Posted: February 19, 2019

A harpoon flies through space. Bullseye! It hits space junk!

But the space junk—pretend space junk, actually—is a piece of aluminum only the size of a table tennis racket. The steel-tipped harpoon is no bigger than a pen. The two objects started just five feet apart. But researchers still feel thrilled. They are getting closer to capturing real space junk!

Thousands of old satellite and rocket parts circle Earth. Other kinds of space junk do too. Floating space junk could put working spacecraft in danger. It could even crash into the International Space Station.

A video of the test shows the tiny harpoon slamming into the target. It knocks the aluminum off its perch. Then the harpoon tangles around it. A much bigger harpoon will be needed to catch a real dead satellite.

This is the researcher’s third space junk catching experiment. The same team used a net to capture a piece of space junk in a test last September. (Read about the space net in News Shorts.) In December, they tracked a tiny satellite using lasers. So far each experiment has worked.

Here are the next steps: First, the experiment (which is 250 miles above Earth’s atmosphere now) will re-enter the atmosphere and burn up to demonstrate safe disposal of dead satellites. After that, the experimenters hope to catch some real space junk.

A harpoon strikes a square target mounted five feet from the RemoveDEBRIS spacecraft on February 8. (RemoveDEBRIS Consortium via AP)

Posted: February 18, 2019

UPDATE:

The faraway space snowman visited by NASA last month has a surprisingly flat—not round—behind.

New photos from the New Horizons spacecraft give a fresh perspective on the small object four billion miles away. The two-parted object, nicknamed Ultima Thule, isn’t quite as round and snowman-like as scientists thought. It’s flatter on the backside. The photos show an outline of the side of Ultima Thule we can’t see—the side the Sun doesn’t shine on. From the front, Ultima Thule still looks like a two-ball snowman. From the side, the snowman looks squashed, sort of like a lemon and a pie stuck together.

Does the “space snowman” need a new name? What would you call it?

Read past news about the Ultima Thule flyby and discoveries in “To Ultima Thule” and “Space Snowman.”

The Kuiper belt object Ultima Thule, about one billion miles beyond Pluto (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute via AP)

Posted: February 15, 2019

There’s snow in Hawaii, on the highest peak of the island of Maui.

It almost never snows in Hawaii! Visitors want to get a peek at such extraordinary Hawaii weather. But they will have to enjoy it from down below. The mountain top at Haleakala National Park is closed because of “extreme winter conditions.”

Park officials tell people to stay away. They say snow and ice make the area dangerous. Rocks and trees have fallen onto roads. Hawaii gets a tiny bit of snowfall every year—but only on the very highest peaks, where the weather gets coldest. Even when it does snow at these high spots, the snow stays for only a few days.

Hawaiians watch the mountain tops. They expect more snow in the coming days. Some driving lower down the mountain get stuck in traffic trying to see the snow!

For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth’ ― Job 37:6

Visitors to Hawaii play the guitar and run on the beach in Maui, Hawaii on February 11. They look nice and warm—but do you see the snow in the background? (Matthew Thayer/The News via AP)

Posted: February 14, 2019

Time to cheer! (Or boo if you were voting for another dog.) King the wire fox terrier became America’s top dog Tuesday night at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

The win wasn’t a surprise. Wire fox terriers have won Best in Show at the famous dog show 15 times—far more times than any other breed.

More than 2,800 dogs entered the competition this year. Bean the Sussex spaniel, Burns the longhaired dachshund, Wilma the boxer, and Baby Lars the bouviers des Flandres also came close to winning. Fans seemed to like Bean and Burns the best. As the Sussex spaniel rounded the ring, people chanted “Bean! Bean! Bean!” And Burns drew loud cheers. His long hair flowed while circling the green carpet. Burns had all the qualities of a Westminster champion. He had a great coat. He had a wonderful gait. He had a playful spirit.

But judges liked King best. (King’s full name is Kingarthur Van Foliny Home.) King was flashy. Wagging his tail, King was completely in control under his handler Gabriel Rangel. When judge Peter Green pointed at the 7-year-old King, Mr. Rangel teared up. He had a winner!

Neither Mr. Rangel nor King will have much time to rest. After the competition, he and King will visit television shows. They will eat a steak lunch and take a trip to the Empire State Building.

King’s owner lives in Brazil. He will get no prize money for this win. But other dog owners will probably pay a lot to breed their dogs with King. King’s owner will also get a silver bowl and a lifetime of bragging rights.

