Read this article at https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/what-can-graves-tell-us-about-gender-identity/ or watch https://youtu.be/gffDr7lrVDM

Summary: Archaeologists wanted to find out who a person buried in an early medieval grave with jewelry and swords really was.

Abstract: How do we find out about people who lived hundreds and even thousands of years ago? Often we look at their graves. What were they buried with? What does this tell us about who they were? An early medieval grave in Finland has been puzzling archaeologists for a while. The person was buried with a sword, but also jewelry and other objects thought of as feminine. So, for a long time we’ve thought that it could be the grave of a powerful woman – a woman with a sword! This is surprising because usually swords are associated with men. But it’s not so straightforward. We wanted to find out who the person really was. We looked carefully at what they were buried with, and worked out their biological sex using ancient DNA. The results made us think that maybe medieval society had different ideas about sex and gender than what we thought.

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #archaeology #genderidentity #biologicalsex #genderspectrum #nonbinary #klinefeltersyndrome #medievalgraves

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-we-find-a-planet-in-another-galaxy/ or watch at https://youtu.be/6DRg7ffqTlE

Summary: Scientists found evidence for the first possible planet ever to be detected in another galaxy.

Abstract: Have you ever looked up at the sky on a dark, clear night and wondered about all those beautiful, shining stars above you? How many are there? What would they look like if we were able to see them up close? Is there another form of life somewhere out there, also looking at the night sky and asking the same questions? We were once children too, standing outside on a cold night, marveling at the sky and all the secrets out there still left to uncover. And now, we are the first scientists to discover a planet that is not in our solar system, not even in the Milky Way – but in another galaxy!

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #space #exoplanets #extroplants #spectroscopy #telescopes #galaxy

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-predict-bone-loss-in-astronauts/ or watch at https://youtu.be/37ZW_4dpHRY

Summary: Researchers wanted to assess and predict bone loss in astronauts caused by spaceflight.

Abstract: Have you ever dreamed of being an astronaut? Exploring outer space sounds exciting, and astronauts get to do that. However, going into space can lead to health problems. The lack of gravity has a negative impact on bones, called bone loss. Astronauts try to compensate for bone loss with a lot of exercise – both in space and on Earth. But even exercising doesn’t prevent bone loss in some cases. We wanted to find out what factors affect bone loss. We also wanted to find a way to predict bone loss in astronauts before spaceflight. We analyzed the leg and arm bones of 17 astronauts before and after a space mission. We also looked for markers of bone change in their blood and urine. We found out that bone loss happens quickly in space. The longer the space mission, the bigger the problem. More exercise before spaceflight predicted greater bone loss! Elevated markers of bone metabolism before flight also predicted greater bone loss.

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #space #boneloss #spaceexercise #astronauts #gravityimpacts

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-could-baby-dinosaurs-live-in-the-arctic/ or watch https://youtu.be/BSkF9hCegUU

Summary: Scientists wanted to find out whether dinosaurs could have lived year round and nested in the Arctic.

Abstract: Scientists never thought that dinosaurs lived in the Arctic and Antarctic. But they were wrong! In the 1960s we started discovering dinosaur remains in these harsh environments. Scientists wondered whether dinosaurs lived there year round. Could they have survived the freezing, dark winter? If they did, then dinosaurs must have laid eggs and babies must have been hatched there. So, we went digging for evidence of dinosaur reproduction in the Arctic. We went to northern Alaska to study rocks in the Prince Creek Formation. We searched through the sediment looking for tiny dinosaur bones and teeth. We found evidence of very young dinosaurs in the Arctic and even baby bones and teeth from the time before they hatched. And not one dinosaur species, but seven! Both large and small species of dinosaurs lived there all year. These dinosaurs must have been well-adapted to life there. It is possible they hibernated or fasted to survive the harsh winter.

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #dinosaur #paleontology #arctic #teeth

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-food-you-eat-affect-your-growth-and-development/ or watch at https://youtu.be/xWD4Yvvciug

Summary: Researchers conducted a study review to see how nutrition impacts the growth and development of different body systems in adolescents.

Abstract: Hungry? Should you eat an apple or potato chips? Does it really matter? It turns out that what you eat as a child and adolescent affects your growth and development. It can also affect your health as an adult! We wanted to understand the link between nutrition and adolescent growth. We did a review of different scientific studies to see what is currently known about this. We found that not eating enough food, eating the wrong foods, and eating too much food all affect the body’s systems. But the effects are different in each case. We also learned that the negative effects of poor nutrition aren’t permanent if they’re corrected at the right time.

