Hey, Smarty Pants, trusty narrator, here back with another episode of Smarty Q where I answer questions from you, the Smarty Pants.
We've got animals, sneezes, bees, banners, and water on the menu today, so let's get smarting.
Question one comes from James in Hudson in Sinton Texas, who asks What makes an animal hypoallergenic?
Great question, Smarty Pants.
First things first, what does hypoallergenic mean?
When something is called hypoallergenic, it means it is less likely to cause allergies in people.
Not allergy-proof, just less likely to make you sneezy, itchy, or get watery eyes.
With that in mind, hypoallergenic animals like dogs or cats are good for pet owners who might be allergic to them.
So what makes an animal hypoallergenic?
Well, most people think they're allergic to fur.
But really allergies usually come from the tiny proteins found in an animal's dander, which is dead skin flakes, saliva or urine.
Animals that are called hypoallergenic usually shed less, produce less dander or have hair that traps dander instead of spreading it into the air.
That's why some dogs, cats and other small pets may bother people less, because there's fewer allergy proteins floating around.
But remember, no animal is 100% hypoallergenic.
Also, everyone's allergies are different, so one person's hypoallergenic pet might still make another person sneeze.
And speaking of sneezes, question two comes from super smarty fan Kyle, who asks why do some people cry when they yawn or sneeze?
It's a great question.
When you yawn or sneeze, your face muscles squeeze really hard.
At the same time, pressure builds up around your eyes.
The muscles near your tear ducts get squished and sometimes tears get pushed out, even if you're not sad.
It's kind of like squeezing a water balloon just a little too much.
The tears are already there, and the pressure just makes them spill out.
So those yawning or sneezing tears are just your face doing a little accidental plumbing.
Okay, question number three comes from Archie in Seattle Washington, who wants to know how do bees make beehives?
That's another amazing animal question, Archie.
Bees make hives using wax they produce themselves.
Worker bees have special glands on their bodies that turn sugar from honey into tiny flakes of wax.
Here's how it works.
Bees eat honey.
Wax flakes come out of their bodies.
The bees chew the wax to soften it, and then they carefully shape it into hexagons.
And those hexagon shapes are perfect because they're strong.
They fit together without wasted space.
And they hold lots of honey and baby bees.
Building a hive is a full team effort, with thousands of bees working together, placing bees among nature's best expert builders.
All right, three questions down and a few more to go, including one about the water we drink every day.
And we'll get to that right after a quick break and a word from our sponsors.
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As the trusty narrator, I've taken the smarty pants on countless adventures.
I'll do anything for the fans.
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Now back to Smarty Q's.
Question four comes from Nico in Canada, who asks, who decides what's considered polite?
Ooh, what a thoughtful question, Nico.
The short answer is people decide together.
What's considered polite depends on several factors, including culture, family traditions, the time period and where you live.
For example, in some places, looking someone directly in the eye while speaking to them is polite, whereas in other places it can be seen as rude.
Some cultures slurp noodles to show appreciation, whereas others may think slurping is bad manners.
Polite behavior usually develops because it helps people feel respected, live together peacefully and show kindness.
So there's no single politeness boss of the world.
Manners are something that societies slowly agree on and pass down over time.
Thanks for asking.
Okay, moving on to question number five.
Thomas and his older sister, Sophie want to know will drinking milk, warm or cold, help us sleep at night?
It's a great question, Smarty Pants.
You may have heard people say that a warm glass of milk helps you fall asleep.
And there's actually a little science behind that idea.
Milk contains two helpful things.
Tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body make serotonin and melatonin, chemicals that help you feel calm and sleepy.
And calcium, which helps your brain use tryptophan properly.
So yes, drinking milk can help your body get ready for sleep.
But what about warm versus cold milk?
Warm milk doesn't have special magic sleep powers, but the warmth itself can be calming.
Holding a warm mug and sipping something cozy can help your body relax, just like a warm bath or soft pajamas.
Cold milk still has the same helpful nutrients, it just doesn't have that extra cozy effect.
And one important note, milk won't knock you out like a light switch.
It just gently helps your body wind down.
So if milk makes you feel cozy and calm, warm or cold, it might be a nice bedtime helper, especially when paired with brushing your teeth, turning off screens and getting comfy in bed.
And speaking of drinking, we have one final question about the water we drink.
And we'll get to it right after another quick break and a word from our sponsors.
Now back to Smarty Q.
Okay, this last question comes from my Smarty friend Sasha, who asks how do you make drinking water?
This is an excellent and very important question.
Drinking water usually starts as river water, lake water, or groundwater from underground.
However, before we can drink it, the water goes through several steps at a water treatment plant.
First, big debris like sticks and dirt are filtered out.
Then chemicals are added to make all the tiny particles in the water clump together.
Those clumps sink to the bottom and are then removed.
The water is filtered again, and finally it's cleaned with disinfectants to kill germs.
By the time water reaches your faucet, it's been cleaned, filtered and tested to make sure it's safe to drink.
And that's all for this episode of SmartyQ.
Remember, if you've got a question you've been wondering about, have an adult help, you send it to whosmarted at whosmartedcom.
And I'll try to answer it on a future episode.
Until next time, keep on smarting.
