Fridaygram: Science Fair, tiny frog, friggatriskaidekaphobia

January 13, 2012


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By Scott Knaster, Google Code Blog Editor

This week we launched the 2012 Google Science Fair for students ages 13 to 18. For the Science Fair, young scientists are asked to pose a question, answer it through scientific inquiry, and report the results online. We’ll pick 90 regional finalists, then choose the top 15 to come to Google in Mountain View, California. Nobel laureates and other distinguished folks will judge the finalists.



Grown-up scientists working in the Papua New Guinea rain forest recently heard what sounded like an insect call, then tried to find out what was making the noise. Eventually they bagged leaf litter from the forest floor and began to sort through it, when a tiny frog jumped out. It was Paedophryne amauensis, and at an average length of 7.7 millimeters, it’s said to be the world’s smallest vertebrate. So watch your step the next time you’re walking around the rain forest.

Finally, in celebration of today’s day and date, please take a look at these wonderful photos from a Friday the 13th party in 1940, where attendees tempted fate by breaking a mirror, walking under a ladder, and otherwise indulging in every superstition they could think of. After you’re done, cross your fingers and hope for a great weekend.


Happy new year! Fridaygram posts are just for fun. Fridaygrams are designed for your Friday afternoon and weekend enjoyment. Each Fridaygram item must pass only one test: it has to be interesting to us nerds.