SJK Audio Edition

Read this article at:   or watch at: https://youtu.be/JKoJhxkvFYQSummary: Scientists wanted to find out how sea snails were adapting to new habitats in colder waters.Abstract: If you lived in sunny California, would you want to move north? Well, some sea snails are doing exactly that! We were curious about Kellet’s whelks, a type of sea snail. They usually live in the warm waters of Southern California and Mexico. Now, we’re finding them further north in colder water! We collected Kellet’s whelks from the California coast – some from the south and some from the north. We kept them in separate tanks with identical conditions. Then we compared the DNA of their babies.The northern snails had 2,770 genes that were working differently. These differences were so clear that we could tell if a baby snail’s parents came from the south or north just by looking at its DNA. We also found that the northern snails’ genes show some changes that help them survive in the colder water up north! Our findings are helping scientists understand how ocean animals are adapting to a changing climate.You are one of half a million educators in the U.S. who use our articles and videos in class. All our content is FREE, no paywalls, no need to subscribe. But recent federal cuts have made it hard for us to win grants to fund our mission. We are a small non-profit, and without support, we may not make it.If you enjoy our content, please consider donating - https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/support-us.html 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-good-ways-to-track-melting-glaciers/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/BUo2SaeYdKoSummary: Researchers combined datasets to more accurately measure changes in glacier melt around the world.Abstract: Have you ever watched an ice cube melt on a hot day? Well, that’s happening to glaciers all over the world. Glaciers have important impacts on water resources, runoff, and sea level rise. Keeping track of how glaciers change is important to predict and plan for these downstream impacts. We wanted to create a more recent record of how glaciers have changed from 2000 to 2023. So we compared and combined data about glaciers collected using different methods. We found that glaciers worldwide lost about 5% of their mass in this period. In different regions glaciers lost between 2% and 39% of their mass. We saw slight differences between data collection methods that could add up over time. We expect glacier loss to continue, which will lead to some regions losing their glaciers by 2100. It’s important to use the most accurate and up-to-date information to make predictions about glacier loss in the future. You are one of half a million educators in the U.S. who use our articles and videos in class. All our content is FREE, no paywalls, no need to subscribe. But recent federal cuts have made it hard for us to win grants to fund our mission. We are a small non-profit, and without support, we may not make it.If you enjoy our content, please consider donating - https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/support-us.html 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-bird-flu-making-cows-sick/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/Hf7bk_O6LIASummary: Scientists tracked how the bird flu virus spread from birds to dairy cows and other animals.Abstract: Did you know bird flu can affect animals other than birds? Bird flu usually affects wild birds like geese and farm birds like chickens. But sometimes it can “jump” to other animals. This includes cats, cows, and even humans. We wanted to understand this process better.When cows started getting sick from bird flu and stopped producing milk, we examined how this happened. We looked at the amount of virus and where it was present in the cows. We sampled their milk and several other tissues. We found that the virus mainly infected the mammary glands, which produce milk. We studied the genetic changes in the virus’ genetic code. This helped us better understand how it spreads. We discovered that the bird flu virus moved between cows and from cows to other animals in the farms easily. We also learned that the virus moved between farms. It is important to track outbreaks and reduce activities that could spread the bird flu virus. This can help us prevent more animals and humans from getting sick.You are one of half a million educators in the U.S. who use our articles and videos in class. All our content is FREE, no paywalls, no need to subscribe. But recent federal cuts have made it hard for us to win grants to fund our mission. We are a small non-profit, and without support, we may not make it.If you enjoy our content, please consider donating - https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/support-us.html 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-climate-change-affect-mental-health/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/Pr2AJ_6sm2ISummary: Researchers develop a way to determine the level of climate change anxiety a person experiences.Abstract: Did you know that climate change affects people’s mental health? Some people experience climate change anxiety. They have extreme worries and fears about the future because of climate change. We wanted to describe the levels of climate change anxiety that people experience more clearly. We used a survey called the Climate Change Anxiety Scale. We also used a survey about stress, anxiety, and depression. We used the results to determine cut-off scores. We found that a total score of 21 means a person has mild to moderate climate change anxiety symptoms. A total score of 23 means a person has severe climate change anxiety symptoms. We also found that many young people have climate change anxiety. Measuring climate change anxiety can help health care professionals provide support. It can also help governments make policies to reduce climate change. These policies should improve people’s mental health.You are one of half a million educators in the U.S. who use our articles and videos in class. All our content is FREE, no paywalls, no need to subscribe. But recent federal cuts have made it hard for us to win grants to fund our mission. We are a small non-profit, and without support, we may not make it.If you enjoy our content, please consider donating - https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/support-us.html 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-lizards-find-food-to-eat/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/WzUBIZ_qGjESummary: