Kids News - Articles for Grade 8

While the volcanoes on Earth eject fiery lava, ash, and smoke, those on Ceres, a dwarf planet that orbits between Mars and Jupiter, have been spewing out ice throughout its history. The chain of events leading to the discovery began in 2015 when NASA’s spacecraft Dawn, sent to explore the asteroid belt where Ceres resides, captured some high-resolution images of its icy, rocky terrain. On the dwarf planet’s crater-covered surface, was a solitary 4km (13,000 feet ) tall mountain....

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has been pledging to send tourists to space ever since he started the company in 2002. On September 17, 2018, the visionary came one step closer to fulfilling his promise by signing up his first passenger – Japanese billionaire and entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa. If all goes according to plan, in 2023, Maezawa will become the first passenger and private astronaut to travel to the Moon. He will also join the elite group of just 24 humans who have been fortunate enough to see Earth’s satellite up close....

With over 350 million cubes sold since it hit toy stores in 1974, the Rubik’s Cube is probably one of the world’s most popular toys ever. However, while the iconic cube has an avid fan base, which regularly compete to be the fastest, the brain teaser is daunting for most. It is, therefore, not surprising to hear that even though the toy has been on the market for over 44 years, less than 6 percent of the world’s population is able to solve it. Now, Israel-based startup Particula is introducing GoCube, a hi-tech version of the classic toy that promises to make the puzzle fun and interactive for both beginners and experts....

Mention the word shark, and the first image that comes to mind is that of a ferocious carnivore circling helpless prey. However, while the bonnethead enjoys meat as much as any other shark, it seems to love its greens as well – so much so that about 50 percent of the shark’s diet is plant-based....

3D printing has come a long way since Massachusetts Institute of Technology students Jim Bredt and Tim Anderson modified an inkjet printer to expel a binding solution on to a bed of powder. The technology, which works by “printing,” or laying down, successive layers of material until the object is created, has been used to build a wide variety of things – from electronic devices to jewelry to artificial organs. Now, 3D printing is escalating to a whole new level with the creation of homes, art installations, and even barracks for the U.S. Marine Corps....

As had been expected, Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina at 7:15 am ET. on September 14, 2018. While downgraded to a Category 1, with sustained winds of 90 mph, the storm still packed a powerful punch, causing widespread flooding, destroying several structures and knocking out power to over 900,000 homes....

About a decade ago, Brigham Young University paleontologists stumbled upon thousands of fossils at the Saints and Sinners quarry, an ancient, dried-up water hole, in northeastern Utah. Since there were too many to extract at the site, the team, led by Brooks Britt, cut the slabs of sandstone in which the bones were preserved and took them to the laboratory. Over the years, they have identified the remains of several late Triassic inhabitants, including several sphenosuchians - small crocodile-like creatures – and two carnivorous dinosaurs. However, the most exciting discovery was that of a new species of pterosaur that dates back over 200 million years, when supercontinent Pangea was still intact....

Just when we think we have discovered, and mastered, every shape in the world, comes the scutoid. The three-dimensional prism-like struture has been hiding in plain sight in all living creatures including humans. While not visible to the naked eye, scutoids, the shape skin cells take as they bend, twist, or turn, are everywhere – in your armpits, elbows, organs, and even all over your face....

Those of you born post-2001 are accustomed to the strict air travel rules that forbid taking even water past security gates. However, airports were not always like that. Seventeen years ago, passengers were not only allowed to carry on board all liquids, but also “dangerous” items such as baseball bats, box cutters, darts, knitting needles, scissors, and even four-inch blades. That changed on September 11, 2001, when members of the Islamic extremist organization Al Qaeda used airplanes as weapons to carry out the deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil in U.S. history....