Diana Thompson, age 12, of Eugene, Oregon, for her question:

Can bats hurt you?

All of us are scared of something and Diana happens to be scared of bats, expecially when they come swooping out of the barn. This is most likely to occur in the gloomy twilight, which makes the experience even more spooky. The problem is how to overcome the ghastly feeling of fear    and this is not easy. However, it helps to know that bats do not mean to harm us. In fact, the timid little creatures usually are very, very scared of people.

A flying bat is not likely to bash into a person because he has a remarkable built in radar system. He sends out high pitched squeaks that echo from solid objects in his path. With this information, and split second timing, he avoids bumping into things    especially people. Almost always, the furry little bats are harmless. However, if one does become aggressive, he may be sick with rabies. In this case, you must make urgent calls to your doctor and to the health authorities.