FirstNews ISSUE 275

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10 FirstNews ISSUE 275 9 – 15 SEPTEMBER 2011SCIENCEFor more science news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discoverGina Cooke, UNSWWolves could save the lynxThe blenny has large pectoral and tailfins that allow it to cling to any surfaceAn odd fishSCIENTISTS have found outmore about a bizarre fish thatspends almost all of its life onland and avoiding water.The Pacific leaping blenny livesin the rocky intertidal zones (theland between high and low tides) ofMicronesia, a group of thousands ofislands in the Pacific Ocean.Although it has no legs, theblenny can twist its body and flickits tail to jump distances manytimes its own body length. Thesestrange creatures need to keep theirskin moist so that they can breathethrough their gills and skin, but theyspend most of their time in holes inthe rock, and even avoid incomingwaves when they’re feeding.Writing in Ethology, Dr TerryOrd says that the blenny has a“surprisingly complex” social life. Themales use complicated displays toattract females and warn off rivals,while the females will defend theirfeeding grounds aggressively. DrOrd also says that it seems like thefemales will lay their eggs in theirmate’s rock hole, but then leave andlet the male guard the eggs.Experts think that the blennygives them an amazing chance tosee how land-dwelling species canevolve from an aquatic one.Head to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover to see one of Dr Ord’svideos of the blenny.Courtney Morgans, UNSWAccording to Dr Terry Ord, the blenny isextremely agile and very hard to catchknow?Did youCHECK IT OUTwww.firstnews.co.ukfor a video about the lynxALTHOUGH cats and dogs are often represented as enemies, the endangered Canadian lynx may have to rely onwolves for their species to survive.The main reason for the fall in the Canadianlynx population is the decline in numbersof the snowshoe hare. These hares are themain prey of the lynx, but coyotes find themquite tasty as well, and coyote numbers haveincreased in recent years.The surge in the coyote population in NorthAmerica is down to the huge drop in thenumbers of wolves. Wolves will kill coyotes,but also keep them out of certain areasbecause the coyotes are scared of wolves.Scientists call this the ‘ecology of fear’.The good news for the endangered lynx isthat wolf populations are slowly recoveringin many areas of the USA and Canada. This isthanks to the animals being reintroduced, aswell as hunting bans.We’ve reported before on how wolfpopulations can help to control the numbersof deer and elk, which then helps to limit theHave a satellite named after you!WE’RE not exaggerating when we say that a new competition really is out of this world!The European Union (EU) will soon be launching30 satellites as part of its Galileo Programme, a newEuropean alternative to the GPS system. There are27 members of the EU, and kids aged 9–11 in eachcountry are being given the chance to have one ofthe Galileo satellites named after them.The competition has already taken place in Belgiumand Bulgaria, and now it’s the UK’s turn. To enter thecompetition, you need to show your artistic side andcome up with a drawing or painting on the theme ofspace and aeronautics.ESA-J.HuartThe winner will then be picked by a judging panelmade up of First News editor Nicky Cox and two ofthe country’s top scientists.One of the judges, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock,said: “I think that this competition is a wonderfulopportunity for children in the UK to get involvedin one of the most exciting space developments inyears. I can’t wait to see the pictures that they comeup with.”For more info on this amazing competition, head towww.galileocontest.eu.damage to trees and vegetation caused bythese creatures. Now, a study published inWildlife Society Bulletin has described howwolves seem to be helping to keep coyotenumbers down and increase the populationsof snowshoe hares.Scientists hope that the situation in Canadawill be like that of Yellowstone National Parkin the US, where an increase in wolves has cutcoyote numbers by half.GettyThe Canadian lynx has longlegs and wide paws to help itmove through deep snowCan’t waitfor the latestscience storieseach week?Subscribe to4 issuesfor only £1*Call:0844 8267 338The Galileo satellites (see right)are named after the Italianastronomer Galileo Galilei,who built his first telescope in1609. He was imprisoned forthe last nine years of his lifebecause his discoveries wentagainst the Catholic Church’sbeliefs about the universe.One of the Galileo satellites circlingthe planet could have your name on!Visit:www.firstnews.co.uk/subscribeQuoting: FNSC4*Followed by £13.99 on quarterlyDirect Debit
