(DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

Cool science ON THE TRUE OR FALSE? 299
MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE




A sheep, a duck, and a rooster became
the first aircraft passengers when they flew in the
Montgolfier Brothers’ hot-air balloon in 1783.
The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft,
and can carry 853 people. The smallest piloted aircraft
ever made was the Bumble Bee II, which was
large enough only for the person flying it.
Bumble Bee II wingspan: 5.6 ft (1.68 m)











Airbus A380 wingspan: 261.8 ft (79.8 m)

GREAT INVENTIONS OVER THE YEARS





SMARTPHONE
AT 115 DECIBELS, A BABY’S CRY IS ELECTRONIC COMPUTER 2007
LOUDER THAN A TYPICAL CAR HORN. 1940s
TELESCOPE
LIGHTHOUSE FIREWORKS 1608
c. 280 bce c. 1000 ce

500 bce 0 500 ce 1000 1500 2000

PRINTING PRESS
1455
SCISSORS TELEPHONE
c. 100 ce 1876

WORLD WIDE WEB
1990




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300

Earth is the largest rocky planet.
Its crust consists of seven large
moving plates that rub together,
making mountains and volcanoes.
The landscape is constantly
changing due to the effects of
wind, water, ice, and ranging
temperatures, as well
as the impact of human
activity and settlement.




What are
the record high
and low
temperatures
on Earth?




The equator
receives the
most sunlight,
while the North
and South Poles
get the least.



During the
last 10,000 years,
25 percent of Earth’s
forests have been
cleared to make room
for farms and homes.
WATCHING THE WORLD

Launched in 2013, Landsat 8
is now orbiting our planet. It is
the latest in a series of Landsat
craft that together have made
the longest continuous record of
Earth’s land from space. Other
craft collect data on our planet’s
oceans and atmosphere, as well More than two-
as topical issues such as climate thirds of Earth’s
surface is water.
change and car emissions.





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TRUE OR FALSE? 301
Earth is a
TRUE or
FALSE?
perfect sphere




Astronauts dubbed our planet the “blue

marble,” but the notion that it is spherical
falls flat. With its mountains and valleys,

it is clear that Earth’s lumps and bumps
can never be whipped into perfect
shape. Instead, our planet is an oblate

spheroid—a sphere squashed at the
ends and swollen in the middle.




Earth’s
circumference FAST FACTS
is 24,900 miles
(40,074 km).
EARTH IS MANTLE
Earth’s oceans OUTER CORE
formed when steam THE DENSEST of molten
in the young planet’s OF ALL THE PLANETS metal
atmosphere condensed INNER CORE
into water and fell This is because Earth contains a lot of solid
metal
to the surface. of iron. Both its solid inner core and
molten outer core are mainly iron, EARTH
while the rest of the core is nickel.

SUN’S 5,000 THE TEMPERATURE AT
SURFACE 8,000 EARTH’S
9,900°F 4,000 CORE EARTH’S CORE IS
(5,500°C) 6,000 10,112ºF
3,000 (5,600ºC) 10,112ºF (5,600ºC)
2,000 4,000
That’s as hot as the sun’s surface! Thankfully,
1,000 2,000
the earth’s surface is much cooler—the average
0 0 global temperature is 59ºF (15ºC). The hottest
EARTH’S AVERAGE regions of the surface are near the equator,
TEMPERATURE °C °F while the coldest are near its two poles.
59°F (15°C)


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302
There is a dark
TRUE or
FALSE?

side of the Moon



Many moons ago, sky-gazers speculated

about a mysterious dark side of the
Moon that we never get to see because

the same side of the Moon always faces
Earth. Thanks to lunar landings and
satellite surveillance, we’re no longer

in the dark about the far side. Photographs of the
far side of the Moon
have been taken,
showing that the
far side gets just as
much sunlight as
the near side.

TIDAL FORCE














The Moon produces the daily tides in Earth’s
oceans. Gravitational forces on the Moon pull
on the water, creating bulges in the sea on
either side of the planet. These bulges cause
the regular rise and fall of the water level at
the sea’s edge that we call tides. The world’s
most extreme tides occur at the Bay of Fundy
in Canada (shown above at low and high tide).





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TRUE OR FALSE? 303
There is a dark Hundreds of millions of years ago, the Moon rotated FAST FACTS
much more quickly than it does today, taking less time to
orbit Earth. As the Moon’s gravity slowed Earth’s spin, the
side of the Moon Moon took longer to orbit Earth and its spin slowed down. IF YOU
Today, the Moon takes 27.3 days to make one rotation on
its axis, and to complete one orbit around our planet. Since
STEPPED ON
the rotation and orbit times are equal, the same side of the
THE MOON, YOUR
Moon is permanently visible to us on Earth.
FOOTPRINTS MIGHT
The sun’s light STAY THERE FOREVER
A dusting of rock and soil sweeps around the
covers the cratered surface. Moon as it spins, just This is because, unlike on Earth, there is no
Most craters formed in the as it does on Earth. wind or water to blow or wash the footprints
first 750 million years of the The Moon’s shine is away. The Moon doesn’t have volcanoes either,
Moon’s life when asteroids this reflected sunlight. so its surface stays the same. It is possible
made their mark. that future visitors may wipe out the footprints,
or they could wear away as meteorites strike
the surface of the Moon.
THE MOON IS THE MOST
POPULAR DESTINATION
FOR SPACECRAFT
Since the first one arrived in 1959, more than
60 spacecraft have visited the Moon. Astronauts
on the Apollo 8 spacecraft were the first to see
the dark side of the Moon in 1968.



1959 LUNA 3 1969 APOLLO 11
a flyby, took the first first humans to
images of the far side land on the Moon


2007 CHANG’E 1 2009 LUNAR
China’s first RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER
lunar orbiter currently mapping the Moon



Why does the
Moon turn
red during
an eclipse? A flag was planted there by American
astronaut Neil Armstrong in 1969 when
he became the first person to step on the
Moon, but it was blown down by the rocket
exhaust as the astronauts blasted off for
home. However, flags from other Apollo
missions still stand on the lunar surface.





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304
The sun is yellow
TRUE or
FALSE?

Children’s drawings of bright yellow
sunshine capture its true color. This
big ball of glowing gas is a yellow

star. But there’s nothing mellow
about this yellow. The sun is

seriously hot stuff, with Where on
Earth is it
a sizzling surface of sunny during
9,900°F (5,500°C). the night?






SOLAR POWER











At close range, the sun’s surface
is a hotbed of activity. Gas jets,
called spicules, fire up repeatedly.
Great looping clouds and swaths
of cooler gas, called prominences,
reach into space. The distinctive
orange-peel texture of the surface,
known as granulation, comes from Clouds, called
gas cells rising up constantly. prominences,
extend into space
for hundreds of
thousands of miles.
The sun’s rays take
more than eight minutes
to reach our skin.




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TRUE OR FALSE? 305
The sun is yellow The sun looks yellow from Earth or space, but it
looks more yellow on Earth due to the atmosphere.
If you viewed the sun from a mountaintop, the
yellow intensity would reduce because there is
less air. We are so familiar with depictions of the
yellow sun that astronomers artificially enhance
images to make them more yellow.

FAST FACTS

THE SUN CONTAINS

Spacecraft SOHO 330,000
(Solar and Heliospheric TIMES MORE
Observatory)
photographs the sun MATERIAL
and studies the surface. THAN EARTH
White areas,
called faculae, are
the hottest regions Everything in our solar system revolves around
of the sun. this massive star. Up until the 16th century,
however, it was believed that Earth was at the
heart of everything, and that the sun and planets
circled around it.

BIRTH OF
THE SUN


Darker 10 BILLION SUN TIMELINE
sunspots are YEARS
cooler areas Red giant
stage
of the sun. 4.6 BILLION
YEARS
The sun now
THERE WILL BE ANOTHER
The circumference FIVE BILLION
of the sun is YEARS OF SUNSHINE
2.7 million miles
(4.4 million km). The sun is currently middle-aged because
its rays have already been shining for at least
4.6 billion years. Toward the end of its life,
during the red giant stage, the sun will expand
to about 100 times its size, cool, and turn red.
The sun will start to die as material is shed from
The sun is three-quarters its outer layers. What remains of the dying star
hydrogen and almost all will pack together to make a star about the same
the rest is helium, held size as Earth, called a white dwarf. This will fade
and cool to become a cold, dark cinder in space.
together by gravity.



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Starlight is
TRUE or
FALSE?
millions of years old




When you look up at the stars, you’re seeing
their original light created many thousands or

even millions of years before. A light-year is the
distance light travels in a year—a mind-boggling
5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion km), so the light of a

star millions of light-years away has taken
millions of years to reach us.

The light we see from
The atmosphere these stars left before
surrounding Earth the Great Pyramid was
makes stars appear built in Egypt.
to twinkle in the sky. JEWEL BOX


STAR CYCLE million years old years old
Cluster of stars
about 10 million

NEBULA
TARANTULA
Very young stars,
between one and two




A star is born in a cloud of gas
and dust. When nuclear reactions
start, the star releases energy and
shines steadily. It swells into a red
giant or a supergiant. Most stars
die slowly, but the massive ones
explode as brilliant supernovas.





US_306-307_187013_Stars.indd 306 20/12/17 5:19 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 307
Starlight is find out which stars produce the most light by FAST FACTS
Stars produce different amounts of light. We
comparing their luminosity—the energy a star
emits in just one second. The brightest stars THE HOTTEST STARS
millions of years old release more than six million times the light ARE BLUE
of the sun, while the least luminous stars
You might expect the hottest stars
create less than one ten-thousandth.
to be red, and the coolest to be
blue, but in fact it’s the other
way around. Blue stars reach a
Are there more Heat and light temperature of about 72,000°F
(40,000°C), while red stars get
stars in the are produced no hotter than 7,200°F (4,000°C).
sky or grains when hydrogen
of sand turns into helium HOW A STAR DIES DEPENDS ON
gas inside the
on Earth? star’s core. ITS MASS—THE AMOUNT OF
MATERIAL IT IS MADE FROM
Massive stars can blow up, but SUNLIKE RED GIANT PLANETARY
Light from these stars we may not know for thousands of STAR NEBULA
takes 16,000 years to years. We see how the star looked
reach Earth. This cluster when the light left years ago.
is like a beehive swarm MASSIVE STAR RED SUPERGIANT SUPERNOVA
of 10 million stars.
Sunlike stars shine brightly for billions of years.
Late in life, they expand to become a cooler,
brighter star called a red giant. It sheds
its outer layers, called a planetary
nebula. Stars with more than eight
times the sun’s mass last only
a few million years. They become
supergiants, which explode as
supernovas and leave a neutron
star or a black hole behind.










