Spellbinding

ISLANDS
 36
Islands in
the Sky
Climate changes
cloudy refuges
by Charles C. Hofer

FEATURES
10 14 26 28 32
Life Between The Island of Cleaning Up The Floating Artificial Islands
the Tides the Sharks from World Island Cookbook Afloat
...at Catalina Georgienne War II Recipes for buoyant Humans take up
by Casey Twanow Bradley’s fight Great Sitkin Island drifters making land
by Joseph Taylor by Lindsey Schneider by Ana Kourrant by Rachel Kehoe
 JULY/AUGUST 2022
DEPARTMENTS Volume 26, Issue #06

2
 ',5(&725 2) (',725,$/ James M. “Northerly” O’Connor
Parallel U  (',725 Joseph “Ischia” Taylor
by Caanan Grall  $66,67$17(',725 Emily “Utopia” Cambias
 $66,67$17(',725
6
Hayley “Atlantis” Kim
Muse News  $57',5(&725 Nicole “Kaua’i” Welch
by Elizabeth Preston  '(6,*1(5 Harrison “Roanoke” Hugron
5,*+76 3(50,66,216 David “Mackinac” Stockdale
18 Science@Work: &2175,%87,1*(',725 Kathryn “Conanicut” Hulick
 &2175,%87,1*(',725 Tracy “St. Croix” Vonder Brink
Beth Flint
by Melissa L. Weber
BOARD OF ADVISORS

22 Photo Op: ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR STUDIES IN EDUCATION,

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Wild Ponies of Carl Bereiter
ORIENTAL INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Assateague Island John A. Brinkman
by Lee Gjertsen Malone NATIONAL CREATIVITY NETWORK
Dennis W. Cheek
42 Photo Op: COOPERATIVE CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTER, A LIBRARY
OF THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF
Pig Paradise WISCONSIN–MADISON
K. T. Horning
45 Do The Math: FREUDENTHAL INSTITUTE
Jan de Lange
Shaping Sounds FERMILAB
by Ivars Peterson Leon Lederman
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
47 Your Tech Sheilagh C. Ogilvie
WILLIAMS COLLEGE
by Kathryn Hulick Jay M. Pasachoff

48 Last Slice UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

Paul Sereno
by Nancy Kangas MUSE magazine (ISSN 1090-0381) is published 9 times a year, monthly except for combined May/
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please visit our website at cricketmedia.com or write to us at CMG COPPA, 1751 Pinnacle Drive,
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“Do the Math,” text © 2015 by Ivars Peterson; “Last Slice,” text and art © 2003 by Nancy Kangas
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MUSE
PO Box 6395, Harlan, IA 51593-1895.
ONCE E SAID
S “We owe
you, ssisster.”
 PARALLEL U CAANAN GRALL

2
 Laser Focus
,łPDQ\HDUROGKXPDQRI
WKHVSHFLHV+RPRVDSLHQV,bDQG
0XVH0DLO

,HQMR\EXLOGLQJJLDQWEXUQLQJ
ODVHUVDQGKRPHPDGHODVHU
OLJKWVKRZVI am the only
11-year-old of the species Homo
sapiens I know who can build
a high-power safety class 3B
burning laser out of a dead
computer. I even have my own
YouTube channel where I post
videos of my laser gadgets.
When I’m not building laser
death rays, I enjoy listening to
heavy metal and playing my
electric guitar. I have a few
suggestions for topics: the
science of lasers, pain, and Star
/(77(5 Wars. I think Muse magazine
of the is awesome, but if this letter
0217+ goes in The Infamous Fan Mail

Wrote this Poem Just

Pit, I will have no choice but to
send a giant army of malicious

to Show It alien blobs to destroy Muse HQ.

But if this letter gets printed, I
will send a giant army of nice
+L+RZG\*UHHWLQJV%RQMRXU+ROD7KHVHDUHV\QRQ\PVIRUŃ+Lń alien hug robots to hug everyone
RUŃ+HOORń at Muse HQ.
I always wait for your magazine to come in the mail, and when it does? Oh boy,
my face looks like the Sun, but even brighter! Ō:$/'(1&$*(
You may be asking yourself, “Wait, is she a queen or an alien of some
kind?! And more importantly, does she have an army of some kind?” My
answer to both of those questions: No. I’m just a girl who loves theatre,
especially Hamilton. I love writing. And acting. Here’s a poem that describes
your magazine.

Shining, almost as brightly as the Sun.

When I flip and whip the pages.
My eyes explode wide, as I read and discover.
I am inspired to learn more about our world to help.
As I am young, so is my mind. But Muse opens my mind wide.
And there is so much more to discover.

This is my first time writing to Muse, so I hope this will get published. If it
doesn’t, you will just have to live with the guilt. Just kidding! I will just keep
writing, to tell other Muse fans what Muse means to young kids’ minds and
futures.

Ō*5$&(/<1

Thanks for the poem.

We love to see your words shine.
Keep imagining!
Ō$$57,


0XVH0DLO

Unexpected Nonsense Dragons Rock

+L,łPDKDSS\bKXPDQ , DP WKH TXHHQ RI GUDJRQV
WKDWDVDUHVXOWRID IURP WKH IDU DZD\ ODQG
WUDJLFbDFFLGHQWLQYROYLQJ RI JLDQW FU\VWDOV FDOOHG Over Hill, Over Elvendale
+3%VLVVRPHWLPHVbSURQH 'XUROHHQ I am writing ,DPWKH4XHHQRI(DVWHUQ
WRERXWVbRIXQH[SHFWHG about three things. First, I (OYHQGDOHZLWKLQWKH(OYLVK
QRQVHQVH I’ve been getting would really like it if you guys 7HUULWRU\DQG,MXVWZDQWHGWR
Muse for about a year, and published an article about VD\,DPDELWQHZWR0XVHIRU
I decided I’d write a letter. I rocks and minerals. I think RQHRIP\OR\DOHOYHVVHQWPH
really love the magazine (of they are very interesting. DSDFNDJHFRQWDLQLQJVL[0XVH
course) and I think it’s cool Second, where is the FMP PDJD]LQHVI immediately fell in
how there’s this whole little and what does it look like? I love with them! And if I can ask,
community focused on the heard it is quite unpleasant! could you do an article on music,
ruling class of outer space and Third, is there any way to look or Muse-ic? I know I love our
HPBs. My favorite character at Muse magazines from the musical traditions here in Eastern
is the one with the hair. My past? (And I don’t mean I want Elvendale, and how mortals see
second favorite character is to travel back in time!) I really music could get interesting.
the other one. do not understand anything Also, if this letter gets thrown
I have a question: Do any about Cate’s time traveling!!!!!! in the FMP, I will send HPBs
of the characters play an (which I happened to find in
instrument? Music is just the Ō.$7+(5,1( / $.$ 129((1$ the Dogweed Forest of The
best and I think it would be 48((1 2) '5$*216  $*(   Northeastern Elevation close
cool if any of them did. I play 9,5*,1,$ to Eastern Elvendale) and my
the ukulele (and the monkey). army of elves preparing to whack
If this gets thrown in the FMP, P.S. If you put this in the FMP, mortal heads with spoons. (I must
I’ll send a platoon of Pacman I will send a swarm of dragons admit, I am not sure how easy
frogs to eat all of your food to Muse HQ! it is to hurt mortals, though.) I
and keys. will not end this with a thought
of spoons and HPBs, so if Muse
Ō0,/(6 would like to come visit Eastern
Time traveling Elvendale, just take the portal five
can get degrees south of your Northern
We might confusing, Hemisphere, and you will find my
be musical but many kingdom.
enough to libraries have past
start a band. Muse magazines available. Ō48((12)($67(51(/9(1'$/(
How about Past magazines can also be
Outstanding O and the purchased with your parent or P.S. Aarti! You are my favorite!
Muse-ic Makers for the name? guardian’s permission. Please tell me how you use that
Ō2 Ō06$&251 dimensional brain of yours!!


Clone Zone
+L0\QDPHLV*64$—Gabriele’s genetically A Cat-Lion’s Guide to Writer’s Block
identical copy (or his “twin,” as I like to tell +HOOR 0\ QDPH LV $QQD EXW , DP DOVR D SDUW
people). I still don’t know much about my past— WLPH IO\LQJ IOXII\ 3HUVLDQ FDWOLRQ QDPHG 6
maybe you can help! My “twin” has told me so SURQRXQFHG ŃVHDń So you don’t get worried, I’m
much about Muse—he loves the subjects and writing this as Anna, who loves Muse and can’t wait
learns a lot from them—but he’s too shy to write. for it each month!! (I know everybody says that, but
I decided to sneak into his ( frankly petty) it’s because it’s true!)
collection and read one for myself. This Okay, to start, if you publish this (which would
turned out to be a big mistake, because now we make SO happy) and other readers see it, they might
fight over every new issue. We developed a think, “Wow, I can just imagine how cool it would be
system where we alternate who reads it first. to get my letter published!” That’s what I think when
Back to why I’m writing this. I can’t say much I’m reading “Muse Mail.”
about my past. I can say I’m a product of a genetic And let me just say that though first drafts are
cloning experiment, which went along the lines almost never perfect (especially mine), you can still
of my “twin’s” stem cells being incubated after write. As my writing teacher reminded me, you can’t
sorting out the epigenetics. I was wondering if edit what you haven’t written! As a note to readers,
you could write an issue about current events in even if you don’t get your first (or second or third)
genetics/epigenetics. If you don’t, or if this goes in letter published, you are still awesome for trying.
the FMP, I will be very disappointed and my rage Something I also find helpful is when I keep
will blow in your direction, which will continue to trying and trying to write something good and just
collect strength, and by the time it reaches Muse keep crumpling my work, I take a break for a few
HQ, it will either be a category 3 hurricane or an days. It gives my mind a breather and time to build
unnoticeable quiver of a few molecules of air. That up more ideas. It pretty much always helps me
is, if I aim correctly. Still, don’t take your chances. because I get writer’s block a lot! Another way I get
over writer’s block is to write one sentence every
Ō*64$ day. Just one. It usually makes me want to write
more, but if it doesn’t that’s fine too because if I
keep writing one sentence, I will end up with a lot of
sentences!
That’s all I wanted to say. Please don’t put this in
the fan mail pile or I may permanently turn into a
non-fluffy lion. As cool as that would be, I’d rather
stay human! :)

Ō$11$  $*( 

P.S. Please do an article on elephants! They are being

killed and need our help!

