Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context. Click here to find the alphabetized list.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Savanna
Savannas exist where there is more rainfall than in a desert, but less than in a forest.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Experiment
An experiment is a set of procedures to learn about the world — and an important part of the scientific process.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Avalanche
The word avalanche usually refers to a huge snowslide down a mountain, but it can also be used to describe any large mass of material tumbling downhill.
- Climate
Scientists Say: El Niño and La Niña
El Niño and La Niña are part of a climate cycle that results in major weather changes every few years.
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- Earth
Scientists Say: Convection
Convection is a process that transfers heat through the movement of liquid or gas.
- Plants
Scientists Say: Phloem
Phloem is tissue that delivers food, made in leaves during photosynthesis, to the rest of a plant.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Marsupial
These mammals are known for riding around in a pouch on their mother’s belly, where they continue developing after they’re born.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Electron
Electrons are negatively charged particles. They are attracted to the positively charged particles in the center, or nucleus, of an atom.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Magma and lava
The word magma refers to molten rock deep inside Earth. That rock is called lava when it reaches Earth’s surface.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Anthropocene
Humans are changing the world in profound ways. Some scientists think those changes have launched a new epoch in Earth’s history: the Anthropocene.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Tonsils
The tonsils are pads of tissue in the throat that are part of the body’s immune system.
