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The Latest Questions and Answers
Ask Dr. Universe Podcast | Your Paw-some Question | Do goldfish need 8-12 hours of light?

Cosmo and I learn that a goldfish’s circadian rhythm is tuned by light—and by feeding schedule, thanks to our friend Dr. Nora Hickey
- Find out more about the circadian rhythm
- Read up on the one-eyed worm ancestor that gave you your pineal gland
- Want to see what the see-through pineal window in a fish’s skull looks like—when scientists make it glow? Here’s a paper about it (go to figure 1)
- Check out how zebrafish help researchers unravel hearing
- And discover the (intense) salmon life cycle
Sound effects courtesy Pixabay
As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.
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Why don’t we drink dog milk?
But dogs probably didn’t make enough milk to justify making a dairy breed of dogs.
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Why do worms come out when it rains?
When it rains super heavily, the soil can get too wet. Waterlogged soil has fewer air pockets—because many of those spaces fill up with water. Under those conditions, earthworms might move out of the soil temporarily, seeking a better place to breathe.
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What caused praying mantises to evolve with 2 front claw-like arms?
Some ancient insects began to grab prey. Individuals with bigger, stronger legs might have had an easier time.
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Why don’t we eat reptile eggs?
Some people do eat reptile eggs. But humans spent thousands of years domesticating birds until we have today’s chickens.
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How did I get a hole in my heart since birth?
A hole in your heart means there’s an opening in the wall between the right side and left side of the heart. That opening allows blood to leak between the chambers instead of following the normal route.
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Why do boy dogs go potty on fire hydrants and trees?
The urine a dog leaves behind is like a smell fingerprint. It’s full of chemical messages like hormones. One whiff of another dog’s urine tells my dog roommate important stuff—like the other dog’s age, sex and health information.
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Do goldfish need 8-12 hours of light and 12-14 hours of darkness to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm?
Keeping your goldfish on a regular light/dark schedule will make it happy and healthy. But feeding it at the same time every day may help even more.
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Why are the keyboard keys not in ABC order?
The QWERTY keyboard hit the market as early as 1872. It was part of a new device called a typewriter. But nobody is sure why inventor Christopher Sholes organized the keyboard that way.
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Can sitting too close to the TV ruin your eyesight?
Watching TV up close won’t hurt your eyes. But your eyes need to focus on close things and far away things. That variety keeps yours eyes working.
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How does the wind move?
Air moves because the sun heats Earth unevenly. Warmer air rises and cooler air sinks. Air molecules flow from places with lots of air molecules to places with fewer—as wind.
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