Sometimes I try writing in

interesting places to get over
writer’s block.
Ō&$7(

So that’s what you were doing in

a tree yesterday!
Ō:+$76,

6RPHWKLQJ WR VD\"
Send letters to Muse Mail,
1 East Erie Street, Suite 525,
PMB4136, Chicago, IL 60611,
or email them to
[email protected].


0XVH1HZV
WH[WŕE\(OL]DEHWK3UHVWRQ BY ELIZABETH PRESTON

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KABOOOOOM!

When the Dinosaurs Died

A
few years ago, the dinosaurs. That asteroid hit the the North Dakota fossils. They took
researchers found ocean near what is now Mexico a close look inside the bones of
an unusual fossil about 66 million years ago, leaving a fossilized fish. As the fish grew each
bed in North crater called Chicxulub. Even across year, lines had formed in their
Dakota. The the continent, the ground shook bones, similar to tree rings. Based
fossilized animals had from the impact, and bits of glass on how quickly the fish were
all died at once. Scientists think what rained from the sky.  growing when they died, the
killed these animals was the same Recently, scientists learned more scientists now think the asteroid hit
asteroid that led to the extinction of about that fateful day by studying in springtime.

 ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

Lemurs Set Sail

LEMURS ARE MONKEY-LIKE
PRIMATES THAT CLIMB AND SWING
IN TREES. There are about 100 lemur
species, and they all live on the African
island country of Madagascar. But some
of these primates seem to have an itch
to travel. 
Scientists found lemur droppings on a
beach in Madagascar and wondered
what the lemurs had been doing away
from their usual trees. They placed
cameras on the beach to spy on the
lemurs for a few months. The cameras
captured more than a dozen ring-tailed
lemurs, as well as one sifaka lemur,
climbing and playing on logs that were
floating in the water. 
Using a drone camera, the researchers
even spotted some lemurs farther from
shore. One was floating on a tangled pile
of branches more than two kilometers
(one mile) away from the coast. If a lemur
traveling this way catches the right
current, it’s possible the primate could
sail all the way to mainland Africa.

MEDICINE?

Chimps Treat
Their Cuts
with Bugs
IN GABON, A COUNTRY IN AFRICA,
SCIENTISTS NOTICED WILD
CHIMPANZEES DOING SOMETHING
STRANGE. Sometimes a chimp who
had a scrape or cut would snatch a fly
out of the air and briefly press the bug
between its lips. Then the animal put
the bug inside its wound.
The chimps seemed to be using the
insects as a kind of medicine to treat
their injuries. Researchers don’t know
what kinds of flies the chimps use.
They also don’t know if it actually
helps. But they saw chimps treat their
wounds this way dozens of times.
Sometimes—like a caring human
doctor, nurse, or parent—chimps
even put bugs into each other’s cuts.


0XVH1HZV

MARINE BIOLOGY

Millions of Fish Nests

OFF THE COAST OF ANTARCTICA,
SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED THE
WORLD’S LARGEST COLLECTION
OF FISH NESTS AND EGGS.
The scientists were on a research
ship exploring the Weddell Sea. The
Is that you with ship towed video cameras and
the light, Mom? other tools deep in the frigid water.
Those cameras spotted nests—lots
of them. 
The nests belonged to fish called
icefish, which are about half a
meter (20 inches) long. Each nest
was a circle dug into the gravelly
seafloor. Most nests had a single
fish dad hovering above the eggs to
guard them. And that was no small
job, as there were about 1,700 eggs
in each nest, on average.
The researchers estimated that
in this part of the ocean, there are
about 60 million icefish nests. No
one has ever seen so many fish
guarding their eggs in one place
before.

TECH DESK

The Space Robot

Gas-Pumper
IN A FEW YEARS, NASA WILL LAUNCH A ROBOT
INTO SPACE IN HOPES OF REFUELING A SATELLITE.
That satellite, Landsat 7, orbited Earth for more than 20
years. It snapped photographs of various places on Earth
before it ran out of fuel. When the satellite came to a
halt, so did its picture-taking.
No satellite has ever been refueled in space. Unlike
cars, satellites have a lifespan limited to only one tank
of gas. Once their tanks are empty, they become space
junk. If NASA can successfully refuel Landsat 7, then
perhaps the thousands of other satellites now in orbit
around Earth can be made to work longer, too.
But this mission won’t be easy. The robot will have to
use its mechanical arm to grab the satellite before
pumping it full of gas. The fuel will need to be delivered
in microgravity. And Landsat 7 and current satellites
were never designed to connect with a space robot,
even a helpful one.


 PALEONTOLOGY

My, What a Sharp Tail You Have

SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED A NEW Ankylosaurs had bony clubs on
KIND OF DINOSAUR FOSSIL IN CHILE, their tails. The Stegosaurus had d
ON SOUTH AMERICA’S WEST COAST. four tall spikes on its tail called
This dinosaur was pretty small when a thagomizer. But the
it was alive—only about two meters weapons that Stegouros
7KDWłVWKHQHZV
(seven feet) long. But it was no joke. carried were unique. Go to page 46WR
The dinosaur’s tail had a flat, bony This dinosaur lived in the VHHLI\RXVSRWWHG
end covered in blades. Talk about late Cretaceous period, WKHfalse story.
cutting edge. more than 70 million years
The researchers named the new ago. Scientists aren’t sure
dinosaur species Stegouros elengassen. what the creature used its
It’s not the only dinosaur that carried axe-like tail for. But it was probbably
weapons on the end of its tail. Most safest for other animals to stay ffar away.


 Life
Betwee
the
A
t first glance, the tumbled rocks at the
edge of the ocean cove where I once
lived look lifeless—too rugged a place
for animals to make their home. But
explore these boulders, and you’ll meet
a fascinating community of creatures that survive in
the harsh intertidal zone.
The intertidal zone lies along the ocean’s edge.
In this unique habitat, the water level changes with
the Moon-driven tides. At high tide, seawater covers
shoreline that might be several feet, or a few meters,
above water at low tide. 

10
 6859,9,1*
7+( Catalina Island’s
Intertidal Zone
,17(57,'$/ On Catalina Island, 20 miles (32 km)
=21( off the coast of Southern California,
$/21* much of the intertidal habitat is
rocky and rough. I worked as a
&$7$/,1$ teacher at Catalina Island Marine
,6/$1' Institute, an outdoor marine science

en
school that students from fourth
by Casey Twanow grade to twelfth grade visit to learn
about the ocean. I loved taking my
classes to investigate our constantly
changing intertidal zone. 
Let’s explore this wondrous
environment between the tides!
First, listen to the constant
rhythm of the intertidal world: a
XIPPTI as blue-green water pours
into cracks around the rocks, a
gargle as the frothy water is sucked
back out. 
If we watched one patch of
intertidal rock all day, we’d see
water swirl over it at high tide,
the Sun bake it at low tide, and
waves pound on it in between. In
California and most places on Earth,
there are two high tides and two low
tides each lunar day. (A lunar day is
the time it takes the Moon to orbit
Earth, which is about 24 hours and
50 minutes.) 

It’s almost low tide now, the perfect

time to find intertidal creatures out of
the water. Let’s go—be careful on the
slippery rocks!


 Ocean life holds
on in tide pools.

A striped
Intertidal Creatures shore crab
See how the boulders are dotted with
little beige starbursts? The stones are
the homes of barnacles, tiny relatives
of shrimp that attach themselves
to rocks, or even boats and whales.
Underwater at high tide, they’ll fan
feathery legs out of these shells to
grab food.
Look closely: Tiny periwinkle snails
are lined up in cracks in the rocks.
Some of their spiral shells are only the
size of a pinhead.
Now peer into this rocky crevice. A There’s a hint of movement: Three
clump of California mussels, clam-like green-striped shore crabs sidestep
These barnacles
creatures, are closed inside their blue- and periwinkles
out from under a stone. The crabs are
black shells. Nearby, a limpet, a snail eat the algae feeding, scraping algae from the damp
in a domed half-shell, suctions to the and detritus rocks with purple claws. The next
washed against
rock face. the rocks.
surge of water comes, and they scuttle
into a safe crevice.
In the seconds of stillness between
waves, look down into the water.
There’s a cluster of anemones, like an
undersea flower garden. The stinging
tentacles anemones use to catch
food are spread like pale-green petals
around their circular mouths. 
Over this way, there’s a quiet tide
pool where water was trapped when
the tide went out. Snail shells begin
to wobble around the shallow pool.
California mussels Hermit crabs are spending low tide
like to grow next
to other mussels— here! Watch for a moment as their red
some rocks are antennae and blue-striped legs poke
completely covered out of their stolen shells. 
in them.

12
 Unlike barnacles,
limpets move
around their rocks,
usually at night.

The shy hermit crab, flowerlike precious water. Snails have special
anemone, and their neighbors trap doors called operculums that seal
are small and may even seem their shells shut. During low tide the
delicate, but they live in a tough anemone gardens disappear, replaced
neighborhood. These hardy animals by what look like wet pebbles. When
survive in the intertidal zone, where exposed to air, anemones pull their
Tide pools and rocky shores everyday living should be considered tentacles inward and a mosaic of
crawl with life. Just make an extreme sport. pebbles and seashell bits stuck to
sure to return the creatures
that you find o their homes! their bodies protects them from the
The Challenges of drying Sun.
Intertidal Living A tide pool might seem like a
An obvious challenge of intertidal great place to stay wet at low tide,
living is moving water. Picture but the Sun can warm it like a hot
yourself curled up on a cozy couch in tub or evaporate so much water that
your home playing video games. Now it becomes dangerously salty. Hermit
imagine that every few seconds, gale crabs and anemones are adapted to
force winds rush in your front door, withstand these tide pool extremes.
whirl around, and howl back out the If other creatures, however, like small
door. This may give you an idea of an fish, are accidentally trapped in a tide
intertidal animal’s struggle not to be pool, it may become too hot and salty
washed out to sea at high tide. for them to survive.
These creatures are well adapted
A hermit crab to endure surging water and waves. The Benefits of a
Crabs can take shelter in crevices or Harsh Habitat
Anemones may under algae. Barnacles permanently Most ocean animals stay safely under
look more like
pretty plants attach their shells to a rock, while the water and encounter only gradual
than animals anemones and limpets simply hold changes in temperature and salinity,
and are called on for dear life. Periwinkle snails ooze or saltiness. Intertidal creatures are
“flowers of th
sea.” But they out a glue to help them stay put. And adapted to survive surging water
use their ten- mussels produce strong fibers called and waves, and exposure to air and
tacles to defend byssal threads that anchor them to Sun. Their hardiness helps them to
themselves and
to sting prey. the rocks. avoid predators that can’t live in
At low tide, animals get a break this harsh habitat. And they find less
from waves, but they may be exposed competition for food and homes.
to air and the hot Sun for hours. Just as Now the tide is turning. Soon,
the Sun dries puddles on a pool deck, water will rise to cover this community
it evaporates water from rocky shores once more. Our adventure is over, but
and animals’ bodies. As intertidal the creatures in the extreme sport of
creatures breathe using gills, and gills intertidal living are getting ready to go
only work when wet, surviving low tide another round. 
is an impressive feat.
Intertidal inhabitants have several Casey Twanow is a science teacher
different ways of staying moist when and freelance writer. She currently lives
out of the water. Those that can in Minnesota, which presents some
move find wet cracks. Barnacles and different challenges than those found
snails close up their shells to hold in along Catalina Island.

