Hacking Plants for the Future

A new study finds that changing how a plant uses sunlight could mean more food in the future

CLAIRE BENJAMIN—UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS/AP

At the University of Illinois, scientists have found a way to hack a plant’s genes in order to make it use sunlight more efficiently.

Hacking isn’t just for computers and smartphones. According to a study published last week in the journal Science, scientists have found a way to hack a plant’s genes in order to make it use sunlight more quickly. Someday, the results could increase the amount of food produced around the world.

HALEY AHLERS—UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS/AP

Scientists used tobacco plants in the study because it is easy to change the plant’s genetics. Hacked plants are visibly larger than normal plants.

Photosynthesis is the word used to describe how plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food. Scientists who conducted the new study say this is a very slow process. Plants use less than 1 percent of the energy available to them. But by hacking a plant’s genes, the scientists were able to increase the amount of leaf growth on plants between 14 and 20 percent.

Grow, Grow, Grow!

Specifically, scientists hacked the plant’s protective system. Normally, this system is activated when a plant gets too much sunlight, said scientist Krishna Niyogi, co-author of the study. When the plant senses the light, it gets rid of extra energy and creates more leaves. When the plant is in shade, the protective system is turned off. But the process is slow.

KATARZYNA GLOWACKA—UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS/AP

This fluorescence imager analyzes how well this plant uses light.

Stephen Long is the lead author of the study. He compared a plant’s protective system to light-adjusting glasses. When a person wears the glasses outside during the day, the lenses darken and lighten depending on how sunny it is. Plants do the same thing, he said. But in plants the adjustment can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. This makes it hard for plants to get the right amount of sunlight needed to create food.

The new study sped up the process. By changing the plant’s genes, the protective system turned on and off more quickly than normal. As a result, leaf growth on the plants scientists used in the study increased. Leaf growth in two plants increased by 20 percent, while leaf growth on a third plant increased by 14 percent. Scientists conducted the study on tobacco plants. But they think the genetic modifications would produce the same results in staples such as corn and rice.

“Now that we know it works, it won’t be too difficult to do it with other crops,” said Long. “If you look at crops around the world,” he said, “it would [increase yield] many million tons of food.” It will be at least 15 years before scientists can adjust crops on a large scale, Long says. But he believes the study is the first step in that direction.

Agriculture professor Tala Awanda, of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said he wasn't sure the yield would be quite as high, but he said, “this study remains a breakthrough.”

Currently, the world’s population is about 7.3 billion. According to the United Nations, that number is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, increasing the demand for food around the world.

From this article, how does a plant use sunlight? Why is it important?

Turkey Tug-of-War

One Thanksgiving tradition is older than the holiday itself. 

TETRA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

TUG AWAY! Legend says whoever gets the larger part of the wishbone will have a wish granted.

From gobbling down turkey to spending time with family to watching football, Thanksgiving is filled with traditions. But one of the most popular—pulling the wishbone—dates back centuries.

The upside-down V-shaped bone is actually called the furcula. It is an elastic bone located between a turkey’s neck and its breast. Furcula means “little fork” in Latin. All birds have a wishbone. It helps support a bird as it flies.

For humans, though, the wishbone serves a more lighthearted purpose. At Thanksgiving, the tradition is for two people to hold one end of the bone, make a wish, and then tug. The winner is the person who ends up with the bigger piece. If you believe the legend, the winner’s wish will come true.

Through the Ages

MICHAEL MARQUAND—GETTY IMAGES

FOWL PLAY All birds, including turkeys, have a wishbone. The bone supports a bird in flight.

How did this bone-ripping tradition get started? The practice of making a wish on a bird’s furcula dates back to the ancient Etruscans, a people who lived in what is today northern Italy. They believed birds were powerful and divine creatures. After killing a chicken, an Etruscan would leave the wishbone in the sun to dry. Passersby would pick it up, stroke it for good luck, and make a wish. That is how the furcula got the name “wishbone.”

The Etruscans passed the ritual along to the Romans. Soon, the practice of making a wish on a chicken’s furcula became popular in ancient Rome. According to legend, it was so widespread that there weren’t enough chickens or wishbones to go around. So the Romans began breaking the wishbone in two. Now, twice as many people could make wishes.

