Willing to try a licorice-based toothpaste?

When it comes to candy, certain flavors fall into a category that tends to require a more sophisticated palate. That's my decidedly non-scientific assessment having watched my own kids and their love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with all things "mint," something to which dental-care product developers really should pay more attention since many "kid" pastes still have a bit of mint "bite" to them. After witnessing thousands of mint-related shrieks and mini-rebellions, I've thought about the way our palates change and grow with time. We know this about spinach and brussels sprouts, right? But clearly there are certain flavorings, as well, that we potentially grow into (and out of).

Already there has been a softening to mint. For a while, we dumped strawberry toothpaste and existed harmoniously with a single tube of mint, but it was short-lived. Someday, I have no doubt they may prefer a real candy cane in December to a sickly, sweet and sour, fruit punch flavored one. Someday, I am sure they'll look at me in disbelief when I recount the fit thrown at the dentist when one selected a chocolate toothpaste from the picture-based menu only to realize when it hit the tongue that it was chocolate mint. For now, even mint-flavored dental floss is frowned upon, and in reality, most dental flosses have at least a hint of mint.

Mint isn't the only category of candy flavoring that seemingly grows on one with age. While, personally, I look back fondly on the world of Atomic Fireballs, Hot Tamales, and even Big Red chewing gum, which my grandfather stocked in his shirt pocket, along with Juicy Fruit (I guess I pre-date the sugarless gum industry!), my kids won't come near cinnamon-flavored candies. I doubt they'd cozy up to something ginger-flavored or black-licorice flavored either.

I remember liking black licorice, and as an adult, I can vouch for the goodness of a chocolate-ginger combo, but I can't imagine my kids opting for either over something sweet, sour, and sure-to-turn-the-tongue-bright-blue.

It's too bad, because a toothpaste with a base of licorice root might help safeguard our trips to the dentist's office!

The "Root" of Things

Recent studies have shown that licorice root has benefits for oral health—cavity-fighting benefits. Scientists behind a study in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Journal of Natural Products cite licorice root as being instrumental in helping fight both tooth decay and gum disease. Licorice root has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for various reasons, and to enhance the properties of other herbal additives, but the recent US-based study focused specifically on the effect of compounds in licorice root on bacteria common to the mouth. According to studies, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, two compounds found in licorice root, help inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause cavities as well as bacteria related to gum disease.

In reality, however, those looking to take advantage of licorice-laden oral healthcare will need to find their licorice somewhere other than the candy aisle because licorice root is commonly replaced by anise oil in candies. So if you decide to add licorice to your list, be sure and check package labels and ingredients.

Making Connections

Tooth decay is a widespread problem, but it is one that can be helped with both preventive and routine care. According to the CDC, "tooth decay affects more than one-fourth of U.S. children aged 2-5 years and half of those aged 12-15 years." Those are high percentages, as is this startling statistic: "one-fourth of U.S. adults aged 65 or older have lost all of their teeth."

Can licorice root make a difference? How safe is licorice root? How much can be taken? For how long? Are there other risks?

These are just a few of the questions researchers have to consider and explore, and there are already warnings accompanying stories about the benefits of licorice root that indicate there are counter-risks related to blood pressure and potassium levels. Licorice root is also a legume, which raises additional considerations for those concerned about gluten. As one might expect, licorice-root Altoids® probably won't suddenly be appearing in the dental health aisle as an end-all solution to oral health.

Further exploration, however, seems prudent, and students can jump in by learning more about the ways in which licorice root interacts with oral bacteria.

Taking it Further

Students interested in designing an independent science project focused on the anti-bacterial properties of a substance like licorice root may find the underpinnings of their project in the The End Zone: Measuring Antimicrobial Effectiveness with Zones of Inhibition Project Idea, adapted to use licorice extract and bacteria cultured from swabbing the inside of the mouth.

As with any bacteria-based project or study, however, it is important for students to fully review and be mindful of SRC guidelines and rules regulating bacteria projects. The Science Buddies Microorganisms Safety Guide offers additional information.

