ASK!

Kids ASK! about Science & Technology

From the book titled The Sun / Robin Kerrod. J 523.7 KER

The core of the sun is estimated by be as high as 15,000,000 degree celsius, while the surface of the sun is estimated at about 5,000 degree celsius.Astronomers can feature out the temperature of the sun from the colour of the light it gives out.

From the website: http://www.astronomynotes.com/starsun/s2.htm

One method of measuring the sun’s temperature is called Wien’s law, uses the wavelength of the peak emission, peak, in the Sun’s continuous spectrum. The temperature in Kelvin = 2.9 × 106 nanometers/peak.

Here are more recommendations of books that you can read about on the Sun:

The Sun by Ralph Winrich
Publisher : Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, c2005.
Call No. : J 523.7 WIN
Click here for item availability.

The Sun by Robin Birch
Publisher : Philadelphia, Pa. : Chelsea Clubhouse, 2004.
Call No. : J 523.7 BIR
Click here for item availability.

Why is the sun so hot? by Patricia J. Murphy
Publisher : New York : Rosen Pub. Group’s PowerKids Press, 2004.
Call No. : J 523.7 MUR
Click here for item availability.

Answered by Ms Lim Shang Nee, Librarian, Children’s Services

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Kids ASK! about Singapore

“The Vanda Miss Joaquim was picked from among 40 flowers, out of which 30 were orchids, as Singapore’s National Flower. This makes Singapore the only nation to have a hybrid as her national flower. Among the several varieties of Vanda Miss Joaquim, the variety “Agnes” was chosen particularly for its vibrant colours, hardiness and resilience: qualities which reflect the Singapore spirit. Its ability to bloom throughout the year also won the judges over.”

Source : http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_752_2005-01-10.html

Here’s a book you can borrow to find out more about Singapore’s National Flower!

A Joy forever : Vanda Miss Joaquim, Singapore’s national flower by Teoh Eng Soon
Publisher : Singapore : Times Editions, 1998.
Call No. : SING English 584.4095957 TEO
Click here for item availability.

Answered by Ms Norasyikin Ahmad Ismail, Librarian, Children’s Services

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Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

Most animals (including human beings!) communicate with one another using body language as well as sound and smell. Many animals communicate by smell; they release pheromones (airborne chemicals) to relay messages to others. For example, the amoeba releases such a chemical to attract others to reproduce with it. Another example of body language though, are bees. Once the scout bee has found some nectar, it will dance in the hive and this dance directs other bees to the location of the nectar.

Chimpanzees greet each other by touching hands. Gorillas stick out their tongues to show anger. Swans entwine their long necks when they want to fight or to court. Interestingly, dolphins, whales and porpoises use vocalization, echolocation and ultrasound to communicate with one another. With echolocation for example, dolphins emit and process up to 700 clicking sounds per second to detect the size of an object hundreds of metres away.

Reference:
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/
interactives/animal_resource/html
http://www.darylscience.com/
Demos/DolphinCom.html

Materials available at the library for further information:

All about animal behavior & communication [videorecording] produced and directed by Burrud Productions Inc
Publisher : Wynnewood, PA : Schlessinger Media, p2006
Call No. : J AV English 591.5 ALL
Click here for item availability.

How animals communicate by series consultant, Michael Chinery
Publisher : London : Southwater, 2005, c2002
Call No. : J English 591.59 HOW
Click here for item availability.

Animal talk by Lisa Thompson
Publisher : [Philadelphia, Pa.] : Chelsea House Publishers, 2005, c2003.
Call No. : J English 591.59 THO
Click here for item availability.

Answered by Ms Siti Nadiah Sahul Hameed, Librarian, Children’s Services

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ASK! about Fiction

So many books, so little time: How to find a “good book”

Remember Mr X, a reader who was searching for a book that wouldn’t waste his time? He explained that he was impressed by Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Mists of Avalon, and he was looking for other books of similar calibre.

Well, we asked him whether he was keen to read more historical fiction and whether there were any particular books that he remembers not liking. Mr X replied that he’s open to any sort of book but he doesn’t enjoy “feel good” titles like The 5 People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Now, this librarian can totally identify with Mr X because Tuesdays with Morrie gave her the heebie-jeebies, but hey, don’t let that stop YOU from proclaiming it to be the greatest thing ever written! As noted librarian Betty Rosenberg advocated, “Never apologize for your reading tastes.”

Based on Mr X’s preference of characterisation, themes and depth/complexity, here are the suggestions we’ve made:

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, which won the Booker Prize in 1993. Centering around the relationships and drama between 4 characters in an isolated Tuscan villa near the end of WW2, it was also made into a movie starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche which garnered 9 Academy awards.

Mr X may also like books by Nobel winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez whom Louis De Bernieres labels as one of his major influences. Marquez’s works tend to fall into the category of magical realism (sometimes non-linear, multiple narratives, the fantastical in a realistic setting).

Such as:
Love in the Time of Cholera
One Hundred Years of Solitude

Also suggested is Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. A reader had submitted a recommendation of this book on our book blog, High Browse.

For some suggestions more towards historical fantasy ala Mists of Avalon, try Morgan Llywelyn’s works which focus more on Irish/Celtic history or Juliet Marillier’s Seven Waters series. For a unique historical fantasy, try Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series, but please note that it deals with “mature themes” though. More authors which write in this sub-genre can be found in this article.

Bernard Cornwell is another author of historical fantasy (England) but his works are more action/adventure oriented. If Mr X is interested in epic Greek battles/warfare, he could also try Stephen Pressfield. But these two authors are not really big on language stylistics or character relationships.

