Where do they save all the stuff on the Internet? Is there one big computer or a bunch of them? Where is it?

Stuff is saved on computers all over the world. We get the information using a set of rules that allow the computers to talk and share information. There is not one computer that saves everything.

How are stars created? Do stars last forever?

1. They are born from other stars.  They do not last forever.  They last until they have a baby.
2. A star starts as a cloud of mostly hydrogen and a little helium and some heavier things.  It collapses and gets hotter.  Hydrogen is turned into helium by nuclear fusion.  And then you have a star.  Stars do not last forever.  They start to break down recycling to make new stars.

(The first answer the child learned from a TV show, the second came from research)

Why do politicians tell lies?

Not all politicians lie. I know a politician. Bob Kiss is Mayor of Burlington Vermont and he does not lie. Bob Kiss wrote the quote below about politicians and being honest.

“I believe that most politicians are honest and they work hard to
represent the people they are elected to serve. In Burlington, I ask
city department heads to do two things: “put people first” and “tell the
truth.”

Why are plants green? Are any plants NOT green?

They are green because of chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll collects red and blue light and reflects green.  Chlorophyll collects sunlight and turns it into energy with little waste.

Yes, some plants are not green, on the bottom of the ocean.  Mushrooms are not plants, they are in a different kingdom called the Fungi Kingdom.

How do DVD players work?

1. Put the DVD in (which is the main part)
2. Turn it on
3. The drive motor spin the DVD around
4. The laser reads bumps on the DVD
5. The player turns it into a movie and soundtrack
6. Then you watch it

My favorite DVD is “Cars”

Why is water blue in the ocean or in a pool, but clear when it’s on you?

The water does not have any color.  In pools it’s the bottom of the pool that’s blue.   In the ocean, it’s the reflection of the sky.

How do telephones work?

When you talk into the phone, a metallic or plastic piece wiggles (not the cartoon). The electrode turns the wiggles into electricity that goes into a wire. At the other end it turns it from electricity to words.

Why do they call them dreadlocks?

Rastafari people have dreadlocks.

Rastafari is a religion.

Dreadlocks grow on their own.

They are called dreadlocks because they fear god (dread).  Locks means hair.

They should be called fear hair.

Why is it that sometimes the waves are small and somedays the waves are really large?

There are three things that make waves change.

• The force of the current that hits the shoreline
• The force of the wind hitting the water
• There may be a mini tsunami

Why is the sky blue?

The sky is not blue, it’s purple (source: A friend in Jacob’sclass).

It’s blue because there’s blue light coming from the atmosphere.

Also, the sea is blue because of the sky.