13
 by Joseph Taylorr

OCEAN CONSERVATIONIST
GEORGIENNE BRADLEY
AND THE FIGHT TO
PROTECT COCOS ISLAND’S
MARINE LIFE


T
en-year-old Georgienne Georgienne Of Dinosaurs and Sharks
Bradley enjoyed Bradley “Called Isla Nublar—big island,
helping her parents hundreds of miles offshore. Going to
out at the marina be a biological preserve. Wonderful
they operated off place. Tropical jungle,” explains a
Pennsylvania’s Delaware River. One character in Michael Crichton’s 1990
day in the early 1970s, as she tied bestselling novel, Jurassic Park. This
off a speedboat, she spotted her book about living dinosaurs that
father. He was walking with Frank escape was made into the blockbuster
Rizzo, Philadelphia’s police chief movie of the same name and spawned
and future mayor, and his younger sequels and the Jurassic World movies.
brother, Joe, the city’s future Isla Nublar is a fictional island created
fire department chief. The Rizzo by Crichton for his dinosaur story, but
brothers were carrying an old metal it’s based on a real one he once visited:
tub between them. It held a large Isla del Coco, or Cocos Island. Cocos
snapping turtle they’d just caught is an uninhabited rainforest island
in the nearby swamp. Snapper soup located 340 miles (550 km) off the
was a common dish in Pennsylvania west coast of Costa Rica.
at the time. When she first laid eyes on the
Young Bradley couldn’t stand island in 1989, Georgienne Bradley
to think of the turtle being eaten. diving course. She adored diving and felt something stir inside her. “I’ve
While the three men were inside the undersea access it granted her. seen many beautiful things in my
celebrating their catch, the girl Bradley studied biology in graduate life, but Cocos was an emotional
tipped the tub over and shooed the school at Georgetown University in experience,” she says. Its cascading
turtle away. “What in the world?” Washington, DC. After leaving, she waters took Bradley’s breath away.
one of the brothers exclaimed when decided to attend medical school at The island—volcanic, mountainous,
they returned. Her dad helped the her parents’ urging. and lush green—features more than
Rizzos search for the turtle—but But during her third year at Tel Aviv 300 waterfalls.
they never did find the animal. It University in Israel, an unexpected The real action at Cocos, though,
wouldn’t be the last time Bradley opportunity came her way: the chance takes place underwater just offshore.
spoiled someone’s dinner. to join the Cousteau Society for one year With the island situated at the
as its representative in Latin America. intersection of several major marine
The Undersea Little did she know that this stint would currents, it attracts many Pacific
World Calls transform her life, moving her away marine species.
Young Bradley cherished the river from studying medicine and toward Staying on Cocos for several
and the swamp near her home, working as a marine conservationist. months with two rangers, Bradley
but she dreamed about the ocean She would make big waves in Costa found herself diving frequently and
beyond. One evening, she came Rica and even help change international marveling at the sight of so many
across the TV show The Undersea oceanic conservation laws. magnificent marine animals. She
World of Jacques Cousteau. In this
true-life adventure series, Cousteau
sailed his research ship Calypso to
far reaches of the world to study
fascinating marine animals such as
sleeping sharks, 2,000-pound (900
kg) manta rays, and diving marine
iguanas. “This was a new world,”
Bradley recalls at her beach house
in Malibu, California. “To me, it
was better than going to the Moon.
It was going to the Moon with
animals.”
While working as a lab researcher
at the University of California,
Los Angeles (UCLA) after college,
she had the chance to take a scuba Author Michael Crichton felt inspired by Cocos Island, or Isla del Coco, when he
visited it in the 1980s. It’s said to be the basis of Isla Nublar, the fictional islan
of Jurassic Park.
15
 Cocos is a breathtaking uninhabited
rainforest island. Located 340 miles
(550 km) off the west coast of Costa
Rica, it’s also remote.

exceeds what the species can replace

through breeding, experts say.
Though sympathetic to the fishers
Photos taken by Georgienne Bradley
and Jay Ireland helped raise aware- trying to earn a living, Bradley says,
ness of Cocos’s abundant marine life. “When it comes to the eradication
In 2006, Bradley was inducted into the of a species, the choice isn’t so
Women Divers Hall of Fame.
difficult.”
As a Cousteau Society
representative, she decided to try
found giant manta rays, dolphin, to do something about it. Bradley
and sea turtles, as well as enormous enlisted her new work partner, A sea turtle in the ocean near Cocos Island
schools of fish such as big-eyed underwater photographer Jay
jacks, barracuda, and snappers. Ireland, and set up a meeting
And sharks, many, many sharks: with the then-president of Costa
Cocos is nicknamed the Island of the Rica, José María Figueres, and his
Sharks, as it has one of the world’s Minister of National Parks, Álvaro
highest concentrations of sharks. Ugalde. At the time, many divers
These include massive whale sharks, still weren’t familiar with the remote
silky sharks, Galápagos sharks, and, island’s coastal waters, so some
Bradley’s favorite, the unusually weren’t fully aware of the abundance
shaped scalloped hammerhead shark. of life there.
Bradley showed the two leaders
Sharks Targeted the striking photographs she and
by Humans Ireland had taken of Cocos’s marine A school of snappers off Cocos
Soon, however, Bradley’s heart sank. life and vegetation. These leaders
She became aware of the callous recognized the potential the natural
practice of shark finning. Fishers wonders could exert in attracting More than 300 waterfalls can be found on Cocos.
catch sharks, cut off their fins for tourists. Soon they hatched a plan
shark-fin soup, and usually dump the to help encourage the Costa Rican
still-living animals overboard. Unable people to do more to protect Cocos’s
to swim properly, the sharks die an marine life. Bradley and Ireland’s
often slow, painful death. photographs of healthy animals
Humans kill a staggering 100 were featured on national postage
million sharks globally each year, stamps and lottery tickets over a
about six to eight percent of the total period of a year. This educational
shark population. This number far campaign succeeded in raising

16
 Bradley has spent years fightin
the practice of shark finning a ound
the globe. At Cocos, she still loves
to dive down quietly behind rocks to
watch the sharks swim by.

awareness and helped lead to an

expansion of the country’s protected
areas around Cocos, which had been
designated a national park in 1978.

Stepping Up Protections
Bradley, though, already had her eye
on her next goal: She wanted Cocos to
be named a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. A World Heritage Site
is a landmark or area the United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. Bradley was sharks hunt ill fish, which helps
has deemed to have cultural, delighted, but she still wanted its protect other fish in their schools
historical, or scientific significance. sea life safeguarded. She kept up from also getting sick.
This designation protects these sites her lobbying, and in 2002 UNESCO Today, Bradley participates
under international treaties. Cocos expanded its designation to include in international meetings and
had failed twice before in votes, as its Cocos’s marine area. The sharks conferences, advocating for an
marine environment was considered and sea life in abundance along the array of measures to protect the
too similar to that of the Galápagos island’s shores would now be fully oceans. These objectives include
Islands, located about 400 miles (640 protected by law. reducing pollution and halting
km) to the south. It’s generally thought Even though she’d achieved her illegal fishing. And she has helped
that a location can be put forth just goal for Cocos, Bradley wasn’t done. negotiate protections for various
three times for consideration before it She set her sights on safeguarding marine animals. “Our oceans do
is permanently dismissed. Cocos marine animals around the globe. not recognize political boundaries,”
had only one chance left. In 2003, she launched a nonprofit she says. “If we are to bring about
In their UNESCO campaign, organization, or NGO, called the true change, we must reach across
Bradley and her colleagues decided Sea Save Foundation, which she borders and work collectively with
to focus on Cocos’s terrestrial has directed ever since. Ending the international community.”
environment, which was more unique shark finning remains a top goal.
and lush than that of Galápagos. The foundation calls this practice Joseph Taylor is the editor of Muse. The
They accompanied the UNESCO’s “inhumane, unsustainable, and day he met Georgienne Bradley for an
committee members in a visit to the wasteful,” and points out the interview at her beach house in Malibu,
island and made their case. important role sharks play in California, a whale had just come by for
Their strategy worked! In 1997, the health of the ocean’s ecosystem. a visit. “It was the closest a whale has
Cocos Island was named a UNESCO For example, the group says, ever come in!” Bradley said, beaming.

17
6FLHQFH#:RUN 0LGZD\$WROOLVSDUWRIWKH3DSDKÄQDXPRNXÄNHD0DULQH
1DWLRQDO0RQXPHQW,WłVKRPHIRUPXFKRIWKH\HDUWR
DERXWWZRPLOOLRQELUGVLQFOXGLQJWKH/D\VDQDOEDWURVV

by Melissa L. Weber

BETH FLINT
WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
%HWK)OLQWOLYHVLQ+RQROXOXWKHFDSLWDORI+DZDLLORFDWHG
RQWKHLVODQGRI2DKX She is the seabird coordinator for the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Pacific Islands Refuges and
Monuments Office. She keeps track of the millions of seabirds in
the U.S. Marine National Monuments and works to ensure their
survival. Since 1990, she has designed and run many projects
that have helped seabirds.
In 2019, Flint received a Lifetime Achievement Award from
the Pacific Seabird Group, an organization that studies and
protects seabirds and their habitats. This group honored her
for her work in habitat restoration and conservation, and for
mentoring hundreds of other seabird biologists.

