The magnetism of the north and south poles are what make a compass work. But the pull of those poles is affected by the ground beneath your feet. WHY?A magnetic anomaly at the eastern tip of Lake Ontario means that a compass reading there may be wrong by as much as 16° in either direction—east...

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Did you think that fossils were all bones and nothing more? Nope! Some fossils are impressions left of footprints or tracks. Other fossils are impressions left by skin textures. Sometimes even the tissues of an animal can be preserved, or visible in the fossil. It can be hard to figure out what we're looking at...

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The shape of a photograph is measured by its Aspect Ratio. This is the ratio of the width of the photograph divided by its height. Until smartphone cameras, the overwhelming majority of cameras used a ratio of 1.5 (width versus height being 3:2). This was the film format of “35 millimetre” (35 mm) cameras. 35...

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by L. E. Carmichael, PhDThis Saturday, May 13, is Science Rendezvous! If you're not familiar, Science Rendezvous is a national STEM festival that aims to bring science out of the lab and into the streets. Hosted by universities across campus, it's a unique opportunity for people of all ages to meet scientists and explore real-life...

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 Good news for homeschoolers! The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology is hosting its Homeschool Day on May 19, 2023.You can read all about this event and activities that are planned, at this link: https://tyrrellmuseum.com/whats_on/special_events/homeschool_days Programs are filling up already. Go to their website and book space in one of their terrific activities for young students!...

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by Elaine Kachala When Tucker wears his bandana, he knows he's a dog with a job! All dogs have a special gift. But when we saw how Tucker, our delightful, much-loved family pet brightened so many lives, we thought he should be a therapy dog. In 2017, Tucker became a certified therapy dog with St....

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by Jan ThornhillDeer sleeping forms. They're pretty compact when it's below freezing, with their back legs tucked under. Deer put on a lot of fat in the fall, and their winter hair is hollow for added insulation.  Their skinny, uninsulated legs are heat exchangers – warm blood pumped from their core runs alongside veins filled with cooled...

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by Margriet RuursNot long ago I was at the Dead Sea in Jordan.This large ‘lake’ is about 65 KM from the capital city of Jordan, called Amman. Amman is at 700 meters above sea level and can be chilly in Fall or Winter. But a one hour drive to the floor of the Jordan River...

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If you ask someone what animal has the best sense of smell, chances are that most people will answer “Dogs”. Not a bad answer, though not quite right. At least two others are better.  Dogs have an amazing sense of smell. That's why we use dogs to track and find people who are lost, buried in...

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Branching Outby Joan Marie GalatI love spending time in forest habitat. The air is fresh, animals signs are everywhere, and the world feels like a quieter place. My interest in these giants of the plant world led me to write a book for ages 8-12 that explores how people and animals depend on trees. Branching Out: How...

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