The Express Tribune hi five - September 13

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15 13, 20

Your Proofness: Dilaira Dubash Master Storyteller: Hurmat Majid Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Talha Ahmed Khan, Mohsin Alam, Eesha Azam, Maryam Rashid, Hira Fareed and Umar Waqas

Fantastic Four PAGE 2-3

Gunpowder PAGE 4

Latest animations PAGE 6

Mini omelettes PAGE 8

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

Hi light

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They may not be as famous as they used to be, but the Fantastic Four still are a very important part of the Marvel universe. With their latest movie hitting the cinemas last month, here’s a guide to Marvel’s first ever superhero team and their powers.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961, the Fantastic Four are Marvel’s First Family and the superheroes who started it all. They came before Spider-Man, the X-Men, and even The Avengers, and while the team hasn’t retained the A-List status they had in the 1960s, their importance in Marvel history cannot and should not be ignored by any comic book fan.

After a trip into outer space which saw them bombarded by cosmic rays, the Four returned to Earth with extraordinary abilities. Ever since then, Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing have been a mainstay of the Marvel Universe, and they’ve saved the Earth — and even the entire universe — on a number of occasions.

The team may not have a long list of classic storylines, but their comic series has introduced countless iconic villains, including Annihilus, Doctor Doom, and, of course, Galactus. It’s not just the Fantastic Four’s villains who are great though — Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben are no doubt four of the bravest and most instantly recognisable superheroes of all-time.

They’ve starred in cartoons, two live-action movies, and have gotten another chance at big screen success with a reboot from director Josh Trank this summer.

Sue’s primary power is the ability to turn invisible. Not only can she become invisible, but those around her. Sue can do this at will with a simple mental command. She is also able to see others that are invisible as well. Another one of the Invisible Woman’s powers is the ability to create force fields which didn’t develop until later in the series. Her force fields can withstand major amounts of pressure, stop bullets, energy blasts, explosions, physical attacks, and other types of damage. The force fields can be used in many different ways. They last as long as she concentrates on them. At times, Sue has even created a force field inside of a creature or machine, and expanded it, causing the target to rupture.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

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Hi light

Mr. Fantastic’s nickname, “Stretch,” sums up the nature of his powers quite nicely. Reed Richards is able to stretch and mold his body in many fantastic ways, enabling him to stretch to paper thinness or blow up like a balloon. While in his stretchy state, his body is nearly impervious, able to bounce bullets back at adversaries and withstand physical attacks that would render other beings unconscious or dead. Another thing to note about Reed Richards is his mind. He has one of the keenest human intellects in the world, being proficient in almost every field of science. His mechanical engineering is unparalleled as he has devised and created countless amazing machines and patents.

The Human Torch, has the ability to control fire. Johnny Storm is impervious to heat and can absorb flames and heat into his body. He can use this heat energy to shoot many forms of flames like fireballs, streams of fire, waves, walls, and even constructs the number four with his fire. The Human Torch is also able to perform a “Nova Blast” that can discharge heat in excess of a million degrees. Once he does this, his powers need to regenerate over a period of time.

Thing is one of the hardiest characters of the Marvel universe and has gone toe to toe with some of the heaviest hitters out there, including the Hulk. The Thing is nearly impervious to damage, as his thick rock-like hide keeping him safe from harm. He can sustain enormous amounts of punishment from many different kinds of attacks including physical, energy, heat, and cold forms of damage. His strength is off the charts and he is able to lift weights in excess of 80 tons. He is the solid core of the Fantastic Four and uses his powers to get them out of tight and difficult situations.

What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!

DESIGN BY EESHA AZAM

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

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Fun facts about blueberries

Q: What do ducks get after they eat?

A: A bill

Blueberries are one of only three fruits native to North America. The other two are cranberries and Concord grapes.

Native Americans once called them “star berries,” because the five points of blueberry blossoms make a star shape.

Q: What would you do if an elephant sat in front of you at a movie?

A: Miss most of the film

The month of July is National Blueberry Month in America, and August is National Blueberry Month in Canada. Between June and September there are almost 20 blueberry festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Blueberry juice has medicinal properties and was used to treat persistent coughs and other illnesses in the past.

Q: What did the horse say when it fell?

A: I’ve fallen and I can’t giddyup

Blueberries were commonly used to make pemmican, a jerky type of dried food packed for sustenance on long journeys.

In earlier times people made gray paint out of blueberries by boiling them in milk.

Q: What did the beaver say to the tree?