King, a wire fox terrier, poses for photographs after winning Best in Show at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on February 12 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Posted: February 14, 2019

The oldest known wild bird in the world has become a mother . . . again.

The bird’s name is Wisdom. She is a Laysan albatross who lives at Midway Atoll near Hawaii. Wisdom is at least 68 years old. She has raised at least 31 chicks. People first put a band on Wisdom to track her in 1956. She was already an adult then.

Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, have been returning to the atoll to lay and hatch eggs since 2006. Laysan albatrosses mate for life. They lay one egg each year.

Beth Flint is a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist. She says Wisdom is teaching scientists a lot about how birds survive, how long they live, and how often they breed.

Mother and father albatrosses take turns incubating an egg for about seven months. Chicks fly out to sea about five to six months after hatching. They spend most of their lives flying over the ocean—feeding on squid and fish eggs.

Wisdom and Akeakamai aren’t the only albatrosses who think Midway Atoll makes a good home. About three million seabirds live there! About one million of those are other albatrosses. When albatrosses are ready to raise their young, they return to the place they were born themselves.

“Midway Atoll’s habitat doesn’t just contain millions of birds, it contains countless generations and families of albatrosses,” says Kelly Goodale, a biologist at the refuge. When Wisdom came home this year to hatch her newest chick, she was probably surrounded by her chicks and grandchicks!

The wisest of women builds her house. ― Proverbs 14:1

Wisdom, the world’s oldest known breeding bird, sits with a chick in a nest at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in 2018. (Bob Peyton/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via AP)

Posted: February 13, 2019

Did you celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s 210^th birthday on February 12? Someone may be celebrating by making a big purchase—30 acres of land Mr. Lincoln once owned!

A retired farmer in Charleston, Illinois, is selling his family’s 590-acre farm. It includes a 30-acre plot once owned by Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln bought the land from his father in 1841.The farmer, Ron Best, says the land has been farmed the whole time. Buyers at the auction may want the land because of the history behind it. But Mr. Best says, “It’s not like Lincoln's stove pipe hat, that you can put on a shelf and say ‘this was Lincoln’s.’”

Abraham Lincoln was the 16^th president of the United States. He became president just before the Civil War started. He was killed just before it ended. In 1863, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which said all U.S. slaves would be freed. Many think of Mr. Lincoln as one of the greatest U.S. presidents in history.

Ron Best looks over a copy of the deed for Abraham Lincoln’s 1841 purchase of southern Coles County farm land from his father, Thomas Lincoln. (Dave Fopay/Mattoon Journal Gazette via AP)

Posted: February 13, 2019

Goodbye, long lines. Hello, shoppers!

Store owners are shopping for a way to get rid of checkout lines—for good. A year ago, the online seller Amazon opened its first cashier-less store. Now stores around the world hurry to grab the technology that can end checkout lines.

Here’s how to skip the line. All you need is a smartphone and a “smart store.” A customer opens the store app, scans it to enter the store, grabs what he or she wants, and walks out. Cashier-less stores have computers, cameras, and sensors that can recognize faces. For now, they don’t recognize people’s faces. Instead, they recognize the “faces” of grocery items! The cameras and sensors in the store know when a shopper picks up a product. Sensors can even send coupons to tempt shoppers to buy the items they pick up. When customers leave the store, their credit or debit cards are automatically charged for the items they take with them.

People like cashier-less stores for many reasons. Store shelves have more space. Items are carefully tracked and restocked. These stores appear to make twice as much money as other stores. Instant coupons help shoppers save money. Hurried shoppers can race in and out of stores in record time. “I like the idea of being able to come into a store, grab what you want and just walk out,” says Tomonori Nishimura, who bought a bag of chips at a small cashier-less store.

Some people aren’t quite sure about cashier-less stores. Shoppers want privacy. They don’t want their personal information shared by store computers. They worry that cameras will take pictures of people’s faces. Other shoppers want to choose how they check out. They like checking out with a cashier. The convenience store 7-Eleven is testing 14 cashier-less stores in Dallas, Texas. But 7-Eleven officials don’t plan to get rid of cashiers. Michael Suswal, a cashier-less store creator, says, “Within 10 years, regular checkout stands will be very rare.” He believes in skipping the checkout line. How about you? In a hurry? Maybe soon you can skip the checkout line too!

It takes patience to stand in a line. The Bible reminds us to wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him . . .”

People walk into an Amazon Go store in San Francisco, California, on January 30. New technology lets shoppers buy groceries without waiting in line. (AP Photo)

Posted: February 12, 2019

Get your toothbrush wet. Unscrew the toothpaste cap. Now squeeze.