FirstNews ISSUE 275 9 – 15 SEPTEMBER 2011GLOBAL STORIESFor more world news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news11SNIPPETSMelbourne in Australia hasbeen named as the mostliveable city this year, aftertaking over the top spot fromVancouver, Canada.USATake that, bear!What would you do if you saw abear carrying your dog away in itsmouth? Brooke Collins didn’t havetime to think when it happenedto her dachshund, Fudge, so herinstinct took over and she ran upto the bear and punched it on thenose! 22-year-old Collins, fromJuneau, Alaska, said: “It was all sofast. All I could think about was mydog was going to die.”USALucky escapeGettyA Denver school teacher wastaken to hospital after beingstruck by lightning. 56-year-oldChip Wiman was leaning againsta tree to shelter from the rain,but lightning hit the tree andthrew him to the ground. Wimanjoked that his big bum saved himby taking the force of the blast.GettyWorld NewsCanadaMystery continuesAnother human foot has washed upon a Canadian shore, the 11th in fouryears. A young boy found the mostrecent foot floating in False Creek.Early tests suggest that the footdetached naturally from a body thathad been in the water for a long time.It is still unclear why so many feethave washed up in the area.BoliviaTraffic stoppedThe country has held its first everNational Day of the Pedestrian, whichsaw all motorised transport bannedfor 24 hours. The aim was to makepeople aware of the environment,although the government has beencriticised for allowing a motorway tobe built through the rainforest.SwedenPost-it wars spreadThe so-called ‘Post-it wars’ havemoved from France to Sweden.Bored workers have been battlingover who can make the best imagesfrom Post-it notes on their officewindows. Check out a galleryof some of the amazing results,including cool scenes from MarioKart, at www.firstnews.co.uk now!NigeriaDeadly rivalryMore than 50 people have died aspolitical and religious rivalry haserupted into violence. The deathswere mostly in Plateau state,which lies between the Muslimnorth and Christian south of thecountry. Some locals say that thearmy has killed people in theirefforts to control the violence.GermanyHave our money!A group of wealthy Germans hasjoined a growing number of richpeople across Europe and offeredto pay more tax. One of the group,Dieter Lehmkuhl, estimates that thewealthy could add an extra £87.5billion to the German budget overthe next ten years. He says that theincreasing gap between rich andpoor harms society.IraqBomb tollA new study has found that almost12,300 civilians were killed by suicidebombers between 2003-2010. Ofthe known victims, 75% were men,11% were women and 14% werechildren. Suicide bombs accountedfor 11% of the 108,624 civiliandeaths in that time period.RussiaChemical releaseNearly 150 people had to betreated in hospital after brominegas started to leak from afreight train in Chelyabinsk.Most of the victims complainedof irritation to the throat andeyes. Large doses of brominecan cause a range of healthproblems, especially in the lungsand nervous system, althoughofficials insist that no-one wasexposed to such high levels.JapanDeadly typhoonMore than two dozen peoplehave been killed after a powerfultyphoon tore through thewestern side of the country.Typhoon Talas has been themost destructive in the countryfor seven years and resultedin almost half a million peoplebeing evacuated from theirhomes. You can see a report atwww.firstnews.co.uk/news.SNIPPETSCongestion fees will beintroduced for some streetsin Beijing, China, in a bid tocontrol the city’s growing trafficproblem. It is hoped that morepeople will use public transport.GettyGettyA KID’S WORLDName: Tricia Chimbinga Age: 13 Lives: Lusaka, ZambiaA SIMPLE pair of glasses could help Tricia to see properly.“I have problems at school becauseof my sight. Sometimes when theteacher writes on the blackboard Ican’t see, so she writes bigger for me.I sit right at the front in class.”“At home sometimes I can’t seethings I have dropped on the ground,so I can’t pick them up. I have nospecial equipment to help me to seeat the moment. I think that I needglasses, but no-one else has glassesin the school.”“I often fall behind in class but myolder sister helps me to read and writeat home so I can catch up. When I’molder I’d like to be a teacher because Ilove my class teacher.”Now that Sightsavers has foundTricia and tested her eyes, she isgoing to get a pair of glasses soTo find out more about Sightsavers visit www.sightsavers.org/kidzonethat she can see properly.There are millions of children inthe world who are missing out oneducation because they are blind orwho could be helped to see again.Sightsavers is working hard to findthese children and help them. Youcan learn more about our worksupporting children like Tricia atwww.sightsavers.org/kidzone.Kerstin Hacker/Sightsavers
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FirstNews ISSUE 275

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