SUN BURN?

Most scientists believe that greenhouse gases released by the burning of coal and oil are largely to blame for global warming. But some people are skeptical. They say the sun might be turning up the heat. The cover story in this issue discusses sunspots—fierce magnetic storms that rage on the sun’s surface. Sunspots occur in cycles and affect the amount of energy radiated by the sun. Has there been a long-term change in sunspot activity that parallels the rise in Earth’s temperature? The issue also includes features about a puzzling illness that is keeping many teens out of school, a new way of harvesting the sun’s energy, and a different perspective on cane toads, zebra mussels, and other invasive species.

The issue also includes short items about barking piranhas, soft-drink lightbulbs, Earth’s expanding waistline, the DNA of the Black Death, a bat that looks like Yoda, and the transition from film to digital that’s sweeping the nation’s movie theaters.

Go to Teaching Center for In the Pink, the Feb 3., 2012 issue.

CSi

Internet links to videos, updates, and other Web resources related to articles in this issue of Current Science.

SUN BURN? (page 4)

New Scientist: Sun Spots (video)

THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES (page 6)

Animal Planet: Weird, True, & Freaky: Cane Toad Australian Invasion (video)

DOWN TIME (page 8)

Mayo Clinic: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (podcast)

SOFT CELL (page 10)

Introduction to Photovoltaics (YouTube video)

Google Videos: How does a solar PV cell work? (video)

PLASTIC BOTTLES LIGHT HOMES (page 12)

BBC News: How Water Bottles Create Cheap Lighting (video)

HOSTILE FISH BARK (page 14/video)

Animal Planet: River Monsters: Swimming in a Pirhana Pool (video)

Wanted: MYSTERY PHOTOS

Most of the Mystery Photos featured in Current Science are taken by student photographers. For each photo published in the magazine, the photographer receives $50 plus a T-shirt with the photo printed on the front. The photographer or classroom with the most photos published in a school year wins the Mystery Photo Contest. Please e-mail your photos to csmysteryphotos@weeklyreader.com or send them via regular mail to:

Mystery Photo Editor
Current Science
Weekly Reader Publishing
44 South Broadway, 18th Floor
White Plains, NY
10601

If your photo is selected for publication in the magazine, you will be contacted by the Mystery Photo Editor. (If your photo is not selected, you will not be notified.) The winner of the Mystery Photo Contest will be contacted in the spring.

Starting September 1, Current Science's popular Sci-Triv Game can be played on a classroom whiteboard or computer. Separate your class into teams and compete for points throughout the school year.

A new Sci-Triv Game will be posted online the first day of every month.

All teachers who subscribe to Current Science have access to the game through the CS Teaching Center. To access the games, click on the icon at right and enter your username and password. Playing instructions and tips are included with the game.

Current Science Teaching Centers and Issue Dates, 2011-12