If you’ve read the back of a toothpaste bottle, you know you’re supposed to squeeze out only a pea-sized amount per brushing session. (Littler kids should use a smear as small as a grain of rice!) But how many kids actually use that small amount? A study says “Not enough!”

The survey was done by workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They surveyed the parents of more than 5,000 kids. They found that about 40 percent of kids between ages three and six use a brush full or a half-full of toothpaste. Experts say that makes it more likely those kids will have streaky or splotchy teeth when they get older.

Why the streaks? Most toothpaste contains fluoride. Fluoride is a mineral found in water and soil. More than 70 years ago, scientists discovered that people who drank water with more fluoride also had fewer cavities. So people worked to add fluoride to tap water, toothpaste, and mouthwash. Experts say fluoride helps keep teeth healthy. But too much will cause dental fluorosis—streaks and spots. Way too much fluoride can even create pits in teeth. But most cases of dental fluorosis are so mild only a dentist would notice.

“Fluoride is a wonderful benefit but it needs to be used carefully,” says Dr. Mary Hayes, a pediatric dentist in Chicago. Kids’ toothpaste tastes sweet. And little kids may want to use as much as they want. “You don't want them eating it like food,” Ms. Hayes says. “We want the parent to be in charge of the toothbrush and the toothpaste.”

Not everyone agrees about the benefits and dangers of fluoride. But most people can agree on this: Moderation is a good guide in life. Good things can become not-so-good if used too much.

It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory. ― Proverbs 25:27

Posted: February 11, 2019

Who is that in the mirror? A toddler knows. A chimpanzee knows. So does an orangutan. Scientists have used the mirror test for almost 50 years. Few animals can pass it. But now scientists report that a fish can recognize itself in a mirror too. What does that mean?

In the test, scientists put an animal in front of a mirror. They watch how the animal reacts. Does the animal do unusual things to see if the image copies it? Does it appear to use the mirror to explore its own body? And if researchers put a mark on an animal in a place the creature can observe only in the mirror, does the animal try to remove it? If yes, scientists believe the animal can look at itself. It can think, “Hey! That’s me!”

Scientists in Germany did the test on fish. One species, called the cleaner wrasse, stood out. The fish showed odd behaviors like swimming upside-down by the mirror. Scientists injected four fish with a tag that left a visible brown mark under their throats. Three scraped that part of their bodies against a rock or the sandy bottom of the tank, as if trying to remove it. The scientists decided the fish had passed the mirror test.

But some scientists disagree. They say just because the fish reacted to the reflection doesn’t mean fish really recognize themselves the same way a chimpanzee would.  

God has given people the gift of self-awareness. You know who you are when you look in a mirror. But you have another kind of self-awareness too. You can check on more than your reflection. You can check on your heart by looking into the Bible!

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. ― James 1:23-25

A cleaner wrasse interacts with its reflection in a mirror placed on the outside of aquarium glass. (Alex Jordan via AP)

Posted: February 8, 2019

Many people in Asia just celebrated the Year of the Pig. (Read about the Chinese Lunar New Year here!) But people in Hong Kong don’t feel so sure about pigs right now. There, it feels like wild pigs are taking over!

Authorities in the busy city are looking for ways to make sure humans and wild boars have fewer dangerous meetings. People in Hong Kong see wild boars on roadways, in parks, in housing developments, and even in shopping centers! And there’s a problem: The wild boars seem to have lost their fear of humans.

More than seven million people live in Hong Kong. As the growing city spreads out, the wild boars multiply too. And people move into spaces that used to be the boars’ homes. Not far from its cramped apartment blocks and neon lights, Hong Kong has plenty of untouched land where boars have lived for a long time. Some areas where homes are close to parks or forests have become popular spots for boars to forage for food among the garbage cans.

Herds of wild boars rush across a road in front of cars. That’s dangerous for boars and drivers. Very rarely, wild boars attack. But other times, the wild pigs look cute and cuddly. Not everyone agrees about what to do with the wild boars. Some say, “Kill the pigs!” Others say, “You don’t have to kill them. But don’t feed them!”

A wild boar scavenges for food while local residents watch at a Country Park in Hong Kong. (AP Photo)

Posted: February 7, 2019

Caitlin Powers feels stuffed up and she thinks she might have the flu. She needs to go to the doctor. But she doesn’t leave her apartment in Brooklyn, New York. Instead, she sits down on the couch and starts a video call. Her video appointment starts on time. A doctor in Florida talks to Ms. Powers over video for 10 minutes. “As a student, I don't really have time to spend three hours waiting to see a doctor, and this was so easy,” says Ms. Powers.

