Cool Science from Science North

How to be a rocket scientist

Application — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:45:15 GMT

Inflate a balloon. Then let it go. Congratulations! You are now a rocket scientist.

Lizards in Ontario

Application — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 10:11:09 GMT

Do we have lizards in Ontario? Ontario has one native species of lizard called a five-lined skink.

Spice: It's getting hot in here

Application — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 05:27:53 GMT

When it comes to taste, we most often think about flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami – but where do “hot” or spicy foods fit in? Strangely enough, what you experience when you bite into a hot pepper isn’t really a flavour – it’s actually something closer to pain.

The surprising connection between 3D printers and honey bees

Application — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 11:06:49 GMT

Honey bees and 3D printers may create different structures but they both seem to use the same blueprints!

The science of igloos

Application — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 06:11:37 GMT

Could you build your home in under an hour? If you and a friend were experienced igloo builders and you had the right type of snow, you could!

Can't stop the hiccups?

Application — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 07:59:40 GMT

Why do we get hiccups? What causes them? And what actually makes hiccups stop? Hiccups are a bit of a mystery. They are caused by involuntary contractions of your diaphragm.

Update: Baby rat snakes

Application — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 11:10:51 GMT

In July 2013, our female Gray Ratsnake laid eggs and two months later, they hatched, marking the first time that snakes were hatched at Science North!

The explaining of the shrew

Application — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 12:44:00 GMT

Have you ever gotten a glimpse of a grey furry critter running out from the stack of boxes in the corner of your basement? Your first thought was probably "Drats! I have a mouse in my house!" The truth is it may not be a mouse, it may not even be a rodent; it could be a shrew.

How many snowflakes?

Application — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 07:58:00 GMT

My math skills are really being put to the test on this question, but some mathematical modelling presented at the Eastern Snow Conference in 2006 estimates that 3 followed by 38 zeroes of snowflakes have fallen on our planet to date. That's a HUGE number!

Who will be the next great thinker?

Application — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 05:25:00 GMT

Most people have no idea what Charles Darwin, the grandfather of evolution, was really like before he published his famous work. His ideas provided the vehicle to explain the variation in species observed across time and geographical space, but he was anything but obscure among his contemporaries prior to this.

Good roach, bad roach

Application — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 12:12:28 GMT

There are more than 4000 species of cockroach in the world. The World Health Organization list only 10 of those species as pests.

Making outdoor ice in California

Application — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 07:08:40 GMT

How do you make an outdoor rink in Los Angeles? Hockey fans across the United States and Canada have been enjoying a series of hockey games played outdoors.

The gall of that Goldenrod

Application — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:51:55 GMT

What are these round balls I've seen on plant stems? These are galls (outgrowths) on a Goldenrod, a flowering plant found throughout North America. These galls are quite common and are caused by an insect called the Goldenrod Gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis).

Vexed by the polar vortex

Application — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 12:16:02 GMT

Brrrrrrrr! This has been a chilly winter. We've been hearing of this phenomenon called a polar vortex that has been afflicting bone-chilling temperatures across most of eastern North America. While this weather phenomenon is out of the ordinary, it's not the first time it has occurred and it certainly won't be the last.

Why is Mars red?

Application — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 12:11:51 GMT

The planet Mars is associated with the colour red in many different languages and stories throughout human history, because of its vivid appearance in the night sky. What gives the “red planet” its characteristic colour? The simple answer is rust.

What does a fox REALLY say?

Application — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 06:51:05 GMT

What does a fox say? I actually know what a fox “says”. But to answer this question, we need to better understand the biology and ecology of foxes.

Ask a Scientist: Porcupine odour

Application — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:29:54 GMT

Why does the porcupine smell like body odour? Both male and female porcupines defend territories. Females defend larger territories than males and often, the males’ territories will over lap. They mark their territory by urinating.

Inuit Throat Singing, Dead Turtles & Extinction Events: November's Local Science News

Web — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 07:58:58 GMT

Inuit Throat Singing, Dead Turtles &amp; Extinction Events: November's Local Science News 2013-12-03 marioparise true Web Developer sciencenorth false Inuit throat singers to be featured in museum karaoke booth Science North's upcoming Arctic Voices exhibit is already making waves: “Now we’re g

Tasty Science: How do miracle berries work?

Application — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 05:45:29 GMT

We know that potato chips taste salty, coffee tastes bitter, and lemons taste sweet. Wait...sweet? Lemons can taste sweet, if you trick your taste buds - and it's a lot easier to do than you might think.

Is Canada's identity tied to the Arctic?

Application — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 10:09:17 GMT

If you hear the words ‘courtesy’, ‘parliament’ and ‘Timbits’, what do you think of? What if we add the word ‘snow’. A lot of snow. Chances are you’re thinking of our great and snowy nation, Canada – the true North strong and free. Not only is Canada’s North an integral part of our Canadian identity, it’s an integral part of our physical geography as well.