What Does the Moon Smell Like?: 151 Astounding Science Quizzes (5 page)

astronomers estimate that 70% of the stars in the Milky Way are red dwarfs with less than half the mass of the sun, and they should outlast Sol by at least 40 billion years. A red dwarf with a tenth of the sun’s mass will shine dimly for about 100 billion years, maybe even longer. Can you even imagine

living
that
long?

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THE FIRST ASTRONAUTS

First Earthling in Orbit

The very first astronauts went where no man had Q

gone before and, often, it was a one-way trip. Many of them died for our benefit, yet most of these fine, furry astronauts are forgotten. Animals were

“recruited” to find out, among other things, what would happen to them (read us) in a weightless

environment. More than 50 years ago, no one knew stuff like that, so instead of risking human lives, they launched a variety of animals. Animal astronauts were the first living beings in space, and the first to orbit the Earth.

Who was the first earthling in orbit?

a) Ham, a chimp

b) Laika, a dog

c) unnamed mouse

d) Yorick, a monkey

49

First Earthling in Orbit

Who was the first earthling in orbit?

A

a) Ham, a chimp

b) Laika, a dog

c) unnamed mouse

THE

d) Yorick, a monkey

FIRST

ASTRONAUTS

CORRECT ANSWER:

b) Laika, a dog

The first earthling in orbit was a three-year-old, six-kilogram (13 lb), stray mutt from the streets of Moscow. Laika was called Kudryavka (Little Curly) during astronaut training, which included weeks of being confined to progressively smaller boxes, and being spun in a centrifuge to simulate the G-forces of blast-off. Before her flight, she was given her astronaut name, Laika (Barker). If the mission succeeded, the little dog would make news headlines worldwide, so her name had to be easy to pronounce. She was alive and barking for the first three or four orbits (about six hours), but by the time fame came, she was dead from stress and overheating in her

unshielded Sputnik 2 capsule. Laika is a hero in Russia, and her likeness is included in a monument to the cosmonauts in Star City, near Moscow. She represents the many doggy astronauts who gave their all for space science.

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First Primate in Orbit

The Russian space program launched dogs because Q

they thought that they were better than primates at being confined to small spaces for long periods of time. The American space program preferred pri-THE

mates because their physiology was closer to human, FIRST

and they could be trained to perform tasks. They launched the first chimp astronaut, Ham, on a sub-ASTRONAUTS

orbital flight (meaning he didn’t make it into orbit) in 1961. A few months after Ham returned to Earth

safely, the first primate was launched into orbit.

Who was the first primate to orbit the Earth? A . . .

a) chimp, Enos

b) human, Yuri Gagarin

c) rhesus monkey, Able

d) squirrel monkey, Gordo

51

First Primate in Orbit

Who was the first primate to orbit the Earth? A . . .

A

a) chimp, Enos

b) human, Yuri Gagarin

c) rhesus monkey, Able

THE

d) squirrel monkey, Gordo

FIRST

ASTRONAUTS

CORRECT ANSWER:

b) human, Yuri Gagarin

The Russian cosmonaut orbited the planet once on April 12, 1961. At the end of the 108-minute mission, he ejected from his Vostok 1 spacecraft, and parachuted 1,500 metres (5,000 ft) to Earth. Gagarin’s single orbit was enough to make him the first primate, and the first human, to circle the globe. He beat out Enos, an American chimp, by seven months.

Enos completed two orbits, but had to settle for the titles of first non-human primate, and first chimp, in orbit. He paved the way for John Glenn, who became the first American human in orbit. He topped Enos’

record by taking three spins around the planet.

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First Feline on the Launch Pad

Along with the usual dogs, monkeys, chimps, and Q

mice, many other kinds of animals have been

launched into the wild blue yonder — newts, fish, frogs, tortoises, rats, rabbits, worms, spiders, insects, THE

and cats. Cats? It does seem rather odd, given the FIRST

quirky nature of felines. They’re not exactly known for doing what humans want them to do, but all the ASTRONAUTS

first astrocat had to do was sit there and think kitty thoughts.

Which country launched the first cat astronaut?

a) Britain

b) China

c) France

d) Hungary

53

First Feline on the Launch Pad

Which country launched the first cat astronaut?

A

a) Britain

b) China

c) France

THE

d) Hungary

FIRST

ASTRONAUTS

CORRECT ANSWER:

c) France

Felix, a black-and-white cat from the streets of Paris, was promoted from stray to astronaut, and launched in 1963. Her brain activity was monitored with the electrodes implanted in her brain. Maybe they were planning to start an astrocat program, because it’s hard to imagine how this experiment could possibly benefit human space explorers. Felix obviously had at least one of her nine lives left because she was recovered alive after her capsule parachuted 193 kilometres (120 miles) back down to Earth. A second French cat launched six days later wasn’t as lucky, and joined the long list of animals who died so that humans could travel safely through space.

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PAWS ’N CLAWS

The Heady Smell of Success

With dogs, what you see is what you get, but some-Q

times we don’t get what they do. Have you ever seen a dog gleefully rubbing its face and body in vile, stinky things — stuff like the droppings or rotting carcasses of other animals? We may find it quite dis-gusting, but the dogs rolling in it sure seem to be enjoying themselves. What’s up with that? You’d have to be a dog to know for sure, but there’s probably a reasonable explanation.

Why do dogs roll in stinky stuff?

a) it’s their version of perfume

b) to annoy their human companions

c) to impress their friends

d) to mask their own odour

55

The Heady Smell of Success

Why do dogs roll in stinky stuff?

A

a) it’s their version of perfume

b) to annoy their human companions

c) to impress their friends

PAWS

d) to mask their own odour

’N

CLA

WS

CORRECT ANSWERS:

a), c), and d)

Give yourself a virtual point for every correct choice.