We're out for a rare walk around one of my favorite spots in the Bay Area, Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. We've fed the geese and practiced our aim as we tried to toss bits of salvaged and saved bread to them and the mallards. We know the gulls will swoop in, loudmouthed and pushy, to steal away our stale but doughy offerings. My youngest has greeted his "friends," the gray coots with their white-spotted foreheads, red eyes, and chartreuse feet. We've stopped and peered up into the trees where the great blue herons nest in the spring months, though we know that despite the weather, it is too early for them. We've shooed away the flock of pigeons that has crowded around in hopes of sharing our bag of bread.

The bags all emptied out, we're heading around the perimeter of the lake, a path that will take us past a small tunnel made of branches and twigs that they can just barely crawl through, across a bridge (see the keystone?), along the lower level of the tiered paths that wind around the small mountain to a beautify city lookout at the top, past the Japanese pagoda and the waterfall, around the boathouse (which no longer sells ice cream treats), and back to the car.

They run ahead, footsteps kicking up dry dirt and rock as they move along the path, pausing now and again to peer at a treasure on the ground, a shiny rock ("a crystal"), a perfect stick, a dandelion, a squirrel jumping away with a foraged scrap, a Steller's jay that has jumped from the ground to a branch above with a loud squawk.

They run ahead as I take photos from behind, of them, of branches, of light on the water.

Lowering my camera, I focus in on what has now captured one's attention.

"Don't pick that up!"

It's a feather.

He pauses and looks up at me, his fingers inches from the feather.

"Don't pick that up. They can carry disease."

Back in the Day

I remember when feathers could be picked up, when feathers were magical and marvelous, when you could run your finger along the edge of a feather and be amazed by the softness. I remember the impossible discovery of a peacock feather.

Many years have intervened between then and now. Many years, two children, and a host of frightening flus that have lingered in public—and parental—consciousness. The residue of those years and those flus has accumulated into a frothy, sticky, mostly unfounded, squeamish sign of my age, one that comes oozing over the sides of the admonishment: "Don't pick that up. It's dirty!"

Needless to say, while we have small collections of rocks, broken shells, shark's teeth, and other treasure we've accumulated through various walks and expeditions, there are no feather collections in our house. Not even one.

All of that came rushing home when I saw a photo by Robert Clark highlighting a feature essay by Thor Hanson in Audubon Magazine. The photo is an 'almost' grid of forty-seven feathers, brightly colored, samples of bird plumage from species of birds I've no doubt never seen. These are not your ordinary, everyday pigeon feathers, the ones I am most tempted to disallow my kids pick up and handle. These are feathers that remind us of the beauty and wonder of birds, the exotic free-flying nature of birds, and the sheer diversity of birds. But this is a reminder from a new angle. Feathers.

The photo is a stunning visual entrée into an equally captivating essay underscoring the beauty, novelty, and incomparable nature of features. No matter what your relationship with birds, or whether or not you would or would not have picked up (or let your children pick up) a feather on the street yesterday, Hanson's high-flying essay on feathers may sweep you away. Hanson's essay weaves together the scientific and the aesthetic, the personal and the historic, the pragmatic and the mystical, and emerges as a beautiful and inspiring exposé on feathers, a distinguishing feature of birds, one that is unique to birds, one at which you may not have stopped before to marvel or think about too deeply. After reading this essay, I think you will. I think you'll pick up a favorite blanket or winter vest and think differently about the realities of feathers. You might even look up a photo of a golden-crowned kinglet so that you can have an image to pair with Hanson's story of a night spent in sub-zero weather—and the realities of the small golden-crowned kinglet sleeping somewhere in the open air, relying on its feathers alone for warmth.

