What my kids wanted to know

I wasn't satisfied with the two "if it's cloudy above it's cloudy below" answers to the previous post, since I too have observed the unbroken layer of cloud - every single time I've flown to or from the UK, which I've done fairly often.

So I went looking - so much for letting other people do the work for me!

From what I understand (and try to remember I'm an English teacher, not a scientist), commercial aircraft fly above the tropopause, which is the region between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

Most weather, and therefore visible cloud formation, occurs in the troposphere. From below, the tropopause is only visible when weather from below hits it.

From above, however, the tropopause looks like an unbroken blanket of cloud.

The physics prof's answer, then, probably means that the blue sky we see is light refracting from the solid tropopause.

Corrections, emendations, and additional info always welcome!

Today, Colin wants to know how we get popcorn kernels.

Colin also wants to know how long it would take to run to Pluto (the planet, not the dog) and back.

It's been a while since we posted a new question, but we're making up for lost time today.

By the way, in response to the occasional person who has suggested that we Google an answer, I'd just like to point out that a large part of the fun and of the value of this blog is the interactive nature. Also, although answers may be readily available online, they are not always aimed at an eight-year-old.

To get today's ball rolling, Colin wants to know what happens to ants in the winter. His theory is that adult ants just die in the snow, but the larvae stay in the ground until spring.

Colin wants to know why each snowflake is different - if in fact it's true that each one is.

This morning, Colin wanted to know if air goes through glass.

On the way home from school this afternoon, Colin asked me how come we don't feel radio waves.

Robert wants to know why the seasons change.

Colin wants to know why bubbles form in water when you leave a glass of water out for a long time, like overnight.