ENC WITH

Y
BRITCLOPAE
ANN DIA
ICA

February 2O26
MAGAZINE

INSIDE:
PUZZLES,
GAMES, QUIZ,
JOKES
AND MORE!
 AMAZING STATUES
Behold 12 awesome statues from around
the world on page 14, from giant mythical
beings to a cuddly flower puppy.
CONTENTS

A wild and
wonderful
world awaits
you inside!

HOW TO CHAT...
...night monkey! Learn how these nocturnal
primates communicate on page 10.

INSIDE A
SUBMARINE
How do submarines stay
underwater – and what
goes on inside them?
Dive into their underwater
world on page 42 with our
fascinating infographic.

REGUL
REGULARS
FACTOPIA WORD UP! PUZZLES
Follow the trail of crazily Explore the world of sign & GAMES
connected facts on languages on page 12. Page 23
page 40 all the way from Plus, learn the sign for
seeing the future to… ‘friend’ in six different IN NUMBERS
poisonous golden frogs! sign languages. Page 47
2
FUNNY FACTS
Get ready to laugh (and be EUREKA!
amazed) by the hilarious Check out the latest advances in science
facts on page 16. Plus, and technology on page 8 – including the
discover what kind of electric cars that are taking on Formula 1.
music sharks prefer to
listen to – can you guess?
What do
you call a

lazy
kangaroo?
A
pouch
potato!

LO
L!
Why don’t

eggs
tell jokes?
THE BIG
QUESTIONS
Why does skin come They’d
in different colours?
Why do kangaroos crack up!
have pouches? And
how exactly does water
put out a fire? All is
revealed on page 44.

THINK DIFFERENT What did the

Turn to page 39 to find out
how Madam C. J. Walker
became one of America’s
dog
say when it sat on
first female self-made sandpaper?
millionaires by making and
selling hair-care products.

Ruff!
A!
H HA!
SEND IT IN! How do
Turn to page 48 to salute our new
National Schools Quiz champions.
vegetables
drive
to work?
On a dual
JOKES
& RIDDLES SEND IT IN! cabbage
Look out for this month’s Email us your letters, photos
-way!
selection, hand-picked and favourite facts to:
by our jokes editor, May, letters@[Link]
on page 50.
 SOUND OF THE STAG
Ten-year-old Jamie Smart took
this fantastic photo of a majestic
red deer stag bellowing in
Bradgate Park, UK. She stretched
up above the tall grass to get a
clear shot of the stag in full voice.
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR/JAMIE SMART

4
SNAP
Aston
ishing
aroun photos fr
d the o
IT
world m

5
PHOTOS

COSMIC SPAGHETTI
This stunning photograph of the
supernova remnant nicknamed the
Spaghetti Nebula was colour-enhanced
by photographer Shaoyu Zhang using
astronomical data. A supernova remnant
is the expanding cloud of gas and dust
left behind after a star explodes. It
includes both debris from the star
and material the supernova remnant
sweeps up as it spreads through space.
ASTRONOMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR/SHAOYU ZHANG

LET’S DANCE!
Photographer Jose Miguel Gallego Molina noticed this ‘dancing’
mantis while driving. Not wanting to miss the opportunity,
he stopped his car and lay down in the road to snap the shot!
NIKON COMEDY WILDLIFE/JOSE MIGUEL GALLEGO MOLINA

MIRROR IMAGE
This pic might
seem like
an optical
illusion
(and if you
like optical
illusions, turn to page 35
to check out our amazing
expanding hole!), but it’s
actually the reflected
image of a real hotel in
Zaandam, Netherlands.
The Inntel Hotel was
designed to look like
a group of houses built
in a local historic style.
How many shapes of
houses can you spot?
SNAP
IT !

TAKING THE PLUNGE

This striking
photo of
a diving
child was
snapped
in the blue
waters of Greece.
Greece is bordered
by three seas: the
Aegean to the east,
the Mediterranean to
the south, and the Ionian
to the west. Greece has
one of the longest
coastlines in Europe at
more than 13,500 km
– making it a great
place for a swim!

7
 The latest astonishing
discoveries, inventions
and scientific
breakthroughs.

Revealed: how
lions have two
types of roar Electric cars charge ahead!
When you imagine a lion’s For decades, petrol- the gap. The latest version accelerate faster. And
roar, how does it sound? And powered Formula 1 cars of these battery-powered because electric motors
is its roar always the same? have been among the cars can reach speeds of L]P
^Z
PʯNTPY_
bL^_TYR

A recent study has shown that world’s fastest land around 210 mph, which less energy as heat),
African lions have not one, vehicles. But now Formula is just short of Formula 1 the gap is likely to keep
but two distinct types of roar. E – the all-electric racing cars at 230 mph. However, shrinking until electric
Researchers at the University championship – is closing Formula E cars can already cars are quickest of all!
of Exeter in the UK used AI to
discover that lions roar in two
ways: a full-throated roar and
an ‘in-between’ roar called an
intermediary roar. Lions use
their roars to communicate
with other lions and warn
rivals to keep away. Each lion’s
roar is unique and can be used
to identify individual animals
– which could help scientists
track lions and study their
behaviour. Scan
the QR code to
hear the two
types of lion’s
roar for yourself!

RR
AR

R O

8
 NEWS

SCALING
NEW HEIGHTS
Hari Budha
Magar from
Nepal has set a
world record as
the first person
with both legs The Himalayas
amputated
above the knee
to reach the top
of the highest
mountain on
every continent.
His achievement
was sealed with
his summit of
Mount Vinson in
Antarctica, after
a three-day
climb in -25°C
cold. Amazing
work, Hari!

Amazing new
3D shape created
– in space!
S?
IS
Mathematicians have recently
discovered a new class of
3D shapes that don’t have any
sharp corners, called soft cells.
Soft cell shapes are often found
When was
the first K
in nature, such as in muscle Humans kiss as a sign Research by experts
cells, but are hard to create. of affection. But at the University
So scientists tried it in space! scientists have long of Oxford in the UK
They used water to create a debated whether suggests the first kiss
^ZQ_
NPWW
^SL[P
L^
T_
ʮZL_PO
humans have always could have happened
and held its form kissed, or if it’s a between our great-ape
in microgravity. cultural practice that ancestors up to
Scan the QR code evolved over time. 21.5 million years ago!
to see exactly
how they did it.

9
 A E E E EI I I I
(Go away
!)

Screaming means
‘Leave me alone!’

M U hUgoUodU UAAAA
, you’re b
(O ack!)

How to chat...

NIGHT MONKEY By Dr Nick Crumpton

Illustration by Adrienne Barman

The jungles of South America can be noisy at night-time.

If you fancy a midnight chat with some night monkeys,
you might need to warm up your vocal cords and get
ready for some shrieking, gulping and sneezing…
10
G l p! D I D YO U
?
(Hey!)
K N OW
Night mon
keys, also
Night monkeys called ow
l monkeys
are the on ,
make a gulping ly truly
noise when they nocturna
l species
see each other. of monke
ys.

H-RUUUUM
(Who are you?)

This low grunt

is made when
a night monkey
meets a stranger.

Ch o o ! (Stay back!)