Making Connections

"On any given day, up to four hundred billion individual birds may be found flying, soaring, swimming, hopping, or otherwise flitting above the earth. That's more than 50 birds for every human being, 800 birds per dog, and at least a half-million birds for every living elephant. It's about four times the number of McDonald's hamburgers that have ever been sold. Like the robin, each of those birds maintains an intricate coat of feathers—roughly one thousand on a ruby-throated hummingbird to more than twenty-five thousand for a tundra swan. Lined up end on end, the feathers of the world would stretch past the moon and past the sun to some more distant celestial body." ~ Thor Hanson

Hanson's essay is thought-provoking and eye-opening, and for students with an interest in birds, or even an interest in paleontology, there is plenty of potential for inspiring and inspired science projects that may find a launching point in an essay on feathers. One path students might follow involves considering the question: where did feathers come from? And why do birds, alone, have them? A project looking at the history of feather formation will take students back to the age of dinosaurs. That's right, scientists now label birds as a living form of dinosaur, a fact students can investigate further in the "BLAST into the Past to Identify T. Rex's Closest Living Relative" genomics Project Idea.

A Shift in Perspective

After reading "The Multiple Miracles of Bird Feathers," I found myself wondering about the weight of "don't touch that" fear I've somehow picked up along the way, part of the baggage of socially-induced paranoia that many parents carry around, especially when and if we are too busy to stop, question, and get the facts. If faced with the kinds of delicate, diverse, exotic, breathtaking, and mesmerizing feathers shown in the Clark's photo, I doubt I could insist we leave the feather where it lay. That's why we carry anti-bacterial hand gel, right? But can I let go of my concern about the ordinary feathers we're more likely to discover in our regular outdoor excursions? After all, while there is a wonderful plethora of natural terrain in and around the Bay Area, we're still in a city. Hawks perch on the streetlights in front of my house and nest in the trees out back, but there are also thousands upon thousands of pigeons and starlings and blackbirds, even in the parking lots of the grocery stores.

Questioning my own concern, I talked with our Lead Staff Scientist, someone who has gotten used to the fact that I approach many of my science stories from a non-scientific starting point. I didn't simply ask are feathers safe. Instead, I asked, how feasible is it for students to do a project in which they investigate either the kinds of bacteria that might linger on bird feathers collected in a local area or what approach one might take to best ensure the safety of bird feathers if one wanted to collect them. (Before I asked, I did a quick search engine search and read just enough to know that, most likely, the parental baggage I was carrying around was unjustified, far-fetched, and should be shelved—in favor of a rekindling of the magic, beauty, and scientifically-amazing properties of feathers.)

Our lead staff scientist confirmed that while it's "possible" to get a disease from bird feathers, the probability is very slim. Still, there is a question that can be asked, and so there are projects that can be designed and procedures that can be put in place to explore how "safe" found feathers might be. Is a parent who says, "Don't touch!" right—or just over-protective?

Putting Feathers to the Test

There are three kinds of health hazards that can be carried on a feather: parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Of the three classes of possible health problems one might trace back to feathers, culturing bacteria from feathers and analyzing the bacteria colonies that grow is the most likely course of investigation for student research. Students interested in developing an experimental procedure that could be used for a microbiology-based study of feathers might find the procedure used in the Germ Invasion Project Idea a helpful starting point. Is exposure to UV light a helpful strategy?

Safety Considerations and Guidelines

Because there are many rules, regulations, and safety guidelines that have to be followed for student science investigations that deal with microorganisms, devising an independent course of study examining microorganisms and feathers requires careful attention to safety guidelines, awareness of any local fair rules, as well as ISEF regulations, and may require the supervision of a teacher or mentor or access to a specific kind of lab. In addition, your project may require pre-approval from fair officials.

For more information about safety considerations when working with bacteria, and about related ISEF rules and regulations, visit the Microorganisms Safety Guide and the Projects Involving Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents resource.

(Editorial note: the following fun science giving suggestions and selections are from one Science Buddies science mom and do not represent official endorsements by Science Buddies, with the exception of the Science Buddies Kits. Many of these gift ideas are related to Project Ideas in the Science Buddies library, however, and we've provided links to those projects where possible.)