Then the English picked up the tradition. In the 16th century, English settlers brought the practice to the New World. There, they found an abundance of wild turkeys. So they starting using a turkey furcula for their wishes. Today a wishbone tug-of-war is as much a part of Thanksgiving as is gobbling down turkey smothered in gravy.

Mastering the Turkey Tug

When it comes time to pull apart the wishbone, different people have different tactics for ending up with the biggest piece. But there are a few tips that may help you get the upper hand.

First, make sure your hands are dry. Next, make sure you hold the wishbone the right way. Take it between your thumb and index finger and place your thumb as close to the center of the bone as possible. Finally, get some leverage. The more pressure you can apply to your side of the wishbone, the better chance you have of winning the battle.

Will your wish come true on Thanksgiving? Whether you end up with the larger or the smaller piece of the furcula is ultimately a matter of luck. But a tight grip probably couldn’t hurt.

Have you ever done anything with a wishbone? What did you do for Thanksgiving?

A New Home

A bottlenose dolphin leaps over a ball in its tank at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland.

NatGeoCreative.com

Dolphins use teamwork and their intelligence to solve problems. In a recent study, two dolphins figured out that they had to pull ropes at the same time to open a container filled with fish.

Brian Skerry/National Geographic Creative

OCTOBER 26, 2016

A New Home

The National Aquarium is creating the country’s first dolphin sanctuary.

BY AMY BARTH

Each year, more than a million people visit the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland. One of the main attractions is the dolphin exhibit. Visitors love to watch the eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins swim and play.

But those dolphins won’t be in their tank for much longer. This summer, the aquarium announced that it will close its dolphin exhibit within the next four years. The dolphins will be moved to a protected area in the ocean—the first dolphin sanctuary that is part of the United States.

AQUARIUM PROS AND CONS

The decision to move the dolphins was made after years of protests. Some people say aquariums are important places to learn about dolphins. But many scientists and animal-rights groups think that keeping these creatures in captivity (the state of being held or trapped, as in a cage or a tank) does more harm than good. Dolphins are intelligent animals, and they can become bored swimming in the same tank every day. In the wild, dolphins can swim up to 100 miles each day. Scientists say without the freedom they have in the ocean, dolphins can suffer.

“Captivity compromises their way of life,” says Maddalena Bearzi. “They can become stressed out in tanks.” Bearzi is a biologist at the Ocean Conservation Society in California.

OUT TO SEA

The new sanctuary will give the dolphins much more space to swim than they have at the aquarium. The area will be in an enclosed part of the ocean where human caretakers can check on them. After spending their lives in tanks, the dolphins might have a difficult time surviving in the open sea.

The new sanctuary isn’t set to open until 2020. Officials at the aquarium are still choosing a site. It will likely be either off the coast of Florida or in the Caribbean Sea. No matter what the location, Bearzi thinks it’s a good move.

“All aquariums should go in that direction,” she says.

Many people feel animals such as dolphins should be free. Do you think this aquarium is good enough or do you think all dolphins should be free? 

Helping Heroes

Marine Corporal Tim Jeffers, a veteran, gets by with help from a little, furry friend.

Courtesy Helping Hands

Marine Corporal Jeffers in Iraq in 2006

Courtesy Helping Hands

Jeffers and Webster at home. “We are best buddies,” says Jeffers.

Courtesy Helping Hands

NOVEMBER 11, 2016

Helping Heroes

Some veterans with serious injuries are getting a hand from specially trained monkeys.

BY JENNIFER MARINO WALTERS

Marine Corporal Tim Jeffers loves living with his friend Webster in San Diego, California. Like many roommates, the two like to watch TV together, occasionally munching on snacks like Cheetos. But Webster is no ordinary housemate. He’s a monkey.

Why does this military veteran, injured in the war in Iraq, live with a capuchin monkey? It turns out that the monkeys make great service animals. Webster can use a remote to turn on the TV, and he does household tasks like turning lights on and off and fetching dropped objects. But Webster also helps Jeffers in another way—by lifting his spirits.

“It’s really nice that Webster’s excited to help me and do things for me,” says Jeffers. “When you drop something and can’t pick it up, the monkey is there to do it and you don’t have to go and ask someone. It makes a huge difference in my independence.”

Honoring Veterans

On May 18, 2006, Jeffers was serving in Iraq when a bomb exploded near him. He was severely wounded, losing both of his legs and his right eye. Jeffers’s life changed dramatically. He is one of the more than 52,000 members of the U.S. armed forces who have been wounded while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Veterans Day, the nation honors them and all U.S. veterans, or people who have served in the U.S. military. This national holiday is observed each year on November 11.

