Woohoo! I’m making a splash! Happy New Year! I hope you had a fun festive break and are excited about 2024. To celebrate Chinese New Year on 10 February – the Year of the Dragon – we've scoured Georgia the planet in search of some real-life 'dragons'. Turn to page 12 to meet them! This month's cute cover star is a harp seal pup – and on page 6, Nat Geo Explorer Bertie Gregory watches one take its first swim in the icy ocean! Also this issue, we learn all about Artificial Intelligence, discover the geology behind birthstones, and check out the world's slimiest creature. Enjoy the puzzles and posters, too. See you next month! Editor Georgia and the Nat Geo Kids team 6 HARP SEALS ON ICE! 12 SPECIES SHOWCASE! Hanging out with fluffy pups and their families 4 COOL POSTERS! COOL QR CODES! We’ve put some QR codes in this month’s mag. If you point a smart device at them you’ll be taken to more awesome stuff online. Try it here! Meet seven remarkable real-life ‘dragons’… 14 THE BIG INTERVIEW Tech expert Mike Wooldridge tells us all about Artificial Intelligence SCAN 4 5 6 7 1 8 4 5 9 7 6 3 8 1 5 4 8 1 3 7 6 2 5 6 2 4 3 9 8 3 8 9 2 3 1 7 9 5 8 6 2 1 3 9 7 9 HERE Write to NG KiDS Cover: All pictures © Getty Images UK. This page: Seal © Bertie Gregory; Gem © Bildagentur-online / th-foto / Alamy; Big Interview © Paul Wilkinson Photography; All other pictures © Getty Images UK. Email editorial@ngkids.com.au Website natgeokids.com Facebook facebook.com/natgeokidsausnz @ For competition terms and conditions visit natgeokids.com/ts-and-cs/ In Australia: To find your nearest stockist of National Geographic Kids magazine, please call 1300 650 666 or email contactus@gordongotch.com.au For subscriptions, please call the hotline on 02 8227 6486 or find us online at natgeokids.com/au/subscribeau/ In New Zealand: To find your nearest stockist of National Geographic Kids magazine, please call 9979 3018 or email contactus@gordongotch.com.au For subscriptions, call the hotline on +61 2 8227 6486 or find us online at natgeokids.com/nz/subscribenz/ Creature Media Australia Pty Limited does not endorse any of the products in this magazine. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS is the world’s biggest-selling monthly general-interest magazine for children, with a worldwide circulation of 1.7 million in more than 20 countries. 22 GEMS THAT ROCK! Which star shares your birthstone – and what does it mean? 29 FUN STUFF Exercise your brain with our puzzle pages! PLUS! 3 Wacky World The planet’s 4 21 strangest photos Cool News Inspiring stories from around the globe… The Big Question What’s the world’s slimiest creature?! 26 Junior Explorers’ Club Your letters, pictures and crafts! 28 Weird But True Facts about super squirrels, quirky comets and more! 33 Make It Weave a lucky Mexican handicraft – a God’s Eye! 34 Puzzle Answers and Jokes Oi, no cheating! WORLD! Check out the planet’s strangest pictures… Jungle giants A dog’s life Meet Toco, the collie. Or rather, ‘Toco’, the human who spends his days dressed as a collie! The anonymous man, from Tokyo in Japan, almost AU$20,000 on his fetch-ing canine costume, realising his childhood dream of becoming a ‘dog’. People stop him when he’s out and about to take photos or stroke him – and he’s even been interviewed in, er, pawson on TV. Howl strange! Until 21 January, visitors to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, France, can head off on a magical nighttime walk around the 17th-century botanical garden, getting up close to gigantic lanterns shaped like rainforest plants and animals from around the world. Very cool! Pebble Picasso Justin Bateman makes portraits of people and animals out of a very unusual material – stones! The artist, from Portsmouth in the UK, can take up to a month to painstakingly position pebbles of different sizes and colours into these amazing mosaics, which range from 1m to 8m in size. “Each piece can contain between 2,000 and 30,000 stones,” Jason explains. Whoa! Pebble Picasso © Justin Bateman; A dog’s life © Franck Robichon / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock; ; All others © Getty Images UK. WACKY HAIRLARIOUS ROOFTOP RELAXATION This ‘giant ‘ was spotted hanging out on the roof of a house in Shanghai, China, recently. Turns out it was just a sculpture, placed there to promote a clothing brand! Check out this hairy pair! The dad and son were two of the competitors in the Mulletfest 2023 Grand Final in Australia’s Hunter Valley, raising money for brain cancer research. Trim-endous! WILD RIDE Hundreds of people took to the skies in November during the 21st International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Leon, Mexico. This birdshaped balloon was our fave flyer! COOL It’s a De Winton’s golden mole! Inspiring stories from around the globe… Return of the golden mole! Mole tracks in their sandy habitat! How cute is this De Winton’s golden mole?! The sweet species was recently rediscovered in Port Nolloth, South Africa, after being lost to science for 87 years! Totally blind and relying on their sensitive hearing to navigate, the moles ‘swim’ through sand dunes, leaving faint tracks behind. The shy, speedy creatures are almost never seen – which is why conservationists thought they’d gone extinct. In 2021, researchers from the Endangered Wildlife Trust spotted moles they suspected were De Winton’s – but they needed DNA evidence to be sure. Two long years later, they finally found it in fresh mole trails on the sand. Brilliant! The scientists now plan to train a scent detection dog to find more of the critically endangered moles, so they can be documented and their habitat protected. Hooray! Litter-Picking World Cup! The first ever Litter-Picking World Cup took place in Tokyo, Japan, last November, with three-person teams competing to collect and sort the most litter in just 90 minutes! The UK took the top spot, clearing up a whopping 57kg of rubbish to beat teams from 20 countries including Australia, USA and Japan. But the contest wasn’t just about winning… Since 2008, local ‘SpoGomi’ contests have been held all over Japan, encouraging communities to work together to tidy public spaces. The name ‘SpoGomi’ is a combo of ‘sport’ and the Japanese word ‘gomi-hiroi’, which means ‘trash-gathering’. Organisers hope other countries will be inspired to start their own eco-friendly events. Sign us up! A member of the Australian litter-picking team in Shibuya, Tokyo STUDIO GHIBLI There’s now a UK stage version of Studio Ghibli’s iconic animation My Neighbour Totoro! Let’s learn about the Japanese animators behind the tale… Known for their cute The films’ iconic 1stories 2 characters and hand-drawn art of adventure, style was created by love and friendship, Studio Ghibli’s animated films have captured the hearts of kids (and adults!) since 1985. Each whimsical tale transports viewers to a magical fantasy world! co-founder, animator and director Hayao Miyazaki. Also a manga (Japanese comic) artist, he included many themes from his own life in the films, such as war and family illness. Three cheers for the UK’s rubbish winners! Sisters Mei and Satsuki in My Neighbour Totoro! One of Studio Ghibli’s 3 best-loved films, My Neighbour Totoro, has been brought to life on stage*! In the heart-warming production, cuddly forest creature Totoro and the enormous Catbus are portrayed by huge puppets. Wow! *My Neighbour Totoro is on stage at London’s Barbican, UK until 23 March 2024. The original animation can be seen on Netflix, along with many other Studio Ghibli movies. Totoro and the girls in the original animation Sand rain on ‘Candyfloss’ planet! Check out ‘Candyfloss’ planet – an exoplanet** about 200 light-years away from Earth, where sand falls like rain! Nicknamed for its fluffy-looking atmosphere, the planet was first detected in 2017. But thanks to images from the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, which was sent into space in December 2021, astronomers have been able to learn more about it. They’ve found clouds of sand in its atmosphere, as well as gases like water vapour and toxic sulphur dioxide, which smells like burnt matches! Despite being bigger than 30 Earths, the planet – scientific name WASP-107b – has very little mass because it’s a ‘gas giant’, like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. We wonder what else will discovered on this fluffy faraway world?! et has This weird plan phere! os m at ’ fy uf ‘fl a Key events for your diary! FEB 2 World Wetlands Day Say ‘yay’ for the planet’s precious fens, swamps and marshes! **An exoplanet is any planet that orbits a star beyond our solar system. Teen saves grandad! 