Planex News

The Magna Carta is a royal charter of rights (a document that is signed by a king or queen) agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. Although it is written in an early form of Latin, there are a few full-english translations such as this one: JOHN, by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and Count of Anjou, to his archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justices, foresters, sheriffs, stewards, servants, and to all his officials and loyal subjects, Greeting. KNOW THAT BEFORE GOD, for the health of our soul and those of our ancestors and heirs, to the honour of God, the exaltation of the holy Church, and the better ordering of our kingdom, at the advice of our reverend fathers Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England, and cardinal of the holy Roman Church, Henry archbishop of Dublin, William bishop of London, Peter bishop of Winchester, Jocelin bishop of Bath and Glastonbu

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a Victorian engineer who was one of the main architects of Britain’s industrial revolution. He was famous for his leading work on both Britain’s railways and ships; building railways and designing bridges, tunnels, viaducts and passenger ships. He built lots of bridges not just in London, but all across Britain. These included The Clifton Suspension Bridge (412m), The Royal Albert Bridge (667m), Maidenhead Railway Bridge (128ft), Wharncliffe Viaduct (270m), Winsor Railway Bridge, Gatehampton Railway Bridge, Moulsford Railway Bridge, Avon Bridge and Bishop’s Bridge. Here are some amazing facts about Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born on 9th April 1806, to a French father, Marc Brunel, and an English mother, Sophia Kingdom. He was educated in Normandy and England, with his parents giving him the best opportunities possible to learn the skills of an engineer. He completed an apprenticeship as a clockmaker. In 1822, Isambard took on his fi

The Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion Cubicus) is a member of the Boxfish family and grows to no larger than 45cm. Divers can find these fish as deep as 40 metres, however they tend to spend most of their time in the shallower and warmer parts of the world’s oceans like the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and also parts of the south eastern Atlantic Ocean. Boxfish tend to spend most of their days on the reef, their main diet is algae, small invertebrates, worms, crustaceans and sponges for example.     Using its puckered lips, it blows small bursts of water at the corals and sand to reveal anything that might be hiding. The Yellow Boxfish is in fact, a yellow, box-shaped fish – who would have guessed it? It is a bright yellow colour with black spots, which helps them to survive by telling nearby predators that they are poisonous. However, as they begin to mature, the number of spots decreases and the yellow blends into almost a dirty, mustard colour. It’s not just the colours that change either, t

Geckos are small lizards that usually live in the jungle. They are only one among many species like Komodo Dragons, Vivipar Lizards, Green Lizards, Sand Lizards and hundreds more reptiles. In warm countries, where most geckos live, there are lots of houses that get annoying insects. Geckos sometimes come into people’s houses, and they are happy to have them there, because geckos eat the insects. Like chameleons, geckos have the ability to change colour to whatever they want. This can help them blend in to the surroundings and stop predators from spotting them. This also includes hunters who sell their scales for a lot of money. Scientists do not know how they do this. Most suggest there is a special organ in their body that stores chemicals and then, in a spraying-like action, it sends them up a tube which opens in a small whole in their body and it changes a colour when released to sunlight. Adding to this, their tongues are actually longer than their body! Yes, you heard that right -

In the Kamchatka Peninsula of far east Russia, there lies a coral reef formally known as the valley of death. Surrounded by seas that are very cold and are almost frozen all year round, there are dozens of mini volcanoes crammed into one space it has got the nickname ‘Land Of Fire And Ice’.  However, there is more to Kamchatka than its wild beauty - in the shadow of one of one of its fiery volcanoes, called Kihpinych, there is a small, narrow valley - that animals enter - but never leave. The Valley Of Death was first discovered in 1975 by volcanologist Vladimir Leonov. At first, Vladimir thought is was just a normal coral reef, but as he explored further, strange icy clouds and a number of dead animals drew him in. Nobody had properly explored them before, so it was a complete surprise to him. But, just as he feared, there were hundreds of dead animals with blood dripping down their head that had been perfectly preserved by the ice. What was even more strange is that they don’t seem s