Video-calling doctors is called telemedicine. Doctors have used telemedicine for years to check on patients. It has been especially helpful for patients who live in hard-to-reach locations. Now more and more employers encourage people to use telemedicine instead of going to the doctor’s office in person. Telemedicine can be helpful for employers because it means people spend less time away from the job. Walmart workers can now see a doctor for only $4. But it has to be a visit by video.

Some think telemedicine will become more and more popular. But not everyone likes the idea. Parents taking care of sick kids want them to have the best of care right away—and to many, that means seeing a doctor in person. And some people just prefer to see a doctor face-to face. Tom Hill is among that crowd. The 66-year-old from Mooresville, Indiana, says he’s never used telemedicine and has no plans to. He says, “I believe in a handshake and looking a guy in the eye.”

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ― 3 John 1:2

Caitlin Powers sits in the living room of her Brooklyn apartment in New York and has a telemedicine video conference with physician Dr. Deborah Mulligan. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Posted: February 7, 2019

Workers keep count as animals at the St. Louis Zoo give birth. One zoo baby, two zoo babies, three zoo babies . . . 11 zoo babies!

Zoo officials announced the births on February 5. Eleven calves have been born there during a 10-week period. All the babies are ungulates—mammals with hooves. But they are not all the same type of animal. The zoo boom includes:

. . . three Speke’s gazelles. These little antelopes have big noses. The Speke’s gazelle has loose skin around its nose. The nose skin inflates to make the gazelle’s call louder.

Two addaxes. Addaxes are African antelopes with long, spiral horns. Their broad hooves make them able to travel in sandy areas where they hide from poachers.

One Soemmerring’s gazelle. Most gazelles have been eaten by humans for a long time. Soemmerring’s gazelles are tall with black horns. They have been hunted so much they are running out.

One Grevy’s zebra. Grevy’s zebras have larger heads and wider stripes than other zebras. They are also extra wild. (Zebras may look like horses. But they do not like to be tamed. A kick from a zebra could kill a lion!)

Two lesser kudus. These gray-brown antelopes have amazing white stripes. Their coloring gives them camouflage and their large ears help them listen for predators.

Two lowland nyalas. Nyalas are fuzzier than many other kinds of antelopes. These shy animals like to live hidden in forests.

Zoo officials say all the animals are healthy and bonding with their mothers. The baby zebra, named Nova, can be seen at the zoo if the weather cooperates. The others are being kept behind the scenes for now.

Baby zebra Nova at the zoo in St. Louis, Missouri. (Robin Winkelman/The Saint Louis Zoo via AP)

Posted: February 6, 2019

Tess the dog has an unusual skill. She knows how to find a bomb with her nose! She worked for the U.S. military. But now she has finished her work. She is getting a new home with an old friend.

Army veteran Joseph Steenbeke served for almost a year in Afghanistan with Tess. Tess rarely left his side. In 2013, it was time for Mr. Steenbeke to leave Afghanistan. He had just minutes to say goodbye to his canine friend. Mr. Steenbeke spent years trying to adopt Tess, who is now 11 years old. Tess went on to serve with the Connecticut National Guard. She retired last week. On Saturday, Mr. Steenbeke and his wife came home after picking up Tess in Newtown, Connecticut.

Tess is getting used to her new life in the Steenbekes’ home in Culver, Indiana. “We're just looking forward to giving her a good retirement life. She’s worked so hard her entire life now she gets to sit back and have fun and live like an eccentric billionaire,” Mr. Steenbeke says with a laugh.

In the six years since they parted, Tess’s muzzle has turned a bit gray. But Mr. Steenbeke says she is still energetic. She loves to jump up to give him kisses. Tess’s new favorite toy is a large, red ball she enjoys chewing while curled up on her dog bed.

The adoption approval took lots of paperwork and help from family, friends, and officials. A congresswoman called Mr. Steenbeke on January 23 to tell him he could adopt Tess.

Mr. Steenbeke planned to remember Tess for his whole life. He even had Tess’s identification number tattooed onto his arm. He says, “I’m just happy to have her back.”   

Joe Steenbeke poses for a photo with Tess at their home in Culver, Indiana. (Becky Malewitz/South Bend Tribune via AP)

Posted: February 6, 2019

Some schools shut down for a snow day. Some even have to close for hurricane days or tornado days. Last week, officials decided to close schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Kids there needed a few smog days!

