The Express Tribune hi five - February 17

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other ts and e m o c oids, t aster u o b a ll Learn a cks o r space Page 2 t am floa e r c e s ic deliciou a e k a M Page 4 il? n’t spo s e o d t d tha nly foo o e h t What is Page 5

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Slylock

Chief Wizard: Zarrar Khuhro Master Storyteller: Ameer Hamza Kno Knowledge Navigator: Dilaira Mondegarian Creativity Analysts: Maha Haider, Jamal Khurshid, Samra Aamir Aamir, Amna Iqbal, Essa Malik, M.Suhaib, Kiran S Shah id, Faizan Dawood, Anushay Furqan, Umar Waqas Shahid,

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 17, 2013

Hi Light

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Did you hear that whizzing sound? That was a 150ft wide asteroid just barely missing smashing into Earth! What, you didn’t hear it? Well, that’s probably because space is a vacuum and nothing in it, even huge pieces of space rock, makes any sound at all.

Now, a 150 foot asteroid may not seem very big, but if it had hit us it would have been like 2.4 million tons of TNT going off! That means it could completely wipe out a city the size of Lahore.

The asteroid is called 2012 DA14 and it was first spotted last year by astronomers in Spain. It whizzed past Earth, going about 8 kilometres per second. At its closest approach, it was only about 28000km above the surface of our planet. That might sound really far away, but it means that the asteroid was closer to the planet than the moon!

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 17, 2013

Should we be worried? Yes! Have you heard of the Tunguska Event? On June 30, 1908, there was a giant explosion in Siberia, Russia. The people living in the area said they saw a fireball in the sky, as bright and hot as the sun. Around 80 million trees fell and the ground shook. The blast, estimated to have been a thousand times more powerful than the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima, was said to have been caused by a meteor or a comet entering the Earth’s atmosphere and exploding above the ground.

There was so much dust from the explosion that it reflected a lot of light and people in London were able go out into the night and read without a lamp or candle.

Still not convinced? Well just ask yourself why you’re reading this and not running and hiding from the Tyrannosaurus Rex that’s trying to eat you.

Well that’s because the dinosaurs also got wiped out largely thanks to a huge asteroid that smashed into the Earth about 65 million years ago.

What are asteroids and comets?

Too small to be called planets, asteroids, comets and meteors are all basically the same thing: small pieces of rock and/or ice that aren’t part of a major planet. Comets are made up of ice and dust.

When a comet nears the sun, the heat melts their icy exterior and creates a coma. A coma is a bluish coloured tail that can be many millions of kilometres long.

Asteroids are the small rocky objects in the Solar System. The largest asteroid is Ceres, which is 933 kilometres across. The smallest asteroids that we’ve observed are only tens of meters in size, but there are probably a great number of small rocks in space that are currently too small for us to detect. Many asteroids, including all of the largest asteroids (that we know of) orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter in the Asteroid Belt. In science fiction movies, the asteroid belt is always pictured as a very crowded place. But in reality, spacecraft can pass through the asteroid belt with virtually no chance of a collision. The spacing between asteroids in the belt is so much that if you stand on one asteroid, you cannot see another asteroid unless you use a telescope.

Meteors are the short, white trails across the sky that we call shooting stars. They are caused by small pea-sized pieces of interplanetary dust that burn up when they slam into the Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds. Occasionally a small rock may fall through the atmosphere, causing an extremely bright and colourful streak across the sky called a fireball. Sometimes fireball rocks are not completely vapourised, and they impact Earth’s surface. A rock that falls from space this way is called a meteorite.

What good do they do?

Well, it’s true that you always read articles and see movies and TV programs that talk about the destructive nature of asteroids. But asteroids are actually really useful! First, all of the rocky planets were formed from smaller pieces: asteroids, essentially. So Earth th wouldn’t be here without asteroids. And without asteroids, roids, Earth would probably not have a moon. Scientists ntists believe that a long time ago, a huge asteroid crashed into Earth. They say that the impactt split the Earth into two pieces, one of which became the Moon.

Asteroids may also be very useful in the future; for example, if we could mine them to extract metals then we could build things in space without having to take up a bunch of stuff from Earth. So just like other things in nature, asteroids have a good side too, and we wouldn’t be here without them! And besides, there’s not much we can do about all the asteroids anyway.

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Hi Light

Brace for impact So let’s assume an asteroid was going to hit the Earth, what could we do? Could we send a space mission to an asteroid or comet? In the movies, the asteroid is usually blown up and the Earth is saved but scientists say that is even more dangerous. Blowing up the asteroid will only result in deadly debris raining down on Earth. Instead, scientists are looking at ways of gently nudging an asteroid onto a safer path. We have actually already sent spacecrafts to a number of comets to collect information.

