Dr. Universe: How many peas would fit in the sun? -Keegan, 8
rcwebberDr. Universe: Why do gadgets need batteries? How do they work? -Shereen and Jasmine, 8, Florida
rcwebberDr. Universe: Why do we get morning breath? -Stephanie, 10
rcwebberHow do volcanoes erupt? –Miles, 10, Tampa, FL
rcwebberDr. Universe: How do earthquakes happen? -Aescli E., 10, Utah
rcwebberDr. Universe: Why do we have five fingers and five toes? -Eli, 11, Edinburgh, Indiana
rcwebberDr. Universe: Why do owls rotate their heads? -Kaitlyn, 8th grade
rcwebberDear Kaitlyn,
Take a look around. Maybe you can turn your head to the left and right and move it up and down. You can move your eyes around in a bunch of different directions, and perhaps you can even cross them.
Read More ...Who created the very first chocolate bar? – Emma, 11, USA
rcwebberDear 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 …
Read More ...Dr. Universe: Why does music give us chills? -Nicole, 11, Spokane, Wash.
rcwebberDear 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.
Read More ...Why do lizards lose their tails? -Bailey, Inwood, Iowa
rcwebberDear Bailey,
Our planet is home to all kinds of lizards. Maybe you’ve seen one climbing up the wall, scurrying through the grass, or at the pet store. Just the other day I saw a big green iguana when I visited the Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in search of an answer to your question.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: What is a glacier? – Addison, Pullman, WA
rcwebberDear Addison,
When snow piles up and compresses into a thick mass of ice, we call it a glacier. But a glacier is really more than ice and snow.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: Why do worms come out when it rains? -Courtney, Moscow, ID
rcwebberDear Courtney,
That’s a great observation. When it rains, worms sometimes leave their home in the soil and wiggle their way up to the surface, where we see them on sidewalks and roads.
Read More ...How do grasshoppers survive the winter? –Lucy, 9
rcwebberDear Lucy,
There are a lot of different grasshoppers living on our planet. In fact, scientists have discovered more than 11,000 species. Exactly how these grasshoppers spend their winter depends on what kind of winter they experience.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: I have a question for you about ants. From what I searched on Google, an ant has a nervous system, blood, open circular system, muscles, and a brain. So, Dr. Universe, the question is, do ants or other insects get headaches? Cause they work hard. –Joseph, 14, Singapore
rcwebberDear Joseph,
If you’ve ever had a headache, it might have felt like pain was radiating right out of your brain.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: What did our ancestors eat? -Bushra, 10, Kuwait
rcwebberDear 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.
Read More ...Hello Dr. Universe: I was wondering, how does an eclipse happen? - Susan, 13, San Francisco, CA
rcwebberDear Susan,
It just so happens the Great American Eclipse is coming up on Aug. 21, 2017. This solar eclipse will be the only one visible from across the lower 48 states in nearly a hundred years. When it happens, parts of the country will experience darkness for a couple minutes during the day.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: I would like to find out how ants are so strong. How is it possible that they can carry weight that is heavier than themselves? –Anita, 11
rcwebberDear Anita,
Ants are pretty good little weightlifters. My friend Rich Zack, a scientist at Washington State University who studies insects, knows a lot about ants. One kind of ant that he has studied can carry up to 20 times its own weight.
Read More ...Why do people grow hair under their nose? Why does it grow down instead of up? –Riley, 11, Prior Lake, MN
rcwebber
Dear Riley,
Humans have hair all over their bodies, including above the upper lip. Of course, not all hair is quite the same. A lot of people have very fine hairs on their faces. Others can sprout a thick beard or mustache.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: Why do snakes shed their skin? - Kalitia, 12, Zimmerman, Minn.
rcwebberDear Kalitia,
Believe it or not, pretty much all animals shed their skin. Some animals make it a bit more obvious than others. Snakes, and some other reptiles, will often shed all at once.
Read More ...Why does meat get brown on the grill? – Christina, Seattle, Wash.
rcwebberDear Christina,
You know summer is just around the corner when the smell of barbecue is in the air. It’s a great question you ask and it leads us to the Meats Lab at Washington State University. That’s where I met up with my friend and animal scientist, Jan Busboom.
