Author: Lisa Mungovan

Scientists have found that white, heat-reflecting paint, helps cool cities and buildings, by reflecting the Sun’s rays. But what if you want a nice blue house instead? Lightweight plasmonic paint, has a bottom layer that reflects 80% of mid-infrared light, which is usually absorbed as heat. The top layer is filled with colored nanoparticles.

On Pluto Demoted Day, we remember when Pluto was officially downgraded in 2006. Its status was changed to dwarf planet. Now the 8 planets in our Solar System are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, while the 5 known dwarf planets are Pluto, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris. We still love you Pluto!

Today is Vesuvius Day. Mount Vesuvius is the volcano in Italy, that destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD. Create your own volcano and make it erupt, while listening to unusual music for International Strange Music Day! You can make music from anything. Today is also Waffle Day. What’s your favorite flavor, blueberry or chocolate chip?

A Mexican festival, included breaking 3 world records. The La Discada Festival in Guadalupe used the world’s biggest frying pan, at 23 feet in diameter, to cook the world’s largest stir-fry, containing 5,331 pounds of meat and vegetables, and serve it in the most tacos in one hour. 10,000 people ate 13,215 tacos!

On your next trip to Alaska, how would you like to stay in a plane? Flight instructor John Kotwicki has taken old planes from his flight school, and created an airplane amusement park. You can stay in luxury aircraft b-n-b’s, stargaze from a runway control tower, and visit the airplane parts museum.

Although more than 83,000 meteorites have been recovered on Earth, only 390 of them originated on Mars. When large rocks hit Mars, chunks of the planet’s surface are ejected from the impact crater, and sometimes fly towards Earth. Scientists found that 200 meteorites, have come from just 5 different craters on Mars.

Today is Buttered Corn Day, and there’s nothing like biting into an ear of buttery sweet roasted corn. What’s the best way to cook corn? Look it up on the World Wide Web, because it’s also Internaut Day. An internaut is someone who knows all about how to use the internet.

Today is Sponge Cake Day. This light and airy cake is perfect with a cup of tea! Maybe it will make you feel light and airy enough to rise into the sky! It’s also Ride The Wind Day, so go hang gliding, take a hot air balloon ride, or maybe just fly a kite.

Back in February, we celebrated Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day. Now it’s the Southern Hemisphere’s turn. If it’s winter where you live, and you want to chase it away, go outside at noon, wave your hands above your head, and chant “Hoodie-hoo!” The people sick of summer, would happily send some heat your way.

Quick, cover your kitty’s ears. It’s Take Your Cat To The Vet Day. They need their vaccinations just like humans! It’s also Eat A Peach Day. A big, juicy, peach, is delicious on a hot summer day. Since today’s also Be An Angel Day, do nice things for people. Like giving them a peach!