Who invented shorthand? Shorthand is the technique of writing using signs instead of words. It is also called stenography, meaning little or narrow writing and tachygraphy meaning swift writing. It is around 2,000 years old. It was a Roman named Tiro who invented it in...
Did dinosaurs build nests? Some dinosaurs built nests. An example was the Maiasaura. It lived in herds and every year the females gathered at the nesting site where they had laid eggs the previous time. Nests were lined with twigs and leaves. A large nesting...
What are crystals? Crystal is the solid form of a substance. Many things that we see around us are crystals, for example, salt and sugar. A crystal has a definite shape and a definite number of faces. This is because of the way its atoms...
Who invented writing? It is believed that the Sumerians invented writing about 5,000 years ago. In the beginning they drew pictures but later they began to use wedge-shaped symbols. This is called cuneiform writing. Sumer was the first great civilization in history.
How do bats rest? When bats feel like resting they hang upside down from their feet. They clutch at a twig or try to get a toehold on the ceiling of a cave. The bat’s toes and claws are used like hooks to suspend itself...
Are lizards poisonous? There are around 2,500 types of lizards. But only two of these are poisonous. These are the Gila monster which inhabits the deserts of America and the beaded lizard of Mexico. Lizards are close relations of snakes and are cold-blooded like them....
What causes plagues of locusts? The plague locusts have two phases solitary and gregarious. The locusts have different forms, shapes, structures and behaviour in these two phases. In the solitary phase the locusts are sluggish and do not congregate together. But when they are forced...
What are barnacles? Barnacles are small shellfish. They swim freely when they are hatched but latch on to a surface once they are adults. Millions of barnacles may be thus attached to a surface like the hull of a ship, forming a crust. This can...
What is plastic surgery? Plastic surgery is actually cosmetic surgery which is done to improve a person’s appearance or correct a birth deformity. It is also used to treat people with burn injuries and tumours whose skin needs repair. In this surgery, skin is moulded...
What makes Venus’ atmosphere so cloudy? Venus has thick clouds in its atmosphere. The clouds are made of small droplets of sulphuric acid. It is a very strong acid and is formed from the sulphur which has entered the atmosphere as a result of the...
