Impact!

A male bighorn can have horns that weigh up to 65 pounds. This is more than all the bones in its body combined! You can hear the clash of horns throughout the mountains when they hurl themselves at each other-sometimes at 20 miles per hour--while fighting for dominance or mating rights. The bony structures in their heads are adapted to protect the brain from the tremendous impact. Bighorn sheep have a double-layered skull honeycombed with bone struts to protect their brains during their impressive head-banging battles. Thick tendons link the skull and spine to help recoil from the impact.

Materials: D-cell battery, sugar cubes, empty paper towel roll, bubble wrap

1. Put a sugar cube on the table and place the end of the paper towel roll over the sugar cube.
2. Drop the battery down the tube. What happened to your sugar cube?
3. Place another sugar cube on the table. Put a piece of bubble wrap over the cube before placing the tube over it.
4. Drop the battery through the tube. What happened to your sugar cube? Your sugar cube was protected by the honey-combed surface of the bubble wrap, just like a bighorn sheep skull protects its brain.