Science|Children’s science questions
Children’s science questions also discuss shark runny nose, the survival of winter squirrels, and the fate of dinosaurs. And what day did most people die?
Emma Kautto, 10
Thousands of the Stone Age people who lived years ago already had beauty ideals. Why did the ability to form perceptions of beauty become widespread in humanity early on? There are different views on this.
The answer is complicated by the fact that so many different things can be beautiful.
According to some, there are ancient survival factors behind it.
For example, we like lush natural landscapes. The reason may be that the preference made our ancestors who lived in the savannah seek places where they survived well.
The threats have since diminished, but the experience of beauty has survived.
Others, on the other hand, think that we like beautiful objects and performances, for example, because they nurture our curiosity and imagination. This is how they exercise our ability to solve problems.
One suggestion is that sharing feelings and experiences with other people has confirmed that we would not be left alone.
Although views differ, it is clear that both our habitat and our hereditary tendencies are important when perceptions of beauty are formed. In many cases, the environment has a particularly large impact.
We tend to observe and imitate others and teach others our own perceptions. For example, if the people around us or someone we admire like some beautiful things, we often start to germinate in them.
In the end, however, beautiful things are touching for everyone in their own way. So we experience our sensory perceptions individually.
Onerva Kiianlinna
dissertation researcher in aesthetics
university of Helsinki
Earthquakes could wreak havoc, as in Tangshan, China in 1976. It was the worst earthquake ever in the region.
On what day have most people died?
Anton Sipilä, 10
Suddenly one could easily think that that day may not be very far in history.
There are more people now than ever before. So they could also be expected to die more. However, in the past, people lived for a much shorter period of time, so they also died more often.
Today, about 60 million people die each year, which means about 165,000 people a day.
During World War II, mortality rose markedly higher in 1940–1945. At that time, about 70-86 million people died every year.
The bombing of Tokyo, the capital of Japan, killed more than 100,000 people during the night of March 9-10, 1945. It raises that day’s mortality rate particularly much above average.
However, the most devastating day for humanity is not due to war. In the province of Shaanxi, China, on January 23, 1556, an earthquake killed an estimated 830,000 people.
Even if there is an exaggeration in the chapter, there are far more Chinese who have died that day than there are people on Earth any other day. The answer is therefore January 23, 1556.
Risto Marjomaa
university lecturer in general history
university of Helsinki
Sharks have a sense of smell that has little to no snout.
Can sharks get a runny nose?
Veikko Pesonen, 3
In the human nose is a mucous membrane because air passes through the nose and is accompanied by various impurities. The mucous membrane protects against their effects.
The runny nose is usually caused by the mucous membrane becoming inflamed and starting to secrete flowing mucus. Through rhinitis, our bodies try to get inflammation in their brains.
Sharks in the nose, or more specifically in the sense of smell, do not carry air but water. Although it also has a thin mucosa, it does not secrete much sucker. So you can’t get a runny nose.
However, toxins in the water, such as some pesticides and metals, may slightly increase shark mucus secretion. Even then, the mucus is quickly removed with the flowing water.
Hannu Huuskonen
University researcher, docent of fish biology
University of Eastern Finland
The squirrel knows how to put food in storage for tomorrow.
Will the food supply of squirrels spoil during the winter?
Otto Matilainen, 9
In winter the main food for squirrels is spruce and, to some extent, pine cones.
As food storage, they collect mushrooms, especially in the forks of trees. Squirrels also put the nuts they find in the winter feeding places of the birds in the nurseries.
The squirrel also stores acorns for the winter. Landfills are also used as storage facilities.
In general, squirrel winter stocks do not spoil during a normal snowy winter. It is important for stocks to remain dry.
Climate change will change this. For example, snow-free and very wet winters have already been experienced in southern Finland.
If the squirrel’s stocks get caught in the water, they will be polluted. On the other hand, squirrels find mushrooms and walnut nuts in the snow-free soil for food.
Riku Lumiaro
biodiversity expert
Finnish Environment Institute
The reign of dinosaurs lasted for millions of years, very much longer than modern man has been on Earth.
Would dinosaurs still exist if a big asteroid had not collided with Earth?
Astrid Blomqvist, 3
For the Cretaceous at the end of the inviting era, there were an estimated 600 to 1,100 species of dinosaurs. They were very different from each other.
An asteroid collision on Earth about 65 million years ago destroyed the habitats of the time. That’s when the dinosaurs also died.
Without the collision, dinosaurs would probably have lived on Earth for a long time to come. There has been no catastrophe in the history of the earth since such that they would not have survived to the present day.
In that case, people would probably not be wondering about them.
Exactly, however, there are still dinosaurs in the world. Birds have so much in common with them organically that they can rightly be considered dinosaurs.
Mikko Haaramo
vertebrate paleontologist
university of Helsinki
Send the question, the full name and age of the questioner to [email protected]. The column will be edited by Touko Kauppinen and Juha Merimaa.
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