4. Can microscopic bacteria make electricity like batteries do? The answer is yes and you’ll find which species of bacteria does this. The answer is also on page 201, with the world’s largest flower.
Sketch of a single bacterium, seen through a microscope.
(“Bacteria” is the plural of “Bacterium.”
In other words, a group of bacterium is called bacteria.)
Some types of bacteria are helpful, but most can cause illness, even death.
5. How do bullet trains glide (at 200+ mph) over rails without friction? Check out this trick on page 146.
Sketch of Bullet Train
Learn more science by watching this instructional video about how superconductors behave when exposed to magnetic fields. The first part is animation, then a real experiment is shown and described. This short film was funded by the National Science Council of Taiwan.
The video contains a description of the Meissner Effect. Discovery of this phenomenon in 1933 ultimately led to modern theories of superconductivity. The Meissner effect is also intimately related to the mysterious Higgs Boson, thought to be responsible for the existence of all mass in the universe, including your body and the earth on which you stand. Confirming the existence of a Higgs Boson is important enough that $9 billion U.S. dollars were spent constructing the Large Hadron Collider at CERN to find samples of the particle.
You can learn more about the Meissner Effect by clicking on this Wikipedia hotlink –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meissner_effect
6. It’s very cold in mountains as high as the Himalayas. It’s also too high for trees to grow, so there’s no wood to burn for heat. How do families keep their home warm? The answer’s found on page 36. (Hint: It’s “yuk, gross.” But if you got cold enough, you’d do it too.)
Sketch of a wood-burning stove
The first closed-door stove of this type was invented
by one of America's founding fathers - Ben Franklin.
7. Long before America’s Library of Congress was founded by Thomas Jefferson, ancient scholars had a central library they could search for knowledge. Where was it located and what became of its books? Find the answer on page 303.
Sketch of an old library’s interior
Sketch of the facade of the American Library of Congress
8. There’s actually an island near the North Pole where more than 2,000 people live all year. A 1925 treaty allows Norway to govern the island, but all countries have access to it. Immigrants denied admission by other countries sometimes make this island their permanent home, since the treaty says that anyone who can find a job can live there. Employment comes from coal mining, fishing, trapping and hosting tourists. Visitors come to the island to photograph Polar Bears. This island is also home to the world’s “doomsday vault” of seeds for regenerating plants should they accidentally become extinct. What is this island’s name? The answer’s on page 130.
Sketch of Polar Bears
9. The news is full of “Russia’s resurgence” as a political and economic powerhouse. Russians don’t use the same alphabet for writing as Western countries, like the U.S., France and Germany. What is the name for the Russian alphabet? Find out when Nuru corrects Tattoo’s mistake on page 58.
Sketch of Russian Passport and Money (Rubles)
10. George Mallory was once famous for making the highest ascent on Mount Everest, yet not reaching the top – or so it was thought. No one knows, since Mallory and his climbing companion died in their last attempt. Today, George Mallory is remembered for another reason, his quip to reporters asking him why he kept attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Daredevils and explorers worldwide have quoted Mallory since then. What did Mallory say that became so iconic and immortal? Trouble uses the quote on page 122.