One, two, three, four… counting is no problem for English-speaking humans.

What about other cultures, that speak other languages, and have not been exposed to Western constructs?

It seems that some segments of Brazilian society do not have a word for ‘one!’  They have words to  represent relative quantities, but not specific numbers.  Learn more:

Brazilian Counting

Maybe you’ve enjoyed playing with the Rubik’s Cube over the years.  Or maybe you’re a master who can solve the puzzle in minutes.  Either way, you have a new competitor in the world of Rubik’s.

Scientists are studying how octopuses react to different toys put into their enclosures.  Do the octopods favor one side or set of tentacles over the other?  Is there any consistency to this?

Will the Cube help people understand the octopus?

Judge for yourself!

What happens when you get frightened?

Maybe your hair stands on end or you recoil in fear.  A certain species of frog has a much different reaction: it grows claws.

It seems that certain species of frogs in Cameroon have the ability to break their own bones and free claws that are trapped within the body.

Read more about the story here:

Bone-Breaking Frogs 

Sometimes we meet 16 or 17 year-old students that are enrolling in college and we are shocked by these prodigies.  Well, a student in East LA has all of these prodigies beat!
At age 10, he has enrolled in a community college, currently maintaining an A+ average.  Talk about an over-acheiver!  Learn more about this amazing talent:

Smart Little Kid 

Think 59 mpg is good? Imagine that in a car that isn’t even a hybrid!

A new breed of drivers called ‘hypermillers’ have sprung up in the gas crunch of recent years. These drivers use environmentally friendly techniques to ensure that they get the most out of their gas tanks. By combining drafting, momentum maximization, and a variety of other unique techniques, these drivers are able to get over 150 mpg out of a hybrid!

Reducing gas consumption, and road stress, hypermillers are able to avoid depending heavily on foreign oil, and are able to improve their moods, on a daily basis.

Read more about the hypermillers here

Do you like steak?

If so, you may have to get used to the delicacy in a new form.  As environmentalists recognize the global impact that farming has on the world around us (methane gas, feed for livestock, processing of dead animals, killing of animals), it may seem that livestock is not a viable way to get food.

Scientists have come up with this option to avoid the problems.  Will you eat meat grown in a petri dish, instead of a grassy field?

See life in New Zealand? See the amazing deep sea life of New Zealand!

Large sea spiders, huge jellyfish, and enormous sea stars are just a few of the unusual creatures found in a recent expetition to some of New Zealand’s coldest waters.

Read about the amazing creatures:

Old New Zealand

IQ GO! Science is pleased to announce the new curriculum for Spring 2008:

Unstoppable Science Detectives! 

Look Out!  Here come the Unstoppable Science Detectives!  Make detective tools and explore exciting ideas that just can’t be stopped!  Create a miniature tsunami and find out how sand at the beach is ‘created.’  Crack the case, as you answer the most mystifying scientific questions in the world!  Solve the riddle of why a rushing meteor is unstoppable and how a rocket flies sky-high.  No mystery is too much for the Unstoppable Science Detectives!  Sign up TODAY to be part of the Detective Team!

Students can sign-up NOW at their STAR school sites.

Scientists that have been studying Mars will see a large decrease in funding from NASA, come 2009.  This is because NASA has reshifted their emphasis, looking to explore more distant planets and other features of our solar system.

Mars will continue to be an important touchstone of space exploration, but a more ‘flexible’ approach will be utilized for the future.  What does this mean?

Find out in:
SPACE! 

People say that elephants never forget. The same could be said of Brad Williams of Wisconsin!

For the last 40 years, Williams has remembered almost every detail of his life. This could include the meal that he ate on a specific day, or the day of the week that a specific date fell on.

Williams is also able to identify important events that occured in years past. He is able to properly recall news stores that were reported, and the dates of these stories.

Scientists are now trying to figure out how his brain works!

Would this be a burden or a benefit for you?
Never Forget