With a bit of creative thinking, you can inject your holiday gift giving with a bit of extra science energy. Great science kits or multi-purpose gadgets and tools can bolster your gift lists in ways you can feel good about—and in ways they might not even realize have a bit of a "good-for-you" spin. If you have a reputation for giving socks, this list is especially for you! Plus, many of these suggestions are small-scale, low-cost, great ideas for a bit of an "extra," now or any time! And, who knows... your student's next science project or science fair investigation might just stem from one of the following:

• Potato Chip Science and Pop Bottle Science: Both of these kits both look like a super-fun add-on for the holidays and a great opportunity to stifle any 'stuck-inside' doldrums that threaten to set in over the break. (A pack of Mentos® and a bottle of soda can be fun as well: Coke® & Mentos®—Nucleation Goes Nuclear!)




• Doyle and Fossey books, like the Case of the Crooked Carnival: This series of books about two fifth-grade science detectives is fun and full of great science talk and science themes. These students take themselves seriously as scientists! We'd like to see their labs and have some coffee, decaf, of course. (See our previous review.)




• OWI Grasshopper Kit: The OWI grasshopper offers a fun foundation for solar and electronics exploration. (Related Project Idea: The Frightened Grasshopper: Explore Electronics & Solar Energy with a Solar-Powered Robot Bug.)




• LEGO Mindstorms® NXT: For students who love to build, are interested in robotics, have an interest in computer programming, or are looking for a way to take their passion for LEGO to the next level, Mindstorms NXT is a one-way ticket to invention and innovation. (Related Project Idea: Go, Gadget, Go! Building Robots with LEGO® Mindstorms®. Related blog post: Blow: From Marshmallows to Microbes.)




• LEGO® Mindstorms® idea books: Mindstorms NXT books are full of great projects that offer both building blueprints and guidance for setting up the programmable routines. The amazing bots that fill the pages of these books introduce builders to the various kinds of sensors and programming modules that give Mindstorms its range and flexibility.




• Subscription to Gamestar Mechanic: Support an interest in video game design with a subscription to Gamestar Mechanic. The paid account allows young designers access to additional quests, more game design elements, and other premium content. (See recent blog post: Mom of Two Emerging Video Game Designers. To view other video game design applications and environments, see the Kid-Friendly Programming Languages guide.)




• Picoboard: A Picoboard encourages them to make connections and incorporate external input (like sound, light, or even air movement) into video game and computer-based projects. (Related Project Idea: Customize Your Own Drum Set.)




• Remote-control helicopter: RC toys are always hot gifts, and RC helicopters present many opportunities for science exploration and aerodynamics investigation. (Related Project Idea: Helicopter Liftoff: How Does the Speed of the Rotor Affect the Amount of Lift?)




• Crystal Radio Kit: Jumpstart an interest in electronics with a do-it-yourself crystal radio kit from Science Buddies! This kit contains everything a student needs to do the Crystal Radio project. (For more great science-fair-ready kit ideas, check out the full line of Science Buddies Kits. Each kit comes with everything needed to perform the experiment—all in one box.)

I remember when one of my boys wanted to be a firefighter. That may well be a rite of passage for many toddlers, right along with an interest in cars, trucks, and every form of construction vehicle you can possibly pass on the road. I don't know exactly when the shift occurred or how much overlap there was, but it seems as if he has "always" wanted to "be a game designer." The firefighter costume and hat ended up in a pile of castoffs, but the allure of being a "game designer" has persisted—no costume required. His younger brother's genes didn't fall far from the tree, and he, too, at seven, wants to work on video game development, although I've often heard him clarify that he wants to 'test' video games, which I think he interprets as more 'playing' and less 'working'!

Plugged In

We really are a 'gaming' household. It is something that other parents often don't agree with or understand. That's not to say we're not well-rounded. We are. We do academics. We play sports. We read lots. We build LEGO. We specialize in paper airplanes. We have strong art interests and hobbies. But we do play video games—lots of them.

