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Plants Evolved to Survive Cold Weather
Have you ever wondered why some trees lose their leaves in the winter? It’s actually how these trees cope with the cold weather. But what about other plants that seem to disappear during the chilly winter months? Scientists have learned that plants have evolved in different ways to deal with frosty temperatures.
Fossil evidence and records of past climate conditions tip-off that early flowering plants grew in warm tropical regions. As plants continued to grow and spread to different areas, they eventually reached higher elevations where temperatures were cooler. With the cold came challenges for survival so plants evolved in ways to combat the wintry weather.
Plants can’t move to escape the cold and they can’t make heat like humans do to keep warm. But it’s not really the cold that’s the biggest threat to plants—it’s the ice. Freezing and thawing can create air bubbles that can block their internal water flow. So plants that live in colder climates need to protect themselves from the ice.
Here are some ways that plants have evolved to cope with the cold:
Oak trees evolved to avoid freezing by shutting off its water flow from the roots to its leaves. This is why oak trees lose their leaves during the winter chill. When the warmer weather returns, the flow of water is turned back on and new leaves grow.
Birch trees grow with narrow water transport system which is less prone to blockage during freezing temperatures.
Other plants have the ability to die and come back when the weather becomes warmer. They re-sprout from their roots or grow as new plants from seeds when the weather is right.
Filed under: learning resources, Parents and Kids, Science Facts, Uncategorized | Tagged: cold weather, education, Evolution, evolving, holidays, kid's science, Learning, Learning Games, leaves, Math Blaster, nature, plants, science, Science facts, survival, trees, winter | Leave a comment »
New Development in Robotic Technology
It seems that researchers in the scientific field of robotic technology have cracked another difficulty. A new type of robotic arm created by SINTEF, the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia, is now believed to be the solution to make commercial production lines more labor and cost effective.
These new types of robots are equipped with a gripper tool and 3D vision, which allows it to pick up objects in different positions in consistent intervals. Why does this matter so much? Over the years, researchers have tried numerous methods to mimic the action of “bin-picking”, which is the motion of picking an object up and placing it down. With the new advancement, the robots are able to pick up a castor and place is into a box effortlessly. With the implementation of this new technique, it can relief the challenges human beings may face in the production environment. Ultimately, this new development will influence the industrial production line positively.
The researchers will continue to invest in the project in hope of creating a prototype that can bring more convenience to our lives.
Filed under: Current Events, Science Facts, Space News, Technology and Kids | Tagged: Math Blaster, science, Science facts, What's New | Leave a comment »
Join a Crew for ALL-NEW Adventures!
Blasting through obstacles in space is even more exciting when you’re teamed up with some of your Blaster B.F.F.s, which is why we have just added an ALL-NEW “Crew” feature to the Math Blaster Space Station! Just look to our most famous crew of blasters, Max and G.C., to see all of the many amazing adventure that there are to be had when you’re working together as part of an intergalactic gang.
Check out some of the crews that have already been created or start one of your own by selecting the new button, marked “Crews,” in the upper portion of your gaming window. This will immediately pull up the new Crew board, where you can get an overview of the Blasters that make up your crew or learn more about some of the other top teams!
And the fun doesn’t stop after you’ve simply just joined a crew! Crews are able to earn a whole new range of achievements and are able to combine some of the trophies that they have earned to work their way up our Top Crews rankings.
Check into the game now to start your new adventure as you stand together with your Blaster buddies to use your math knowledge to defend the galaxy! Has your Crew taken command of our new rankings?
Filed under: Free Online Games, Game, MMOs, Online Games for Kids, What's New | Tagged: Achievements, Activities, challenge, compete, Crews, Math Blaster, What's New | 3 Comments »