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The Latest Questions and Answers
Ask Dr. Universe Podcast | Your Paw-some Question | How did big cats change into house cats?

Cosmo and I learned about cat evolution, thanks to Haden Kingrey, anthropology graduate student at Washington State University.
- Read the Ask Dr. Universe column about this (and see a cute pic of my roommate)
- Learn about natural selection with the Amoeba Sisters
- Check out saber-toothed cats with the National Park Service
- See an African wild cat in action with Animalogic
- See the Smithsonian’s exhibit for the first known domesticated cat
As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.
APPLE PODCASTS
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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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Are self-driving cars safe?
Peng told me that self-driving cars are getting safer. Some studies show that certain driverless cars have fewer crashes than cars driven by people in similar places.
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How can a regular person make a big difference in society?
Taking care of butterflies—and other beneficial insects—is one way to make the world a better place. And butterfly lovers in the Pacific Northwest may be in a good position to help our fluttery neighbors.
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Would it have been possible to domesticate bears instead of wolves?
Wolf biology made them good candidates to live with humans. That includes their social structure and physical needs. Bear biology doesn’t work the same way.
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How do butterflies taste with their feet?
Tastes are chemical signals. They’re picked up by gustatory (taste) receptors in some of the butterfly’s cells.
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How do planets get their color?
We see a planet’s color because of the way our eyes and brains process the sun’s light as it reflects off that planet. How it looks depends on the planet’s state and composition.
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What did praying mantises evolve from?
Mapping shared traits helps scientists build insect family trees. That’s how they figured out that mantises and roaches form a group called Dictyoptera.
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How do birds drink?
Different kinds of birds drink in different ways—from scooping to suctioning, from drinking seawater to getting their water from prey. Birds adapted their drinking techniques to match their environment.
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Why do mosquitoes bite humans for blood when they could just bite animals for blood?
There are about 4,000 species of mosquitoes. They’ve all adapted their strategies to specific host animals. But most mosquitoes bite non-human animals.
Read Story