Neither property alone explains the oddities of strange metals, but taken together, "everything just falls into place," says Patel, who works as a Flatiron Research Fellow at the CCQ.

Stone and material like stone has the characteristic property of sinking. How about the stick? The stick is wood. Do you think most things made of wood, like a Popsicle stick, or wooden building block ...

Students put objects and materials into groups based on their observable properties, test materials for strength and absorbency, and use their results to make a boat that can hold the most pennies ...