12 Darwin Day Find out about the great scientist by scanning this code! FEB Henry was reunited with the Fowey RNLI rescue crew last month and they gave him a certificate of thanks! 10 Chinese New Year Head to page 12 to welcome in the Year of the Dragon! HAPPY WORD OF THE MONTH! M EA N D Mole and tracks © JP Le Roux / Re:wild; Henry lifeboat (both) © RNLI / Ian Foster; Planet © LUCA School of Arts, Belgium / Klaas Verpoest; Studio Ghibli stage show, photograph by Manuel Harlan © RSC with Nippon TV; My Neighbour Totoro art © Studio Ghibli / Tokuma-Shoten / Nibariki / Kobal / Shutterstock; All others © Getty Images UK. Mayday, mayday! A quick-thinking UK teen saved his grandad’s life last September after he fell into the sea from their sailing boat. Thirteen-year-old Henry and his grandad David Richards, 70, were competing in a sailing race in St. Austell Bay, Cornwall, when David tumbled overboard. Left alone on the 5m-long boat, Henry kept calm. He collapsed the spinnaker sail, slowing the craft down, then radioed for urgent help. Soon, the Fowey RNLI lifeboats arrived and their volunteers scooped David from the waves before helping Henry sail safely back to harbour. Thanks to Henry’s swift actions, David was rescued after just 20 minutes in the water. He was cold and tired but otherwise unharmed. Well done, Henry! FEB Henry and his grateful grandad! FEB ER In ancient times, a certain river, named after the river god Maeander, was celebrated for its long and winding course. It turned this way and that as it flowed through a region called Ionia until it reached the Aegean Sea. This river still flows today in southwestern Turkey, and is now called the Büyük Menderes River. The Maeander River was so well known that ‘meandering’ became a word in English for wandering aimlessly or following a winding course. And the word can truly bring feelings of calm and serenity, as you picture yourself meandering across a field on a lazy summer’s day. This wonderful word is taken from Roots of Happiness: 100 Words for Joy and Hope by Susie Dent, illustrated by Harriet Hobday. Valentine’s Day 14 Send a card to someone you like! FEB 17 World Pangolin Day Celebrate the scaly mammals! natgeokids.com 5 On the Ice With Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory spent ten days filming harp seals in the wild. Here he tells us how he became just another pup in this seal family… I’m watching a ten-day-old harp seal pup peer off the edge of a piece of sea ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coast of Canada. Its mum yelps at it from the water, encouraging the pup to join her. The pup looks at me with its big, black eyes as if to ask, ‘Should I do it?’ “I’ve been in Canada for ten days filming these newborns during their first days of life. These pups are born into an icy world where they must quickly learn how to survive – and I want to show how tough these cute creatures are. I also really want to film a pup diving into the ocean for its first-ever swim. “I’m shivering. I’ve been in the minus 1°C water for nearly half an hour. But if I get out now, I might miss capturing the seal’s first dive. My teeth chatter as I tighten my grip on my waterproof camera. I’ve worked too hard to miss what happens next. Bertie observes a harp seal pup 6 National Geographic Kids PUPS ON ICE S I A R A U O GR A harp seal dives into the icy water Turn over to get up close to these amazing animals… natgeokids.com 7 Main image and single pup © Bertie Gregory; Bertie with pup © Spencer Millsap; Bertie headshot © Getty Images UK. Where harp seals live A N N O RT H AMERICA O Gulf of St. Lawrence TL A CE NTIC AN ND ) LA rk N ma n (D EE e PE ARCTIC OCEAN PACIFIC OCEA “Flash back to nearly two weeks ago: I’m peering out of a helicopter’s window, looking at thousands of harp seals gathered on floating chunks of sea ice called floes. The females are caring for their pups, which are born in the Gulf of St. Lawrence from late February to early March. “The helicopter lands on a floe E at the edge of the harp seal colony. Under the whirring propellers, I jump out. I’m followed by filmmaker Spencer Millsap and Norman Gregoire, a local ice expert who acts as our guide and makes sure we don’t get x into any unsafe situations. Madeleine Islands (Canada) “The ice is crowded with hundreds of teeny-tiny pups that have just been born. Some are only 15 minutes old. The newborns aren’t very cute – they’re pale yellow and soggy. But in a few hours, their fur dries out and puffs up, making them the cutest animals on the planet! “The pups are nervous. We hear their pitiful squeaking, so we hang back. They’re also very weak, not yet strong enough to lift their heads. I think about how they’ll transform from flabby little blobs to fluffy white sausages in just a few days. Watching them drink their mother’s milk, I know they’ll gain blubber (fat) fast. They have to. When they’re about 12 days old, their Each year, mums will disappear harp seals can forever, migrating north migrate about towards Greenland and 5,000km. their feeding grounds. “After about ten hours, the helicopter arrives to take us back to the nearby Madeleine Islands, where we’ll be sleeping. We leave a GPS beacon behind to mark the position of the colony. Since the seals live on top of floating ice, the wind and currents will move their home to a different location. Tomorrow, the seals could be 30km away, so we’ll need the GPS to find them.” “But that’s when I spot a pup eyeing the pool with its enormous eyes, like it’s thinking about jumping into the water. I grab my camera and gently enter the pool. “At first, the pup’s mum is not happy to see me. She circles me in the water, as if she’s asking, ‘What are you?’ I know she’s just protecting her baby. After watching me bob in the water, she decides I’m a useless creature, not a threat! She then ignores Adult me and starts swimming back and harp seals can forth along the ice’s edge, gently dive as deep as calling to her pup to encourage it 300m – that’s to test out the water. almost as deep “Then, suddenly – splash! The pup as Paris’ Eiffel bellyflops into the pool. It’s freaking Tower is tall! out, thrashing all over the place and calling for its mother like a little sheep. Mum swims towards the pup, calling out as if to say, ‘You’ve got this!’ Staying warm in his drysuit, Bertie films in the freezing water SHADOWING SEALS “Throughout our first week, we watch the pups learn to move across the ice. Unlike sea lions, which have longer flippers and a strong upper body to help them ‘walk,’ seals have short flippers that can’t lift their bodies. So pups and adults move on the ground like fluffy caterpillars, flopping all over the place. “The pups spend much of their first week alone on the ice, waiting for their mums to return from hunting. But during the second week, the mums begin calling out for the pups to join them in the water. The mothers must now teach their pups how to swim before all the adults head north for good. My chance to see a pup’s first swimming lesson is close. “Between floating pieces of ice are pools of water – some as small as a garden paddling pool – that are perfect for a pup’s first swim. So I look for babies hanging out near the edges, hoping they’ll soon splash into the ocean. “Wearing my drysuit, I quietly slip into a pool where some mums are calling out to their babies. The icy water stings the tiny bit of exposed skin on my upper lip, but I focus on the seals and not the temperature. Maybe the pups sense how cold I am, because they don’t want to join me. I don’t blame them! INTO THE OCEAN “By day ten, we still haven’t seen a pup take its first swim. I’m starting to worry that lugging our equipment around this frozen habitat has all been for nothing. PUP KISSES “As the pup figures out how to stay afloat, Mum zooms over to scare off some large male harp seals trying to enter the pool. She doesn’t want anything harming her baby. “With Mum busy, it’s just me and the pup. The baby blinks at me, like it’s trying to figure out what I might be. Wiggling its whiskers, it paddles forward. I stay still, not sure what’s going to happen. The pup sniffs my face – then it leans forward and tries to give me a kiss! A photo from a helicopter shows two harp seals in a pool Quickchange artists Fast-growing harp seal pups don’t look the same for long. These eight names describe the seal’s different stages of growth… 8 1 day old Yellowcoat A newborn harp seal is pale yellow because its fur has been stained by the fluids in its mother’s womb. National Geographic Kids 3 days old Whitecoat Bleached by the sun, the seal’s soft fur turns pure white and stays that way for nearly two weeks. 