OMEGA
CENTAURI

Ancient stars more than
10 billion years old










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308



YOU CAN SEE MORE STARS IN THE COUNTRY On a clear, moonless night using just your eyes, about 300 stars are visible from the city, and about 1,000 in a darker small-town sky. In the darkest countryside about 3,000 are visible; use binoculars and you’ll see more than 40,000. Why do some stars shine brig















ADHARA Epsilon CMa Part of Canis Major, Sirius (or the “Dog Star”) is the brightest star in the sky, burning 20 times brighter than the sun.




POLLUX Beta Gem


BETELGEUSE Alpha Ori ALL THE BRIGHTEST STARS IN THE NIGHT SKY ARE LABELED ALPHA Stars are named within a constellation in order of brightness using the Greek alphabet, so the brightest stars begin with alpha, the next brightest with beta, and so on. Many of the stars we can see also have historical names, such




SIRIUS Alpha CMa Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation is one of the top ten brightest stars in the night sky. Seen in Earth’s Southern Hemisphere, Scorpius has a sting in its tail, killing Orion in Greek mythology. Stars in a constellation are close togeth













FAST FACTS EACH STAR THE BIG DIPPER IS CONSTANTLY 50,000 years ago MOVING THE BIG DIPPER IN SPACE Today Stars are constantly moving in Earth’s sky, but it takes tens of thousands of years before new positions are noticeable and constellations have new shapes. Yet it is possible to see changes since the ancient













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TRUE OR FALSE? 309
(the “Great
Bear”) is visible
year round in Earth’s
Ursa Major
The constellations may appear to contain connected stars, but they are vastly different distances from Earth. A different vantage point would rearrange the stars in a new pattern. However, the constellations are useful for stargazers tracking the night sky. Most of the constellations have been given two names—

















GALAXY GREATS






Stars in a constellation are close together Although stars appear to shine in glittering groups, it is an optical illusion. Astronomers have divided the sky above Earth into 88 imaginary pieces. Each is a constellation forming its own pattern, but the stars within it are really spaced out. Observatories h





















TRUE or FALSE?










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310
Astronauts
TRUE or
FALSE?
would explode This double-layered
bodysuit is known
as a liquid cooling
and ventilation
garment (LCVG).
without space suits




There would be no explosions, but
it would still be the final frontier.

Without space suits, astronauts
would die, either from the
freezing cold or from

their blood boiling due
to the drop in pressure.




SPACE LIFE






Two oxygen tanks
are stored inside the
life support system,
with the computer,
radio, and water tank.
The International Space Station (ISS) is
about 240 miles (390 km) above Earth.
Astronauts spend months there, working Gloves are thick
in the laboratories or carrying out station enough to protect
maintenance. There is a galley kitchen, the hands but
exercise equipment, and sleep cabins. thin enough to
Sleeping bags are fixed so they cannot allow ease
float away in the weightless conditions. of movement.





US_310-311_309600_Space_Travel.indd 310 20/12/17 5:31 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 311

The helmet’s gold-
coated outer visor FAST FACTS
prevents eye damage
from the sun’s rays.
THE FIRST
CHIMP
TO GO INTO
SPACE WAS
NAMED
HAM

This unusual space traveler went aboard
a US Mercury spacecraft in 1961. Other
creatures that have reached space include mice,
monkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs, insects, cats,
dogs, turtles, spiders, and even jellyfish.
A MODERN CAR
IS MORE COMPLEX THAN
APOLLO 11

A contaminant
Drink bag control system
keeps ensures that
astronaut the astronaut’s
hydrated. exhaled breath In the early days, NASA sent
is kept clean. astronauts to the Moon using less
computing power than is found in
a modern car. Still, the spacecraft
was equipped with real-time flight
information and an automatic
navigation system, and it worked!

Space suits are life-savers.
Weighing 275 lb (125 kg) on
Earth, they feel like 46 lb
(21 kg) on the Moon, where
Two oxygen tanks there is less gravity. Each suit
are stored inside the costs $12 million and consists of
life support system, multiple layers. The outer layer
with the computer, protects against flying space
radio, and water tank. rocks, while the inner layers PIZZA HUT
keep out the scorching DELIVERS
Why do sunlight and the icy cold. SPACE PIZZA
astronauts on
board the ISS In 2001 Pizza Hut “delivered” a vacuum-sealed
pizza to hungry astronauts on board the
sneeze about International Space Station. Admittedly, the
100 times Russian rocket carrying the pizza took longer
a day? than the usual 30 minutes to arrive.






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312
Out of this world





A UNIVERSAL Venus is the hottest planet in our
solar system. The surface is
VIEW hot enough to melt lead.


500°C
The elements hydrogen and
helium make up 98 percent
75% HYDROGEN 867°F
of the matter we can see in the (464°C)
Venus
universe.
23% HELIUM The most distant object that 400°C
many people can see using just
their eyes is the Andromeda 333°F
Galaxy, 15 trillion miles (167°C) Mercury
(25 trillion km) away. BLAST OFF!
2% OTHER ELEMENTS 100°C
MOON-GAZING SOLAR SYSTEM

59°F
The maiden name of moonwalking astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s mother was Moon.
As the Moon orbits Earth, a changing amount of the one (15°C) Earth 0°C
face we see is bathed in sunlight. The different shapes are the
Moon’s phases. One cycle of phases lasts 29.5 days. -81°F
(-63°C) Mars MAKING AN
IMPACT
-162°F IMPACT
(-108°C) -100°C
Jupiter
-218°F
(-139°C)
NEW MOON WAXING CRESCENT FIRST QUARTER Saturn
-323°F -200°C
(-197°C)
Uranus
-330°F
(-201°F)
Neptune
WAXING GIBBOUS FULL MOON WANING GIBBOUS

The solar system’s largest
volcano is Olympus Mons About 3,000 meteorites land on Earth every year—most burn up in the atmosphere.
on Mars. It is 380 miles (610 km)
wide. That’s about the same
LAST QUARTER WANING CRESCENT NEW MOON width as Spain.




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TRUE OR FALSE? 313

The biggest
SEEING diamond is in Yuri
SEEING
the heart of an
STARS old star named Gagarin
first human
BPM 37093
in space
with a diameter of
2,485 1961 (Russian)
Valentina
If you counted all the stars in the miles Tereshkova
first woman
Milky Way at the rate of one (4,000 km). in space
500°C a second, it would take you about That’s roughly the 1963 (Russian)
12,000 years to count them all. width of Australia. Alexei
Leonov
first to
BLAST OFF! launch heavier Kourou, French Guiana FIVE ASTRONAUT FIRSTS 1969 (American)
Many countries
space walk
launch sites.
Neil
Sites closer to
400°C have spaceflight Cape Canaveral,Florida Baikonur, Kazakhstan 1965 (Russian)
Armstrong
Xjchang, China
the equator can
first to walk
on the Moon
cargo, because
rockets there
Dennis Tito
first space
100°C are given a 2001 tourist
boost by the
(American)
speed of
Earth’s spin.
0°C Each toilet on the International Space Station cost $19 million.
MAKING AN
IMPACT
IMPACT
-100°C IMPACT
Large meteorites blast out vast craters when they
land. Young Earth was bombarded with meteorites:
LONDON (ENGLAND)
VREDEFORT (SOUTH AFRICA) 35 MILES (56 KM) ACROSS
-200°C 185 MILES (300 KM) ACROSS
MORE THAN 2 BILLION YEARS OLD
SUDBURY (CANADA)
155 MILES (250 KM) ACROSS
1.85 BILLION YEARS OLD
CHICXULUB (MEXICO)
105 MILES (170 KM) ACROSS
About 3,000 meteorites land on Earth every year—most burn up in the atmosphere.
65 MILLION YEARS OLD
POPIGAI (RUSSIA)
60 MILES (100 KM) ACROSS
35.7 MILLION YEARS OLD




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314
Earthquakes
TRUE or
FALSE?

are very rare



Untrue—every year there are several million

earthquakes. Most are just gentle wobbles,
while a handful are earth-shattering, causing

widespread devastation.
The rocky plates of Earth’s crust move
Richter scale constantly, and when they meet or slide
6–6.9 = strong, past each other, earthquakes result.
severe, sudden These are usually slight tremors,
movement, on unless the rocks on either side of a
average 120 a year plate boundary lock together, creating
much deeper vibrations. In 1934,
American scientist Charles Richter
designed the Richter scale—a way
to measure earthquakes using
instruments called seismographs.





WAVES OF DESTRUCTION












A huge earthquake on the seabed can
trigger a series of catastrophic waves,
called tsunamis. Traveling at speeds up
to 586 mph (943 km/h), they cause
mass devastation upon reaching land,
bringing down buildings and destroying life.






US_314_315_309600_Earthquakes.indd 314 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 315


Richter scale FAST FACTS
1–4.9 = light,
minor movement, Is there THE BIGGEST EARTHQUAKE
more than
64,000 a year anywhere OF THE 20TH CENTURY
on Earth where MEASURED
Jell-O does not
wobble?
9.5 ON THE
RICHTER SCALE


The Great Chilean Earthquake in 1960 resulted in
landslides, tsunamis, and floods. The earthquake
that caused the tsunami in the Indian Ocean on
December 26, 2004, measured 9.1–9.3.

MOONQUAKES
OCCUR ON THE
MOON




The highest a moonquake has reached is 5.5
on the Richter scale. Although earthquakes
tend to be stronger, these shallow moonquakes
all lasted more than 10 minutes, whereas on
Earth vibrations usually last just half a minute.
Richter scale 5–5.9 =
moderate, strong, Richter scale 8+ =
sudden movement, extreme, destructive
on average movement, on
800 a year average one a year













Richter scale 7–7.9 =
major, very severe
movement, on
average 18 a year





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316

When Earth was young, In June, Earth’s
it was knocked off-kilter by North Pole is tilted
a large object. Instead of toward the sun,
rotating with a straight axis, giving the land
it now spins on an axis tilted there continual
at 23.5°. As Earth orbits the sunshine, with the
sun, it always tilts the same sun never sinking
way. When the North Pole below the horizon.
is tilted toward the sun,
the Northern Hemisphere
is heated more and it is
summer. At the same time
the South Pole tilts away
from the sun, making the
Southern Hemisphere
cool in winter.





