Special Reprint Edition As seen in USA TODAY, August 28, 2006 The universe has room for change 's demotion is in realm of ordinary

Eight is enough Pluto is being booted from the planetary pantheon because its orbit hasn’t been swept clean of like objects. Pluto and the larger world UB 313 are among dozens of similar bodies in the comet-loaded Kuiper Belt, which may contain thousands of smaller balls of ice and rock.

Jupiter Saturn Kuiper Pluto Belt Venus Mars

Mercury Uranus Neptune 2003 UB 313

Source: The International Astronomical Union By Marcy E. Mullins, USA TODAY

By Dan Vergano in the 1600s that it orbited the sun. And Technology, notes numerous examples: USA TODAY in the early 1800s, the four largest asteroids between Mars and Jupiter u Stress and stomach acid once were Pluto's push from the planetary pan- were counted as planets, which estab- thought to trigger ulcers. But we now theon last week shows that change is lished the total then at 11. know that bacteria is the main culprit, the only constant in science, just as in and antibiotics are the treatment. the rest of life. More broadly, realized only in the 1930s that the universe con- u Raindrops are shaped like rain- "Science advances not by overthrow- tains more galaxies than our own Milky drops, right? Nope. They're almost ing previous strong conclusions but Way. Today we know it's likely there are spherical — no long tail. rather by adding previously more than 100 billion galaxies. undreamed-of possibilities," says u The brain was once thought to stop Bradley Schaefer of "So a historical view of it all is that growing cells past childhood. But stud- Louisiana State University, who also is expanding knowledge keeps forcing ies show brain cells keep appearing as an historian. updates in the accepted number of we age. planets," Schaefer says. Pluto's demotion to "dwarf" in a vote uHormone therapy was once Thursday by the International Anyone pondering Pluto, or the latest thought to protect postmenopausal Astronomical Union leaves eight plan- health news for that matter, knows that women from heart disease. The latest ets, by definition, in our solar system science tends to zig and zag. Science studies suggest the opposite is true. and adds to a history of changing plan- writer Boyce Rensburger, head of the et tallies, he says. Earth was considered Knight Science Journalism Fellowships u People were thought to use only a planet only after Copernicus realized at the Massachusetts Institute of 10% of their brains. That's more urban Special Reprint Edition As seen in USA TODAY, August 28, 2006

myth than fact; brain imaging shows scientific definition than the result of tions relating to the physical universe, that most of the brain is suitably any new finding, Schaefer notes, which modern science has been finally employed. means astronomers may go through a answering the age-old questions with similar exercise again someday. The reality, and not with myths." Pluto's demotion is more a matter of good news, he says, is that "for ques-

Reading strategy: Summarizing

Directions: As you read the article, “The universe has room for change,” highlight unfamiliar words or concepts. Next, get your peers’ input on the ideas and words you highlighted. If necessary, consult a reference source (a book, your teacher, the Internet, etc.) until you have a good grasp of the article. Finally, use the graphic organizer below to summa- rize the story using fewer and fewer words. As a class, discuss how summarizing information can enhance your under- standing of it.

Summarize the article in two paragraphs: … in one paragraph: ______… in two sentences: ______…in one sentence: ______…in two words: …in one word: ______

Extension: Read one of the articles on the front page of today’s News section. Summarize the story in one sentence, and then, one word. Compare your work with a peer’s. Are your summaries very similar or different? When there are two different summaries of the same article, can both be accurate? Explain.