Dear Seth,
Since I’m a fluffy cat, my fur protects me from the sun. But my hairless cat and human friends use sunscreen when they go outside.
I asked my friend Michael Smerdon how it works. He’s a biochemist at Washington State University.
He told me that the sun puts out different kinds of light. Some light is visible to humans. Some is invisible—like UV light.
Read More ...Dear Eloise,
My work as a science cat has introduced me to human foods—like chips and salsa. I love the spicy taste of salsa, but I always keep a saucer of milk handy.
I talked about why milk calms the spicy feeling with my friend Emily Cukier. She’s a chemistry librarian at Washington State University.
She told me that the spicy feeling comes from something called capsaicin. The amount of capsaicin in a pepper determines how hot it is.
Read More ...Dear Lydia,
A few thousand years ago, humans discovered that beans inside the bright green pods of cacao trees could be made into a real treat.
Read More ...Dear Anish,
There’s nothing like taking a little catnap by the fireplace, feeling the heat, watching the flames, and listening to crackling sounds. But until you asked, I wasn’t entirely sure what this mesmerizing thing was or how it works.
Read More ...