N Nascar
To learn more about the physics behind safety devices in racing cars, see:
www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/trobinso/physicspages/POpart2/po2002/NASCAR/index.html

Read more about the SAFER barrier at:
www.nuengr.uni.edu/cet/contacts/Fall02/Feature1.html

Fact:
· The SAFER barrier works:  Instruments inside NASCAR racer Jason Keller's vehicle showed that the force on his car was 70 percent less than that on a car driven by Jerry Nadeau that had crashed into a concrete wall at a similar angle earlier in the year.

O Old Age
To learn more about cholesterol, visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's National Cholesterol Education Program:
www.nhibi.nih.gov/chd/

For videos, cartoons, and activities on aging, check out:
www.brainpop.com/health/growthanddevelopment/aging/index.wemi

Optical Illusions

Fact:
· Your eyes' tendency to focus on vertical lengths can use optical illusions.  "When people go to the St. Louis Arch, they say it looks so tall instead of saying it looks really wide," says nutritional scientist Brain Wansink.  "The width is actually the same as the height."  For examples of optical illusions, including the St. Louis Arch, see:  www.psych.utah.edu/psych3120-classroom/09_04_03.pdf

P  Popcorn
For activities and fun popcorn facts, visit the Popcorn Board at:
www.popcorn.org

Facts:
· Popcorn's scientific name is Zea mays everta, and it is the only type of corn that pops.
· The U.S. consumes the most amount of popcorn in the world.  Despite its popularity at movie theaters, Americans eat most of their popcorn - 70 percent-at home.
· What makes popcorn pop?  Inside each kernel is a droplet of water covered in soft starch.  The starch is surrounded by the kernel's hard outer shell.  As the kernel heats up, the water expands.  Pressure builds against the hard outer shell.  Eventually, the soft starch inside becomes inflated and bursts, turning the kernel inside out to release steam.
· Since popcorn can't pop without moisture, it's best to store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.  If left uncovered, the corn can lose 1 percent of moisture on a hot day.  The corn won't be able to pop after a 3 percent moisture loss.

Q  Quench
To learn more about why, what, when, and how much we eat, visit:
www.foodpsychology.com/

R  Rainy Days
To learn more about NASA's program to measure rainfall rates around the world, visit NASA's Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (trmm) at:
http://trmm.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/earth/weather_climate/weather_climate_index.cfm

Facts:
· City pollution may also create rain clouds.  The tiny dirt particles in the air act as cloud seeds--water droplets condenses onto the particles to form clouds.
· City-caused rainfall is enhanced in urban centers that are near a coast.  Warm, moist air blows off the water and collides with the rising city air to create more rain clouds.

S  Shyness
Are you shy?  Get some tips on how to build your confidence:
www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/shyness_p2.html

Facts:
· The amygdala is an almond-shaped region of the brain that is involved in emotion and survival.
· Once shy, always shy?  Not necessarily.  Though an active amygdala may indicate shyness, most people can overcome their inhibitions by trying new things or seeking counseling.  Medication is also available for people with social anxiety disorder, an extreme form of shyness.
· While you might be born with a "shy brain," environmental factors--such as overprotective parents or accidents--shape your temperament.

T  Tongue Splitting
The American Dental Association is in the process of developing an official statement on tongue splitting.  In the meantime, read its statement on another oral modification procedure--piercing:
www.ada.org/prof/resources/positions/statements/piercing.asp

V  Vending Machines
To learn more about the Center for Science in the Public's Interest's effort to improve school foods, including a link to its School Foods Tool Kit, visit:
www.cspinet.org/new/200309151.html

Read up on the nation's first dairy-only vending machine:
www.midwestdairy.com/content.cfm?contentalias=df_news_vending

W  Water
"Bottled Water Regulation and the FDA," by Lauren M. Posnick, Sc.D. and Henry Kim, Ph.D., Food Safety magazine, August/September 2002.

"Bottled Water:  Better Tan the Tap?" 

For bottled water regulations, go to:
www.bottledwater.org/public/BWFactsRegHome.htm

X  X-Files
To learn more about the Roswell incident, go to the International UFO Museum and Research Center's Web site:
www.iufomrc.org/

The Coalition for Freedom of Information is working with the Sci-Fi Channel to get the secret NASA documents regarding Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO'S).  Its Web site includes more information and popular news articles about space and UFO's:
www.freedomofinfo.org/media.html

Fact:
· The Sci-Fi Channel polled 1,021 American adults over 18 years old and found that more than 72% believe that the government is not telling the public everything it knows about UFO's; and 68% think that the government knows more about extraterrestrial life than it is letting on.

Y  Yes?
Life Strategies for Teens, by Jay McGraw. Fireside, 2000.

Bringing Up Parents:  The Teenager's Handbook, by Alex J. Packer, Free Spirit Publishing, 1992.

Z  Zapped
Learn how a microwave works at:
www.howstuffworks.com/microwave.htm

Fact:
· When you boil vegetables, some of the healthy antioxidants leak out of the veggies and end up in the water.  A solution?  Use less water--or pour the cooking liquid over rice and eat it too!