WHAT DO YOU DO AS A Flint at work counting albatross
WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST?
As a wildlife biologist in the
National Refuge System, I
count and monitor species
and their habitats and keep
track of the threats to them.
We enhance and restore
habitats. I keep up on the
scientific literature of species
and communicate new
information about them to
our staff and to the public.
A wildlife biologist often
works in the fields of forestry,
resource management,
zoology, and botany. You’re
expected to know about
organisms and their habitats.
I have a degree in wildlife
biology. I use things I learned
in college every day. My job is
perfect for me! my parents to Yellowstone National Park. We attended a campfire
program where a naturalist gave a talk, and I thought, “That’s what I
ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN want to do! I want to be a park naturalist.”
WILDLIFE OR BIOLOGY?
I’m more of a generalist, HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN SEABIRDS?
using what I’ve learned in I started college at the University of Montana and took a class called
different fields to work to Arctic and Alpine Ecology. I saw an Audubon magazine picture of
protect the National Wildlife puffins on a rock and decided to do a paper on Arctic seabirds. That’s
Refuge Systems. These are the beauty of books, magazines, and the internet—you can study
lands and waters set aside for things beyond where you are.
the people of the world. The I went to graduate school at UCLA [the University of California,
primary goal is the protection Los Angeles]. There was a professor interested in social behaviors
of wildlife and their habitats. of birds, especially large, crowded colonies. I studied ecology and
The four U.S. Marine National biology.
Monuments of the Pacific are
among the largest marine
protected areas in the
world.

WHAT WERE YOU

INTERESTED IN AS A
KID? DID YOU HAVE
ANY INCLINATION
THAT YOU WOULD
END UP DOING WHAT
YOU’VE BEEN DOING?
I was a typical nerdy kid
and loved animals of all
sorts. I had a fixation and
fascination with living things.
The famous biologist E. O.
Wilson called it “biophilia.”
When I was in middle A black-footed albatross takes off
from a Midway Atoll beach.
school, we took a trip with

19
6FLHQFH#:RUN
world’s biggest information
source on endangered animals,
plants, and fungi.]
One of the main threats for
albatross is negative interactions
with commercial fishing boats.
They get caught on hooks and
in nets and trawls and are killed
as adults at sea. About 30 to 40
years ago, we realized we needed
to keep track because they were
being driven to extinction.
Albatross are marine
creatures, but they must lay their
eggs on land. When they come
to land they’re at great risk.
0LGZD\łVXQRIILFLDOIO They’re exposed to predators
and conditions they can’t escape.
Once the egg is laid, they must
EVERY YEAR, THERE IS AN ALBATROSS NEST COUNT protect it. Albatross are stuck.
BETWEEN DECEMBER AND JANUARY ON MIDWAY They’re the size of a goose so
ATOLL. WHY DO YOU COUNT AT THE MIDWAY ATOLL? they can’t hide. We quietly move
We have so many species we have to keep tabs on. Albatross are large among them to count nests.
and easy to count at that stage of their life. Other birds may breed at The most famous albatross
different times of year or underground in a burrow. It’s much more is a Laysan albatross named
difficult to count burrow-nesting seabirds! Wisdom. She was banded in
We lost the ability to get to some of the other sites we were 1956 and is now 70 years old! She
monitoring for several reasons, including sea-level rise and storm comes back to the colony each
damage. At Midway Atoll, we have a year-round presence. year. She is still raising chicks.

WHY DO YOU COUNT ALBATROSS? WHERE DO ALBATROSS

Albatross are in a pickle. There are about 22 species in the world, SPEND MOST OF THEIR
mostly in the southern hemisphere, and they are almost all at TIME?
risk. Many are on the IUCN red list. [The International Union for Albatross are most safe and
Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species is the comfortable when they’re at
sea, soaring over the water. Like
most tropical species, they can
fly for days and days. They can
cruise using the wind without
breaking a sweat.

ARE SEABIRDS
IMPORTANT TO THE
ENVIRONMENT?
Yes, seabirds are a force in the
movement of nutrients and
energy through the ecosystem.
They’re a link between terrestrial
habitats and the open ocean.
They make their living from the
sea.
We place satellite
transmitters on some of the
$ODEWURVVPXVWOD\WKHLUHJJV albatrosses in the Hawaiian
RQODQGZKLFKFDQH[SRVHWKHP Islands colonies. Their foraging
DQGWKHLUFKLFNVWRSUHGDWRUV
range is all the way to the West


Coast [of the mainland United Rats were introduced to some of the islands from ships
States] and up to Alaska. They during World War II. They were devastating seabird populations,
commute that distance if especially birds like the Bonin petrel. They are a burrowing species,
there’s no food closer, and bring which are vulnerable to rats because of their small size. The
it back to the colony. number of petrels went from hundreds of thousands of pairs to just
5,000 pairs. Then, about 25 years ago, the US Navy and Department
DO YOU HAVE AN of Agriculture and others got together and got rid of rats. Now
ACCOMPLISHMENT there are a million pairs!
YOU’RE ESPECIALLY The Bonin petrels are a nocturnal species [which means they’re
PROUD OF? active at night]. You can see them at sunset swirling above the
Midway Atoll was an important island, singing and communicating. It looks like the doorway of
site during World War II and a beehive.
the Cold War. After military
activities were finished, it WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST THREATS TO THE WILDLIFE
turned into a National Wildlife AND THESE AREAS NOW?
Refuge. As soon as you make a The biggest threat to wildlife is climate change, which is happening
site focused on wildlife, you see in a stark and dramatic way.
improvements and results. We are losing thousands of nests with high-water events. Storms
have more energy and sea-level rise is happening. Even a
Beth Flint is proudest of helping to small amount of rise makes a big difference. Since 1980,
protect the Bonin petrel from non- three full islands have washed away. They used to have
native rats. In recent years, the thousands of nesting albatrosses and other species of
birds’ numbers have soared.
animals and plants.
Higher temperatures cause problems, too. We have had
albatross chicks die from heat exhaustion in the spring
before they can fly away.

WHAT CAN KIDS DO TO HELP MAKE A BETTER

FUTURE FOR SEABIRDS?
If you want to help the environment, become a more well-
informed citizen of planet Earth. Be curious! Make good
choices, and when you grow up, vote.

Melissa L. Weber is a science writer who lives in Columbus, Ohio,

with her dog, cat, and husband. She used to dream of being a writer.
Now she dreams of traveling to Hawaii to watch the seabirds!

21
3KRWR2S BY LEE GJERTSEN MALONE

THE WILD PONIES OF

ASSATEAGUE ISLAND
YOU CAN WATCH ’EM, BUT
YOU CAN’T RIDE ’EM
Imagine a large herd of wild horses running free. Americans might picture them
in a Western U.S. state like Montana, Wyoming, or Nevada. But just a three-
hour drive from the bustling city of Washington, DC, is a unique island called
Assateague. There, hundreds of wild ponies have run free along the beaches and
through the forests for centuries.
 Assateague and Chincoteague
Assateague is what’s known as a barrier
island, which is a long, relatively
narrow island running parallel to a
mainland. Thirty-seven miles (60 km)
long, Assateague Island sits just off the
eastern coast of the Delmarva Peninsula,
a landmass that spans three states. The
peninsula’s unusual location is how it
got its name: Del for Delaware, mar for
Maryland, and va for Virginia. The island of
Assateague itself is split between Maryland
and Virginia. And, as if they knew, the
ponies have separated themselves into
two herds, one on either side of the
state line. The Virginia herd is called the
Chincoteague ponies, in honor of another
small island next door.

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Who brought The ponies of Assateague “are very

the sunscreen? much all over the island—very in tune
with their surroundings,” says Billy
Weiland. He’s a water specialist at the
Assateague Coastal Trust. Sometimes
the ponies gather in the forest to keep
out of the wind, he says. During the
summer, you’ll see them trotting
through the surf.
So, how did all these wild ponies get
there? Stories abound. One tale says
they are the descendants of horses that
escaped after a Spanish galleon wrecked
offshore in 1750. But the most commonly
accepted story is that early colonist
landowners hid horses on the island in the
1600s to avoid taxes and other fees. So, the
current herds could be the descendants of
those early “tax shelter” horses.


 %HVLGHVLWVSRSXODUKRUVHVPDQ\
Fame and Realities ELUGVSODQWVDQGZLOGIORZHUVFDQE 
The ponies were immortalized in the classic 1947 IRXQGRQ$VVDWHDJXH
children’s novel Misty of Chincoteague, written by
Marguerite Henry. In 1961, this story was made into
3KRWR 2S

the movie Misty.

“The ponies are sort of the ‘Smokey Bear’ of
the island,” Weiland says. That’s the long-running
mascot of U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire prevention
campaign. The horses are still featured in coffee-
table books and calendars and other merchandise.
They have served as a popular mascot for the
beautiful ecosystem of the area.
Their lives aren’t all fun and games and
glamourous photo shoots, though. Winter weather
can be harsh and make it hard to find food.
Summers often bring pesky insects. For relief from
little critters, the horses head to the beach, where
wind and surf might come to their aid.

*UHDWEOXHKHURQ 0DOHDQGIHPDOHEREZKLWHELUGV
DWVXQULVH

They are only one of the wonders

visitors can see on Assateague Island.
A wide variety of birds spend time on
)ORZHULQJFDFWLRQ
WKHEHDFK the island, including terns, seagulls, and
plovers, as well as wading birds like great
egrets. The island also features many
different types of plants, such as beach
and marsh grasses, pine trees, prickly
pear cacti, and wildflowers.
7KHSRQLHVUHDFK&KLQFRWHDJXHGXULQJ The two state pony herds are maintained by different
WKHDQQXDOSRQ\VZLP
organizations. Both work to keep their numbers in check. The
ponies eat quite a lot and too many of them can overwhelm the
island’s ecosystem.
On the Maryland side, the National Park Service gives the
female horses medications to limit the number of foals they
produce. The Virginia herd is reduced by an annual Pony Auction
every July. This adventure starts when the Saltwater Cowboys, part
of the Chincoteague Fire Department, head over to Assateague.
They lead the horses into the water for the Pony Swim to
Chincoteague island. There, people can buy the foals in an auction.
The event is a popular family attraction, and serves as a fundraiser
to support veterinary care for the herd and the fire department.


