Bunni Russell, age 15, of Burgess, Va., for her question:

WHO INVENTED THE CANDLE?

Candles are small columns of wax, paraffin, tallow or other fatty material surrounding a wick. They offer light for rooms that are without electricity, and also add a lot of glamor when used on a dining table. And what would a birthday cake be without candles?

Candles were found in Herculaneum, the ancient city on the Bay of Naples that was buried along with Pompeii in A.D. 79 by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. There is also a candle in London's British Museum reportedly made in the first century, although candles were not mentioned in any writings before the end of the second century.

We don't know who invented the candle, but we do know there was little advance in the art of candle making until the process of molding was introduced in the 15th century.