Ask Dr. Universe

Washington State University

Join Dr. Universe and her friends at Washington State University as they investigate science questions from kids around the world. Know a kid with a curious science question? Help them submit it at askDrUniverse.wsu.edu for a chance to be featured on a future episode.

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S6 · E17
Friday · 5 min
Your Paw-some Question | Do goldfish need 8-12 hours of light?
Send us Fan Mail Cosmo and I learn that a goldfish's circadian rhythm is tuned by light—and by feeding schedule, thanks to our friend Dr. Nora Hickey Find out more about the circadian rhythm Read up on the one-eyed worm ancestor that gave you your pineal gland Want to see what the see-through pineal window in a fish's skull looks like—when scientists make it glow? Here's a paper about it (go to figure 1) Check out how zebrafish help researchers unravel hearing And discover the (intense) salmon life cycle 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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S6 · E16
October 7 · 4 min
Your Paw-some Question | How do butterflies taste with their feet?
Send us Fan Mail Cosmo and I learn about butterfly taste receptors with WSU's Rich Zack. Watch how entomologists rear caterpilllars with Cornell University See some clearwing butterflies in 4K from Deep Look Find out how to help butterflies As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.
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S6 · E15
September 18 · 4 min
Your Paw-some Question | Would it have been possible to domesticate bears instead of wolves?
Send us Fan Mail Cosmo and I find out why bears never became pets, with expert input from Alaska wildlife biologist Sean Farley. Check out the WSU Bear Center Learn more about canine genes with the Smithsonian Find out about early human hunter-gatherers with Nat Geo The American Museum of Natural History shows off its cave bear Read about bears' cool reproductive strategies See a baby bear with a Pennsylvania Game Commission biologist 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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S6 · E14
August 27 · 5 min
Tu Pregunta Paw-dre | ¿Qué pasa si te come un tiburón?
Send us Fan Mail Gracias a mis amigos, Dr. Ornitorrinco y Dra. Nora Hickey, una veterinaria de peces en la Universidad Estatal de Washington, por ayudarme con la pregunta de hoy. Si quieres escuchar en Ingles: What happens if you get eaten by a shark? Y como siempre, si tienes alguna pregunta de ciencia para mí, puedes mandarla a askdruniverse.wsu.edu. ¡Quién sabe a dónde nos llevarán sus próximas preguntas! Este podcast producido en colaboración con @bichologo.bugologist @kikokomiks Effectos sonoros por Pixabay As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.
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S6 · E13
August 20 · 6 min
Your Paw-some Question | How did big cats change into house cats?
Send us Fan Mail Cosmo and I learned about cat evolution, thanks to Haden Kingrey, anthropology graduate student at Washington State University. Read the Ask Dr. Universe column about this (and see a cute pic of my roommate) Learn about natural selection with the Amoeba Sisters Check out saber-toothed cats with the National Park Service See an African wild cat in action with Animalogic See the Smithsonian's exhibit for the first known domesticated cat As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.
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S6 · E12
August 6 · 19 min
How Do You Science | Meet a Black Hole Scientist
Send us Fan Mail I learned all about black holes from WSU observational astrophysicist Vivienne Baldassare. Check out Dr. Baldassare's favorite black hole Learn more about galaxies, black holes, and exoplanets from NASA Peep the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile Explore the NASA exoplanet database Dig into NASA's search for life outside our universe As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.
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S6 · E11
June 26 · 3 min
Your Paw-some Question | What determines the size and shape of someone's belly button?
Send us Fan Mail Cosmo and I investigated belly buttons—thanks to WSU nursing professor Cindy Brigham-Althoff. Learn more about the placenta with Operation Ouch and Scientific American Check out all the belly buttons with Nat Geo Find out about placental mammals See what's living inside your navel with Nat Geo 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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S6 · E10
June 3 · 27 min
BONUS EPISODE! Student-led Podcasts | Explore a Cell with Vancouver iTech Preparatory
Send us Fan Mail Join me and some new friends as we shrink down and travel through a cell, checking out organelles along the way. It's a cell biology adventure! This episode was written and performed by the 6th graders in Kelsey Starke's classes at Vancouver iTech Preparatory. Thanks to WSU's John Hinz for the expert factcheck. Can't get enough cell bio? Check out the National Geographic cell biology collection Enjoy PBS Learning videos about life sciences Take a another trip through a cell with Amoeba Sisters Peep the National Science Foundation kids' video about cells As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.
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S6 · E9
May 28 · 21 min
How Do You Science | Meet an Apple Breeder
Send us Fan Mail WSU apple breeder, Kate Evans, told me all about out how apples work and what it's like to be a scientist who makes new apples—like the Cosmic Crisp®. See Kate Evans' pollen vial here Learn more about the Cosmic Crisp® apple See all these different kinds of apples—and these Washington apples Enjoy these pollinator activities Use the Xerces Society pollinator plant lists to find what to plant near you Check out the apple question Kate Evans helped me answer As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.
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S6 · E8
May 15 · 3 min
Your Paw-some Question | How do cats climb?
Send us Fan Mail Cosmo and I learned all about cat anatomy and how feline friends like us climb so well. Thanks to WSU vet med's Steve Lampa for the expert info. Learn more about joints with Nemours Find out about connective tissue with Brittanica Kids Check out Vox's explainer on the righting reflex Sound effects courtesy Pixabay and Zapsplat As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.
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S6 · E7
April 30 · 4 min
Your Paw-some Question | Why do we have fingerprints?
Send us Fan Mail Today Cosmo and I learned all about fingerprints—and how they give primates dexterity and grip. Learn more about primates from PBS Find out how gecko feet work with ACS Check out your fingerprints with SciShow Kids—or investigate them with PBS 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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S6 · E6
April 17 · 4 min
Your Paw-some Question | Why are giraffes' tongues purple?
Send us Fan Mail 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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S6 · E5
March 27 · 5 min
Your Paw-some Question | What is the life cycle of a ladybug?
Send us Fan Mail 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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S6 · E4
March 11 · 18 min
How Do You Science | Meet a Planetary Scientist (Will we ever live on Mars? Are aliens real?)
Send us Fan Mail 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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S6 · E3
February 23 · 4 min
Your Paw-some Question | Will vaccines always hurt?
Send us Fan Mail 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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S6 · E2
February 6 · 4 min
Your Paw-some Question | Why do dogs have pads on their feet?
Send us Fan Mail 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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S6 · E1
January 20 · 4 min
Your Paw-some Question | How do cell phones work?
Send us Fan Mail 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.
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S5 · E15
Nov 28, 2025 · 14 min
How Do You Science | Meet an Extension Vegetable Specialist
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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S5 · E14
Nov 13, 2025 · 5 min
Your Paw-some Question | Do turtles live inside their shells?
Send us Fan Mail 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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S5 · E13
Oct 20, 2025 · 5 min
Your Paw-some Question | What happens if you get eaten by a shark?
Send us Fan Mail 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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