Scientists watched lizards navigate a maze to learn more about how lizards use their senses to find food.Abstract: What is your hide-and-seek strategy? Maybe you search one area at a time, look for signs of movement, or even listen to see if you can hear your friends. Wild animals use lots of different strategies when they search for food. Guatemalan beaded lizards come from a desert valley surrounded by rugged mountains. They like to eat bird and lizard eggs, as well as insects, baby birds and small mammals. These can be hard to find! We wanted to know what strategies these lizards use when they are hunting for their next meal. We designed a maze experiment to help us figure it out. We placed food in a maze and watched how the lizards navigated the maze. We found that they were good at remembering where they’d already looked. They did best when there was a scent trail for them to follow. They did not do as well when they had to detect airborne scent from a distance. These experiments help us know more about the strategies these lizards use in the wild!You are one of half a million educators in the U.S. who use our articles and videos in class. All our content is FREE, no paywalls, no need to subscribe. But recent federal cuts have made it hard for us to win grants to fund our mission. We are a small non-profit, and without support, we may not make it.If you enjoy our content, please consider donating - https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/support-us.html 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-egyptian-mummies-smell-like/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/whGBDdaNJS8Summary: Researchers smelled ancient Egyptian mummified bodies to learn more about mummification materials, decomposition, and preservation practices.Abstract: There are lots of things to see in museums. Some museums even have things you can touch or hear. But not many museums have things you can smell. Smells from museum artifacts can provide a lot of information. They can tell us what artifacts are made of, how they are preserved, and what condition they are in. We wanted to know what ancient Egyptian mummified bodies smelled like. We analyzed air samples from nine ancient Egyptian mummified bodies. We used trained volunteers and chemical analyses to identify smells. We found that mummified bodies smell “woody”, “spicy”, and “sweet”. Smells were more intense for mummified bodies in display cases. We also saw similarities between mummified bodies from the Late Period (664–332 BCE). We can use this technique to help us conserve and preserve museum artifacts in the future.You are one of half a million educators in the U.S. who use our articles and videos in class. All our content is FREE, no paywalls, no need to subscribe. But recent federal cuts have made it hard for us to win grants to fund our mission. We are a small non-profit, and without support, we may not make it.If you enjoy our content, please consider donating - https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/support-us.html 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-rats-help-fight-tuberculosis/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/aQSq5wYeH_4Summary: Researchers compared the ability of African giant pouched rats to identify tuberculosis in adults and children to standard microscope smear tests.Abstract: Can you imagine a rat sniffing out a disease? The African giant pouched rat can! Scientists trained these rats to identify if a person has tuberculosis (TB). TB is a bacterial disease that most commonly affects the lungs. It spreads easily and can be dangerous if untreated. When rats smell samples of mucus a person coughs up, they can smell if it has TB bacteria. We wanted to know if rats are better at identifying cases of TB compared to a standard microscope test. We also wanted to know if rats can better identify TB in children than in adults. We found that rats can identify TB in samples that the microscope test said were negative. We also learned that the rats are more likely to identify TB in children – even when they have low levels of bacteria. Using rats can help more people receive treatment for TB and reduce the spread. 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/do-some-dog-breeds-have-a-better-sense-of-smell/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/ydH_4wytXJYSummary: Researchers compared the smelling abilities of dogs across different breeds to see which types of dogs might make the best searchers.Abstract: Have you ever seen a search dog? What breed of dog was it? Search dogs are specially trained to detect explosives, drugs, or diseases. To be good at this job, search dogs must have a sharp sense of smell and the ability to cooperate with humans. Common breeds of search dogs include German and Belgian shepherds, Labradors, and border collies. But are these dogs better at smelling than other breeds? Or is it their training and cooperation that make them good at the job? We wanted to find out whether some dogs are naturally better at smelling than others. So we used a test called the Natural Detection Task to compare how well dogs can find food using their nose without any previous training. We tested all the dogs with the same setup. We then compared specific breed groups and different breeds. We found that some breeds were better at smelling than others. But dog breeds that humans have selectively bred for their ability to smell were not always the better performers. 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-climate-change-impact-satellites/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/lh3fpn3sIQ8Summary: Researchers used climate scenarios to estimate the future number of satellites that could safely fit in low Earth orbit. Abstract: There are a lot of satellites in low Earth orbit. We use them for things like communication and weather forecasting. Climate change is actually cooling this region of our atmosphere. This changes the density of air there. Changes in climate could impact these satellites. We wanted to know how much.We used a model to estimate air density changes in low Earth orbit in the future. Then we calculated how many satellites the region could safely hold. We did this for three climate change scenarios. We found that by 2100, climate change could reduce the number of satellites low Earth orbit can hold by 50–66%. This means we need to develop strategies to make low Earth orbit a more sustainable resource 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/why-is-a-sense-of-community-so-important-for-our-well-being/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/isK_krpNqkcSummary: Researchers wanted to explore how your way of thinking about time might explain the link between feeling like you belong to a group and your mental health.Abstract: Anxiety, depression, and stress are becoming more common. Psychologists want to understand why. We were curious to find out how feeling like you belong to a group improves mental health. We wondered if how you think about time (past, present, and future) affects this. We asked 352 people to complete surveys. We asked about their stress, anxiety, and depression. We also asked about belonging and how they thought about time. People who felt connected to a group had lower depression, stress, and anxiety. We also found that this relationship was affected by a person's thoughts about time. This supports good mental health! 