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Dr. Universe: Why do we have a belly button? – Jane, 9, Kennewick, WA

January 11, 2019 rcwebber

Whether you have an innie or an outie, pretty much all us mammals have a belly button. But before you had a belly button, there was actually a different bit of anatomy in its place. While you were still growing inside of your mother, a small, bendy tube on your tummy connected the two of you. This tube is how you got pretty much everything you needed to grow before you were born into the world. Read More ...

Who created the very first chocolate bar? – Emma, 11, USA

November 20, 2018 rcwebber

Dear Emma,

For most of human history, people have enjoyed chocolate in a spicy, bitter drink. But when people discovered how to turn chocolate into a solid, it opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

That’s what I found out from my friend Omar Cornejo, a scientist at Washington State University who is very curious about the history and life of the cacao tree. Chocolate comes from the seeds of leathery fruits that grow on the tree.

If we cut open the fruit, we would find about 20 to 60 seeds on the inside. In ancient times, people would grind up the seeds … » More …

Dr. Universe: Why does music give us chills? -Nicole, 11, Spokane, Wash.

June 21, 2018 rcwebber

Dear Friends,

If you are anything like me, maybe you’ve suddenly felt a chill while listening to music. Perhaps, you got goosebumps and saw your arm hairs stand on end. Maybe you even teared up.

Dear Dr. Universe: What did our ancestors eat? -Bushra, 10, Kuwait

August 7, 2017 rcwebber

Dear Bushra,

Our ancestors weren’t very picky eaters. In fact, they ate pretty much whatever they could find, wherever and whenever they could find it.

Why can't we just print a bunch of money to make everyone rich? - Daniel, 8

July 14, 2017 rcwebber

Dear Daniel,

It sure sounds like a nice idea. Print a bunch of money and everyone gets rich. We could buy anything we wanted. Ah, if only it were that easy. It turns out printing more money would have a much different outcome than we might like to imagine.

Why do we have different feelings? - Charan and Aishwarya V., 10 & 8, Rutherford, New Jersey

June 5, 2017 rcwebber

Dear Charan and Aishwarya,

Imagine you are playing a game of soccer and your best friend is on the opposing team. The sun is out, you are having a great time, and you score the winning goal. You’d probably feel pretty happy and so would your team.

Does science get harder every year or is that just me? -Keegun, 8th grade, E. Wash.

March 27, 2017 rcwebber

Dear Keegun,

We’ve got about three pounds of brain in our heads that help us look for answers and solve all kinds of problems. But it isn’t always easy. Sometimes an experiment doesn’t go the way I expect or I get stuck on a particularly tricky science question.

Dear Dr. Universe: How does digestion work? -Abi, 12, U.S., Megha R., 11, Dubai

November 22, 2016 rcwebber

Dear Abi and Megha,

All around the world, animals are eating all kinds of different foods. Our foods might be different, but one thing is true for all of us: We have to digest.

Dear Dr. Universe: Why do we find some things scary? -Jack H., 8, UK

October 26, 2016 rcwebber

Dear Jack,

While our fears might be different, we all get scared sometimes. Vacuums, dogs, and even cucumbers make my hair stand on end. Perhaps for you it’s spiders, the dark, or the thought of monsters under your bed.

My friend Michael Delahoyde is really curious about what freaks us out. As an English professor at Washington State University, he’s even taught a course about monsters.

Why do we get brain freezes -Hannah, 9, Monroe Elementary

March 21, 2016 rcwebber

Dear Hannah,

You’re enjoying some ice cream, when suddenly you feel a pain in your head that hurts a whole lot. It’s like it came out of nowhere, and in a matter of seconds, it’s gone.