Some experts think that dogs roll in stinky stuff instinctively, just like wolves, to mask their body odour. Before a hunt, wolves sometimes roll in the droppings of their prey, so that they can sneak up without their wolfy odour giving them away. That makes sense. Another idea is that the stench is an irresistible, intoxicating perfume to dogs. Could well be. Some experts even think that dogs might do it to impress their animal friends. Their animal friends might be impressed, or at the very least intrigued, but the same can’t be said for their human friends.

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The Faint Smell of Success

Dogs may revel in smelling like excrement or dead Q

things, but it’s not for cats. Instead of trying to smell like their chosen prey, cats try to be as odour-neutral as possible, just like the most ferocious, solitary PA

hunters in their family tree. Like them, house cats WS

are stealthy hunters who stalk their prey patiently,

’N

CLA

and close in slowly, until they attack with explosive force and lightning speed. There’s still a wildcat WS

inside every kitty. They may eat canned food and sleep on a pillow, but they still have the instincts and the genes of a stealthy, unsmelly hunter.

Why are cats more or less odourless? Because . . .

a) their glands produce odourless compounds

b) their saliva is a powerful cleanser

c) they bask in the sun

d) they don’t eat garlic

57

The Faint Smell of Success

Why are cats more or less odourless? Because . . .

A

a) their glands produce odourless compounds

b) their saliva is a powerful cleanser

c) they bask in the sun

PAWS

d) they don’t eat garlic

’N

CLA

WS

CORRECT ANSWER:

b) their saliva is a powerful cleanser

Cats are clean and relatively unscented thanks to their cleansing saliva and countless hours of groom-ing, but they’re not completely odourless. Aside from the obviously smelly bits, cats have scent glands at the base of the tail, on the pads of the paws, and on the temples, lips, and chin. When a cat rubs its face into you, and winds its tail around your leg, even though you can’t smell it, you are being annointed with its unique, personal odours. It’s one of the ways that cats mark their territory. Cat owners can’t be blamed for thinking the gestures are expressions of kitty love because, in a way, they are. The cat has to love you, or at least like you, to want to mark you as its personal property.

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Is it Reigning Cats or Dogs?

Pets are more popular than ever before. In most Q

Western nations, more than half of all households have a pet. Most Canadians and Americans let their pampered cats and dogs sleep on the bed. They buy PA

them presents, celebrate their birthdays, and may be WS

more affectionate with their pets than with the

’N

CLA

people in their lives. Of the pet owners surveyed, 63%

admitted to saying “I love you” to their pet at least WS

once a day. Nine out of ten agreed that pets are a good source of affection. Clearly, we love our animals, but which do we love more, dogs or cats?

In most countries where more than half the households have pets . . .

a) there are more cats than dogs

b) there are more dogs than cats

c) there are more households with cats

d) there are more multiple dog households

59

Is it Reigning Cats or Dogs?

In most countries where more than half the house-A

holds have pets . . .

a) there are more cats than dogs

b) there are more dogs than cats

PAWS

c) there are more households with cats

’N

d) there are more multiple dog households

CLA

WS

CORRECT ANSWER:

a) there are more cats than dogs

In the United States alone, there are more than 90

million cats and close to 75 million dogs. Three quarters of dog owners have only one dog, but cat

households usually have two or more. In Europe, about 47 million cats act superior to 41 million dogs.

Going by the numbers, cats win in most Western

nations, but there are still countries sticking, doggedly, to their canines. Dogs outnumber cats by five to two in Brazil, and in Costa Rica, where most households have a pet, by almost four to one. In Japan, there are about ten dogs for every seven cats, but that could change. Felines are getting more popular all the time. Their numbers have been rising in pet-friendly nations since the mid-1990s, and where cat numbers increase, dog numbers tend to drop.

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IFOs: IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

A Real Flying Saucer!

What do you get when you combine rumours of alien Q

spaceships in Roswell, New Mexico; a whack of science fiction films; and ongoing media fascination?

You get the UFO craze of the 1950s. Flying saucers captured the imagination of the world, and at least one aeronautical designer. John Frost thought that the disc’s aerodynamic shape would make for the fastest, most maneuverable flying machine ever. He wanted to create the first vertical takeoff aircraft —

in the form of a flying saucer. So, did his idea fly?

What happened to Frost’s flying saucer?

a) Canada’s Defence Department funded its

development.

b) During U.S. military test flights, people mistook it for a UFO.

c) It ended up decorating the roof of a café in Roswell.

d) It flew at 500 km/h (300 mph) at an altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft).

61

A Real Flying Saucer!

What happened to Frost’s flying saucer?

A

a) Canada’s Defence Department funded its

development.

b) During U.S. military test flights, people mistook IFOs:

it for a UFO.

IDENTIFIED

c) It ended up decorating the roof of a café in Roswell.

d) It flew at 500 km/h (300 mph) at an altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft).

FLYING

CORRECT ANSWER:

OBJECTS

a) Canada’s Defence Department funded its

development.

Canada’s government and Frost’s employer, Avro

Canada, funded his work for the first few years, and after a great sales pitch and demonstration by Frost, the U.S. military decided to invest in his dream. The saucer-shaped Avrocar was supposed to be a flying jeep that would clip along at 500 km/h (300 mph), at an altitude of 3,000 metres (10,000 ft). But $10 million* and two prototypes later, it only managed a tenth of that speed, and if it reached “altitudes”

higher than 1 metre (3 ft), it became unstable. All the backers lost interest, and the top-secret flying saucer project, underway near Toronto, Canada, was