SJK Audio Edition

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-can-fingerprints-tell-us-about-artists/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/7lnGo38XJQ8Summary: Researchers used a CT scan to analyze fingerprints left on a sculpture to determine information about the artist.Abstract: Have you ever noticed that each of your fingertips has a complex pattern of lines? These lines are unique to each person. When you touch different surfaces, you leave impressions of those lines behind. Artists from a long time ago also left such impressions. Previous scientists used photographs of fingerprints to learn more about the artists. They figured out if the artists were male or female. They also figured out the age of the artist. Unfortunately, photos are sometimes of poor quality. We wanted to develop a new method of fingermark analysis using a 3D-micro CT scan. This technology produced detailed 3D images of the fingerprints left on a sculpture. Then we analyzed these fingerprints for more information about the artist. Our analysis identified the artist as an adult male. This technology will help better analyze the works of artists in the future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-much-do-viruses-change-over-time/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/qsMt1xldK64Summary:Scientists compared ancient bacteriophages in human poop samples dating back 5,300 years to modern ones.Abstract: Bacteriophages, or just phages, are tiny viruses that infect bacteria. Some phages help us by killing harmful bacteria and keeping our gut healthy. Although phages have existed for millions of years, we don’t know much about the ones from ancient times. To find out, we analyzed super old human poop samples. Using a new technique called de novo assembly, we pieced together the DNA of ancient viruses from these samples. We discovered nearly 300 types of bacteriophages that we had never seen before. But there was also one 1,300-year-old phage that was almost exactly the same as a modern day species. This was extremely surprising! Our research provides a useful method to rebuild ancient phage DNA sequences and learn more about the history of viruses. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: or watch at: https://youtu.be/5bR2GVvQvYwSummary: Researchers found that bonobos and chimpanzees have a long-term social memory very similar to humans.Abstract: There are cute stories of zoo-living apes that seem to recognize their former caregivers. They also seem to recognize familiar apes and tell them apart from strangers. But we don’t know how detailed their memory is. We also don’t know how long their memory lasts. Humans have good social memories, and other great apes are our closest living relatives. We wanted to know if long-lasting social memory is a trait we share with other great apes.We tested the ability of apes to recognize familiar individuals after spending years apart. We used an eye-tracker to see how long apes looked at two side-by-side images of other apes. We found that apes looked longer at previous groupmates than at strangers. They also looked longer at groupmates with whom they had positive interactions. This helps us understand the evolutionary history of social memory in great apes. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: or watch at: https://youtu.be/0hTsKN9snwUSummary: Researchers reviewed studies to summarize the effects of e-cigarette vaping on the body’s cells.Abstract: Did you know that most people who vape are teens? E-cigarette (e-cig) companies market vaping as a safe alternative to traditional smoking. Well, vaping is safer than traditional smoking, but it is still dangerous to human health. We wanted to summarize the effects that vaping has on the body’s cells. We reviewed scientific studies about vaping and the human body. We found that vaping causes inflammation of the mouth and lungs. It also damages DNA. Long-term inflammation and high levels of DNA damage can cause cancer. Some e-cig users have reported mouth cancer, but not many yet. That is because cancer formation takes a long time. We will need more studies to know the long-term effects of vaping. But current studies show that using e-cigarettes is not safe. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: or watch at: https://youtu.be/dVoB7IS1k9g Summary: Researchers investigated the impact of the accuracy of COVID-19 beliefs and metacognition on public health compliance and vaccine willingness.Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health experts asked people to take steps to help stop the spread of the virus. These included wearing face masks, limiting contact with other people, and getting vaccinated. We wondered why some people followed recommendations while others did not. We thought what people believed about COVID-19 mattered. We also thought the way they think about their beliefs may be important.We asked people about their COVID-19 beliefs. Some beliefs were true, and some were not. Then we asked these people how confident they were that their beliefs were correct.We found that people who evaluated their beliefs more correctly were more likely to follow public health advice. Our results show that it’s important to be right, but it’s also important to know you might be wrong. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-does-the-brain-adapt-to-blindness/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/SvF3TX1iO2Q Summary: Scientists tested how blind and sighted people used sound in tracking motion to learn more about how the brain works.Abstract: You hear footsteps behind you. They’re getting louder! You turn around quickly. Your friend was trying to sneak up on you. How did you know they were there? Your brain was hard at work! It took clues from your senses and turned those clues into information. But not everybody’s senses work the same way. When someone is blind or deaf, their brains learn to use the other senses differently. We were interested in knowing how blind people use sounds to learn about moving objects. We found that people who became blind during early childhood were better at following sounds than sighted people. Both blind and sighted people tracked moving sounds in a similar way. But blind people were much better at ignoring background noise. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-air-travel-produce-fewer-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/d8mS4bH_G2E Summary: Researchers compare nine different possible scenarios to determine how the aviation industry could reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Abstract: When you think about the causes of climate change, what comes to mind? Do you think of gasoline-powered cars? Or do you think about coal and natural gas power plants? It turns out that a big source of greenhouse gas emissions is flying. To prevent Earth from becoming too warm, many countries have set net-zero emission goals. So, the aviation industry needs to make changes. We analyzed the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced in nine different scenarios in the years up to 2050. Each scenario included a change in the demand for flying, a change in the efficiency of the airplanes, and a change in the type of fuel used. We found making changes to these factors can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the aviation industry will also need to invest in carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. With these changes, it is possible for the aviation industry to reach net-zero emissions by 2050! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: or watch at: https://youtu.be/QsLFuo8TvhI Summary: Researchers explore what causes online political discussions to get so mean.Abstract: Online discussions about politics can be very nasty. But why is that? Researchers have proposed two theories. One talks about the disagreement over ideas. And the second theory is that people see others as rivals. But there is a third theory called the "troll hypothesis". It suggests that mean people are mean, regardless of the topic. To see if this is right, we analyzed comments on Reddit. We found that people who often argue and are rude in political discussions are also mean when they talk about other things. Plus, those who make comments on communities of both political sides turn out to be the meanest! So, online discussions get mean largely because of these people rather than the topic. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/why-dont-whales-get-cancer/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/C11YMSLV_e4Summary: Researchers wanted to discover how the genomes of the humpback whale have evolved to help them avoid developing cancer.Abstract: Every day, the cells in your body are super busy growing and dividing. When something goes wrong, mutations appear. Our immune system usually detects cells with mistakes and kills them before they become a problem. But sometimes they go undetected and the rogue cell multiplies, turning into cancer. So, if an animal has more cells and a longer life, it should get more cancer. Whales have up to 1,000 times more cells than humans and some live for over 200 years. But their cancer rates are no higher than ours! To figure out why this is, we compared the humpback whale and other whale genomes to other mammal genomes. Our DNA analysis showed that in whales there was duplication of cancer-suppressing genes. We also found that whales have the slowest rate of genetic changes. Our findings help us understand the role of DNA in preventing cancer. It could also help us fight cancer in humans! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-ai-make-online-chats-kinder/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/kgt424nIx6k Summary: Researchers wanted to see if AI assistants can improve online political discussions.Abstract: Imagine a world where everyone can talk and share their ideas. Even if they don't agree, they listen to each other. This is what should happen in a democracy. But sometimes, when people chat online, things can get a bit mean. We wanted to see if artificial intelligence (AI) could make online talks kinder.So, we did an online experiment with pairs of people discussing a tricky topic: laws about who can own guns. One participant in each pair had an AI assistant that made suggestions. The participants could accept or ignore the suggestions. Most participants took the AI's advice, which made people more positive and polite. Even if they disagreed, they understood and respected each other. The good thing is that the AI didn't change the topic, it just helped people to talk to each other more kindly. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-doctors-treat-endometriosis/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/LWDUiEuk-GYSummary: Researchers studied how different types and amounts of macrophages affect endometriosis in mice.Abstract: Normally, the tissue that makes up each of your body’s organs only grows in the place it should. But that’s not the case for people with endometriosis. With this disease, tissue that lines the uterus grows outside the uterus as lesions. These cause pain and infertility. Endometriosis affects about 10% of women worldwide as well as some trans people. On very rare occasions it has been detected in men. Scientists know that people with endometriosis have high levels of a type of white blood cell called macrophages. We wanted to find out how macrophages affected the growth of lesions as well as pain in people with endometriosis. So, we studied mice with endometriosis in a laboratory. We changed the number and type of macrophages present in the mice to learn how these cells affect the development of lesions. We discovered that certain types of macrophages may help to treat endometriosis. Others encourage the development of lesions. Our findings could lead to new treatments for endometriosis patients! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-do-bumble-bees-play/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/gT0LECbcxHkSummary: Researchers wanted to find out whether bumble bees take part in object play.Abstract: Have you watched cute cat videos or funny dog compilations? Or primates “monkeying around”? Then you know that mammals love to play. Even the dancing cockatiel has gone viral! But have you ever considered whether insects play “for fun”? We did an experiment to test whether bumble bees take part in object play. We wanted to see whether they would interact and play with wooden balls. We found that the bumble bees did play with a ball-rolling action. Their behavior fulfilled our expectations of play in animals. What's more, they also found it rewarding! We ruled out the possibility that the ball rolling was an attempt to look for food or to mate. This suggests that bumble bees may be more capable of feeling than we had thought! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-we-tell-whether-we-are-talking-to-a-computer-or-a-person/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/ST2dC1eQT64Summary: Researchers studied the rules of thumb people use to tell computer-generated and human-made text apart, and found that people often used rules of thumb that were wrong.Abstract: How can you tell if you are talking to a computer? New computer programs called language models have gotten very good at mimicking people. It can be really hard to tell if you’re talking to a person or a computer. We wanted to know how people try to recognize computer-generated text and if they could do it accurately. We learned that people unconsciously use rules of thumb to figure out whether they are talking to a computer. These are often wrong, which means that people are vulnerable to scams. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-have-the-life-choices-of-women-in-india-changed-over-time/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/4ZI4Ye9tDQ8Summary: Researchers analyze data to determine if the life trajectories of young women in India have changed over time.Abstract: What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now? Do you have a job? Are you married? Do you have children? Throughout your life, there will be decisions to make that determine your path through life. This life trajectory is often affected by different factors. These factors are different from one country to another. They can include social status, religion, and government policies. Life trajectories can affect the success of a country. That is because they can determine how many people are part of the workforce. They also determine if the country’s population grows. We analyzed survey data to determine how the life trajectories of women in India changed over time. We learned that more women are graduating from high school, so they are getting married later. We also found out that social status and religion affect their decisions about having children and getting a job. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-do-animals-behave-during-a-solar-eclipse/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/KsAYuSCgE9USummary: Researchers examined the behavior of zoo animals during a total solar eclipse.Abstract: When was the last time you were at the zoo? You probably saw lots of animals doing lots of different things there. We wanted to know what zoo animals do when a solar eclipse happens. People have observed animals during solar eclipses before. But these were mostly just casual observations.We designed a study to observe 17 different types of animals at the zoo. First, we observed their normal behaviors. Then we recorded what happened during a solar eclipse. We saw that a lot of animals did something that wasn’t normal. Most of them started behaving like it was nighttime – in the middle of the day! Some of them even seemed anxious – like the eclipse stressed them out. This helps us understand how complex animal behavior can be. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-do-dolphin-mothers-speak-with-their-babies/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/PDoq8jMBb4gSummary: Researchers investigated how bottlenose dolphin female whistles change when they are with their calves.Abstract: Have you ever noticed that people speak differently to babies and toddlers? Caregivers, particularly mothers, change their speech when talking to young children. How? Their speech includes higher pitches. They also use a wider pitch range and shorter sentences. Scientists call these changes in speech patterns child-directed communication, but you can think of it as baby talk. We wanted to find out if bottlenose dolphins also use child-directed communication. We analyzed the sounds made by female dolphins and found that they used higher frequency whistles when they were with their calves. We also found that the frequency range of their whistles increased. Like humans, bottlenose dolphins speak differently to youngsters than to adults. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-do-parenting-and-brain-size-have-to-do-with-each-other/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/dNyShbldjGUSummary: Bird species that spend more energy on their young have larger brains than those with less parental care.Abstract: Big brains are useful, but they need time and energy to grow. So why do some animals have big brains and others don’t? We looked at 1,176 bird species to see how different things affect brain size. We found that parental provision had the largest impact on brain size. This includes egg size and caring for and feeding babies. We think parental care allowed larger brains to evolve. And not just among birds! This could also explain why human brains are so big! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-does-fear-speech-spread-on-social-media/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/Fe2RIr9I7YoSummary: Researchers examined the rise of fear speech on social media.Abstract: Are you on social media? There are lots of fun things on social media, but there are also some bad things. Social media platforms try to manage hurtful content like hate speech. But there are other types of hurtful content that are harder to manage. One of these is fear speech. This is when people use words to create fear about a group.We wanted to know how common fear speech is on social media. So we created a model to identify fear speech and hate speech from 21 million social media posts. Then we examined things like how connected users were, how they interacted with people who didn’t post hurtful things, and the characteristics of their posts. We found that users who post a lot of fear speech are more connected to others. Fear speech posts also have a lot more activity than hate speech posts. This could contribute to the spread of fear speech on social media. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-does-the-way-we-think-affect-our-choices-about-vaccines/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/UNkZcX-tYTMSummary: Researchers want to explore whether the way people think is connected to vaccine hesitancy.Abstract: Vaccines save millions of lives each year. Yet there are more and more people who are unsure about getting them. Why is that? So far, studies have looked at issues related directly to vaccines. But we think it might be something else. Could it have to do with how people's minds work? To find out, we asked 356 people different questions about what and how they think, and what they believe. What did we discover? People who like to trust their feelings and believe in supernatural things are more likely to be against vaccines. But those who think carefully and have some scientific knowledge generally trust vaccines. It seems the way our minds work can affect what we think about vaccines. This is important to remember when we talk about the importance of vaccines. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/why-are-women-hunters-important/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/bXcOQ94P63QSummary: Researchers investigated the role of women hunting in foraging societies.Abstract: Have you heard that women should make dinner for their family? Or that only men should work outside the home? Unfortunately, many people believe in these ideas about gender roles. It makes it hard to look at new situations without bias.For a long time, scientists have thought that in foraging societies, men are hunters and women are gatherers. We questioned these ideas. We investigated how often women take part in hunting, what they hunt, and how they hunt. We found that women do hunt intentionally in a lot of foraging societies. They sometimes hunt with different tools than men. We also found women are more flexible in whom they hunt with. They often take dogs and children with them. We can use this information to rethink our historical biases about the role of women in hunting. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-humans-and-ai-work-together-to-detect-deepfakes/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/jcYwojytZbkSummary: Researchers wanted to test whether humans or AI programs were better at detecting deepfake videos.Abstract: Fake news is not new on the internet, and people often change images and videos for a joke. However, deepfakes aren’t only meant to make you laugh. Instead, they can spread misinformation or discredit a person or a group. As more deepfakes find their way onto the internet, we need to find the best way to detect these harmful videos. We tested whether the leading AI model or humans were better at detecting deepfakes online. We found that humans and the AI model were each good at identifying certain types of deepfakes. Maybe we could merge the abilities of both AI and humans to create the best deepfake detection model! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-does-dark-energy-affect-galaxies/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/OpMe1Gyqey4Summary: Researchers found a way to quantify the effect dark energy is having on our universe.Abstract: Scientists have known for a while that the universe is expanding, and it’s doing so faster and faster. This strange phenomenon is caused by something we call dark energy. To understand this better, we need to think about a special number called the Cosmological Constant. It helps us describe how things move in space. In our research, we aimed to uncover how dark energy causes objects like stars and galaxies to interact. As an example, we’ve been studying our neighbor galaxy – Andromeda. By looking at how it moves and at its mass, we can see how dark energy affects it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-are-the-benefits-of-growing-multiple-crop-species-together/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/dGIoWE18w8USummary: Researchers tried to determine if intercropping is a good technique for growing food by comparing it to sole cropping.Abstract: Did you know there are different ways to grow food? One way is sole cropping, which occurs when a field only has one species of crop. Another method is intercropping, which is when many species are grown together in the same field. We wanted to compare sole cropping and intercropping. We found that intercropping produces less of each type of crop on a field than sole cropping. But intercropping produces more diverse food choices. It also can save land space and reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to grow food. That is why intercropping is an important agricultural technique to consider for the future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-does-your-address-affect-your-chances-of-being-evicted/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/Y3GuYt-hcV0Summary: Researchers found that renters with longer travel times to court are more likely to receive judgments in favor of their landlord, often leading to eviction.Abstract: he idea of losing your home is scary. If a renter struggles to pay their landlord, the landlord may start the legal process of eviction. The renter has the opportunity to present their case in court, but they typically must show up in person and on time. And if they don’t? In some places, the landlord will receive a default judgment. This allows them to move forward with the eviction. We wondered about renters traveling to the courthouse using public transportation. Does their travel time affect their probability of receiving a default judgment? We studied 200,000 eviction cases across fifteen years in Philadelphia, PA. We found that renters with longer travel times to the courthouse are more likely to receive a default judgment in favor of their landlord. But this effect was not present during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because renters could attend their court hearing virtually, via video call. Our findings show that the location and accessibility of a courthouse can affect the outcomes of individual cases. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-nanoparticles-help-coral-reefs/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/sVOTF1mBi-0Summary: Scientists made tiny nanoparticles to help prevent bleaching and keep coral reefs healthy.Abstract: Did you know that coral reefs are like incredible underwater cities built by corals? They protect coastlines and provide homes for many marine species, including tiny algae that live inside the coral. These algae have a special deal with the coral – they share nutrients and give the coral its colorful beauty. But there's trouble! Rising ocean temperatures from climate change stress the corals. This makes coral lose their colorful algae partners in a process called coral bleaching. It's bad news for both the corals and the reefs.We made a drug for the algae to help fight the harmful effects of stress. The algae are small, so we made ceria nanoparticles that the algae can easily absorb. This protected the algae from harm, even when seawater temperatures were warm! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-super-recognizers-help-police-investigations/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/W_aMwbbMWpQSummary: Researchers used real police materials to test the abilities of super-recognizers to identify criminals.Abstract: Did you know that some people are really good at remembering and matching faces? They are called super-recognizers. Police want to use super-recognizers to help with their cases. They could sort through camera recordings of crimes and identify criminals. But their abilities have never been tested using real police material.First we used tests to identify super-recognizers. Then we used real police material to see if super-recognizers could identify criminals. We found that the tests could indeed identify super-recognizers. Super-recognizers did a good job at finding criminals. Much better than regular people! We can use this information to help solve crimes and keep people safe. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-do-some-fungi-turn-insects-into-zombies/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/lL24Va5Py1oSummary: Scientists wanted to explore the mechanisms behind host behavior manipulation by zombie-making fungi.Abstract: Did you know that certain fungi can turn insects into zombies, just like in the movies? These "zombie-making" fungi control the insects’ behavior and make their hosts do strange things like walking a long way, climbing tall plants, and hanging onto high surfaces. This is so the fungi can make their infectious spores spread further. There are many types of zombie-making fungi, and most have evolved independently. Yet they change the insects’ behavior in a similar way. How do they do this and why is it so common? We reviewed previous studies on zombie-making fungi to search for an answer. These fungi use both mechanical and chemical processes to control their hosts. And while the changed behavior is very similar, the ways they achieve it vary greatly among the different species of zombie-making fungi. Each one has its own unique way of manipulating insects to change the same behaviors! We believe these same behaviors are changed by all these different fungal species because these manipulations are the best way to infect as many other hosts as possible. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-well-can-a-computer-think/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/Y96gVN_1vX0Summary: Researchers treated a computer program called GPT-3 like a participant in a psychology experiment to learn about how it “thinks”.Abstract: What do chatbots, voice assistants, and predictive text have in common? They all use computer programs called language models. Large language models are new kinds of models that can only be built using supercomputers. They work so well that it can be hard to tell if something was written by a person or by a computer! We wanted to understand how a large language model called GPT-3 worked. But we wanted to know more than whether GPT-3 could answer questions correctly. We wanted to know how and why. We treated GPT-3 like a participant in a psychology experiment. Our results showed that GPT-3 gets a lot of questions right. But we also learned that GPT-3 gets confused very easily. And it doesn’t search for new information as well as people do. Knowing how and why large language models come up with wrong answers helps us figure out how to make even better versions in the future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-made-woolly-mammoths-ice-age-icons/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/foonz9c2Ep0Summary: Scientists compared the genomes of extinct woolly mammoths to modern-day elephants to find out what made mammoths unique.Abstract: What does it take to survive an ice age? Woolly mammoths are extinct today, but they thrived during the Late Pleistocene era. But what genetic adaptations separate woolly mammoths from their modern-day elephant relatives? To discover this, we analyzed the genomes of 23 woolly mammoths. This included one of the oldest woolly mammoth specimens ever discovered – 700,000 years old! We compared these to the genomes of living Asian and African elephants and looked for unique mutations in woolly mammoth genes. We found that woolly mammoths had changes in genes linked to hair growth and fat storage. These may have helped the woolly mammoth survive in its cold environment. The earliest woolly mammoths already had thick fur coats and large fat deposits. But these and other traits, like small ears, continued to evolve over time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-do-viruses-trick-their-hosts-into-feeding-them/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/NP9ugojMj8MSummary: Researchers have discovered a new viral strategy that tricks their host organism into delivering glucose energy directly to the virus.Abstract: Scientists estimate that mammals can be infected with more than 300 thousand virus species! All organisms need energy, but simple microorganisms like viruses cannot produce their own energy. Instead, viruses survive by redirecting energy from a host organism to their own