Q+A

Q: Why don’t bats bump into things when they fly at night?
A: Bats emit subsonic noises, the sound waves of which bounce off objects and back at them (just like an echo), letting bats determine the size and distance of objects in their path.

Q: Why are no two snow crystals alike?
A: Each crystal’s molecular makeup varies and its shape and design are molded by the changing atmospheric conditions it encounters as it falls to earth.

Q: Why do fingers and toes have a “wrinkled” look after a long time in the bathtub or pool?
A: The outer layer of skin is made up of dead cells that absorb the water. That absorption expands the surface area of the skin, but because this outer layer is so tightly attached to the skin underneath, it responds to the expanding surface area by wrinkling.

Q: What causes the distinctive smell that often follows a rainfall?
A: Bacteria spores in the soil are released into the air by the force of a rainfall. Also, oils secreted by trees and plants onto rocks mixes with rainwater to produce an aromatic gas. An often less pleasant scent arises from the chemical reactions that occur when acidic rain comes in contact with chemical and organic debris on the ground.

Q: What are the northern lights?
A: An astronomical phenomena of colored light sometimes visible in the night sky, particularly at high altitudes and close to the poles. Their origin is in clouds of gas emitted from the surface of the sun that occasionally make it to earth and into the Earth’s magnetic field.  This collision with the magnetic field produces charged particles that travel along lines of magnetic force to the Polar Regions and collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the Earth’s atmosphere to produce their signature colorful patterns.

Q: Do bed bugs exist?
A: Yes! Otherwise known as Cimex lectularius, bed bugs lay their eggs in dark areas such as beds, sofas, and molding. They “feed” on their sleeping human hosts’ blood, leaving small telltale marks.

Q: Why is the ocean blue?
A: The ocean does not always appear blue to our eyes—its color depends on the amount of skylight, the depth of the water, and the materials found in it. It often looks blue because water molecules absorb other wavelengths that create yellow, red, and green, for instance, but scatter blue wavelengths in different directions and reflect it back at us as blue water.