How many domestic dogs are there and do flies see in slow motion? The kids’ quiz

1. Cordelia, 9, asks: how many domestic dogs are there in the world?

   1. 9.5 million

   2. 95 million

   3. 900 million

   4. 9 billion

2. Benny, 9, asks: why do some children have freckles when their parents don’t?

   1. Your parents can carry the gene that mainly causes freckles even if they don’t have freckles themselves

   2. They’ve eaten too much pizza

   3. It’s not possible!

   4. Everyone knows freckles are drawn on with crayons

3. Scarlett, 5, asks: why do eggs turn white and yellow?

   1. The chicken paints them before laying them

   2. It’s lemon juice and milk

   3. Eggs are made of sunshine and snow

   4. The parts have separate roles in helping the growing chick if the egg is fertilised

4. Henry, 10, asks: what happens if you fire a gun under water?

   1. The bullet zooms through the water super fast

   2. The bullet slows down very quickly

   3. Nothing – the gun won’t be able to fire it

   4. It will explode!

5. Nye, 11, asks: do flies see in slow motion, and if so, how?

   1. Yes, flies process visual information very quickly, so experience the world at a slower pace

   2. No, flies just have incredibly quick reactions

   3. Flies can’t see anything

   4. No one knows!

Solutions

1:C - About 900 million – scientists think there are between 700 million to 1 billion domestic dogs in the world. Pets account for about 470 million of those, and the rest are roaming around or in communities., 2:A - Freckles are caused mainly by a gene called MC1R, which helps regulate skin and hair colour. If you inherit this gene you are more likely to get freckles. Even if neither of your parents has freckles, they may still be carrying the gene and pass it on to you., 3:D - The egg white (albumen) is clear when raw, but turns white when cooked. If the egg is fertilised, it protects the yolk and provides extra nutrients for a baby chick. The yolk has a different balance of nutrients., 4:B - Under water, the bullet shoots out of a gun but slows down almost straight away. That’s because water is about 800 times denser than air – it’s much harder for the bullet to push through., 5:A - You could say flies see the world in slow motion because they process images much faster than we can. That’s why it’s hard to swat a fly – they see us coming so have time to dodge.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children’s questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book, as well as her new title, Everything Under the Sun: All Around the World.