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A surprise twist brings a Möbius strip mystery to an end. So simple in structure yet so perplexing a puzzle, the Möbius strip's twisted loop grants some unexpected turns. Learn about what a Möbius strip is by constructing them from paper and tape, then use these deceptively simple structures to challenge intuitive judgments about their construction ratio limits.

Astronomers just spotted a big explosion. Scientists studied this glowing afterburn of pulverized planets — comparing infrared and visible light — to peel back layers of space and time. They also answered questions about how probability can be used to draw conclusions and assess scientific claims.

Colliding tectonic plates might make your diamond blush. Learn how differences in crystal structure give rise to distinctive physical differences, such as the rare pink diamonds of Western Australia. Answer questions about the value of skepticism in science and discuss how uncovering the history of our planet can give us a treasure-hunting lead.

This little snake’s “big gulp” puts 7-Eleven to shame. Stretchy tissue in the snakes’ jaws enables them to swallow prey much wider than themselves. And the Gans’ egg-eater snake takes the cake — or egg — for most outsized meals. Learn how snakes gulp down meals much bigger than themselves while answering questions discussing proportions and comparing relative values vs. absolute measurements.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, provides a new way to focus a camera’s lens! Researchers have now used AI to overcome limitations in thermal-imaging technology — and they didn’t stop there. Learn how applying this AI to existing technology, such as self-driving cars, might solve safety problems and help transform what had been science fiction into reality. Apply knowledge to new applications and answer questions that confront the nuance sometimes lost by dichotomies as literary devices.

In a “perfect comeback” move, birds may be fortifying their nests with anti-bird spikes plucked from rooftops and eaves. Learn about the new findings and foster healthy skepticism by inviting students to evaluate evidence used in the article to support claims.

How clever! Bees use geometry tricks to make the most of their hive’s space. Learn how bees, wasps and other hive-makers accommodate changes in their colony’s needs, answer questions about evolution’s approach to problem-solving and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of analogies as literary devices.

Staying cool in the summer and keeping warm in the winter may become easier. Learn about a new thermal fabric prototype and its ability to regulate temperature, answer questions about its design and function and discuss potential applications.

Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “Baseball’s home run boom is due, in part, to climate change,” which explores how increases in temperatures boost home run numbers. A version of the article, “Climate change spikes baseball homers,” appears in the May 6, 2023 & May 20, 2023 print issue of Science News.

Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “Scientists have mapped an insect brain in greater detail than ever before,” which explains how researchers approached finding more than 500,000 neural connections in the larval fruit fly brain. A version of the article, “The fruit fly brain in exquisite detail,” appears in the April 22, 2023 issue of Science News.

Students will answer questions about the online Science News Explores article “Think twice before using ChatGPT for help with homework,” which explains the pros and cons of using ChatGPT.

Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “The Deepwater Horizon oil spill ruined long-term shore stability,” which explains how damage to plants and soils is causing coastal marshes to retreat in parts of Louisiana. A version of the article, “Shores still reeling from 2010 oil spill,” appears in the March 25, 2023 issue of Science News.