It is warm
TRUE or
FALSE?

in summer


because Earth’s



orbit is closest


to the sun





It’s time to see the light if you believe this! When
it is summer one side of our planet, it is winter on
the other. Earth is actually farthest from the sun

during North America’s summer. The changing
seasons are a result of the tilt in Earth’s axis.





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TRUE OR FALSE? 317


FAST FACTS
EARTH’S DAYS ARE AT MIDNIGHT ON JUNE 21 IT IS LIGHT
GETTING L O N G E R EVERYWHERE NORTH OF THE
ARCTIC CIRCLE
Due to the tidal effects
the Moon has on Earth, June 21 is called the summer solstice
a day is 1.7 milliseconds in the Northern Hemisphere and the
longer than it was a century winter solstice in the Southern
ago. In the age of the Hemisphere. There are 24 hours of
dinosaurs, about 60 million daylight north of the Arctic Circle and
years ago, an Earth day was 24 hours of darkness south of the
less than 23 hours long. Antarctic Circle.

Although Earth is
closer to the sun at MONSOON SEASON
certain times of the
year, the difference in The North Pole
distance is so minor receives no sunlight in
that it does not January, experiencing
affect the weather. 24 hours of darkness.






A seasonal change in the prevailing
wind has dramatic consequences
for southern Asia. Warm, moist
air blows northeast from ocean to
land in summer, bringing the wet
monsoon and heavy flooding. Cool,
dry air blows from land to ocean
in winter. The change in wind
direction comes from the differing
temperatures of land and water.






Why is it
warmer at the
end of summer
than in the
middle?







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318
A red sky at
TRUE or
FALSE?
night signals



good weather





“Red sky at night, shepherds’ delight.
Red sky in the morning, shepherds’
warning.” This well-known saying

first appeared in the Bible to help
shepherds get ready for the

next day’s weather, but it
still holds true today.














FAST FACTS

A HALO AROUND
THE MOON MAY
MEAN A STORM
BIRDS ON A Flocks of migrating birds IS COMING
often rest on telephone
TELEPHONE WIRE wires. But if you notice a This is caused by ice crystals
MAY BE A SIGN sudden increase in birds forming in high clouds, which
happens before a heavy rain shower.
on wires, they could be
taking a break to avoid a An old saying goes, “Circle around
OF STORMS bad storm in their path. the moon, rain or snow soon.”




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TRUE OR FALSE? 319
A red sky at WEATHER WATCHING


night signals Meteorology, or the study of
the atmosphere, can be traced
back to India around 3000 bce.
It took off in the 18th and 19th
good weather The red color comes centuries with the invention of
accurate instruments to
measure weather. By the mid-
from dust particles in the
air, and increased pollution
also plays a part. 20th century, satellites were
circling in space to track Earth’s
weather systems from the sky.
Many people believe
their bodies can predict Some cultures use
the weather. Rheumatic the same red sky
joints or aches from past saying, but change
injuries are said to be a it to “sailors’ delight”
sign of rain on the horizon. instead, depending
on the people most
affected by the weather.




How are
seagulls
said to predict
the weather?













Before scientific forecasting techniques were
developed, people relied on their experiences
to provide accurate predictions. Red night skies
indicate that dust is trapped in the air by high
pressure. When this moves in from the west,
clear skies and sunshine are coming. Red skies
in the morning suggest the good weather has
moved east to be replaced by low pressure.
This is a red alert, warning of rain to follow.






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320

Lightning can’t strike
TRUE or
FALSE?
the same place twice



This may strike you as strange,

but lightning often strikes twice.
Tall targets, such as skyscrapers and

trees, can be struck up to 100 times
a year. American park ranger Roy
Sullivan also felt the full force

of nature, being hit seven times. Each flash of
His stroke of luck was surviving! forked lightning
can reach up
to 6 miles (9 km)
from the cloud
to the ground.
RETHINKING RAINDROPS













The usual depiction of a raindrop
is a classic tear shape. But small
raindrops are spherical, while larger
ones are more roll-shaped. As
raindrops fall, they are flattened
from below by air resistance. If this
force exceeds the attraction of the
water molecules for each other, the
raindrop will split into smaller ones.





US_320-321_309600_Thunderstorms.indd 320 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 321

Lightning can’t strike FAST FACTS


the same place twice YOU CAN TELL HOW FAR
AWAY LIGHTNING

Intense heat from IS BY COUNTING
the electric spark
causes the air to
expand and vibrate. 1, 2, 3... RUMBLE
This is heard as a
thunderclap after
the lightning flash.
After a lightning bolt, you can count the
seconds to find out approximately how far
away the lightning struck. Count the seconds
between the strike and the thunder, and divide
In a split second, the number of seconds by 5 for the distance in
a bolt of lightning miles, or by 3 for the distance in kilometers.
Lightning flashes are immense can heat the
electric sparks that streak surrounding air to
from the bottom to the top of temperatures five
a thundercloud, or from cloud- times hotter than APOLLO 12 WAS
to-cloud or cloud-to-ground. the sun’s surface.
The electric charges that make STRUCK
the sparks are created by ice BY LIGHTNING
crystals and water droplets DURING ITS
crashing together in the LAUNCH
chaotic up- and downdrafts Lightning is
inside the cloud. visible striking Apollo 12 launched in 1969
the same building into a rainy sky. The Saturn V
in Hong Kong’s rocket was struck twice by
central business lightning 30 seconds and 50
district twice. seconds after liftoff. But
because the rocket was in
the air (not grounded), no
damage was caused.



How can you LIGHTNING
tell if lightning STRIKES
is about to ABOUT
strike you?
8.6
MILLION
TIMES A DAY


Each strike carries enough energy to power a
city with 200,000 inhabitants for one minute.
The average lightning flash would also power
a 100-watt light bulb for three months.





US_320-321_309600_Thunderstorms.indd 321 19/12/17 3:50 pm

322
No two
TRUE or
FALSE?
snowflakes



are the same (1.7 m) per second.
The average
snowflake has a
top speed of 5.6 ft

This fact can come in from the cold. At high
altitudes, specks of dust inside clouds develop

ice crystals that turn them into snowflakes.
With at least 275 water molecules needed
to form a small ice crystal, and at least

50 crystals in a single snowflake, each
one falls to Earth in a unique formation.





SNOWY SPIKES

Each snowflake
forms its own six-sided
pattern, with a change in
temperature making the
crystal arrangement
more complex.




In mountain ranges where the air is dry,
such as Cerro Mercedario in Argentina,
piles of snow can develop into penitentes—
tall ice blades. These spiky formations were
originally thought to look like the hoods of
monks doing penance.








US_322-323_309600_Snow.indd 322 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 323
Snow is a form of precipitation, just like
rain, hail, and sleet. When flurries of flakes FAST FACTS
fall, the minimal accumulation can produce
dry, new snow called powder snow.
Heavy snowfalls for prolonged periods are
snowstorms. About 12 percent of our planet
is permanently covered in snow and ice.
THE WORST
Snow is not SNOWSTORM
white, but clear IN HISTORY KILLED
500 PEOPLE
and colorless.
As long as the air temperature In 1993 a winter storm wreaked havoc on
the East Coast of the United States, causing
between the cloud and the $5.5 billion worth of damage. One meteorologist
ground is below 32°F (0°C), called it “a storm with the heart of a blizzard
this flake will fall as snow. and the soul of a hurricane.”
THE WORLD’S LARGEST
SNOWMAN WAS A
SNOW WOMAN






The largest snowflake
on record, from Montana
in 1887, measured
15 in (38 cm) wide and
8 in (20 cm) thick.
Built in Maine in 2008, she stood 122 ft
(37 m) in height—about the same as a
12-story building. She had trees for arms,
and skis for eyelashes.



SNOW
MAKES
A GOOD
Can it ever
be too cold INSULATOR
to snow on About 90% of snow is trapped air. Since
planet Earth? the air can’t move, the heat loss is reduced,
which makes snow a good insulator. Humans
use this property to insulate igloos, and
many animals keep warm by burrowing
into snow to hibernate in winter.





US_322-323_309600_Snow.indd 323 19/12/17 3:50 pm

324
















The population


fit into Los Angeles




of the world can
inside, standing shoulder to shoulder,
is... Los Angeles. This American city
The award for the city that can best
can carry the weight of the world!
The least populated parts of the world are usually determined by a remote or challenging landscape, along with limited opportunities for work. This lifestyle does not appeal to everyone. Desert regions, such as the western Sahara, or isolated islands, such as Gree





















TRUE or FALSE? squeeze the global population ESCAPING THE CROWDS










US_324_325_309600_Population.indd 324 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 325






Which country makes up one-fifth of the global population?

















There are 1.01 men in the world for every woman. Every year 137 million babies are born and 55 million people die. This means the population grows by 82 million. Nicknamed Oscar, the gold-plated statue for the Academy Awards was first given in 1929 at a ceremony in Hollywood, California. Thousands of winners have

















THE WORLD’S POPULATION AT A RATE OF 8,760 PEOPLE AN HOUR ABOUT 108 BILLION PEOPLE HAVE LIVED ON EARTH Seven billion people are alive at present, which means about 6.5 percent of all the people who ever lived are alive now. 2050 CURRENTLY 25% 8% This will rise to 25 percent by 2050. Better food,





FAST FACTS IS GROWING This means that almost 150 people are added to the planet every minute. But the world is top-heavy— 90 percent of its total population lives in the Northern Hemisphere. ALIVE AT PRESENT 6.5% 8% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION IS OVER 65 impact on poorer populations.