Read More ...How do turtles live so much longer than other animals? -8th grader, Lewiston, Idaho
rcwebberDear Reader,
You’re right, turtles and tortoises live a lot longer than most other animals. If you were a turtle, you might live for more than 150 years. One giant Galápagos tortoise named Harriet even lived to be more than 170 years old, said my friend Donna Holmes.
Read More ...How do viruses affect animals? -Gianni, 10, Cayman Islands
rcwebber
Dear Gianni,
Our planet is home to more than seven million amazing animal species. While we have our differences, we also have something in common: We are all made up of a bunch of cells.
Read More ...How do ladybugs survive the winter? Are ladybugs we see in spring several years old or did they just hatch? Are they worms before they are beetles? – Tanya, Pullman, WA
rcwebberDear Tanya,
You know it’s springtime when animals start coming out of hibernation. That includes ladybugs that crawl out from their cozy winter hiding places.
Read More ...Hello! My name is Daiwik and my question is "Why are stars in space? Why are they needed? Can they be made on Earth?" No one I know knows the answer to this. Can you find out for me?- Thanks, Daiwik P.S. You're awesome!
rcwebberDear Daiwik,
If you are anything like me, you like watching the night sky. The stars we see are a lot like our nearest star, the sun. They are just much farther away. That makes stars look like small twinkly things instead of a big, furious thing like our sun.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: Do you know how human and animal interactions help our mind grow? Does it help us? Does it do nothing? This has fascinated me for a very long time. - Gabby G., 11, Berlin, VT
rcwebberDear Gabby,
Our brains are pretty busy. They are constantly thinking, feeling, and sensing our world. One thing that can help some people relax is spending time with an animal friend. You might play fetch with a dog, sit with a cat, brush a horse, or even watch a goldfish zip around its bowl.
People who spend a lot of time with animals might tell you that something special seems to be going on here. But scientists are looking for evidence and want to find out for certain just what is going on. They want to know … » More …
How do I program a computer? –Ammon, 11, Magna, UT
rcwebberDear Ammon,
Everything our computers do, they do because we program them to do it. Maybe you want to design a game or an app that’s brand new. To create that game or app, you have to help your computer understand what to do.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: Is it possible that we are growing every second? - David, 9, Camas, Wash.
rcwebberDear David,
When I was a kitten, I used to keep track of my growth. Every now and then, I’d make a little pencil mark on the wall right above my ears.
Read More ...What exactly are the states of matter? - Tammy, 7, Miami
rcwebberDear Tammy,
No matter if you are a cat, a person, or a snowball, we have one thing in common: We are all made up of matter. Most everything that we see in our world is made of matter.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: Why do animals hibernate? -Jarrett T., 10, Edinburgh, IN
rcwebberDear Jarrett,
Animals can get through winter in all kinds of ways. Us cats like to curl up on a cozy couch. Some penguins huddle in groups to create heat. A lot of birds fly south to warmer weather. Perhaps you put on mittens and a coat.
Read More ...Dear Dr. Universe: How do we remember stuff? -Aidan, 11, Franklin, Indiana
rcwebber
Dear Aidan,
Our brains have an incredible ability to help us remember all kinds of stuff. Of course, memory isn’t perfect. Sometimes we forget our homework or where we left our favorite cat toy.
Read More ...Why do we feel pain? -Sara, 11, Moscow, Idaho
rcwebberDear Sara,
Pain is unpleasant, but we need it for survival. Just the other day I was out exploring when I stubbed my paw and let out a big meow. My nervous system was doing its job.
Read More ...How many colors can we see? -Andrew P., 12
rcwebber-
Dear Andrew,
The human eye can see millions and millions of colors. But believe it or not, some colors exist in our world that the human eye can’t see.
Read More ...What is the deepest spot in the ocean? -Lawrence, 11, Philippines
rcwebberDear Lawrence,
Deep underwater, not too far from Guam, lies a crescent-shaped canyon called the Mariana Trench. It is home to the deepest known spot in the ocean: The Challenger Deep.
Read More ...