3 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 an artificial venus fly trap and why flamingos stand on one leg.

The Reason Why Flamingos Stand on One Leg

Flamingos are often spotted standing on one leg with the other held lifted and crossed beside it. Have you ever wondered why this happens? Professor Young-Hui Chang from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Lena H Ting of Emory University did, so they conducted a series of experiments using the bodies of dead flamingos. They found that due to their posture and the structure of their legs, flamingos are actually more comfortable on one leg than both.

An Artificial Venus Flytrap

The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant known for luring bugs and other prey into its powerful, clamp-like jaw. Recently, engineers used the plant as inspiration to create a gripping device that may eventually revolutionize manufacturing. The artificial flytrap can lift more than 100 times its own weight, and, like the famous predator plant, changes shape based on its surroundings.

An Extreme Style of Dominoes

Dominoes are fun, but this video proves the basic concept gets a hell of a lot cooler when you substitute the small pieces with cinder blocks. As the line is set off, it looks like a typical game of dominoes, but once the last cinder block is knocked over the fun begins. Due to the increased weight of the blocks and the strength of the’ materials used, the blocks begin to slide off each other, creating a reverse domino effect. It’s really awesome.