People and Assateague Visitors are welcome on Assateague but are advised
to keep some distance from the wild horses.
Though there is a town on Chincoteague.
there are no permanent human residents
on Assateague Island. In the past,
Assateague had hunting lodges and other
structures, but plans to bring further
development to the area were scrapped
in 1962. That was right after a hurricane
destroyed most structures on the island.
The federal government stepped in and
turned the island into a National Seashore.
Nowadays, the Assateague Coastal
Trust helps protect the environment of the
area. They conduct water tests to make
sure that the bay is healthy and advocate
for stronger laws to protect Assateague
and the other islands nearby. As wild
as Assateague is, there is some farming

Some of the Chincoteague ponies

that form the Virginia herd The beach has its benefits

Dinnertime on Assateague

inland, including chicken farms. The group also offers youth education
programs that bring local students to different ecosystems throughout
the Delmarva area. And kids are always welcome to visit Assateague, says
Weiland.
Visitors to Assateague island have lots of opportunities to enjoy
nature. There are campsites, opportunities to kayak and bike, as well as
birdwatching, swimming, and, of course, spotting the famous ponies.

Lee Gjertsen Malone is a recent transplant to Northern Virginia and a huge fan of
the ponies on Assateague Island. She’s the author of two novels for children, The Last
Boy at St. Edith’s and Camp Shady Crook, both published by Simon & Schuster.

25
 i n g U p f r om
Cl e a n
r l d W a r I I
Wo by Linds
ey Schn eider

AN ENVIRONMENTAL MYSTERY ON
ALASKA’S GREAT SITKIN ISLAND

ush grasses bend over A string of rugged islands in More than 40 million seabirds nest
windswept cliffs, which Southwest Alaska, the Aleutian here. Sea lions and fur seals gather in
give way to the churning chain was formed by volcanoes in huge numbers, while sea otters and
ocean. High above, a the Pacific Ring of Fire. The weather whales frolic in the swells.
snow-capped volcano here can be ferocious. There are high
towers over it all. What is this place? winds, thick fog, and bitter cold—but World War II Battleground
It’s Great Sitkin Island, in Alaska’s also gorgeous sunny days. The islands This wild region has a surprising
Aleutian chain. and their waters comprise one of history. It’s one of the only two World
America’s largest marine wildlife War II battlegrounds in the United
text © 2022 by Lindsey Schneider

sanctuaries, the Alaska Maritime States—the other was Pearl Harbor in

National Wildlife Refuge. Hawaii. During the war, Japan invaded
two of the Aleutian Islands and took
the resident Unangax people prisoner.
The United States fought back and
quickly built military bases throughout
the islands. Great Sitkin Island became
the site of Sand Bay Naval Station,
where Navy ships could refuel for far-
Empty gasoline barrels on Great Sitkin Island off battles. The Navy built over 20 fuel
today. At least they’re in neat piles. tanks for their ships. The largest was

26
 Alaska

Great Sitkin

After the war, the naval station Oil Tanks and Pipelines
DID ANYONE was shut down. Nature reclaimed After weeks of investigating, the
LIVE ON GREAT the island, and it was essentially scientists solved the pollution mystery.
SITKIN ISLAND? forgotten. Unfortunately, there was Out of the 40 largest fuel tanks, only
The Aleutian Islands are one huge problem: The Navy stored six still had oil inside. The geologists
home to the Unangax millions of gallons of toxic oil there, found chemicals in the groundwater,
(Aleut) people. Unangax and nobody knew what happened to which could affect the red salmon that
people have lived there it all. spawn in the island’s streams. And while
for thousands of years. scientists found oil in the pipelines, the
No one knows, however, if
Unangax people ever lived
The Old Naval Station pipelines themselves were remarkably
on Great Sitkin Island. As
Now decades later, scientists from well-preserved, which prevented oil
scientists clean up the site, different fields are uniting to clean up from leaking out. “We were really
archaeologists will search for the old naval station. “At the refuge, worried about that,” says Tim Plucinski.
ancient Unangax homes or we rehabilitate the islands that were He’s a contaminant biologist with the
middens—landfills of empty left by the military. We bring them U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska.
shells and bones that show back to nature,” said John Faris. He’s “The pipes are in really good shape.”
where people once lived. captain of the research vessel Tiglaxˆ Great Sitkin Island housed so much
(TEK-lah), which brings scientists to oil during World War II that scientists
remote islands like Great Sitkin. are relieved the island isn’t more
Although the Navy emptied some polluted. “I would say it’s a lucky stroke
tanks before they left, no one knew given the large amount of fuel that
how much oil remained. To find was there. It was millions of gallons,”
out, groundwater geologists drilled says Captain Faris. Now that the
almost big enough to fill an into the soil to take samples. They investigation is complete, scientists can
Olympic-sized swimming looked for lead, mercury, and other start restoring the disrupted habitat.
pool with oil. Smaller tanks held hazardous elements. Researchers Those who work at the Alaska
fuel for airplanes and jeeps. dug up batteries buried in the hills Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Hundreds of soldiers lived and and surveyed the oil tanks. They know that every island, no matter how
worked there for two years. knew from Navy records that huge remote, is worth protecting. Great Sitkin
Sand Bay Naval Station even had underground networks of pipelines Island is “an Indigenous homeland. It’s a
a library and a movie theater! stretched from the station to the national wildlife refuge,” says Plucinski.
shore, where ships “It’s an amazing island. It is wild and
Decades ago, the U.S. Navy attempted to blow docked to refuel. These beautiful in every sense.” Armed with
up this tank to burn the fuel. But it didn’t go pipelines could spell new knowledge, the next scientists
as planned, and the oil remains to this day. disaster: What if they to step onto Great Sitkin can repair
were still filled with the mistakes of history and bring this
oil, and the pipes had incredible island back to nature.
disintegrated over time?
That could poison the Lindsey Schneider seriously considered
entire island. Using radar becoming a marine biologist, but then she ran
technology, specialists away to Canada and joined the circus. She now
scanned the area to writes fondly about Alaska from the comforts of
locate the pipelines. central heating.

27
 The
by Ana Kourrant

Floating

Island
&52:'3/($6,1*5(&,3(6
)25%82<$17/$1'0$66(6
Cookbook
 7RWRUDUDIWVRQ
/DNH7LWLFDFDLQ
6RXWK$PHULFD

Totora Rafts Ingredients

Lake Titicaca
These artificial islands float in Lake Titicaca, large supply of totora reeds
a body of water high in the Andes Mountains
between Peru and Bolivia in South America. Directions
1 Weave totora reeds together into a mat of the
Living on the islands are a native people desired size.
called Uros. These days, most Uros live on the 2 The roots of the reeds will form a dense layer

mainland. But those who remain on the lake at the bottom of your island and keep it afloat.
3 Be sure to anchor your island to the bottom
host a parade of tourists who are eager to
of the lake so it doesn’t drift!
glimpse their unusual lifestyle. Makes about 4 As the underside of your island rots away, you’ll have
four dozen islands. Small islands can hold a few to periodically add new layers of reeds to the surface.
families; larger islands may hold a school. 5 Totora reeds may also be used for food, tea, or medicine.

3KXPGLVLQ,QGLD
Phumdis Directions
1 Phumdi islands form naturally from masses of vegetation,
Loktak Lake, a large soil, and decomposing matter. About four-fifths of
body of water in each island is beneath the surface of the lake.
northeastern India, is 2 If desired, you can use the same vegetation to build

chock full of drifting artificial, circular phumdis called athapums. Locals use
these enclosures for fish farming.
islands called phumdis. 3 As the water level in the lake falls during the dry season,
These spongy rafts carry the phumdis should sink low enough that their roots
local fishermen and reach the bottom of the lake. This lets the plants restock
their huts. Serves about on nutrients for the next year.
4 Watch out for the sangai! This endangered deer lives only
4,000 people.
on the phumdis of Loktak Lake. The largest phumdi, an
Ingredients island more than 15 square miles (40 square km) in area,
Loktak Lake was made into a national park to protect this rare animal.
vegetation 5 Due to projects that use the lake for electrical power, the

fish water level now stays high all year-round. This means
sangai deer the phumdis can’t sink to the bottom for nutrients and
waterproof boots might be in danger. See them while you can.

 Ingredients
one volcano
one ocean

Directions
1 Wait for a volcano to erupt.
2 After the eruption, look for big pieces of rock floating

in the ocean.
3 If you are now fleeing the site of the eruption,
&DOOLQJDOJDH climb on board. After the volcanic island of Krakatoa
DQGEDUQDFOHV
$OODERDUGWKH erupted in 1883—destroying most of the island in
SXPLFHUDIW the process—pumice rafts floated on the Pacific
Paci
for up to 20 years.
Lava Lifeboat 4 Some pumice rafts have been found with algae

and barnacles clinging to them. The rafts may help

Volcanoes that erupt in or near the ocean animal and plant species reach new island habitats.
5 Still waiting for that volcano? Try heading to New
will occasionally create floating rafts of
Zealand. An enormous pumice raft about 300 miles
pumice, a lightweight volcanic rock full of (500 km) long was found floating there in recent years,
tiny holes. Serves an unknown number of after the eruption of a nearby underwater volcano.
traveling life forms.

Cozy Grebe Nest

Grebes are a family of waterbirds that live all around
the world. Since their feet are very far back on their
bodies, grebes walk awkwardly on land. They prefer to
spend their time, and build their nests, on the water.
Serves one mating pair.
Ingredients
shallow body of water with plants growing
at or just underneath the surface
one potential mate

Directions
1 Court your potential mate. Grebes impress each

other with elaborate rituals that include swimming

together, mimicking one another, sharing food and
$SURXG plant matter, and running together on the surface of
JUHEHPRWKHU the water.
LQWURGXFHVKHU 2 Once you’ve secured a mate, the two of you can
FKLFNVWRWKHLU
IORDWLQJKRPH construct a nest. Start by finding an anchor such as
a plant that’s growing up out of the water or floating
near the surface.
3 Collect other plant matter you find nearby.
4 Use this material to build a floating platform attached

to your chosen anchor.