12 days old » Greycoat Spots and darker fur start to show through the pup’s white fur, giving it a greyish look. 21 days old Ragged jacket As the pup sheds its white coat, it takes on a tattered appearance. Some pups swim and dive on their own at this stage. Filming © Spencer Millsap; Seals in ice, mum and baby © Bertie Gregory; Yellowcoat © Jeff Foott / Getty Images; Whitecoat © Werner Bollmann / Getty Images; Greycoat © Gary Cralle / Getty Images; Beater © Jennifer Hayes / National Geographic Image Collection; Adult © T. Nakamura Volvox Inc. / Getty Images. A mum and baby get close for a ‘harp seal kiss’ “This behaviour, called a ‘harp seal kiss,’ is usually between the mum and the baby so they can get to know each other’s scent. I don’t want this pup to think I’m a relative, so I float away from the baby, as if to say, ‘Nope, I’m not your mum!’ BENEATH THE ICE “For an hour and a half, I watch the pup go from flopping around in a panic to excitedly doggy-paddling around the pool. Still filming, I capture the baby dipping its entire body underwater. Above the surface, these creatures sound like sheep, but down below, their echoes off the ice sound like an alien invasion. Listening to this strange sci-fi soundtrack, I watch the 25 days old » Beater The young seal is now silvery grey with black spots. The name ‘beater’ refers to its clumsy early attempts to swim and dive. Harp seals are known as ‘earless’ seals mum and pup swirl through because they don’t a graceful underwater acrobat. I feel especially grateful to have the water like ballet dancers. have external “Soon the pup tires and is been accepted into this harp earflaps. (They ready to get out. For the next seal colony. do have ears, “Before I saw a pup in person, ten minutes, it tries to pull itself though!) I couldn’t imagine how a twoout of the water, with the mum nudging its backside with her nose. week-old seal could survive on its Eventually, back on the ice, the own in such a harsh environment. But after watching how quickly these animals exhausted pup drinks more milk adapt, I get it. They’re the ultimate before falling asleep. survivors. Hopefully when they’re older, the pups we’ve seen will be teaching their own babies how to swim for the first time. HARP SEALS FOREVER “I look at Spencer and Norman in amazement: we’ve just seen a harp seal pup swim for the first time! It’s been so incredible seeing this wobbly blob on the ice turn into 14 months old Bedlamer Another moult and the seal gets a new name that sounds like the French phrase ‘bête de la mer,’ or ‘beast of the sea.’ 4 years old Spotted harp A black pattern begins to appear on the coat as the spots fade. Some females keep this ‘harp’ for life. Flipper over the page to see more pics of cute pups! » 5–10 years old Adult harp Mature males and many females also develop black markings on their faces and backs. natgeokids.com 9 SEAL TAKES SEAL SNAPS! TOA BABY THE WAVES… A brave pup goes for its first swim… ...while its mum looks on with encouragement! 2 1 “GO FOR IT, KID!” “I’M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS, MUM...” Harp seals have a seethrough eyelid that protects their eyes underwater. The seal pup checks out Bertie during its first swim 4 3 “I DID IT! I’M SWIMMING!” “SO… WHAT ARE YOU?” Pup looking down © Ingo Arndt / NPL / Minden Pictures; Mum, pup swimming and Bertie with pup © Bertie Gregory; Pup looking up © Fred Bruemmer / Getty Images; Pup resting © Mario Cyr / National Geographic Image Collection. 5 “CAN I GO AGAIN?” Shrinking sea ice In March 2021, harp seal pups were photographed on a snow-covered beach in Canada (below). The problem? Well, adult harp seals usually give birth on the ice in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence – not on land. As the Earth’s temperature rises, so does the temperature of the ocean. And that means there’s less pack ice for harp seals to give birth on. Helpless newborn pups need stable sea ice to rest on – if they’re born on the shore, they risk being eaten by land-based predators such as coyotes or crushed by chunks of ice. Experts are using drone technology to study these animals and their habitat to come up with ways to fight climate change in the region. The scientists hope they can learn from these ‘eyes in the sky’ and better protect the harp seal pups in their icy environment. A pup rests on a snow-covered beach in a town near Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence ANIMALS UP CLOSE WITH BERTIE GREGORY IS STREAMING ON DISNEY+ natgeokids.com 11 SPECCIAESS E! SHOW KOMODO DRAGON From: Komodo and other Lesser Sunda islands in Indonesia, Southeast Asia The largest lizards on Earth, these fearsome reptiles can measure 3m long – that’s way longer than your bed! – and weigh more than an adult human! Powerful hunters, their bite contains a deadly venom that stops blood clotting. After an attack, they calmly follow prey, waiting for the toxins to take effect before tucking in. Scary! LEAFY SEADRAGON From: Rocky reefs off the south coast of Australia Thanks to their amazing leaflike camouflage, these fish are perfectly hidden in seaweed. They slurp up thousands of tiny shrimps each day using their straw-like mouths, eventually growing to about 30cm in length – that’s almost the height of this mag! DRACO LIZARD From: Tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia Also known as ‘flying dragons,’ these lizards have ‘wings’ and can glide over 50m between trees! The teacup-sized reptiles catch the ‘Draco’ is breeze using flaps of skin that unfold Latin for between their long ribs. Wow! ‘dragon’. Flying draco lizard © Alamy; All others © Getty Images UK. Male Komodo dragons fight for a mate by wrestling on their hind legs. Using their tails to balance, they try to throw their opponent to the ground. Eek! Chinese New Year begins on 10 February – and 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. We celebrate by checking out seven real-life ‘dragons’! According to the Chinese Zodiac, people born in dragon years are natural leaders who don’t shy away from challenges. The last dragon year was 2012 – do you know anyone born then? In Chinese mythology, dragons are wise, powerful creatures that symbolise good fortune. They live in water, and are thought to have power over the wind and rain. The flying, firebreathing, people-chomping monsters of myths, films and novels don’t really exist – but there’s plenty of inspiration to be found in nature! SPINY BUSH VIPER From: Rainforests, woods and swamps in Central Africa With their beady eyes and spiny scales, these scary snakes might be mistaken for legless dragons (aka ‘wyrms‘ in mythology). They spend the day snoozing in flowering bushes, waking up at night to ambush prey with a fatal, venomous bite. BLUE DRAGON From: Temperate and tropical oceans worldwide This ‘dragon’ is a toxic sea slug! Just 3cm long, it floats on its back at the ocean’s surface, feeding on venomous siphonophores (jellyfish-like creatures). It stores their stinging cells inside its blue frills, making itself poisonous to predators. SHOCKING PINK DRAGON MILLIPEDE From: Limestone caves in Thailand, Southeast Asia Discovered in 2007, these millipedes are named for their pink spines, which reminded scientists of dragon scales! If threatened, the 3cm-long bugs roll up like hedgehogs with their spines facing out. They secrete a poisonous chemical from defence glands on the sides of their bodies. Yikes! BEARDED DRAGON From: Deserts, savannahs and scrublands in Australia These reptiles wave, bob their heads, and change the colour of their spiny ‘beard’ to communicate with other lizards. If their chin is puffed up and the spiky ‘beard’ scales are dark-coloured, steer clear – because it means the beardy could be ready to attack! THE INTERVIEW Artificial Intelligence expert Professor Mike Wooldridge explains the tech everyone’s talking about – and how it will completely change the world. But don’t panic! ridge Name: Mike Woold at the Job: Professor of AI ity rs ive Un rd fo UK’s Ox s 14 Fun fact : Mike wa t rs fi s hi t go he en wh ck ba y wa computer, e in 1980. He fell in lov use ca be g with computin it was so creative – s and spent long hour programming late into the night! All images of Mike or Christmas Lectures © Paul Wilkinson Photography UK; All others © Getty Images UK. AI technology – known as neural networks – was inspired by looking at animal brains under a microscope! 