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326
Down to Earth





BLOWN

AWAY


FROGS poured down from the
The EYE
(center) of a sky in Kansas City in 1873, and
HURRICANE WINDS CAN REACH SPEEDS OF 186 MPH (300 KM/H).
hurricane can be HERRING fell on a group of
20 MILES (32 KM) golfers in Bournemouth, England, in
across—larger than 1948. These creatures had been
MANHATTAN, swept into the clouds by wind and
New York. dropped into different locations.
EARTH THROUGH THE AGES


5,000 MYA 4,000 MYA 3,000 MYA






FORMATION OF EARTH FORMATION OF MOON FIRST LIFE
4,540 mya c. 4,500 mya 3,800 mya
HIGH LIFE Seven highest peaks on MOUNT EVEREST—Asia
ERUPTIONS
ERUPTIONS
the seven continents
29,035 ft (8,850 m) ERUPTIONS
ACONCAGUA—South America
22,838 ft (6,960 m)
MOUNT MCKINLEY—North America
20,322 ft (6,194 m)
KILIMANJARO—Africa
19,340 ft (5,895 m)
MOUNT ELBRUS—Europe
18,510 ft (5,642 m)
VINSON MASSIF—Antarctica
16,066 ft (4,897 m)
In 2005 Davo Karnicar PUNCAK JAYA—Australasia
became the first person to 16,023 ft (4,884 m)
SKI down Mount Everest.




US_326_327_309600_TOF_Earth.indd 326 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 327

MAKING A SPLASH SOUTH AMERICA ANGEL FALLS—Venezuela

3,212 ft (979 m)
AFRICA TUGELA FALLS—South Africa
3,110 ft (948 m)
AUSTRALASIA OLO’UPENA FALLS—Hawaii
2,953 ft (900 m)
EUROPE VINNUFALLET—Norway
2,837 ft (865 m)
NORTH AMERICA JAMES BRUCE FALLS—Canada
2,755 ft (840 m)
ASIA HANNOKI-NO-TAKI—Japan
1,640 ft (500 m)
In 1901 Annie Taylor became the
first person to go over Niagara Falls
The tallest waterfall on each continent (except for Antarctica) in a barrel—she survived!


IF ALL OF EARTH’S
HISTORY TOOK
2,000 MYA 1,000 MYA
PLACE IN A SINGLE
YEAR, HUMANS
WOULDN’T APPEAR
UNTIL 25 MINUTES
BEFORE MIDNIGHT
MODERN HUMANS ON NEW YEAR’S EVE.
FIRST DINOSAURS 200,000
245 mya years ago
DEADLY DELVING
ERUPTIONS
ERUPTIONS
ERUPTIONS DEEP

Diamonds are Earth’s hardest natural
materials, and are used for cutting other
79 ce
1902 Mount Vesuvius, hard substances. Today’s diamond use is:
Mount Pelée, Italy
Martinique 20,000
30,000 70%
INDUSTRY
1815
1985 Mount Tambora,
Nevado del Ruiz, Indonesia
Columbia 92,000 30%
25,000
1883 JEWELRY
Eruptions that Mount Krakatoa,
Indonesia
have killed tens of 36,000 Emeralds, rubies, and sapphires
thousands of people
are all more rare than diamonds.
US_326_327_309600_TOF_Earth.indd 327 19/12/17 3:50 pm

328



revolution (1789–99), Against a background of the French queen was said to have mocked poor peasants who wanted bread, but there is no supporting evidence. Historians insist Marie Antoinette was kind and giving. It is possible that antiroyalists made up stories to give the royal family bad press at































Marie

said,“Let Antoinette them eat









cake!” THE FRENCH HELPED TO FUND REVOLUTION (1775 – 83) In 1775, 14 years before the French Revolution began, 13 colonies in America rebelled against British rule, leading to the creation of the United States. The modern US flag has 50 stars for the 50 states and 13 stripes for th


TRUE or FALSE? FAST FACTS THE AMERICAN Stars represent US states Stripes represent rebellious colonies










US_328_329_309600_The_French_Revolution.indd 328 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 329




How many dresses did Marie Antoinette have made to order every year?






The French Revolution was triggered by angry peasants who could not afford to buy bread and had grown tired of their wealthy rulers. On July 14, 1789, rioters stormed the Bastille prison in Paris, freeing the seven prisoners inside. As the revolution spread,




















According to official statistics, 17,000 people were beheaded by the guillotine during the French Revolution. The machine was named after a doctor, Joseph- Ignace Guillotin, who thought it would be a quick and painless method of execution. Huge crowds gathered to w



















Born an Austrian princess, she became queen of France by marrying French king Louis XVI. Her last words were “Pardon me, sir, I didn’t mean to do it,” when she accidentally stepped on the foot of her executioner. REIGN OF TERROR









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330
Napoleon
TRUE or
FALSE?
was short Which of these
leaders has
a prehistoric
creature named
after them?
This one is a tall tale, with no truth

to it. The famous French leader was
of average height for a European

man in the 1800s. His men called him
“le petit caporal” (the little corporal),
but this was not meant to make him

feel small. Instead, it was a term of
endearment toward their emperor.



Left-hander Napoleon made
his army march on the right so
he could brandish his sword
freely at approaching traffic—
MONEY MATTERS most European countries
still drive on the right.


It is possible that Napoleon
appeared shorter than 5’6”
(1.7 m) because his guardsmen
had to be at least 6’0” (1.8 m).
They also wore tall bearskin
caps, adding 18 in (46 cm)
to their height. Throughout
history, leaders have lined
up in all different sizes, from
Portraits of leaders have been used towering President Abraham
to gain influence throughout history. In Lincoln to tiny Queen Victoria.
ancient Roman times, the emperor was
depicted as a god on coins to boost his
status, from the time of Augustus until
the end of the empire. Today the heads The average height of a
French leader today is
of monarchs and influential people are 5’9” (1.75 m), not much
featured on national coins and notes. bigger than Napoleon.





US_330-331_309600_Leaders.indd 330 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 331


FAST FACTS
GENGHIS KHAN Sprucing up the home
OWNED 800 of the US president is a
costly business. George
FALCONS Washington chose the spot
for the presidential palace,
but he never got to live
But falconry was not his
favorite sport. This fierce IT TAKES 570 GALLONS there. The first president
warrior loved nothing more to occupy the White House
was John Adams.
than crushing his enemies, (2,591 LITERS) OF
robbing them of their wealth, PAINT TO PAINT
riding their horses, and
MONGOL EMPIRE running off with their wives. THE WHITE HOUSE
6’6’’
(2 m)
6’0’’
(1.8 m)
5’6’’
(1.7 m)
5’0’’
(1.5 m)
4’6’’
(1.4 m)
4’0’’
(1.2 m)
3’6’’
(1.1 m)
3’0’’
(0.9 m)






Nationalist leader
Mahatma Gandhi
refused to use
violence in
campaigning
for India’s
independence
from British rule.




Queen Victoria was one of The first black president of South Before becoming president,
the world’s longest-reigning Africa, Nelson Mandela was in Abraham Lincoln was an
monarchs, ruling Great Britain prison for 27 years for trying to excellent wrestler who fought
for more than 63 years. overthrow the previous government. in hundreds of matches.



US_330-331_309600_Leaders.indd 331 19/12/17 3:50 pm

332
Enemy soldiers
TRUE or
FALSE?
played soccer in



the trenches




World War I was one of the most devastating
conflicts in history, but from the horrors

of war emerged an incredible story
of peace. On Christmas Day 1914,
troops from both sides played soccer

in the trenches near Ypres, Belgium.

Poppies have been the symbol
of remembrance since World
War I. Canadian surgeon
WARTIME DIARY John McCrae wrote his poem
“In Flanders Fields” in 1915,
describing poppies growing
where soldiers died.











In World War II, a Jewish girl named
Anne Frank kept a diary of her time
hiding from the Nazis in a concealed What was
Netherlands apartment. The Nazis the average
found the family in 1944 and Anne life expectancy
died in a concentration camp. Her in the trenches
writing captures the hopes and fears of World War I?
of a child caught up in conflict and
has since been read by millions.





US_332_333_309600_World_War.indd 332 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 333

Most of the games were played by soldiers
on the same side, but a few matches involved British FAST FACTS
and German soldiers. About 10,000 soldiers took part
in the unofficial Christmas truce, singing songs, 65 MILLION
lighting candles, and exchanging presents. As the war
went on, commanders banned the truces. There are MEN FOUGHT IN
examples of similar camaraderie amid the conflicts
of the Crimean War, the Boer Wars, and the Civil War. WORLD WAR I
This truly was a world war—troops came
In the trench warfare from 30 different countries. Germany had
of World War I, armies the greatest military strength at the
faced each other from outset, but also suffered the highest
trenches dug a short number of fatalities.
distance apart, protected
by coils of barbed wire.
12
TROOPS IN MILLIONS 9 6 Russia France British Empire Italy USA Germany Austro-Hungary Turkey Bulgaria



3
ALLIED POWERS CENTRAL POWERS
MILITARY STRENGTH FATALITIES



PARACHUTING
PIGEONS WERE USED IN
WORLD WAR II







About 250,000 pigeons were
employed in the conflict, many
of which were parachuted behind
enemy lines. The idea was that
resistance fighters opposed
to the Nazis would send
the pigeons back with
secret information.

Only 1,842
pigeons returned.








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334
Olympic gold
TRUE or
FALSE?

medals are


solid gold




All that glitters is not gold,

and the Olympic medals are
no exception. The last time
the winners’ medals were

solid gold was at the Swedish GOLD
1.34%
games in 1912. It’s been COPPER
COPPER 6.16%
fool’s gold ever since. 7.5%



OLYMPIC FLAME
STERLING
SILVER 92.5%
SILVER

GOLD


What was
different about
the Olympics
in ancient
The ancient Greeks lit a sacred fire during Greece? Silver and bronze
did not exist in the
their Olympic Games. In 1936 a burning ancient Olympics.
torch was carried into the arena at the There was only one
modern Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Ever winner per event,
since, runners bring a torch lit at the ancient crowned with an
site of Olympia to the games to ignite a flame olive wreath from
a sacred tree near
that burns until the closing ceremony. the temple of Zeus
at Olympia.