A Veteran’s Best Friend

Veterans like Jeffers who have life-changing injuries need help rebuilding their lives. That’s why an organization called Helping Hands trains capuchin monkeys to assist people, especially veterans, with disabilities that make it hard for them to perform everyday activities. Capuchin monkeys are perfect for the job because they are extremely intelligent, can easily hold household objects, and are able to bond with humans. The monkeys spend years in training, living with a foster family and even attending the Monkey College in Boston, Massachusetts.

Each year, Helping Hands places 10 to 12 monkeys with people who need them, free of charge. The monkeys tend to develop deep bonds with their new owners, who must care for them in return. They need to feed the monkeys and make sure they get exercise. Caring for Webster helps Jeffers feel capable and independent. “Although I’m injured, [Webster] looks up to me as his protector. I don’t feel so depressed with him around,” says Jeffers. “I would do anything for this little guy, just like he would do anything for me.”

Jeffers and Webster love to goof around and have fun together. “I don’t see [Webster] as an animal,” says Jeffers. “I think of him as a best friend.”

Why do you think they would use a helping monkey and not a service dog? Can you think of another animal that could help?

Earthquake Hits New Zealand

Strong aftershocks follow a 7.8 magnitude quake that killed two people

MARK MITCHELL—POOL/GETTY IMAGES

Earthquake damage is seen on State Highway One and the main trunk railway line north of Kaikoura, New Zealand, on November 14.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand just after midnight on Monday. The quake struck the South Island, triggering hundreds of aftershocks and a small tsunami and leaving at least two people dead. A second powerful tremor followed in the same area at around 1:45 p.m. local time, northeast of the city of Christchurch.

The earthquake and its aftershocks caused widespread damage. Roads were split apart and some large buildings showed signs of structural stress. In the coastal town of Kaikoura, a popular whale-watching destination, many residents and tourists found their water and power supplies cut off. They also had no easy way out of the area, with the town’s main road blocked by landslides.

“From all directions, Kaikoura has essentially been isolated,” Darryn Webb, the Acting Commander of New Zealand’s Joint Forces, said. Authorities are working to send support to the town, according to Webb, “because it can’t support itself.”

NEWSHUB/AP

Three cows are stranded on a small island of grass near Kaikoura, New Zealand, after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the country.

The military plans to send in helicopters and a navy ship to rescue about 1,000 people who are stranded there. “We’re going to get as many people and belongings out as quickly as we can,” Webb said.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, flew over Kaikoura by helicopter to view the destruction. Cars could be seen lying on their sides, and other parts of the road lay in ruins. “It’s just utter devastation,” Key said.

People aren’t the only ones in the area who were left stranded. Video footage shot from a helicopter showed three cows trapped on a small island of grass, surrounded by deep valleys of collapsed earth—the remains of a small field near Kaikoura that had been ripped apart during the quake.

Capital Damage

The quake caused damage in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital, on the southern tip of the North Island. Dozens were forced onto the streets as buildings were evacuated. Australians Paul and Sandra Wardrop and their two children were on the 10th floor of the Park Hotel when they began to feel the shaking. “We felt that the building was going to collapse,” Sandra Wardrop said. “You could hear the sounds of the building shaking and see cracks appearing in the walls, in the plasterwork in the bedroom.” The family, along with dozens of others, took shelter after the quake in the city’s parliamentary complex.

The shaking was also felt in Christchurch, which is still recovering from an earthquake in 2011 that killed 185 people. Monday’s quake was more powerful than the one that struck five years ago, but it was centered in a rural area that is far less populated.

New Zealand has a population of 4.7 million. It sits on an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean called the “Ring of Fire.” Earthquakes are common in this region. The country’s Ministry of Civil Defense warned on Monday that there could be additional powerful aftershocks in the days ahead.

After touring the affected area, Key said that the cleanup effort could run into the billions of dollars. He estimated that clearing away the debris and the blocked roads could take months.

Have you ever been through an earthquake? If so how was it? If you haven't been through an earthquake, what do you think it is like?

Honoring Heroes

Millions of men and women serve in the United States military. Each year, on Nov. 11, Americans honor those who have

served or currently serve in the U.S. military.