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-octopuses-coordinate-their-arms/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/TaEPrsglDkoSummary: Researchers explored the nervous system of octopuses to understand how they coordinate eight arms and hundreds of suckers.Abstract: Have you ever tried patting your head and rubbing your stomach simultaneously? Coordinating two arms at the same time can be difficult. So imagine if you had eight arms, like an octopus! The nervous system helps animals coordinate their movements. It also helps them sense and respond to their environment. Each type of animal has a nervous system that is organized differently. We wanted to know how the octopus's nervous system is organized. To find out, we looked at the nerves inside octopuses’ arms. We found that the main nerve cord in each octopus arm has segments. These segments can communicate with each other. They are also linked to individual suckers. This helps octopuses make large, smooth movements, like swimming. It also helps octopuses make tiny targeted movements, like moving a single sucker. So, the layout of the nerves in the arms tells us how octopuses make such complex movements! 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-there-be-oxygen-in-the-deep-sea-without-light/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/T1KXbjH6TY8Summary: Researchers explored how oxygen could be produced in the deep sea.Abstract: Have you ever wondered what goes on at the bottom of the ocean? We do! During experiments near the seafloor, we detected oxygen production. It did not make sense. Photosynthesis produces oxygen. But there is no light in the deep sea for photosynthesis! We wanted to know where the oxygen was coming from.So, we went back to do more experiments. We tested multiple hypotheses. We thought that we might have accidentally added oxygen to our experiments. Or that there were organisms in our samples producing the oxygen. We only found one hypothesis with good support. Metallic rocks on the seafloor seem to have produced the oxygen. We need to know a lot more about this process before we can understand how it happens and its impact on the deep ocean community. 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-you-do-with-a-microscopic-robot/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/Vl9UUr90ch0Summary: Scientists built a microscopic robot that can interact with light in useful ways.Abstract: Can you imagine a robot so small that you can’t even see it without a microscope? No, it’s not science fiction! Microscopic robots, or microbots, are tiny machines that are about the same size as a red blood cell. That’s only a few millionths of a meter across, about a tenth of a hair's diameter. Making a robot this small is hard. Controlling a microbot is especially challenging!We developed a new type of microbot that can be controlled remotely using an electromagnet. The basic shape of the robot is simple. They have two sides and bend in the middle like an inchworm. They are covered in special, super tiny magnets. By adjusting a magnetic field, we can make microbots walk, swim, and fold themselves up like origami!  Their tiny size even lets them change how light bounces off a surface. We think these microbots have a lot of potential! 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-many-legs-does-it-take-to-escape-a-predator/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/5orR9Vr5BBMSummary: Researchers wanted to learn whether using two legs instead of four helps jumping rodents escape their predatorsAbstract: Why do animals have such different shapes and sizes? Many animals are hunted by predators. Prey animals have features that help them escape these predators. For example, some animals like frogs have two powerful back legs to jump away from predators. Other animals, like deer, have four legs that help them run away to safety. Some rodents use two legs, while many other rodents use four legs. But which ones are better at avoiding predators? We compared the bipedal kangaroo rat with the pocket mouse, woodrat, and ground squirrel. We created fake predator attacks and measured how each rodent responded. We found that pocket mice and kangaroo rats jumped away the fastest. This might be because both are small and have strong back legs. Woodrats and ground squirrels jumped lower and slower. So, rodents jumping with two legs were better at reacting to attacks. This means using two legs may be an advantage for rodents when avoiding predators. 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-extreme-winter-weather/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/aX88S-pYOncSummary: Scientists analyzed data to determine what factors affect the formation of a weak polar vortex.Abstract: Some winter days are so cold and snowy that you feel like you are living at the North Pole. But what causes the weather to be so cold? Freezing temperatures and heavy snow at lower latitudes often follow a weak polar vortex. A polar vortex is a band of strong winds that traps a large mass of cold air above the North and South Poles. When the polar vortex weakens, extreme cold air moves away from the poles. We wanted to work out what factors cause a weak Arctic polar vortex event. We found that warmer ocean temperatures cause air pressure changes. This change in air pressure causes a shift in the polar vortex in the upper atmosphere. Our results can help predict weak polar vortex events in winter. Predicting these events will improve the ability to forecast extreme cold and snow. 