US_334_335_309600_Olympics.indd 334 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 335

US swimmer Michael Phelps has At the ancient Olympics, winners did not receive
won 28 gold medals. The most medals. Instead, they were crowned with the kotinos,
ever won by a single person, this is a wreath of olive leaves taken from a sacred tree. Winners’
10 more than the number won by medals were first introduced at the 1904 Olympics, held
the second-highest record holder. in St. Louis. As the price of gold rose after World War I
and the Great Depression, the amount used in the
winners’ medals declined. Today there must be at
least 0.2 oz (6 g) of gold in each gold medal.
FAST FACTS


SOCCER
IS THE BIGGEST
SPECTATOR SPORT SOCCER 3.4
This popular Olympic
sport is an energetic
business, and players can
run up to 6 miles (10 km) CRICKET 2.5
in just one game. Perhaps
this explains why the
world’s biggest participant
sport is the rather less
strenuous fishing.
BASKETBALL 2.5
(Billions of fans)
IN PELOTA THE BALL
CAN MOVE AT UP
TO 185 MPH
(300 KM/H)
STERLING
SILVER Pelota is Spanish
92.5% ZINC AND TIN for “ball,” and this
3% fiery game from the
Basque region of the
Pyrenees keeps players
COPPER on their toes. They use a
97% glove or bat, and a ball with a
rubber core. It was played as an Olympic
BRONZE GOLF HAS BEEN PLAYED
sport at the 1900 games.
ON THE MOON

On February 6, 1971, Alan Shepard hit
a golf ball on the lunar surface, having
smuggled the ball and club on board in
his space suit. Golf was reinstated as an
Olympic sport at the 2016 Rio games.
In 1914 Frenchman Pierre
de Coubertin designed the
Olympic symbol of five linked
rings to represent the
continents taking part.



US_334_335_309600_Olympics.indd 335 10/01/18 2:58 pm

336
Hamburgers
TRUE or
FALSE?
were invented



in Hamburg




So many people have claimed The “Hamburg
steak” was a
credit for this fast food favorite 19th-century minced
beef dish served
that it has caused some real beefs. German immigrants.
in New York to
It is known, however, that the
hamburger was first sold in

the United States, not Germany.
The world soon developed a

taste for them and hamburgers
haven’t stopped selling since.






STORY OF THE SANDWICH
Another popular snack—
the sandwich—also has
confused origins. John
Montagu, fourth Earl of
Sandwich, did not invent
sandwiches, but they were
named after him. The earl
enjoyed sandwiches since
he could eat and play cards
without getting sticky fingers.
But Arabs had already been
putting meat inside pita
bread for a long time.





US_336-337_309600_Food_origins.indd 336 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 337

The German city of Hamburg became famous for its tasty
beef patties in the 19th century, but they were not placed FAST FACTS
inside buns. It is thought that the first true burger was sold
in 1900 by Danish immigrant Louis Lassen in Connecticut. IN INDIA IT IS RUDE
Another rumor has it that sailors from Hamburg named the
meat sandwich, while others claim the name comes from
the town of Hamburg, New York.
TO EAT WITH YOUR
It is estimated that LEFT HAND
nearly 50 billion
burgers are consumed
every year in the
United States.
Indians spurn cutlery because
they like to feel a spiritual connection
to their food. So relish your rice and devour
your dal, but don’t use your left hand—
it is considered “unclean” and should be
reserved for less appetizing activities.
NEVER STAND
CHOPSTICKS
UPRIGHT IN A BOWL

A rice bun is used OF FOOD
instead of bread at
fast food restaurants in
many Asian countries.



In Asia this reminds people of the incense
sticks that are burned when someone dies.
In 2017 the Instead, you should leave your chopsticks side
record for by side. On the plus side, it’s fine to slurp your
biggest burger soup or burp noisily once you’ve finished.
was set in
Germany by
a burger TERMITES
weighing
2,566 lb MAKE A NUTRITIOUS
(1,164 kg). SNACK
Insects such as termites, crickets,
and caterpillars are a popular part of the
menu in Africa and parts of Asia. Meanwhile,
Sardinians are big fans of casu marzu, a local
What is the cheese that is infested with live maggots.
world’s most
expensive
burger?
CRICKETS CATERPILLARS TERMITES
562* 370* 613*
*CALORIES PER 3.5 oz (100 g) SERVING




US_336-337_309600_Food_origins.indd 337 19/12/17 3:50 pm

338

Listening to classical
music makes you smarter
MRI scans of musicians who began playing at a young age show a larger nerve-fiber tract between the hemispheres of the brain. Learning music may increase the connections inside the brain.

















Music to the ears of parents everywhere,

a study in 1993 claimed that teenagers









performed better on tests.

who listened to Mozart

played to children in The composer’s work was the hope of producing brainiacs, but later reports found the brain boost was only a temporary one. Revelations about the positive effects of Mozart struck a chord in the 1990s, when hundreds of “Mozart Effect” baby products










TRUE or FALSE?










US_338_339_309600_Music.indd 338 19/12/17 3:50 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 339

Austrian musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–91) could play the harpsichord at age four and compose music at age five.

American singer Elvis Presley (1935–77) is the biggest-selling music artist of all time—no wonder 80,000 people make a living imitating the “King of Rock and Roll. ”


















Which countries have the longest and shortest national anthems? THERE ARE ENOUGH ELVIS IMPERSONATORS TO FILL SHANGHAI STADIUM











Up-tempo, uplifting music can improve performance, while slower, melancholy pieces may do the opposite.






Revelations about the positive effects of Mozart struck a chord in the 1990s, when hundreds of “Mozart Effect” baby products were sold. However, the reports were later fine-tuned. Music can make people feel energetic and happy in the short term, but it is the appreciation of music that lifts the mood and improves performa



















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340
The rest is history





FIVE TYPES OF
1. Great Pyramid
of Giza, Egypt, GOVERNMENT
WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
built c. 2500 bce
MONARCHY The head of state is a monarch
(king or queen).
2. Hanging Gardens
of Babylon, Iraq,
REPUBLIC The head of state is usually an
built c. 600 bce
elected president.
3. Statue of Zeus at THEOCRACY A state governed by a religious
Olympia, Greece, leader or leaders.
carved by the sculptor
Phidias c. 435 bce
DICTATORSHIP A state ruled by a single person
4. Temple of Artemis who may have seized power by
at Ephesus, Turkey, force or been elected unopposed.
destroyed by Gothic
SINGLE-PARTY A state governed by one political party
tribes in 262 ce STATE where no other parties are allowed
to nominate candidates for election.
5. Mausoleum at
Halicarnassus, tomb
of King Mausolus, A JUMBO JOB
Turkey, built c. 350 ce
The marble and
6. Colossus of stone used to build
Rhodes, a giant statue the Taj Mahal in
of the sun god Helios, Agra, India, in the MIGHTY
built in 280 bce 17th century
were carried there by
7. Lighthouse of 1,000
Alexandria, Egypt,
destroyed in 1365 ce
elephants.
GREAT CITIES Hangchow
Nineveh Chang’an Constantinople Ctesiphon Cordoba (China)
250,000
(Turkey)
(Spain)
(Iraq)
(Iraq)
(China)
Many places have 120,000 people 400,000 people 300,000 people 500,000 people 450,000 people people
held the title of
world’s biggest
city—and their Thebes (Egypt) Babylon Rome Constantinople Baghdad
Xian (China) (Iraq) (Italy) (Turkey) (Iraq)
populations keep 50,000 people 200,000 people 450,000 people 400,000 people 700,000 people
getting bigger! 800 bce 650 bce 400 bce 200 bce 100 bce 350 ce 500 ce 625 ce 800 ce 1000 1200
US_340_341_TOF_HistoryAndCulture.indd 340 19/12/17 3:51 pm

TRUE OR FALSE? 341

Time to cross
SHRINKING WORLD OCEAN LINER, 2014—7 DAYS THE FIRST TRANSATLANTIC
the Atlantic: SAILING SHIP, 1600—2 MONTHS





PHONE CALL WAS
MADE FROM LONDON
PASSENGER AIRPLANE, 2014—8 HOURS
TO NEW YORK ON
MARCH 7, 1926.
FASTEST PASSENGER AIRPLANE (CONCORDE), 1996—2 HOURS, 53 MINUTES
BIG STADIUMS REVOLTING WORLD
History is rife with revolutions. Here
are just five of the best (or worst,
depending on whose side you’re on):
American Revolution (1775–1783):
13 colonies throw off British rule to
become the United States of America.
The Circus Maximus used for
chariot racing in ancient Rome held French Revolution (1789–1799):
300,000 people. This is twice Monarchy is abolished, the king loses his
the capacity of the largest stadium in the head, and France becomes a republic.
world today, in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Chinese Revolution (1911): China’s
last imperial dynasty, the Qing, is ROMAN STATUES
overthrown and China forms a republic. WERE MADE WITH
DETACHABLE
IN
MIGHTY TENOCHTITLAN Russian Revolution (1917): HEADS, SO THAT
1519,
ONE HEAD COULD
THE AZTEC
Revolutionaries topple the tsar (emperor)
CAPITAL OF
BE REMOVED
AND REPLACED
and set up a Communist government.
AZTECS
HAD 250,000
INHABITANTS— Iranian Revolution (1989): An Islamic WITH ANOTHER.
FIVE TIMES LARGER THAN republic is set up in Iran after the shah
LONDON AT THE TIME.
(king) is deposed.
Hangchow Nanjoing Beijing Beijing
(China) (China) (China) (China)
250,000 485,000 705,000 1,100,000 people
people people people London New York New York Tokyo Tokyo
(UK) (USA) (USA) (Japan) (Japan)
6,480,000 7,774,000 12,463,000 23,000,000 33,000,000
people people people people people
Hangchow Beijing Constantinople London
(China) (China) (Turkey) (UK)
430,000 people 675,000 people 700,000 people 2,300,000 people
1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1850 1900 1925 1950 1975 2005
US_340_341_TOF_HistoryAndCulture.indd 341 19/12/17 3:51 pm

