Please help answer the following questions for my 3 yo DS

[MammaMia]

BHers

Your help is needed.

My 3yo has posed the following questions and to date has been unsatisfied with the responses that he has received falling into the following categories:
(a) looking completely bemused at him;
(b) telling him we don't know;
(c) telling him that he should ask X;
(d) offering him cash, toys, lollies or unlimited access to Playschool if he will just let it go.

He has taken to asking each of our adult friends, methodically working his way through the circle, never asking the same person twice.

It reflects poorly upon us that no-one has satisfactorily answered his questions. (No offense Draught but the car trip home confirmed that it was still troubling him so your answer whilst willingly provided lacked the depth he required.):p

And so I bring his plight to you, confident that in our intelligent ranks someone will have the answer.

Behold the 2 questions:

1. Where does a virus come from?
2. Where does fire come from?

Please help!

Signed
He'll either become a world renowned scientist or something much more sinister:D

[polony]

What a bright little boy!

Isn't it funny what comes out of their mouths....

That doesn't help you much though... I really don't even know the answers to that either. Maybe go to http://www.askjeeves.com.au with him to find answers. It is all in laymans terms most of the time.

I really don't know....:confused:

[xkwzit]

I am assuming that he's not asking "what" a virus is, but "why" they are here.

My answer:

God made it that way :thumbsup: (sorry to get all theological on you, but isn't it a good answer? :D )

I actually use that with DD1 quite often and it does stop all the "why" questions. Eventually you get to a point where its just the way it is and who knows why. Not sure if its got any depth to satisfy him though. Don't you just love that they think you know everything?

My DD1 doesn't even know what a virus IS. He's a very smart boy. I am actually looking forward to "why is the sky blue".

Cheers (and enjoy your little rocket scientist)

[draught]

And here I was thinking I had done good with the germs, washing hands scenario!

I will ask a family member who is an infectious diseases specialist and get back to you and him!

[lukaelmo]

Behold the 2 questions:

1. Where does a virus come from?
2. Where does fire come from?



No need to worry Mammamia, help is at hand.

Quite simple answers really, however sometimes you need to call on the big brains for help. I understand though, and like to help the little people :p .

So, in answer to your little man's questions,

A virus comes from the planet Pvirusususus (pron: vi russ suss suss suss) and fire comes from matches.

[MammaMia]

Regrettably, he is not asking so much what a virus is... he can accept that it is a "bug" (my best technical term)

but definitely where it came from? ie if you trace it back, where do you end up.

Whilst I can see merit in your response, there is then the complicating issue of "Who is God?" and frankly, I've been trying to figure out how to explain that one. No luck yet. Although, he did tell me that his Dad told him that dead people go into the sky...something got lost in the translation. Heaven... another doozy.

And to think I've been avoiding but "how" did you make my baby sister? And the Daddy & Mummy loving each other answer seems to be getting nowhere.

Perhaps Jeeves really is the answer!!

[lukaelmo]

And to think I've been avoiding but "how" did you make my baby sister?

Ah yes, another little known fact, in fact, and I repeat, in fact, baby sisters are bought at the supermarket in powdered form, they are then seived, two eggs are added, a cup of oil and then popped into the oven for 45 - 50 minutes (less for fan forced). Voila, out comes baby sister.

[MammaMia]

Thank goodness, you found that recipe for a little sister! :chef:

Will copy it into my best recipes book (when I get around to making one) and repeat it to DS.

There will now be a rush in Aisle 3 by all of those women wanting to have little girls!

Once again, BH to the rescue.

To infinity & beyond!

[Chickadee]

Hmm. Ok. Technically "fire" is the combustion of whatever is being burnt. So, ummm... er.... Fire starts when a material is exposed to enough heat to start transforming it from it's current state (wood for example) to another form (ashes and the gas that comes off - which your son can see, it's that wavery look in the air above a fire, or you could just say smoke). Where it come from - well, you need the heat. And that could be friction or maybe heat source like a lamp, the elements in an oven, etc. Or from a spark.

You can demonstrate friction by getting him to rub his hands together real fast and feel that they get warmer. Reassure him that he'll never be able to rub fast or hard enough to make his hands catch fire.

A spark is what lights the gas in some ovens or the barbeque. Umm, you can make sparks sometimes by rubbing your feet under the covers (reassure him if necessary that he won't catch fire ;) ). Or show him the spark in a firestarter, and then hide it well out of reach. Lightning is a really really big spark and creates enough heat when it hits sometimes to start fires.

I'm a science geek :smiliedance:

[lukaelmo]

MarthaM, you have a lovely large brain. No wonder you do so well at those escape-the-room games.

[rynosmum]

Martha, that's a fantastic response ! Im going to remember that one !:D

Now, I'm off to the kitchen - I've always wanted a little girl.....may I borrow a cup of oil ?:chef:

[MammaMia]

Whilst I truly appreciate the responses I have received so far, may I say...

Martha M - you are truly a wonderful woman!

Not only do I get an answer but ways of demonstrating it whilst explaining.

This is why you are revered on BH!:kiss:

3 cheers for Martha M - hip hip, hooray! hip hip hooray! hip hip hooray! :yelclap: :yelclap:

Of course - ;) - I may not be as appreciative if DS decides to conduct his own experiments with fire using leaves, sticks and glass (as he explained to me in the car you could do - goodness knows how he knows because he has never been allowed to watch Survivor with me - honest!!!).