benefit. Normally, viruses survive by infecting cells and forcing them to produce more viruses. However, we have discovered a new class of viruses that redirect energy in a unique and fascinating way! These viruses are able to trick their host organism by producing their own version of insulin, called “viral insulin”. This viral insulin is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing because the host organism cannot tell the difference between its own insulin and the viral insulin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/when-and-where-did-humans-domesticate-wolves/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/uPLeMmMEBeESummary: Researchers analyzed the DNA of ancient wolves to uncover the ancestry of dogs and determine when and where wolf domestication occurred.Abstract: Scientists recently discovered an 18,000-year-old preserved canine puppy. Could this incredible discovery be the earliest dog ever uncovered? And could he help us understand more about the origins of dogs and wolves?We studied 70 ancient wolf specimens and found some possible answers. Dogs appear to have come from two separate ancient wolf populations. We believe that there are two possibilities for how this could have happened. By analyzing the DNA of ancient wolves, we can better understand wolves and dogs who live today! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-does-hummingbird-coloration-tell-us-about-competition/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/CfnDYnMacnISummary: Researchers examined mimicry of socially dominant males by female hummingbirds.Abstract: Have you ever wondered why animals of the same species look different from each other? Think of the impressive tail and call of a rooster compared to the duller hens. Well, usually there’s a reason those differences have evolved. We examined white-necked jacobins to learn more about their coloration. Some of the females of this hummingbird species have a fancy coloration pattern like the males do. The males of this species are aggressive and socially dominant. Other birds think the fancy females are males and leave them alone to feed. We wanted to know if the fancy females just look fancy or if they are actually better competitors.We found that fancy females are mimicking male coloration patterns. Otherwise they are more like other female jacobins. This is the first time we’ve seen females mimicking males to get the advantages of a socially dominant form. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/why-are-flights-getting-bumpier/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/PyKzTYndrYYSummary: Researchers wanted to find out how turbulence affecting planes has changed over the last 40 years.Abstract: Have you ever ridden on an airplane? If so, was there a moment when it suddenly started to shake? That unpleasant and sometimes scary shaking is called turbulence. If there is no storm, or even clouds, it can seem to come out of nowhere!We wanted to find out whether clear-air turbulence has increased over the past 40 years. We analyzed data from 1979 to 2020 and found a big increase over the midlatitudes. The skies that most planes fly through are bumpier now than four decades ago. In fact, over the North Atlantic, severe turbulence increased by 55%. Our findings are important because they show that we are already seeing the impacts of climate change in unexpected ways. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-is-heart-disease-different-for-women-and-men/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/y1KdGp670BwSummary: Scientists looked at over 87,000 patients to find out if male and female bodies respond differently to heart disease.Abstract: Did you know that your sex can change the way your body responds to disease? We wanted to know how the female body responds to serious heart problems. To do this, we looked through previous studies on heart disease. We tracked how many people died in the 30 days after we knew their heart wasn’t working well. Did female patients die more than male patients? Unfortunately, we found that they did. We think this could be because a higher percentage of female patients had the most serious condition, heart failure, after a heart attack. Heart failure means your heart isn’t pumping enough blood. However, we don’t understand exactly why there’s a difference between the sexes. If we can work this out, then doctors may be able to provide better treatment for their patients. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/why-is-it-so-hard-to-bring-back-extinct-species/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/VlMtsewvcQsSummary: Researchers compared DNA from living and extinct species to explore the limits of de-extinction projects.Abstract: De-extinction is the science of bringing back extinct species. But it’s very challenging. Scientists are testing out lots of different ideas. One promising idea is to use genetic engineering to piece together the DNA of an extinct species. We analyzed old, fragmented DNA of the Christmas Island rat, which went extinct about 100 years ago. For an extinct species, the only option is to use the genome of a similar, living species as a reference. By comparing DNA fragments to the reference, you can put the pieces in the right order. We used brown rats as a reference. Unfortunately, we found that some of the genes of the extinct species can’t be recovered. This means that an animal brought back by genetic engineering wouldn’t be an exact copy of the extinct species. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-kinds-of-foods-did-neanderthals-eat/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/DI73HcaKZHYSummary: Scientists found clues about Neanderthal eating habits hidden in a tooth found in a mountain cave.Abstract: Have you ever wondered what people in the Stone Age had for dinner? Food back then was very different from today! People gathered wild foods and hunted animals to eat. Scientists want to know what people ate long ago because it helps explain how people survived in difficult conditions. In the Stone Age, Neanderthals and modern humans (our species!) both lived in Europe. We don’t know why Neanderthals went extinct and why modern humans survived. Learning about what Neanderthals ate can help us answer this question. We tested a new method where we measured isotope ratios in tooth enamel. We learned that meat was a big part of Neanderthals’ diet! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-tardigrades-survive-without-water/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/4TacrV1zxegSummary: Researchers studied how different tardigrade species survive difficult conditions.Abstract: Tardigrades (also called water bears) are tiny, eight-legged animals that live all over Earth. They need water to be active, but have an amazing ability to survive long times without water. Tardigrades can even survive being in space! They survive by drying out into a hard little lump called a tun. We wanted to know how different species of tardigrades handle drying out. We found that some tardigrade species recover from their tun stage faster than others. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-can-we-learn-about-dinosaur-skin-using-a-laser/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/XnEJihYBR6ESummary: Scientists used a new laser method to analyze a dinosaur fossil to learn more about its skin.Abstract: Have you ever wondered how we know what dinosaurs looked like millions of years ago? We analyze fossils! When you think about dinosaur fossils, you might think about bones and footprints. But sometimes fossils contain pieces of skin. One example is the Psittacosaurus fossil located in a German museum. Many scientists examined the scaly skin of this specimen. We then re-examined this fossil using a technique called laser-stimulated fluorescence. This technique helped us gather information that was not visible under normal light. We found that the shape and size of the scales of the Psittacosaurus are not the same everywhere. We also learned that there are patterns in the scales. These patterns are unique to the family of dinosaurs to which the Psittacosaurus belongs. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-we-protect-valuable-marine-habitats-for-fisheries/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/SJ2uS368HL4Summary: Researchers determined the habitat value for fisheries in Jersey and France to help develop sustainable management plans in the future.Abstract: Have you ever wondered where the fish you eat comes from? Many fisheries all over the world are declining and need protection. But it is hard. Fishery species don’t stay in one place. In fact, many fishery species use many habitats over their lifetime. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can help protect marine ecosystems and fisheries. They can restrict fishing or ban harmful fishing equipment.We wanted to understand the role that MPAs and different habitats have in supporting fisheries. So we looked at data from fisheries in Jersey and France. We found that subtidal sediments were the most valuable habitats. Yet they were the least protected by MPAs. We also found that different species were protected to varying degrees depending on the habitats they relied on. It will be important to consider species habitat use when designing management plans for fisheries in the future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-offshore-mussel-farms-help-to-repair-the-ocean/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/rvDeDogDogYSummary: Scientists observed how installing a mussel farm in the ocean changes the undersea habitat.Abstract: Lots of people around the world love eating seafood! Unfortunately, some fishing practices harm seafloor habitats. Is there a way to enjoy resources from the ocean and help the environment at the same time? Mussels are a kind of shellfish that can be farmed at sea and collected for food. They grow in clumps, which may attract other animals looking for food and shelter. We wondered if building an offshore mussel farm could help restore ocean habitats damaged by years of harmful fishing practices. We used underwater videos to investigate how the number and type of animals found inside and outside a mussel farm changed over four years. We found that the areas inside the farm contained more mussels than areas outside. There were also more fish and seafood (such as lobster and crab) inside the farm than outside. Our findings show that offshore mussel farms may revitalize damaged ocean habitats. They also benefit humans and other marine animals. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-being-sick-with-covid-19-in-the-past-protect-you-in-the-future/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/k0fXnPD6SD8Summary: Researchers wanted to know how well a past COVID-19 infection protects people against reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 different variants.Abstract: Did you have COVID-19? Maybe you are better protected than you think! COVID-19 has changed a lot during the past three years. This makes it harder to fight. To try to stop the virus from spreading, scientists created vaccines. And many people got vaccinated! But some people who had COVID-19 might not need a vaccine because they are already protected. We wanted to know if this is true. We looked at 65 studies and found out that a past infection offers good protection. This is especially true for older variants of the virus. The protection against the newest variant, Omicron, is weaker. It also declines faster with time. But the good news is that a past infection will still protect you from getting really sick! