Table of contents for Issue 342 - February 2024 in MiniMag

CARE – NURTURE – SUPPORT • Our existence relies on water • The rich biodiversity of Earth’s wetlands nutures human wellbeing • Wetlands aid food security • Wetlands provide jobs and help eradicate poverty • Wetlands are natural guardians against pollution and climate change • Wetlands are a cherished part of cultural and spiritual life Wetlands hold and provide most of our freshwater. We could have enough water if we better value and manage wetlands and water – through protection, restoration and wise use. We use more water than nature can replenish. #ActForWetlands – www.worldwetlandsday.org…

World Hippo Day 15 February Guardians of water’s edge Dive into the fascinating world of hippos! Did you know that these hefty animals are excellent swimmers? Hippos can hold their breath for up to five minutes underwater. Despite their size, they are fast runners, reaching speeds of 30 km/h! Hippos love socialising and often hang out in groups called pods. With their unique charm and surprising abilities, hippos are truly remarkable creatures. So, next time you spot a hippo, remember, there’s more to them than meets the eye! World Polar Bear Day 27 February Guardians of the Arctic realm These Arctic giants are exceptional swimmers, paddling through icy waters for kilometres. Polar bears have transparent fur, not white, and their black skin underneath helps absorb the sun’s warmth. As skilled…

Let’s mix some new words! Chemistry isn’t just about compounds and reactions; it can also be a playground for creativity! By combining symbols from the periodic table of elements, you can invent new and inventive words (Neologisms). Here are examples that show how the elements’ symbols can be rearranged to form new and fun words! 1. Cafeinium (CfFeInUm): Imagine a futuristic café where coffee is brewed using an exotic element – Cafeinium! It’s the perfect spot for chemists and caffeine aficionados. 2. Carbonize (CArBONiZe): Transforming something into its carbon form – this word could represent a magical process turning objects into carbon replicas! 3. Kryptonize (KrYpToNiZe): In superhero lore, to “Kryptonize” could mean rendering someone as vulnerable as Superman when exposed to his home planet’s element, Krypton. 4. Neonify (NeONiFy):…

The Ancient Roman Empire was shaped by numerous influential figures whose actions and leadership left an indelible mark on history. From visionary emperors to military geniuses, these individuals played pivotal roles in the empire’s evolution, contributing to its expansion, governance and cultural development. Julius Caesar He was a powerful military leader and statesman who played a crucial role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He expanded Rome, s territories through conquests and implemented reforms. Augustus (Octavian) The first Roman Emperor, he brought stability after a period of civil wars following Caesar, s assassination. Augustus reformed government, established the Principate, and initiated an era of relative peace known as the Pax Romana. Marcus Aurelius A philosopher-emperor, known for his wisdom and leadership during the height of…

Metropolitan Opera … A legendary and renowned place. Until this day, Carmen holds the title of the most famous ballet in the world. It’s not that difficult to imagine that once upon a time, an incredible story took place at the Metropolitan Opera against the backdrop of the Carmen. One day, a street dog named Samson, in his attempts to hide from stray dog catchers, finds himself at the Metropolitan Opera. There, he meets charming Margot. Margot is a pet of Anastasia, the theatre’s prima ballerina. The plot thickens as the unique tiara that belonged to the queen of Great Britain and that Anastasia has to wear in the fourth act of the ballet, is stolen from the dressing room. Without the tiara, the show cannot go on and must…

AIR POLLUTION Air pollution is caused by solid and liquid particles and certain gases that are suspended in the air. These particles and gases can come from car and truck exhausts, factories, dust, pollen, mould spores, volcanoes and wildfires. The solid and liquid particles suspended in our air are called aerosols. Breathing in polluted air can be very bad for our health. Long-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with diseases of the heart and lungs, cancers and other health problems. Soil is one of the most significant elements of the natural world that the Earth possesses. Soil is the source that not only allows us to grow our food, but is also home to so much of life. SOIL POLLUTION Soil pollution is when there are chemicals present in…

Scientists are inquisitive and imaginative people who go around asking questions that often begin with the words “why” and “how” and “what if” and “why not”. What makes geoscience especially interesting is that we work with things and events that we often cannot observe in real time and space – either because they happened in the very distant past (millions of years ago), or because they are buried deep inside the Earth. And yet, these unseen aspects impact in so many ways on our daily lives – the food we eat, the water we drink, the minerals we use in industry, the economy of our country, the materials we use to build with, the safety of everything we build and the protection of the natural environment. These are important factors…

Elements An element is the simplest form of a substance. All elements are made up of atoms (main building blocks of matter) that contain even smaller particles, namely protons (+ particles), electrons (- particles) and neutrons (neutral particles). These tiny particles are called sub-atomic particles. So, what makes elements differ from each other? The number of sub-atomic particles they have in their atoms. There are about 118 different elements, each with their own characteristics. Just like people, they all look different and react differently. But how can you remember all of them? Dmitri Medeleev While creating the periodic table, Mendeleev left gaps for elements that were yet to be discovered. He made accurate predictions about the properties of some of these missing elements. For instance, he predicted the properties of…

WORD BANK SMILED WHISPERED DANCED NODDED GRUMBLED SANG PEEKED COUGHED GROANED WELCOMED TAPPED WATCHING ROARED PLAYED BEGGED CALLED LURKED YAWNED AWAITED TUGGING In the lively wetlands, Froggy Symphony kicked off. Lily pads played drums, croaking frogs sang in harmony and fireflies twirled like disco lights. As the moon peeked, Bullfrog, the conductor, directed the orchestra of croakers. Water lilies blushed in delight and the marsh grass swayed to the melody. Suddenly, an adventurous tadpole leaped onto a lilypad stage, making a splashy entrance. “Ribbit applause!” cheered Bullfrog, as the entire wetland erupted in a jubilant chorus. It was a night of amphibian magic, where every creature, from reeds to ripples, joined the frogs’ enchanted jamboree. Pick the most suitable word from the word bank to complete the sentences below: 1. The…

Wetlands are places where water is the primary factor that controls the environment and its plant and animal life. They occur where the water table is at or near the surface of the land, or where the land is covered by shallow water. Why do wetlands matter? Wetlands are among the world, s most productive environments. They are cornerstones of biological diversity, providing the water and primary productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. They support high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species and act like natural kidneys responsible of water purification. Wetlands are also important storehouses of plant genetic material. Furthermore, they are significant to human survival too. For example rice (a common wetland plant) is the staple diet of…

If you look carefully at a mountain range, you can often see how layers of rock have been deformed into structures that look like “waves” – these waves are called folds by geologists. The folding is caused by forces operating in the Earth’s crust. A majority of earthquake and volcanic activity occurs above plate boundaries. You can see this folding at a scale of kilometres. What is fascinating, is that if you should pick up a rock from the same terrain, you may see the same fold patterns reflected on a smaller scale, possibly millimetres. And if you look at a very thin section of the rock under a microscope, you may also see fold patterns at a scale of tens of microns (there are a thousand microns in a…

This list was made by: THE UNITED NATIONS an International Organisation that counts virtually every country in the world as a member! The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of targets relating to future international development. They are created by the United Nations and promoted as the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. They replaced the Millennium Development Goals that expired at the end of 2015. The SGDs run from 2015 to 2030. There are 17 goals and 169 specific targets for those goals. 14 Each month MiniMag will feature another Sustainable Development Goal!…