A: It’s been nice gnawing you

The traditional blue paint was made from blueberry skins, sage blossoms, indigo and milk.

The annual harvest of North American blueberries would cover a four-lane-highway from Chicago to New York if spread out in a single layer.

Teacher: Now class, whatever I ask, I want you to all answer at once. How much is six plus four?

Class: At once

Blueberries containing antioxidants that help in enhancing motor skills.

? w o n k u o y d Di Gunpowder Gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists in the 9th century. Originally, it was made by mixing elemental sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. The charcoal traditionally came from the willow tree, but grapevine, hazel, elder, laurel, and pine cones have all been used. Charcoal is not the only fuel that can be used in the process. Sugar is used instead in many pyrotechnic applications.

When the ingredients were carefully ground together, the end result was a powder that was called ‘serpentine.’ The ingredients tended to require remixing prior to use, so making gunpowder was very dangerous. People who made gunpowder would sometimes add water, wine, or another liquid to reduce this hazard, since a single spark could result in a smoky fire. Once the serpentine was mixed with a liquid, it could be pushed through a screen to make small pellets, which were then allowed to dry.

During the 8th century Tang dynasty, sulphur and saltpeter were first combined with charcoal to create an explosive called ‘huoyao’ or gunpowder. A substance that did not encourage eternal life, however, gunpowder was used to treat skin diseases and as a fumigant to kill insects before its advantage as a weapon was made clear.

The Chinese began experimenting with the gunpowder-filled tubes. At some point, they attached bamboo tubes to arrows and launched them with bows. Soon they discovered that these gunpowder tubes could launch themselves just by the power produced from the escaping gas and thus the rocket was born.

SOURCE: KALEIDOSCOPE.CULTURAL-CHINA.COM

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

World wide weird

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

Binions Locals living in Peacehaven, East Sussex, have got no idea who painted the bins to look like Minions — and even attached trademark goggle-eyes and arms.

The rubbish bins, dubbed Binions, have been spotted everywhere from outside shops to park benches and bus stops. The cheeky characters were painted the distinctive Minion yellow faces and blue dungarees.

Local Daniel Moon, said: “We have no idea who is responsible or why they’ve done it, but it’s quite amusing. People have been going around trying to find all 10. “I thought it might be something to promote an upcoming festival, as they have a Minion appearing there, but Mayor Wayne Botting has denied it. It’s a complete mystery.” A spokesperson from Lewes District Council added: “These bins have certainly drawn attention and brought comments and smiles from people passing by. Anything that encourages people to use the litter bins provided is a good thing as we want to keep the district clean and tidy.” EXPRESS.CO.UK

Snow White loses her dwarfs

Panto bosses have been slammed over their decision to drop the word “dwarf” from this year’s festive show to put on “Snow White and her Seven Friends”. De Montfort Hall in Leicester has made the politically correct move because the production team say ‘dwarf’ is not a term “people feel comfortable with.” Now Doc, Dopey, Bashful, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy and Happy are being written out of the traditional fairytale penned by the Brothers Grimm back in the 19th century.

But the move has been criticised by Star Wars and Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis who described the decision was “patronising”. The Hollywood star, known for his big screen roles as a short actor, said the move may have more to do with shortchanging actors rather than standing up for the rights of small people.

Snow White is set to run at De Montfort Hall from December 12, until January 4, 2016. TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

Baaa-rely believable A lost, overgrown sheep found in Australian scrubland was shorn for perhaps the first time on Thursday, yielding 40 kilograms of wool — the equivalent of 30 sweaters — and shed almost half his body weight. Tammy Ven Dange, the chief executive of the Canberra RSPCA, which rescued the merino ram, dubbed Chris, said Thursday she hoped to register the 40.45 kilogram fleece with Guinness World Records. An official of the London-based organisation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The most wool sheared from a sheep in a single shearing is 28.9 kilograms from a wild New Zealand merino dubbed Big Ben in January last year, the Guinness World Records website states. Chris was rescued by the RSPCA on Wednesday and taken to Canberra, where he was shorn under anesthetic because he was stressed by human company and because of the potential pain from the heavy fleece tearing skin as it fell away.

Champion shearer Ian Elkins said the sheep appeared to be in good condition after being separated from his huge fleece under anesthetic. “I don’t reckon he’s been shorn before and I reckon he’d be 5 or 6 years old,” Elkins said.

Chris was found near Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary outside Canberra by bushwalkers who feared he would not survive the approaching southern summer.

HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

Einstein outshined Bright spark Lydia Sebastian nagged her parents for an entire year before they relented and let her take the famous Cattrall III B paper during her school holidays. Her determination to take the test proved to be spot-on after the 12-year-old achieved the maximum possible score of 162 on the test. Lydia, who is about to go into her second year at Colchester County High School for Girls, said the paper challenged her language skills, including analogies, definitions and her sense of logic. Proud dad Arun, a radiologist at Colchester General Hospital, said his wife encouraged Lydia to do the tests after she’d spent a year talking about them.

“When I heard she had the maximum possible mark, I was overwhelmed and so was my wife.

Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking got an IQ of 160. To be honest, I didn’t really believe it,” said Arun Lydia, an only child, has been playing the violin since the age of four and started talking at the age of just six months. MIRROR.CO.UK

Lesson learned

By M Ibrahim Laeeq One day, a wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”

“It was great, Dad.” “Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.

“Oh yeah,” said the son.

“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.” That day the father learned a valuable lesson — that material wealth is not the most important thing. The greatest privilege is to have a big heart and mind that focuses on the positive aspects of life.

Share your short stories with us.

Email them to hifive@tribune.com.pk

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

Reading corner

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Materials:

Directions:

• Paper plate

• Paint the paper plate black and let it dry.

• Black and white craft paper

• For eyes and teeth cut two circles and two triangles out of the white craft paper.

• Black paint • Paint brush • Liquid glue • Black marker

• Cut bat wings out of the black craft paper.

• To assemble, paste the eyes and the teeth onto the black plate then turn it over to paste the wings behind the plate.

• Let everything dry before you pin the bat to your softboard.

Latest Animations Home When Oh, a loveable misfit from another planet, lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people, he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip who is on a quest of her own. Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh comes to understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, and they discover the true meaning of the word ‘home’.

Minions Ever since the dawn of time, the Minions have lived to serve the most despicable of masters. From teh T rex to Napoleon, the easily distracted tribe has helped the biggest and the baddest of villains. Now, join protective leader Kevin, teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob on a global road trip where they’ll earn a shot to work for a new boss — the world’s first female super-villain — and try to save all of Minionkind from annihilation.

Inside out When a young girl named Riley is uprooted from her Midwestern lifestyle and moves to the busy and chaotic San Francisco, her emotions — Anger, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and (her most important emotion) Joy — start to disagree on how to deal with this dramatic change, which causes problems up in Headquarters, the central living and working place for the five emotions.

Do you have a favourite book or movie you would like us to review? Write to us at hifive@tribune.com.pk and tell us all about it.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

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Artwork

Aqsa

Rafay

Akfa

Musfira Winner

Ufaq Winner

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

Talk to an art teacher about making a volcano out of papier mâché or plaster. You can also use clay or if you’re in a hurry to make your volcano, use a mound of dirt.

Ingredients: Eggs

4

Material

Milk

5 tablespoons

Tomato

1, diced

Onion

1, diced

• A container that 35mm film comes in or similar size container.

• Red and yellow food colouring (optional) • Vinegar • Liquid dish washing soap

Cheddar cheese

200 gm, shredded

Salt

To taste

Pepper

To taste

Oil

To grease the tin

Method: • Set the oven to pre-heat before you begin preparing the dish.

• Grease a muffin tray with oil so that your omelet mixture does not stick.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, seasoning and milk.

• Place a few cubes of tomatoes and onions in each of the muffin tins.

• Pour in the egg mixture and top with cheese.

• With the help of an elder place the muffin tray into the oven for five minutes.

• Carefully remove the tray from the oven and let it cool before you take the omelettes out.

Remember kids, always get permission from your parents before you start.

It’s always a good idea to have a helper nearby.

Directions: • It would be best to carry out this experiment outside.

• Put the container into the volcano at the top.

• Add two spoonfuls of baking soda.

• Add about a spoonful of dish soap.

• Add five drops each of the red and yellow food colouring.

Now for the eruption!: • Add an ounce of the vinegar into the container and watch what your volcano come alive.

What is happening: A volcano is produced over thousands of years as heat a pressure build up.

That aspect of a volcano is very difficult to recreate in a home experiment.

However this volcano will give you an idea of what it might look like when a volcano erupts with flowing lava. This is a classic experiment in which a chemical reaction can create the appearance of a physical volcano eruption. Look for videos of volcanoes erupting and be sure that you understand how heat and pressure work to really make volcanoes erupt.

SOURCE: SCIENCEBOB.COM