Molly Ann Keith, age 9, of Muncie, Indiana, for her question:

Is it true that California is sinking,, into the sea?

This horrid tale has spread though all the land. So let's get it straight before anybody else gets the wrong idea. Andy says, "No." California is not about to sink down and drown itself in the Pacific Ocean. A million years from now, the lovely state will be just about where it is now. So will its gentle golden hills and towering peaks, it fragrant prairies and forests and its miles of bright beaches. California plans to stay with us, indefinitely.

Then how did this horrible tale get started? As usual, people exaggerated. They heard a little bit of news. Then they stretched it all out of shape and size. This is the bit of news. California has beauteous young hills that are still growing. Now and then they shake the ground with earthquakes. This is not really news because we knew it all the time. But experts just figured out that the earth may be shoving part of the state up north. If this part keeps creeping along at the same rate, in a million years it may be considerably farther north. But it definitely does not plan to sink into the sea.