My mom can roll her tongue - curl up the sides so it looks like a U-shape. But I can't do that.

As it turns out, the ability to roll your tongue is genetic. That's right - there's a gene that's common to everyone who can roll his or her tongue. No matter how hard I try, I will never be able to roll my tongue because I didn't inherit that gene from my mom.

Curious about other physical traits and abilities that might be genetic? On Friday, July 11, 2008, you can identify some of them during DESTINY Day at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Make a colorful "inheritance bracelet" to take home, with different beads representing the traits you have. Compare your bracelet to your children's bracelets. What genes do you share?

There are plenty of other free activities during DESTINY Day, too. Explore the DESTINY bus -  that's the mobile science laboratory from UNC that visits high schools across North Carolina - and experience what it's like to be a scientist in a high-tech lab. Graph your heartbeat with EKG sensors, and extract DNA from a strawberry.

I'll be looking for you. I want to see if you can roll your tongue or not!