Tiny water spiders spend their lives underwater, even though they need to breathe air! They collect large air bubbles from the surface and carry them underwater. The bubbles absorb oxygen from the water, meaning each can last more than a day! If you catch one pond dipping, look for a silvery air bubble clinging to its hairy body.
This water spider, or diving bell spider, has a nifty trick for breathing underwater!
Now that you’ve discovered how water spiders breathe underwater, why not show a friend and amaze them with this fascinating piece of nature?
Star Wars fans will remember the 3D hologram of Princess Leia projected by R2-D2. Now, British scientists have developed a way of making holograms that can be seen, heard and felt! Here’s a video of this new technology in action:
Have you been reading about holograms in Whizz Pop Bang: POLAR SCIENCE? Pretty amazing, aren’t they? Read more about this story in the Polar Science issue – on sale now!
Are mountains of festive plastic tat making your Christmas feel a little less than magical? Being an eco-warrior, a super-parent AND Father Christmas can be exhausting stuff, so we’ve sought out some present ideas that bring more cheer and less guilt.
Looking for plastic-free gifts, ethical present ideas, green gifts and other ways to have a green Christmas and make a difference at his time of year? Keep scrolling…
Junko junk modelling kits, from £9.99, www.planetjunko.com
Make junk into toys with this super-creative, eco-friendly toy! Each kit contains a variety of accessories (including wheels, paddle wheels, floats, rubber band drives and more) along with plenty of clip-on and magnetic fixings that can be combined to turn household junk into almost anything you can imagine.
Invented by a dad who wanted to avoid throwaway plastic toys, Junko is fully reusable and made from recycled plastic in England. Its system of clips, magnetic fixings and accessories take junk modelling up a notch, encouraging imaginative play, problem solving and serious FUN!
Whizz Pop Bang subscription, from £20.99, www.whizzpopbang.com
Want to give the gift of science wonder every month of the year? A subscription to Whizz Pop Bang magazine sends science learning and fun rocketing through your letterbox, every single month, with no plastic tat in sight! ⠀
And as if that’s not enough…⠀ 🌳 Printed with vegetable inks on paper from FSC/PEFC suppliers 🌳 Delivered in paper envelopes⠀ 🌳 Advert-free⠀ 🌳 Activities and experiments often reuse household items (like the content of your recycling box and shed!)⠀
First up is an amazing shop dedicated to plastic-free gifts: EcoVibe. From craft kits to lunch bags, building blocks to origami kits, this website promises an easy conscience for all of Santa’s elves. It’s worth having a peek at their adult self-care range too – you might need some TLC after all that shopping!
Throw it and grow it with these easy-gardening seedboms (packed with native wildflower and herb seeds in peat-free compost). There’s even an accompanying books, There’s a Tiger in the Garden, if you’re buying for a younger child (age 4-7). We also love the Make a Pizza for the Birds kit – tasty treats for little tweeters!
Dino Snores for Kids sleepover, £65 per person, www.nhm.ac.uk
Prefer dinosaurs to reindeer? If you’re looking for something that most definitely won’t get lost under the bed, the Natural History Museum’s dino-snores sleepovers offers a thrilling experience to wander the corridors of the pre-historic after dark. Explore a torch-lit trail, make a dinosaur t-shirt and watch a science show. That’s a present they certainly won’t forget!
Adopt a polar bear, from £3 per month, www.wwf.org.uk
Have your kids asked for a puppy for Christmas? How about a polar bear instead? The WWF offers a huge range of animals to ‘adopt’ for Christmas, without the extra hassle of walkies, litter trays and vet bills! From £3 a month, (or from a £36 one-off payment), your little animals will receive a fact pack and regular updates on how their animal is faring in the wild. Upgrade to £5 per month and they’ll get a soft toy of your chosen animal, too! Best of all, your well-earned money will be spent directly on helping the species.
It’s DAY FOUR of WHIZZ POP BANG’s SEVEN DAYS OF PRIZES!
This month’s Whizz Pop Bang magazine is all about SCIENCE SUPERPOWERS, so we’ve arranged a competition that is all about a real-life superhero who wants to save the Earth: Greta Thunberg!
We’ve got six copies of We Are All Greta by Valentina Gianella to give away! This beautifully illustrated book will take you on a journey of hope, resilience and curiosity as we take a a look inside Greta’s life. From drinking water to fossil fuels, from hashtags to education, the book is packed with scientific facts and ideas of things we can all do to help protect our planet.