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-do-estuaries-improve-water-quality/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/DwugXqp1BzUSummary: Scientists wanted to know how a restored estuary works throughout the year.Abstract: Estuaries are very special. They act like a natural filter that helps clean the water before it enters the ocean. But we don’t fully understand how this works and how the processes change throughout the year. So, for a whole year we took samples from various sites along the Western Scheldt estuary. It’s a restored estuary that used to be very polluted. The samples were taken from freshwater, marine water, and brackish water. We analyzed them for several nutrients. We wanted to check how the concentration of nutrients changes in different seasons. Thankfully, our results show that the Western Scheldt estuary is healthy! We discovered that each section of water works differently as a filter. We also found out that temperature is a very important factor in how they work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-can-we-learn-from-carbon-on-mars/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/_GdN7QtBoIcSummary: Researchers used the Curiosity Rover to determine the origins of carbon on the surface of Mars.Abstract: Mars is currently dry and cold and doesn’t have much of an atmosphere, but what was it like in the past? Did Mars ever have a climate or environment that could support life? Luckily, we have rovers on Mars that can help us investigate!We used the Curiosity Rover on Mars to sample the planet's surface where there might have been a lake long ago. We looked at the carbon in our sample to see how much there was and where it came from. This could give us clues about what the environment was like and if there used to be organisms living in the area. Our data suggest that there is more carbon on Mars than we had expected. Most of the carbon came from meteorites and volcanic rock. We can’t rule out that it came from living things, but we need a lot more information to help us figure it out. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-we-track-life-in-the-ocean/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/fcDYmzxjtb4Abstract: Have you ever tried to count all the different species in a pond? It’s very hard, especially when you try to find all the tiny animals hiding among the weeds. Now, imagine if you wanted to count all the species in the sea! Scientists struggle to monitor life in the ocean because it is so vast and deep. Yet, we need to know exactly what’s down there in order to protect it.We wanted to use the bits of DNA that organisms leave behind in their environment to work out which species were present. This is called environmental DNA (eDNA). We looked at interactions between different life forms in Monterey Bay, California. We also looked at how they responded to seasonal and environmental change.We found that different species were present throughout the year. Warmer waters changed what was there. We also found that certain species (such as humpback whales) can be especially useful for telling us about the environment. Environmental DNA proved to be an exciting new method for tracking and protecting life in the ocean! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-leopard-seals-survive-climate-change/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/4_xacxdeqSUSummary: Researchers studied variability in the traits and behaviors of leopard seals to assess how well they may adjust to climate change.Abstract: Have you ever been by yourself and needed to get something off a high shelf, but couldn’t reach? Now imagine you had your whole class with you. It’s likely that someone in your class could reach the high shelf. Variability in traits (and behaviors) is a good thing. It means that groups of organisms can adjust and survive when environments change. We know that animals living at the North and South Poles, especially large predators, are in danger because of the changing climate. We wanted to look at variability in the traits and behaviors of polar predators to assess how they will adapt to climate change. We tagged and studied a population of leopard seals in Antarctica. We looked at their morphology, movement patterns, and diving behavior. We found lots of variability in these traits in the leopard seal population, especially between males and females. We think this high variability may help leopard seals survive better in the changing Antarctic environment. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/can-armadillos-show-us-how-to-regrow-a-liver/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/8ubRTNLrvL4Summary: Researchers find that leprosy infection causes armadillo livers to grow, offering clues to organ regeneration.Abstract: What if we could make our body’s old or sick cells act young again? Surprisingly, the bacteria that cause leprosy may show us how. Previously, we discovered that infecting cells with leprosy bacteria in a laboratory dish “reprogrammed” the cells back to an immature state. The cells may then be able to produce many different types of cells in the body – and maybe even regenerate an organ. To test this in an actual animal, we infected nine-banded armadillos with leprosy bacteria. We compared their livers to the livers of uninfected armadillos. The livers of armadillos infected with leprosy were larger than those of uninfected armadillos. Importantly, these larger livers were healthy, with no signs of damage. We performed genetic analyses on the liver cells to determine which genes were active. Our results show that leprosy infection “reprograms” adult liver cells to make them resemble immature liver cells.Maybe someday we can adapt this natural process to regrow aging and damaged livers in humans. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-do-glassfrogs-become-transparent/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/2EoQLNFYkfoSummary: Researchers discovered how glassfrogs avoid detection by predators by storing their red blood cells in their livers.Abstract: Glassfrogs earned their name not because they are fragile, but because they are see-through! These tropical frogs have transparent skin and muscles. When sleeping on green leaves, their bodies are almost impossible to see. This form of camouflage is rare. Most animals have colorful red blood cells that would be visible under transparent skin and give them away to predators. We used a special scanner to figure out how glassfrogs overcome this challenge. We discovered that these frogs are more transparent when they sleep than when they are active. They do this by hiding most of their red blood cells in their livers during sleep! This makes them nearly transparent to predators. Our results help explain how glassfrogs can manage this unusual kind of camouflage. This finding may also help doctors treat medical conditions in humans. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com