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Dr. Universe looking through a microscope

 

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Ask Dr. Universe Podcast | Student-Led Podcasts

Explore the Past Universe with PPCS

 

Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world.

Today, the 4th graders at Palouse Prairie Charter School take Dr. Universe and her cougar cub friend Cosmo back in time to the formation of the universe.

All sound effects courtesy of Freesound.

Want to make a podcast episode with your class or group? Ping me at dr.universe@wsu.edu

As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.

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  • What happens if we drink too much water?

    Dear Joseph,

    As an early-rising science cat, I always lap up a bowl of coffee in the morning. After that, I drink fresh water from a cat fountain I keep near my desk.

    But what if I drink too much of that thirst-quenching liquid?

    I asked my friend Karen Anders if that can happen. She teaches nursing at Washington State University.

    She told me that drinking too much water can cause a rare condition called water intoxication.

    It’s rare because it doesn’t happen very often. Even if you guzzle lots of water, your kidneys can probably process it. You might feel sloshy and … » More …

    Read Story
  • Why do we get fidgety when we’re bored?

    Dear Amelia,

    Sometimes when I’m in a boring meeting, my tail starts twitching. Or I gently rock my office chair.

    I asked my friend Amanda Stueber why that helps me. She’s a psychologist at Washington State University. One thing she studies is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

    She told me that boredom happens when you have less stimulation. That means you don’t have much information coming in from your senses. Like what you see, hear, smell, taste and feel.

    When there’s no new or interesting info coming in, you start to feel bored and tired. The less stimulation you have, the sleepier you get.

    » More …

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  • What causes the northern lights?

    Dear Sebastian,

    For many people, seeing the northern lights is the ultimate bucket list item. Lately, experiencing them has gotten a whole lot easier.

    I asked my friend Michael Allen about those dancing green and pink lights. He’s an astronomer at Washington State University.

    He told me that, along with its light, the sun emits charged particles—mostly protons and electrons. Those particles freely stream into space. Then, some of them bump into Earth’s magnetic field.

    Earth has a magnetic field because there’s molten iron in its core. As the liquid metal moves and flows, it makes a giant magnet. The magnet is … » More …

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  • What is cancer?

    Dear Austin,

    I love a predictable schedule. Knowing when to eat, sleep and answer your questions keeps me chill.

    That how the cells that make up our bodies work, too. They grow and die on a predictable schedule. Our bodies constantly make new cells to replace the ones that die. They grow for a set time and then die, too.

    But sometimes cells grow out of control. They may grow faster or for a longer time than normal cells. They ignore the signals that tell a cell it’s time to die. They can even spread to other parts of the body and start growing … » More …

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  • How many atoms are in a leaf?

    Dear Lily,

    I love thinking about things I can’t see with just my eyes. Like the atoms that make up everything.

    I asked my friend Fred Gittes how to figure out the number of atoms in a leaf. He’s a physicist at Washington State University.

    He showed me a worksheet he gives his students. It included a question exactly like yours!

    “It’s a question I assign college students for fun,” Gittes said.

    So, you’re in great company when you ponder big questions like this.

    We decided to use stoichiometry to find the answer. That’s a kind of math that scientists do to understand … » More …

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  • Why can’t we tickle ourselves?

    Dear Malcolm,

    I was surprised the first time I saw a human transform into a tickle monster. They curled up their fingers and rhythmically poked someone else’s armpits. That is something a cat would never do.

    I asked my friend John Wright about it. He’s a retired psychology professor at Washington State University.

    I learned that there are two kinds of tickling.

    The first is the light tickle you feel when someone gently brushes your skin. Like when someone uses a feather to barely touch the inside of your arm. Scientists call that knismesis.

    It turns out you can totally tickle yourself that … » More …

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  • What makes pee so bad that I have to get rid of it?

    Dear Jeff,

    The worst thing about being an anthropomorphic cat is that I have to scoop my own litter box. It’s a real drag.

    I asked my friend Henry Mroch why we need to pee in the first place. He’s a doctor at Washington State University. He teaches medical students about the organs that make urine—called kidneys.

    He told me that most people have two kidneys. Each one is about the size of your fist. They sit near your back, right under your ribcage.

    Each kidney attaches to a tube called a ureter. Those tubes take urine to a storage pouch—called the … » More …

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  • Why do trees have bark?

    Dear Grant, William and Kate,

    When I was a kitten, I liked to scratch tree trunks. I loved sinking my claws into their bark. Now I mostly hug trees—but I still love the way bark feels under my paws.

    I asked my friend Henry Adams why trees have that tough outer layer. He’s a tree scientist at Washington State University.

    He told me that bark protects trees.

    “Bark is like our skin,” Adams said. “It protects trees from all kinds of attackers that might want to get in—like viruses, bacteria, fungi, insects or even non-living things like fire.”

    Read Story
  • Does the sun orbit anything?

    Dear Kingston,

    When we think about orbits, we usually picture the Earth zooming around the sun. But does the sun just sit there? Or is it on its own journey?

    I asked my friend Guy Worthey. He’s a space scientist at Washington State University.

    He told me that an orbit happens because the gravity from something big pulls on a moving object. The sun has lots of gravity because it’s ginormous compared to Earth. So, that gravity pulls on the Earth and holds us in orbit.

    But our sun isn’t the only star. It’s one of many, many stars in the Milky … » More …

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  • How do we get muscles?

    Dear Jalane,

    I’ve always been a bookish cat. I spend most of my time in the lab rather than running, prowling and pouncing like most felines.

    But I still have super strong muscles. They’re way bigger than when I was a kitten.

    I asked my friend Edward Johnson how I got so buff. He teaches classes about the human body in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University.

    He told me that muscles are made of muscle cells. They’re also called muscle fibers or myocytes.

    We usually think cells are way too small to see with our eyes. But … » More …

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