Sparking Interest

When I started working on this month's issue of the Science Buddies newsletter, a special issue on video and computer game projects and their relationship to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, it was exciting to be reminded that while my immediate parent community on the play yard after school may not be embracing video games en masse, there is, in fact, a strong push for viewing gaming as a foundation upon which to teach, build, and apply STEM skills.

As part of my research for the newsletter, I watched AMD's Changing the Game video. I watched a video of winners from the 2010 National STEM Challenge and checked out this year's competition. I took a look at the video game design category in the 2012 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

I looked more closely at the information on our Kid-Friendly Programming Languages page. And, one by one, I started visiting many video and computer gaming sites and resources sponsored and developed by AMD Changing the Game, the AMD Foundation, and its partners, sites like Level Up!, Ludo Dojo, and Activate!. As I jumped from site to site, I was amazed and excited by the glitzy, glossy, fun, energetic, and very 'clued-in' world of support and engaging content available for K-12 students who are interested in designing their own computer and video games. A wealth of materials is available on these sites for teachers and families, too, making it easier for adults to help support these projects both in the classroom and at home.

The message on all these sites is clear—video game projects can help engage kids on an academic and STEM level. By supporting game development projects, research, and investigation, we can encourage and empower students to turn an activity they enjoy into a platform for learning, creative thinking, and problem solving.

Responding to the Challenge

The team at Science Buddies has developed a number of new video and computer game Project Ideas and resources to support video and computer game science and engineering projects. Many students begin their exploration of "programming" using the free Scratch environment, developed by MIT. There is much to like about Scratch's drag-and-drop interface and approach to learning the "logic" of programming, and Science Buddies has Project Ideas and resources to help jumpstart student exploration.

Our Scratch-based Project Ideas let lets students explore animation and computer program design and logic in interesting ways, like customizing a drum-set, controlling a pinwheel, making a greeting card, or creating a simple game of dog chases cat.

More recently, a number of Project Ideas have been added to our growing Video and Computer Game area that involve game creation using GameMaker. In these Project Ideas, students can explore an exciting array of video game design topics, including the importance of physics engines, procedural music, and even issues related to accessibility. Students can also explore video games as a way to help educate others and spread the word about important issues or environmental concerns.

Gamestar Mechanic

On the list of sites I visited during my survey of video and computer game development sites was Gamestar Mechanic. As soon as I realized that Gamestar Mechanic "is" a game, I knew it was something we had to explore! Created by the Institute of Play and E-line Media, Gamestar Mechanic is an online game development environment that revolves around a "game" that teaches some of the fundamentals of video game design. As players work through the on-screen comic book storyline and solve the "quests" presented, they earn sprites (characters), backgrounds, music, colors, and other game elements that can be used in games they design. Some of the quests involve "fixing" existing games, for example, making changes in gameplay or layout to make the games work properly. Players are, in other words, "mechanics" in this virtual storyline. By working through the quests, players earn the ability to create their own games.

I logged both of my kids in at Gamestar Mechanic one evening, just to see how they would respond to the interface—and to see if it really was as cool as it seemed like it might be. They sat side by side at different computers, each going through the story, and the excitement and enthusiasm was palpable. They loved it! As I moved around doing other things, I was hearing talk about "platform" games and "top down" games and "oh, I'm going to change the gravity this time!"

Gamestar Mechanic was a total hit. They worked through all the free content in a short amount of time, but they were completely engaged in the process—and definitely wanted more. (Note: there are a limited number of quests available for the free membership; a paid membership contains a larger number of challenges, more elements available for use in games your student creates, and access to special game content. My review is based solely on their exploration of the free membership.) Parents can find out more about Gamestar Mechanic here.

Making Connections

My work on the December 2011 newsletter, sponsored by AMD Changing the Game, was inspiring on many levels. I can't wait to see what kinds of games my students develop in the next few years.

