When did mammoths become extinct? Around 10,000 years ago, the huge woolly mammoths died out. They were huge beasts. Their natural enemy was a sabre-toothed cat called Smilodon. It had fangs 15 cm long. It also became extinct with the mammoths.
Did the Celts have myths? Celts were the most important tribes in Europe between 750 and 50 BC. Some of the most popular Celtic myths are from Ireland and Wales. The Welsh Mabinogion is about the mythical history of early Britain. However many of the...
Who discovered blood circulation? If blood stopped circulating in our body we would die. It was an English doctor called William Harvey who discovered blood circulation in 1628. He discovered that the heart pumps blood into the arteries. He also showed how it circulates all...
Where did goldfish come from? Goldfish came to Europe 200 years ago but the Chinese and Japanese had been rearing them even before. The goldfish were a gift to Madame Pompadour who belonged to the court of king Louis XV of France. As she was...
Who discovered silk? Silk was discovered by the Chinese, more than 4,600 years ago. Silk is made from silk worms. The Chinese bred silk worms in farms about 3,500 years ago but the method remained a secret for another 2,000 years. Silk was so highly...
How many moons does Jupiter have? Jupiter has around 16 moons. Four of the biggest can be seen through binoculars. Galileo discovered them in 1610 and so they are called the Galilean moons. Their names are lo, Europe, Ganymede and Callisto. Ganymede is the largest...
When were the first permanent buildings built? The first permanent buildings were built around 10,000 years ago. Initially natural materials were used. These included wood and stone. The building was done mostly by hand using simple tools. Today sophisticated machines and materials are used in...
Why did dinosaurs swallow stones? For the same reason that chicken swallow grit. Not all dinosaurs could move their jaw from side to side which meant that they could not chew their food. They swallowed the food whole along with small stones or gastroliths which...
Who discovered heredity? The modern science of heredity was discovered by Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk, in the mid-19th century. While working with sweet peas in the garden, he realised that there were many different factors in the parent plants’ seeds, which worked by certain...
What was a death mask? A When someone died, the Egyptians made a portrait of the dead person. This was called a death mask. The mask was placed over the mummy’s face so that the soul would recognize its body. Such death masks were usually...
