April Holladay, USA Today Clips

WonderQuest Archive

Earlier answers by topic

Aerodynamics, aircraft, balloons, flight safety

Animals, insects

Art, audio and video recording, cameras, movies, music, television

Astronomy, space, calendar, time

Birds

Cameras, computers, communications, electronics, radar

Earth sciences, geography, geology

Fish, marine mammals, other underwater life
		Archerfish squirt water to catch insects Archerfish use science to aim at insects Dolphins surf for fun Fish, do they see in color Fish, how they got in mountain lakes Marine mammals create own fresh water Marine mammals, such as whales, can drown Mussels breathe like fish Underwater colors Zebra mussels, how they affect water temperature

Food and drink, cooking
		Alcohol, effects on the brain Caffeine, how it keeps us awake Champagne's high pressure can be dangerous Chilies, how to grow healthy ones Cooking needs more heat at altitude Egg cartons need packing date Eggs, how much pressure to break them Eggs, what makes bubbles when they are boiled Genetically modified food, is it safe Genetically modified food, what happens when we eat it Ice cream was invented in China Lobsters, why cook them alive Marshmallows, how they are made Peanuts, an unusual fruit Peanuts, how they are salted Tiny ears of corn are baby corn Wine is not alive Watermelons, why they are sweet in the center

Human body and mind, human health, human history
		AIDS, you can't catch it from a mosquito bite Alcohol, effects on the brain American women, average height Bilingual thinking depends on early schooling Biological clocks make us tick Biological clocks, how they work* Black robes, how they cool in hot weather Bow and arrow invented in Stone Age Caffeine, how it keeps us awake Charley horse, where does the name come from Ears rumble when plugged by fingers Ear wiggling, how it's done Embryos, can one be formed without male chromosomes Eyes, why so many people have poor vision Eyes, why touching them triggers "light" Hair, what makes it shine Hands, why five fingers Hot coffee in your mouth Human life spans Humans only creatures to evolve high intelligence Identical twins can differ Identical twins have the same DNA Identical twins, why they form Joints, why we can make them pop Paper cuts, air makes them hurt Power lines, not a threat to health Primitive cues synchronize menstruation Skin color may have evolved as beauty trait Skin knows when the air heats up Smallpox vaccinations are not permanent. Tattoos, why do they stay Tickling, what causes us to feel it Water, you can drink too much We would age quicker on a heavier planet Weeping, why we do it Yawning together keeps us together X-rays' penetrating power lets you see inside

Mathematics, numbers
		Base 60 system, how it might have been invented Billion hard to comprehend Circles, who gave them 360 degrees Trillion, what it means in U.S. and U.K Zero is a number

Microscopic creatures
		Bacteria, effects of heat vs. cold
Oceans
		Arctic Ocean, why it doesn't freeze Atlantic Ocean, evidence it is expanding Dead Sea (really a lake) is world's saltiest The Gulf Stream Marine mammals, such as whales, can drown Saltiness of water where star fish live Sea water, why it's salty Tsunamis, highest was in Alaska in 1958 Tsunamis can occur in rivers, lakes Tsunamis, why water leaves bays ahead of one
Physics
		Atom, size of compared with universe Black holes die, but it takes a while Color — all in the eye of the beholder Dating of fossils, old wood starts with death Flame, reaction to acceleration Fog, why it doesn't extinguish fires Goblets can sing Ice disappears when it sublimates into vapor Light waves, how are they different from sound Liquid air-almost as cold as Neptune's moon Mirrors reflect light differently Photon mass Primary colors are primary only for us Salt increases boiling temperature of water Size of universe compared with inside atom Terminal velocity for a falling person Travel close to the speed of light Time slows down on the space station Time travel might be possible Time travelers would live in past, future Water as it falls, pressure stays the same X-rays' penetrating power lets you see inside
Sky watching
		Auroras: Mother Nature's neon lights The green flash The green flash, does it occur at the poles The green flash, how to photograph it Lightning, does it hit Mt. Everest 'Rainbows' around airplane shadows are glories Rainbows: How to see a full circle Shadows blur because of sun's large size Sky, why is it blue? Sky, why is it bluer on top? Sun dogs, what are they? Sun, why does it turn the sky red at sunset Twilight, why it's shorter in tropics than at poles
Technology of every day life
		Idling cars make OPEC happy Billboards, what are "antenna" on top Black light makes detergent phosphors glow Black robes, how they cool in hot weather Book numbers based on Dewey Decimals Canned food, how it goes bad Ceiling fans, which way is 'forward' Ceiling fans, which way to blow in summer Concrete has been used since ancient times Dots on windshields Dry ice, why it feels like it burns Escalators, walking up one that's stopped Fans cool with wind chill Fans, 3-speed models jump to HIGH first Glow in the dark, material that does it Glue, why it doesn't stick inside bottles GPS and finding your way in a blizzard Infrared night vision, how it works Lifesavers only have four colors on its package Light bulbs, why they get bright before burn out Nickels, heads and tails of U.S. coins Power lines, how much energy they lose Power lines, not a threat to health Power lines, why they sizzle Rock salt, why it's kept in cone-shaped buildings Septic tanks, how often to pump out Smoke alarm battery failure Sounds that grate our ears Sponges, why new ones are damp Stainless steel, why is it stainless Swamp (evaporative) coolers, how they work Teflon, how do they make it stick to pans Three-way light bulbs have two filaments Trucks, drivers idle them to save money UV light activates darkening sunglasses

Trees and other plants
		Chile peppers, how hot are they Cloned trees, do they look alike Death of plants, how to know it has occurred Evergreens, why do they stay green Fairy rings caused by fungus Fall color, effects of drought Fall color, why leaves change Flowers advertise with color Indian corn, why some kernels are colored Pine trees, why do they have needles Plants grow up with gravity's help Plants love light, especially from the sun Red leaves could screen the sun Redwood trees, how they pump water to tops Tree sap doesn't go away in winter Watermelon seeds don't need legs to travel

* Question and answer are one of three in a week's column, scroll down when you get to the page to find them.

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