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Lizards, Pigeons, and Cars!

 
Tiny Lizard
Lizards are small and quick.  Some lizards, called chameleons, are able to change color so that other animals cannot see them.  Scientists recently found the smallest type of chameleon ever discovered.  The tiny lizard is less than 1 inch long. That is smaller than a paperclip!  This species of chameleon lives on an island called Madagascar.  It spends its time on the ground of the forest under leaves.  This made it hard to find.  Scientists had to use flashlights to find them while they were sleeping. 

Smart Pigeons
Would you believe that pigeons can do math?  Well, scientists found out that they can!  A group of pigeons were shown pictures of different groups of objects on a computer.  Each picture had a different number of objects.  The pigeons were taught to peck at the computer screen to move the pictures.  Then, they were taught to put the pictures in order from fewest objects to most objects.  Each time the pigeon got the answer right, it got a treat.  So, it learned to county up to nine.  That is a pretty smart bird!

Rainy Race
Every year there is a very big car race.  It is called the Daytona 500.  Today, 150,000 people went to Florida to see the race.  The best drivers would be racing some of the fastest cars in the country.  It was expected to be a very exciting race.  But, the race had to be postponed.  It was raining really hard!  It would not be safe for the drivers to race.  So, all of the people had to go home.  They will try again on Monday.  It was disappointing for the fans, but safety comes first.

Google, Baby Princess, and Waiters!


Google Glasses
You may have heard of Google.  Google is a tool on the internet that helps you find information. It is called a search engine.  Google is working on a neat new tool.  They are called Google Glasses.  These glasses would be like a computer that you wear!  Instead of needing to search for information, you would just need to look around.  The glasses could give you directions to where you want to go.  Or, they could give you facts about an animal or plant that you are looking at.  They might even be able to help you with sports.  A computer in your glasses—pretty cool!

A New Princess
Princesses are not just found in movies.  Some countries have royal families that include kings, queens, princes, and princesses.  This week, in Sweden, a real princess was born.  The new baby princess has two royal parents: Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.  The grandfather of the new baby princess is the King of Sweden.  One day, the new baby princess could become the Queen of Sweden!  Royal families do not get to make all the rules in their country, but they are treated with honor and respect.  There are 48 countries that have royal families.   

A Great Waiter
Have you ever wondered what a waiter is thinking while standing by your table?  In the past, a waiter would say the same thing to every table.  This is called a script.  They would also provide the same type of service to all people.  Now, some waiters are giving more personal service.  They are looking for clues to see what the customers want.  If the customers have movie tickets, the waiter knows they might be in a rush.  If they have computers, the waiter might think that they plan to work while they eat.  The waiter will try to give them the type of service that they want.  How thoughtful! 
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Pennies, Exercise, and Houses!


No More Pennies?
Have you ever wondered who makes coins?  Our government makes the coins we use every day.  But, there is a big problem.  Making coins is very expensive.  In fact, it costs 11 cents to make a penny that is only worth 1 cent!  Making coins costs our country 200 million dollars each year.  President Obama is trying to save money.  So, he wants to find a less expensive way to make coins.  One idea is to use a different mix of metals to make the coins.  Another idea is to get rid of pennies.  The cost of items would have to be rounded to the nearest 5 cents.  We will have to wait and see if the penny will become a piece of history. 

Fuel for Your Brain
We all know that exercise is good for your body.  It makes your muscles strong and your heart healthy.  Exercise is also good for your mind.  Scientists in Japan recently found out why.  They found that when you exercise, your brain is sending many messages to your body.  It sends messages about balance, vision, and breathing.   All of that work your brain is doing is good for your mind.  The scientists found that this helps your memory and thinking all day long.  Make sure you exercise every day to help your body and your brain!

Selling Houses
For a few years, the United States had a problem.  The value of houses was falling.  Also, less people wanted to buy a house.  This caused there to be too many houses for sale.  People who needed to move could not move because they could not sell their house.  This week, there is some good news about houses.  Home sales have increased, or gotten bigger, since last year.  People are now starting to buy houses again!  This will help people who need to move to a different house. 

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Books, Water, and Cold Feet!


100 Million Books 
It may be hard to imagine, but some children in our country do not have books to read.  A group of people knew that this was not good, so they started an organization called First Book.  First Book gives books to families and schools who do not have books.  They have been doing this for 20 years.  This year will be special for First Book.  Because they are celebrating 20 years of giving, First Book made a big goal.  They want to give away their 100 millionth new book.  They will need help from many volunteers.  But, they feel confident that they will reach their big goal.