342 ANSWERS
ANSWERS


256–257 EYES mosquito larvae, which live 300–301 PLANET EARTH 320–321
All blue-eyed people can be in the water. This reduces The high is 136°F (57.8°C) THUNDERSTORMS
traced back to one ancestor mosquito populations. and the low is –135.8°F The hairs on your body
who lived 10,000 years ago (–93.2°C). The average stand up.
near the Black Sea. 280–281 INSECT FEATS surface temperature is
Cockroaches resist the 59°F (15°C). 322–323 SNOW
260–261 TASTE AND harmful effects of radiation. No. Below –22°F (–30°C)
SMELL They are much more likely 302–303 THE MOON there is not usually enough
Both the human tongue to survive a nuclear explosion When Earth is directly moisture in the cold air for
and an elephant’s trunk than humans, though between the Sun and the snow, but it is possible. Snow
are made of a muscle called if they were near nuclear Moon, it keeps sunlight from has fallen at –41.8°F (–41°C).
a muscular hydrostat. ground zero, they would reaching the Moon. The
This means that they be crisped along with Moon is in Earth’s shadow 324–325 POPULATION
function without help everything else. and is eclipsed. It has a China.
from the skeleton. reddish glow due to the
282–283 SPIDERS scattering of sunlight as 328–329 THE FRENCH
262–263 HAIR Up to 20 years. this passes through REVOLUTION
Red hair is the least common, Earth’s atmosphere. About 300.
owned by only 1–2 percent 284–285 FRUITS AND
of the global population. VEGETABLES 304–305 THE SUN
This color is mainly found It has an awful smell, often In summer, in northerly 330–331 LEADERS
in Scotland and Ireland. compared to rotting meat. latitudes such as northern Nelson Mandela. In
Scandinavia, northern 2013 the prehistoric
264–265 ILLNESS 286–287 MATERIALS Canada, and northern Russia. woodpecker Australopicus
nelsonmandelai was
Exposure to bright light. The ancient Romans. named after him.
Known as photic sneezing, 306–307 STARS
this condition is inherited 288–289 INVENTIONS Scientists estimate there
from parents. Penicillin was in short are 10 times more stars in 332–333 WORLD WAR
supply, so a global search the night sky than grains About six weeks, with junior
266–267 EFFECTS for a more productive strain of sand in the world’s officers and stretcher carriers
OF FOOD of the mold got underway. deserts and beaches. most vulnerable.
Vitamin D boosts bone In 1943 a laboratory worker
density and prevents found a rotting melon in a 308–309 ASTRONOMY 334–335 OLYMPIC SPORTS
osteoporosis. Milk and market. It became the main Either because the star They competed naked.
cereals are excellent sources, source of antibiotics for the creates more light, is
but sunlight boosts levels of next decade. closer to Earth, or a 336–337 FOOD
Vitamin D naturally as well. combination of both. The test-tube burger is the
290–291 MODERN world’s most expensive, at
268–269 GENETICS PHYSICS 310–311 SPACE TRAVEL $385,000 (£250,000). It was
People born after 1955 have Clocks run more quickly Due to the weightlessness made in a Netherlands
traces of radioactive carbon at higher altitudes because in Space, dust does not laboratory from 20,000 strips
in their DNA. This is left they experience a weaker settle down. Because it just of synthetic “cultured beef”
floats around, astronauts
over from when the USA gravitational force. This sneeze a lot. taken from cow stem cells.
and USSR set off nuclear is known as gravitational
warheads during the Cold time dilation.
War, causing radioactivity 314–315 EARTHQUAKES 338–339 MUSIC
Yes—underwater.
to enter the atmosphere. 292–293 THE DIGITAL Some villages killed off all
AGE 316–317 THE SEASONS their cats because they were
supposedly associated with
270–271 GROWTH AND Asia, with more than one Earth takes time to warm witchcraft. Without cats to
AGING billion users (44 percent up or cool down. Therefore, keep rat numbers down,
Long life. of the total). the seasons lag behind. The the population grew and
amount of lag is affected by the plague spread even
274–275 RODENTS 294–295 TECHNOLOGY factors such as distance from more quickly.
They never stop growing. Yes, it has been proven the poles, amounts of water
that installing CCTV surrounding the area, and
276–277 STINGING cameras and reminding the weather experienced
INSECTS people that they are during the year.
They live on every continent being watched reduces
except Antarctica. petty crimes, such as 318–319 WEATHER
dropping litter. PREDICTION
278–279 FISH When seagulls stop flying,
Goldfish prevent the spread 296–297 ROBOTS avoid water, and huddle
of the West Nile virus. They One in every 10 car on the ground together,
are added to stagnant bodies production workers it is usually a sign of
of water where they eat is a robot. wet weather.
US_342_309600_Answers.indd 342 20/12/17 5:32 pm

INDEX 343

INDEX




A biggest 108–9 Asian watermeal plant 50 bearded pygmy
Abraham, Lake 76–7 biggest mouth 225 asteroids 303 chameleon 241
Abraj Al-Bait Towers camouflage 58–9, 62–5 astronauts beavers 254–5
hotel 167 carnivores 70–71 Moon landings 303, 335 bee hummingbird 124–5
Afar triangle 11 courtship displays space exploration 210, 211, bees
Africa 60–61, 73 312, 313 dances 235
animals 64 data 234–5 spacesuits 310–11 eggs 239
customs 29 eggs 238–9 weightlessness 197 honey 246–7
deserts 52 extremophiles 228–9 Atacama Desert 193 stings 276–7
early humans 269 farming 235 Atlas moth 120–21 beetles 121
extreme environments fastest 134–5, 138–9 atmosphere Beppu, Japan 14
10–11, 24–5 friendships 70 Earth 300, 301, 305, 306 bicycle tree 54–5
food 337 holding breath under planets 198–9 bioluminescence 56–7
mountains 326 water 218–19 Atolla jellyfish 234 biomass 193
trees 44–5, 53 it can’t be true 94–141 auroras birds
jumping 136–7
African cicada 248–9 largest heart 230–31 australis and borealis 78–9 biggest eggs 126–7
African driver ant 238–9 loudest 249 planetary 78 biggest wings 122–3
African elephant 222–3 migrations 74–5 Australia fastest 138–9
African red toad 65 ocean’s deadliest 226–7 clouds 86–7 flight 70–71, 138–9
coral reef 65
Agassi, Andre 40–41 oldest 132–3 largest flocks 221
air reproduction 72–3 festival 26 migration 128–9, 139
breathing 98–9 smallest vertebrate 212–13 plants 44–5, 53 most intelligent 235
in snow 323 strange but true 56–75 spiders 283 nests 24, 232–3
Australian trumpet snail 237
Airbus 320 129 swarms 74–5 Aztecs 341 smallest 124–5
A380 142, 145, 227 swimming 140–41 Azzam 148 steam-powered 297
Beluga 144 true or false? 212–55 tongues 225
aircraft Antarctica B weather predictions
biggest 144–5, 299 aurora 78–9 babies 318, 319
construction 166–7 dryness 193 births and deaths 325 black pebble toad 13
fastest 142–3 glaciers 9 bones 101 black widow spiders 119
longest flights 128–9, 157 ice sheet 173 crying 298 blood
low-flying 32–3 mountains 179, 326 oxygen 95 cells 97
albatross, wandering 123 antennae 121 rats 275 color 235
Alexander the Great 263 antibiotics 264, 288, 289 bacteria 15, 76, 264, mosquitoes 277
algae Antonov aircraft 145 288, 289 pumped by heart
bloom 48–9 ants 235, 238–9, 277 Bagger excavator 157 94–5
colorful 48–9, 82 aorta 97 Bahamas 68 red blood cells 97, 272
as food 24, 25, 48 Apollo 13 154–5 baitballs 74–5 vessels 95, 96–7, 273
altitude, dangers of 41 architecture 42–85 bald eagles 233 white blood cells 265
aluminum 175 Arctic fox 64–5 bamboo 131 Blood Pond Hot Spring 14
alveoli 99 Arctic tern 128 bananas 269, 284 Blue Marlin 151
American Revolution 328, 341 argan trees 66–7 baobab tree 44 blue shark 140
anacondas 115 Argentavis 123 bar-headed goose 99 blue whale
Andes 80–81, 179 Argentina 18 bar-tailed godwit 128, 129 biggest animal
Andromeda Galaxy 312 Argentine ants 221 BASE jumping 16, 39 108–9, 157
Angkor Wat temples 54 Argungu Fishing Festival 29 basilisk lizard 134 eye 103
anglerfish 56–7 Armstrong, Neil 210 Basket Building 42–3 heart 230–31, 235
animals arteries 95, 96, 97 bats 139, 225 length 217
agility 66–9 Asia 317, 326, 327, 337 Bay of Fundy 192 sound level 249