14 Be careful what you share on social media! Tech companies use your info as ‘training data’. WANT TO WORK IN AI? Here’s Mike’s advice! “If you want to be an AI researcher like me, don’t be afraid of mathematics. Maths is the language of science and so it helps with AI. But actually you don’t need to be an AI researcher to do amazing things. Young people growing up with this technology will do things old fogeys like me can only dream of!” Watch: Check out the 2023 Christmas Lectures from early January on The Royal Institution YouTube channel. Study: Maths! But also Science subjects and Psychology. Read: Robots, Gadgets, and Artifical Intelligence from Oxford University Press. National Geographic Kids Many AI robots are based on animals, not humans! That’s because they can move and balance more easily with four or more legs. Mike with a talking robot dog! Hi Mike! First things first: what exactly is Artificial Intelligence? AI – Artificial Intelligence – is computer programs Expand your mind at the that can do things which Ri Christmas Lectures! previously only human brains, bodies and nervous systems could do. Can you give us some examples of poachers. In the AI that we’re already using? decades ahead, I think Voice assistant devices like Alexa and ‘Environmental Monitoring’ Siri are very much AI. And those apps on Mike high-fives will be one of the big and cool smartphones that can turn you into an an AI robot! uses – it could also help us old person, or make you look like an understand and prevent climate change. alien, they’re all Artificial Intelligence! Will AI ever be used to help us If you’ve ever used Google Translate, Fun! Can AI robots experience feelings communicate that’s AI, too. And you may or emotions? with animals? open your smartphone with They can already pretend that they have “Artificial Oh yes. We’re going to facial recognition – also AI. emotions, but they don’t experience Intelligence see a super-cool Wow, so it’s everywhere anything. AI might make you think is already example of already! How does AI it’s happy or sad, but it really, this in the learn to do things – like really isn’t. saving lives!” Royal recognise faces in photos, Will that ever happen? Institution Christmas for example? The truth is, most Lectures (see bottom Every time you upload a picture of people working in AI left). But I’m not yourself onto social media and tag it don’t find the idea allowed to tell you with your name, you’re providing what of machines with any more about we call ‘training data’ for the AI to use. emotions very it, I’m afraid! Got it. What’s the most incredible interesting. I mean, You tease! You’re thing that AI can already do? why would I build also going to It’s transforming healthcare right now! an AI toaster that conduct a ‘Turing There are computer programs that hated itself because Test’ to see if people can analyse X-rays or scans taken it burnt my toast? can tell the difference at the hospital and recognise when It’s pointless! British mathematician Alan between a human and something’s wrong. That’s life-saving! Haha! Should we Turing, 1912 –1954 an AI response. Please In the future, AI could improve our health worry about AI taking tell us more! on a massive scale. over the world? Well, this test was invented by Alan Can AI help wildlife, too? There’s an ‘extinction scenario’ Turing, who was one of the first serious AI drones with cameras are already being theory that AI is going to take over from thinkers about AI. He was fed up with used to monitor some national parks. the human race and get rid of us all – people saying, “Oh, machines will never They can check the vegetation to ensure because why would intelligent machines be able to understand or think.” So he that animals have enough to eat and need us? But I don’t believe that. invented the Turing Test as a way of are healthy. They can also patrol parks, Phew! shutting them up! looking for Another scenario is that we will have Ha! How does it work? robot servants doing everything You have a human ‘judge’ who doesn’t for us and so we’ll never have to know if they’re having a conversation work again. I don’t believe that either. (via a computer screen) with a human There’s no doubt that AI will replace or AI. Alan Turing said that if, after a some jobs, though! What kind of short period of time asking them jobs do you think will be left when questions, the judge can’t tell our readers grow up? who’s who, then we should I’m an optimist about this. If we do it just accept that AI has humanright then AI will take the jobs that we like intelligence. really don’t want to do; the dangerous, Has AI ever passed the test? boring jobs which don’t require much There have been many attempts imagination. But most people will since Turing invented it 70 encounter AI as just another tool that years ago. But no computer they use like a computer. It won’t programmers have got close replace them. until recently. So we’re going to try this out at the Christmas Turn the page Lectures with some special to learn more… guest judges. AiDa Robot – the world’s first ultra-realistic robot artist – will join Mike on stage during the Christmas Lectures, and paint his portrait! natgeokids.com 15 EXPERIMENTING WITH AI A great way to figure out what AI can do is to grab a grown-up and have a play around with ChatGPT – a free ChatBot from OpenAI. But you MUST do this WITH a responsible adult, because it is not meant for kids under 13, and kids over 13 must have permission from a parent. You can use Chat GPT as a Chatbot, or you can give it prompts to create poems, stories, letters and images. IMPORTANT: Anything you type will be remembered, so NEVER reveal any personal information! AI created this super-realistic harp seal image! ASK AN ADULT! Mike © Paul Wilkinson Photography; All others © Getty Images UK. That is optimistic. But it turns out that AI is very The UK good at creative things, Government hosted too. It can write songs, a recent AI Safety plays and poems, and Summit to talk about British PM Rishi Sunak produce artwork… the risks of Artificial and tech boss Elon Musk Yes, over the last couple of years, Intelligence and discuss AI safety AI has turned out to be surprisingly how AI could be creative. I don’t think J.K. Rowling or regulated. Taylor Swift need to be worried – but The only thing we can do is go to some kinds of creative jobs are a bit trusted media sources where we can under threat. have confidence that what we’re reading So what jobs can’t AI do? is accurate and has been fact-checked. Work that involves manual dexterity Do you think there should be more What do you – using your hands. There’s no AI rules around AI? think about kids using AI programs technology on the horizon that’s going I do. Some companies use AI programs to like Chat GPT to help with homework? to replace physical jobs like plumbers, It can be a useful research tool – but carpenters or electricians. And we’re not call you up on your telephone and let you believe that it’s a human being that you’re it’s not perfect. So always double check remotely near to having AI that could go talking to! Do you think that’s acceptable? that what it’s telling you is true. The in and tidy up a scruffy bedroom. I don’t. You should never be fooled into golden rule is to never pass off Oh, that’s a shame! thinking that you’re talking something that AI Some of the things that humans find to another human being. produced as your easy, like riding a bicycle, are actually “AI can’t tidy That’s weird! We agree. own work. tremendously difficult for AI. up a scruffy It’s also sensible to have We think this would be That’s interesting to know. Are there regulation around how bedroom yet – a good time to mention any other worries about AI? data about you is used by we brainstormed A risk that already concerns us is Artificial unfortunately!” that AI algorithms and tech some of these questions Intelligence spreading deepfakes* or companies. If you care using ChatGPT! misinformation on social media. about your privacy – and you should – Did you really?! I’m shocked and stunned. Can you give us an example? then you need to think