These are just a few reading suggestions that have been matched to Mr X, perhaps when he’s exhausted them (he mentioned that he found the titles suggested “fascinating” and that he would try One Hundred Years of Solitude first), we’ll have another episode for…. “So many books, So little time”!

Please use our online catalogue at www.nlb.gov.sg to check for availability in library holdings.

Contributed by Jillian Lim, Librarian, Public Library Services

If you need further fiction-related information or reading suggestions, drop us an email at ask@library.nlb.gov.sg.

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If you have a different question, please email to ask@library.nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Fiction

So many books, so little time: How to find a “good book”

As mentioned in this post, navigating the Fiction Collection can be quite a frustrating experience for library users. We’ve recently received this enquiry:

“I’ve been looking for a good fiction book for a long time, but everything I read seems to disappoint. I get particularly frustrated when I start on a book, only to find 5 chapters and a week later that it sucks. Somehow that has managed to put me off reading books for a long time, but I know that if you find a good one, the pleasures of reading are indescribable.

There are 2 books that I read over the past few years that really swept me away: “The Mists of Avalon” by Marion Zimmer Bradley and “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” by Louis De Bernieres. “The Mists of Avalon” was lucidly and enchantingly written, and interestingly, from a woman’s perspective – very refreshing, since the Arthurian legends are always told from the point of view of the story-teller or the man. The twists in the story that explain Arthur’s incest with Morgaine and Lancelet’s adultery with Gwenhwyfar are clever, unexpected and tragic in a funny sort of way.

“Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”, too, was beautifully written, in a fluid prose that sweeps you away. It is hilarious at parts, tragic in others, historically well-researched, and demonstrates a great understanding of the complexities of different types of love. The characters in both books are full and fascinating.

This might be too much to ask, but can you recommend me good titles in the league of these?”

Well, it certainly is not too much to ask as it’s our job to suggest reading materials for our users!

So did THE Librarian manage to find a good read for Mr X? Or did Mr X have to wander the shelves hoping that the next book he came across would be “the one”?

Stay tuned to find out what happened next…

Contributed by Jillian Lim, Librarian, Public Library Services

If you need further fiction-related information or reading suggestions, drop us an email at ask@library.nlb.gov.sg.

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@library.nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Anything & Everything

Apparently, the brushes are installed as a safety precaution, the sources do not mention their use as a shoe cleaner though they certainly look like one. You could read the extracted articles below for more information. Full text of the articles can be accessed using Factiva.

METRO
Metro Using Brushes on Escalator Gap Problem
Stephen C. Fehr
Washington Post Staff Writer
627 words
9 September 1994
The Washington Post
FINAL
b03
English
(Copyright 1994)
Excerpt: Brushes are being installed on some Metro escalators to try to prevent riders from getting caught in the gap between the steps and the side wall, transit officials said yesterday.
Critics, including the family of a Kensington girl injured in an escalator accident, say the brushes are useless. They say other devices would be more effective, such as plates that fit on the sides of escalator steps and narrow the gap where riders occasionally are trapped.
Metro’s deputy general manager, Fady P. Bassily, said yesterday that the brushes have the “potential” to make escalators safer, but passengers ultimately bear the responsibility for riding escalators.

Escalators Can Prove to be Dangerous Traps for Children
613 words
6 March 1999
The Salt Lake Tribune
D7
English
Copyright (c) 1999 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.
Extract: Although the technology exists to reduce the incidences of entrapment — side plates or brushes that fill the gaps, or sensors that automatically shut down the machinery if an object becomes wedged in the comb plate — such devices are not required by law.

METRO
Metro Installs Devices, Targets Escalator Safety
Stephen C. Fehr
Washington Post Staff Writer
561 words
18 July 1991
The Washington Post
FINAL
c08
English
(Copyright 1991)
Excerpt: The other escalator will be equipped with brushes that fit on the side wall, or skirt, and also reduce the gap. The brushes, made by an English company, are used widely in Europe.

Answered by Ms Lim Lee Ping, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

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ASK! about Pets & Animals

Yes, adult guppies do eat their young. Hence, when rearing guppies, it is advisable to separate the new born from the adults. Why do they do that? In a confined environment such as an aquarium, guppies eat their young to control the population size. This is known as cannibalism. It is an animal instinct to ensure survival of the species by keeping adults that can breed to produce more offspring.

References:
The World Book Encyclopedia Vol 8, Chicago, World Book Inc, 2001, pg 442 (Call No.: YR q031 WOR)

“cannibalism.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 13 Feb. 2007 .

Apart from guppies, there are other animals that exhibit similar behaviour. For instance, in certain ant species, injured juvenile ants are regularly eaten. When there is a shortage of food, healthy juvenile ants become the food source. Cannibalism also occurs in other forms of animal behaviour, such as animal courtship. A female may eat her mate to obtain nutrients to produce more eggs, which occurs with the praying mantis.
From Exploring the Secrets of Nature, London, Reader’s Digest Association, 1994, pg 273, (Call No.: R q591.5 EXP)

To find out more interesting facts about animals or breeding fishes, you may like to read the following books:

Science of animal life compiled by panel authors of Pintar Firus
Call No.: J English 591.5 SCI

The super simple guide to breeding freshwater fishes by Laura Muha
Call No.: 639.34 MUH -[ANI]

Guppies, mollies, platys, and other live-bearers : purchase, care, feeding, diseases, behavior [and] a special section on breeding by Harro Hieronimus ; drawings by Fritz W. Köhler ; consulting editor, Matthew M. Vriends ; [translated from the German by Rita and Robert Kimber]
Call No.: English 639.3753 HIE [ANI]

Please use our online catalogue to find out where you can find these materials. Encyclopaedia Britannica is an online database accessible via our Digital Library.

Answered by Ms Ang Mei Jun, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

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