Top of the Heap!

Monday's Riddle gave us the code, and Lizzy's review of The Klipfish Code by Mary Casanova revealed a secret story about a young girl struggling to survive in Norway during WWII. Friday, Timothy Davis will be stopping by to tell us about his story Sea Cutter: Book 1 in The Chronicles of Nathaniel Childe, and Saturday, we always love to hear your thoughts on The DMS Wants to Know. Today, we'll crack the code! 

This week's top of the heap: Secret Codes : ) 

Fairday: There are so ways to transfer information cryptically, but I think the most amazing one is through DNA. How mysterious it is to know that the answers to most of our questions is kept safe in the cells of our own bodies- our "inner space". What's so miraculous about DNA is that it carries a genetic code from one form to another- like life's map or diary. Every living thing has a code spiraling around in its cells, which has been written in by creation. The greatest thrill is experiencing your own code and recognizing its unique pattern. ~ F

Here's the definition of DNA: (fascinating when you consider it for a moment!)

Noun Deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. The fundamental and distinctive characteristics of someone or somthing, esp. when regarded as unchangeable. Here's what DNA looks like: Space radiation hitting a cell DNA: photo credit: NASA

Here's a fun experiment with the DNA code of a strawberry:

Lizzy- There are so many types of codes, but I have to say that I love secret codes. I have always enjoyed being able to communicate with my friends and have no one else know what we are saying. It certainly makes passing a note less stressful if I know most people won’t be able to decipher the message if it falls into their hands. There are so many types of secret messages, invisible ink, mirror writing, and letters for numbers, just to name a few. Each one is a blast and has its benefits. My favorite type of secret code is Pig Latin, even though a lot of people can speak it. It always makes me giggle to rearrange the letters and tell someone something using Pig Latin because it sounds silly. My grandma taught it to me, and I taught it to Fairday. If you speak it really fast it can be hard for most Pig Latin speakers to understand, so practice is a must! It can come in handy! Or should I say t-ihay an-cay ome-cay n-ihay andy-hay! ~ L