5 Lay your eggs in your new nest and get ready to

welcome your grebe babies!


-XOHV9HUQHłV3URSHOOHU,VODQG
DVLOOXVWUDWHGE\/ÒRQ%HQHWW
Ile Flottante
Floating island, or île flottante, is a classic
French dessert made of meringue sitting in
a vanilla custard sauce. The original recipe
has very few ingredients but an intimidating
number of steps. These include poaching
whipped egg whites, thickening a custard on
the stovetop, and cooking your own caramel.
The version below is for cooks who don’t have
quite that much time on their hands, perhaps
because they’re on their way to an island
getaway of their own. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
Standard Island one large package of vanilla pudding mix
(or premade pudding)
This steerable floating city is the subject about a half-dozen baked meringues
of Jules Verne’s 1895 science fiction novel caramel sauce
Propeller Island (published in French as
L’Île à Hélice). Serves 10,000 residents. Directions
1 If you’re using pudding mix, prepare the pudding

Ingredients according to the directions on the package.

steel 2 Chill the pudding in the refrigerator until it’s cool.

aluminum 3 If you want to serve the dessert as an ocean

glass bricks archipelago, spoon the pudding into one large, shallow

soil dish, such as a glass pie plate. To make individual
giant screws islands, use small glass bowls.
American multi-millionaires 4 Place the meringue islands on top of the pudding.
5 Drizzle the islands and oceans with caramel sauce.

Directions Enjoy on land or at sea—or better yet, both at the

1 Use steel to build 270,000 watertight same time.
compartments, each 30 feet (nine meters)
square and 54 feet (16 m) tall. :HGRQRWUHFRPPHQG
2 Bolt the compartments together to make a WU\LQJWROLYHRQWKLV
giant oval about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long and SDUWLFXODUIORDWLQJLVODQG
three miles (five km) wide.
3 Cover the base of the island with soil, except

for the city area. Plant lawns, gardens, and

fields for grazing cattle. Use electricity to
grow remarkably large vegetables.
4 Build the city out of glass bricks and

aluminum. Charge extremely high rental fees

and invite the well-heeled (also known as the
wealthy) to move in.
5 Use screws to propel the island, powered by

electricity from your generators. Navigate

slowly from one tropical destination to
another, keeping the island’s residents warm $QD.RXUUDQWLVDFKHIJHRJUDSKHUDQGFRRNERRNDXWKRU
and happy. 7KHODVWZHKHDUGIURPKHUVKHDQGKHUGRJZHUHUHVLGLQJ
RQDKRXVHERDWWKDWZDVDIORDWVRPHZKHUHLQWKH$WODQWLF
:DWFKRXWIRUSORWWZLVWV

 but we’re building more now than ever before.
by Rachel Kehoe

Palm Jumeirah
in Dubai

32
 The World Islands
in Dubai

redgers pumped sand from the seafloor off the coast

of Miami, Florida. Out of the warm, choppy waters of
Biscayne Bay, the human-made island of Rivo Alto
started to take shape. It was eventually joined by five
more islands. They were all lined up and connected to downtown
Miami by bridges. Since the late 1920s, the Venetian Islands have
enticed tourists and celebrities with their tree-lined streets and
tranquil atmosphere.

33
 The Maldives in 1997. When the capital ...people moved to the human-made island
island of Malé became overcrowded... of Hulhumalé. The Maldives in 2020.

But artificial islands have been one of the most popular tourist spots In 2021, Denmark approved plans to
around for centuries. For example, in the country. build an artificial island that will link
sprinkled throughout the lochs of In Qatar, The Pear is made up of more than 600 wind turbines. This
Scotland and Ireland are hundreds of 13 islands in the shallow waters of energy hub will be 30 acres (120,000
bushy mounds called crannogs. These the Persian Gulf. This archipelago square meters) in size—larger than
small, flat pieces of land were built resembles a string of pearls. It contains 18 soccer fields—and will power three
thousands of years ago by placing more than 10,000 luxury properties, million households.
heavy stones on top of logs driven into three hotels, and several upscale
shallow water. Why they’re here isn’t shopping malls and restaurants. The Cost of
exactly known. Some believe wealthy Another reason people build Artificial Islands
families built them to help keep sheep islands is to expand their living space. Palm Jumeirah is one of Dubai’s
and cattle safe from thieves. Flevoland in the Netherlands is home largest artificial islands. At a size of
Today, advancements in science to the world’s largest artificial island. 600 football fields, the palm tree-
and engineering have enabled humans At 375 square miles (970 square km), shaped island can be seen from space.
to perfect the art of constructing the island created more land for Construction began in 2001 and
artificial islands. We are now building people from the over-crowded region involved dredging more than three
more new islands than ever before. of Randstad. In the 1920s, engineers billion cubic feet (85 million cubic
constructed a dyke, and dams helped meters) of sand from the bottom
Artificial Islands drain the bay. This helped create an of the sea. But hoovering up the
of the World artificial island. It was connected seafloor can significantly damage
Why are islands built in lakes, rivers, or to the mainland by bridges. Today, marine systems. “It can permanently
seas? One big reason is tourism. When Flevoland is home to more than destroy coral reefs and threaten the
builders started looking for ways to 400,000 inhabitants. habitats of burrowing animals such
construct a Disneyland in Tokyo—one Another reason we build islands as crabs,” says Katherine Dafforn.
of the world’s most populated cities— is to extract energy. Such efforts are She is an environmental scientist
they needed a large area of land. more recent, only starting about at Macquarie University in Sydney,
So, they decided to use Urayasu, an 30 years ago. Today offshore wind Australia. “Burrowing creatures are
artificial island located in Tokyo Bay. turbines are mostly found in countries vital to ocean health as they help
This island had been built by dredging such as the United Kingdom, the nutrients cycle throughout the coastal
sand and rock from Tokyo Bay. The Netherlands, and China. Most aren’t zone,” she says. Without them, certain
new island was 115 acres (0.46 square truly islands but are small platforms. areas in the ocean end up with excess
km) in size. When Tokyo Disneyland Each supports a towering turbine that nutrients. “This causes dead spots
opened in April 1983, it quickly became converts wind power into electricity. where nothing can grow,” she says.

Coral can be damaged during the One way to reduce environmental

construction of new artificial islands disturbance during construction
is by using a silt curtain.

New island construction often includes

dredging sand from the seafloo .
34
 A FLOATING
ISLAND FUTURE
Land expansion doesn’t have
to involve physical land. For
example, seasteading involves
building houses on concrete
floating platforms anchored
in place by wires attached to
the ocean floor. Advocates of
seasteading claim that these
floating cities could help solve the
world’s housing shortage caused
by a growing population. They
are also looked at as a potential
The artificial Sanya Phoenix Islan solution by countries threatened
in the Hainan province of China by rising sea levels.
Scientists predict that by 2100
Disturbing the seafloor can also and coral on top of finished islands. 77 percent of all 1,190 islands
stir up silt, which causes the water But Dafforn points out that replacing that make up the Maldives will
to become cloudy. If it gets too muddy and sandy habitats with a be underwater. But the island
nation isn’t going down without
hazy, sunlight cannot pass through. harder substance, such as compacted
a fight. They are creating the
“This is bad news for coral reefs sand or concrete, changes the
Maldives Floating City to provide
and seagrasses that need plenty ecosystem. “What once lived there a safe living space for up to half
of sunlight to live,” Dafforn says. can no longer thrive,” she says. the population of the Maldives.
The construction of Palm Jumeirah “Turning a marine environment into The MFC has already begun
resulted in murky water that buried an artificial island will almost always construction and will be made
coral reefs, seagrasses, and oyster result in a loss of sea life.” up of honeycomb-like hexagonal
beds under several inches of silt. The maze rows. This method does not
destruction of these organisms also A Better Way to Build require any land and will have
threatened the creatures that depend It doesn’t have to be this way. If a less damaging impact on the
on them for food. science and eco-design strategies seafloor.
After extracting sand and coral are combined, we can reduce the
to build Palm Jumeirah, this mixture impact of building islands. For
was turned into a fine paste. Then, example, builders can use a silt
construction workers sprayed it curtain when there is going to be
into the shape of the island’s trunk a disturbance on the seafloor, like
and 17 palm fronds. Flattening the dredging. “This fabric made of very
1,380 acres (560 hectares) of land fine mesh is set up around a dredge,”
involved using vibrating probes explains Dafforn. “It prevents silt
that compressed the sand mixture from dispersing throughout the
together for strength. But the noise sea.” This minimizes damage to
it created can be devastating to sea the surrounding ecosystem.
mammals such as dolphins, porpoises, Seawalls can also be modified to A living seawall
and whales. “These mammals depend protect biodiversity. For example, a
on sound for their survival,” says seawall made of smooth, flat concrete their design. This provides a home for
Dafforn. “Construction noise may isn’t a good place for creatures to attach starfish and small creatures that seek
impair their ability to communicate and grow. Instead, a “living seawall” shelter and protection from the Sun,”
and avoid predators.” can mimic the conditions found on says Dafforn. She also points out that
Many of these places say they shorelines. “A living seawall integrates future locations for artificial islands
preserve nature by planting trees tide pools, holes, and small crevices in should be carefully considered. “This
can help us avoid building in places
that contain threatened species or
The Pearl in Qatar
are already environmentally unstable,”
she says.

Rachel Kehoe is a science writer and

traveler who lives in Canada. She really
enjoys the feeling of a boat softly hitting
the sand on an unexplored island.
The city of Haikou
in southern China
 THE SKY ISLANDS ARE USUALLY MUCH COOLER
AND MORE LUSH THAN THE DESERTS OR
GRASSLANDS BELOW, BUT CLIMATE CHANGE IS
UPENDING LIFE HERE.


 by Charles C. Hofer

,
n Western North America, two massive mountain
ranges dominate the region. To the north are the
Rocky Mountains that extend from Alaska to New
Mexico. To the south are the Sierra Madre Occidental,
WH[WŕE\&KDUOHV&+RIHU

a towering range that makes up the backbone

of Mexico. Connecting these two different worlds is a
scattered network of small mountain peaks that rise from
vast oceans of desert and grasslands. These are the Sky
Islands, one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet.


