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11th February 2005 Issue: 16

Love is in the air with this Valentine Hay-Wire special. Get ready to uncover the science behind all that luvvy duvvy mush...

  1. THE BUZZ – How science can sometimes be sweet...
  2. WEB WATCH – Take a guided tour of your heart!
  3. CRASH BANG – Add a touch of science to your Valentine’s card!
  4. TUMMY TICKLERS – These jokes will surely make you cringe...
1. THE BUZZ – Science news delivered to your inbox...

Just what is it about this time of year that makes adults go all smushy? It could be something to do with all the chocolate that’s eaten on Valentine’s Day. Let’s put it to the test...

Hold a chocolate in your hand. But wait! Don’t hold it for too long. Cocoa butter is an ingredient in chocolate, which melts at about 37ºC. This is normal human body temperature and is the reason why chocolate melts in your mouth (and in your hand!).

Now you have the chocolate in your hand, do you REALLY, REALLY want to eat it? If so, it could mean you have a ‘sweet tooth’. A sweet tooth means that you have a strong desire to eat sweet food. And guess what? Scientists think you may inherit your sweet tooth from your parents!

GO ON! Put the choccie in your mouth. Are you feeling better already? If so, scientists think this could be because eating chocolate makes your body release certain chemicals. These chemicals make you feel good.

That should give you some food for thought, anyone for another choccie?
2. WEB WATCH – For great science websites you’ve come to the right place...

Here at Planet Science we’re all heart and as Valentine’s Day is coming up, here’s a website that might help you be all heart to!

CBHF is a brand new website for the under 11s from the British Heart Foundation. You can visit the site by clicking on this link: http://www.bhf.org.uk/cbhf/

If you’ve ever wondered how your heart keeps on working then the CBHF’s online professor is the person to ask. Just drop him an email! In his section you’ll also find oodles of information relating to the heart, how to keep fit and how to keep your heart healthy. Follow the advice across these pages and you hopefully won’t end up with a broken heart next Valentine’s Day!

Once you’ve digested all that info, why not visit the Fun section where you’ll find a game called: ‘Artie Beat versus The Bad Snax’? The task at hand is to zap all the bad snacks, like burgers and chips, and to let the fruit and vegetables safely reach your dinner plate.

Top score so far in the Planet Science office is 1330. Can you beat that?

And speaking of the Mother Ship, Planet Science has come up with a really disgustingly mushy, Valentiny love story style quiz, all set in the world botany – that's the science of plants. You could win a squishy 'Cushtie' cushion (Guess what, it's heart shaped) and some self heating chemical hand warmers. All you need to do is click on This URL:
http://www.planet-science.com/wired/comp_quiz/02_05_Lurve/

There's also a new feature in Out There all about those spooky looking black – or near black – flowers and planets, starring a botanical interactive simulator called The Pollinator, where you get to breed your own nearly black flowers. Sound good?

Here it is:
http://www.planet-science.com/outthere/flowers/
3. CRASH BANG – Science experiments for you to try at home...

If you’ve made a Valentine’s card in school then you’ll need it for the following experiment...

You could always write your name on your Valentine’s card if you’re feeling brave. If you’re shy, on the other hand, then here’s how science can help you out. As always, ask an adult to help you with the experiment.

Stuff You Need:

  • Your Valentine’s card
  • Lemon juice (you should have plenty left in the cupboards after Pancake Day!)
  • Toothpick or paintbrush

What To Do:

  1. Dip your toothpick or paintbrush into the lemon juice. This is your ‘invisible ink’!
  2. Write a secret message on your card or simply write your name at the bottom. Don’t press too hard with the toothpick or paintbrush.
  3. Leave your card to dry.

What’s Going On?

After your card has dried, you won’t be able to see your secret message. When you give the card to your Valentine, the only way he or she will be able to read it is if they ask an adult to hold it above a lamp or radiator until the message appears.

The message appears because when the lemon juice is heated, it burns at a lower rate than the card. The result is your invisible message shows up brown!

All you have to do now is hope your Valentine is a Hay-Wire subscriber so they know how to read your secret message!
4. TUMMY TICKLERS – It’s the way we tell them...

That reminds me of some jokes I once heard. These jokes might make you laugh:

Q) Why didn’t the skeleton go to school?
A) Because his heart wasn’t in it!

Q) What did the boy bat say to the girl bat on Valentine’s Day?
A) “You’re fun to hang around with!”

Q) What did the boy squirrel say to the girl squirrel on Valentine’s Day?
A) “I’m nuts about you!”

Here’s a joke that might make you grumble:

Knock knock!
Who’s there?
Emma!
Emma who?
Emma hoping I’ll get lots of Valentine’s cards this year!

And one that might make you feel sick:

Q) How do you get a tissue to dance with you?
A) Put a boogie in it!

On that note, I think it’s time to go!
INFORMATION OVERLOAD

That’s all for this issue. The next issue of Hay-Wire will be with you in two weeks time so until then, why not ask your friends to join the Hay-Wire Club?

They can visit the Clubhouse for more details at:
http://www.planet-science.com/wired/hay-wire/clubhouse

We still have some Frisbees left for the new members!

Bye for now!