It’s not like the Earth has never been hit by asteroids. The Earth has been struck by just as many meteorites as all the other moons and planets. One of the reasons why there are fewer craters on the planet is because of erosion. Wind, rain, floods, oceans and earthquakes help change the surface of our planet, wiping away most of the craters.

These collisions are basically random events, but we still have some idea how often they happen. It is highly unlikely that an asteroid or comet will crash into the Earth anytime soon since we have already discovered most of the larger asteroids, and none of them seem to be heading this way. If you are worried about meteorites, don’t worry, traffic, pollution and even lightning are much more dangerous than small meteorites.

What would you like to see in Hi Five?

Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 17, 2013

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Paper Heart Wreath The perfect Valentine decoration to hang in your home.

: d e d e e n s ie l p p u S

Instructions:

• Construction paper (various colours), Scrapbooking or Patterned Paper • Scissors • Glue • Crayons • Paper plate

1. Cut the centre out of the paper plate to leave a round “donut” shape. This will form the base of the wreath.

2. Cut a sheet of construction paper in fourths.

3. Fold each piece of construction paper in half, cut a half heart shape out of the construction paper along the folded edge. Unfold your cut out shape and you’ll have a perfect little heart.

4. Repeat this process many times, making different sized hearts.

5. Glue your construction paper hearts to completely cover your paper plate “donut”.

6. You can tie a bow and paste it on to decorate further.

7. You can put a piece of yarn on the back to hang it.

Recipe

by Laila Dharamsey

Ice CreamFloat Everybody’s going to love this cool, yummy drink!

You will need: 4 big tablespoons of vanilla ice cream 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup 7up

Instructions

Add the milk and ice cream into the blender.

Carefully pour the 7up and give it a quick blend.

When it fizzes up quickly pour it into a glass.

Enjoy your drink!

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 17, 2013

World wide weird

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Get your weekly dose of the unusual and funny from across the globe!

It takes two legs to tango Climbing trees and chasing mice . . . four legs were always handy for Caffrey the cat.

Then tragedy struck. When Caffrey was three, the handsome grey Persian was run over by a car and lost his left hind leg.

He happily carried on with three, thanks to a series of operations that stitched up the damage and made the best of his front left paw, which was also injured in the crash. But four months ago he developed a malignant growth on the repaired front leg.

His owner Sue Greaves, 58, couldn’t bear to have him put down or put him through the pain of chemotherapy with no guarantee of success. So she pleaded, ‘He doesn’t seem bothered at all’ for option three – amputating the leg, leaving him with only two, both on the right side.

Although he was expected to spend weeks recovering at home in Woking, Surrey, within days he had achieved near perfect balance – helped by next door neighbour Ashleigh Tyler, eight, who joined the campaign to nurse him back to health.

And less than two months after the £4,000 operation, he is skipping along like a cat on a hot tin roof.

‘Everyone who sees him is astonished at what he can do,’ Greaves said. ‘He doesn’t seem bothered at all by having only two legs.’ SOURCE: DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

Paying kids to quit Facebook How do you get a teenager to volunteer to quit Facebook?

Apparently, with cold, hard cash.

A Boston father is paying his 14-year-old daughter $200 (Rs20,000) to quit using the social site for almost five months, according to a post on his blog.

Paul Baier, a research consultant from Boston, posted an image of a “Facebook Deactivation Agreement” with his daughter.

In the signed agreement, his daughter agrees to deactivate Facebook until June 26.

Baier gets access to change her password and deactivate the account.

His daughter’s one-word response on the line asking what she’ll use the money for: “Stuff.”

On the post, several people have praised or belittled the plan. But Kent Wellington, who describes himself as a friend of Baier’s, responded: “He’s a good guy and good parent. Regardless, there’s nothing wrong with a parent being proactive with their kids in the area of social media.” SOURCE: EDITION.CNN.COM

Campers, roll out!

Grave matter A homeless man in Serbia has moved into a grave after losing his home.

Bratislav Stojanovic, 43, shares the burial plot with the remains of a family who died out more than 100 years ago in Nis. But after giving the grave a changing tombs-style makeover he says he feels at home. “It is dry and it is warm.

I have some lamps and my personal possessions. It isn’t a palace but it is more comfortable than the street,” he explained.

Bratislav lost his home in the town after running up debts.

“People are very kind to me, they sometimes bring me food or clothes,” he added. “It doesn’t frighten me to sleep in a grave. The dead are dead. I’m more frightened of being hungry. And if I die in the night, at least I’m in the right place,” added Bratislav.