A sneeze-like sound
is used to intimidate
other night monkeys.

11
 THIS MONTH: sign languages!
By Alison Eldridge, Illustrations by Susanna Hickling

lot of the words we use own linguistic rules. For sign

A to talk about languages

TYNW`OTYR
ɩ_LWVɪ 
RTaP

the impression that language
instance, in American Sign
7LYR`LRP
,>7
_SP
[Z^T_TZY

of your eyebrows is important
languages
they used
before the
is always spoken. But of course when asking a question! arrival of
that’s not true. There are some Let’s explore the amazing Europeans,
languages that are whistled world of sign languages… which they
and even one that is drummed! then taught
And there are many, many WHAT WAS THE FIRST to Europeans
languages that don’t use any
sound at all. Sign languages
SIGN LANGUAGE? in order to
communicate.
are a way of communicating Signing has been a useful and In Britain, the
using physical movements of important way to communicate earliest evidence
the hands and body, as well as for centuries. But because of signing is from
facial expressions. They are sign languages are not often  " 
?SP
ʭ]^_

mostly used by people who are written down, it is hard to formal sign language to be
deaf or hard of hearing, but know the precise history. recorded and taught was
hearing people use them as We do know French Sign Language,
well. While you may think that some in the 1700s. It
that you use ‘sign language’ Indigenous TYʮ`PYNPO
/`_NS

every day by gesturing to American Russian, American
communicate, sign languages groups had and Brazilian sign,
are complex systems with their complex among others.

Above:
examples of
sign languages
A sign interpreter used in Japan,
performs with a China, USA,
band at a festival. Brazil, the
UK and Spain.
6 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT SIGN LANGUAGES

ƴ Many people
who sign are
bilingual. For
with their hands
rather than
their mouths.
and one in New
York), there are
also regional
instance, you can
sign to someone
down the street or
Ƹ Nicaraguan
Sign Language
stands out from
20th century by
deaf children at
school and in the
instance, people differences in sign through a thick all other sign playground.
who learn ASL or
BSL as their first ƶ Just as there
are differences
languages. pane of glass. languages because
it is known to have
ƹ Even pets have
language and
learn to read and
write in English
in accents and
word usage in
spoken languages
Ʒ It can
be very
useful for
been created
without the
influence of any
discovered the
usefulness of sign
language. One
learn English as a in different regions everyone to learn other languages. cat even learned
second language. (think about sign, not just Nicaraguan to use a sign to
the differences people who have Sign ask for treats

Ƶ Babies who are

taught sign
languages ‘babble’
between an
American English
speaker in Texas
difficulties
hearing or
speaking. For
Language
was created
during the
after realising its
deaf owner didn’t
respond to meows!

Some people think

sign languages are all BIG D AND LIT
Some people with TLE D
the same, but they’re he
make a distinctio aring impairments like to
not! Here is the word for n between ‘big D’
‘little d’ deaf. T De
he ‘big D’ Deaf is af and
‘FRIEND’ in 6 sign refer to people w
ho
us ed to
languages. These people are belong to Deaf culture.
usually born deaf
deafness as part and view
of their identity
deaf people ofte . ‘Little d’
n be
life and identify came deaf later in
mor
community. Of co e with the hearing
ur
many ways to id se there are as
entify as there
are people, so as
k yo
friends what they ur d/Deaf
prefer!

DEAF LITERATURE
Although there meant to help
are ways of writing children learn
down signs, sign the sign alphabet.
languages are, of Scan the QR code
course, primarily to see an example
signed! Their of poetry in British
stories and poems Sign Language
are signed and (BSL). It’s about
D I D YO U
K N OW ?
han 300
performed. There
are even signed
styles of music,
which rely on beat
how pollution
harms the ocean.

e more t
There ar guages
differen
t sign lan patterns, and
oun the
d
special types of
in use ar
day!
world to stories that are
GENGHIS KHAN APENNINE COLOSSUS STATUE OF LORD SHIVA LESHAN GIANT BUDDHA
This 40-metre-high steel statue of the A personification (turning a concept into This 37-metre-high depiction of Lord The Leshan Giant Buddha was carved
fearsome 12th-century warrior-ruler a person) of the Apennine Mountains Shiva, a major god in Hinduism, sits near out of a cliff face in Sichuan Province,
stands in Mongolia, near to where he in Italy, this 11-metre figure was made the Arabian Sea in India. It’s the second- China, in the 700s. It stands 71 metres
is said to have found a golden whip. to look as if he’s emerging from nature. tallest Shiva statue in the country. tall and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Humans have been making statues (sculptures of humans,

DE VAARTKAPOEN animals or mythical beings) since prehistoric times. In fact, STATUE OF GUAN YU
‘Vaartkapoen’, meaning ‘canal rascal’, the oldest known statue is more than 30,000 years old! This enormous statue of Guan Yu,
is a funny statue of a young prankster a famous general, is being relocated
Here are 12 spectacular statues from around the world and
tripping a police officer. It is life-sized within China. When fully assembled,
and stands in Brussels, Belgium. across different periods of history. Which is your favourite? it’s a whopping 58 metres tall.
THE KELPIES LAYKYUN SEKKYA THE MOTHERLAND CALLS PUPPY
These 30-metre-high kelpie heads stand Both golden figures in this statue show This personification of Russia (‘Mother Created by the artist Jeff Koons, this
near the motorway between Falkirk and the same person – Gautama Buddha, Russia’) calls the people of her country delightfully cute, 12-metre-tall puppy
Grangemouth in Scotland. Kelpies are the founder of Buddhism. Located in to battle. Including the pedestal, it is covered in flowers stands guard outside
mythical beasts from Scottish folklore. Myanmar, it stands 116 metres tall. Europe’s tallest statue, at 85 metres. a museum of art in Bilbao, Spain.

SIZE COMPARISON
How do the statues shown on this page compare to other famous monuments? The Statue
of Unity, the tallest statue in the world, is around 100 times taller than an adult human!

metres (m) 180

160

Statue of 140
Statue Liberty,
New York, 120
of Unity,
Narmada USA Nelson’s
100
valley, India (93 m) Column,
London, Christ the
(182 m) 80
UK Redeemer,
POPPED UP (52 m) Rio de Janeiro, 60 FORCE OF NATURE
Brazil The Sphinx,
A fun sight in Budapest, Hungary, this (38 m) Giza, 40 Part of a series of sculptures showing
temporary sculpture depicted a giant Egypt Mother Earth holding our planet, this
man emerging from the Earth. Built (20 m) 20 Force of Nature stands in Qatar in
from polystyrene, it was 6 metres tall. the Middle East. It is 2.5 metres tall.
0
16
 id you know that the 60 eggs with his toes in through some by Andy Smith. And

D Ancient Egyptians
strapped clay crocodiles
ʭWWPO
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SPLO^

one minute? As every fact-
loving What on Earth! reader
knows, our world is full of
of the funniest
brain-tickling facts
in science and
if you enjoy this special
preview of Funny
FACTopia!, you can keep
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mind-boggling, amazing history from our the fun going by picking
sometimes, to check whether and wondrous things – but new book Funny up your own free copy
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TURN TO
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amusing and downright Christopher Lloyd PAGE 21 TO FIND Book Day token
®

man from the UK once set hilarious. So join LYO
6L_P
:WP^TY
OUT HOW YOU on page 21.
a world record by crushing us on a journey with illustrations CAN GET A FREE Happy reading!
COPY OF FUNNY
FACTOPIA!

