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Are mermaids real? Is there a species that contains DNA that’s half human and half fish? – Maite, 12, Texas

November 2, 2023 melissamayer

Dear Maite,

People have thought about mermaids for a long time. Ancient people even drew humans with fish tails on cave walls. So, did they really see mermaids or were they drawing from imagination?

The marine experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say that no mermaids have ever been found in the ocean.

But we’ve fully mapped only about one-quarter of the ocean floor. There are probably between 700,000 and one million different kinds of plants and animals in the ocean. At least two-thirds of those are still unknown to us.

Does that mean mermaids could be swimming around in parts of the ocean we haven’t explored? Maybe. But our best guess is that people mistook other sea animals for mermaids—like manatees and their relatives.

How does evolution work? – Aubree, 10, Kentucky

March 31, 2023 melissamayer

Dear Aubree,

When I thought about evolution, I always pictured big changes that happened over long time periods—like how birds evolved from dinosaurs.

But then I talked with my friend Jeremiah Busch. He’s a biologist at Washington State University. He told me evolution is happening all the time.

“As soon as you see that evolution is occurring around us, it changes the way you think about the world,” Busch said.

There are a few ways evolution happens. These include mutation, gene flow, genetic drift and natural selection.

How do viruses affect animals? -Gianni, 10, Cayman Islands

May 3, 2017 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.

What is Dr. Universe's favorite experiment? -Garrett, 8th grade, Eastern Washington

March 28, 2016 rcwebber

Dear Garrett,

You know, your question reminds me of a couple other science questions from curious readers. Evangeline, age 7, wants to know why her hair is black. Sureya, age 8, wants to know why some people have curly hair.

It just so happens that one of my favorite science projects explores our questions about what makes us unique. It has to do with our DNA, or the blueprint for life.

Dear Dr. Universe, Why do we age? -Logan, 12, Pullman, WA

March 14, 2016 rcwebber

Dear Logan,

It’s usually later in life that we see the more dramatic signs of aging, like gray hair, wrinkles, and lots of birthday candles on our cake. But we really start growing older from the time we are born.

Dr. Universe: Is the puffin a descendent of the dodo -Samykutha, Chennai, India

July 6, 2015 rcwebber

Dear 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.

Why do people and animals get cancer more than they used to? -Michael, Ceres, CA

May 18, 2015 rcwebber

Dear Michael,

A hundred years ago, human beings only lived to be about 50 years old. Now people are living longer, so there’s more time for cancer to develop in their bodies. That’s what I learned from my friend David Liu who researches cancer at Washington State University.