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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Boubou? Funny Bird Names (for the Week of Dec. 2, 2007)
November 21, 2007 Q. Dear Twig: What's a flying steamer duck? Why should we beware of it? [See last week.] A.: It's simply a duck with a funny name. Does it fly? Yes. Does it steam? It does — like a steamboat, not a teapot. But no need to beware ...
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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Blargh of the Albatross (for the Week of Jan. 28, 2007)
January 24, 2007 Q. Dear Twig: This one time, at science camp, an albatross (albatross!) threw up on my aunt. A. Whoa! Thanks for sharing. Here's what I think: I think that the camp took a trip to a rookery. (A place where some bird types, such as al ...
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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Bio-who-ia? (for the Week of June 18, 2006)
June 18, 2006 Q. Dear Twig: OK, I'll bite. What's bio... bio... phlablahblah? [See last week.] A. For starters: You spell it biophilia. (Ah! Hard to spell!) And you say it, "BY-oh-FILL-ee-uh." (Ah! Hard to say!) Think of it, yes, as a ...
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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Big Z's (for the Week of July 26, 2009)
July 26, 2009 Q. Dear Twig: What's the biggest zucchini in the world? A. The book called Guiness World Records 2008 lists it as having weighed 64 pounds, 8 ounces. A man in the United Kingdom named Bernard Lavery grew it in 1990. Also very big is a ...
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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Big Stink? Smell a Winner! (for the Week of Feb. 3, 2008)
February 3, 2008 Q. Dear Twig: What's the worst smell in the world? A. Here are two of my personal favorites, ones I've actually smelled myself (but not smelled like) (at least not that anyone's said): Snake musk, which snakes squirt to s ...
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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Bee Good! But Why? (for the Week of June 3, 2007)
May 24, 2007 Q. Dear Twig: Alright, I'll ask. How do native bees help us? A. Most native bees go by two other names: solitary bees and pollen bees. Scientists call them solitary bees because most types live and nest alone, not in hives with thousands ...
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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Barrel o' Rain, Barrel o' Fun (for the Week of March 16, 2008)
March 14, 2008 Q. Dear Twig: What's a rain barrel? What's it for? A. It's a barrel. For holding rain. That's all I know. OK, not true. I know more than that. I also know this: You can make your own rain barrel. You can make it out of a ...
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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Backyard Fruits That You Can Grow (for the Week of March 1, 2009)
March 1, 2009 Q. Dear Twig: OK, here's another kiwifruit. So what did you mean, "more cool backyard fruits" last week? A. Thank you. Chomp, chomp. I meant that you can grow a lot of other fruits in your own backyard, not just kiwifruits. ...
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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Any Reindeer Games? (for the Week of Nov. 30, 2008)
November 30, 2008 Q. Dear Twig: Do reindeer really play games? A. Reindeer play but not real games. They start when they're young. They chase each other. They jump up and down. They do things called "mutual threat displays." That means th ...
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Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Anti-skunk-spray Reek-remover! (for the Week of March 25, 2007)
March 15, 2007 Q. Dear Twig: So tomato juice doesn't get rid of skunk stink. What does? My dog really smells! A. Here's what works: Mix 1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide, a quarter cup of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent. Take ...