Author: Lisa Mungovan

A study in the United Kingdom, showed that some kids actually improved their reading skills, during the pandemic. When schools were closed during lockdown, many children were reading longer, more challenging books. Although they couldn’t see friends, or travel outside their home, they found plenty of adventures as they explored the world in books.

Australia is a pretty sunny country, so Australians are taking advantage of their weather, by installing solar panels. By the end of last year, 2.68 million homes had rooftop solar panels. That means 1 out of every 4 households, are powered by the sun. Solar energy is a smart way to produce clean power.

Did you know there’s a thing that can happen in space, called spaghettification? It sometimes occurs when a star is trapped, by a black hole’s gravitational pull. As the star gets torn apart, debris can stretch into a long line, like a noodle, that wraps around into the mouth of the black hole.

For people who can’t swim, water can be scary. A type of wetsuit, called the Floater, keeps the whole body buoyant, so people with a fear of water can finally learn to swim. It also helps people with disabilities enjoy the water. Time for a nice relaxing float, on Learn To Swim Day!

Today is Chocolate Chip Day. Will you use them in pancakes, cookies, or pizza? You decide! It’s also Bring Flowers To Someone Day. Your bouquet doesn’t have to be fancy. Pick a bunch of dandelions and clover. Lots of weeds have beautiful little flowers, so you can make a micro-bouquet.

An incredible bookstore in China called Dujiangyan Zhongshuge, carries over 80,000 books. It has spiral staircases to reach the volumes on higher shelves, and the bookstore is also lined with mirrors, that make it look like the books stretch to infinity. It creates the illusion, of a magical never-ending tower of books.

If you’re ever wandering around thirsty in a desert, find a donkey. Researchers discovered that wild horses and donkeys in the American southwest, dig wells with their hooves. They create new sources of fresh water, that all animals can use. The 95,000 wild equids in the desert, are helping the whole ecosystem stay hydrated.

2000 years ago, humans had a lot more different microbes, living in their bellies. After analyzing human coprolites, which is the name for fossilized poop, scientists found many gut microbes, that had never been seen before. Microbes keep your body healthy, but the modern microbiome is less diverse. It could explain some modern-day diseases.

Scientists were surprised to find a link, between running faster and pink drinks. In a small experiment, runners ran faster and longer after rinsing their mouths with a pink-colored liquid, than with a colorless one. It tricked their brains into thinking the solutions were sweeter, and made running less tiring and more fun.

Whether it’s sunny or not, be sure to wear your sunglasses today, because it’s Shades Day. They’ll protect your eyes from the sun, keep people from seeing you take a nap, and make you look super-cool while you do the Chicken Dance. It’s Dance Like A Chicken Day, so get those arms flapping!