
Why are bears called bears when they can be called anything else, not just a bear? - Natallia, 8, Yakima, Wash.
jaime.chambersDear Natallia,
You’ve noticed something very important: there’s no natural reason for the words humans use. Any sound could be used to describe a big mammal that eats berries and salmon.
But people who speak English choose “bear.” People who speak Spanish use “oso.” People who speak Maricopa say “maxwet.” They’re all different, but they’re all correct.
That’s what I learned from my friend Lynn Gordon, a linguist at Washington State University.
“Why do we call bears ‘bears’?” she said. “Because we’ve agreed to.”
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: How do people name continents or places on earth? Thank you. - Lila Grace, 8, Virginia
rcwebberDr. Universe: How did the first horse change into the horses of today? -Ava, 7, Kennewick, Wash.
rcwebberDr. Universe: Why do people have different accents? Why do we have them and need them? -Florrie P., 9, UK
rcwebberDr. Universe: Back when cell phones weren’t a thing, how could you place a call from across the ocean? Were there wires under the ocean? -Tali, 9, Seattle, Wash.
rcwebberDr. Universe: How do earthquakes happen? -Aescli E., 10, Utah
rcwebberWhy can't we just print a bunch of money to make everyone rich? - Daniel, 8
rcwebberDear 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.
Read More ...Why do we have different feelings? - Charan and Aishwarya V., 10 & 8, Rutherford, New Jersey
rcwebberDear 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.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: How long can trees live? -Jessy, 8, Seattle, WA
rcwebberWhat kinds of trees are in your backyard? Do they have pinecones? Colorful leaves? Pods with seeds? Tell us more or send a picture to Dr.Universe@wsu.edu.
Dear Jessy,
As I was hiking through the bristlecone pine forests of the Sierra Nevada recently, I stumbled upon a tree barely six inches tall.
Read More ...Why does soda fizz? -Emily, 9, Florida
rcwebberDear Emily,
If you’ve ever had flat soda, you know a sip isn’t the same without some fizzy bubbles. We can hear them pop and feel them burst on our tongue.
Read More ...Why is the ocean salty? -Alysin, 10, Ruston, La.
rcwebberDear Alysin,
At first, I thought the answer to your question might take us deep into the ocean. But it turns out the source of our salty seas is actually on land.
Read More ...Do we drink the same water dinosaurs drank? -Sophia, 7
rcwebberDear Sophia,
Yes. The water on our Earth today is the same water that’s been here for nearly 5 billion years. Only a tiny bit of it has escaped out into space. As far as we know, new water hasn’t formed either.
Read More ...Why is Pi 3.1415...? What if it was just 3? -anonymous
rcwebberDear Curious Readers,
It’s almost March 14. You know what that means: Pi Day, as in 3/14, or 3.14159265359 and so on.
I met up with my friend Nathan Hamlin, a mathematician and instructor here at Washington State University, to explore your question about this never-ending number.
We calculated Pi with some of my favorite items: yarn and a tuna can. You can try it at home, too.
Read More ...Why is yawning contagious? -Grant, 10, Pullman, WA
rcwebberDear Grant,
When I got your question, I met up with my friend Hans Van Dongen, a scientist at Washington State University in Spokane. He works in a research lab where they study sleep. As a cat who appreciates naps, it’s one of my favorite places to visit.
Read More ...If mollusks have such heavy shells to drag around with them, how have they spread all over the ocean? -Michel W.
rcwebberDear Michel,
Mollusks, from land snails and slugs to oysters and mussels in the sea, have a few things in common. They have a head. They have a soft middle part that holds their organs. Then, some have a muscle that’s known as a “foot.”
Read More ...Dr. Universe, How are magnets made? -Andrea, 8, Berkeley, CA
rcwebber
Dear Andrea,
When I saw your question, I headed straight for the Magnetics Lab and met up with my friend John McCloy. I found out the word “magnet” comes from a Greek word for the region of modern-day Turkey we once called Magnesia. That’s where people found magnets in nature.
Read More ...Dr. Universe: Is the puffin a descendent of the dodo -Samykutha, Chennai, India
rcwebberDear Samykutha,
The dodo bird isn’t with us anymore, but if you visit a city park you’ll likely see one of its very close relatives walking around. It might even be nibbling on a French fry. Dodos were a pigeon, said my friend Michael Webster.
Read More ...Dr. Universe: How did the first drop of water ever happen on Earth -Ash, 6, SeaTac, WA
rcwebber?
Dear Ash,
We’ve learned a lot about how water supports life on the blue planet, but the first drop is a bit mysterious. Scientists have a few theories about how it happened.
Read More ...Dr. Universe: Why did people invent movies? -Danielle, Latrobe, Tasmania
rcwebberDear Danielle,
Movies not only took the ideas and inventions of people, but also the work of a horse. Her name was Sallie Gardner and the debate of her day was whether or not horses ever had all four hooves off the ground during a gallop.
Read More ...Why do scientists use Latin when they name organisms? -Arielle, New York
rcwebberWhat was the largest dinosaur? -Carlos, Visalia, California
rcwebberAbout 85-feet long (half a football field) and 65 tons (about 7 T-Rexes), the largest dinosaur scientists know about is Dreadnoughts. She was a plant-eater and with her 37-foot-long neck probably had no problem reaching the leaves at the top of trees.
Read More ...