Author | Lightnews

Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · 4d

How do cats scale trees so gracefully? It’s all in the glutes and claws, says Steve Lampa from @wsuvetmed.bsky.social. I guess we really claw our way to the top! 🐈‍⬛🌳 #GoCougs #STEMeducation @wsusystem askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/10/30/h...

How do cats climb?

Dear Jake, Sometimes, when I’m working on a tricky question, I scale the tree outside my office. It helps me focus. I asked my friend Steve Lampa how cats like me do that. He teaches small animal anat...

askdruniverse.wsu.edu

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · 11d

Carrots stash sugar so they can plant seeds next year. :🥕🌱 Thanks to veggie expert Tim Waters of @wsuextension.bsky.social for sharing the sweet secret #GoCougs #STEMeducation @pullman.wsu.edu askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/10/23/w...

Why do carrots have sugar?

Dear George and Samuel, Roasted and soft. Raw and crunchy. Baked into a cake. I love eating all kinds of carrots. I asked my friend Tim Waters why those orange veggies are so tasty. He studies vegetab...

askdruniverse.wsu.edu

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · 14d

Cosmo and I dive deep into what happens if you get eaten by a shark🎙️🦈 Spoiler: you’re not on the menu — the shark would probably spit you out faster than you can say cat-astrophe #GoCougs #STEMeducation @wsuvetmed.bsky.social www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis...

Your Paw-some Question | What happens if you get eaten by a shark? - Ask Dr. Universe

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 ...

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · 18d

@pullman.wsu.edu's Ed Johnson told me that a growling stomach is borborygmus—the sound of muscles moving gas and liquid around your empty belly. It's just a little meow-sic to get you ready for food. 🐾🎶 askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/10/16/t... #GoCougs #stemeducation

Why does my tummy rumble when I’m hungry?

Dear Jules, Sometimes my stomach growls so loudly that other people can hear it. It’s pretty awkward in meetings. I asked my friend Ed Johnson why that happens. He teaches classes about the human body...

askdruniverse.wsu.edu

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · 25d

Why do we age? My friend Jiyue Zhu of @pullman.wsu.edu told me it’s still a mystery. But science is starting to explain how time catches up to us—one cell at a time. 🧬 askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/10/08/w... #GoCougs #stemeducation

Why do we age?

Dear Ines, I have gray fur. But sometimes I think it’s getting grayer—like my human friends’ hair does as they get older. I asked my friend Jiyue Zhu about that. He’s a biochemist at Washington State ...

askdruniverse.wsu.edu

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · 28d

🐸 Ever wonder what it’s like to give a turtle a pedicure, bathe froglets, or backpack frogs through a forest? My friend @wsuvancouver.bsky.social's Ryan Wagner does it all—for science! 🐢🎒

🎧 Check out the toad-ally awesome podcast here: www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis... #GoCougs #STEMeducation

How Do You Science | Meet a Wildlife Biologist - Ask Dr. Universe

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 b...

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Oct 2

I may love peanut butter + tuna sandwiches, but allergies are no joke! Today Travis T. Denton of @wsuspokane.bsky.social explains how epinephrine works during anaphylaxis. 🥜💉 #GoCougs #stemeducation askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/10/02/h...

How does epinephrine work?

Dear Annabelle, I love a peanut butter and tuna sandwich. But when I was a kitten, my school outlawed peanuts. My classmate was super allergic to them. So, we had a rule to keep our friend safe. I pac...

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Sep 25

Ever spotted the moon in the daytime sky? You’re not imagining things! Thanks to my friend Michael Allen of @pullman.wsu.edu for illuminating why 🌕🌔🌙@wsu #stemeducation #GoCougs askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/09/25/c...

Why can we sometimes see the moon during the day?

Dear Eli, I love to go for a walk with my dog roommate. Sometimes we see the moon in the sky—even though it’s daytime. I asked my friend Michael Allen why that happens. He’s an astronomer at Washingto...

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Sep 18

From eggs to adults, ladybugs show that change is the real buzz of life. But it's not the only way to do things. Thanks to Rich Zack at @wsucahnrs.bsky.social for lending his expertise! ci Rep 11, 10313 (2021), I. Peralta-Maraver
👉 askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/09/18/l...

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Sep 18

✨Ta-da! Out comes a soft, pale beetle that soon hardens into a spot-acular red insect. Its colors warn predators: “Don’t bug me!” 🐞 Clinton & Charles Robertson/Wiki Commons #GoCougs #stemeducation

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Sep 18

The larva takes a paws-itive pause to become an immobile pupa. Inside, it’s rearranging into a brand-new beetle. Talk about a glow up! ✨ Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren/Wiki Commons #GoCougs #stemeducation

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Sep 18

These spiky, alligator-shaped critters may not look cuddly, but they’re bug-time snackers! One larva can chow hundreds of aphids. Supportstorm/Wiki Commons #GoCougs #stemeducation

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Sep 18

🥚 It all starts with a clutch decision: eggs!
Ladybugs lay them near aphids (their future snacks). Bjorn S/Wiki Commons #GoCougs #stemeducation

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Sep 18

🐞 How do ladybugs cycle their way through life? Rich Zack at
@pullman.wsu.edu @wsucahnrs.bsky.social helped us bug out about their 4 life stages! askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/09/18/l... #GoCougs #stemeducation

What is the life cycle of a ladybug?

Dear Rachel, Every spring, I see spiny bugs that look like tiny alligators. They spend all day chomping up other insects outside my window. I asked my friend Rich Zack about them. He’s an insect scien...

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Sep 11

🧫🔬 Forget poison frogs and jellyfish—Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium hanging out in soil, water, and even your kitchen, produces the most potent toxin on Earth. askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/09/11/p... #FoodSafety #GoCougs #STEMeducation @wsuextension.bsky.social

What is the most poisonous thing in the world?

Dear Macmillan, There are some amazing deadly things out there. Like a frog that oozes poison from its skin. Or a jellyfish that uses itty bitty hooks to inject venom into its prey. But it turns out t...

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Sep 4

Dogs walk on their toes—like invisible high heels! 👠🐾 That’s digitigrade locomotion. Read the full column 👉 askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/09/04/d... @wsuvetmed.bsky.social @pullman.wsu.edu #GoCougs #stemeducation #stemeducationforkids

Why do dogs have pads on their feet?

Dear Izzy, My coworkers sometimes forget that I’m a cat—until I reach out a paw to shake their hand. At first glance, cat and dog paws seem very different from human hands and feet. I talked about tha...

askdruniverse.wsu.edu

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Aug 29

I'm so pleased to hand the mic(robe) to @wsuvetmed.bsky.social's Eric Lofgren for this week's science question 🦠 #GoCougs #STEMeducation #stemeducationforkids askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/08/29/w...

Why do we have germs on our hands?

Dear Prince, Germs are tiny organisms—also called microbes. They’re so small you have to zoom in with a microscope to see them. They can be bacteria, viruses, fungi or other teeny things. Some microbe...

askdruniverse.wsu.edu

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Ask Dr. Universe @askdruniverse.bsky.social · Aug 25

Talking about medications and technology with my friend Damianne Brand-Eubanks was out of this world✨Check out the latest podcast episode: How Do You Science | Meet a Pharmacist www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis... #GoCougs #STEMeducation #stemeducationforkids