about what I feel cheated! Well, during elections, AI can be used AI does with your data. Haha! Sorry, Mike. We wanted to try to produce fake stories about Why should we care it out as a research tool! For our final politicians doing or saying *Deepfakes about privacy? question – what do you think the something horrible. It can then are AI-generated future of AI will look like? target people who it knows videos or images that Unfortunately, once data about you is out there on In the best-case scenario, it’s going to are likely to believe these fake make it look like the the internet it’s virtually free us from an awful lot of drudgery stories based on views they people in them are and enrich our lives. And your readers have shared on social media. doing or saying things impossible to get rid of it. So you might film yourself are going to be the ones that use this By being fed disinformation they never actually doing something which you technology in ways we can’t even begin in their ‘news feed’, people did or said! think is funny at the age of to imagine right now. It’s going to be may be persuaded to vote in a nine and upload it on social weird, but it’s going to be wonderful! way that they wouldn’t have media. But in ten years’ time you Let’s hope so! Thanks, Mike. otherwise. And that would be worrying. might not think it’s funny at all. And it Yikes! So how can we make sure might come back to haunt you when NGK used ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas that stories we’re hearing on social for some of these questions. media are true? you’re applying for a job! © Getty Images UK. MOUNTAiN LiON © Getty Images UK. SiLVEREYE E G T PA OU 8- LL PU of weird n o ti c le se l ia c e act to our sp h?’, an ‘Ick’, u How will you re ‘H a t u o t le u hether yo wildlife shots? W n photos are fu se e th ’, w w ‘A a ‘Whoa’ or an response! a e k o v ro p to d guarantee Aww! Fan Cub Hey there, brown bear! Both adult bears and cubs, like this one in Finland, can stand on their hind legs to get a better view. (Sometimes of you!) Big Smile Photos to give you warm fuzzies… Native to Australia, a baby quokka lives in its mother’s pouch for its first six months. Once out, the joey spends another few months keeping close to Mum for protection, milk and snuggles! The cute ‘grin’ on a web-footed gecko is just extra mouth space to gulp up crickets, grasshoppers and spiders in southern Africa. For these African fliers, love really is in the air. Rosy-faced lovebirds form partnerships that can last their whole 15 to 25 years of life. Aww! 2 Animal Moments Quick Cuddle Brown bear © Wouter Pattyn / Buiten Beeld / Minden Pictures; Quokkas © Jean-Paul Ferrero / Auscape / Minden Pictures; Web-footed gecko © Vincent Grafhorst / Minden Pictures; Rosy-faced lovebirds © Ward Poppe / Shutterstock. Moment of Love Peck Moment of Huh? These pics will make you wonder what’s up… Scientists aren’t sure why the Cocos batfish has bright red lips, but they do know that the fish’s four leglike fins help it walk along the seafloor. Carry On Batfish © Birgitte Wilms / Minden Pictures; Alligators © Lockwood, C.C. / Animals Animals; Butterfly and turtle © Nick Hawkins / Nature Picture Library; Mantis © Konrad Wothe / Minden Pictures. No need to call a taxi – this American alligator hatchling can hitch a ride inside its mum’s mouth! A sweet moment? Try salty instead. This Julia butterfly is drinking the salt-filled tears of a black wood turtle, lapping up a mineral the insect can’t get from flowers. This Mediterranean mantis isn’t doing a fancy dance! By stretching and flashing its bluish wing spots, the flamboyant insect startles predators so it can make an escape. Smart move! Pucker Up! Big Surprise Butterfly Kiss Animal Moments 3 Whee! Bumpy Flight Sun ‘n’ Surf All aboard for these pics of wild rides… A weasel got more than it bargained for when it tried to gobble up a European green woodpecker in the UK! This startled bird took off with the predator still attached, and managed to escape the 15cm mammal when it landed. Epic! Hang tight! Baby sloth bears climb onto their mother’s back for rides, which keeps them safe from tigers and leopards in South Asia. No one messes with Mummy bear! Like all reptiles, serrated hinged terrapins sunbathe to raise their internal body temperature. Usually, they catch rays on rocks or logs, but for this turtle in South Africa, a hippopotamus’s head works, too! As capybaras walk through grass, birds like this cattle tyrant in Brazil feast on the insects trying to get out of the way. Handy! 4 Animal Moments Safe Spot Weasel and woodpecker © Martin Le-May; Sloth bears © Axel Gomille / Minden Pictures; Turtle and hippopotamus © Jon Kerrin / Caters News; Capybara and cattle tyrant © Mary Ann McDonald / Getty Images. Moment of Free Meal Moment of Yum! Snaps to make your tummy rumble… Plant Power American pikas love their greens! The rodentlike mammals gather mouthfuls of shrubs, clovers and other plants to add to their hay pile. They’ll munch on this mound of vegetation all winter long. One large salad, please! American pika © Jeff Foott / NPL / Minden Pictures; Meerkat © Klein & Hubert / Nature Picture Library; Brown pelican © Kathleen Dennehey; Bornean orangutan © Jami Tarris / Minden Pictures. Extra Spicy Check out these table manners! When a meerkat finds a scorpion, it grabs the arachnid with its forepaws, bites off and spits out the deadly stinger, removes the venom by dragging the squirming critter through the sand, then finally chows down. Crunch! Go Bananas! Bornean orangutans spend about three hours each morning gathering their fave food – fruit like bananas, durians and mangoes. Looks like this youngster’s work is already done! Gulp! The throat pouch of a brown pelican makes a great fishing net! It expands to help the bird scoop up fish and, once they’re trapped inside, the pouch shrinks to empty the water. Then the pelican swallows the fish whole. Gulp! Animal Moments 5 Moment of Ick! Prepare to get grossed out… This python takes the prize for being a big mouth! The snake can open its jaws four times wider than the size of its head to swallow huge prey, whole – like this unfortunate deer! No, this barn owl isn’t pooping out of its mouth! It’s coughing up a pellet – a collection of undigested bones and fur from the prey that it’s swallowed whole. Many birds of prey produce pellets – they’re a bit like the furballs that cats bring up! Bird Barf This Caledonian giant gecko has a cool party trick – it can lick its own eyeballs! Most geckos lack eyelids, but luckily, they can use their tongues to keep their peepers moist and clean. All images © Getty Images UK. Slurp! Super Swallow Nope, it’s not an alien – this cool critter is a star-nosed mole! Its unique nose is made up of 22 finger-like tentacles that help it sniff out worms underground. It can even find food underwater. What a super star! 6 Animal Moments Freaky Face Moment of Brr! Cold Feet Take a peek at these cool shots… For its first 50 days of life, a newly hatched emperor penguin chick hangs out on a parent’s feet to stay safe from the freezing ice. Best snowshoes ever?! A rodent can’t hide from a red fox – not even under a metre of snow! The hunter listens for rustling, then… kapow! The fox leaps up and dives straight into the snow, pinning a meal with its paws. Talk about diving into your dinner! A thick layer of fat and a woolly fur coat keep giant pandas comfortable in the chilly mountains of central China. So when it snows, it’s panda playtime! Emperor penguins © Greg Dimijian / Science Source; Red fox © Donald M. Jones / Minden Pictures; Wood frog © J.M. Storey; Giant panda © Katherine Feng / Minden Pictures. Frog-cicle Snow Way Out Ice Games Here’s a very ‘cool’ way to survive frigid Arctic temperatures – freeze yourself solid! For up to eight months, wood frogs don’t have a heartbeat, breathe or move a muscle. Then, in spring, they thaw from the inside out, and hop ‘back to life’! FROZEN EYE Animal Moments 7 Moment of Whoa! Surprising shots to make you do a double take… Extra Feet? How many legs does this piping plover have? Just two – plus a lot of chicks! For the first few weeks of their lives, the baby birds hide under Mum or Dad for warmth and protection. Snake Fake Lizard Wizard 8 Is this lizard really levitating?! Sadly not! Kenyan rock agamas are masterful jumpers, who can use their tails to balance their body weight as they prep for a perfect landing. Still looks magic to us! Animal