Why are yawns catching and how many clouds are there? Try our kids’ quiz

1. Sophie, 9, asks: why are yawns contagious?

   1. Because they are catching in the same way as colds

   2. Because of electrical messages in the brain that are called “mirror neurons”

   3. Because when someone yawns, they are sucking oxygen out of the air, so you need to do the same to get enough oxygen into your lungs!

   4. They aren’t contagious – humans just like to yawn a lot

2. Celia, 11, asks: how long would it take us to travel to our neighbouring star?

   1. 73 days

   2. 730 years

   3. 73,000 years

   4. 73 hours – Nasa is already offering space tourist trips to do this!

3. Joel, 8, asks: why do women paint their faces?

   1. To be creative and to express their identity

   2. To feel confident

   3. Because lots of cultures encourage women to wear makeup

   4. All of the above!

4. Esther, 6, asks: how many elephants are there in the world?

   1. 45 – you would be very lucky to see one!

   2. 45 million

   3. 450

   4. 450,000

5. Felix, 6, asks: how many clouds are there in the world?

   1. 100

   2. 1 million

   3. 100 billion

   4. It’s impossible to count them all!

Solutions

1:B - Scientists aren’t sure why yawning is contagious, but the main theory is that our brain sends out electrical messages called “mirror neurons” when we see someone else yawning, which trigger us to yawn, too., 2:C - Our neighbouring star, Proxima Centauri, is about 4.24 light years away. One light year is 9.44 trillion kilometres! Scientists estimate that using current technology, it would take 60,000-80,000 years for a rocket to reach the star., 3:D - Both women and men wear makeup for lots of different reasons, in cultures around the world. It can be a way to express your identity, and help people feel more confident. Throughout history, cultures and societies have often put pressure on women to highlight their features with makeup, but it should be up to you if you use it!, 4:D - There are about 450,000 elephants in the world – we must do all we can to protect them., 5:D - It’s impossible to count, as clouds constantly form and clear, and then form again. Though we can estimate global cloud cover, which averages 67-68%.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a weekly podcast answering children’s questions, out now as a book.

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