Why do cats miaow and what’s the most powerful Pokémon? The kids’ quiz

1. Maggie, 9, asks: why do cats miaow?

   1. To say hello, ask for food or get attention

   2. It’s an attempt at a squeak to attract mice

   3. Cats miaow when they see the colour red

   4. Cats miaow when it rains

2. Martha, 9, asks: why does shampoo have the word “poo” in it?

   1. It was a prank played by the inventor of shampoo and the name stuck

   2. It used to be called “shampool”, but the “l” was dropped

   3. It’s just a coincidence – there’s no poo in shampoo!

   4. Shampoo companies thought children would use it if it was a funny word

3. Frank, 6, asks: what is the most powerful Pokémon?

   1. Magikarp

   2. Mewtwo

   3. Pikachu

   4. Arceus

4. Olivia, 10, asks: why do flying ants only last a day?

   1. They evolved like that to keep their species safe

   2. Time moves more slowly for flying ants

   3. It’s a special day when male ants mate with queen ants – after that the queens chew their wings off and the males die within days

   4. Wasps bully flying ants, so they shed their wings

5. Laura, 5, asks: why can’t you tickle yourself?

   1. Scientists can’t find out as they can’t stop laughing

   2. If you can’t tickle yourself, you’re not ticklish

   3. Because it’s not allowed

   4. Your body can predict how it will feel and becomes less sensitive

Solutions

1:A - Cats miaow for lots of reasons: to greet you, or to ask for food. Sometimes it’s for attention, or cats call or yowl to try to find a mate., 2:C - The word shampoo comes from the Hindi word “champo”, meaning to press or knead the muscles. The appearance of the word “poo” is just a coincidence! , 3:D - It’s hard to say which is the most powerful Pokémon, but in the story Arceus is claimed to have created the universe, and in the game Arceus has the highest total base values (such as attack, defence and health points) without boosts from things like Mega Evolution, making it the top contender., 4:C - Each year, ant colonies release winged males and queens to mate on “flying ant day”. The timing relies on the weather. Afterwards, the queens chew off their wings and dig a chamber to lay eggs. The colonies only produce males for flying ant season, and they live for less than a week., 5:D - When you move your body, your body predicts the sensation it will cause. It’s the same as when you walk – you don’t notice your arms brushing your sides, but you would if someone else did it.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.