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Spanning southern Arizona and temperate ecosystems of North summer months. Going upslope, the
northern Mexico, the Sky Islands are America to the lush subtropical temperatures gradually drop, leading
home to 450 bird species—nearly half ecosystems of Central America. The to chaparral and oak woodlands. At the
of North America’s bird species —along result is a mesmerizing blend of plant highest elevations sit conifer forests
with more than 3,500 species of plants. and animal life. Here in the Sky Islands, and tundra in the cold mountain
More than 100 species of reptiles and mountain lions and bobcats from peaks. With some Sky Islands reaching
amphibians and a similar number of the Rocky Mountains live alongside 10,000 feet (3,048 m) above sea level, a
species of mammals live in the Sky jaguars and ocelots from the jungle. single mountain can be home to eight
Islands. These mountains are also a Gila monsters, rattlesnakes, and different biomes. It’s like traveling from
global hotspot for bee and ant diversity. pronghorn of the desert lowlands hot, arid Mexico to cold, rainy Canada
The Sky Islands are important for live near bighorn sheep, black bears, in a little over a mile (1.5 km).
more than their stunning biodiversity. and peregrine falcons from the cooler Climate change is transforming
These isolated mountains are also a mountain peaks. the Sky Islands, though. A warming
living laboratory for scientists. The Sky The Sky Islands are also home to climate is leading to rapid ecosystem
Islands are helping scientists understand “biome stacking,” where different changes, or conversion. As a result,
how plants and animals will adapt to habitats are stacked vertically on top the Sky Island ecosystems are
climate change—and how we can help. of each other moving up a mountain creeping upwards: Deserts are
slope. Near the mountain base are overtaking grassland areas. Shrubs
KnfNfic[j sprawling deserts and grasslands where are encroaching into woodlands and
The Sky Islands region is a biodiversity temperatures can soar to 120 degrees the delicate conifer forests on top
hotspot because it connects the cooler Fahrenheit (49 degrees C) during the of the mountains are shrinking and


 Mountain lion
Mount Lemmon, which some
call Frog Mountain, reaches
about 9,160 feet (2,790 m).
The habitats at the summit
are often about 20 degrees
cooler than those at the base.

Jaguar

White-nosed coati

Desert
bighorn
Gila monster sheep

disappearing altogether. These rapid “When ecosystems experience than anywhere else on the continent.
changes are telling scientists how— rapid changes or conversion, only Temperatures may rise 4 to 10 degrees
and if—plants and animals will adapt the most mobile organisms have Fahrenheit (2 to 6 degrees C) by 2100.
to a warming climate. the ability to react fast enough to For the plants and animals of the Sky
move to new suitable habitats,” Islands, time is running out. Some will
A Changing World says Rawoot. be able to adapt, to move to cooler
Ecosystems are always changing, of This accelerated rate of change is habitats up the mountain. Others will
course. What’s troubling in the Sky exceeding the “adaptive capacity” of not. They’ll simply vanish.
Islands today, however, is the rate at many Sky Island plants and animals. These sudden changes will be most
which this change is happening. A This occurs when ecosystems change difficult for endemic species—plants
rapidly warming climate is increasing too quickly for plants and animals to and animals that are found in only
how quickly ecosystems are shifting. adjust. They don’t have enough time one specific area. The Sky Islands
On a Sky Island mountaintop high to move to more suitable habitats are home to dozens of endemics,
above the city of Tucson, Arizona, or adapt to the new conditions. such as the New Mexico ridge-nosed
Damian Rawoot is tracking changes The result can be local extinctions, rattlesnake, Mt. Graham red squirrel,
to high-elevation conifer habitats. where entire populations of plants or and thick-billed parrot. If their high-
He is an ecologist at The Nature animals just blink out. elevation habitats disappear, so too
Conservancy, where he works to And things may be getting worse. will these animals. For these and
protect the Sky Island ecosystems. Scientists predict that the desert many other Sky Island endemics,
He’s seeing firsthand the changes to southwest, and the Sky Islands in there is nowhere else to run—or fly
the region and how it affects wildlife. particular, may see greater change or slither or swim.

39
 Drought and wildfires, driven b
climate change, are altering the
landscapes of the Sky Islands. These
conditions are forcing animals and
plants to adapt quickly to survive.

Burned Out fire suppression caused our Sky people can remove barriers like fences
Climate change is speeding up Island forests and grasslands to and build wildlife crossings over and
ecosystem conversion in the Sky Islands become overgrown,” says Rawoot. under roadways.
by altering the natural cycle of death “[This] has contributed to larger,
and rebirth. And we’re not helping. For more catastrophic fires that result More Resilient
more than a century, humans have in ecosystem change, instead of Landscapes
practiced widespread fire suppression maintaining the ecosystem that has For places like the Sky Islands, it might
in the American West, basically evolved and adapted to the unique be too late to turn back the tide of
eliminating small, natural fires from conditions in this area.” climate change. We can reduce the
the landscape. As a result, mountain impacts of these changes, though. We
forests grew older and denser, building Connecting Habitats can help build more resilient landscapes
up potential fuel materials for fires. Habitat loss is perhaps the single that allow plants and animals to adapt
Today, we’re seeing the results of a greatest threat to species worldwide. to changing environments. Restoring
century of fire suppression. Wildfires in Climate change will only make this natural fire regimes, protecting larger
the Southwest have increased in size, worse through rapid ecosystem areas, and reconnecting landscapes are
frequency, and intensity. conversion. Protecting larger areas a few strategies that will help preserve
Complicating matters for trees and of the landscape will help species biodiversity and ensure healthy habitats.
plants are droughts, diseases, and insect adapt. Larger protected areas typically Making all of these changes won’t
infestations—which are all worsening contain a greater diversity of habitats. be easy. Land managers, scientists,
with the warming climate. And when And more diverse landscapes make it ranchers, and other citizens will need
they die, trees and plants become fuel easier for plants and animals to adapt to work together to protect Sky Islands
for devastating wildfires. to changing conditions. landscapes, Rawoot says.
Fire was once a rejuvenator of Habitat connectivity will also Unfortunately, the plants and
habitats in the Sky Islands. This determine if animals can adapt. animals of the Sky Islands aren’t the
natural process burned away old When human barriers such as fences, only ones under threat from climate
plants and trees and allowed new, roads, and cities crisscross a habitat, change. From the Rocky Mountains
healthy generations to take their connectivity drops. Climate change to the Southern Andes, high-elevation
place. Today, wildfire is playing a and habitat shrinkage are causing the species are feeling the heat. We might
new role in the Sky Islands. Instead of landscapes of the Sky Islands to lose not be able to reverse climate change,
rejuvenating ecosystems, fire is now a vital connections. but we can help prepare ecosystems for
mechanism that converts ecosystems. Animals need to move to find a new world. Creating more resilient
It doesn’t take much to find the resources like food and water and landscapes will help give species the
effects of wildfire. Burn scars are mates. Increasing habitat connectivity chance they need to survive.
scattered throughout the Sky Islands. allows plants and animals to find
In the charred landscapes, fast- each other or to move to areas where Charles C. Hofer is a wildlife biologist and
growing shrubs and grasses now grow, conditions are more suitable. This writer living in Tucson, Arizona, in the heart of
soon to replace the slow-growing movement can happen as long as the Sky Islands. When not stuck at a desk for
ponderosa pine that was burned away. there are safe pathways through the work, he enjoys photographing the amazing
“Unfortunately, a century of landscape. To create better pathways, plants and animals of the region.

40
 BY LIZZIE WADE

H1
How does our
childhood
make us who
4 $

we are when we
are adults?
—Jane, age 10, Utah

Your personality has

8 1 three different layers,
says Robyn Fivush. She’s
a psychologist at Emory University
in Atlanta, Georgia. First, there are
your most basic personality traits,
including how open you are to new
experiences, whether you like to
hang out with other people or prefer
to be alone, and how stressed out
you get in challenging situations.
Fivush studies very young
children, and she says your basic
traits are pretty obvious even
when you’re a baby. “Some babies
are a little bit more fussy, or a
little bit more active, or a little
bit more smiley. Those kinds of
temperamental characteristics
develop into more stable
personality traits,” Fivush says.
And they stay pretty much the stories you tell about yourself,” see where you come from. And
same as you grow up. Fivush says. We all tell stories talking with your family about
The next layer of your personality about our lives, both to both the happy and sad times
is your experiences—even the ones ourselves and to other people. you’ve experienced together
you have when you’re too young to Those stories give meaning to can help you understand those
remember them. If your family is your experiences. They can be events more clearly and learn
loving and responsive when you are stories about your own life— different strategies for dealing
a baby, that teaches you “the world like how much you loved your with challenges. Family stories
is a safe and trusting place,” Fivush sixth-grade science teacher, don’t just teach you who you
says. “I’m going to be OK, my needs and what a great time you are—they help you figure out
are going to be met, and if anything had when she helped you with who you want to be.
bad happens I have people to take your science-fair project, and Ō/L]]LH
care of me.” That feeling of trust and how that made you want to be
security lasts for your whole life, and a scientist. But your family’s
+DYHDQ\TXHVWLRQV"
it tends to make you more confident stories are equally important, Send them to Muse Q&A,
and capable of dealing with Fivush says. Knowing about 1 East Erie Street, Suite 525,
difficulties when you’re an adult. how your parents met, or PMB4136, Chicago, IL 60611,
Finally, “you have the narrative what your grandmother’s or email them to
level of personality, which is the childhood was like, helps you [email protected].


S
3KRW

I’ll take swine

sailing over
a cruise ship
any day.
PIG PARADISE
WHERE PIGS SWIM
Peering at Earth from space, astronauts often find their eyes
drawn to the Bahamas. The Bahamas is located just to the east
of Florida and Cuba near the Caribbean. “The stunning Bahamas
were a real treat for us,” says NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik
of his 138-day mission in 2017 aboard the International Space
Station. “The vivid turquoise of the water over the reef was
absolutely captivating.”


