Science Facts Thursday: The Venus Flytrap

This week we bring you some facts on the Venus Flytrap!

The Venus Flytrap is a carnivorous plant, which means it eats bugs! Eww!

They are luciously green, with long leaves and stems that have a heart shaped head with a pink cushiony inner. They can also flower, usually in the springtime.

Like all plants, they still need sunlight and water to grow, but get most of their nutrients from insects. This means they can live in areas were the soil isn't as rich in delicious nutrients such as swamps.

Their favourite foods are ants, spiders, beetles and flies. Totally mega gross.

Firstly, the flytrap attacts insects to come over, by oozing tasty nectar. Once they land on the pink cushiony pads, this tickles tiny tiny hairs that let the flytrap know food has arrived. They rely on this technique as they have no eyes.
The flytrap snaps shut, trapping its prey inside. It then produces enzymes that digest all the nutrients from the unlucky bug, this process can take upto ten days. It then reopens, leaving the left overs, and awaits more noms to come by.

Pop the music on pause ^ and check out this video to see the flytrap in action, be warned, it is scary.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks facts, don't forget to pop by next week for more illustrated science facts.

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Science Facts Thursday: Sloths

We're bringing science facts back, on a Thursday!
We missed doing these regular fun facts.

These week we bring you:

There are two main species of sloth, the three toed and the two toed.

Three toed, like our pal Sloth, look as though they are always smiling, due to their dark markings in their facial colouring. They also have two extra vertebrae in their neck, so can turn their heads almost all the way around! This is handy when keeping an eye out for predators, and people stealing tasty leaves.

The two toed variety spend alot of their time upside down, and are slightly larger than the three toed.

Sloths live in the tropical rainforests of South America.
The Pigmy three toed sloth is currently critically endangered :(

Sloths are vegan. Nomming on mostly leaves, fruit and twigs. Most of their energy is spent climbing down trees once a week for a poop. Their diet means they have a slow metabolism, so they don't need to go to the loo very often, which is handy as they would be pretty defenceless against large predators. 

Due to their lazyness of not washing often, or even moving, algae grows in the fur of sloths which can turn their fur a greenish colour, which is handy for camouflaging amongst the leaves.

So now you know all about sloths and Sloth.

Don't forget to pop back next Thursday for more science facts.
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Science Facts Thursday: Lead

We had a busy week last week, so unfortunately didn't get chance to update you on some Science facts.

This week we have lots of fun updates! What do you think of the spooky new theme?

We also bring you some science facts on Lead!

The scientific term for a metal that is stretchy is 'malleable' . It's not as stretchy as a Stretch Armstrong, but has a slight flex that can be a handy property for some uses.

Lead is poisonous! It damages the nervous system and can effect the brain.

Lead was once used in paints, pipping and petrol too. In paints it can increase drying time, durability and resist moisture. Quite handy, but due to the effects it can have on your health it is no longer used in most things.

In Alchemy planets are paired up with metals. Lead and Saturn are best buds.

In Greek mythology, Midas was a magical King that could turn anything to gold.  Sounds fun, but have you seen the skittles advert with the chap that turns anything into skittles just by touching it? At least you can eat skittles. There is a level on Tomb Raider, Palace Midas, where you collect 3 lead bars and turn them into gold on Midas's hands. If you have never played it, go get yourself a copy.
Here is what happens when Lara stands on Midas's hands.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks science facts!

Join us later this week where we have a  new regular post to announce!

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Brains of the Month: Sir Isaac Newton

There are lots of super brainy people out there, without these clever clogs we wouldn't have what we have today. So, every month we will have a different 'Brains of the Month' from scientists to mathematicians, right intelligent noggins.

This month we bring you Sir Isaac Newton.

I bet Isaac was really good at pub quiz's. You would definitely want him on your team. He is so clever, he invented gravity, well discovered the theory of gravity.

Here is what happened:

Isaac was enjoying an afternoon in the sunshine, when an apple fell on his head.

A quote Isaac famously said, meaning someone who discovers by building on previous discoveries.

What a brainy fellow, we give him 5 brains out out 5 for his contributions to science.

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Science Facts Thursday: Changes of State

It's science facts Thursday again!!

Ever had a chocolate bar that has melted to a mound of mush? Or attempted to make homemade stock to find all the water has vanished? What's going on? Well, science has the answer.

All substances can take form in any of the three* different states, solid, liquid or gas. However, at room temperature some of these will be solid and some will be liquid or gas. To change this you need to change certain things. Temperature and pressure.

Changes of state

Pressure and temperature are what effect the change of state. Air naturally presses down on Earth, this is called atmospheric pressure.
The higher up you go, the lower the atmospheric pressure, so boiling points are lower as it is easier for particles to move about.
The atmospheric pressure is why your ears 'pop' when you go up in an aeroplane.

Don't forget to join us next week for more science facts!

Keep your eyes peeled at Cosmos and Crayons, we have some exciting new post coming soon! Including Sunday Cut Out and Keeps, mini craft projects for you to print out and complete at home :)
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Science Facts Thursday: The Kinetic Theory

It's Science Facts Thursday again!

Last week we had a look at the structure of an Atom, this week the behaviour of particles within an atom.

Kinetic theory explains the behaviour of particles in solids, liquids and gases.

A substances is classed as a solid liquid or gas depending on what state it is in at room temperature,( 20 Degrees Celsius).

Join us next week for more science facts!

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