Officials at the cemetery say their squatter can stay as long as he does not disturb other visitors.

Travelling long journeys all alone can be a chore paved with uncomfortable motels and bad service station food.

One designer’s dream of ending the pain for lone campers has resulted in the Buffalino, a three-wheel mini-van similar to our very own rickshaws.

The fully furnished camper contains a fold-up bed, a sink, a kitchen with refrigerator and running water and, of course, a place to hook up your laptop.

German industrial designer Cornelius Cormanns modified a three wheeled Piaggio scooter to create the Buffalino, which is set to meet the requirements of a single individual.

Cormanns wanted to design a vehicle that would offer greater flexibility during travel, while also creating an economic and fuel efficient ride.

The Buffalino serves as a greener alternative for long solitary journeys. SOYRCE: DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

Dirty diners

SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK

Glasgow ready for ET Civic leaders in Glasgow say aliens would receive a “warm and peaceful welcome” if they were to visit the city.

The revelations emerged as Glasgow City Council disclosed one of its more unusual Freedom of Information requests.

A member of the public asked: “As mankind continues to advance and head out into the stars we are undoubtedly going to attract the attention of whatever lifeforms are out there. I’m curious to know what provisions have been put in place for our inevitable encounter.”

Dr Kenneth Meechan, head of information, said the city would refer to international agreements such as the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and protocols established by the STEI Committee of the International Academy of Austronautics. “Glasgow is of course a vibrant and exciting city for visitors and has been awarded any number of accolades by national and international travel guides. We are sure that any (non-hostile) alien visitors would want to include Glasgow in their list of places to visit, and we can assure them of a warm and peaceful welcome,” he said. SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK

French-style seafood was always the big seller at Toshio Tanabe’s Tokyo restaurant, but the chef for many years had a secret passion - soil.

Now his long interest in soil cuisine has finally culminated in a feast he’s been offering to customers the last few weeks, starting with soil soup and ending with a soil sorbet.

“Man didn’t create the sea, the air or the soil. They’re simply all part of nature, and in a sense they are alive in their own right,” said Tanabe. “What I’m trying to do is reflect that feeling in food.”

At first, though, the search for a clean and chemical-free main ingredient was tough work. “I had to go all over the place to find soil, into the mountains and places like that. Places where there was no farming,” he said. “Then of course I had to dig it up from deep under the ground.”

Now Tanabe sources his soil through a Tokyo-based supplier which delivers about a kilo of dirt a day, pre-checked for harmful substances. Previously, limited supplies had meant he could only serve an occasional soil dish or two.

After the dirt arrives, he lightly cooks it to release the flavour, then runs it through a sieve to remove any stray grains of sand.

The feast is not especially cheap, running to 10,000 yen (Rs10,796) a diner.

Many are surprised by the unusual dining experience. “It was my first time to have soup made from soil,” said Hiromi Fujie, a nearby resident. “It was a bit gritty but not at all unpleasant, a little like vegetable soup. I liked it.” REUTERS

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 17, 2013

Did you know?

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s n i g i r O d r o W Volvo, Audi & Lego Volvo is the name of a Swedish carmaker. Did you know that Volvo means ‘I roll’ in Latin. The Latin verb volvere ‘to turn, to roll’ is often used in English, for example: involvement, convoluted, devolve, evolution, revolt, revolver and volume.

Audi is another carmaker which has a Latin name. Audi comes from audire, which means to hear. Audi itself is an order which means “Now hear this!”

Lego is a blend of two Danish words: leg godt, which means ‘play well’. In Latin lego means ‘I stick together,’ but the company says that this is a mere coincidence and the company name is pure Danish.

How to say 'Good morning' in different languages!

Arabic Aragonese Bosnian Breton Chamorro Corsican Danish Esperanto Fijian French German Hawaiian Indonesian Italian Japanese Kinaray-a Kinyarwanda Korean Latin Lithuanian Luxembourgish

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Saba al-Khair Buen diya Dobro jutro Demat Buenas dias Bonghjornu God morgen Bonan matenon Ni sa yadra Bonjour Guten Morgen Aloha kakahiaka Selamat pagi Buongiorno Ohayo Mayad nga aga Mwaramutse Annyeong hashimnikka Quid agis mane?

Labas rytas Gudde Moien

Cool facts If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.

If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle.

If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common? They are all invented by women.

This is the only food that doesn’t spoil. What is this?

It is honey.

A snail can sleep for three years.

All polar bears are left handed.

On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.

Shakespeare invented the word ‘assassination’ and ‘bump’.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 17, 2013

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Fun & games

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 17, 2013

Comic strip

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