This is silly

Callum, the boy in my MG (middle grade) novel, was raised by wolves. Here is a character who was raised by wolves AND kangaroos, in a video I made with friends in the animation biz. Presenting Silly Goose!

Tut uncommon

Sarah from Seattle, WA writes:

Dear T,

I am writing a story about an Ancient Egyptian girl named Tibby. She is the secret daughter of the famous Boy King, Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The Boy King Tut wasn’t really a boy when he died under mysterious circumstances in 1323 BC. He was nineteen years old, which was plenty old for a father in those days.

When her father, King Tut, dies, Tibby goes to live among friends of the former Pharaoh. She grows up as happy and content as a girl can be. However, the day soon comes when she must sacrifice a bull to the God Osiris to ensure the fertile crops, and she cannot bring herself to perform such a bloody deed. She is given a chicken to sacrifice in place of the bull, but she can’t bring herself to do that, either. So the High Priests decide to sacrifice HER to Osiris instead.

Needless to say, Tibby must flee for her life. Luckily, she befriends the handsome son of an Egyptian slave and together they sail down the River Nile to live out the rest of their days in peace and happiness.

I have drawn the cover for my book, which I have entitled Daughter of Tut. Here it is in all its glory.

P.S. King Tut didn’t really have a daughter named Tibby. I made her up!

Book cover drawn by Sarah

T replies:

Your story about Tibby, the secret daughter of King Tut, sounds like a real page-turner, Sarah! And I really like your book cover. I have always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt. It’s thrilling to imagine the excitement archaeologist Howard Carter must have felt in 1922 when he discovered King Tut’s glamorous tomb, with all its golden treasures. Of course, poor Mr. Carter was later struck dead by the Pharaoh’s Curse. Oh, well! I’m sure it was worth it.

A really close-up pic

This is a computer-generated image of how we’re used to seeing a molecule represented, with balls and sticks showing the placement of its atoms. It looks familiar, doesn’t it?

(c) IBM Research/dailymail.co.uk

Now, scientists from IBM have used an atomic force microscope to capture an image of the actual chemical bonds within a molecule. The researchers focused their lens on a single molecule of pentacene, a common hydrocarbon. The molecule is made up of 22 carbon atoms and 14 hydrogen atoms.

“This is the first time that all the atoms in a molecule have been imaged,” bragged lead researcher Leo Gross.

So, what does a molecule of pentacene actually look like? This!

The inner structure of a pentacene molecule, as imaged with an atomic force microscope. (c) IBM Research/dailymail.co.uk.

The hexagonal shapes of the five carbon rings are clear, and even the positions of the hydrogen atoms around the carbon rings can be seen. Incredible!

Here are the scientific heros behind the project, proudly displaying their atomic force microscope. Amazing job, guys!

IBM researchers Nikolaj Moll, Reto Schlittler, Gerhard Meyer, Fabian Mohn, Leo Gross, and their atomic force microscope. Photo by Michael Lowry. Image: IBM Research—Zurich.

A house made of straw

This is my friend Joan’s straw-bale and clay house. She built it herself with help from her friends and neighbors. Although it’s made with straw, it’s strong enough that no Big Bad Wolf could ever blow it down.

Here is a photo of the bathroom sink. It’s a cozy place to wash up, don’t you think?