In the Know

Lasers use mirrors to concentrate light energy into a thin, powerful beam. You might be surprised by how often people use lasers. In fact, you may have a laser at home. A DVD player uses a laser to … Read more

How are you celebrating Earth Day this month? You might be doing things to help fight climate change, like recycling or planting a tree. But what exactly is climate change, and why is it happening? … Read more

Take a look around you. Everything you are sitting on, holding, and looking at was invented by someone! Do you ever wonder how people get ideas to invent new things? Inventors and engineers follow a … Read more

The Heart’s Job You probably know you need oxygen to live. In fact, all the cells in your body need oxygen—and your heart makes sure they get it. A heart is an organ inside you … Read more

It’s winter, and the air is cold but calm. You’ve just trekked a mile across a frozen section of Lake Superior. You’re ready to explore the ice caves of the Apostle Islands! These caves are … Read more

What is kelp?  Because kelp looks so much like grass, many people assume it is a plant. However, kelp belongs to the kingdom Protista. This kingdom is made up of organisms with simple cellular organization. … Read more

When they see the Sundial Bridge, visitors of Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, California might find themselves wondering, “Is it a bird? Is it a plane?” No, but it is certainly a real eye … Read more

The answer to that question depends on who you ask. From forests to cities, eastern gray squirrels are one of the most common species of squirrel found in the United States. They are fun to watch as they frolic and … Read more

In 2006, beekeepers discovered a mystery. Bees were disappearing from their hives. Scientists discovered bees in the wild were disappearing as well. This phenomenon became known as Colony Collapse Disorder. A loss of bee population … Read more

Senator Gaylord Nelson had seen enough. The year was 1969. A massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California had killed thousands of seabirds, seals, and dolphins. An ooze of black oil coated … Read more