Moments Look at this creature — if you can! The glasswing butterfly has transparent wing membranes that allow the insect to almost disappear while in flight – great for avoiding hungry birds! Clear for Landing Hawk-moth caterpillar © Mark Bowler / Nature Picture Library; Piping plovers © Michael Milicia / BIA / Minden Pictures; Glasswing butterfly © Ayub Khan; Kenyan rock agama © ZSSD / Minden Pictures. Birds and frogs are in for a BIG surprise! When this species of hawk-moth caterpillar is disturbed, it hangs off a twig to reveal a snakelike belly. Then it puffs up to create a triangle-shaped ‘face’ and sways like a real serpent. That’s one sss -cary caterpillar! © Getty Images UK. NUDiBRANCH © Getty Images UK. QUOKKA THE QUESTION What’s the slimiest animal? The hagfish easily takes the ooeygooey top spot for slimiest animal. It can fill an entire bucket with slime in less than a second! Turns out, slime is a hagfish’s ‘superpower’. When threatened, the eel-like, 45cm-long fish releases sticky mucus (slime), which is filled with tiny fibres that sting and clog a predator’s gills. And if that doesn’t work, the hagfish has a back-up move – it can squirm out of its attacker’s grasp by tying itself into a knot! How? The hagfish has no bones. This fish might be the planet’s slimiest critter, but it could also compete in the ‘strangest’ category, too. It’s the only creature with a skull but no true spinal column, and its skull is made of cartilage, the same flexible tissue in your nose and ears. It has at least three hearts and, even though it has eyes, it cannot see. Stay weird, hagfish! Hagfish sneeze if their nostrils fill with slime. Hag-tishoo! Never shake hands with a slime-making hagfish! SLIME! Full body © Blickwinkel / Alamy; Slime © Ron Newsome, NSWC PCD / PJF Military Collection / Alamy; Knot © Gina Kelly / Alamy. Scientists have found about 80 species of hagfish around the world. Hagfish have peculiar tastes, too – they eat dead fish from the seafloor! The hagfish is a spineless creature – literally. It can tie itself up in knots! natgeokids.com 21 WHAT YOUR BIRTHSTONE MIGHT SAYABOUT YOU… These descriptio are just fo ns r so don’t w fun, orr if they don y match you ’t personailtyr ! NORTH AMERICA Turquoise UNITED STATES Peridot Amethyst BRAZIL Topaz Aquamarine EUROPE Emerald COLOMBIA SOUTH AMERICA 22 ASIA AFRICA KENYA Garnet TANZANIA Some places where gems are mined… National Geographic Kids PAKISTAN SOUTH AFRICA Diamond ANTARCTICA SRI LANKA Sapphire AUSTRALIA Opal JAPAN Pearl THAILAND Ruby JANUARY GARNET FEBRUARY AMETHYST REPRESENTS LOYALTY REPRESENTS SINCERITY No one would describe you as a flaky friend. You stick up for your BFFs if others put them down, and you’re always ready to listen when a pal has a problem. OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS Some people believe that garnets offer protection from poisons, injuries and even scary dreams. ROCK-SOLID FACTS You can find garnets in streams where water has worn away rock, exposing the gems. Before they’re polished, garnets look like small pebbles. They come in shades of red, black and green (the rarest). Some are even colourless. Star with this stone: Greta Thunberg 3 January 2003 Being two-faced or half-hearted isn’t your thing. What you say to your friends and family is genuine and honest. OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS Amethysts supposedly have good powers. It was believed that they helped people stay awake and think clearly, protected against evil spells, and brought victory in battle. ROCK-SOLID FACTS Amethysts are found in geodes, which look like ugly rocks on the outside. But cracked open, a geode reveals sparkling raw amethyst crystals that range in colour from light mauve to deep purple. At one time, you could only wear amethyst jewellery if you were royalty. Star with this stone: Harry Styles 1 February 1994 MARCH AQUAMARINE APRIL DIAMOND REPRESENTS COURAGE REPRESENTS ENDURING LOVE You stand up to bullies whether they’re bothering you, your family or your friends. You’re never a coward. You don’t carry grudges and are quick to make up after arguing with someone in your family or group of friends. OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS People used to believe that aquamarines could protect sailors and their ships from disasters at sea. The aquamarine was also thought to heal illnesses that affected the stomach, liver, jaws and throat, and was supposedly an antidote to poison. ROCK-SOLID FACTS Aquamarines, which are a form of the mineral beryl, range from blue-green to deep blue. Naturally occurring deep-blue aquamarines are the rarest and most valuable. Some of these crystals weigh more than 100kg! Star with this stone: Halle Bailey 27 March 2000 OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS People associated the sparkle of diamonds with romance, mystery, power, greed and magic. Many once believed that they were made by bolts of lightning. ROCK-SOLID FACTS Diamonds develop deep in the ground under great pressure. The gems are the crystalline form of carbon. (Another form of carbon is graphite, the lead in pencils.) Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth. Star with this stone: Melanie Martinez 28 April 1995 Picture credits on page 34. natgeokids.com 23 MAY EMERALD JUNE PEARL REPRESENTS PURE LOVE REPRESENTS INNOCENCE Your affection for those you love is clear. You’re not embarrassed by hugs – even from your parents in front of your friends! To you, nothing’s better than being a kid and having fun. You aren’t in any hurry to grow up. OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS An emerald can melt a snake’s eyes! Well, that’s what people used to believe. They also thought these gems would relax your eyes if you looked through them. Emeralds were believed to stop bleeding, cure fevers and keep the wearer calm. They even supposedly held powers for predicting the future! ROCK-SOLID FACTS Emeralds are sometimes found inside shale, a rock with a very fine grain. Like aquamarines, they’re a form of the mineral beryl. These gems are light to deep green. Star with this stone: JoJo Siwa 19 May 2003 Pearls were thought to possess magical qualities. By law, only powerful, rich people could own and wear the gemstones. According to legend, wealthy Roman women wore pearls to bed so that when they woke in the morning, they instantly remembered how rich they were! ROCK-SOLID FACTS This is the only birthstone made by living creatures – oysters and other shellfish. If a grain of sand finds its way into an oyster’s shell, the oyster covers the irritating grit with layers of a shiny substance its body produces over many years. Eventually the grain is encased, becoming a pearl. Star with this stone: Anh Do 2 June 1977 JULY RUBY AUGUST PERIDOT REPRESENTS CONTENTMENT REPRESENTS HAPPINESS You’re happy with yourself and your life. You don’t feel the need to make changes. You’re cheery aren’t you?! You never get up on the wrong side of the bed. ‘Grumpy’ definitely doesn’t describe you. OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS Some people thought that rubies contained the spark of life. Many believed that the gems glowed from within and that royalty and gods used rubies to light their homes. That also meant that the stones couldn’t be stolen, because they’d shine through the thieves’ clothing. A ruby supposedly brought good health, cured bleeding, guarded against wickedness and foretold bad luck. Peridots were once thought to glow in the dark. People felt that they could ward off anxiety, help one speak better and improve relationships. Some believed that peridots protected anyone wearing them from evil and enchantment. ROCK-SOLID FACTS Rubies are a red form of the mineral corundum. All other colours of corundum are sapphires (see the September section). Large gem-quality diamonds, emeralds and sapphires are scarce, but rubies are the rarest of all. Star with this stone: Selena Gomez 22 July 1992 24 OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS National Geographic Kids ROCK-SOLID FACTS Peridot is the gem-quality crystal of the olivine rock. It’s one of the few gems found in meteorites from outer space! Star with this stone: Jason Momoa 1 August 1979 SEPTEMBER SAPPHIRE OCTOBER OPAL REPRESENTS CLEAR THINKING REPRESENTS HOPE OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS Once upon a time, many people believed that a huge blue sapphire held up the Earth and gave the sky its colour. Sapphires were