Send us a text Can Cosmo and I help a cool kid like you face their fear of bugs? Join us—and our friend Paul Strand, psychologist at Washington State University—as we dig into why things freak us out and how to beat-le those fears. Resources you can use: See some beautiful bugs and relatives with All Bugs Go to Kevin Learn about parts of the brain like the prefrontal cortex Feeling anxious about something? Let's make a plan Try a relaxation trick like this color sorting app Sound effects courtes...
Jun 16, 2025•6 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Send us a text Today I'm talking with Von Walden, an atmospheric scientist at Washington State University. Hear about Earth's bubble of gases AKA the atmosphere Learn why clouds can be weird in the polar regions Find out what an expert thinks about climate change —and how optimistic he is about the future Resources You Can Use Check out AMNH's climate change resources Watch these polar bear cams Learn more about the polar regions Find out more about clouds and make a cloud in a jar As always, su...
May 19, 2025•24 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Send us a text What up with the small intestine and the large intestine? Join Cosmo and me—and our friend Franck Carbonero , microbiologist at Washington State University—to break down how we break down food. You'll hear: how the intestines differ in size and function all about your gut bacteria the journey food takes through your digestive tract Resources you can use: American Museum of Natural History's microbiology resources Frontiers for Young Minds' explainer on fermentation National Geogra...
May 01, 2025•6 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Send us a text Purr-haps you'd like a new way to get your claws on science questions sent in by kids like you. That's litter-ally my favorite thing. Today Cosmo and I tackle a question from William, 7, from the United Kingdom: Why is snot green? You'll hear: What mucus is What protein makes mucus green sometimes How immune cells trap irritants and stuff that can make you sick Resources you can use: Check out Operation Ouch's Science of Snot Learn about the nursing career As always, submit burnin...
Apr 02, 2025•5 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Send us a text Purr-haps you'd like a new way to get your claws on science questions sent in by kids like you. That's litter-ally my favorite thing. Today Cosmo and I tackle a question from Hillary's 1st graders in Washington: What makes snow sparkle? You'll hear: How snowflakes are hexagonal ice crystals About white light and rainbow colors What reflection and refraction mean Resources you can use: Check out Von Walden 's research near the North Pole and South Pole Learn about atmospheric scien...
Mar 17, 2025•5 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today I'm talking to WSU biological anthropologist Thomas Siek . Hear about all kinds of anthropology Find out how Dr. Siek studied bones from the Middle Ages in Poland Learn how clues in bones help solve crimes with forensic anthropology Resources You Can Use Watch this NPR team use forensic anthropology to figure out info about a skeleton from a high sc...
Mar 03, 2025•22 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Send us a text Purr-haps you'd like a new way to get your claws on science questions sent in by kids like you. That's litter-ally my favorite thing. Today Cosmo and I tackle a question from Gabby, 9, in Kansas: Why do bees make honey? You'll hear: What a bee proboscis is and why bees are so adorably hairy Why some people call honey " bee barf " and what trophollaxis is How bees make foods like bee bread and honey Resources you can use: Check out these baby bees Learn how to make homes for native...
Feb 03, 2025•7 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today I'm talking to WSU environmental archeologist John Blong . Hear what environmental archeology is Learn about fossilized poop—AKA coprolites —and what they reveal to scientists Find out when the first people came to North America Resources You Can Use Follow these interactive digs or talk to your grownup about skyping with a scientist from the Archae...
Jan 06, 2025•18 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today, the 4th graders at Palouse Prairie Charter School take Dr. Universe and her cougar cub friend Cosmo back in time to the formation of the universe. Join our intrepid science team as they explore the Big Bang Hear about how the sun works Learn about the Chicxulub asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs All sound effects courtesy of Freesound. Explosion...
Nov 01, 2024•10 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today, the 4th graders at Palouse Prairie Charter School take Dr. Universe and her cougar cub friend Cosmo on an earth science adventure. Join our intrepid science team as they dig for fossils Hear about the supercontinent Pangea Learn about volcanoes and earthquakes All sound effects courtesy of Freesound. Radio static: eddy15 Steps on the sand field: ro...
Oct 10, 2024•13 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today I'm talking to WSU astronomer Michael Allen. Learn what an astronomer does and what their day looks like Hear how people who do astronomy as a hobby contribute to the field Find out what Dr. Allen thinks about aliens Resources You Can Use Check out Zooniverse to find a research project you can help with Find a robotic telescope to use from MicroObse...
Sep 03, 2024•25 min
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today I'm talking to WSU veterinarian Jessica Bunch. Learn what a veterinarian does and funny things that happen Hear about how Dr. Bunch gives acupuncture to all kinds of animals Resources You Can Use Check out ag careers with Future Farmers of America and 4-H Browse the House Rabbit Society or the Humane Society Some veterinarians use fear-free methods ...
Aug 01, 2024•18 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today we're talking to nurse practitioner Bevan Briggs. Warning! This episode very briefly mentions intestines, body fluids, shots, stitches, broken bones, surgery, kids putting on pretend wounds (with intestines!) to help EMTs train, and the fact animals are butchered for food in some homes. If that doesn't sound like something you'd like to hear, I'll c...
Jun 03, 2024•15 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today we're talking about birds with Wes Dowd , a marine biologist and environmental physiologist at Washington State University. Learn about tiny crustaceans called copepods , which are a type of plankton — and rock out to this song about zooplankton Check out ocean mussels and their freshwater cousins Discover how to explore tide pools gently Resources ...
