Showing results by author "Tracy Vonder Brink" in All Categories

Take a ride on a rover with NASA as they explore the planet Mars. Learn how NASA explores Mars for evidence of life especially the existence of water. Scientists believe that life depends on water. Is it possible that Mars had life and why is it so different from Earth? Discover the tools, equipment and methods scientists use to uncover rock, water, and fossils to test as evidence of life.

Hop to it! Do you know how or why a kangaroo hops and leaps? Learn how their legs, feet, and tail help a kangaroo move which starts with bouncing! Like humans, kangaroos' legs are made for how they move! While we walk upright, they jump and leap! Kangaroos use their tail to slow down. Find out why they are the largest and most powerful marsupials!

Have you ever been sick with strep throat? It's an illness caused by bacteria that gives you a painful sore throat! Learn how doctors can diagnose it by your symptoms and a test, and how medicine can cure strep throat so you can get better. Be sure to take all of the medicine until its gone if you have strep. You might even impress your doctor on your next visit with your new knowledge!

This story shows how prosthetics have changed over time in the way they have been created and allowed mobility. You will also learn how technology has allowed prosthetics to help even more people in ways than they ever have before. Prosthetics help people to walk and run, hear, eat, and to even help them stay alive!

On a chilly day in 1947, a Japanese inventor named Momofuku Ando observed people waiting out in the cold for a hot meal. He dreamed of bringing fast-cooking noodles to the whole world. And he did—with ramen noodles! Sometimes the simplest inventions are the best!

How did forgetting to wash a jar make cars safer? A scientist named Édouard Bénédictus accidentally dropped a plastic-coated flask that did not break. This invention was tested and engineered to help today's windshields protect drivers better.

Aluminum was once more valuable than gold. A breakthrough in refining aluminum from rock transformed it from rare matter to sandwich wrapper. In this science story, you'll learn how two chemists, Charles Hall and Paul Héroult, solved the problem.

Injured by a cannonball, James Edward Hanger was the first amputee of the Civil War. Determined to find a better solution than a peg leg, he worked to develop his own artificial limb company. He even continued working past retirement, providing Hanger Limbs for victims of World War I.

Learn about the roles of soldiers and their training, as well as the advanced equipment, vehicles, and weapons the Army uses. When duty calls, the Army is always ready to defend.

Learn about the roles of Marines and their training, as well as the advanced equipment, aircraft, and weapons the Marines use to complete their tough missions.

Learn about the roles of airmen and their training, as well as the advanced equipment, aircraft, and weapons the Air Force uses.

Learn about the roles of Coast Guard members and their training, as well as the different types of ships, aircraft, and equipment this branch uses to complete its important missions around the world.

The U.S. Navy traces its roots back to the American Revolutionary War. Then, its small fleet was outnumbered. Today, it is the largest navy in the world. Learn about the roles of sailors and their training, as well as the different types of ships, aircraft, equipment, and weapons the U.S. Navy uses to complete missions around the world.

Microwaves heat our food. They carry messages from phone to phone. They help detect the weather. Microwaves are all around us, even if we don't see them. Listeners will learn about microwaves and how we use them every day.