Click the link below to see a video about Veteran's Day.
Veteran's Day Video

After this mornings presentation for Veteran's Day and the video, what is something you have learned about this special day? 

Should schools be required to teach cursive writing?

Debate!

Should schools be required to teach cursive writing?

BOB BIRD—AP

Some states have passed laws that require students to learn cursive in school.

Are you learning cursive writing in school? Many schools no longer teach this form of handwriting. Since students often do their work on computers and tablets in schools, a number of school districts now offer keyboarding classes instead.

But, cursive may be making a comeback. In June, Louisiana passed a law requiring that all public schools begin teaching cursive by third grade and continue through 12th grade. Arkansas and Texas also have laws requiring cursive. Other other states and local school districts are exploring or have passed similar legislation, as well.

Supporters of teaching cursive say students need to learn it to be able to read historical documents, such as the U.S. Constitution. Without knowing cursive, students won’t be able to do research with literary papers and archival collections, according to Valerie Hotchkiss, a library director at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Practicing cursive also helps kids learn fine motor skills, and is faster and more efficient than printed handwriting, supporters say.

But opponents think it’s more important for students to use their time in school learning technology skills and focusing on other subjects. “There are few instances in which handwriting is a necessity, and there will be even fewer by the time today’s second graders graduate,” Anne Trubek, the author of a new book on handwriting, wrote recently in The New York Times.

What do you think? Should schools be required to teach cursive? Or is it no longer necessary for students to learn this form of writing?

She's an App Maker

Anvitha Vijay has built two educational apps and is at work on a third. She aims to use her skills to help others.

Anvitha Vijay creates educational apps. This one helps kids identify animals.

Need an app for that? Anvitha Vijay, 9, can build it. With the help of YouTube videos, the young techie from Melbourne, Australia, learned to code at age 7. Soon, she was trying her hand at making apps.

“When I first got my iPad, I was fascinated by all the apps on it,” she told TFK. “It wasn’t long before I wanted to create my own.”

She built her first two apps with her younger sister in mind. Smartkins Animals helps children identify more than 100 animals and their sounds. Smartkins Rainbow Colors teaches kids colors. Each app has been downloaded thousands of times.

The Power of Technology

Anvitha’s skills won her a scholarship to attend a big tech conference hosted by Apple in San Francisco, California. There, she got tips from the pros. She went to workshops where she learned about the latest software for app building.

All that training led to an idea for a third app. This one, called GoalsHi, inspires kids to practice good habits. Users are rewarded for achieving goals, such as eating their vegetables or practicing piano. Anvitha says the rewards are like getting a sticker for a job well done.

“Kids can set goals with this app and get stars when they achieve them,” she says. “The idea is to empower and motivate kids to achieve one little step a day.”

Anvitha’s goal is to continue creating technology that helps kids learn while having fun. But even more important to her is that the world sees the power of technology in kids’ hands. “The more training we get in tech at an early age,” she says, “the better chance we have of becoming innovation champions who will one day change the world.”

Would you ever want to design an app? If so would you want an educational app or just a fun game?

A Milky Way Map

The largest all-sky survey of our galaxy is being created

ESA/GAIA/DPAC/AP

This all-sky view of stars in our galaxy—the Milky Way—and neighboring galaxies is based on the first year of observations by the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite. The observations were made from July 2014 to September 2015.

Nearly a million miles from Earth is the greatest little mapmaker that ever existed. It is located at a gravitationally stable point in space on the opposite side of our planet from the sun. It had better be great because it has a huge job: To paint a three-dimensional picture of the entire galaxy. Our galaxy is a structure measuring 100,000 light years across. A light-year is a unit of distance equal to the distance that light travels in one year—5.88 trillion miles. This is an awful lot of territory to keep your eye on.

DANIEL OCHOA DE OLZA—AP

Scientists look under a scaled reproduction of the Gaia surveyor at the European Space Agency center near Madrid, Spain, on September 14.

The mapmaker is the Gaia satellite. It is a 4,500-pound craft launched by the European Space Agency in 2013. Gaia’s mission managers don’t pretend they can spot every object in the galaxy. It includes an estimated 300 billion stars, planets, moons, asteroids and more. But a good 1 billion stars ought to help the managers measure the Milky Way overall. The objects should reveal new clues about the galaxy’s structure, formation, and history.