In Hucknall, Nottinghamshire we go past a theme park testing facility, a local told us. Here, they test exciting rides to see if they are safe before they are shipped all across the world. These, of course, are the latest rides available and I’m sure they will thrill and excite even more than they used to. In 15th century Russia, people would slide down wooden slopes covered in ice. Fast forward four centuries, this sort of entertainment was found in Paris, but with some simple modifications, like adding wheels. Later on, in the 19th century, there was machinery in place that would pull the cars to the top of the track. The first ever modern rollercoaster was revealed to the public in 1884 in the US. Although this only went up to speeds of 6mph, it still entertained people. The revolution in rollercoaster history happened when people decided to use metal instead of wood. Steel, the metal they used, is more aerodynamic, is stronger, and can cope with much faster and more forceful moveme

Parrotfish are more than just ordinary fish. As well as being able to create pyjamas for itself, it can also help create coral reefs! Living alongside many other fish, such as clownfish and stonefish, the parrot fish may seem ordinary. But in reality, it anything but. One of it’s amazing powers includes creating ‘pyjamas’. It essentially vomits out a thick protective mucus that coats its body and stops predators from picking up its scent Night-night, parrotfish! Adding to this, they can also change from male to female! It might sound impossible, but the parrotfish thinks not. Scientists, don’t know how this happens though; maybe they can’t change! Why do white sandy beaches look so nice? Probably not because they are actually made of parrotfish poo! Yep, you heard that right - they can also help to form coral reefs!  As remarkable coral reef residents, these superheroes of the sea can come in many different colours and sizes. Their front teeth are fused together to make a beak, and use

I bet you’ve all heard of the delicious drink cola. It has so much sugar that your mum or dad has probably banned you from drinking it. But what if I was to say that you could put all that sugar to good use? Yep. It’s a bit messy, but it’s worth it! Get a big bottle of cola (Diet Coke works best) and put it in an area of your garden where nothing will get damaged. Then, get a pack of mentos (and a few extra, just in case) and open the lid of your cola. Carefully, place the mentos inside and run at least a metre away. Watch as the cola explodes up into the air, but prepare to clean up aftarwards! Now we’ve had our fun, time for the science bit. A carbonated beverage is packed full of dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which forms bonds with water. While the soda is in the bottle, the gas is kept in solution by the bottle’s pressurized conditions. When you pour some soda into a glass, some gas escapes and forms foam, but most stays trapped by the surface tension of the water. But all those ga

The methods of embalming, or treating the dead body, that the ancient Egyptians used is called mummification. Using special processes, the Egyptians removed all moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay. It was important in their religion to preserve the dead body in as life-like a manner as possible. So successful were they that today we can view the mummified body of an Egyptian and have a good idea of what he or she looked like in life, 3000 years ago. Mummification was practiced throughout most of early Egyptian history. The earliest mummies from prehistoric times probably were accidental. By chance, dry sand and air (since Egypt has almost no measurable rainfall) preserved some bodies buried in shallow pits dug into the sand. About 2600 B.C., during the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties, Egyptians probably began to mummify the dead intentionally. The practice continued and developed for well over 2,000 years, into the Roman Period (ca. 30 B.C.–A.D. 364

On stormy days, you should probably expect lightning. But what is lightning? You’re about to find out... Lightning is a naturally occuring electrical discharge (the sudden flow of electricity) that happens when two electrically charged regions in the atmosphere temporarily equallise themselves, causing the instant result of, well, lightning! When you get struck by lightning, you won’t nessccesarily die straight away. There was one man who was struck by lightning 7 times and still survived! Thunder is the sound of lightning. They happen at the same time, but depending on how far away you are, the thunder might sound like it happens after the lightning. Lightning is a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. All thunderstorms produce lightning and are very dangerous. If you hear the sound of thunder, then you are in danger from lightning. Lightning kills and injures more people each year than hurricanes or tornadoes; between 75 to 100 people. That’s even more than the Coro

