Viruses - They're Not Just For Computers

Influenza (say: in-floo-en-zah) is also called the flu. It's an infection that causes fever, chills, cough, body aches, headaches, and sometimes earaches or sinus problems. The flu is caused by the influenza virus. A virus is a microorganism (say: my-croh-or-gah-nih-zum), which means it's so small that you can't see it without a strong microscope.

How Does the Flu Spread?

This virus gets around in little drops that spray out of an infected person's mouth and nose when he or she sneezes coughs, or even laughs. You can catch the flu from someone who has it if you breathe in some of those tiny flu-infected drops. You can also catch the flu if those drops get on your hands and you touch your mouth or nose. No wonder people are always saying to cover your mouth when you sneeze!

What To Do If The Flu Finds You

Rest in bed or on the couch.
Drink lots of liquids, like water, chicken broth, and other fluids.
Take the medicine your mom or dad gives you to ease your fever, aches, and pains.
Tell your mom or dad if you have trouble breathing, your muscles really hurt, or if you feel confused. These are signs you may need to see the doctor.
Most of the time, you'll feel better in a week or two. Until then, you'll have to stay home from school and take it easy.

The Mad Scientist is an artist too!

Tomatoes in Space!

Tomatosphere is a research project involving more than 9,000 classrooms of Grades 2 to grade 10 students ("Tomatonauts") across Canada, the United States and several other nations.

Students will grow tomato seeds to help with research regarding travelling to Mars! One group of seeds is a control group; these seeds have had no special treatment. A second group of seeds have been placed in an environment to simulate the effects of space travel, as might occur when entering the atmosphere of Mars.

Why send tomato seeds into space?

Food availability and life support are major limiting factors in extended space travel and exploration. Plants will be needed to provide a source of fresh, nutritious food and to generate a vital life support system - the addition of oxygen and water to the closed environment aboard the space vehicle, and the removal of carbon dioxide from the space vehicle's air. Scientists need to know how extended periods of time in space affects the germination and growth of plants.

For more information get a grown up to find the tomatosphere web site for you. We won't be posting any links on this blog because the Mad Scientist knows that kids should always be with a grown up when they go to a new web site.

Thanks to Deb for this cool information!

The Silly Scientist Guy

Lightbulb Dude!

A Mazing Beans!

The Mad Scientist's cousin who is teaching in Europe suggests we have fun trying to teach a bean to grow through a maze. We'll take pictures as we go along.

You will need a bean seed, a shoe box with a lid, (you could decorate it first), a small pot or cup to grow a bean runner in, strong tape, cardboard or Styrofoam to make the maze levels. If any light is coming into the box other than the sunlight through the top hole, you'll need to paint the shoebox a dark colour.To grow the plant in a shoebox, plant a bean or something that will grow quite long. I'd start it and once it gets a few inches long it's ready to go.

Take a shoebox - you need the lid. Cut a hole (fairly big - the size of a tea light candle) in 1 end of the box. Use cardboard, Styrofoam whatever to make a simple maze in the box. The plant will grow over, under and around the "maze" if it's not too complicated and it gets enough light.

Put the plant in 1 end (opposite the hole) and place the box so that the hole faces a lot of light. The idea is that the plant will grow through the maze towards the light. The lid of the box is on the whole time.

Remember to water your plant sometimes so don't tape your box lid closed.

layered liquids

What you will need:cold water,food dye,vegetable oil,a small clean clear jar,golden syrup.
1.)half-fill a glasswith cold water and add a few dropsof food dye.then,stir the water with a teaspoon,to mix in the food dye.
2.)spoon four tablespoons of vegetable oil into a small glass jar.then,slowly add four tablespoons
of dyed water and see what happens.
3.)slowly add four tablespoons of golden syrup to the jar with a spoon.then,watch to see what
happens to the three liquids in the jar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

magic flowers

What you will need:white carnation flower,a clean clear vase or glass that can make the flower stand straight in the vase, food dye or ink
1.)take the leaves off the stem leave it out of the water for an hour.
then pour five oz of water into the vase
2.)mix one tea spoon of food dye into the water.
cut of the end of the flower stem,then put the flower in the water.leave it for a few hours

A Fizzy Experiment

What you will need:

A bowl, baking soda, vinagar. (Food colouring is optional)

Take the bowl and then take the baking soda and pour it in the bowl.
Now pour the vinagar in the bowl.

THEN SEE WHAT HAPPENS!!!!!!!!!!!