See Also

Is your family techy or video-game oriented like mine? You might enjoy these previous posts:

• Blow: From Marshmallows to Microbes
• Slingshot Science: The Physics in Angry Birds
• Visual Illusions: When What You See Is... Not What's There?
• Programming a Logo
• From Storyboard to Computer Design

By Kim Mullin

Pumpkins seem to be everywhere in the fall, and with good reason. Fall is when pumpkins turn ripe, so we eat them (mmm, pie!) and use them for decorations.

If you've ever opened up a pumpkin, you know that it is full of "pumpkin guts." Stringy, messy, and full of seeds, many people just throw the guts away. Others like to roast the seeds for a tasty snack.

A pumpkin is a squash. Open up other kinds of squash, such as an acorn or butternut squash, and you'll find similar stringy guts, full of seeds. Why? Because seeds are how many plants make new plants. If you plant seeds from a fresh pumpkin, with a little water and care, you might get a new pumpkin plant next year—your very own pumpkin patch!

Why do you think pumpkins have so many seeds? After all, some fruits, such as an avocado have only one giant seed. Do all types of squash have lots of seeds? And what about size? Do you think that a large pumpkin will have more seeds than a small one? Explore more about seeds in different kinds and different varieties of fruits in the How Many Seeds Do Different Types of Fruit Produce project.

By Kim Mullin

Although most of us don't live on farms, harvest is something we think about in the fall. We decorate with pumpkins, gourds, and multi-colored corn when we celebrate fall holidays. And, in the United States, many of us eat a hearty meal on Thanksgiving Day to commemorate the Pilgrims' first harvest celebration in 1621.

You may have heard of the Harvest Moon, but the moon certainly isn't something we can harvest! It is actually a term to describe the full moon that is closest to the autumnal equinox. It happens at a time of year when farmers are busy harvesting crops—thus the "harvest" moon.

Phases of the Moon

The full moon is only one of the moon's phases during each lunar cycle. You may know that the moon plays a role in the ocean's high and low tides. But does the "phase" of the moon matter? In The Moon and Tides project, students can investigate the correlation between phases of the moon and the tides. Charting the tides in relation to the phases of the moon over a year lets students track the differences in tides during a full moon and a quarter moon, for example.

Do the phases of the moon also effect agriculture? Do plants need moonlight to stay healthy? Do they grow better when planted during a particular phase of the moon?

Thanksgiving is still a few days away, but the Harvest Moon for 2011 happened a few months ago! Still, these are questions students and families might consider as "harvest" comes to the table and the fall harvest season begins to ebb.

For many of us, Thanksgiving brings with it the feast mentality and ushers in a season full of special treats and baked items. From familiar pecan and pumpkin pies on Turkey day to dozens and dozens of cookies throughout December, 'tis the season of homemade goodies.

Clever bakers can turn the extra time in the kitchen into a scientific smorgasbord of experimentation. Starting with investigations into the role of baking powder, the use of egg substitutes, the secrets behind flakey crusts, and the quest for perfect chocolate chip cookies, the kitchen can be a hotbed of science (and math)!

But kitchen science doesn't have to be about dessert. Aspiring food chemists can find all kinds of recipes for exploration, even some that let them investigate the science behind human health and nutrition and current eating crazes. For example, what's up with gluten?

Holding It Together

Breads and bread- or grain-based dishes are, for some, the top of the comfort food list, and what you like best about certain foods may boil down to the presence of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. From pasta to pizza dough to giant pretzels, many familiar food items contain gluten. With its connection to wheat, this may sound like a good thing. After all, there's been a strong "whole grains" push in recent years, which accounts for more lunchboxes containing wheat or multi-grain breads. But the words "gluten-free" appear in more and more conversations, magazines, and ads these days.

There is a health condition related to gluten. Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a genetic disorder. When people with celiac disease eat something with gluten, the small intestine reacts and can be damaged. For those with celiac disease, eating gluten-free is a necessity, not a lifestyle choice. But many people are choosing to follow gluten-free diets.

Making Connections

What's the gluten debate all about? What role does gluten play in familiar foods?

