Tag: grade 8

Science Technology

Faster Than The Speed Of Light

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How fast does light travel? Scientists have known for a long time that light always travels at the same speed: 299,792,458 metres per second.

The speed of light is the fastest speed that all energy, matter and information in the universe can travel.

The speed of light is very important in science. Because it is always the same – it is a known constant – it defines many things, including the length of a metre.

Using the speed of light scientists calculate many things. The speed of light is part of Einstein’s famous theory of relativity, E=mc2.

That is why there was such a shock within the scientific community this week when it was announced that a group of scientists has been recording some particles going faster than the speed of light.

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News Sports

Blue Jays New Logo “Leaked” Online

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The Blue Jays baseball team is changing its logo.

Teams often change their logo when they want to portray their team in a new way.

In this case, the Jays likely want their logo to emphasize the fact that they are Canadian.

Their new logo design is a big secret. They don’t want anyone to know what it will look like until they unveil it to the media and the public at a big event.

The logo they posted on their site looks quite a bit like an old logo they used to have, with the Canadian maple leaf quite a bit bigger.

However, the website Uni Watch (Uni stands for uniform) has obtained what it says is a copy of the proposed logo.

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Lighter News

The 20 Richest People In The United States

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Every year, Forbes magazine publishes a list of the 20 richest people in the United States.

This year, the 20 richest people are even richer than last year’s list. Together, they own $52 billion more than the top 20 did in 2010.

At the #20 spot on the list is the Mars family, the owners of the world’s largest candy company. Mars also makes Uncle Ben’s rice and Whiskas cat food.

The three family members have more than $13 billion each.

At #15 are the co-founders of Google (the company that owns the Internet search engine), Sergey Brin and Larry Page. They have $16 billion each.

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Animals Lighter

Rare Albino Hummingbird Seen In Colorado

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A rare albino hummingbird may have been spotted in Colorado.

Albino hummingbirds have a genetic condition that prevents their body from producing a natural chemical called “melanin.” Melanin is a chemical that gives most birds their beautiful colours.

Because Albino hummingbirds aren’t coloured, their feathers are white. They have pink bill and whitish or pink legs and feet. They may either have red or pink eyes.

The pink or red colour is caused by the red of their blood vessels.

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Arts Lighter

Artist Only Draws In His Sleep

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Lee Hadwin is a talented artist. He has drawn sketches of horses, celebrities, and beautiful landscapes. He only draws in black and white. Oh, and there is one other thing. Hadwin only draws in his sleep.

Ever since he was about four years old, he has been waking up to discover detailed drawings beside his bed.

But he doesn’t remember ever having done the drawings.

When he is awake, Hadwin says he can’t draw at all. In fact, he has no interest in art. During the day, he works as a nurse.

When he was young, Hadwin, who now lives in London, England, used to cover his walls and tables with his sketches.

In his teens, the drawings became more detailed and intricate.

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Lighter Science

LEGO Figures In Space

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In August, a rocket was sent to deliver a space probe, called Juno, to Jupiter to study the planet.

The probe carried three unique stowaways.

Three special LEGO figures, made of aluminum, are accompanying Juno on its five-year mission. The figures look like the Roman god Jupiter, his sister Juno and the Italian astronomer Galileo.

Jupiter carries a lightning bolt. Juno has a magnifying glass to help her search for truth. And Galileo carries a telescope and a model of the planet Jupiter.

People at NASA approached LEGO and asked them to design the special minifigs, which cost about $5,000 each. They had to build them very carefully so they didn’t interfere with any of the probe’s sensitive instruments.

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News Sports

NFL Football Season Begins… Phew!

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The National Football League (NFL) just completed its first week of the season.

It was an eventful week that saw all 32 teams play. But the season almost didn’t happen.

Over the summer the players and the owners argued over many different issues including the safety of the players, the number of games each team plays, and the players’ salaries.

Many experts believed that the season would be “lost.” They thought that football, like hockey in 2004, would simply be cancelled.

The owners and players discussed their concerns throughout the summer and, on July 25, they finally announced they had come to an agreement about these important issues.

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Lighter Technology

It’s DejaVu For Apple All Over Again

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Last year, someone who worked at Apple, the company that makes computers and cell phones, made a big mistake.

They lost a top-secret prototype.

A prototype is a one-of-a-kind model they build of a new phone they’re thinking of manufacturing. It’s kept secret so no other company will find out what they’re doing and try to copy them.

The person who had the prototype accidentally left it in a bar. A journalist found it and put pictures of it on the Internet. It was a big scandal.

Well, it has apparently happened again.

Apple developed a prototype for the iPhone 5 they will be releasing soon. And once again, an employee has accidentally left it in a bar, according to technology website CNET.

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News

9/11 Victims Honoured, Remembered

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Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

“9/11” refers to three terrorist attacks in the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001 – the ninth month, the 11th day.

On that day 10 years ago, nearly 3,000 people were killed when terrorists attacked two World Trade Centre buildings in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC. Near Pennsylvania, a plane was hijacked and crashed into a field.

The victims of the attacks were from more than 90 countries. Around the world, millions of people commemorated 9/11 in their own way.

At the site in New York where the twin towers once stood, called Ground Zero, thousands of people attended remembrance services.

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News Politics

Japan Gets A New Prime Minister

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Japan has a new prime minister.

In August, Naoto Kan stepped down as the country’s prime minister.

He said he had failed the country by not doing a good job of helping Japan recover after it was rocked by an earthquake last March.

On March 11, the fifth most powerful earthquake in history took place in the sea off the coast of Japan. It caused a tsunami, or giant sea wave.

Waves up to 10 metres high flooded the coast of Japan, causing massive damage to many homes and to a nearby nuclear energy plant.

In addition to the problems caused by these natural disasters, Japan also has the largest debt of any country in the world.

Debt is the money the country owes to other countries and to banks.

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