Just answer this question in the comments to be in with a chance of winning one of six copies!
How many trees are cut down every year?*
1. 15 2. Around 15 million 3. Up to 15 billion
*According to figures reported by WWF
This competition closes on 31st December 2019. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
If you’ve read the SCIENCE HEROES feature in WHIZZ POP BANG: SCIENCE SUPERPOWERS, you’ll know all about Professor E. Paul Zehr. He’s a neuroscientist, author and martial artist who studies the adaptability of the human body at the University of Victoria, Canada.
We’ve got two of Paul’s books about the science behind superpowers to give away. PROJECT SUPERHERO is aimed at readers aged 8 – 12, while CHASING CAPTAIN AMERICA is for adults, so here’s a prize you can share with your parents, grandparents, Scout leader, next-door neighbour, or any other grown up superhero fans you know!
PROJECT SUPERHERO is the diary of Jessie, a 13 year old girl who is doing project on superheroes. Read advice from real-life heroes (including Olympian Clara Hughes, sailor Jessica Watson and Captain Marvel writer Kelly Sue De Connick) as one ordinary girl investigates what it would take to be Batgirl.
CHASING CAPTAIN AMERICA: How advances in science, engineering, and biotechnology will produce a superhuman is a book for adults about whether we can create a real-life superhuman by changing human biology itself!
To be in with a chance of winning these two books, just answer this question in the comments:
How long can a naked mole rat survive without any oxygen?
18 seconds
18 minutes
18 hours
This competition closes at midnight on 31st December 2019. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
Are you looking for free experiments for kids? Here’s an easy science experiment that doesn’t need any special materials or skills, just bags of curiosity…
This decomposing experiment is a great way to show composting in action. If you’re looking for STEM activities for primary school or home school science lessons about living things and habitats, this investigation is a winner!
Keep scrolling to be in with a chance of winning some awesome, earth-friendly prizes, too!
Decomposing experiment for kids
Rotting Rubbish decomposing experiment from Whizz Pop Bang science magazine for kids
For this experiment you will need:
Two jam jars of the same size
Two pieces of old fabric
Two elastic bands
Compost or soil
Finely chopped banana or other fruit
Small pieces of plastic or polystyrene
The decomposing experiment
Set up the experiment as shown. Each jar should contain the same depth of compost.
Sprinkle a few drops of water over the fruit and plastic.
Leave the experiment for at least five days, noting any changes in the jars.
You should find the fruit will have started to rot but the plastic will be unaltered. Bacteria and fungi eat food waste, helping it to rot, but they don’t usually eat plastic. The plastic won’t start to rot for another 450 years, so don’t wait around! After the experiment, you can reuse the jars and recycle the plastic.
COMPETITION TIME! WIN A SET OF PATCH BAMBOO PLASTERS FOR YOUR FAMILY…
PATCH plasters are made from 100% organic bamboo
PATCH adhesive bandages are crafted with 100% organic bamboo fibrewith the added natural goodness of activated charcoal, aloe vera and coconut oil.
Did you know that most plasters contain plastic and so take a very long time to degrade? PATCH adhesive strips are wound coverings made from organic bamboo which break down in just a few weeks after they’ve been used.
Watch how PATCH plasters biodegrade…
Independently tested, PATCH Bamboo Plasters will break down naturally into the soil in a matter of weeks, making it the world’s first natural, organic bamboo plaster that is 100% compostable
We’ve got two sets of PATCH Bamboo Plasters to give away to two lucky Whizz Pop Bang readers! Each winner will get 25 Light Bamboo Patches (to help repair minor cuts), 25 Coconut Oil Patches (to soothe grazes), 25 Aloe Vera Patches (ideal for minor burns and blisters) and 25 Black Bamboo with Activated Charcoal Patches (for bites and splinters).
Grazed knees have never looked so good (or been so kind to the
planet!)
PATCH, the natural alternative to wound care that just loves your skin! LATEX FREE – PARABEN FREE-THIMEROSAL FREE – CRUELTY FREE
To enter this competition, answer this bamboo-zling question in the comments box below:
Bamboo is….
The slowest-growing
plant on the planet
The most
expensive plant on the planet
The
fastest-growing plant on the planet
This competition closes at midnight on 31st July 2019. For full terms and conditions visit whizzpopbang.com/terms
PATCH is available to buy from www.patchstrips.eu and from mid-July, you will be able to buy PATCH in most Holland & Barrett and Superdrug stores across the UK.
