Tag archives for Antarctica
Posted by Phenomenal Friday Fact
When you speed up video of emperor penguins huddling together in Antarctica, you see them do the wave! The penguins snuggle up together to keep warm and as new penguins join the group they take small steps, creating the wave effect. Researchers say that this helps the penguins get equal chance at time in the middle of the huddle.
Watch a video of penguins doing the wave!
Another phenomenal Friday fact!
than North America.
Photograph by NASA images courtesy NASA Ozone Hole Watch.
Posted by BOOK NAME: Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083
AUTHOR: Andrea White
When you think of all of the hardships in your life, you might think of the time your pet passed away, or when you broke your leg. But I can be absolutely certain that you wouldn’t think of struggling for survival in Antarctica-on a reality TV show.
The year is 2083, and education past middle school is rare. Kids learn in a virtual classroom, watching TV shows about history or literature. One of the channels is a reality TV show called Historical Survivor. This year, the contestants will be 5 14-year-old children, and the top prize is $100,000. In a world where most kids don’t have enough to eat, let alone extra money, this is huge.
Andrea White’s book follows the five teens that are picked to compete as they journey through Antarctica, trying to recreate Robert F. Scott’s 1912 attempt to reach the South Pole. But as they trek through the barren desert, obstacles crop up in their path that make them suspicious of the fairness of the show.
This book was amazing. It incorporates action, adventure, and survival, while still allowing the reader to connect with the characters. It offers an intriguing concept of the future, and really made me think about what people want in life, as well as ideals of friendship and perseverance. I also gave this book to my 9-year-old brother to read, and he loved it as well-proving that it appeals to all audiences, both young and old! It provides a history lesson as well-but it doesn’t feel like you’re learning because you need to find out what happens to the main characters. In short, this book is a great futuristic read that serves a dual role as a science fiction and historical fiction novel.
While on his Bus2Antarctica expedition, Andrew Evans spotted something unusual–a black king penguin. The penguin is all black because of melanism. Melanism is an overproduction of melanin, which turns feathers (or skin or fur) dark. Many animal species exhibit melanism, but it’s very rare for penguins–and even rarer to see a penguin exhibiting dark pigment all over its body.
Read more about the black penguin on National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel blog.
Find out more about Andrew Evans’ Bus2Antarctica expedition on National Geographic.
Get the facts on emperor penguins and Adélie penguins.
Photograph courtesy Andrew Evans