This image, released on September 14, provides a first rough glimpse at the map to come. So far, Gaia has exceeded its original goal. It has gotten a reasonably good handle on 1.142 billion stars. Much more precise positional measurements, along with the stars’ apparent motion relative to Earth, are still to come.

Space is a very big place. It will be a long, long time before we map it all. But Gaia offers a good start.

Do you think the scientists are using what we have learned about maps? If so, what parts of their map would be the same as the ones we drew in class?

Timberlake Talks Trolls

TFK Kid Reporter Priya Bhakta talks to actor and musician Justin Timberlake about Trolls

COURTESY BHAKTA FAMILY

TFK Kid Reporter Priya Bhakta meets actor, musician, and music producer Justin Timberlake at a Trollspress day in Los Angeles, California.

The upbeat, colorful world of Trolls rolls into theaters today. The tiny creatures with great hair are always singing, dancing, and hugging. Princess Poppy leads the disco-glitter group. But when they are captured by the unhappy Bergens, Poppy gets help from her grumpy friend Branch, voiced by actor and musician Justin Timberlake.

TFK Kid Reporter Priya Bhakta met up with Timberlake in Los Angeles, California, to talk about the new movie.

TIME FOR KIDS:

What was your reaction when you first heard the idea for Trolls?

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE:

This is going to be a really awesome animated movie.

DREAMWORKS

Cloud Guy, a mysterious forest dweller, offers grumpy Branch a friendly fist bump in Trolls.

TFK:

You’re the voice of a troll named Branch. Could you tell us about your character?

TIMBERLAKE:

In the world of the trolls—they like to sing and dance a lot. Branch, my character, is a little grumpy—he doesn’t like to sing and dance as much. But as you watch the movie, you certainly find out why.

TFK:

Poppy, voiced by Anna Kendrick, is a really happy, peppy troll. Branch is grumpy. Who do you relate to more in real life?

TIMBERLAKE:

I’m really grumpy before I eat breakfast. But once I eat breakfast, I’m okay.

TFK:

Kid Reporter

Priya Bhakta

You recently became a father. Does your son inspire your work?

TIMBERLAKE:

Of course! Kids inspire everything.

TFK:

You said that the music that you wrote for Trolls is different from the music you write regularly. How so?

TIMBERLAKE:

I had to write songs for specific scenes in the movie, so they had to really match what was going on. When you write songs for your album you’re just writing songs from scratch. It was a little bit of a challenge to write songs for some scenes.

TFK:

Why should kids see Trolls?

DREAMWORKS

Poppy’s best friends include Guy Diamond, Smidge, Mr. Dinkles, Biggie, Cooper, and DJ Suki.

TIMBERLAKE:

First of all, it’s fun, and it’s funny, and the music is great. I think it has a really great message: You don’t need anything or anyone else to make you happy. Happiness is inside of all of us, you choose it.

TFK:

After working on Trolls, do you want to do more animated movies?

TIMBERLAKE:

Sure. . . Maybe Trolls 2!

Do you want to go see the movie Trolls? Do you think it looks good?

Up All Night

Media devices are keeping kids awake, even when they’re not being used

GETTY IMAGES

A new study says that kids are losing much needed sleep because of their use of electronic devices.

Cell phones, tablets, and computers are keeping children and teenagers awake at night—even when they’re not in use, according to new research. A study published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics says that media devices are causing kids to sleep less and reducing the quality of sleep that they get. This leads to trouble staying awake the next day.

Researchers analyzed hundreds of studies of children and teens aged 6-19. The scientists found a “strong and consistent association” between the use of technology at bedtime and poor sleeping. The reason is not just that kids are staying up too late with their devices. Using a computer can over-stimulate the mind and emotions, the researchers say. A smartphone or tablet also emits a light that affects the body’s natural timing and alertness. These factors contribute to poor quality sleep. And many kids could be at risk. According to the study, 72% of all children and 89% of adolescents have at least one device in their sleep environment. Most of these devices are used near bedtime.

GETTY IMAGES

Experts say kids ages 6-13 should get between nine and 11 hours of sleep at night.

The harmful association between screen-based devices and kids’ sleep is “a major public health concern,” the study concludes. In their conclusion, the researchers urge teachers, health care professionals, parents, and children to “understand the damaging influence of device use on sleep.”