17
FUNNY FACTS

PLaNtS LoVe ZEbRas, wHiCh lIvE

To gRoOve… In tHe gRaSsLaNdS
Scientists have found that Of eAsTeRn aNd
when music is played to some SoUtHeRn
SoU H Rn AFrIca,
AF Ica,
plants, they can grow faster
_SLY
[WLY_^
WPQ_
TY
^TWPYNP
:Q

course, plants don’t have ears
to listen to music, but experts WhEn
W hEn tH
tHeY
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_STYV
_SP
^Z`YO
bLaP^
_TYd
GeT StArTlEd!
vibrations in the air) stimulate
plant cells and help them grow.
Plants even seem to have their
own favourite genres of music.

HIpPoPoTaMuSeS SpIn tHeIr

TaIlS WhIlE ThEy pOo – aNd tHe
SpInNiNg cAn fLiNg tHe dUnG
Up tO 10 mEtRes! tS sleep In
kA

ap
MEeR

Ile.
ThE WOrLd’S OlDeSt lAnD AnImAl
The world’s longest-living on the island of Saint Helena,
land animal is Jonathan, bSP]P
_SP
ʭaP[PYNP
NZTY^

a Seychelles giant tortoise. have a picture of him on
He is estimated to be 193 years the back. Jonathan was once
old, which means he hatched photographed giving a ride
before the petrol car was to the future King Edward VIII
invented! Jonathan lives of the United Kingdom!

ONe mUsIcIaN
MaDe sOnGs
SpEcIfIcAlLy
FoR CaTs!

18
 TO StOp cHiCkEn
PoO FrOm gEtTiNg
EvErYwHeRe,
SoMe fArMeRs pUt
SpEcIaL NaPpIeS On
ThEiR ChIcKeNs!

SOmEtImEs
ChImPaNzEeS
S M I LE
AnD ShOw tHeIr
TeEtH To aPoLoGiSe
To oThEr cHiMps.

aUtS
aS tRoN
r
o U s fO bEcAuSe t
eR aCe S ThA
dAnG In sP iN GaSe
s T A !
IT I o fAr CoNt Ch fIre
T tS cAt
FaR SiLy
Ea
CHaMeLeOnS
KeEp iT CoOl
NApOlEoN Vs. tHe BUnNiEs You may have heard that
chameleons can change
Napoleon Bonaparte of France The hungry bunnies colour to match their
was one of the most powerful swarmed around surroundings, but they do
rulers in history. But he Napoleon and his guests, it most often to express
did lose his share of battles chewing at their emotions, such as being
– including one, in 1807, to an clothes and boots. ]PLOd
_Z
ʭRS_
Z]
_Z
XL_P

army of bunnies! Napoleon had Unable to position Chameleons also change
decided to have a rabbit hunt their guns to shoot the colour of their skin to help
to celebrate the end of a war at a target so close them warm up and cool down.
between the French Empire by, they tried to
and Imperial Russia. His chief beat the bunnies back WHeN A FlY WaLkS
ZQ
^_Lʬ
Z]OP]PO
WZNLW
QL]XP]^
with sticks and whips.
AcRoSs yOuR FoOd, iT Is
to gather up hundreds of Napoleon was forced to
AcTuAlLy tAsTiNg tHe
rabbits in cages for the hunt. run away to his carriage
FlAvOuR WiTh iTs fEet!
When it was time, they opened and some stories say the
the cages and released the rabbits even chased him there!
rabbits. However, these Napoleon rode away in retreat
bunnies were not afraid of and supposedly threw rabbits
humans. In fact, they seemed that managed to get into
to think it was time to eat! his carriage out the window.
 A sHeEp,
A CoCkErEl
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DOcToRs uSeD ?SP
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ʮPb
QZ]
PTRS_
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landed in a wooded area a few miles
SlUg sOuP To tReAt
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CeRtAiN PoIsOnS In _SP
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ɧ
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ZYWd
TYU`]d
bL^

ThE MIdDlE AGes. from the sheep kicking
the cockerel!
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hEi
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PoO Of ADéLiE
nG

PeNgUiNs cAn bE
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p ic k t hei r n o
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A sEa oF BaTh tOyS

In 1992, a container carrying the toys for years to various
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rubber ducks, beavers and bP]PQZ`YOTY,WL^VLLYO
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20
 IN OnE Day, a cOw cAn
MaKe eNoUgH GaS FrOm
FaRtS AnD BuRpS To fIlL

30 balloons
ONe IRiSh lEgEnD
SaYs yOu cAn cUrE AStRoNaUtS HaVe
A ToOtHaChE By LeFt bAgS Of pOo
PuTtInG A FrOg iN
YoUr mOuTh! On tHe MOon!
When you think of astronauts
landing on the Moon, you

‘Snottites’
might remember the American
ʮLR
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dRiPs fRoM CaVe cEiLiNgS bring them home, were they?!
AnD LoOkS LiKe sNot.
CRoCoDiLeS
Can’T StIcK OuT
ThEiR ToNgUes.

TAdPoLeS THe gIaNt sQuId hAs

CaN GrOw A BrAiN ShApEd lIkE a
As bIg aS
Ke DOUGHNUT
HoTdOgS HaRkS Li
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Of
ThE SoUnD

heavy metal
music

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21
MYSTERIES

o f Lon don be
city i t d u ri n g
ca
m
e e d
Th q u e r th e
n m th e La e
co es fr o

th
ti n
m

e
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f ir
co Roma s

wo

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th

to

rd ‘Lon di niu

c e
ta l of Br
call the city But

ntu r y C E
m
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e r w ...
r

th ‘Lo h
e nd y
Ro on
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 r
lo u
Co !
it i n

Inside this 12-page activity section, you will find quizzes to do,
puzzles to solve and fun activities to try. And don’t worry if
you get stuck – all the answers are on page 34.
 ANIMALS

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^NTPY_TʭNP^_TXL_P^
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right is called a dugong.
ants are there on Earth? -dbSL_YTNVYLXPL]P
a. 20 million O`RZYR^LW^ZVYZbY*
b. 20 billion a. Sea elephant
c. 20 trillion b. Sea cow
d. 20 quadrillion c. Sea hoover
d. Sea lion
Which of these
2 _P]X^OZ[PZ[WP
sometimes use to 4 Which of these
animals can survive
OP^N]TMPLMLMd^bLY* being frozen solid?
a. Cygnet a. Arctic fox
b. Gosling b. Emperor penguin
c. Chick c. Wood frog
3
d. Duckling d. Polar bear

STOLEN
LETTERS
Move one letter from the first word to the
second word to make two new words.
The order of all the other letters must stay
the same – only the stolen letter moves.
For example, in the pair PLANE and RAT,
moving the letter E from PLANE to RAT…

PLANE\ RAT E
…gives you PLAN and RATE.

