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Friday 27th October 2006 Issue: 59

Did you hear a strange creaking noise as Wired Up hit your Inbox this week? Well it is nearly Halloween, all sorts of strange things could happen.   Never mind carving a pumpkin – did you know that they are really good for you? Pumpkin flesh is high in fibre and beta-carotene which gives it its yellow colour. Beta-carotene is converted to Vitamin A which is supposed to make you see in the dark! And yes it is present in carrots too. But a pair of night vision binoculars are probably more useful…

  1. Planet Picks – The November Quiz
  2. You What? – My mummy’s better than your mummy…
  3. Gear for Grabs – Halloween party packs
  4. Web Watch – Ideas for Halloween fun
  5. Winners – Rolls-Royce fans
  6. Rib Busters – Ghostly gags
1. Planet Picks – News from the world of Planet Science…

Another month - another quiz. There’s something about the word November that sprung to mind the notion of nothingness. So we’ve put the No into November with the Voids Vacuums and Vacancies Quiz, with plenty of non-answers surrounding the right ones. Spot all the correct ones though, and you could win – NOTHING!

Nothing, that is, neatly sandwiched between layers of steel to keep your favourite food or drink hot or cold in this ‘style icon’ of a flask.

So if you never win anything then you could win nothing  - click here.

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2. You What? - Science facts that might make you go “Hmm?”

Did you know that it took 70 days to make a mummy and this is how they did it:

  • Wash the body with water to purify it
  • Cut the body and remove the liver, lungs, intestine and stomach
  • Put these organs into four separate jars
  • Insert a hooked tool into the person's nose and pull out their brains. Throw the brains away
  • Cover the body with the salty mixture called "natron" to drain it. Let it drain for 40 days
  • Wrap the body in bandages from head to toe
  • Decorate the body with a mask and designs which are suitable for the person's life and social status

So now you know.  But please remember, people don’t do this any more – it really isn’t nice…

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3. Gear for Grabs – You’ve got to be in it to win it...

Got any plans for Halloween? Fancy throwing a party?  Well you’ll be needing some balloons and some bat-shaped confetti surely? We’ve got two party packs to give away, each containing a silver banner/tape, shiny purple bat confetti and 12 Halloween balloons.

If you’d like to win one, then send us an email with your name, age and address to: wired-up.news@nesta.org.uk with ‘TRICK OR TREAT’ as the subject. We’ll have to be quick with this one if you want them in time for the 31st. The winners will be picked at random at noon, on Monday 30 October.

Good luck!

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4. Web Watch – Don’t surf the Internet alone…

Check out Planet Goth on the Planet Science site.  Dare you enter the Haunted House?  Plus if you’re in the mood for a party then look no further than Little Horrors. Tips for ghastly grub and ghoulish games – don’t mention the spider surprise…

Want to make your own skeleton? Ben and Jerry can help.  And you thought that they only made ice-cream….

Or maybe you just want to make a skull? The Making Place website has lots of design and technology activities including this great ‘Make your own skull’ (pdf).

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

Remember issue no. 57?  We were giving away FIVE Rolls-Royce hand-held fans.  The lucky winners are Karla and Eve Cook (age 9) from  Lichfield, Nikki Patel (15) from Harrow,  Ben Dickinson (13) from Essex, Robert Eveson (7) of Herefordshire and Liam Medlin (11) from Warwick. Well done everyone!

So keep entering – you never know! Next time - it could be YOU…

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6. Rib Busters - Funny ha ha AND sometimes funny weird!

What do you get when you cross a ghost with an owl?
Something that scares people and doesn't give a hoot...

Why was the skeleton afraid to cross the road?
It had no guts...

Did you hear about the cannibal who was expelled from school?
He was buttering up his teacher...

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THAT’S ALL FOR NOW

Got Wired-Up? Got clued up!

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Bye for now!