Author: Lisa Mungovan

It’s World Calligraphy Day, celebrating the artistry of writing. You can use a fountain pen, a wide-tipped marker, a brush, or a feather quill and ink. Look up calligraphy styles, and practice writing each letter carefully. Even a shopping list can look like a fancy wedding invitation, when written in calligraphy!

Lefties, this day is for you! It’s International Left-Handers Day! About 10% of the population is left-handed. To stand out today, make people awkwardly shake hands with their left hands. Ask right-handers to write, or throw a ball with their left hands, for a good laugh.

The Recology recycling center in San Francisco California, receives more than 100 tons of material every day. They welcome artists to scavenge for materials, to create art. An exhibit featuring 35 years of trash to treasure artworks, created by 63 artists, is open until August 30th. Find the artistic possibilities, in your own trash.

The peak of the Perseid meteor showers, is tonight and tomorrow morning, before dawn. Stay up late or get up early, to watch as the Earth passes through fields of comet waste. The debris burns up, causing the shooting stars in our skies. Dark skies are best, to see the trails of light.

Elephants are the largest land mammals in the world. Their skin is an inch thick. They can weigh over 12,000 pounds, and grow 10 feet tall. They eat 300-600 pounds of food a day, with around 220 pounds coming back out as poop. Celebrate these amazing animals, for World Elephant Day!

Today is the United Nations’ International Youth Day. The theme this year, is “Local Youth Actions for the Sustainable Development Goals and Beyond”. Young people like Greta Thunberg have taken global ideas, and put them in action in their local communities. Adults can be inspired by kids, to make changes.

Today is Vinyl Record Day. These big flat discs with a spiral groove, store sound. Dig out a record player and dance!! Or, watch the Slow Mo Guys Spin a vinyl record so fast that it shatters, on their YouTube channel. Their camera films 343,000 frames-per-second. Everything’s amazing in slow motion!

Alex Babich has been growing a magnificent sunflower, in Indiana. Last week, his sunflower, named Clover, broke the US record for tallest sunflower, by reaching 26 feet, 8 inches. Clover kept growing, and surpassed the world record as it stretched to 30 feet 1 inch. Maybe it’s trying to get closer to the Sun!

Some people with conditions like diabetes, develop sores that take a long time to heal. One kind of bandage, can help chronic wounds heal faster. The bandage has electrodes that come into contact with the wound, and a water-activated battery. The electrical field reduces inflammation, and speeds up healing, by 30%!

I hear crickets chirping! Male crickets chirp to attract females, by rubbing their wings together. Crickets can also tell you the temperature outside! Count how many times a cricket chirps in 14 seconds, then add 40, for an approximate temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. For Celsius, count the chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, then add 4.