Sir David Frederick Attenborough (born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster and natural historian. He is best known for writing and presenting, in association with the BBC Natural History Unit. Here are some interesting facts about him. Prepare to be amazed! He was raised on the campus of University College, Leicester, where his dad was the head teacher. Instead of saying he’s an animal lover, David says he’s fascinated by them.Interestingly, Attenbourgh has never owned a car because he never passed his driving test. He’s also not keen on sending emails, and prefers receiving letters by fax or post. During World War II his parents adopted two Jewish refugee girls from Europe. The only animals Dave doesn’t like are rats! Sir David was rejected from the first job he ever applied for at the BBC, the position of radio talk producer. In 1947 he spent two years serving in the Royal Navy. When Sir David got his first job in television, he didn’t even own a TV! His first programme, called Coe

The Chocolate hills in the Bohol province of the Philippines are a valley of densley-vegetated hills. In the dry season, the grass and crops go brown. From a distance, it looks like the hills are made of bubbly chocolate, thus getting their name. According to legends, the hills came into existence because of two giants who hurled rocks, boulders, and sand at each other. After their fight was over, this eventually led to a huge mess of hills – which is the Chocolate Hills we know today. The Chocolate Hills are a popular tourist destination in The Phillipines, and even feature on the regional flagof Bohol province, where they are the Bohol’s “main attraction”. These unique domed hills can be found in their hundreds in the towns Batuan, Carmen, and Sagbayan in Bohol They are listed as one of The Phillipines Top 3 geographical monuments and there are plans to hopefully include them in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Chocolate Hills are conical karst hills and similar ones can be seen i

Everyone has heard about the aztecs, who lived in Mexico. But hardly anyone has ever heard of the Mayans, an advanced civilization who ruled before the Aztecs took over. Using the new ‘LiNEAR’ technology, experts are shedding light on the most mysterious civilization. Drones or aircrafts fly over the jungle or forest and shoot hundreds of lasers down to the ground. These scan the area around them and upload them to a special computer. When you view the image back, it deletes the trees so you can see any hidden structures. You can also get LiNEAR on an augumented realty app that you can get on an iPAD, if you’re dwn on the ground. This can be very helpful if you are an archaeologist and want to discover lost treasures. By now, you’re probably wondering ‘how did the Mayans tame the jungle’ or something like that. But the answer is the landscape was less densley vegetated, and thus making it easier to build there. LiNEAR technology has revealed some suprising things - castles, watchtowers

What would it be like if your tummy had see-through skin? Probably a bit weird, I’ll wager. But, if you happen to be a Glass Frog, then, dear reader, it is your everyday reality! Want to check if your liver is tickety-boo? No trouble if you’re a glass frog. They are mostly green, but their bellies are transparent. They live up in the trees in rainforests, where they eat bugs. They can live for 10 to 14 years! That’s pretty impressive for a little froggy-woggy! But that’s not all, Glass Frogs have been declared by Victor Wanyama, captain of the Nigerian national football team, as the best animal that has ever lived. But did you know something even more extraordinary? The Ancient Roman writer Virgil actually wrote extensively about Glass frogs back in 67AD. Here’s what he had to say (in the original latin): “Obist, ut glassus frogus accabor ehentur, officiaspis in plibus eos et aut apelent, utatur magni rem hiciam laciend andae. Itas nonserf ernatqu istius. Otatur sum deseres utaturi non

Unless you’re slapping on sunscreen on a hot day, you probably don’t think much about the sun. Every eight minutes, light travels from our sun to the Earth. This would mean if the star magically disappeared, it would take 8 minutes for us to notice. Most of us take the sun forgranted. If the sun were a human being (not God, christian readers), scientists calculate it would take one million years to do one days work as the sun. The date of discovery is unknown, but they say that it was found by our ancient ncestors. The size is 109.2 times larger than our earth, but don’t think that’s big. The mass is 1,989,100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg! The Sun is a ball of superheated material. A diagram of the star would be far too complicated, so we’ve decided to give you a list of features. The magnetic field constantly moves and twists, shooting out loops of gas from the surface. This and its immense gravity pull the solar system together.The corona (not the virus) is the sun’s outer laye

