Jump! Mag

Food and Recipes

What is Spaghetti Ice?

Spaghettieis (as they call it in Germany) belongs to German summers like sunshine and open-air swimming pools! In almost every town in the country, you will find an ice cream parlour that sells this delicacy. But what is Spaghetti Ice?

You may think that combining spaghetti and ice [cream], that it must have been invented in Italy, and you are almost right. It was invented by a man called Dario Fontanella, the son of Italian immigrants in Germany.

Science, Nature and Tech

Electric Cars – The Future of Motoring?

Cars are a big part of our lives in the 21st century, and there are a lot of changes happening in the car industry. Joanne Brady explains about one of the biggest changes – the increasing use of cars which are powered by electric instead of petrol.

Science, Nature and Tech

Who on Earth Invented Traffic Lights?!

Every day we use hundreds of inventions without even thinking about it. In this series, we’ll be celebrating some of the most overlooked inventions, finding out what inspired their inventors and maybe even a few unexpected tales along the way. Contributor Sally Anne asks… “Who on Earth invented… Traffic Lights?!”

Science, Nature and Tech

Why do we get Hiccups?

Everybody gets hiccups (also sometimes spelt ‘hiccoughs’). Even when babies are still in the womb they hiccup, which can feel very odd to their mother! But why do we get them and how can you stop them?

What are Hiccups?

Hiccups are caused by the diaphragm (pronounced DYE-uh-fram). This is a large, dome-shaped muscle that sits at the bottom of your chest cavity, below your lungs. When we breathe in the diaphragm tightens, helping to pull air into the lungs, and when it relaxes it forces the air back out again. Sometimes the diaphragm becomes irritated and instead of tightening smoothly it does it in a jerky way, which makes air suddenly rush into your throat. This air is stopped when it hits the voice box and makes the opening between the vocal cords close very suddenly. This is what produces the sound of the hiccup.

Art & History

An Aztec Beauty Regime

Our contributor Dr Corrinne Burns is a chemist (not a person who works in a pharmacy and doles out medicine, but an expert in the science of chemistry). She is an exhibit designer at the Science Museum, London and Guardian columnist.

She was interested in Aztec women’s beauty routines and shares her fascinating report on Jump! Mag for Girls.