SPLIT RICE

THINK WIN

FLOUR EAST

GROWN FAIL

24
 CHANGING
ROOMS
Can you find your way through our maze of square rooms? Enter through
the door marked with the red arrow, then try to find your way to the
exit by going through the correct sequence of open doors. Good luck!

ODD ONE
OUT
Look closely at the four Rubik’s Cubes below.
Three of them have exactly the same coloured
pattern, but one is different. Study each cube
carefully, compare their patterns, and see if
you can spot which cube is the odd one out!

A B

C D

25
 1

GEOGRAPHY
Which of the Which country has b. Toronto
1 QZWWZbTYRQZ`]XLUZ]
deserts is found in
2 _SPbZ]WOɪ^WL]RP^_
[Z[`WL_TZY*
c. Montreal
d. Vancouver
_SPNZY_TYPY_ZQ,^TL* a. United States
b. India
?ZRTaPdZ`LNW`P_SP
OP^P]_^SZbYLMZaPT^
XZ`Y_LTYZ`^TY[WLNP^
c. China
d. Brazil
4 ?SPYL_TZYLWʮLR
ZQbSTNSNZ`Y_]d
T^[TN_`]POZY_SP]TRS_*
a. Sahara a. Tunisia
b. Atacama b. Singapore
c. Gobi
d. Kalahari
3 BSL_T^_SPNL[T_LW
city of Canada?
a.
:__LbL
c. Switzerland
d. Turkey
4

26
 HIDDEN ANIMALS
Four sneaky animals are hiding somewhere in these photos. Can you find them?

A B

C D

WORD WHEEL
Use the word wheel to help find the answers to the eight clues below. All the answers contain the middle letter,
and each letter can only be used once.

Clue: a cold drink made from milk, a sweet Clue: Victoria, Superior and Como are famous
flavouring, and frothy ice cream (9 letters). examples of this natural feature (4 letters).
Answer:
Clue: a series of messages sent by computer
S K Answer:
Clue: a wheel or tiller used for steering a ship
or other electronic device (6 letters).
Answer:
I A or boat (4 letters).
Answer:
Clue: a common facial expression that E Clue: to walk a long distance, especially
shows pleasure or amusement (5 letters).
Answer:
H L across country (4 letters).
Answer:
Clue: a passage between rows of seats,
for example in a church or theatre (5 letters).
K M Clue: a tall deciduous tree with leaves that
have jagged edges (3 letters).
Answer: Answer:

27
 EMOJI PICTURE
IDIOMS
QUIZ
Each of the four emoji sequences below
represents a common phrase. Can you work Can you work out what you are looking
out which phrase it is in each example? at in each of these six photos?

A B

C D
1 2

SUDOKU
Fill all the empty squares so that every row,
column and 3x2 box contains each of the
numbers 1 to 6. Good luck!

2 5 1
4 6 2
3 6 5 4

2 5 3
1 5
1 5 6

6
6 2 4 5
5 4 6
2 1 3 4

4 5 6 1 2
6

28
 NUMBER
3 TRIANGLES
In the triangles below, the numbers inside
the red circles are the sums of the two
numbers in the connected white hexagons.
For example:

1 3 2
Can you work out which number should
appear in each of the hexagons? All the
numbers in the hexagons are between
1 and 10 and a number can only be used
once in each of the triangles.

A B

8 14 16 13

5
12 17

CUBE IT!
The six-sided shape on the left can be folded
up to form a cube. Only two of the cubes
below can be made by it. Which are they?

A B

C D

+4+26
+2
+26
+ 2+4
–6+2+4+2

29
 SPACE

Which collection
1 ?SP[WLYP_9P[_`YP
^SZbYLMZaPSL^
_SPQL^_P^_bTYO^TY_SP
3 ZQTNdZMUPN_^
including comets,
^ZWL]^d^_PX=Z`RSWd surrounds the solar
SZbQL^_NLY_SPdMWZb* system?
a. 200 km/h a. Kuiper Belt
b. 500 km/h b.
:Z]_
.WZ`O
c. 2,000 km/h c. Asteroid belt
d. 20,000 km/h d. Heliosphere

Which chemical
2 element is the
Sun mostly made of?
4 1Z`YOTY^[LNP
bSL_T^LYPM`WL*
a. A cloud of gas
a.
:cdRPY and dust
b. Hydrogen b. A ring of ice
c. Iron c. A type of moon
1
d. Carbon d. A solar storm

CONNECT
THE DOTS
Draw a line to connect each pair of dots.
You can’t use diagonal lines and the lines
can’t cross or touch each other. You must
fill the whole grid with lines but only one
line is allowed in each square.

30
 FUTOSHIKI
Fill in the missing numbers so that every row
and column includes the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Use the inequality signs as clues and make
sure numbers always obey the inequality
sign between them. This means that the
arrows between the numbers always point
towards the smaller number.
Here is an example:

A g 3
j
B

In the three squares shown above, the

number A must be less than 3 and greater
than the missing number B. We know all the
numbers must be between 1 and 4, so
therefore A must be 2 and B must be 1.

1 3

i
1

HUMAN WORLD
h
What does a b. Cherries
1 3ZbXLYd[WLdP]^
are on the ice in
total during standard
2 ^PT^XZR]L[S
measure?
c. Strawberries
d. Grapes
[WLdTYLYTNPSZNVPd a. Earthquake vibrations 3
game, including b.
:NPLY
OP[_S

goalies? (Sorry, but
_SP[SZ_ZT^YZ_LNW`P 
c. Air pollution
d. Magnetism
4 BSL__d[PZQM]TORP
T^>LY1]LYNT^NZɪ^
Golden Gate Bridge?
a. 10 a. Arch bridge B
b. 12 Which fruit is dried b. Beam bridge
c. 14
d. 18
3 to make raisins?
a. Blueberries
c. Suspension bridge
d. Cable-stayed bridge

h
i j i
g
4

31
 JUNGLE WORD SEARCH
Can you spot the 20 jungle-related words in this jumbo word search puzzle? Good luck!

BAMBOO K O T I U Q S O M I V S V K F T M A T N
BEETLE N D S T R K O X Q Z J J A G U A R Y C W
BOA F G N F H Q D S J Z U H C Q O L H A N F
CANOPY E Y R F R S I B S O J F X S R H P Z Q J
CAPYBARA B O A A G T M N E R S Q C P L Y S X Y E
FROG A N T M N M F M J C A B O A B O W T X P
GORILLA T R J A V B A N X H L G D A S J T F Y I
JAGUAR B S M U W N T A P I R Y R O I P L H S R
KAPOK K V N M W T P S K D E A P A G R R B A A
LEMUR Q Q G A J G I U P I P A W O N Z K Z C N
MACAW K U C Z H V C G J M R A D N N R D R W H
MANTIS V A A V L G C J E A J L R N T A G G X A
MOSQUITO M Z U E N I V I E R K L T N T P C R W D
ORCHID U Q X M L C O I U S N I C D R U Q D V V
PIRANHA L L L G M Q I B A G Z R B J T O U C A N
SLOTH R J C I G O E I E V X O T F V L H U A K
TAPIR U B E W H E Q R F R O G V R T X J A O T
TIGER M H S E T Z F X D U I H R I Y H K P M T
TOUCAN E B T L Z H N J I S F H F Y L W A N M I
VINE L V E X P O O B M A B W D M P K U J Z D

