How much money is there in the world?

Money makes the world go round, as they say, and billions of people use it every day. Most of us think of money as coins and notes that we can swap or exchange for goods and services. But if we think of money as being ‘wealth’, then that would include all the things we have that are of value – like houses, businesses, savings accounts, stocks and shares, and other resources – as well as the cash (the notes and coins) in our pockets.

So, have you ever wondered how much money there is in the world? Is it even possible to count it all? And how far would it go? It’s a question that’s tricky to answer but let’s have a go and see if we can work it out…

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Why is fruit and vegetables good for you?

Fruit and vegetables are an important part of the human diet. In fact, we’re advised to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg every day because fruits and vegetables contain ‘nutrients’ that help to keep our bodies healthy and working properly.

You might remember from my blogpost about why you shouldn’t only eat bread that it’s important to eat a balanced diet. So let’s find out more about fruit and vegetables and why we should include them in the meals we prepare.

Why do moths like night-time?

Moths, like the one in the photo above, are insects with scaly wings. If you disturb one, you might see what looks like dust falling from its wings but the ‘dust’ will actually be some of the tiny scales dropping off. Like butterflies, they have two pairs of wings and long, rolled-up tongues (probosces) but, unlike butterflies, moths tend to have thick, hairy bodies and their antenna may be feathery and don’t have a ball-shaped ‘club’ at the end.

Many types of moth are ‘nocturnal’, which means that they are active at night but sleep during the day. You might have seen moths in the evening-time when it starts to get dark because they can be attracted to the lights in our houses when they are fluttering about. So, why do moths like the night-time? And if they like light, why don’t they just come out during the day?

Can you see my imagination?

My three-year-old loves imagination play. Her favourite activity is creating stories and role playing with little figures. Sometimes she invites me or her sister to play along, but she gets frustrated if we don’t do it right. A few days ago, when I was clearly playing the game all wrong, she looked at me and sighed and asked “Can you see my imagination, Mummy?”

Unfortunately, I can’t. All I can do is watch as she turns imagination into reality through a game. But her question got me thinking: what is imagination? And how did our brains develop to allow us to be so creative?

Who had the first idea to build a house?

Humans like you and me (from the species Homo sapiens) are thought to come from a group of people that lived in Africa between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago. Fossils have helped scientists to work out when Homo sapiens first evolved from other human-like species and how they travelled across the world. But where did the first modern humans live and who had the first idea to build a house?