a source of protection for travellers and brought peace and wisdom. ROCK-SOLID FACTS Some sapphires are pale, while others are brilliant blue. They also come in orange, green, yellow and pink. (Take a look at July to see how sapphires are related to rubies.) You’re never a pessimist and always look at the bright side of things, seeing something good in every situation. OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS Wearing an opal will make you invisible – according to legend. An opal was also believed to bring beauty, success and happiness, as well as medicinal powers to ward off heart and kidney failure. It was once said that the opal could protect a person from lightning. ROCK-SOLID FACTS Opals form over millions of years where hot, mineral-rich ooze – including the mineral silica – seeps into rock cracks. Tiny spheres of silica stack up and harden to become opals. The way light bounces off the silica creates an opal’s colourful shimmer. Star with this stone: Jenna Ortega 27 September 2002 Star with this stone: Ncuti Gatwa 15 October 1992 NOVEMBER TOPAZ DECEMBER TURQUOISE REPRESENTS FAITHFULNESS REPRESENTS SUCCESS You’re devoted to those you care about. Friends and family can always count on you. Anything you put your mind to works out well, including moneymaking projects. ‘Defeat’ is not in your vocabulary. OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS In Ancient Egypt the topaz’s golden glow was said to come from the sun god Ra, and the stone was supposedly a powerful amulet against harm. Other legends proclaimed that a topaz cleared people’s thinking, increased strength, and warned of poisoned food or drink. It supposedly cured insomnia and asthma, and stopped bleeding. ROCK-SOLID FACTS Topazes come in a range of colours. Many of them are golden, but some are pink, green or colourless. Star with this stone: Ryan Gosling 12 November 1980 OLD-SCHOOL MYTHS Some people believed turquoise was a love charm. If a man gave a woman turquoise jewellery, he was pledging his love for her. Many Native Americans thought turquoise could bring rain and ensured accurate aim while hunting. Even today in certain Native American cultures, the blue of turquoise symbolises the sky and the green symbolises Earth. ROCK-SOLID FACTS Turquoise forms where mineral-rich water seeps into rocky gaps. Over time only the minerals remain – as turquoise. The copper in turquoise gives the gem its shades of blue and green. Star with this stone: Billie Eilish 18 December 2001 Picture credits on page 34. When you know what you want, nothing gets in your way. You are goal-oriented and strive to achieve your dreams. JUNIOR EXPLORERS’ Kia ora, NG KiDS! I’m from NZ and I’ve been inspired to draw these pictures. I love your magazines (and so does my dad) and I can’t wait for the next one to come in the mail! Caedence, 8 OKia ora, Caedence! Your birds look so tweet! Hi NGK, I love the optical illusions pullouts, so I decided to make one of my own! Does the handprint look 3D? Jonathan, 7 OIt really pops out, Jonathan – you’re clearly very handy when it comes to drawing in 3D! DARLING DUSTY Name: Dusty Breed: Mini lop rabbit Age: 1 year Likes: Parsley, corn and pats Dislikes: Being held and going to sleep Owners: Sunny, 11, Poppy, 7, and Tilly,13 Hi Nat Geo Kids, I love otters and I couldn’t stop myself from drawing the mag’s front cover. Eve, 8 OThat’s ott-erly great, Eve! OUR Y FUN STUFF MAKE ITS Hi Nat Geo Kids! This is my picture of a barn owl from issue 96. I love owls because they are nocturnal and their heads can turn the furthest of any living animal. I hope you like it! Teddy, 8 OWe really like your owl, Teddy! Dear NGK, I had fun making the Christmas countdown from issue 104! Penny, 11 OThat looks awesome, Penny! We want to hear from you! Send in your artwork, jokes, craft pics and pet photos, and tell us about your wildlife sightings, hobbies, interests and opinions. A selection of our faves will be printed on this page! Email us at editorial@ngkids.com.au Each reader on these pages will win the Amazing Ancient World Atlas from Lonely Planet Kids. Explore over 40 historical cultures, societies and civilisations from across the planet! WILDLIFE WATCH Hi NG KiDS, A branch fell off a tree 200m from our house and it left a hole. Inside, a kookaburra laid three eggs but only two survived. Here are photos of the chicks at one day old and two weeks old. Georgie,12 OThanks for the cute photos, Georgie – looks like they’ll soon be big enough to fly the nest! TOP TREK Hi Nat Geo Kids, I love reading your magazines and learning about animals, the environment and countries I want to travel to one day! Here’s a pic of me doing the Northern Circuit tramp (this includes the Tongariro Crossing). The highest peak of the tramp was 1,886m. George, 10 O Wowee, George – great adventuring! The day-old chicks looked at home in Georgie’s tree POETRY CORNER Here’s what they looked like two weeks later. Wo w! Hey NGK, We saw a jellyfish at Mitchies Beach, Merimbula. We weren’t sure if it was dead or alive because it didn’t have tentacles like in pictures. We also found a crab – we named him Doug. We found both creatures very strange, beautiful and cool! Lizzie, 9, and Penny, 9 OTop wildlife spotting! Not all jellyfish have tentacles, but watch out for those that do, as they can still sting even after they’ve died. live fish don’t Sadly, jelly ut of water… o n long whe Top trekker George and the amazing Emerald Lake! Lizzie and Penny found a beached jellyfish … Unlike ‘Dou g the crab’, w hang out on the beach an ho can d in the sea! National Geograph ic Ki Educational and fu ds, National Geograph n. It’s a magazine, a ic Kids, great one. National Geog Helping save ecos raphic Kids, ystems on National Geograph e at a time. ic Ki Environmentally kin ds, National Geograph d. ic Kids, Helping us act. National Geograph ic Kids, Filled with fact! Kia ora, Nat Geo Kids! I’ve been re-reading all of my NG KiDS magazines. Me and my sister have been collecting them for about ten years (before I was born)! They inspired me to write a poem. I hope you like it. We are always so excited to open the mag. Charlotte, 10 OWe love your poem, Charlotte – thanks so much! natgeokids.com 27 Check out these outrageous facts… My memory is snow amazing! There’s a comet shaped like a rubber duck. PATO, mbburied e m re they nder POLO AND BASKETBALL. re n u whe ts, eve w. nu no s The Argentine horned frog can lift 3 times its own weight with its TONGUE. CHECK OUT THE BOOK! 28 National Geographic Kids HONEYPOT WORKER ANTS, WHICH STORE NECTAR IN THEIR BODIES, CAN SWELL TO THE SIZE OF A GRAPE. LISTENING TO CLASSICAL MUSIC CAN HELP DOGS RELAX,A STUDY FOUND. Comet © ESA / Rosetta / Navcam – Cc By-Sa Igo 3.0; Squirrel © Irinak / Shutterstock, Acorn © Dionisvera / Shutterstock, image digitally composed; Frog © Blickwinkel / Alamy; Dog © Adogslifephoto / Dreamstime. els r r i Squcan er THE NATIONAL SPORT OF ARGENTINA, IS A MIX OF STUFF GAMES, LAUGHS, AND LOTS TO DO! Answers on page 34 NEW YEAR CROSSWORD Have you made any resolutions this year? Check out our good-habits crossword for inspiration! ACROSS 4 Drink this to stay 24 Brush these twice a day (5) 25 Switch electrical items off DOWN 1 Mind your manners and hydrated! (5) 6 Do this after going to the loo or before eating (4, 4, 5) 8 The ‘three Rs’ of looking after the planet (6, 5, 7) 12 Natural, healthy sweet snack, e.g. an orange (5) 13 Jobs around the house (6) 14 Climb these instead of taking a lift (6) 17 Healthy, eco-friendly vehicle (4) 18 Try to avoid veg packed in this material (7) 19 Don’t be mean, be ____ (4) 22 Turn these off when you leave a room! (6) 23 A special diary to write down things you’re grateful for (9, 7) at the ____ point (5) 26 Your teacher will be happy if you finish this on time! (8) 27 A place to store the money you save (5, 4) remember to say these words! (6, 3, 5, 3) 2 The parts of electronic devices that emit blue light. (So don’t look at them before bed!) (7) 3 Sort your space out before a parent yells this! (4, 4, 4) 5 Take turns (5) 7 Eat plenty of these to stay healthy (10) 9 If you’re looking at NGK you’re already doing it! (7) 10 Apply this when Earth’s star is shining (9) 11 If you avoid palm oil you’ll 2 1 help this orange animal (9) 3 15 Place to donate old toys and clothes (7, 4) 4 16 Physical activity that improves your fitness (8) 20 Environmentally-friendly 5 way of getting somewhere (7) 21 Aim to get 10–11 hours of this per night! (5) 6 7 8 9 10 12 11 13 14 16 15 19 17 20 18 21 22 23 25 With thanks to Stephanie Jones-Berry. 