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-rivers-flow-through-the-air/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/_za5Bb3Q9s8Summary: Researchers wanted to know how dense atmospheric river clusters form and how climate change might increase their frequency and intensity.Abstract: In 2022 and 2023, California experienced a series of atmospheric rivers that caused major damage. Atmospheric rivers are huge storms that carry a lot of water through the air. When they hit land, they can cause heavy rain or snow. Atmospheric rivers become extreme events when they are very strong and intense. They can then lead to flooding and landslides. Some happen one after another, forming what's called an atmospheric river cluster. These clusters can be very dangerous because they bring even more rain in a short amount of time. We wanted to look at how these clusters form. We also explored how climate variability could make clusters happen more often. We found that dense clusters (storms that happen close together) bring the most rain. They also cause the most flooding. Changes in temperature and weather patterns might make these intense clusters more frequent. But why do we need to understand more about atmospheric river clusters? So we can better prepare for flooding and extreme weather 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-do-groups-of-ants-make-shared-decisions/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/kvr4f2NfooESummary: Researchers wanted to discover which group decision-making strategy weaver ants used when transporting their prey back to the nest.Abstract: Have you ever noticed that animals living in groups tend to work together? For example, African elephants typically walk in a line for safety and follow the age and experience of the oldest and largest female. This is called “follow the leader” strategy. But what about the humble ant? Ants often work together to transport large food items back to their nest. Since ants can’t talk to each other to make decisions, they must rely on other senses to work as a team. We wanted to find out how weaver ants cooperate to move large items. So, we observed ants in the lab trying to move objects. We discovered that no single ant takes the lead. Instead they pool their opinions to decide on which direction to go. This is known as the “wisdom of the crowd” strategy! 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-limiting-sugar-early-in-life-affect-adult-health/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/pL6MsH4OHmcSummary: Researchers exploit the end of World War II sugar rationing to examine the link between limited sugar exposure up to age two and health problems as adults.Abstract: What do soda, ice cream, and candy have in common? They all contain lots of added sugar! While sugar makes foods taste great, too much added sugar can negatively impact a person’s health. For instance, studies link high added sugar levels to type 2 diabetes and hypertension. These diseases often occur later in life.Because of World War II, the United Kingdom rationed several foods, including sugar, from 1940 to 1953. In September 1953, sugar rationing ended. This event likely caused diets to be lower in sugar before and higher after that date. We looked at the data and noticed that there was indeed an increase in the amount of sugar people ate right after the sugar rationing ended. We wanted to understand how being in a place with either very little or a lot of sugar early in life affected a person's health as an adult. So, we studied adults born in the UK around the end of sugar rationing who were later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. For this group, we found that restricting sugar until age two decreased the chances of developing type 2 diabetes and hypertension. It also delayed when these diseases started. 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-did-mammals-evolve-to-live-in-the-sea/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/a5DHR61VJOMSummary: Researchers compared neuropeptides in cetacean and land mammal DNA to explore how mammals evolved to live underwater.Abstract: Marine mammals are well adapted to living in the sea. For example, whales and dolphins are excellent divers, hold their breath for long periods, and can sleep underwater. However, this was not always the case. In fact, whales and dolphins (collectively known as cetaceans) evolved from mammals that once lived on land! How did cetaceans develop these abilities to live underwater? A group of chemicals called neuropeptides may hold the answer. These chemicals play important roles in numerous bodily processes including sleep, feeding and the maintenance of blood pressure. We compared the neuropeptides found in cetaceans with those found in land mammals. We wanted to see how they are different. We found that marine mammals have lost the ability to make many of the neuropeptides that land mammals still have. So, differences in neuropeptides may explain how cetaceans adapted to live in a marine 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/which-chemical-makes-ants-walk-like-zombies/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/-u5sFXvMWYYSummary: Researchers wanted to see how Ophiocordyceps infects ants, causing them to turn into "zombies", through the release of chemicals like aflatrem, which impacts their movement and alters their genes.Abstract: Have you ever seen an ant acting strange? Sometimes, ants are infected with a fungus called Ophiocordyceps that can change their behavior. The fungus causes them to walk like a zombie, climb up nearby plants, and bite to hang on tightly. It does this so that the wind will help spread its infectious spores. But how does this happen?Our previous research discovered that Ophiocordyceps fungi can make a chemical similar to one called aflatrem. Since these types of chemicals are known to cause trouble with walking in other animals, we wondered if it might be causing the zombie walk in ants, too. To test our hypothesis, we injected ants with aflatrem and found that it makes them move more slowly. It also causes them to stagger like they are dizzy! We also discovered that aflatrem can change how much some genes are turned up or down in the ants. By making it harder for ants to walk, we think the fungus uses aflatrem-like chemicals to keep the ants from leaving once they are in the perfect spot for the biting behavior. This helps the fungus to spread its spores better. 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