Cool Discoveries

2. Archeologists recently discovered traces of the oldest human-made shelter ever found in southern Africa. About how long ago was this structure built?

• 10,000 years.
  Yes. The semi-circle of small boulders archeologists found in South Africa date back to at least 10,000 years ago. While this is the oldest known human shelter in southern Africa, human shelters have been found in other places in the world that date back to more than 300,000 years ago.
• 50,000 years.
  No. The semi-circle of small boulders archeologists found in South Africa date back to at least 10,000 years ago. While this is the oldest known human shelter in southern Africa, human shelters have been found in other places in the world that date back to more than 300,000 years ago.
• 100,000 years.
  No. The semi-circle of small boulders archeologists found in South Africa date back to at least 10,000 years ago. While this is the oldest known human shelter in southern Africa, human shelters have been found in other places in the world that date back to more than 300,000 years ago.

3. Astronomers are psyched--they just discovered two new extrasolar planets! But wait, what the heck is an extrasolar planet?

• A planet that doesn't orbit a star.
  You're really out there! To be a planet, you've gotta orbit a star--whether it be the sun in our own solar system, or a star in a galaxy far, far away. An "extrasolar" planet exists outside of our solar system. To date, astronomers have discovered 17 of them, and they're busy looking for more. The American Astronomical Society estimates that about two percent of the billions of sun-like stars in and around the Milky Way galaxy may host planets.
• A planet that orbits a star outside our solar system.
  You're a rocket scientist! Yes, "extrasolar" planets exist outside of our solar system. To date, astronomers have discovered 17 of them, and they're busy looking for more. The American Astronomical Society estimates that about two percent of the billions of sun-like stars in and around the Milky Way galaxy may host planets.
• A planet that's brighter than our sun.
  You're in the dark on this one. Planets don't produce their own light. We can see the planets in our solar system, only because they reflect the light of the sun. An "extrasolar" planet exists outside of our solar system. To date, astronomers have discovered 17 of them, and they're busy looking for more. The American Astronomical Society estimates that about two percent of the billions of sun-like stars in and around the Milky Way galaxy may host planets.

4. Scientists recently found evidence that our human ancestors from three million years ago may have had something on their menu we hadn't expected. They might have been eating:

• Wheat.
  Incorrect. No one was growing wheat way back then. By studying the carbon atoms of these hominids' teeth, scientists found evidence that they were probably eating meat. Until now, scientists didn't believe hominids were eating meat until about a million years later.
• Meat.
  You got it! By studying the carbon atoms of these hominids' teeth, scientists found evidence that they were probably eating meat. Until now, scientists didn't believe hominids were eating meat until about a million years later.
• Other hominids.
  They may not have been vegetarians, but they weren't cannibals! By studying the carbon atoms of these hominids' teeth, scientists found evidence that they were probably eating meat. Until now, scientists didn't believe hominids were eating meat until about a million years later.

5. 16-year-old Irish schoolgirl Sarah Flannery is getting a lot of attention for a project that won a student science contest. What was her bright idea?

• A computer code that sends secure files over the Internet.
  Amazingly, yes! Sarah came up with an encryption code that might be ten times faster than the one currently in use on the Internet. Sarah's bright idea could be a big deal in the world of Internet commerce, where security codes are very important for protecting credit card numbers and user privacy.
• The breeding of a new, less starchy potato.
  No. Sarah came up with an encryption code that might be ten times faster than the one currently in use on the Internet. Sarah's bright idea could be a big deal in the world of Internet commerce, where security codes are very important for protecting credit card numbers and user privacy.
• An automated method for separating colored glass from clear glass for industrial recycling.
  No. Sarah came up with an encryption code that might be ten times faster than the one currently in use on the Internet. Sarah's bright idea could be a big deal in the world of Internet commerce, where security codes are very important for protecting credit card numbers and user privacy.