These are questions the student scientist can explore while experimenting with some favorite recipes. The Great Globs of Gluten! Which Wheat Flour Has The Most? project lets students investigate the role of gluten in foods. Be forewarned though, this project is completely hands-on in every sticky, gooey way!

After getting a better understanding of the influence of gluten, students can go on to taste-test recipes that contain varying amounts of gluten or no gluten.

It wouldn't be Halloween in many houses without an assortment of light-up sticks. My kids call them "glow sticks," and though they don't last all that long, they're always fun for trick-or-treating. Really, they're fun throughout the year. Many bedtime hours are interrupted by the discovery of a forgotten canister of glow sticks, all of which simply have to be activated right then. (Why is one at a time never enough? Mom logic says that the canister could last an entire week rather than just a few minutes of snapping and a few hours of glowing. Kid logic says differently!)

When I was growing up (back in the nineteen hundreds, as my kids like to remind me), glow sticks were more a safety feature. You kept light-up sticks on hand in the house for emergencies or power outages. I remember them being thicker, brighter, typically neon green, and not intended as a toy. But, getting to break out and break up a light-up stick was always a treat—even if it meant the electricity was out!

Today, glow sticks are everywhere. Circuses. Ball games. Concerts. Amusement parks. Today's sticks appear in many colors and are thinner and less expensive. No longer are these sticks destined to be tucked away for a cool-Mom-rainy day or a true blackout. They're good for anytime. Did I mention they're thinner? And cheaper?

Tale of a Stick Gone Bad

A stash of glow sticks turned up in my house recently, which meant some bedtime procrastination, all in the name of 'glow' fun. As the tube of sticks was divvied up and activated, one of them broke during the bend-and-crack phase. The snapping of the sticks, of course, is one of the cool things about glow sticks. The sensation of breaking the inner core, breaking it again, and again, and again until the core is completely liquefied is undeniably fun.

We didn't realize the outer plastic casing had broken on one until the lights were turned off, and we realized a set of hands were dotted with a few specks of 'glow.' With the lights back on, we tried to see where the 'glow' had come from. My young detective waved the stick all over the place and shook it hard, trying to reveal the break. While the leak wasn't large, it was there. When we turned the lights off again, the rug showed a star-studded smattering of glow dots from the shaking. Bending the stick a bit more, we finally saw where the liquid was escaping, and we "drew" on a paper towel with it for a bit, the neon liquid the ink on our white paper towel—a glowing signature.

Even a broken glow stick can be fun.

But they don't last all that long.

And, really, they aren't all that bright.

Turn those statements into questions, apply a bit of electronics know-how, and you're all set for a cool and illuminating science project!

Measuring 'Glow'

The Measure Luminescence in Glow-in-the-Dark Objects chemistry Project Idea lets you put the 'glow' in glow sticks to the test. Just how bright are they? For how long? And does it make a difference if you crack them open in hot weather or in cold?

In this science project, you can find out!

What's Going On In There?

At the heart of a glow stick is a chemical reaction that starts when you twist or bend the stick. A reaction between two of the chemicals in the stick releases enough energy to "excite" the electrons in the fluorescent dye causing a fluctuation in energy levels and the release of light—the chemiluminescence and the "ahhhh" moment in the dark.

In this project, you are guided through the assembly of a light detector, a circuit that lets you measure the light produced by these sticks. The sticks themselves will be closed up in a jar. You might miss seeing the 'glow,' but you'll get a lot of satisfaction tracking the readout on the light sensor—and knowing you built the circuit yourself!

Still... make sure you stock up on some extra glow-sticks, just for fun! And, once you're done with the experiment, you can re-use the jar from the project (without the foil covering), cut open a bunch of cracked and glowing sticks, dump the contents together in the jar, and enjoy an unusual "night light" for a few hours!

