4 Awesome Science Things to Show Your Kid Today

Every day the internet gifts us a weird, wonderful mix of videos, GIFs, and memes, the best of which offer funny, informative, horizon-expanding stuff to share with your kids. Problem is, it takes a while to wade through all the other nonsense to find them. And who has time for that? Not you. Here, then, is a daily dose of new science-related content to share with your kids. Hopefully, they’ll spur some interesting family conversations or just keep them from playing with a fidget spinner for a while. Today’s finds include what happens inside a model rocket engine and the unbelievable jaw strength of a T-Rex.

Inside the Engine

Ever wanted to see what the chemical reaction that makes a model rocket fire upwards actually looks like? So did the folks behind YouTube channel Warped Perception. They created a see-through model rocket engine, lit the fuse, and filmed the resulting reaction in extreme slow motion. It’s a pretty fun thing to witness and is way more satisfying than seeing the model rocket you built fizzle out before it takes off.

Dino Bite

The T-Rex is known for its roar and razor-sharp teeth. But was their dino bark worse than their bite? Not in the least. A team of researchers from Florida State University and Oklahoma State University discovered that T-Rex’s unique jaw and teeth allowed them to bite down with almost 8,000 pounds of force, basically turning bones to dust. To put that into context, it is more than twice as strong as the bite force of the saltwater crocodile, which chomps down with 3,700 pounds of force.

Balloon Drop

In an emergency situation, an internet outage means millions are left unheard. So after flooding knocked out the internet service in Peru, Google took to the sky. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, used balloons the size of tennis courts to deliver access to tens of thousands of those without power. Launched from Puerto Rico, the balloons were piloted by artificial intelligence.

Sky Blue Sky

This beautiful time-lapse video shows the Grand Canyon over a span of three days. Clouds dip down into it; the stars spread out across the inky blackness. Created as a part of the SkyGlow Project, which is “a crowdfunded quest to explore the effects and dangers of urban light pollution in contrast with some of the most incredible dark sky areas in North America.”