October 2008 Archives

The next astronauts to land on the moon will be driving an all-new lunar rover. The new rover, called the Chariot, will contain several improvements over the old "moon buggies," including an optional pressurized cabin with beds, a pantry, a waste-management system, and a pair of space suits, allowing astronauts to live and work "on the road" for up to two weeks.

The rover will need to pass several rounds of tests between now and 2019, when the final model will be complete.



Read more on National Geographic News.

Walking on water may seem miraculous, but for tiny aquatic snails, it's an everyday activity. Now scientists believe they know how these creatures actually move on the water's surface.
























Photo courtesy Eric Lauga

After studying videos of the snails, scientists discovered that a snail makes small rippling motions with its foot, and creates traction for itself on the water's surface, according to Eric Lauga, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, San Diego. The researchers' observations are detailed in the journal Physics of Fluids.

Photograph by Rebecca Joye

Several native ladybug species are disappearing and being replaced by ladybugs from other places. The nine-spotted ladybug and other species have become so rare that scientists are hoping kids can find some in their neighborhoods. Cornell University wants kids go out and search for ladybugs and send in pictures to include in their database. To find out how you can help, visit http://lostladybug.org.

In 2009, the United States mint will be releasing a series of four new pennies celebrating the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was born in 1809, and the first Lincoln penny was made in 1909.

The "tails" side of the new pennies will feature four different designs marking major periods in Lincoln's life--his childhood, his formative years in Indiana, his early professional life in Illinois, and his presidency in Washington, D.C. The "heads" sign will continue to carry the familiar Lincoln portrait.







Illustration courtesy United States Mint

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's report, one out of every four species of mammals is facing extinction. Many of the most threatened species are found in Asia, a continent with a growing human population.

"This is leading to habitat loss due to agricultural expansion; development of infrastructure such as roads, which fragment critical landscapes; and increasing areas for industrial crops such as oil palm and pulp for paper," said Barney Long, a biologist at the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, D.C.

Worldwide, habitat loss affects about 40 percent of threatened mammal species, while human hunting affects 17 percent, Long said.

There is hope for mammals, but keeping them off the endangered list will take a lot of hard work. According to the report, 5 percent of threatened species have seen rebounds due to conservation efforts.

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Image courtesy PRI, Kyoto University

Kyoto, Japan
Ayumu the chimp probably has a better memory than you do! Ayumu, a chimpanzee at the Primary Research Institute at Kyoto University in  Japan and three other chimps took the same memory test as college students. Numbers were flashed on a white screen, then turned into white squares. Test-takers then had to touch the squares in the correct order. Ayumu outscored the college students and the other chimps!

Watch a video of Ayumu completing the memory test.

Featured in National Geographic Kids magazine, October 2008
By Heather E. Schwartz