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #nutrition #bodysystems #teens #adolescents #malnutrition #healthykidsfood #teenagenutrition #healthyfood

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-computers-help-us-recycle-more-plastic/ or watch at https://youtu.be/7zw_RtUXemk

Summary: Researchers wanted to find a way to improve plastic recycling using a computer program.

Abstract: Plastic pollution is a big environmental challenge facing us today. We use a huge amount of plastic in our daily lives but recycle very little. In fact, the average person living in North America consumes around 230lbs (104kg) of plastic each year! When a problem is this big, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. But if everybody makes small changes, it soon adds up to something big! Recycling old plastic helps to reduce the amount of new plastic we make. However, it is difficult to identify and separate all the different types of plastic by simply looking at them. We wanted to find a solution to this. Our study shows that computers with cameras can learn to recognize 12 types of plastic. They can then use this knowledge to identify plastics as they move along a conveyor belt. Our findings could revolutionize plastic recycling and bring us one step closer to solving the global plastic challenge.

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #recycle #plasticpollution #spectroscopy #machinelearning #plasticidentification

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-do-bees-use-social-distancing/ or watch at https://youtu.be/wR2IxmGpqiM

Summary: Scientists observed how honey bee behavior changes when the colony is infected with Varroa destructor mites.

Abstract: Honey bees are important insects in many of the ecosystems around us. However, they are constantly exposed to many threats. They are particularly vulnerable to disease and parasites because they live in colonies. Once a member of the colony gets infected, it is very easy for the disease to spread. This is why honey bees have some specific behaviors to help them fight infections. In this study we wanted to see how honey bee behavior changes when Varroa destructor mites come into the colony. We found that in infected colonies there was more social distancing between different types of bees. We also discovered that the infection led to higher interactions between bees of the same type. We think this helps bees fight the spread of the parasite.

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #pollinators #honeybee #parasites #socialbehavior #socialimmunity

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-store-carbon-dioxide-from-the-atmosphere-in-minerals/ or watch at https://youtu.be/ug4P3zWz4VI

Summary: Researchers created a process that transforms carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into minerals that can be collected.

Abstract Did you know that the sea level is rising and that weather patterns are changing worldwide? Because of human activities, there is extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. That's why the Earth has gotten warmer. What can we do about it? We can take the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it. Current technologies transform it into a liquid and pump it back into the ground. Unfortunately, this way of doing things can be expensive and difficult to manage. That’s why we created a different method of collecting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Our process uses the natural ability of ocean water to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Then it forms minerals that we can store or use. Our observations proved that our process successfully removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Our analysis also showed that our method is more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than current technologies.

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #carboncapture #climatechange #solutions #carbonsequestration #electrolysischemistry

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-we-grow-safe-and-nutritious-food-in-space/ watch at https://youtu.be/967MLizvv6s

Summary: Researchers investigated the nutrient content and microbial safety of lettuce grown on the International Space Station.

Abstract: Have your parents ever told you to eat your vegetables because they’re “good for you”? Well, vegetables have a lot of nutrients in them that are essential to a balanced diet. While you might get these foods at the store, astronauts rely on processed meals. We wanted to find out if there was a way to grow safe and nutritious salad crops on the International Space Station (ISS) to help supplement their diets. We used a growth chamber called Veggie to grow crops of red romaine lettuce over three different years. We found that our lettuce was safe to eat, although the nutrient content of our lettuce varied slightly each year. For future long-duration space missions, it will be important to make sure that astronauts can create the same growing conditions for every crop of salad.

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #ISS #Astronauts #nutrition #spacemissions #spacefood #vitamins

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-do-some-women-deny-gender-discrimination/ or watch at https://youtu.be/WE9siPUjqLo

Summary: Scientists wanted to find out why some women deny that gender discrimination exists, even though it negatively affects them.

Abstract: Women face discrimination across the world. They have fewer rights and opportunities (like education) than men, all because of their gender. And the COVID-19 pandemic has made this worse. But despite this, many people (including women) deny that gender discrimination exists. Even people who have experienced it personally! We wanted to find out why this is. We thought that perhaps it’s because denying discrimination makes the world seem fairer. This makes women happier. We carried out three studies, involving 20,000 participants from 23 countries altogether. We tested the hypothesis that denial of gender discrimination is related to better well-being in women. We found this to be true across the United States and worldwide. In fact, in countries where gender discrimination is worse, women were even more likely to deny it! Denial of discrimination helps women to cope, but it makes gender inequality worse.

About us: Science Journal for Kids is a non-profit organization that “translates” academic papers into easy-to-understand science articles for school students. Why? Because children have the right to know about the latest scientific discoveries.

#science #article #teach #STEM #students #readaloud #gender #discrimination #equality #happiness

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