[Chickadee]

I may not be as appreciative if DS decides to conduct his own experiments with fire using leaves, sticks and glass (as he explained to me in the car you could do - goodness knows how he knows because he has never been allowed to watch Survivor with me - honest!!!).

No kiddding. I started looking on the web for kids fire experiments, found a cool spark one and then realised that teaching that to a 3 year old might not be a good idea. Rubbing your feet against the sheets does work to make sparks though, I can't remember what kind of sheets, might need to be flannel. And every child soon learns they can create fire using the sun and a magnifying glass. I forgot that one. :eek: So it's only a matter of time before they experiment on their own.

[Chickadee]

For all the budding scientists out there, and confounded parents, this site might be useful. I haven't really looked through it much yet but it seems to be a compilation of really good educational sites on a variety of topics. Not necessarily aimed at kids. http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/sciencesites.html

I also had a quick squint at this one, which has some interesting and easy experiments. Some suitable for bright 3 or 4 year olds. Reeko's Mad Scientist Lab (http://www.spartechsoftware.com/reeko/)

[Ana Gram]

You could always try the " Where do you think it comes from?"
That might work for a while :)

[Chickadee]

I'm not sure this is going to help you much. From MSN Encarta (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761575740_2/Virus_(life_science).html).


Evolution (of Viruses)

Three theories have been put forth to explain the origin of viruses. One theory suggests that viruses are derived from more complex intracellular parasites that have eliminated all but the essential features required for replication and transmission. A more widely accepted theory is that viruses are derived from normal cellular components that gained the ability to replicate autonomously. A third possibility is that viruses originated from self-replicating RNA molecules. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that RNA can code for proteins as well as carry out enzymatic functions. Thus, viroids may resemble “prehistoric” viruses.

But that leaves the questions of where the original parasites or RNA molecules came from, ie life itself. And I'm pretty sure DNA is beyond a 3 year old.

[Chickadee]

Ok, this is my last attempt. I'm quickly running out of brain power.

Check out Ask A Scientist (http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/bio99/bio99623.htm)for an answer on exactly your son's question. It was asked by a 12 year old - your son is way WAY ahead of schedule!

Simplified, viruses originated in the same way that all life on the planet did (which prompts further dangerous & unanswerable questions). Viruses exist inside each of us and in all animals, and always have. Most viruses are pretty harmless and you wouldn't even know you have them, or they cause little things like a runny nose. But sometimes viruses change a little bit into a new virus and then they can become more harmful.

If he really pushes on how or why viruses change you could say that it's like mummy and daddy having him, he's not an exact copy of either of them but a mix and is unique - there's only one of him. That's not strictly correct cause viruses don't reproduce like that, but it's all I can think of.

And if hes asking all this cause of the bird flu news then it's time to look up an explanation on how scientists make vaccines.

Hope this helps :)

[MammaMia]

Thanks! Monster effort on your behalf!

Will have the virus answer printed for a discussion in the AM. Think I'll be needing my cheat notes to get me through it.

He will be very pleased to have an answer - and our family & friends thank you too for the peace which will now follow.

Yes, he is a little eccentric but also in other ways endearingly normal!

[Chickadee]

It was my pleasure :) Wishing you peace, at least until the next riddle he comes up with! :p

[dannii]

Ah yes, another little known fact, in fact, and I repeat, in fact, baby sisters are bought at the supermarket in powdered form, they are then seived, two eggs are added, a cup of oil and then popped into the oven for 45 - 50 minutes (less for fan forced). Voila, out comes baby sister.
oh yay :yelclap: my DF will be so thrilled to know we no longer have to have sex lol

[draught]

Just to add some more info into the mix - this from a family member who knows about such things and has a very bright and enquiring son too so is familiar with providing explanations that are based on fact......

"Viruses are a bit like seeds. Most can survive outside cells (animals / plants / humans) for a while but only grow and reproduce once inside a cells. when they grow there, they irritate / kill cells so get sick or rash or runny nose or whatever, depending on what kind of cells invaded.


The origin of viruses is actually very controversial apparently (no fossils obviously), but seems that there were probably multiple origins evolving from cellular organisms - kind of degenerating - and then each of these evolved into different families of viruses. They do have similarities with cellular organisms (bacteria, alga stuff) but have lost essential ability to replicate themselves, gained other abilities to use host cell etc.

so, perhaps to explain that cells make up living things like living lego blocks making up a house, and all they want to do is make new ones of themselves to grow (that's what I told my son and seemed to make sense to him). a long time ago some of the lego blocks changed to become viruses, that couldn't grow themselves but could attack and take over other blocks and use these other blocks as factories to make more of themselves ????"

[shed]

Rabbits

:D

[lukaelmo]

Just to add some more info into the mix - this from a family member who knows about such things and has a very bright and enquiring son too so is familiar with providing explanations that are based on fact......


*mock horror* Draught are you insinuating my explanations were not based on fact?:eek:

[draught]

Never Ali!
I am sure that my very intelligent and knowledgable family member just forgot to include the reference to the Planet Pvirusususus (pron: vi russ suss suss suss)