand, the grains make a muffled shush. On some beaches, though, that shush isn't so quiet. Instead, with each step you take, the sand squeaks. It barks. It whistles. Sand can even roar or boom. The sand-usually so quiet is making a ruckus. WHAT'S GOING ON? Scientists aren't sure of the exact mechanisms behind a "singing" beach, but they know it's not made of everyday sand. First, singing sand is primarily composed of the mineral silica (which glass is mostly made of, too), while ordinary sand may mix silica with things like ground shells, dust and even pollution. A high silica content means…

culture Poohsticks LAUNCH ZAPPAR ON YOUR DEVICE TO WATCH The game Poohsticks is quite simple. Each player drops a stick on the upstream side of a bridge. The stick that appears on the other side first is the winner. Believe it or not, Poohsticks was invented by the fictional character Winnie the Pooh. In A. A. Milne’s The House At Pooh Corner, Pooh Bear stumbles on a bridge and accidently drops a pine cone into the river. Pooh is amazed when the very same pine cone appears on the other side of the bridge and that is how Poohsticks was invented. Except Pooh and his friends used sticks instead of pine cones, because sticks are easier to mark. Dike TO A traditional game played in various regions of Africa is…

SNOW DONUTS What looks like a donut but is made of snow? A snow donut, which is a rare but fascinating sight to see! With just the right conditions – temperatures just above freezing, a blanket of light, fluffy snow spread over an icy layer, plus a strong, steady wind – a bit of the snow might begin to roll, and form into a cylindrical, or donut, shape. Also known as snow rollers, these odd formations are usually about the size of a tennis ball, but some of the rollers in the mountains can grow to be bigger than a size of a car. SUN DOGS Sun dogs, also known as mock suns, look like two bright, shiny spots set on either side of the sun, often appearing with a…

physics The word pitch has several meanings. In music it refers to how high or low a note is. What does that mean exactly? Well, it’s part science and part culture. THE SCIENCE Every note (or pitch) in music corresponds to a certain sound frequency. Musical sounds are produced by sound waves from a vibrating object – a guitar or piano string, the tubes in a trumpet or trombone. The faster the vibrations, the higher the pitch. Frequencies are measured in units called hertz (Hz). One Hz = one vibration per second. For example, the note middle C on a piano vibrates 256 times a second – 256 Hz. The next C, going up the scale – one octave higher, in musical terms – sounds kind of the same, but…

geography Currently, the Galápagos Islands are situated at the site of three ocean currents – the Panama Current, the Humboldt Current and the Cromwell Current – which Professor Margarita Brandt, marine ecologist and professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, says creates a range of conditions there. “The Galápagos are in the equator, so they should be really tropical, based on the location. But the islands are immersed in this mixture of currents that are very different, ” she notes. “It’s a unique place in the world where you can find species from different origins with different temperature affinities. If you want to see penguins, you might want to go to Antarctica, if you want to see corals, you may want to go to the Caribbean. But you go to…

engineering ASK FAMILY MEMBERS FOR OLD JEANS AND MAKE THEM A TOOLBELT. THEN GIFT IT BACK! MATERIALS OLD JEANS  SCISSORS NEEDLE AND THREAD PINS 1. Cut the legs off the jeans mid-thigh. 2. The back (butt) of the jeans will form the front of your toolbelt. Cut out the front panels including the zipper but leave the waistband and its button. The waistband button is used to fasten the toolbelt, so it is important that you keep it intact. Watch the Blippar demonstration for clarification. 3. Hem the bottom of the butt section with your needle and thread. 4. Turn the pant legs from step 1 inside out to form two tubes. 5. Cut the tubes into 20 cm (8 in.) lengths. 6. To make the pockets, leave the hemmed part open,…