Screen-Free Zones

Many children get less sleep on school nights than they should. According to the National Sleep Foundation, kids ages 6 to 13 should be getting between nine and 11 hours of sleep per night. Getting quality sleep is particularly important for learning complex subjects like math and foreign languages.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises kids to stop looking at screens at least half an hour before bedtime. This helps your brain slow down and get your body ready for sleep. The AAP says bedrooms should be "screen-free zones."

If you are tempted to pick up an electronic device at bedtime, try these relaxing activities instead:

• Keep a journal: Thoughts and worries can weigh on your mind at night. Writing thoughts on paper can clear the mind.

• Try a mind exercise: Close your eyes and count backward from 100.

• Just relax: Inhale slowly and deeply, and then exhale. Sweet dreams!

Do you find that you are up late due to Ipods, Ipads,computers, or video games?

The Curse is Broken!

For the first time in more than 100 years, the Chicago Cubs are World Series champions

NOVEMBER 03, 2016

By Dante A. Ciampaglia

Print

GREGORY SHAMUS—GETTY IMAGES

The Chicago Cubs celebrate their World Series win.

Throw away those lucky charms and put the goat back in the barn. The curse has been broken. The Chicago Cubs are World Series champions once again. It only took 108 years to get here.

RON VESELY/MLB PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES

Rajai Davis of the Cleveland Indians celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the 8th inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.

Chicago defeated the Cleveland Indians, 8-7, in a wild Game 7 to win its first major league title since 1908. The victory ends the longest championship drought in North American sports. That honor now belongs to the Indians, who haven’t won a World Series since 1948.

“It was like a heavyweight fight, man. Just blow for blow, everybody playing their heart out,” said second baseman and World Series MVP Ben Zobrist. “The Indians never gave up either, and I can't believe we're finally standing, after 108 years, finally able to hoist the trophy.”

The Cubs won the Fall Classic in dramatic fashion. Chicago was down 3-1 heading into Game 5. But after dominating the Indians in Games 5 and 6, the Cubs set up a winner-take-all Game 7 in Cleveland.

Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler opened the scoring with a lead-off home run in the first inning. Chicago never trailed in the game, but the Indians never backed down. After entering the bottom of the fifth down 5-1, Cleveland scored two runs to get back in the game. Chicago answered in the sixth when catcher David Ross—playing in his final game—hit a home run to give the Cubs a 6-3 lead.

That’s how things stayed until the bottom of the eighth. But then Cleveland outfielder Brandon Guyer slapped a two-out double to drive in a run. And in the next at-bat, outfielder Rajai Davis hit a two-run homer over the left field wall to tie the game, 6-6.

All of a sudden, Chicago fans felt the curse tighten its grip—and their hopes of celebrating a championship slip away.

Neither team scored in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. Then came a 17-minute rain delay. It gave the Cubs the chance they needed to regroup.

“We just got together. [Rightfielder] Jason Heyward called a meeting, all the players, and we rallied together, we rallied strong,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “We knew that we could do this. We know we keep fighting, we never quit, we always say it, and we pull together, and the boys believed.”

DAVID J. PHILLIP—POOL/GETTY IMAGES

Chicago Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist celebrates after being named World Series MVP.

When the game finally resumed, Chicago went right to work. With two men on, second baseman Ben Zobrist hit a one-out double that scored a run. Two batters later, catcher Miguel Montero hit a single, bringing one more Cub home and pushing the score to 8-6.

In the bottom of the tenth, the Indians refused to quit. Chicago reliever Carl Edwards got the first two outs quickly then walked Guyer. Two batters later, Guyer came home on a Davis single. Cleveland fans could almost taste a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

But then the Cubs slammed the door. Michael Martinez grounded out. All of a sudden, the Chicago Cubs were world champions. Celebrations erupted on the field, in the stands, and on Chicago’s North Side, where thousands gathered outside Wrigley Field to watch the game.

“It could not have been a more entertaining, difficult series to win,” said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. “It's really great to get beyond [the curse and the superstition] and continue to move forward.”

Next for the Cubs is a parade in Chicago and an offseason full of celebrations. For the Indians, it will be a long winter of wondering how they let a title slip away. But if we learned anything from the 2016 World Series, it’s that curses and losing streaks are meant to be broken. It’s only a matter of time before Cleveland ends its long wait for another championship. And it’s only three and a half months until the start of spring training.

Did you watch the World Series? Do you think the Cubs are the world champions?