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Friday 15th June 2007: Issue: 71

It’s Haywire time again! Father’s Day is on Sunday so don’t forget to treat your old Dad.  Did you know Father's Day always falls on the third Sunday in June? It originated in America and the most common Father’s Day gift is a tie.  Don’t tell us you’ve got him one? 

  1. The Buzz – the Cat with Too Many Toes and how fidgeting can be healthy
  2. Up for Grabs – Slinky
  3. Crash Bang! – Spraygun!
  4. Winners – Tickets for Bob Live at the Science Museum
  5. Tummy Ticklers – jokes to make you groan

1. The Buzz – Science news delivered to your inbox…

What do you call a cat with too many toes? No it’s not a joke.  The answer is Polydactyls. Most cats have 18 toes - five on their front paws and four on the back - but, Des, from Felindre in South Wales, has got eight more than usual.

A Canadian cat called Jake has got the world record with 28 toes. Des' owner, Alison Thomas, said he'd always had huge paws. She said: "If he paws at anything we've got to unlatch him, but he's just a bit silly really."

If you're always being told off because you find it hard to sit still then read on…Scientists say that some people have got a "fidget" gene inside their bodies which - if you've got it - means you're less likely to get fat.  It is the second time this year that scientists have claimed to have found a genetic link to body weight. Genes are things inside your body that you get from your mum and dad. They play a big part in your growth and development.

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2. The Buzz – Science news delivered to your inbox…

Hands up if you like slinkys.  Whoops there it goes slinking off down the stairs! The National Science Learning Centre at York has given us one to give away. Fantastic! It’s made of metal and everything!  If you want to win it, send us your name, age and address to: Hay-wire.Clubhouse@nesta.org.uk with ‘SLINKSTER’ as the subject. The winners will be picked at random at 5pm, on Wednesday 27th June 2007.

Good luck!

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3. Crash Bang! – Exciting experiments for you to try at home…

Spraygun!

Fancy playing a trick on dad? Surely he can’t be cross with you on Father’s Day?  Better tell him how it’s done then! Spray a fine mist by using two straws, a glass of liquid and a good set of lungs

You will need:

  • Two straws
  • A glass of water

What to do:

  1. Hold one straw vertically in a glass of water with one hand. Don’t let the end of the straw touch the bottom of the glass of water. (This might block the flow of water.)
  2. With your other hand, hold a second straw horizontally. One tip of the horizontal straw should be inserted into your mouth and the other end should be held right next to the tip of the vertical straw, at a 90 degree angle to it.
  3. Now, blow, and blow hard!
  4. If your straws are set up properly, your blowing should raise the liquid up the vertical straw. When the liquid reaches the top, it spews out in line with your direction of blow.
  5. If you don’t manage it, try cutting one straw in half and doing it again with the shorter pieces.
  6. It's best to start with a glass of water for this trick. If you work your way up to stickier, smellier or more colourful liquids such as cola or juice, be careful where you aim.

What’s going on?

Faster air creates lower air pressure! By blowing through the horizontal straw you create a low-pressure region at the top of the vertical straw. The air hanging around the surface of your drink is slightly higher pressure and so it pushes the water down, into and up the vertical straw. Once the water is high enough in the straw, the stream of air blowing horizontally carries it along in a fine mist.

This experiment came from Planet Science’s Little Book of Experiments.

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4. Winners – Has your name been picked out of the bag?

Remember Issue 70 when we were giving away a family ticket for Build it with Bob live at the Science Museum? Well the lucky winner is Daniel Walker  (3) of East Twickenham.  Congratulations! Can Bob fix it?  Yes he can!

So remember – keep entering ‘cos next time it could be you!

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5. Tummy Ticklers - It’s the way you tell them…

Daddy, Daddy, can I have another glass of water please?
- But I've given you 10 glasses of water already!
Yes, but the bedroom is still on fire!

What did the father ghost say to the naughty baby ghost?
Spook when you're spooken to!

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INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Planet Science has gone Hay-Wire and now you have too!

That’s all for this issue. The next issue of Hay-Wire will be with you in two weeks time so until then, why not ask your friends to join the Hay-Wire Club?

They can visit the Clubhouse for more details (the password is Sciwoof )

Bye for now!