HUMAN BODY
Which is the longest inside the lungs
1 organ in the human
digestive system?
b. Bones clicking in
the spine
a. Small intestine c. Tiny spasms of the
b. Large intestine diaphragm
c. Stomach d. The heart skipping
d.
:P^Z[SLR`^
beats

Which of these
2 3ZbZQ_PYOZXZ^_
[PZ[WPMWTYVbSPY
_SPdɪ]P]PWLcPO*
1
4 UZTY_^ZQ_SPMZOd
is a ball-and-socket
a.
:YNP
L
XTY`_P UZTY_*
b. 5–10 times a minute a. Elbow
c. 15–20 times a minute
d. More than 50 times
3 BSL_L]PSTNN`[^
most closely
linked to?
b. Hip
c. Knee
a minute a. Air bubbles popping d. Wrist

32
 FIND THE SQUARES
Look closely at the large white
square on the far right. If you
counted every square that
makes up the large white
square, how many squares do
you think there are in total?
Remember, some of the larger
squares overlap the smaller
squares — so there are far
more squares to spot than
you might think. To get you
started, we’ve highlighted
two of these smaller squares
in red on the right. And here’s
a final clue: there are more
than 20 squares to find in total!

TREASURE HUNT
Can you find the 10 chess pieces hidden in this illustration of a toy shop?
Don’t worry if you get stuck, the answers are revealed on page 34.

c C

a b b
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ESPERANZA HICKLING

33
Answers
Treasure Hunt Changing Rooms Cube It!
A D

Number Triangles
A B
5 6

8 14 16 13

3 12 9 10 17 7

Futoshiki
A
2 4 1 3
c C

a b i
b
4 2 3 1

1 3 h 2 4

3 1 4 2
B
3 2 4 1
j
Quiz Answers Stolen 4 1 2 3
Animals 1. d, 2. a, 3. b, 4. c; Letters
Geography 1. c, 2. b, 3. a, 4. d; 1. SLIT PRICE 1 4 3 h 2
Space 1. c, 2. b, 3. b, 4. a; 2. THIN WINK i j i
Human World 1. b, 2. a, 3. d, 4. c; 3. FOUR LEAST 2 3 1 4
Human Body 1. a, 2. c, 3. c, 4. b. 4. GOWN FRAIL
Sudoku
Hidden Animals Picture Quiz A
6 2 3 5 4 1
5 1 4 6 3 2
4 3 1 2 6 5
2 5 6 4 1 3
3 6 2 1 5 4
1 4 5 3 2 6
A. American toad B. Leopard Drink can Sundial Umbrella
B
1 4 5 2 6 3
6 2 3 1 4 5
5 3 4 6 2 1
2 6 1 5 3 4
3 1 2 4 5 6
C. Alligator D. Duck Marbles 4 5 6 3 1 2

Jungle Word Search Connect the Dots

K O T I U Q S O M I V S V K F T M A T N A
N D S T R K O X Q Z J J A G U A R Y CW
F G N F H Q D S J Z U H C Q O L H A N F
E Y R F R S I B S O J F X S R H P Z Q J
B O A A G T M N E R S Q C P L Y S X Y E
Lighthouse Highland cow
A N T M N M F M J C A B O A B OW T X P
T R J A V B A N X H L G D A S J T F Y I
B S M UW N T A P I R Y R O I P L H S R Word Wheel Find the Squares Emoji Idioms
K V N MW T P S K D E A P A G R R B A A 1. MILKSHAKE 26. Scan the QR A. Out of the frying
QQ G A J G I U P I P AW O N Z K Z C N 2. EMAILS code to see them all. pan, into the fire
K U C Z H V C G J M R A D N N R D R WH
3. SMILE B. Speak of the devil Odd One Out
V A A V L G C J E A J L R N T A G G X A
MZ U E N I V I E R K L T N T P C R WD 4. AISLE C. Don’t put all your A B
UQ X M L C O I U S N I C D R U Q D V V 5. LAKE 6. HELM eggs in one basket
L L L GM Q I B A G Z R B J T O U C A N 7. HIKE 8. ELM D. Fair and square
R J C I G O E I E V X O T F V L H U A K
U B E WH E Q R F R O G V R T X J A O T C D
MH S E T Z F X D U I H R I Y H K P M T Send It In quiz
E B T L Z H N J I S F H F Y L WA N M I 1. Cheetah, 2. Mercury, 3. Pompeii, 4. A palindrome, 5. Diamond,
L V E X P O O B M A B WD M P K U J Z D 6. Triathlon, 7. Canberra, 8. An omnivore, 9. Basketball, 10. The Nile
34
 Ye dOn’t
e

bE !
lI e i T
Ve
Amazing optical illusions that trick your brain…

Expanding Hole illusion

Stare at the black blob in the middle of this This illusion mimics that change: the dark centre
illustration. Does it feel as if the black ‘hole’ is looks like an entrance, and the surrounding
swelling up – and that you’re slowly drifting dots are arranged to create a sense of forward
towards it? Don’t worry: nothing is moving. motion. And here’s the strange and amazing
Your eyes and brain are just being tricked into part: your pupils really do change size as you
thinking it is. In fact, 86% of people shown this stare at the black blob. Researchers filmed
illusion said they saw the dark centre of the viewers’ eyes and found their pupils expanded
image expand for a couple of seconds. as if the room had suddenly dimmed.
So how does the illusion work? Scientists think Psychologist Bruno Laeng, who studies vision
it plays on a helpful human survival reflex. When and the brain, said the image makes you perceive
you step from sunlight into a darker place – such a change in brightness that isn’t really happening
as a cave or tunnel – your pupils (the black circles – yet your eyes prepare for it anyway. And if you
in your eyes) dilate, or widen, to let in more light reverse the colours and make the middle white,
so you can see better in the darker environment. your pupils contract as if you’re in bright sunlight!

35
LISTS

ANIMAL 1

SMARTS
S
SPEAR icks to
s e long st
z ee s u collect
Chimpa
n
a te s and to
Fourteen her prim t. Yum!
hunt ot an ts to ea
ingenious tools arm y

that animals
use in the wild

4
COCKTAIL STICKS
Woodpecker finches use the
spines of cactuses to pry insects
out of holes in trees.

3
FORKS ers and
2
w ig s, feath h
Sea o HA
tters MMERS Crows
us e t to reac
u o in ty objects e.
open s
mollu e stones other p t larva
b insec
sc sh
el
to cr
ack and gra
the f
ood i ls to get t
nside o
.

5
UMBRELLAS
Orangutans us
e large leaves
as umbrellas
to help them
shelter from th
e rain.

Prepare to
be amazed
(and amused!)
by the unusual
facts crammed
into these
irresistible lists.

