Curious Kids
Why is space so dark even though the Universe is filled with stars?
This age old question has been dubbed Olbers’ paradox. Credit: John Colosimo/ESO “Why is space so dark even though the Universe is filled with stars?” — Nikhil, age 15, New Dehli People have been asking why space is dark despite being filled with stars for so long that this question has a special name – …
What is the smallest thing in the Universe?
“What is the smallest thing in the Universe that actually exists?” — Mimi, age 12, Abeokuta, Nigeria To find an answer, we asked physicist Omololu Akin-Ojo, who teaches this subject. A physicist is someone who studies physics. Physics is the science of energy, forces and particles. We study physics in order to be able to …
How do atoms – the building blocks of everything – form?
“How do atoms form?” — Joshua, age 7, Shoreview, Minnesota R ichard Feynman, a famous theoretical physicist who won the Nobel Prize, said that if he could pass on only one piece of scientific information to future generations, it would be that all things are made of atoms. Understanding how atoms form is a fundamental …
Why does the Earth spin?
“Why does the Earth spin?” —Sara H., age 5, New Paltz, New York A globe was the first thing I ever bought with my own money. I was maybe 5 years old, and I was really excited to take it home. As I quickly discovered, you can spin it in the direction that the earth …
What is below Earth, since space is present in every direction?
“What is below Earth, since space is present in ever direction?” — Purvi, age 17, India If you’ve seen illustrations or models of the solar system, maybe you noticed that all the planets orbit the Sun in more or less the same plane, traveling in the same direction. But what is above and below that …
How can there be ice on the Moon?
“I have a question about ice on the Moon. How is this possible?” — Olaf, age 9, Hillsborough, North Carolina We’re lucky to live on a water world. More than 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. Earth is about 94 million miles from the Sun. That’s within the Goldilocks zone: the place …
Is the Moon drifting away from the Earth?
“Is the Moon getting farther away from the Earth?” — Judah, age 9, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma The Moon is moving 1½ inches (3.8 centimeters) farther away from the Earth every year. Scientists measure the distance to the Moon by bouncing lasers off mirrors placed there by space probes and astronauts. By measuring the amount of …
Why does the Moon look close some nights and far away on others?
“Why does the Moon look close some nights and far away on other nights?” —Gabriel H., age 7, Providence, Rhode Island Some nights the Moon seems really close and bigger than usual. One summer evening when I was a child, I remember being mystified and then startled at a huge round shape slowly creeping up …
How are dark matter and antimatter different?
“What is dark matter and what is antimatter? Are they the same or different?” — Namrata, age 13, Ghaziabad, India Imagine an epic video game with your favorite hero as a character. Another character is a mirror-image twin who shows up occasionally, exploding everything they touch. And, to add an extra level of difficulty, the …
Why isn’t there any sound in space?
“How far can sound travel through space, since it’s so empty? Is there an echo in space?” — Jasmine, age 14, Everson, Washington In space, no one can hear you scream. You may have heard this saying. It’s the tagline from the famous 1979 science fiction movie “Alien.” It’s a scary thought, but is it …