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Curious Questions from Curious Minds!
Welcome to Curiopedia, where imagination and discovery take shape! Discover something new today with these curious questions from children. Click on the ‘View Answer’ button to find out the answer! If you want your (child’s) curious question answered and featured here, submit it now.
Month Year
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Galaxy’s mystery
Why is our galaxy called the Milky Way?
Nikita Khatri , Haryana, India
View AnswerIf you look up into the night sky you can see a milky expanse that stretches across the sky. It’s a gigantic barred spiral galaxy whose diameter ranges somewhere between 100,000 to 120,000 light years. It is estimated to have at least 100 billion planets, roughly 400 billion stars and billions of other objects flying through the Milky cosmos. The ancient Romans called it Via Lactea which means “The Road of Milk”. The Greek word for “galaxy” also derives from the word “milk”. According to Aristotle, the Milky Way was believed to be a spot “where the celestial spheres came into contact with the terrestrial spheres”. Scientifically, the bright patch of light is the result of looking at a concentrated band of billions of different stars in our galaxy that forms a glowing arc of light that we know as the Milky Way galaxy.
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Multiple theories
Why do flamingoes stand on one leg?
Dhairya Mathur , Mumbai, Maharashtra
View AnswerThis question is open for debate, as there are multiple theories to this. The first is that birds tend to lose body heat quickly through their legs and feet, and even more so when standing in water. So by standing on one leg they may be able to form some kind of thermoregulation or the maintenance of body temperature. The second reason is that it could be muscle fatigue. By standing on one leg, they prevent both leg muscles from stiffening and tiring out. If a predator came along, the flamingo would be able to get away faster. And finally, there is the theory that flamingo joints have a "locked" resting position. This secures them in place, as long as they're standing on one leg.
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Airy wonder
Why is air invisible?
Suman Gowd , Hosur, Tamil Nadu
View AnswerWhite light is made up of colours of different wavelengths. We are able to see objects or their colour because the objects absorb some wavelengths, and reflect the others. Objects appear in the colour of the wavelength reflected back to the eye. Air looks invisible because it reflects very little colour to our eyes. This is because air is made up of mainly nitrogen and oxygen, whose molecules are so far apart that light pass through without hitting any of them.
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All about permutations
Why does an Indian phone number have 10 digits?
Ramprasath , Karur, Tamil Nadu
View AnswerThis is to do with simple permutation logic. If we had a six-digit mobile number, the maximum number of unique numbers possible would have been a maximum of 10 lakh subscribers. But with India’s population at a billion mark, even a nine-digit number wouldn’t have made as many unique numbers possible. A 10-digit number offers a possibility of 10 billion unique numbers. According to the Numbering Plan 2003, the first four digits are based on the network operator and the telecom circle, and the last six digits are the unique subscriber identification number. In India, there are are 23 telecom circles or service areas.