Electricity is everywhere. But what is it? Let’s find out. Electricity is the flow of tiny particles called electrons. They are one of the particles that make up an atom (see last week’s issue). The other two, protons and neutrons, are stuck in the centre and usually don’t move. But electrons are free to move from atom to atom, causing an electrical current. If an atom has fewer electrons than it wants, it is called positively charged. It tries to pull electrons from neighbouring atoms that have more electrons than they want and are called negatively charged. If you get the electrons to flow through an electrical component, some of the energy can be converted to another form of energy like  light, heat, sound or movement. So how do we get this electricity to flow? Well, we have to make a circuit. In it there is an energy source liken a battery. Electrons get pushed out one end of the batteryand flow from atom to atom until they reach the other end. The wire is made of the most conducti

Computers have come a long way from the traditional versions that are the size of a house. These could only be instructed by people putting cards with holes punched in them into a special scanner. Now, you can activate an app by the press of a button or touch of a finger. Your PC or laptop is most likely to have special features such as voice-recognition technology, like Cortana, speakers, cameras and many ways to communicate with the outside world. Beneath all that clever coding, the idea stays the same: computers are machines that solve problems by making vast numbers of mathematical calculations. To a computer, everything is a number. A picture? Number. A sound? Number. A word? Number. A computers ‘brain’ is called the central prosseccing unit (CPU). This microchip consists of many millions of tiny electronic comductors and components, aranged in ways that allow them to calculate faily simple maths but at high speed. The chip races through billions of sums per second. That’s even

Last time, we featured some of the world’s wackiest animals, but there are so many bizarre beasts on our amazing planet that we couldn’t possibly tell you about them all. So we’re back, with even more crazy-looking creatures for you to wonder and and learm more about. From the forests to the seas, we’ve scoured the globe to bring you some truly weird and wonderful examples to enjoy... 1. Sea Bunnies  Sea bunnies are a form of mollusc, specifically a nudibranch. The little bunny ears you can see are actually a form of rhinosphore which help them sense the world around them. They eat sea sponges which contain toxins. These chemical-sensing cuties are found primarily in Japan but have also been spotted off the shores of Taiwan, The Phillipines and Indonesia. 2. Sunda Colugo Until recently, it was believed that this Malaysia-dwelling creature was a form of flying lemur, but closer studying of the animals has revealed that they glide between trees. What’s more, it is not even a type

Though they look harmless, plants can be one of the most deadly weapons of all time. Sometimes, they can even kill a human being, so stay away, readers! 3: Water Hemlock Closely related to the poison Hemlock (the plant that famously killed the greek philosopher Socrates), water hemlock has been deemed “the most violently toxic plant in North America.” Sometimes confused with edible parsnips or celery, this plant is infused with deadly cicutoxin, especially in its roots, and will rapidly generate potentially fatal symptoms in anyone unlucky enough to eat it. 2: Deadly Nightshade It is the sweetness of the berries that often lures children and unwitting adults to eat this lethal plant. A native of wooded or waste areas in central and southern Eurasia, deadly nightshade has dull green leaves and shiny black berries about the size of cherries. Nightshade contains atropine and scopolamine in its stems, leaves, berries, and roots, and causes paralysis in the involuntary muscles of the

We’re going to shed some light on the world’s tiniest thing, but before we do that, we’re going to have to shink down... Here, not even a microscope can detect us. If you were to shink to this size, what you would see is this huge blue area, similar to space. The ’stars’ would actually be atoms a long way away - so far away they look white. What you would notice about an atom is that they have about 5 yellow rings (like the picture on the right) and 3 smaller white ones. Orbiting these are electrons, which generate electricity when going at speed. If you make them hop from atom to atom, this  would generate an electric current and power the generator, but that is not what this article is about. Atoms are made of three things: protons, neutrons and electrons. If one was to be taken away, the atom would collapse to the ground. If a few million atoms collapsed, the object would be unstabalised. There are also different types of atom, with different amounts of protons, neutrons and electro