24 26 27 TOP TIP! If you get stuck on one of the clues, move on to some others. You can go back to it when you’ve got extra letters! natgeokids.com 29 2 STAR LINKS BUG SAFARI Draw lines to connect each pair of stars, so every square is filled. Only one line is allowed in each grid square, and you can’t use diagonal lines. Plus, the lines mustn’t cross or touch each other. Find the bugs listed below hidden in this grid. Then see if you can spot which one is hidden twice! W A G G S L H X C E H L S V U O D L K I P F F U A D R P M T J C M S M W V L O K T E L J K G N X T H Q R O Q B K E P J F L R T A G I G A E J G L R I M J Q A D F T V C E W W T L P L I F T S N R C H R E Q E E D I L E R T S M E O E N A K K A F L I X X B H N D L E N C E E E B L M K E V O V R O A I T N L T D A N E M U P P I P R D S I C F V R T H G M P M B C G Q Y N P I L L L C I W E Z Y D E V I B S E E A E L F Q R Q D N F Z J Z K S D V V H D B P H A R X O E K F G B E I A F Q V B L C O C K R O A C H K X T D R P C Here’s example toan you how it show works! 1 OANT OBEE OBEETLE OCATERPILLAR OCENTIPEDE OCOCKROACH OCRICKET OEARWIG OFLEA OGRASSHOPPER OLADYBIRD OMILLIPEDE 10 7 NUMBER GRID 2 Can you fit these figures into this grid? We’ve added a few numbers to help! 7663910 4629855 2240716 3552618 0076847 5685398 5793851 7600172 8110447 4008691 9 3 4 5 3 8 0 All images © Adobe Stock. 9 30 National Geographic Kids 3 BIRD WATCH! 1 Boost your brain cells with these mind-boggling tests and challenges! Answers on page 34 Which two birds only appear once on these pages? 5 MEGA SUDOKU COLOUR QUEST Complete this sudoku by filling all the empty squares so every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1–9. Fill in the squares so that a four-letter word is formed either side. Get it right and you’ll reveal something colourful. 9 4 7 8 2 3 1 5 3 8 6 2 5 9 2 8 9 7 1 5 6 4 1 7 8 6 3 3 7 9 4 7 8 9 6 1 3 5 2 4 8 9 5 1 3 6 ROBO RUMBLE H A T M C Z D A R A O L E R I E X O U R A A C N E I V O C I K C R E L OUT OF THIS WORLD! 6 Fill in the missing letters to reveal the names of some planets. 4 E D Y K D N F CLUE! The missin g letters are vowels – A, E, I, O, an d U. 1 V___N___S 5 J___P___T___R 2 M___RS 6 ___R___N___S 3 N___PT___N___ 7 M___RC___RY 4 S___T___RN 8 ___ ___ RTH Can you find the right route to reunite these robots? MATHS MUDDLE 9 Which six sums have the same answer? A B C D E F 8 4 × 12 = 22 + 22 = 66 – 23 = 100 – 56 = 11 + 33 = 28 + 13 = G H I J K L 60 – 17 = 88 – 44 = 24 + 22 = 122 – 78 = 92 ÷ 2 = 4 × 11 = natgeokids.com 31 SPOT THE Answers on page 34 Illustration © Getty Images. DIFFERENCE Can you find the TEN differences between these two beach scenes? 32 National Geographic Kids GOD’S EYE FUN STUFF MAKE IT Here’s how to weave an Ojo de Dios – a lucky Mexican handicraft… What you’ll need O Two small straight-ish twigs or a bamboo skewer cut in half O PVA glue O Scissors O Different coloured yarns Start here! Now you can start to weave! Bring the yarn under one of the sticks, then loop it around and continue to the next stick along. Carry on in the same direction, pulling firmly on the thread. Always bring the yarn under the stick before wrapping it around. 1 Glue two sticks into a cross shape and leave them to dry. Tie the end of a yarn to the centre of the cross. Crisscross the yarn around the centre a few times to cover up the middle. 2 3 To change colours, tie the new shade of yarn to the previous one, trim the ends and continue wrapping. 4 ALL ABOUT GOD’S EYES Craft © Valerie Rowles. All other pictures © Getty Images UK. This colourful craft has a long and spiritual history… It’s thought that the Ojo de Dios or God’s Eye was first created by the Huichol people of western central Mexico. This Indigenous group has lived in the area around the Sierra Nevada Occidental mountain range for over 15,000 years. Many of their unique traditions continue today. When you’ve finished, tie the end of the yarn onto one of the sticks. Leave some yarn to hang it up by, if you like. Tuck all the tied ends to the back. 5 The God’s Eye was made as a protective talisman to watch over its owner. The four points represented the elements – fire, water, earth and air, as well as the directions – north, south, east and west. When a Huichol child was born, the parents would tie two sticks into a cross. Then, each year, until the child was five, they would weave another colour onto the God’s Eye. It was said that the item would protect and watch over the child during its lifetime. natgeokids.com 33 FUN STUFF ANSWERS NEW YEAR CROSSWORD (page 29) 1 2 P 3 L 4 W A T E 6 R S Y E Y W A E D S H Y U C E O 14 S T A I R K I N 15 19 R G A T I T U I 24 T E E T D E J H 16 H H O E X Y E U S R R W N A K I I N E G W O R K I G G Y B A N B 21 S L L S E E S 22 A A M A 17 20 N O E M C S 26 H U N O U T Y C K O R E H R 13 N D G A U E N D S R E C 7 R R A A C H 23 E S U H S R 5 O T 11 C D N 8 T I R A S 9 Y C V 10 E 12 F R S U G A E N D T S I K E H T 18 P G L A S T I E E E E E S N 25 P O W E T R L S I C B N I L E R O 27 P K TRAIN YOUR BRAIN (page 30–31) 4 BIRD WATCH! 4 and 10 only appear once. 10 D L K I P F F U A D R P M T J C M S M W V L O K T E L J K G N X T H Q R O Q B K E P J F L R T A G I G A E J G L R I M J Q A D F T V C E W W T L P L I F T S N R C H R E Q E E D I L E R T S M E O E N A K K A F L I X X B H N D L E N C E E E B L M K E V O V R O A I T N L T D A N E M U P P I P R D S I C F V R T H G M P M B C G Q Y N P I L L L C I W E Z Y D E V I B S E E A E L F Q R Q D N F Z J Z K S D V V H D B P H A R X O E K F G B E I A F Q V B L 2 9 8 5 4 0 0 5 6 3 3 0 8 5 9 0 5 1 1 0 7 3 7 6 9 6 6 8 8 0 1 4 2 8 1 2 6 4 9 0 1 3 9 8 4 5 7 2 6 1 5 2 1 9 6 3 4 7 8 6 4 7 8 2 1 3 9 5 7 3 6 1 9 4 8 5 2 2 8 5 3 7 6 9 1 4 4 1 9 5 8 2 7 3 6 COLOUR QUEST RAINBOW. 6 5 1 5 3 2 4 9 6 8 7 7 1 5 7 4 4 7 3 8 5 OUT OF THIS WORLD! 1-VENUS; 2-MARS; 3-NEPTUNE; 4-SATURN; 5-JUPITER; 6-URANUS; 7-MERCURY; 8-EARTH. MATHS MUDDLE B, D, E, H, J and L have the same answer – 44. SPOT THE DIFFERENCE (page 32) 0 9 THE LAST LAUGH Q. Why are dragons great musicians? A. They really know their scales! Q. How do dragons make plans? A. They don't. They just wing it! Q. Did you hear about the angry dragon? A. It got all fired up! 7 6 8 7 2 6 3 5 1 4 9 C O C K R O A C H K X T D R P C NUMBER GRID 4 9 6 4 7 1 8 5 2 3 ROBO RUMBLE BUG SAFARI FLEA is hidden twice. W A G G S L H X C E H L S V U O MEGA SUDOKU 1 7 Q. Why do dragons hate birthday cakes? A. They can't blow out their candles! Q. What do you call a famous seal? A. A sealebrity! 2 STAR LINKS 1 3 34 National Geographic Kids 2 Q. What's a harp seal's favourite colour? A. Sealver! Gems picture credits, page 22: Diamond © LifetimeStock / Shutterstock; Garnet © PjrStudio / Alamy; Turquoise © Antony Souter / Alamy; Ruby © Corbis; Topaz © The Natural History Museum / Alamy; Opal (both) © Peter Harholdt / SuperStock; Sapphire © Edward Karaa / Dreamstime; Emerald © Greg C Grace / Alamy; P Aquamarine (both) © Pillyphotos / Alamy; Peridot (both) © photo33mm / Shutterstock; Pearl © Visage / Stockbyte / Getty Images; All others © Getty Images UK. Page 23: Raw garnet © rep0rter / Alamy; Polished garnet, raw aquamarine © PjrStudio / Alamy; Raw amethyst © RF Company / Alamy; Polished amethyst © Greg C Grace / Alamy; Amethyst ring © sommaiphoto / Getty Images; Polished aquamarine © Pillyphotos / Alamy; Raw diamonds © Eric Nathan / Alamy; Diamond necklace © Vstock LLC / Tetra Images / Corbis / Getty Images. Page 24: Polished emerald © Greg C Grace / Alamy; Raw emerald © Jan Sochor / Alamy; Emerald jewellery © Bridgeman Images; Pearl in oyster © The Natural History Museum / Alamy; Pearl jewellery © Christie’s Images / Bridgeman Images; Single pearl © Visage / Stockbyte / Getty Images; Raw ruby © Bildagentur-online / th-foto / Alamy; Ruby rings © Borislav Marinic / Alamy; Raw peridot © Epitavi / Shutterstock; Polished peridot © photo33mm / Shutterstock; All others © Getty Images UK. Page 25: Raw sapphires © Bigjo5 / iStockphoto / Getty Images; Polished sapphire © Edward Karaa / Dreamstime; Polished opal © Peter Harholdt / SuperStock; Raw opal © John Cancalosi / Alamy; Opal necklace © Peter Harholdt / SuperStock; Topaz ring © Phil Degginger / Jack Clark / Alamy; Polished topaz © The Natural History Museum / Alamy; Raw turquoise © Shawn Hempel / Alamy; Turquoise jewellery © AR Images / Alamy; All others © Getty Images UK. 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