May 02, 2024•16 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today we're talking about birds with Jennifer Phillips , an ecologist at Washington State University. Learn about sensory pollution and the difference between a phenotype and a genotype Find out how birds get tagged and measured—and how it's a little bit like an alien abduction Hear Dr. Phillips' journey to be a scientist, her favorite bird fact and how b...
Apr 01, 2024•15 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today we're talking about libraries with David Luftig , a science librarian at Washington State University. Find out what a science librarian is and how to become one Learn how the resources at WSU's Owen Science and Engineering Library and Holland and Terrell Libraries are there for everyone in Washington Hear how everyone is a scientist —including you R...
Mar 01, 2024•12 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today we're talking about learning with Kira Carbonneau , an educational psychologist at Washington State University. Find out what educational psychologist is and how Dr. Carbonneau became one Learn the difference between quantitative research and qualitative research Hear Dr. Carbonneau's advice for being a good learner—and what it has to do with the mo...
Feb 02, 2024•16 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Today we're talking about babies with Masha Gartstein , a psychologist who studies infant temperament at Washington State University. Learn about the individual differences that make up a baby's temperament and how scientists study it in the lab with real babies (Hint: It involves Halloween masks!) Hear about Dr. Gartstein's job and her advice for kids wh...
Nov 30, 2023•13 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Do you love insects? Me, too. In this episode, we meet Rich Zack , an insect scientist at Washington State University. Learn about entomology, the study of insects and arthropods like spiders and scorpions, and how to study insects right now. Hear how Dr. Zack discovered his passion for entomology in college—and how there's a place in science for everyone...
Oct 24, 2023•19 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Send us a text Hey, friends. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. In this episode, we meet Adah Crandall. She’s an organizer with the Sunrise Movement . That's a youth-led organization working on solutions for climate change. She started organizing as a middle schooler when she took on the Oregon Department of Transportation. If you want to learn more, check out Sunrise on Instagram or the Green New Deal for Public Schools . As always, s...
Sep 27, 2023•13 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Send us a text Welcome back, friends. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. In this episode, we meet Emily Erickson. She’s part of the Western Monarch Mystery Challenge team. That’s a community science project that asks people to look for monarch butterflies in early spring and send in pictures to help scientists learn more about these important pollinators. If you’re interested in helping monarch butterflies near you, check out these nec...
Sep 01, 2023•18 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. It's not enough to just do science—you've got to get the science out so people can read all about it. That's where science writers come in. In this episode, we meet Sara Zaske, a science writer at Washington State University. She also edits the Ask Dr. Universe column! As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu . Who knows where your que...
Jul 20, 2023•13 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. What's a postdoctoral fellow? How do rattlesnakes rattle? What's it like searching for snakes in the field or taking blood samples from a grizzly bear? In this episode, we meet Blair Perry, a postdoctoral fellow at Washington State University. He uses the same methods to study the genes of snakes and bears! As always, submit burning questions at askdruniv...
Jun 27, 2023•19 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. Do you love our solar system? Today, 4th graders from Palouse Prairie Charter School take me on a space tour in their Boomcrusher space shuttle. Come along! Ask Dr. Universe is a service of Washington State University geared toward an 8- to 13-year-old audience. If your class or group is interested in working on a podcast episode with Dr. Universe, reach ...
May 22, 2023•20 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. How do you become a scientist? What does a scientist's day look like? Is being a scientist fun? In this episode, we meet Nora Hickey, a fish veterinarian at Washington State University. We learn about fish medicine and why it’s important to follow your interests as you grow up. As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu . Who knows where...
Apr 27, 2023•13 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. What was early Earth like? How did life start on Earth? And what’s up with plate tectonics? In part two of this two-part episode, we meet geologist Johannes Haemmerli of Washington State University. We learn about early Earth, some brand-new research on plate tectonics and the idea that this process helped make Earth habitable. As always, submit burning q...
Apr 12, 2023•13 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Send us a text What was early Earth like? How did life start on Earth? And what’s up with plate tectonics? In part one of this two-part episode, we meet NASA scientist and Blue Marble Space Institute of Science founder Dr. Sanjoy Som. We learn about early Earth, stromatolites and how we can care for the planet that gave us life. As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu . Ask Dr. Universe is a service of Washington State University curated for an 8- to 13-year-old audience. Li...
Apr 05, 2023•11 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. How do you become a scientist? What does a scientist's day look like? Is being a scientist fun? In this episode, we meet Kalli Stephens, a student scientist at Washington State University. We learn about what she does in the lab and how to find your place in science as a young person. As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu . Who know...
Mar 01, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Send us a text Welcome back, young scientists. I’m Dr. Universe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got lots of big questions about our world. How do you become a scientist? What does a scientist's day look like? Is being a scientist fun? In this episode, we meet Dr. Marcos Frank , a brain scientist at Washington State University. We learn about his path to becoming a scientist and how science works in real life. As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu . Who knows where your...
Feb 01, 2023•14 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Send us a text I'm Dr. Universe, and if you're anything like me, you've got big questions about our world. I get lots of questions from kids wondering about aliens. In this episode, we meet Afshin Khan, an astrobiologist who studied signs of life when she was a Ph.D. student at Washington State University. She shares her adventures to uncover the teeny, tiny life that forms framboidal pyrite on Earth -- and what it would mean if we found those structures outside Earth. As always, submit your bur...
Dec 20, 2022•11 min•Season 3Ep. 1
