Monday, 22 November, 2021
Asteroid collision rocket launch; San Diego’s freeway cash grab; new Aussie cricket captain; and Gunther the millionaire pooch.
LINKS
Mission: Asteroid collision: video https://www.space.com/nasa-dart-mission-earth-not-at-risk-asteroid?jwsource=cl
It’s raining money! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10224353/Armored-truck-spews-cash-San-Diego-freeway-one-doors-bursts-open.html#v-7173055710865176899
How To Become A Squiz Kids Correspondent
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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Tomorrow afternoon, a rocket ship will blast off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with a very specific mission: to crash into an asteroid and hopefully push it off course – in a test run for what might one day be an Earth saving exercise.
The DART mission – that’s D-A-R-T – standing for Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission – will send a rocket ship 400 million miles out into space with the intention of colliding into what’s called a moonlet – a smallish asteroid which is orbiting a larger asteroid.
It’s hoped that by crashing into the asteroid, the rocket will be able to bump it onto a different trajectory … like when your brother shoulder charges for no good reason you as you’re walking down the hallway and knocks you off course.
There’s no way the moonlet is in danger of coming anywhere near Earth – which is to say, we’re in no danger of being hit by this asteroid, but NASA – the American space agency – wants to use this mission as a test – so that we’ve had a practice in the event we ever need to intercept an asteroid that IS on a collision course with Earth.
Because – a massive piece of space rock the size of a city thumping into Earth – well – that would not be great.
If the mission succeeds: our little rocket should be crashing into the asteroid in about a year’s time.
But if you want to get all Hollywood/action film/caught up in the drama in the meantime – can I recommend the science fiction action flick, Armageddon? Or if its a factual explainer you’re after – I’ve stuck a link a video in today’s episode notes
Don’t mention it.
SPIN THE GLOBE
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Each day we give the world globe a spin, and find a news story from wherever it stops. And today we’ve landed in the United States of America—on a massive interstate freeway outside the city of San Diego, to be precise, which was shut down on Friday after it literally rained money. Here’s what happened. The door of an armoured truck popped open, and like something out of a cartoon, bags of cash fell out, split open, and rained cash all over the freeway. Videos on social media show traffic completely stopped and people grabbing fistfuls of bills… which the police were quick to say was NOT allowed. They arrested two people on the scene, and gave anyone else who had nabbed some cash until the end of the weekend to return it to a police station. Like that’s going to happen. Otherwise, the police said, they’d be using those videos to make arrests. Ooh-ahh. And yes, of course I’ve put a link to a video in your episode notes.
SPORT TIME
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The Australia cricket team is expected to name a new captain this week after Tim Paine announced he was standing down on Friday after sending inappropriate text messages.
The most likely replacement for Tasmania’s Tim Paine is fast bowler, Pat Cummins – with his appointment expected to be confirmed this week.
Paine stepped down as Aussie captain after inappropriate text messages he thought were private became public. A painful experience for the cricketer, his wife and family – and an important reminder, as Squiz E the Newshound always says: stop and think before pressing send on any text message or social media post. If you don’t want the world to read it, don’t write it.
Meanwhile, the Wallabies went down over the weekend to Wales – in a controversial match in Cardiff, where some of the ref’s decisions were later criticised. The All Blacks also suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of the French rugby team. Allez les Bleus.
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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A German Shepherd in Miami has just put his bayside mansion up for sale and is asking someone to pay $43 million for it.
And no – you are not hearing things – and no, we do not need Squiz E the Newshound to check out whether this story is true..
Gunther the German Shepherd inherited his massive $600 million fortune from his grandfather, also a German Shepherd and also called Gunther, who used to belong to a very rich woman. When the woman died in 1992 – she left an enormous inheritance to her dog – and his puppies – with instructions that they be spoiled rotten for as long as their lineage continued.
As a result: the most recent Gunther has a chef that prepares him three meals a day, he travels on a private jet between his homes in Miami and Tuscany in Italy, and he has a dedicated team of trainers who play with him every day. It is, most assuredly, a dog’s life.
There are links to photos of Gunther – and his fancy life – in the episode notes. Woof.
SQUIZ KIDS FOR SCHOOLS
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Hi Squiz Kids… Amanda here. If you’re listening in a Squiz Kids for Schools classroom, we’ve got a shortcut for you this week that’ll make your tummy rumble. We’re going on a culinary tour of the world… culinary means relating to cooking… and we’ll be learning all about noodles. I bet you don’t know where spaghetti with meatballs was invented; or which famous noodle dish has a strange connection to a Prime Minister! Teachers, jump onto your dashboard to play this shortcut, explore all the others, and access the teaching materials aligned to them, and to the Aussie curriculum. If you’re not a member, get over to squizkids.com.au and sign up for a free trial! And now, back to Bryce.
THE S’QUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- Which country’s rugby team beat the All-Blacks this weekend?
- What is NASA hoping to intercept by sending a rocket into space tomorrow afternoon?
- What sort of a dog is Gunther, the millionaire pooch?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s November 22 … it’s Love Your Freckles Day in the US — which is one I can wholeheartedly endorse here in Oz too, as a dyed-in-the-wool ginger.
Plus it’s a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today…Evie from Broken Hill, Cameron from Dubbo, Rohan from Maitland, Jonathan from Singapore, Will from Alderley, Tim from Randwick, Lucy from Edithvale, Amelie from Newcastle, Jasmine from Brighton, Izzy from Ararat, Daisy from Bathurst and Eliot from Como West.
Classroom shout outs today go to… class 4H and Ms Coningham at Chatswood Public School, to Mrs Dewie’s year 5 class at Loreto in Kirribilli and to all the year 6 classes at Epping West Public School. To class 4O, 2C, 6BR and 2M at Randwick Public School – Lastly to class 2M and Mr Weston at Annandale North Public School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- France
- Asteroid – or moonlet
- German Shepherd