Author: Lisa Mungovan

Have you ever looked at an old receipt, where the ink had faded away? Ancient Egyptians wrote in ink, that has lasted over 4500 years! Researchers are investigating what ingredients went into the ink. One thing they discovered, was that lead was used to help dry the ink, and keep it from smudging the papyrus.

Once Halloween is over, what do you do with your jack-o’-lanterns?  Leave your pumpkin outside as a science project, to watch it slowly mildew and rot. Let squirrels or groundhogs snack on it. Donate old pumpkins to a farm, to feed their animals. You could even have a pumpkin-chucking contest, into a compost pile!

In many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, like North America, you got an extra hour to sleep in this morning. The clocks went back one hour, since Daylight Saving Time ended. Many parts of the world changed last week. Not all countries use Daylight Saving, so it’s confusing! Just remember: spring forward, fall back!

Today is Vinegar Day, and Cinnamon Day, and Author’s Day. You could multi-task, and concoct a meal made with vinnamon, then read a book by your favorite author while it cooks. Wait, you can’t do that, because it’s also Zero Tasking Day! I guess you’ll just have to sit around eating candy all day!

Today is Go Cook For Your Pets Day, so look up a healthy recipe for your little buddy. Continue being kind to animals by celebrating World Vegan Day, and the beginning of World Vegan Month. Vegans don’t eat meat or animal products. Have a dinner tonight that has no meat, fish, or dairy ingredients!

Researchers in the Netherlands, used a 3D printer, to make the world’s smallest boat. You need to use an electron microscope to get a good look at it, because it’s only 30 micrometers long! Benchy the boat is about 1/3 the thickness, of a human hair. They also printed a teeny-tiny Star Trek Voyager spaceship.

Paleontologists don’t always have to search outside, for a fantastic fossil. Sometimes, they can dig around in a museum. Peter Kloess recently re-discovered fossil fragments of an ancient bird’s foot, and found they’re 10,000,000 years older than anyone thought. The foot belonged to a pelagothornid with a 19-foot wingspan! They flew the skies 60,000,000 years ago.

Today we celebrate Halloween. Many kids go trick-or-treating, where you go door-to-door to show off your costume, and get rewarded with candy. Or, you could hand out the candy, and eat all your favorites. Some people like to set up spooky decorations, or scare themselves at haunted houses. Whatever you do, have fun safely!

Knock knock. Who’s there? Boo. Boo who? Aw, don’t cry! It’s just Tell A Knock Knock Joke Day! It’s also Doorbell Day, so should we be telling Ding Dong jokes instead? And when you go trick-or-treating, should you ring the doorbell, yell “Trick-or-treat,” or say “Knock knock”. I’m so confused!

Today is a busy day! It’s Increase Your Psychic Powers Day. Try to read my mind! If your psychic powers fail you, try sleight of hand instead, since it’s Magic Day! It’s also Carve A Pumpkin Day, and Caramel Apple Day. My favorite trick is to make a few caramel onions too, hee-hee-hee!