 $FFRUGLQJWR1$6$WKH%DKDPDVLVD
Zoom in and you’ll find that the Bahamas IDYRULWHYLHZIURPVSDFH$QDVWURQDXW
is made up of more than 700 islands, cays, WRRNWKLVSKRWRRIVPDOOLVODQGFD\VMXVW
and islets. Cays are small, sandy, low-elevated ZHVWRI*UHDW([XPD,VODQG
islands with coral reefs. Islets are usually tiny
islands with no human inhabitants.
Big Major Cay is neither big nor major. But
it is special. Less than a mile (one km) long,
it is one of the 360 islands that make up the
Bahamas’ Exuma Cays. While it has no human
inhabitants, it is home to an established colony
of feral pigs. People call it Pig Island.

The dozens of pigs range from adorable

7KHYLEUDQWWXUTXRLVHRIWKH
piglets to Big Momma, the largest and oldest VHDZDWHUDURXQGWKH%DKDPDVRFFXUV
of the group. They can be found waddling IRUGLIIHUHQWUHDVRQV7KHZDWHULV
together along the beach and swimming FOHDUKDVOLWWOHSODQNWRQLQLWDQGLV
VKDOORZHQRXJKWKDWWKHZKLWHVDQG\
in the usually warm seawater. Against the ERWWRPERXQFHVOLJKWEDFN7KH
advice of many scientists, tourists often feed ZDWHUUHIOHFWVEOXHDQGJUHHQOLJKW
them. For their part, the pigs seem grateful.

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SKUDVHEDMDPDUZKLFKPHDQVVKDOORZZDWHURUVHD

 No one knows for certain what first brought
the pigs to the island. One story has it that the
animals were aboard a boat that shipwrecked
nearby. The pigs survived by swimming to
3KRWR2S

the island. But the most accepted theory is

that farmers on nearby Staniel Cay brought
them over. (It’s now about a 10-minute ride by
boat.) Perhaps they or their neighbors didn’t
appreciate how the animals smelled. Or maybe
they just noticed how happy the pigs seemed on
their own idyllic island. Who wouldn’t be?

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SLJVJHWIRRGRQ3LJ%HDFK

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Whatever the origin of this pig paradise,

these animals seem delighted with their
lives on this island. As some observers have
$\RXQJWRXULVW
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sure can swim.

6RPHRQHLVVHDZRUWK\ What are

friends for?

'RWKH0DWK BY IVARS PETERSON

Here’s lookin’ at you,

beautiful melody.

SHAPING SOUNDS
A light beam skims the surface of also a musical instrument. range of frequencies. Darker objects
a table strewn with geometrical In the computer-operated correspond to louder sounds.
objects. As the glowing bar passes Scrapple system, an overhead video You can try all sorts of different
over each object in turn, you hear camera registers the positions objects to explore the link between
eerie sounds related to the shape and shapes of the objects on the shape and sound. For example, it
and placement of the object. You table. A projector generates the turns out that long, natural curves
can even create your own weird sliding, glowing bar visible on the help produce melodies. And what do
music by shifting the rectangles, surface. Special software links you think you would hear if you were
circles, and other everyday shapes the moving bar with the objects. to send a small wind-up toy wandering
into new positions. It also determines what sounds around the table, chased by the
Golan Levin is an artist at correspond to each shape and runs glowing bar?
Carnegie Mellon University in the sound synthesizer. Scrapple has been exhibited in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He You can imagine the table as a Tokyo and Singapore and is part
created this audiovisual installation, grid. The position of an object of the permanent collection at the
which he calls Scrapple. along the table’s length determines Exploratorium science museum in
Levin’s system is essentially a when the sound is heard; its San Francisco. It was first installed
scanner that reads and interprets position along the table’s width at the Ars Electronica Center in
the positions and shapes of objects. sets its pitch, or frequency. A Linz, Austria.
It works a bit like a musician computer uses a formula to convert
converting the notes they see on a the pattern of light and dark in an ,YDUV3HWHUVRQOLNHVORRNLQJIRUPDWKLQ
sheet of music into a sequence of object’s video image into various VXUSULVLQJSODFHV:KHQKHJRHVWRDQDUW
sounds. In this case, the table and sounds. Objects covering larger JDOOHU\KHFDQłWKHOSQRWLFLQJPDWKHPDWLFDO
its objects are not only the score but areas produce sounds with a wider VKDSHVDQGLGHDVLQWKHZRUNRIPDQ\DUWLVWV


 CONTEST

NEW CONTEST
ANNOUNCING
New Contest:
Design an Island CONTEST WINNERS!
While most islands form naturally, In February, we asked
artificial islands have been around you to practice your
for a while and are growing in
popularity. How would you design
underwater conversation
your own artificial island? What is it skills and ask a whale,
made out of and how big is it? dolphin, or porpoise
Where is it located? What plants or
animals or artificial forms live
your deepest questions.
there? Send us your designs, and Dive into the most
we’ll showcase the islands we’d marvelous marine
most like to wash up onshore.
messages. Cetaceans, we
&217(6758/(6 know you can hear us,
1.Your contest entry must be your so listen up!
very own original work. Ideas and
words should not be copied.
2. Be sure to include your name,
age, and full address on your entry.
3. Only one entry per person,
please.
4. If you want your work returned,
enclose a self-addressed, stamped
envelope.
5. All entries must be signed by a Ō/<',$3
1HEUDVN
parent or legal guardian, saying D
that this is your own work and
no help was given and granting
permission to publish. For detaileed
information about our compliance
with the Children’s Online Privacyy
Protection Act, visit the policy page
at cricketmedia.com/privacy.
6. Your entry must be received byy
August 1, 2022. We will publish
winning entries in the January 2023
issue of 0XVH
7. Send entries to Muse Contest,
1 East Erie Street, Suite 525,
 7H[DV
PMB4136, Chicago, IL 60611 or viaa Ō$/,&( %
email to [email protected] m.
If entering a digital photo
or scan, please send at 300 dpi.
:HVW 9LUJLQLD
Ō(/,=$ :  

ANSWE
ERS RUNNERS-UP
Honorable Mention
PAGES 6-9 MUSE NEWS
The false story is “Lemurs This month’s runners-up
Set Sail.” are Bronagh O., 12; C.J. M.,
11, Maryland; Daniel, 12,
New York; Mary Z., 10,
Massachusetts; Thomas B.,
11, Georgia; Vishant B., 12,
Texas.


 BY KATHRYN HULICK

an archipelago, called Sibutu.

For a long time, this area only got
electricity in the evenings. So that
was the only time you could watch
<RXU 7HFK

TV or charge a device. Recently,

the government has been working
on getting reliable electricity and
Wifi to residents.

Chumbe Island Coral Park

Chumbe Island is a tiny strip of
land off the coast of the larger
island Zanzibar in the country of
Tanzania. No people live there,
but it is home to rare animals,
including the huge, land-dwelling
coconut crab, and a stunning
coral reef. As of the 1990s, it is
a protected nature preserve.
Tourists can stay at a resort on the
island that prides itself on having
almost no harmful environmental
&KXPEH ,VODQG &RUDO 3DUN impact. It harvests rainwater, runs
on solar power, and even uses
composting toilets.

:+,&+2)7+(6(/2: Easter Island

Huge stone heads called moai line
7(&+,6/$1'6:28/' the hills of this remote island. The

<289,6,7" Indigenous Rapa Nui who built

them still live on the island. Easter
IT MAY SEEM LIKE THE INTERNET AND CELL PHONE Island is located in the middle
SERVICE ARE EVERYWHERE. But they’re not. On remote of the South Pacific Ocean, 2,182
islands, it may be difficult or even impossible to go online or miles (3,512 km) from the coast of
use your phone. Some people long for a break from technology. Chile. As so many tourists want
Are you one of them? Or, do you never let your phone out of to see the statues, this island is
your sight? If you had to choose, which of these low-tech islands connected to the outside world—
would you visit? but only if you’re in the capital
city of Hanga Roa. Even there, cell
Tristan da Cunha phone coverage is spotty and the
According to Guinness World Records, Tristan da Cunha is the internet is slow.
most remote inhabited island in the world. It’s located smack
in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. The closest city is If you ever find yourself visiting
Cape Town, South Africa, which is 1,500 miles (2,400 km) away. any of these remote islands, pack
People grow potatoes and catch lobsters to eat. The 241 people your toothbrush and swimsuit. But
who live here are so cut off from the rest of the world that they don’t worry if you don’t have your
used Morse code to send messages until the 1980s. Now, a small usual tech devices. You might find
building equipped with a satellite dish provides incredibly slow time away from them refreshing
and expensive internet access. There is no cell phone service on and eye-opening.
the island at all.
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VQRUNHOLQJDW&KXPEH,VODQG&RUDO3DUN
Saluag Island 6KHHQMR\VWLPHDZD\IURPWHFKQRORJ\
This tiny island is the southernmost place in the Southeast Asian 'XULQJKHUWZR\HDUVVHUYLQJLQWKH
country of the Philippines. It is a stunning sight with white sand 3HDFH&RUSVLQ.\UJ\]VWDQLQWKHHDUO\
beaches and palm trees. The two Indigenous tribes that live there VVKHKDGQRFHOOSKRQHDQGKDGWR
WUDYHOIRUKDOIDQKRXUWRJHWWRDSODFH
fish and farm seaweed. Saluag belongs to a chain of islands, or ZLWKLQWHUQHWDFFHVV


/DVW6OLFH BY NANCY KANGAS

Of course, we assume peoplee who wh are stranded on de deserted islands are

trr ng to get help. They’
ey re scratching out giant “h-e-l--p” letters in the
saand, making fire
ires to attract the attention of would-bee rescuers,
climbing
ng upu coconut trees and shaking them for all theey’re worth, and
ge
generally weaving stuff out of palm fronds. But the fact is, when
y u’re stranded, and the island’s deserted, you’ve got ttime with a
yo
caapital T.
Recently, some scientists began to suspect that tho osee stranded
m g t actually be, well, goofing off. And now, th usands
usands of ho our
u s of
S an ed Island Webcam footage* have verified
St ed theeir hu
hunc
nch. H e we
veal som
o e of the most popular deserted i l aactivities.
o.
ot

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 -XO\$XJXVW9ROXPH1XPEHUFULFNHWPHGLDFRP

To me, it
was better than
going to the
Moon. ,WZDV
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