Official Kids Mag

Check out these oddities and curiosities from around the world! PLASTIC POLLUTION SOLUTION In April of last year, National Geographic reported that a scientific discovery revealed that waxworms could eat plastic bags. It suggested that at some future date, this might solve the problem of plastic pollution and the tons of plastic trash that float in the Pacific Ocean. Waxworms are the caterpillar larvae of wax moths. A Spanish biologist, Federica Bertocchini, discovered this as she cleaned out her beehives. She removed the waxworms living in her beehives and dropped them into a plastic bag. When she checked the bag later, she saw holes obviously eaten by the worms. It was a lightbulb moment. An enzyme in the worms could dissolve plastic. Enzymes are biological molecules (typically proteins) that significantly speed up the rate of virtually all the chemical reactions that take place within cells. They are vital for life and serve a wide range of important functions in the body, such as aiding in digestion and metabolism. Fast forward to this April. Scientists researching this phenomenon have "tweaked the enzyme" and made it more efficient at breaking down plastic bottles after worms were found eating plastic bottles at a Japanese waste dump. The mutant enzyme works faster and the scientists are now hard at work trying to improve the process. The problem of plastic pollution is huge. The Guardian newspaper reports that one million plastic bottles are sold every minute but only 14% of them get recycled. Enzyme technology is used in other ways (think washing powder) but the hope that it can be developed to address pollution is very exciting. There's a long way to go and may still be a problem for the scientists of the future but the potential is enormous. Photo: Amazon WALKING IN THE WIND Mount Washington Observatory in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, is a weather station where the scientists study weather and climate and conduct educational programs. It is 6,288 feet above sea level and the conditions in the alpine zone are often extreme. The conditions in winter at the summit bring hurricane-force winds and sub-zero temperatures. For more information about the Mount Washington Observatory, their webcams and educational programs go to mountwashington.org. EDIBLE SPOONS Narayana Peesapaty is one smart entrepreneur in Hyderabad, India who one day looked at the plastic spoons and forks in landfills and decided there was a better solution. He developed an edible spoon that is made out of different kinds of flour and rice. The spoon is hardy enough to be used with hot food but will decompose by itself in four to five days. It is completely natural and there are both sweet and savory flavors available. Peesapaty started a Kickstarter campaign to fund his company, Bakeys, and now is dealing with an overwhelming response and demand for his products. His future plans include edible chopsticks, forks, cups and plates. 18 • Off icialKidsMag.com JUNE 2019

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