Bangkok is wrapped in smoke-like smog. (The word smog is a combination of fog and smoke.) In Bangkok, 437 schools were ordered to close for at least three days. People want to keep kids safe. Police General Asawin Kwanmuang is the governor of Bangkok. He says about pollution, “We’re afraid that it can be dangerous for the children.” He orders the school closings and declares the city a “pollution control zone.” This means changes must happen. Roads will be closed. Car exhaust, outdoor fires, and construction must be limited. People who don’t follow the rules could go to jail! Smog is a big deal, and officials in Bangkok want people to take it seriously.

But the smog may only grow worse. Late February is called the “smoky season” in Thailand. This is when farmers burn farmland waste. Dry, still air, heavy traffic, and smoke from fires cause a buildup of particles in the air. Without wind or rain, these tiny particles stick together. They form a thick, dangerous smog.

What can get rid of heavy air pollution? People have tried hosing down roads and spraying water into the air. That didn’t work. Less smoke will help clear the air. So people have been asked to burn less. People have been asked to stay inside. Health officials in Thailand say people should not do ANYTHING outside. If they have to go outside, people wear face masks to help them breathe.

To save the city from smog, everyone in Bangkok will have to work together. They can make choices to help keep their city’s air clean. For now, school’s out in the city. Maybe a few days off will give students and teachers a breath of fresh air.

The Bible gives us a picture of a mountain wrapped in smoke. In Exodus, we read how God descended on Mt. Sinai. “Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.” (Exodus 19:18) Do you think Bangkok looks a little like Mount Sinai did?

Masks help a parent and child breathe as they leave a school in Bangkok, Thailand, on January 30. Over 400 schools have closed because of dangerous air pollution. (AP Photo)

Posted: February 5, 2019

Happy New Year!

Wait . . . isn’t it a little late for that? It isn’t in China. People there hop on trains with bundles of clothes and gifts. They return to their hometowns every year at this time to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. The night before the holiday, people gather with family and friends. They give red packets of pocket money to kids and light firecrackers at midnight. This year they say, “Goodbye, year of the dog. Hello, year of the pig!”

The Chinese calendar follows a 12-year cycle of animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Many people born in China do not only remember their birthdays. They also remember which animal year they were born in. Many believe a person born in a certain year will have qualities to match. For example, a pig has a chubby face. Some in China see this as a sign of good fortune. Some say men born in a pig year will have a lot of friends but not handle money well. Some say women born in a pig year will love children but sometimes be so friendly they don’t give others personal space.

Sometimes people recite superstitions like these just for fun. But many people in China take them very seriously. Superstitions, curses, and luck have no power over people who know and trust in God. He has designed us and planned our lives down to the tiniest detail!

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. ― Psalm 139:13-14

A Chinese girl poses with pig sculptures outside a shopping mall in Nanning in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Chinese people celebrate Lunar New Year on February 5 this year. (AP Photo)

Posted: February 4, 2019

These baby flamingos are flying—but not with their wings. They’re getting an airlift!

A drought in South Africa has left land dry. That includes a reservoir (large lake) near Kimberley, South Africa, where many flamingos breed. That’s bad for flamingos and especially bad for flamingo eggs. In the heat, the eggs lose the cool, moist cover that protects the baby bird inside. Membranes inside the eggs turn hard. Chicks have a hard time pecking their way out. And if they do get out, predators such as meerkats, dogs, and hawks lurk nearby, waiting to eat them. Hundreds of chicks have already died.

It’s time for a rescue! Bird experts and veterinarians help. Local diamond mines give money to pay for an emergency flight. The flight carries 900 chicks to South Africa’s administrative capital, Pretoria. Other chicks go to other cities. Three thousand chicks have been moved in all!

In their new homes, the chicks eat vitamins, prawns, eggs, baby cereal, and sardines. They have been separated from their parents. People put feather dusters in the chicks’ boxes to give them comfort instead. The little birds get warmth from infrared lights.

Meanwhile, some older, already-hatched birds wait at the reservoir. They cannot fly yet. Will the water levels there keep dropping? If they do, flamingo parents may have to abandon the young birds.

Chick rescuers begin thinking ahead. They work on a plan to take care of flamingos in case the drought continues into next year.

A rescued flamingo chick is fed in Pretoria, South Africa, after being rescued from a dried out reservoir in Kimberley. (AP Photo)