7T^_TʭPO
by Andrew
D I D YO
KN W
O U

s of a
?
nima ,
l
d r ed o hu nt
Pettie and Hun to ols t
es us e es
illustrated by speci mselv
r ot e ct the lay
Andrés Lozano p ven p
and e es!
is out now. gam

36
 Crows get cracking!
6
Elepha FLY SW
nts strip ATTERS
break t branch
hem to es
then us the righ of leaves,
e them t lengt
to swa h and
t away
insects 7
.
PER een
O I L ET PA es have b
T m eir
meti pe th ss!
ns so ves to wi
g u ta u ne
si
Oran to use lea ng their b
n oi
see after
d
ottoms
b
Crows among the most intelligent
animals in the world. Scientists
estimate adult crows are as smart as
seven-year-old humans! In addition
_Z
_SPT]
`^P
ZQ
QZ]V^
^PP

_SPd
NLY

8 create other tools and problem-solve
BERS rub
SCRUB etimes in clever ways. Crows living in Japan
d olph ins som on the have learnt an amazing strategy to
ose ges
Bottlen rals and spon in. crack open nuts. They drop them
along co
c lea n their sk
r to he lp onto pedestrian crossings and wait
seafloo 9 until passing cars have driven over
SHIELDS _SPX
BSPY
_SP
_]LʯN
SL^
^_Z[[PO

Octopuses pick up halved coconut the crows dive down
shells and use them as protective to collect the nuts from
shields to hide from predators. the cracked shells. Scan
the QR code to see these
brainy birds in action!

10
RULERS
Gorillas use long sticks to measure
how deep a pool of water is before
deciding whether to cross it.
11
OSS een
A L FL ave b
DENT onkeys h air to
ue m nds of h
e m acaq stra eth.
Som n to use n their te
know betwee
floss

14
Orangu WHIST
tans blo LES
leaves w on bu
held to nches o
whistli their lip f
ng soun s to ma
d to sca ke a
re pred
ators.

12
Chim TOO
panz THPICKS
twig ee
s as t s someti 13
keep oothpick mes use
their s BURGLAR ALARMS
teeth to help
clean Corolla spiders put pebbles around
.
their burrows, which may alert them
to vibrations from nearby animals.

37
 T H E PA RT I N G O F T H E WAT ERS
Did you know that there is a stream in the US
that splits in two and sends water to different
oceans? At Two Ocean Pass in Wyoming, USA,
North Two Ocean Creek divides at a spot called
the Parting of the Waters, forming Atlantic Creek
and Pacific Creek. One channel eventually
reaches the Atlantic Ocean via the Yellowstone,
Missouri and Mississippi rivers; the other runs
to the Pacific Ocean via the Snake and Columbia
rivers. During spring floods, the water can spill
between the channels – so a fish going upstream
CANADA could cross over and swim to the other ocean!

Two Ocean Pass

Teton County, WY
e

a
on

C o l u m bi st
llow
Ye
Mi

Sn ss
a ke ou r
i

UN I T ED STAT ES Washington D.C.

N

i
pp
si

\
Missis

300 miles

PACIFIC
OCEAN

MEXICO
AT LANT I C
OCEAN

0.5 miles

North Two Atlantic Creek Caribbean

Ocean Creek T E T O N Sea
W I L D E R N E S S

T H E CO NT I N ENTA L D IV I D E
Parting of
the Waters The Continental
Divide, shown in red
on the map, is a
line of high ground
mostly along the
Pacific Creek Rocky Mountains
that separates
Continental rivers flowing to
Divide the Atlantic Ocean
Above: where the
from rivers flowing
stream splits in two.
to the Pacific Ocean.

38
 Original people who changed the world.
This month: Madam C. J. Walker
Illustration by Esperanza Hickling

WHO WAS MADAM bSTNSXPLY^_SPd

C. J. WALKER? bP]P[LTOQZ]PLNS^LWP
8LOLX.5BLWVP]bL^ _SPdXLOPBLWVP]WL_P]
LYPY_]P[]PYP`]LN_TaT^_ Z[PYPOLQLN_Z]dLYOL
LYO[STWLY_S]Z[T^_>SP MPL`_d[L]WZ`]LXZYR
bL^ZYPZQ_SPʭ]^_QPXLWP other things.
^PWQXLOPXTWWTZYLT]P^ɧ
[Z^^TMWd_SPaP]dʭ]^_ HOW DID HER IDEAS
She built her fortune CHANGE THE WORLD?
by creating and selling 8Z^_ZQBLWVP]ɪ^
SLT]NL]P[]ZO`N_^ PX[WZdPP^ɧTYNW`OTYR
OP^[T_PQLNTYR _SZ^PTY^PYTZ]]ZWP^ɧ
discrimination (unfair bP]PbZXPYbSTNS
_]PL_XPY_L^L-WLNV bL^`Y`^`LWL__SP
bZXLY3P]^`NNP^^ _TXP>SPZʬP]PO_SPX
bL^]PXL]VLMWPL^ training and business
^SPbL^_SPʭ]^_NSTWO advice, and encouraged
in her family not to be bZXPY_Z_LVPNSL]RPZQ
born into slavery and she
^_L]_PObT_SaP]dWT__WP

WHEN AND WHERE DID ‘I got my start

MADAM WALKER LIVE? by giving myself
a start.’
BLWVP]bL^MZ]Y>L]LS
Breedlove in Louisiana in MADAM C. J. WALKER
#!">SPSLOʭaP^TMWTYR^
LYObL^_SPʭ]^_NSTWOMZ]Y ʭ]^_
in her family after the HOW DID learned _SP
_SPT]ZbYNL]PP]^LYO
S T]ZbYNL]PP]]^LYO
?ST]_PPY_S,XPYOXPY_ SHE THINK about hair ʭYLYNP^>SP`]RPO-WLNV
bSTNSLMZWT^SPO^WLaP]d ',)ǧ(5(17/<" care from her bZXPYTY[L]_TN`WL]_Z
in the United States. 8LOLXBLWVP]LYLXP barber brothers. She then ^PPVbZ]VMPdZYObL^STYR
>SP^`ʬP]POXLYd she took from her third sold hair care for the Poro and cleaning. She also
SL]O^ST[L^LNSTWO%^SP S`^MLYO.SL]WP^BLWVP] .ZX[LYd4Y_SPPL]Wd ^`[[Z]_PO-WLNV[ZWT_TNLW
bL^Z][SLYPOL_^PaPY ^SZbPO_SL_bZXPYNZ`WO $^BLWVP]OPaPWZ[PO causes and donated
SLOU`^__S]PPXZY_S^ZQ succeed in business at a SP]ZbYSLT]NL]P[]ZO`N_^ frequently to charity.
schooling, and began _TXPbSPYXLYd and sold them door to door, 3P][TZYPP]TYRbZ]V
bZ]VL^LNSTWO [PZ[WPMPWTPaPO bSTWP_PLNSTYRZ_SP]-WLNV L^LQPXLWPPY_]P[]PYP`]
M`^TYP^^bL^ bZXPYSZb_ZNL]PQZ] ^ZXPZYPbSZ^_L]_^
Madam Walker’s QZ]XPY,Q_P] _SPT]SLT],^SP]M`^TYP^^ LYO]`Y^_SPT]ZbY
products, like this ^`ʬP]TYR R]Pb^SP_]LTYPOZ_SP] M`^TYP^^TY^[T]PO
one, transformed SLT]LYO^NLW[ bZXPY_Z^PWWSP]ZbY RPYP]L_TZY^ZQbZXPY
hair care. []ZMWPX^^SP []ZO`N_^ZYNZXXT^^TZY LYO-WLNV,XP]TNLY^

