Asked by a teacher from the Bring Idaho Alive Class Answered by Gregg Losinski, Education & Communications Specialist ESER- Environmental Surveillance, Education, and Research Believe it or not, there is a specific name for a group of ladybugs! They are called a loveliness of ladybugs. The term used to describe such specialized naming words is…
Answered by Jagoda Urban-KlaehnIdaho American Nuclear Society (ANS) Board MemberRadiation & Positron SpectroscopyIsotope Production & Co-AssayIdaho National Laboratory Antimatter might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s more fact than fiction. Antimatter is a mirror reflection of matter that was originally created in the Big Bang, in the very beginning of the…
Question Asked by students from Beutler Academy Answered by Tim AxfordWarning Coordination Meteorologist – NWS Pocatello Here in Idaho, we’re no stranger to windy days, but so many of us just go through the windy days without thinking about what causes it and why are we so prone to windy days in Idaho? To understand…
It’s the end of the school year and time to thank our wonderful and informative panel of scientists and our generous sponsors who contribute so much to our Ask a Scientist and Meet a Scientist programs. Don’t forget to submit your questions to our panel of scientists during the summer. It’s easy! Just e-mail idahoaskascientist@gmail.com…
I keep hearing about the cicadas that are coming out of the ground after 17-years. What are they and will we have them here? Answered by Ron Patterson – University of Idaho Extension, Bonneville County The famous chattering bugs. If you didn’t know better, you would think you are getting near a rattlesnake. We’re talking…
If you have a question you would like answered you can send it to: idahoaskascientist@gmail.com During the summer ESER Education & Communications Specialist Gregg Losinski was able to take time and assist with Kid’s Camps at the Museum of Idaho. To learn more visit https://museumofidaho.org/camps/
Question Asked by Mrs. Kress’ Class at Tigert Middle School in Soda Springs Question Answered by Paul Atwood Senior Wildlife Researcher for Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game Mule deer are better adapted to live in dry, open areas and white-tailed deer are better living in forests that get more rain. Idaho is a large…
Question answered by Kristin Kaiser, Plant Ecologist INL ESER Program Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is a highly invasive introduced winter annual. It has several common names like downy brome, June grass, and others that vary within cultural regions. The plant’s scientific name roughly translates to “brome of the roofs” which references Europeans who used it…
There is always moisture in the air in either a water vapor or liquid form. This moisture is invisible in the water vapor form. Moisture in the air becomes visible in the liquid form. Question Asked by student at Preston Jr. High Answered by Travis Wyatt Meteorologist National Weather Service Clouds form when air rises…
Answered by Colleen Moulton – Wildlife Diversity Biologist for Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game There are fourteen species that call Idaho home at one time of the year or another. As our only species of owl that nests underground, burrowing owls start moving into the area in April, looking for a good burrow to…
Question Answered by Charles Horsburgh retired Geologist Were the Annis Buttes formed at the same time as the Menan Buttes? They were, and are probably the oldest of what are generally known as the Menan Buttes. The Menan Buttes contains at least six volcanoes, including the Annis Buttes, the North and South Buttes, a non-descript…
Answered by Jamie Utz – Wildlife Diversity Biologist – Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game Southwest Region Thanks to a special feature of reproductive biology, seasonal patterns of torpor, and certain behavioral tendencies of American badgers (Taxidea taxus), this is tricky question to answer. Badgers mate in the late summer or early fall. But once…
Answered by Flint Hall Hydrologist for DEQ Dept. of Environmental Quality Deicers are applied to road surfaces, sidewalks, and parking lots for winter-time safety. Deicers work by reducing the freezing-point of water thereby melting ice, or, when sprayed on the road as a liquid (brine) before a snow storm, preventing ice from forming at all.…
Question Answered by Sunny Katseanes Public Engagement Curator Idaho Falls Zoo Probably the question I get asked most frequently about the Idaho Falls Zoo is “What do you do with all those animals in the winter?” Believe it or not, they ALL stay right here at the zoo, from the tiniest little birds, to the…
Answered by Bonnie Gestring – Northwest Program Director for EARTHWORKS Cyanide leach mining is a type of gold mining that uses cyanide to extract gold from the surrounding rock. First, the rock that contains gold (the ore) is dug out of the ground, leaving behind a large open pit. Then, the ore is crushed into…
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