By Kim Mullin

There are about 34,000 different species of spiders in the world, and in Northern Virginia we see quite a lot of them in the fall when they are busy eating and reproducing in preparation for the coming winter. While a large spider in the house can make me jump, I like to think that spiders are benevolent creatures, eating the insects that pester us. And, their webs are a perfect addition to the landscape at Halloween!

On our walk to school each day, my children and I pass a neighbor's garden. In the growing season, it's brimming over with flowers and vegetables, and we enjoy seeing what's new. One day, however, we spied something different and unexpected—an enormous yellow and brown striped spider! We'd never seen such a large spider outside of a display case. Its markings were very distinctive, so we easily identified it at a spider website later that day. It was a black and yellow argiope, or corn spider. It turns out that this spider is harmless to humans, but it sure was doing its part to control the insect population!

After successfully identifying one spider, we took a closer look at the other spiders in our neighborhood. We discovered that light brown funnel weavers are common in our yard. They create an open-ended funnel to one side of their web and hide there until something becomes entrapped! We also discovered a wolf spider, which hunts for its prey, rather than making a web. A hunting spider was a new idea for me!

Biodiversity—Learning About the Creatures Around You

What kind of spiders do you have where you live? Or other creatures? If you are curious to learn about your local biodiversity, explore these Science Buddies Project Ideas:

• Bug Vacuums: Sucking Up Biodiversity: Have you ever wondered what a wildlife biologist does? These scientists study and monitor the health of habitats and ecosystems, often by identifying and counting plants and animals. Take on the role of a wildlife biologist by examining the biodiversity of insects in your own backyard using a homemade bug vacuum!

• Finding Phyla: Animals come in all shapes and sizes, each a small part of the amazing diversity of life. These differences can also help us to classify animals into different groups. Which group do you belong to? How many different types of animals can you find around your home? Do this experiment to investigate the diversity of animal life around your home.
  

(Science Buddies Project Ideas in Zoology are sponsored by the Medtronic Foundation.)

From public haunted houses to dark and spooky neighborhood garages opened up for a ghoulish Halloween walkthrough, a big part of the "scare" factor involves your ears. What you hear may be as important in creating a scary experience as what might jump out at you or tickle your neck. Indeed, part of what makes a haunted house perfectly eerie is the soundtrack that goes along with it—all the noises orchestrated to raise the hair on your arms, make you shiver, and leave you with little doubt that there are things unknown lurking around you.

The same is true at the movies! The music that goes along with high and low points in a movie differs based on the genre or kind of movie and on the emotion or context of the scene. Put the music from the opening of an animated film in place of the music for an intense moment in a thriller, and the effect of the scene might be totally different.

Put It to the Test

Whether you are gathering sounds for your own haunted walkthrough or hoping to keep the season alive after the jack-o-lanterns have all been tossed, the Movie Music project can turn a fascination with eerie sounds into a science exploration—one that could carry you right into the next season! What goes into the composition of a perfect thriller soundtrack? Is there a formula? What instruments are common to music used with different kinds of scenes or movies? What key? What tempo? Do the scales rise or fall?

Gather some samples from various genres of movies, and see what you can find out about the importance of the backtrack in the success of various types of films. When you tune in and really "listen" to what you are seeing on the screen, you might be surprised at how important the music is!

The following list contains links to a number of creepy, classical and movie tracks to help get you started thinking about the similarities of "scary" music, the kind of music you might hear in a suspense or mystery movie:

• The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates
• Bram Stoker's Dracula: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Toccata and Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565
• Dies Irae From the Requiem Mass - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Carmina Burana - O Fortuna
• Hungarian Dances, WoO 1: No. 5 in G Minor
• Night on Bald Mountain
• In The Hall Of The Mountain King
• Piano Quartet No.1 in G minor, Op.25 - 1. Allegro
• The Magic Of Halloween (from E.T.)
• The 99 Darkest Pieces Of Classical Music
• 99 Must-Have Halloween Classics
• The Classical Halloween Collection for Kids
• Ultimate Halloween Classical Music Collection - 50 Haunting Classics For A Creepy Night

Happy listening!