39
ZANY FACTS

When a palaeontologist is
unsure if an object is a rock or
a fossil, they sometimes test
it with a lick: if their tongue
sticks to it, it’s a fossil; if it
doesn’t, then it’s just a rock
Follow the trail of crazily connected facts
all the way from seeing the future to…
poisonous golden frogs.
By Kate Hale, Paige Towler, Julie Beer and Rose Davidson
Illustrations by Andy Smith

The human
tongue is not just
one muscle, it’s

In a city in
Canada, energy
created from
dog poo is used
According to to power some
legend, placing homes If every computer
an emerald on Earth were to shut
under your off for one night, the
tongue allowed energy saved could
a person to see power the Empire
the future State Building for over
30 years

The Empire State

Building in New
York City is hit by
lightning about
25 times a year

START
HERE

40
 The world’s largest collection of coprolites –
also known as fossilised poo – includes a
When they find new bone Archaeologists
fossils, archaeologists
cover the bones with damp
discovered a
50,000-year-old fossil
puppy-sized poo
toilet paper before making of human poo from a prehistoric crocodile
a plaster cast to transport
them away safely

In the city of Capri, Italy,

it’s illegal to leave dog
poo on the ground –
and city officials can
use DNA testing to
bust your pooch

nom from jell Australia is home to species

l ve yfis
tea h by that have some of the
A single s
gs
deadliest
ea
slu

lightn
tin

ing bo
sea

lt
gt

venom
he je

enough
themselves,

contains on the planet, including the

lly’s tentacl

elec blue-ringed octopus – its

trici
ty to
venom is 1,000 times more

power
powerful than cyanide
nd
efe

es
d

High in Earth’s

a light
o
rt

atmosphere, e
rd
a rare kind of In o
lightning called

bulb
a red sprite looks
like a jellyfish’s
tentacles
for ab
out stretching The golden poison frog
hs down from
mont may be only the size
three the sky of a bottle cap, but

Jellyfish
it’s one of the most
poisonous animals
on Earth, containing
enough toxin to
have no brains kill 10 people.

41
Look inside a…

NUCLEAR POWER
X-RUDDER Nuclear submarines use
The X-shaped rudder design a reactor to make steam
helps make a submarine that spins turbines and
both quiet and easy to steer. generators. Because it
doesn’t need air, they can
stay underwater for months.

4 EXTRAORDINARY
SUBMARINES STEALTH TECHNOLOGY
Modern military submarines
1. BIGGEST 3. FASTEST stay undetected by staying
Russia’s Typhoon The Soviet K-222 quiet. To do this, engineers
class submarines holds the record as place noisy machines such USS TRITON
are the largest the world’s fastest as engines and pumps on
In the photo below, a crowd
ever constructed, submarine, reaching shock absorbers, and cover
of people welcomes the
displacing 43,500 51.4 miles per hour in the hull with rubbery tiles
USS Triton as it completes
tonnes when 1971 – a record that that help to absorb sound.
the first submerged
submerged and still stands today.
circumnavigation of the
stretching 175
Earth, in 1960. Triton spent
metres – longer 4. SNEAKIEST 60 days underwater and
than a football pitch! The first submarine
travelled 30,752 miles.
used in combat was
2. DEEPEST the Turtle, built by
The deepest dive by US inventor David DREBBEL’S
a crewed submarine Bushnell in 1775 SUBMARINE
was by the DSV and used to attack
Dutch engineer Cornelis
Limiting Factor in British warships in
Drebbel built the first usable
2019. It reached New York Harbor.
submarine in 1620. Made
10,928 metres in It looked like two
from a watertight wooden
the Challenger Deep, turtle shells joined
shell (see model above),
the deepest point together and was
it was propelled by oars
of the ocean. operated by hand.
and steered with a rudder.

42
 USS NAUTILUS
Launched in 1955, USS
SIZE COMPARISON
Nautilus was the world’s
The graphic below compares the lengths of
first nuclear-powered
three modern classes, or types, of British
submarine – and the first
submarine and a large passenger aeroplane.
to travel under the ice sheet
that covers the North Pole
without surfacing, which
it did on 3rd August, 1958.
DREADNOUGHT
Length: 154 metres
Scheduled for launch: 2030s
LAUNCHING MISSILES
Missiles are stored in vertical
tubes. When it’s time to fire,
a burst of high-pressure gas
VANGUARD
Length: 149.5 metres
ejects the missile from its
Launched: 1992
tube. Only once it breaks the
surface does the missile’s
motor ignite, sending it
streaking into the sky.
ASTUTE
Length: 98 metres
Launched: 2007

AIRBUS A380
Length: 73 metres

WHALE-SHAPED HULL
Many modern submarines
have a whale-inspired
‘teardrop’ hull because this
streamlined shape helps
them to travel faster and
more smoothly underwater.

LIFE ON A SUBMARINE
The size of a submarine’s
crew depends on its type:
a big nuclear submarine can
carry as many as 150 crew
members. Sailors work in PHOTONIC PERISCOPE
shifts and sleeping space
Today, submarines often
is tight, with bunk beds
have photonic periscopes
stacked in rows. Toilets
that don’t use mirrors or a
(called ‘heads’) use vacuum
long tube. Instead, a camera
systems and store the
mast rises above the waves,
waste (aka poo) on board
filming the view and sending
in tanks. When off duty, the
images down via cables to
crew eat together, watch TV,
screens in the control room.
play games and exercise.
 Why do
kangaroos
have pouches?
:YWdQPXLWPVLYRL]ZZ^SLaP Joeys stay in
[Z`NSP^?SP[Z`NST^L^LQP their mum’s
LYO^Y`RRWd[WLNPQZ]L pouch for
MLMdVLYRL]ZZ_ZR]Zb about four
,MLMdVLYRL]ZZT^NLWWPOL months
UZPd4_ɪ^MWTYObSPYT_ɪ^MZ]Y before taking
LYOWZZV^LMT_WTVPL[TYVUPWWd their first
MPLYbT_SWPR^=TRS_LQ_P] hop-about
MT]_S_SP_TYdUZPdN]LbW^`[ outside.
LYOTY_ZT_^XZ_SP]ɪ^[Z`NS They’re about
bSP]PT_O]TYV^SP]XTWVLYO 10 months
R]Zb^MTR^_]ZYRLYOMZ`YNd old when
they leave
WACKY FACT the pouch
AP]ddZ`YRUZPd^bPPLYO for good.
[ZZTY_SP[Z`NS^Z_SP
kanga-mum must regularly
WTNV_SP[Z`NSNWPLY

Why is skin
different
colours? Flames can be
red, orange, yellow
and white. If the fire
gets really, really hot,
3`XLY^VTY[]ZO`NP^ they may even
melanin, a substance that turn blue!
[]Z_PN_^dZ`]^VTYQ]ZX_SP
^`Y?SPXZ]PXPWLYTYdZ`
have, the darker your skin is.
/TʬP]PY_LXZ`Y_^ZQXPWLYTY
TY^VTY[]ZO`NPL]LYRPZQ
amazing human skin colours.