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344


Boeing aircraft 129, 142, Cambodia 54 climate change 300 DE
145, 166–7 camels 36–7 clocks 291 da Vinci, Leonardo 298
787 Dreamliner 186 cameras, surveillance 294–5 clouds dams 254–5
bones camouflage 58–9, 62–5 mammatus 86 damselflies 250–51
human 271, 272, 273 Canada morning glory 86–7 Danakil Depression 10–11
weight of 100–101 ice 30, 83 weight 186–7 Danyang-Kunshan Grand
Boojum tree 45 lakes 76–7 cockroaches 229, 280–81 Bridge 169
books 160–61, 163 meteorites 313 colds 264–5 dark matter 309
boreal forests 176–7 salmon 278 color-blindness 259 Darwin, Charles 81, 269, 322
boreholes, deepest/longest tides 302 colors Darwin’s bark spider 119
172–3 waterfalls 327 at sea 48–9, 56–7 data storage 160–61
Borneo 51 Cannonball tree 46–7 of ice 19 Dead Sea 182
bowhead whale 133, 225 Cape cobra 238 of microorganisms 15, 24 deciduous trees 176
box jellyfish 226–7 capillaries 96, 97 of minerals 10–11, 20–21, Decken’s sifaka 22
brain cardiac output 95 25, 82 deforestation 176
endorphins 266 carnivorous plants 53 prismatic 15 deserts
and music 338 carpenter bee 239 colossal squid 102–3, 244–5 hottest 10–11
sight 259 cars 283, 294, 300 comb jelly 234 mapping 36–7
size 102 highest mileage 156 Comet P67/Churyumov- natural features 10–11
taste and smell 260, 261 Castoroides 254 Gerasimenko 206–7 plants 45, 52
water content 273 caterpillars 58–9, 280, 337 communication 275, 292, 293 population 324
Brazil 52 cathedrals 164 compound eyes 250 diamonds 313, 327
Brazil nut family 46–7 cats 269, 275, 311 computers digestion 267, 272
Brazilian wandering Cave of the Crystals 21 data 162–3 digging, deepest 172–3
spider 119 caves and caverns 20–21 data storage 160–61 dinosaurs
breathing collapsed 23 electronic 299 biggest 110–11
humans 98–9, 272 glacial 18–19 fastest 158 eggs 126
snakes 114 wildlife 57 Internet and World Wide first 327
breeding 278, 280 cells 259, 265, 272 Web 292–3 predators 112–13
bridges Ceres 202 quantum 291 diseases 276
longest 169 Challenger Deep 156 smallest 158–9 diving
tallest 168–9 chameleon 240–41 spidersweb simulations deepest 156
bristlecone pines 130–31 Chandelier Tree 45 282 fastest bird 138
Brookesia micra 240–41 Chan’s megastick 121 Concorde 142 DNA 268–9, 272
brownbanded bamboo cheese 275, 337 coniferous trees 176 dogs 289, 311
shark 238 cheetah 134, 135 constellations 308–9 smallest 215
bubbles, methane 76–7 chess 298 container ships 150–51 tallest 214–15
buildings chicken 238 continental crust 173 dolphins 70, 75
biggest 166–7 chihuahua 215 continental plates 181 dragonflies 139, 250–51
heaviest 170–71 Chillicothe, Ohio 90–91 continents 180–81 Dubai 40–41
tallest 164–5, 170 chimpanzees 268, 311 corpse flower 50–51 Dubai International
unusual 42–3 China Coulthard, David 41 Airport 167
bullets 143 algal bloom 48–9 Couroupita guianensis ducks 139, 143
bungee jumping 35 Chinese Revolution 341 46–7 dust
Buñol, Spain 26–7 cities 340, 341 courtship dances 73 and red skies 319
burgers 336–7 earlobes 271 crabs, blood 235 snowflakes 322
Burj Al Arab helipad 40–41 space 303, 313 craters 303, 313 space 309
Burj Khalifa 164–5 tower 35 crow 235 dwarf planets 202–3
butterflies 60–61, 280, 281 Chinchilla Festival 26 cruise ships 148, 149 e-books 163
bytes 160 chitin 244 crust, Earth’s 172–3, ears 270, 272
chiton mollusk 234 179, 190 Earth 300–301
C chocolate 266, 288 crystal caves 18–19, 21 atmosphere 77, 79
California 45 cicada 249 cumulus cloud 186–7 center of 190–91
Callicore butterfly 60–61 click beetle 234 Cuvier’s beaked whale 219 continents 180–81



US_343_349_187013_Index.indd 344 20/12/17 5:19 pm

INDEX 345


crust 11 Ethiopia 10–11 floods 184 glass 286–7
data 192–3, 326–7 Europa 80 flowers 47, 50–51 glass frog 213
forests 176–7 Europasaurus 111 fluorescence 234 glasswing butterfly 60
gravity 196 Everest, Mount 185, 327 Flyer, Wright 143 glaucoma 159
land area 181 Everett Factory, Seattle 166–7 flying fish 139 glowworm 57, 234
layers 172–3, 191 exercise 271, 284 food 336–7 goats 66–7
magnetic field 79 extreme sports 16, 17, 34–5, food fights 26–7 gold 174–5
meteorites 313 38–41 forests 176–7 goldfish 278–9
the Moon seen from 302–3 extreme survival 228–9 fossils 11, 280 Goliath beetle 121
mountain ranges 178–9 eyes fox, Arctic 64–5 Goliath bird-eating spider
plates 179, 181 animals 278, 282 France 118–19
rotation 193 beta-carotene 267 French Revolution Goliath frog 212
seasons 316–17 biggest 102–3 328–9, 341 Google Street View
size 204–5, 301 color 269 Napoleon 330 36–7, 294
temperature 199, 312 compound 250 Olympic Games 335 governments 340, 341
earthquakes 11, 181, 314–15 irises 258–9 Frank, Anne 332 Graf Zeppelin II 144–5
earthworms, blood 235 movements 272 free climbing 38–9 Grand Prismatic Spring 14–15
eggs 252, 277 sneezing 264 free diving 218, 219 Grand Tsingy 22–3
biggest bird 126–7 unusual 324 free-tailed bats 139 gravity 196–7, 270, 291, 302,
number of 238–9 French Revolution 328–9, 341 303, 305
smallest bird 124 FG frilled shark 72 gray grouper 239
Egypt, ancient 286, 340 fangs 243 frogs 99, 212–13 Great Barrier Reef 65
Eider duck 139 farming 300 frost beard 82 great bustard 123, 124
Eiffel Tower 164–5 fast food 336–7 frost flowers 83 Great Dane 214–15
Einstein, Albert 290–91 Federer, Roger 40–41 fruit 269, 284–5 Great Dividing Range 179
electric eel 235 feeding 109, 114 fumaroles 88–9 Great Pacific Garbage
electric ray 235 feet 273 Furnitureland 42 Patch 181
electricity femur 101 Gaboon viper 243 Great Pyramid 165,
animal 235 festivals 26–31 Gabr, Ahmed 219 170–71, 183
lightning content 188–9 filter feeding 109 Gagarin, Yuri 210 great snipe 139
electromagnetic spectrum fingernails 272 galaxies 309, 312, 313 great white shark 105,
298 fireballs 90 Gandhi, Mahatma 331 117, 226
elements 312 firenadoes 90–91 garbage Greece, ancient 308, 309,
elephant bird 124, 126–7 fish Pacific Ocean 181 334, 340
Elephant Foot Glacier 8–9 biggest sharks 116–17 space 208–9 green woodpecker 70–71
elephant seal 219 bioluminescence 57 garden snail 135 greenhouse effect 77
elephants camouflage 65 gases, space 304 Greenland 8–9, 82
lifespan 132 fastest 140–41 gastropods 236 griffinfly 250–51
Songkran 28–9 memory 278–9 geckos 62–3 grubs 121
Taj Mahal 340 shoals 74–5 General Sherman tree 107 guillemot 127
teeth 104–5 teeth 104, 105 genes 268, 269
trunks 222–3 young 72 germs 264 HI
elevators, longest 164 fishing festival 29 geysers 89 Habrobracon wasp 229
Elvish honey 246 fitness 94, 95 giant barrel sponge 132 hair 262–3
email 163 fjords 17 giant Ghana snail (giant Hamburg, Germany 336–7
Emma Maersk 156 flamingos 24 tiger snail) 236–7 Harmony of the Seas 148, 149
Empire State Building 164–5, flash drives 160 giant huntsman spider 119 hawksbill turtle 238
169, 171 flat-headed frogs 99 giant sequoias 106–7 head lice 262–3
empress cicada 249 fleas 137 giant squid 244–5 health 288–9, 298
emu 126 Fleming, Alexander 288, 289 giant tortoise 133 hearing 270
Enteromorpha prolifera 48–9 flies 269, 282 giant weta 120 heart
equator 193, 300, 301 flight Giganotosaurus 113 human 94–5, 96, 267,
Erebus Ice Tongue 9 bird 128–9, 138–9 glaciers 8–9, 18–19 272, 273
Eris, surface area 202 passenger 157 and fjords 17 whale’s 230–31



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346


heavy-lift ships 151 illnesses 264–5, 325 kidneys 273 longevity 132–3
Helicoprion 105 incubation, eggs 239 Kigelia africana 53 Los Angeles 324–5
helicopters 143, 248 India 275, 319, 331, 337, 340 killers, animal 224, “Lucy” (fossil) 11
helium 305, 307, 312 Indonesia 50–51 226–7, 243 lungs 94, 95, 99, 273
Hindenburg airship 144–5 Indurain, Miguel 94 king cobra 115
hippopotamus 224–5 information technology kitesurfers 146 M
history 340–41 160–63 kiwi 126, 127 Macau Tower, China 35
hominids, early 11, 269 inland taipan snake 242–3 Kjeragbolten boulder 16–17 McIlroy, Rory 41
Honda CBR600F 230 insectivorous plants 53 Knock Nevis 148–9, 151 McMurdo Dry Valleys 193
honey 246–7 insects Kola Superdeep Borehole Madagascar
honey bees 239, 243, biggest 120–21, 250–51 172–3 geckos 62–3
246–7, 276–7 bites and stings 276–7 krill 109, 193 lemur 22, 68–9
Hoover Dam 254–5 eggs 238–9 Laika 210 plants 53
hormones 273 as food 337 lakes stone forest 22–3
horses 134–5 loudest 248–9 alkaline 24–5 tree of life 44–5
smallest 215 smallest 252–3 methane 76–7 magnetic fields 192
hot springs 14–15, 25 survival 280–81 sulfur 10–11 magnetic poles 192
hotels swarms (locusts) 220–21 land diving 34–5 magnetosphere 79
salt 183 International Space Station land vehicles, biggest Maho Beach 32–3
unusual 30 210–11 156–7 Malanoplus spretus 221
HTV-2 aircraft 143 Internet 292–3 laptops 158 Maldives 56–7, 193
humans inventions 288, 299 Le-May, Martin 71 malleefowl birds 233
bodies 258–73 Iran 341 leap second 193 mammals 275
body data 272–3 Iraq 340, 341 least weasel 71 mammatus clouds 86
bones 100–101 iron 175 leatherback turtles 141 Mandela, Nelson 331
breathing 98–9 Italy 66 legs, animals 281 mantle, Earth’s 172–3
diving 156, 218, 219 lemur 22, 68–9 mapping 294, 295
evolution 327 JKL Lenin, Vladimir 331 Mapusaurus 113
eyes 102, 258–9 Japan lens, eye 103 Marble Caves 21
heart and blood 94–7 cities 341 leopard 136, 137 Marie Antoinette 328–9
jumping 137, 196–7 hot springs 14 Library of Congress 161 marine snail 237
oldest 132 life expectancy 271 lichens 131 marlin, striped 140
running 134 snow festival 30–31 life expectancy 270, 271, Mars 198, 312
salt content 182 Tateyama Kurobe Alpine 279, 283, 325 mass (of planets) 200–201
swimming 141 Route 84–5 light 259, 278, 290, 298 materials 286–7, 327
teeth 104 Tokyo 271 in space 303, 306, 307 Mauna Kea 185
hummingbirds 124–5, waterfalls 327 lightning 188–9, 320–21 Mauna Loa 192
126, 235 jellyfish limestone 22 medicine
humpback whale 74 biggest 216–17 Lincoln, Abraham 331 penicillin 288–9
huntsman spiders 65 immortal 133 Lindsey Creek Tree 107 plant remedies 46, 51
hydrogen 305, 307, 312 in space 311 lion 105 surgical robots 297
Hydroptère hydrofoil venomous 226–7 lion’s mane jellyfish 216–17 vaccinations 298
trimaran 146–7 jerboa 136 liver 273 Megalodon 116–17
hyoid bone 100 Judean date palm seeds 130 living things Meganeuropsis permiana
ibex 66 jumping 136–7 biggest 106–7 250–51
ice 318, 321, 322 in space 196–7 see also algae; animals; Mekong River 90, 179
ice formations 82–3 Jupiter 78, 194, 197, 198, 312 bacteria; birds; fish; memory
see also glaciers moons 80 insects; plants; reptiles computer 162
ice hotel 30 size 200–201 Liwa Desert 36–7 fish 278–9
ice pancakes 83 kangaroos, red 137 locusts 220–21 and happiness 267
ice sheets 173 Kansas City Library 42 loggerhead turtle 219 hippocampus 271
iceberg, striped 82 Kantarat, Thailand 32 London, Olympic insects 280
Iceland 18–19, 178 Kepler-70b 199 Stadium 166 Mercury 196, 198, 312
ichthyosaurs 102 Khan, Genghis 331 Longaberger, Dave 42–3 mermaid’s purse 238