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell of Manchester University
Tomorrow, Tuesday 18th June, over 62,000 children are taking part in the Great Science Share for Schools to share their science learning.
The Great Science Share is about children communicating something that they have been investigating which starts with a question that they are interested in. By promoting child-centred learning in science, the campaign provides opportunity for young people to communicate their scientific questions and investigations to new audiences – in their own words and ways. They will even grill University and civic leaders on matters of climate crisis.
WHERE? All over the world! Schools across the UK, Nigeria, Brazil and India are taking part. See if schools near you are having an event on the map below, or visit greatscienceshare.org for the interactive map.
Great Science Share for schools map of satellite events
The national campaign led by The University of Manchester aims to inspire young people from across the UK and overseas to share their science learning with new audiences. Children and teachers from schools as far afield as Nigeria, India and Brazil, are getting involved alongside children from Great Ormond Street and Manchester Hospital Schools.
The Great Science Share for Schools’ UK flagship event will take place at The University of Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery on Tuesday, 18 June. This will see hundreds of children from 45 primary schools across Greater Manchester demonstrating their own science investigations to each other on campus.
Are your children taking part? Is your school hosting a satellite event? Share your experiences!
The consequences of plastic pollution are at the forefront of the Manchester event, as Derby High School students share their findings through a specially choreographed dance, whilst other children from Park View Community School have considered what a non-plastic world might look like. This year it’s evident that children are concerned with the environment and how they can use science and engineering to improve lives.
Students will also be putting questions to Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell and Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Abid Latif Chohan about what current and aspiring scientists alike can help address some of the planets biggest problems.
“Once again the Great Science Share for Schools has grown and it’s outstanding to see how such a simple concept can spread so wide. We are proud to be able to give children an opportunity where their scientific questions and interest are valued.”
Dr Lynne Bianchi, Head of SEERIH (Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub)
Are your kids obsessed with space and the wonder of black holes? This intriguing 50p coin was recently released by the Royal Mint to commemorate the life and achievements of physicist and cosmologist, Professor Stephen Hawking. It’s the perfect gift for science lovers (of any age!).
A little piece of genius
Who’d have thought it was possible to fit a black hole onto a 50p piece?! Professor Hawking is renowned for his incredible discoveries about space, including the Bekenstein-Hawking theory, which relates to black hole entropy. This complex formula features alongside a brilliant graphic of a black hole on one side of the coin.
Image: Zero Gravity Corp
A clever celebration
Hawking’s daughter, Lucy, says, “It is a great privilege to be featured on a coin and I hope my father would be pleased to be alongside Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin as scientists who have made it on to money.” It’s a fitting way to honor a lifetime of incredible contributions to science.
Build a collection
Unfortunately, this little beauty isn’t going to turn up in your supermarket change as it’s not being put into general circulation, but if you know a Hawking-in-the-making who would love to add this to their science kit, head to the Royal Mint’s online shop
It’s available in to buy in a commemorative pack – what a perfect present for a science or space fan!
And there’s more…
Image credit royalmint.com
The Royal Mint have announced that this is the first in a series of four 50p coins celebrating innovators in science, but are keeping the specific subjects of the next three under wraps. A complete set would make amazing science gifts for girls and boys. Which famous scientists would you like to see on future 50p coins? Let us know in the comments!
We’ve got 5 of these Nick Baker wiggly Worm World kits to give away in our RUBBISH SCIENCE issue! Enter the competition on page 33 and get your entries in by 10th Feb. Good luck!
Big shout out to our 10 Awesomely Amazing recycling heroes in our RUBBISH SCIENCE issue!
♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️
1. Melati and Isabel Wijsen who set up Bye Bye Plastic Bags
2. Sammie Vance with her recycled plastic buddy benches
3. Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu who set up soleRebels designing shoes from old tyres
4. Ryan Hickman, age 9 runs his own recycling company
5. Aaron Westbrook 3D prints prosthetic limbs from recycled plastic
6. Anna Bullus who set up Gumdrop ltd making shoes with pink soles from recycled gum
7. Esther Bird campaigned to stop single-use plastics being used at her school
8. Julia Bray, Ashton Cofer and Luke and Natalie Clay converted styrofoam cups into activated carbon
9. Zymal Umer set up Zee Bags to make gift bags from recycled newspaper
10. Amy and Ella Meek from Kids Against Plastic campaign to help families, cafes and councils to be ‘Plastic Clever’
So inspiring to see so many kids taking the initiative, the future’s looking greener everyone! 👍🏽