WACKY FACT
>VTYT^_SPS`XLYMZOdɪ^
biggest organ. It covers and
[]Z_PN_^PaP]d_STYRTY^TOP

44
 Q&A

INSIDE A KANGAROO’S POUCH

1 3

A joey is
i born after Here, it prepares to
developing for
devel drink its mother’s
about 33 days in its A newborn joey’s milk. Newborns
mother’s womb.
mother’ forelegs are just can’t swallow, so
strong enough to the mother uses her
pull it through its muscles to pump
mother’s fur to the the milk into the
safety of her pouch. joey’s throat.

D I D YO U
K N OW ?
Other animals that grow
their young in pouches
include Tasmanian
devils, koalas and
opossums.

How does water put out a fire? First

Big
hy,
of W
Book y
3LaPdZ`PaP]bL_NSPO _SP]PdZ`bTWWSLaPLMWLeTYR -PNL`^PSPL_SL^_ZbZ]V en b
writt s
^ZXPZYP^_L]_LNLX[ʭ]P* NLX[ʭ]PLYOSZ[PQ`WWdWZ_^ SL]OP]_ZM`]Y_S]Z`RSbL_P]
ly Syme
Sal a nie
4_YPPO^_S]PP_STYR^%Q`PW ZQXL]^SXLWWZb^_Z_ZL^_ _SPʭ]PbTWW^WZbOZbYM`_ te p h
and S
LMTR^_LNVZQbZZOSPL_L ;Z`]TYRbL_P]ZYLʭ]P T_XLdYZ_RZZ`_NZX[WP_PWd en
Warr and
WTRS_P]_ZXLVPLʮLXPLYO bZYɪ_^_Z[_SPʮLXP^M`_T_ Fire needs air to burn, so mer,
Drim
ZcdRPY4QLYdZQ_SP^P_STYR^ bTWWOLX[PYLYONZZWOZbY LYd_STYR_SL_^_Z[^LT]Q]ZX Big
First w,
L]PXT^^TYR_SPʭ]PbZYɪ_ bSL_PaP]T^M`]YTYRɧWTVP RP__TYR_ZT_bTWW[`_T_Z`_ k of Ho
Boo
light. If all three things are bZZOTQT_ɪ^LNLX[ʭ]P ?SL_TYNW`OP^[WPY_dZQbL_P] en by
writt s
Syme
Sally e
arann
and S r e
r, a
Taylo ow
h out n
bot

45
 5
fascinating
facts about

HROO
S 5
M
MU

S!
Japanese mushroom

1
farmers have long thought
that lightning boosts
mushroom harvests –
and now scientists have
More than 100 species of evidence they might be
fungi can glow in the dark! right! When researchers
These mushrooms and zapped mushroom farms
toadstools use special with artificial lightning,
chemicals that react with some mushrooms produced
oxygen to create an eerie more than double the usual
green glow. The glow yield. The electric shock
attracts insects, which pick seems to ‘wake up’ the
up spores (tiny cells that can fungus and trigger a burst
grow into new fungi) and of extra growth.
spread them around the

4
forest, helping the

3
mushrooms grow in
new places.

Some mushrooms create

They might look harmless, their own wind! By releasing

2
but oyster mushrooms are water vapour from their
deadly carnivores! Their caps, the mushrooms cool
underground threads (called the air just above them. The
mycelia) release chemicals cooler, heavier air spreads
A group of fungi called that paralyse tiny worms outwards, creating a gentle
Cordyceps can turn insects called nematodes. Once the airflow that helps carry
into zombies! When spores worm is immobilised, the spores away – even on
land on an ant, the fungus fungus invades and digests windless days.
invades the ant’s body it, extracting nutrients that
and starts to control its are hard for the mushroom
behaviour. The doomed ant to find in rotting wood.
is forced to climb to just the
right height, then a spooky
stalk bursts from its body
and showers fresh spores
onto the insects below,
infecting them too.
 8
I RATES
P
The number of pieces
a Spanish silver ‘piece
of eight’ coin could
be cut into.* 1724
NUM
The year of the first

I N BE
written record of ‘Jolly
Roger’ as the name

RS
for a pirate flag.***

50
The approximate
number of years pirates
menaced the Atlantic r o
rates
5,000
historians es
f pi t the peak of tima
a the te
...
Ocean and Caribbean be eas Go w
m gh s l de

er Age
i
th u

Sea during the ‘Golden

en

es
eh

n
Th

Age of Piracy’.**

ail
ing
.

400 The n hips

umber of s
Welsh Bart’ Roberts
pira
t ‘Black

0
is be e Bartholomew just three yea
liev ed in rs.
ed to h ve captur
a

The numbe
r of proven
Golden Age cases of
pirates forc
victims to ‘w ing their

4
alk the plan
k’.****
ye lled dib ept

Th sa rdt fit .
ar h le dr
ca ay e if k

e ilo ac to
s a ( y

nu rs k ea
st

m ’ b co t)
be isc ul
r o ui d
f ts

ship, when his p

art’s ira
kB te
Blac co
n de

2
o
e’

or
m

de
dti

red
‘Be

all lights out.

8pm

The number of female pirates,

Anne Bonny and Mary Read,
who sailed with ‘Calico Jack’
Rackham’s crew while
disguised as men.*****

*This is why pirates (and parrots!) in stories shout about ‘pieces of eight’. **The Golden Age
lasted from the late 1600s to around 1730. ***The origins of the name Jolly Roger are
debated, but Roger or Old Roger were popular nicknames for the Devil. ****This pirate
punishment only clearly shows up in later stories, so was probably invented for dramatic
effect. *****Both these famous female pirates were captured in 1720.
47
SEND IT IN! New schools quiz
champions crowned!
Buzzers, brains and brilliance: celebrating the stars of our 2025 schools quiz.
Congratulations to all the stars
of our 2025 Schools Quiz, which
featured teams from nearly
100 schools from around the
UK. The Grand Finals once again
provided a day of big brains,
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In the Junior category
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Primary School performed
superbly to take first place.
In the Senior final (ages
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Then, in the Juniors vs
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School demonstrated their the Isle of Wight were hoping
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by the eruption of Mount naturally occurring city of Australia? longest river?
Vesuvius in 79 CE? substance on Earth? 8. What do you See answers on page 34.

48
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 HA!
Stuck! HA!
What do
you call a
rhinoceros
in a
phone box?
Question it
nd is
Which ha write
better to
with?

Answer
you should
Neither – h a pen!
write wit

What do
you call a

man floating Why did the

in the scarecrow
sea? win a
trophy?
Bob!
What do you
say to an
avocado
that’s done a
He was

fantastic outstanding
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Bravo
-cado!

50
 Send your name, age and favourite joke to our
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Ques always take on
What h tion
but can as teeth
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?
a trip to the
A
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A comb
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aid kit!

What is a
librarian’s
favourite
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peas!

What did the

rabbit
say to the READER’S What is
carrot? It’s been nice
gnawing
JOKE America’s
OF THE No.1 tourist attraction

you! MONTH for frogs?

Sent in by
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s shar
What get ou use it?
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the more
y

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Your brain
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51
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