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Cosmo and I found out why our tallest animal friends have long, dark tongues—and what melanin does for humans, too. Thanks to Cynthia Cooper, who studies animal pigments at WSU Vancouver.

• Find out more about how DNA works with Amoeba Sisters
• Read my answer about how sunscreen works
• Investigate human skin color with PBS
• Check out prehensile tongues with Cleveland Zoo
• Learn about Cynthia Cooper's zebrafish lab

Sound effects courtesy Pixabay

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.

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Cosmo and I learn about all kinds of life cycles: holometabolous (big change), hemimetabolous (small change), and ametabolous (no change). 

• Check out how a caterpillar makes the big change with Deep Look
• And then watch some aphids
• Peep inside a cocoon with Insider Science
• Learn more about the history of insect wings, thanks to PBS Eons

Sound effects: Pixabay

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.

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Today I'm talking with Julie Ménard, a planetary scientist at Washington State University. She told me about the terrestrial planets in our solar system, how we're about to visit Mars—and could even set up a station there someday, and the possibility of life in our solar system and beyond.

• See what NASA says about sending humans to mars
• Learn more about NASA's Gateway, the first space station around the moon
• Check out the planets in our solar system
• Find out how we're searching for life on other planets

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.

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Cosmo and I learn about shots—and new technology our friend WSU's Roland Chen is working on to make painless vaccines.

• Learn more about microarray patches 
• Find out how vaccines work with the Amoeba Sisters and why we get vaccines with SciShow Kids
• Check out how other vaccine technology gets rolled out, from Ted-Ed

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.

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Today Cosmo and I learned all about dog paws from our friend, WSU veterinarian Dr. Natasha Hottmann. 

• Learn more about being a veterinarian with Nat Geo Kids
• Find out how to check your dog's paws
• Can dogs communicate? Find out what PBS NewsHour thinks

Sound effects courtesy Zapsplat and Pixabay

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.

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Cosmo and I learn how cell phones send texts, images and calls from phone to phone—thanks to our friend, electrical engineer Ben Belzer. 

Resources you can use:

• Learn more about binary code with Crash Course
• Check out this binary code character table to make your own messages
• Get more info about pixels from NSU Florida library

Sound effects courtesy Zapsplat and Pixabay

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.

Send us Fan Mail

Love veggies? Me, too. And so does my friend Tim Waters, regional vegetable specialist at WSU Extension.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• What Extension is
• What it was like for Extension agents back in 1918
• How he solves problems—from insect ID to veggie pathogens to lightning strikes in fields
• One cool journey from community college all the way to a PhD

Resources you can use:

• Check out WSU Extension yourself (or look up Extension near you)
• Learn more about WSU research farms
• Find out how to a start a veggie garden yourself
• See some Prionid beetles and giant water bugs
• Even more giant water bugs! You won't believe how these guys breathe underwater and care for their eggs in this PBS Deep Look video

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.

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Today Cosmo and I learn about turtles and how they grow their amazing shells —all thanks to my friend, Ryan Wagner, wildlife biologist at Washington State University (and former turtle pedicurist). 

Art and science go hand and hand. Check out Ryan Wagner's website to see his incredible photos 📸🐢

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.

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Dooooo-doo, Dooooo-doo. 🦈 Today Cosmo and I learn about sharks and their rad digestive systems—all thanks to my friend, Dr. Nora Hickey, fish veterinarian at Washington State University. 

Want to learn more about fish? Check out Dr. Hickey's Fishkeep & Chill website 🦈

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.

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In this episode, I learn all about wildlife biology from my friend, Ryan Wagner. He told me about clipping turtle toenails and bathing froglets—all for science. And he recounted his recent adventure backpacking frogs into a national forest to return them to their former home. If you love amphibians and reptiles or conservation biology, this one's for you.

Hear about:

• stressed out turtles and their toenails
• chytrid fungus and frogs
• scientists helping Cascade frogs survive climate change
• how art makes science even better

Resources you can use:

• Want to see Ryan Wagner's wildlife photos or read his stories about science? Check out his portfolio
• Learn more about Cascades frogs in the PNW and why climate change is bad for them
• Get your amphibian fix with Nat Geo

 As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu.  Who knows where your questions will take us next.