Why do some ants have wings and can fish count? Try our kids’ quiz

1. Tara, 10, asks: why do some ants have wings?

   1. They’re the flying princess ants

   2. They are winged males and new queens, flying to mate and set up new nests

   3. They are the ones that need to migrate in winter

   4. If you see an ant with wings, it’s not an ant!

2. Alan, 12, asks: when looking at the sky, how far can the human eye see?

   1. If it wasn’t for the Earth’s curvature, you could see on and on and on with no limit

   2. Humans can see about 400 miles away

   3. Humans can only see to the edge of the Milky Way

   4. Humans can see as far as the moon but no further

3. Mae, 6, asks: what would happen if the moon wasn’t there?

   1. The climate would change drastically

   2. The tides would be much smaller

   3. Animals would be confused, and it could lead to some creatures becoming extinct

   4. All of the above

4. Esther, 7, asks: why are some animals furry?

   1. To make them soft and cuddly

   2. They’re furry so their parents can stroke them

   3. No reason – it’s just what some animals have

   4. To keep them warm, to protect them and as camouflage

5. Flora, 10, asks: can fish count?

   1. Of course they can’t!

   2. Salmon can count, but no other fish

   3. Yes, fish can count

   4. Fish can count when they are children but forget how to do maths when they’re adult fish

Solutions

1:B - Ants with wings are males and young queens, taking flight so that the queens can mate with males of different colonies., 2:A - In theory there’s no limit to the things humans with good eyesight can see! However, a person of about 1.5 metres looking out to sea could see about 4.5km – then the Earth’s surface curves away. On a clear night you can see the Andromeda galaxy, 2.5 million light years away., 3:D - Without the moon, the Earth’s oceans would have much smaller tides. Changes to the ocean’s ecosystem and the impact on predators of lack of light at night could trigger mass extinctions. Also, the pull of the moon’s gravity moderates the Earth’s wobble on its axis, and this helps to keep our climate stable., 4:D - Animals have fur to keep them warm, to protect their skin from other animals and to camouflage them from predators., 5:C - Yes! Studies have found that fish such as zebrafish and stingrays can count. Researchers found the creatures could do simple maths in return for rewards of food.

Scores

1. 4 and above.

2. 3 and above.

3. 2 and above.

4. 0 and above.

5. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a weekly podcast answering children’s questions, out now as a book.

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