Water Saver
Nike is a company that makes shoes and clothes.  The shoes and clothes come in many colors.  In order to have so many colors, Nike must dye the fabric.  To dye fabric means to make it change colors.  This causes a problem.   To dye fabric, you must use water.  This process pollutes the water.   It also wastes water.  But, a new discovery was made this week to solve this problem.  A company from the Netherlands figured out how to use Carbon Dioxide to dye fabric.  Carbon Dioxide is a gas.  This saves so much water!

Cold Feet
Would you every walk in snow with bare feet?  The answer is probably no.  But, for many dogs, walking in snow with bare paws is a daily activity in the winter.  Scientists from Japan figured out how dogs are able to walk in snow without getting frostbite.   Dogs have blood vessels just like people to carry blood through their body.  The blood vessels inside a dog’s paws are very close together which allows them to trade heat and keep that area warm.  This is also true of penguins, whales, and other Arctic animals.  It is the arrangement of blood vessels in a dog’s foot that allows the dog to walk in the snow. 
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Legos, Boats, and President Obama!


Lego Space Man 
Two teenagers from Canada did a pretty amazing science project.  They wanted to send a Lego man into space.   They decided he could ride on a weather balloon.  Weather balloons are built to go very high into the air.  Usually, weather balloons test what the weather is like way up high.  But, this time the weather balloon was just a ride for a Lego man.  The Lego man rode all the way to the stratosphere.  The two teenagers put a camera on the balloon too.  So, they were able to take video of their Lego man up in space.  One of the teenagers said, “We never knew we'd get this far. It’s been a lesson for us that hard work pays off.”


Sailing around the World 
Last month, a 16 year old girl named Laura Dekker arrived home after a very long trip.  She sailed all the way around the world on her 38 foot sailboat.  And, she did it by herself.  Laura has been preparing for this trip her whole life.  She was even born on a sailboat!  On her trip she learned to surf, scuba dive, and play the flute.  She also spent her birthday on her sailboat.  This long journey took Laura about one year to complete.  She is the youngest person ever to sail alone all of the way around the world. 

A Visit with the President 
This week, some very smart kids got to meet the President of the United States, Barack Obama.  They visited President Obama at his home which is called the White House.  The President is a very busy man so this was a very special visit.  Each kid brought a science project to show the President.  One kid invented a lunchbox that cleaned itself!  President Obama wants these kids to keep learning and inventing.  He hopes they will use their minds to make things to help people.  Who will make the trip to meet the president next year?
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Dogs, Birds, and Volcanos!


Top Dog
This week was the biggest dog show of the year-- The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. At this show, about 200 breeds of dogs compete to be named the best dog in the show. So what makes a dog the best? Dogs are judged on things like their color, fur, look, and behavior. Each dog runs with its owner onto the competition floor where judges give them a score. The dogs and their owners have been practicing all year to be ready for this big moment. Exercise, a healthy diet, and proper grooming are all important when getting ready for a dog show. This year a tiny dog named Malachy was the winner. He is an 11 pound Pekingese. Malachy’s owner said “He’s a super dog, who had a stupendous night.” Dog lovers all around the world are excited to find out who will be the winner next year.


Birds Can Talk

Scientists made a big discovery this week. People have often wondered if birds are talking to each other when they sing, so scientists decided to do an experiment. They listened to a bird tweet and chirp and watched the reaction of other birds. The other birds seemed happy to hear these sounds. Then the scientists recorded the bird’s tweets and chirps. Next, they mixed up the order of the tweets and chips and made a new recording. The scientists played this mixed up song to the birds. The birds seemed confused and squawked loudly. This showed scientists that each tweet and chirp is like a word in a sentence. If you mix up the words, the sentence makes no sense. Wow! Birds can talk!


Erupting Volcano

Mount Etna is the tallest volcano in Europe. It can be found on the island of Sicily off of the coast of Italy. Last week this huge volcano erupted. It sent a big cloud of ash into the sky. Burning hot lava gushed from the top of the mountain. Most people would be shocked to see a volcano erupt. But, people who live near Mount Etna are used to seeing the ash and lava. Last year iterupted 18 times! Luckily, people live far enough away from Mount Etna that they are not in danger when it erupts. Also, its lava does not flow very fast making it less dangerous than other volcanos. It is just another regular day in Sicily!
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