Fish live in water, but do they feel thirsty, and how do they drink water safely if they live in the sea? Of course, we don’t know what a fish actually feels, but they do need water to stay alive. Fish take on water either by drinking or absorbing water through the skin and gills…
At what temperature are Fahrenheit and Celsius equal? When checking what to pack for a holiday, you need to know whether the temperature is in Celsius or Fahrenheit. 40°F is winter coat weather, but 40 °C is a very hot day! Celsius and Fahrenheit are both temperature scales, it’s a bit like measuring the same…
Have you ever wondered why the skin on your fingers and toes shrivels up in the bath when other body parts stay the same? In the past, people thought wrinkly skin was caused by the fingers and toes absorbing water, but this isn’t correct. When nerves detect that skin has been wet for a period…
Have you ever wondered how plants know when it’s time to grow? It’s all down to something called photoperiodism. Plants have internal clocks that detect when daylight hours start to increase. What happens if it’s unusually warm but daylight hours are still short? When it’s warm but hours of daylight are short, or vice versa,…
British Science Week is an annual event celebrating science, technology, engineering and maths. It’s always a wonderfully inspirational 10 days full of smiling faces and great science. This year, the theme is Curiosity: What’s your question? There are some brilliant packs full of activity ideas on the British Science Week website, but I thought I’d…
My children ask questions ALL the time, which I love, but I don’t always know the answer, or if I do, sometimes it’s hard to explain properly to a smaller person. I’ve pulled together a list of the most common science questions kids ask, so you know where to come next time you’re a bit…
Have you ever wondered why dogs have cold, wet noses? It might seem strange for a warm-blooded animal to have a cold, wet nose, but it’s actually a fantastic adaptation that supercharges a dog’s sense of smell and helps to regulate their body temperature. Cold nose and sense of smell A dog’s nose is covered…
Did you know that no two snowflakes are the same? Snowflakes all take slightly different paths to the ground as they form, which is why each one is unique. How do snowflakes form? Snowflakes start with a tiny speck of pollen or dust floating in a cloud that acts as a seed. When a very…
Have you ever wondered why you can see your breath on a cold day? It’s because of condensation. The air you breathe out is warm (close to body temperature) and very moist. When you breathe the warm air out, it immediately cools when it meets the cold air outside and reaches its dew point (…
Enzymes are biological catalysts. In simple terms, they speed up chemical reactions. Living organisms have chemical reactions happening in them all the time. One way enzymes are used is to break down large molecules. For example, enzymes called carbohydrases convert carbohydrates into simple sugars. This type of reaction needs to be carefully controlled. Reactions outside…
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