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INDEX 347


metals 175 mountains octopus 140, 235 strange but true 44–57
meteorites 303, 313 highest 326 oil 149, 173 weird 52–3
meteorology 319 longest range 178–9 Ol Doinyo Lengai 25 see also algae;
methane 76–7 Mount Roraima 12–13 olm 132 flowers; trees
Mexican tetra fish 234 penitentes 80–81 Olympic Games 334–5 plastic waste 181
Mexico 21, 29 snow 322 online access 162 plate tectonics 314
craters 313 Sun intensity 305 organs 273 platypus 235
mice 268, 274–5, 311 Tateyama Kurobe Alpine ostrich 124, 127, 239 pliosaurs 111
Michigan Micro Mote 158–9 Route 84–5 Oviraptor 126 Pluto 202–3
microprocessors 158, 159 tectonic plates 300 ovoviviparous animals 72 polar bear 112, 141
Mid-Ocean Ridge mountain see also volcanoes owls 64, 70 pollen 247
chain 178–9 Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus oxygen 95, 96, 250 pollution 49
midwife toad 238 338–9 Pacific Ocean 180–81, 193 population, world 324–5
migrations Mponeng gold mine 172 Paedophryne amauensis porpoise, Dall’s 140
birds 128–9, 139, 318 MSC Oscar 150–51 212–13 Powell, Mike 137
butterflies 281 mucus 264, 265 paint 298, 331 precipitation 184–5
fish 74–5 mummification 331 aircraft 167 predators, land 112–13
military aircraft 143 muscles 94, 259 Pakaraima mountains 12–13 pregnancy 95
Milky Way 313 music 338–9 Palacio de Sal 183 President tree 106–7
Millau Viaduct 168–9 parasites 137 prism 15
minerals, colorful NOPQR parasitic wasp 252–3 propellers 156
caves 20–21 Naga fireballs 90 passenger flights 157 Pterygotus 110
Danakil 10–11 Naghol 34–5 Patagonia 21 pulmonary artery 95
ice 82 Namib Desert 52 penguins 126, 140 pythons 114, 115
Lake Natron 24–5 Napoleon 330 penicillin 288–9 Qingdao, China 48–9
mining 172–3, 175 NASA 144 penitentes 80–81 quantum theory 290, 291
missiles 143 Native American beliefs 13 Pentagon 167 Quetzalcoatlus 122–3
Missouri River 179 Natron, Lake 24–5 Pentecost Island 34–5 radiation 228–9
mites 262 Neptune 195, 199, 312 peregrine falcon 138 radish-carving contest 29
molars 104–5 nerves 259, 273 Perito Moreno 18 Rafflesia arnoldii 50–51
mollusks 236 nests personal watercraft railroad worm 234
monkey cup 53 birds 124, 232–3, 234 140–41, 146 railroads
monkeys 311 termites 281 phosphorescence 234 bridges 169
monsoons 317 neurotoxin 242 physics 290–91 track 157
Moon New Year celebrations 28–9 phytoplankton 56–7 rain
dark side 302–3 New Zealand 57 pigs, swimming 68 monsoon 317
distance from Earth Nigeria 29 Pioneer spacecraft 155 Mount Roraima 12–13
194–5 Night of the Radishes 29 pitcher plant 53 raindrops 320
formation of 326 Nile River 179 planets 194–5 weather prediction 318–19
golf on 335 Nitsch, Herbert 219 auroras 78 in a year 184–5
gravity 196, 197, 311 Noctiluca scintillans 49, 234 dwarf planets 202–3 rain forests 50–51
halo around 318 noise 248–9 Earth 300–301 raindrops 185
landings 154–5, 163 Norway 16–17 gravity 196–7 rats 274, 275
moonquakes 315 noses 261, 264, 265, 270 mass 200–201 red blood cells 97
phases 312 nuggets, gold 174 moons 80 red-billed quelea 221
surface area 202 nutrients 95, 96 rings 204–5 redwood tree 45
and tides 317 Oaxaca, Mexico 29 temperature 198–9, 312 redwoods 107
Moore, Gordon 158 ocean quahog clam 132, 133 plants reflexes 265
morning glory clouds 86–7 oceanic crust 173 carnivorous 53 relativity 290, 291
Morocco 66–7 oceans colorful 48–51, 56–7 reptiles 240–41
Mosasaurus 116 deadliest animal 226–7 fastest growing 131 revolutions 328–9, 341
mosquitoes 277 Earth 300, 301 fruits 284–5 rice 253
mossy leaf-tailed gecko 63 Pacific 180–81, 193 healing 46, 51 Ring of Fire 181
motorcycle 230 tides 302 smelly 46, 50–51 rings, Saturn 204–5



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348


rivers 179 scuba diving 218 largest 114–15 SOHO 305
road bridges, tallest 168–9 sculptures, snow 30–31 longest fangs 243 Space Shuttle 145,
Robert, Alain 38–9 sea most venomous 242–3 152–3, 211
robots 296–7 algae 48–9 sea snakes 226 Voyager 154–5
rock formations 12–13, bioluminescence 56–7 sneezing 264 spacesuits 211, 310–11
16–17, 22–3 salt in 182–3 snow 322–3 Spain, festivals 26–7
rocket cars 153 sea grass 131 chimneys 88–9 speed
rocket planes 143 sea lions 140 penitentes 80–81 aircraft 142–3
rockets 152–5, 313, 321 sea sparkle 234 rollers 88 flying 138–9
Rocky Mountains 179 seahorses 72–3 sculptures 30–31 running 134–5
rodents 254, 274–5 seasons 316–17 tunnels 85 swimming 140–41
Rome, ancient 275, 330, 341 seawater 175 walls 84–5 water record 146–7
Ronningsbakken, Eskil 17 seeds 284 snow leopard 136, 137 speedboats 146–7
Roraima, Mount 12–13 oldest 130 soccer spiders 64–5, 282–3, 311
rougheye rockfish 132 senses at high altitude 41 biggest 118–19
runners, fastest 134–5 animals 276, 280, 281 at Olympics 335 spinach 266–7
Russia humans 258–61 in the trenches 332–3 Spinosaurus 112–13
caves 20–21 The Shard 175 sociable weaver bird 232–3 spiracles, insects 250
chess 298 sharks social networks 162 spirals 90–91
meteorites 313 biggest 116–17 solar system 194–5, 201, Spirit of Australia 146–7
Russian Revolution 341 bites 226 305, 312 sponges 132
space program 209, 210, eggs 238 Songkran water festival 28–9 springs
311, 313 fastest 140 Sonoran Desert 45 hot 14–15, 25
World War I 333 and sardine migrations 75 sound 248–9, 298 sulfur 10–11
teeth 105, 117 South Africa 74–5, 313, Sputnik 210
S young 72 327, 331 squid 102–3, 244–5
saber-toothed cat 113 shells 236–7 South America starfish 234, 235
sailfish 140–41 ships insects 60–61 stargazer fish 235
Sailrocket 2 146 Atlantic crossing 341 mountains 12–13, 326 stars 210, 211, 304–9,
Saint Martin island 32–3 biggest 148–9, 156 penitentes 80–81 313, 328
Salar de Uyuni 183 cargo 150–51 plants 46–7 stick insects 121
saliva 261 Siberian tiger 113 waterfalls 327 stonefish 226
salt 182–3 silicon chips 159 Southern Great storage devices 160–61
salt flats 11 singing 275 Escarpment 179 storms 188, 318, 320–21,
salt mines 20–21 skeletons 100–101 space 300–13 323, 326
saltwater crocodile skin 267, 270, 272 data 312–13 subatomic particles 290–91
226–7, 240 skulls 101 exploration 210–11 sublimation 81
sand 286, 287 skydivers 190–91 gravity 196–7 submarines/submersibles
sandstone 13 skyscrapers 38–41 junk 208–9 156, 245
sandwiches 336–7 sleep 273 travel 152–65 suckers 244
Sapporo Snow Festival 30–31 smell space probes 154–5 sugar 266, 267, 285
sardines 74–5 bees 276 Space Shuttle 145, sugar glider 136
Satanic leaf-tailed gecko 62–3 cockroaches 280 152–3, 211 sulfur 10–11
satellites 208–9, 210, elephants 223 spacecraft Sumatra 51
295, 319 and memories 267 Apollo 13 154–5 Sun 304–5
Saturn 78, 312 oranges 284 astronauts 310–11, 313 and algae 49
gravity 197 spiders 283 International Space Station gravity 196
rings 204–5 and taste 261 210–11, 310, 313 greenhouse effect 77
rotation time 195 Smilodon 113 Landsat 8 300 mass 201
temperature 199 snails 135, 236–7 lightning strikes 321 and penitentes 81
sauropods 110 snake mimic hawkmoth lunar 303 solar wind 79
Sausage tree 53 caterpillar 58–9 Pioneer 155 sunlight 287, 298, 303, 304,
scops owl 64 snakes Rosetta 207 316, 317
scorpion 234 eggs 238 satellites 208 temperature 301



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