Ask Dr. Universe

What creates icebergs? Dear Kenton, When I think about the Arctic, I picture frigid waters filled with narwhals, polar bears and icebergs. I asked my friend Von Walden how those icebergs got there. He’s a polar scientist at...

A glacier of thanks to @pullman.wsu.edu's Von Walden for this cool answer #GoCougs #STEMeducation @wsusystem askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/02/26/w...

Your Paw-some Question | Will vaccines always hurt? - Ask Dr. Universe 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 Amoeb...

Listening to "Your Paw-some Question | Will vaccines always hurt?" at www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis...

Why does the Earth have lava in the middle? Dear Nora, I live near a few volcanoes. One of them—Mount St. Helens—is bubbling with molten material that will probably gush out as lava someday. I asked my friend Johannes Hämmerli about lava. He’s ...

🌋 What’s inside our Earth? @wsucahnrs.bsky.social' Johannes Hämmerli really gets to the core of the matter 🌍🔥 #GoCougs #STEMeducation @pullman.wsu.edu askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/02/19/e...

How was the Earth made? Dear Penny, Blue oceans, green forests, a cozy blanket of oxygen. Our planet is a super comfy home. It’s hard to imagine there was ever a time it didn’t exist. I asked my friend Julie Ménard how Earth...

My friend Julie Ménard of @pullman.wsu.edu and @wsucahnrs.bsky.social explains how cosmic dust and collisions built our home planet from scratch. It turns out world-building is a Big Bang-up job. 🌌✨ askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/02/12/h... #GoCougs #STEMeducation @wsusystem

Cosmo and I dig into how dog feet work—with a paw up from @wsuvetmed.bsky.social 🐾🎙️https://www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/episodes/18632499 #GoCougs #STEMeducation @wsu @WSUPullman

Why are giraffes’ tongues purple? Dear Winona, When I was a kitten, I visited a drive through zoo. A giraffe slithered its long, purple tongue through the open car window and licked my face. It was awesome. It turns out dark colors co...

This week @wsuvancouver.bsky.social's Cynthia Cooper told me all about melanin 🦒🍃 It turns out it pig-meant a lot for adaptation #GoCougs #STEMeducation @wsusystem askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/02/05/w...

Why do dairy cows produce so much milk compared to beef cows? Dear Kristen, This answer is fueled by coffee with a splash of milk from a dairy cow. I asked my friend Kimberly Davenport why my morning milk doesn’t come from a beef cow. She’s an expert in cow gene...

Got milk? 🥛 Animal genomics expert Kimberly Davenport of
@wsucahnrs.bsky.social says dairy cows are genetically moo-tivated to produce it, unlike beef cows 🐄 askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/01/29/d... #GoCougs #STEMeducation @pullman.wsu.edu

Your Paw-some Question | How do cell phones work? - Ask Dr. Universe 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 Cr...

Why did the phone go to science class? To cell out its secrets! 📲 Tune into my latest podcast with @pullman.wsu.edu's Ben Belzer as he explains the waves and codes that let your messages fly. 🎙️📡 www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis... #GoCougs #STEMeducation

How did big cats change into house cats? Dear Morgan, Like me, lions and tigers have sharp teeth and retractable claws. They sometimes use those fierce claws to knead or make biscuits. They enjoy a nap and good grooming sesh. That’s not surp...

@wsuanthropology.bsky.social PhD student Haden Kingrey told me evolution and domestication made house cats from wild cousins. I guess you could say humans cat-alyzed the change 🐈‍⬛ askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/01/15/b... #GoCougs #STEMeducation @pullman.wsu.edu

How do scientists know the mass and size of planets? Dear Lucy, When I go to the veterinarian, they measure how big I am. They use a scale to check my weight. They find my length and height with a measuring tape. But nobody can put a planet on a scale. ...

🪐 How do scientists weigh in on planets in our solar system or light-years away? @wsucahnrs.bsky.social's Katie Cooper explains how experts size up distant worlds ⚖️📏 #GoCougs #STEMeducation askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/01/08/s...

How many volcanoes are in the world? Dear Garrett, On very clear days, I can see five volcanoes from my campus. They’re Rainier, Hood, Adams, St. Helens and Baker. That’s…a lot. I asked my friend Katie Cooper about it. She’s a geophysici...

This week @wsucahnrs.bsky.social's Katie Cooper told me all about volcanoes above and below the ocean. 🌋 Don't let this hot topic lava you behind—get the full scoop here: askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/12/11/m... #GoCougs #STEMeducation @pullman.wsu.edu

Ever wonder why humans have fingerprints? My friend Katherine Corn of @pullman.wsu.edu digs into how those tiny ridges help us grip, feel textures, and make each of us paw-sonally unique. 🐾https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/12/04/why-do-we-have-fingerprints/ #GoCougs #STEMeducation

How Do You Science | Meet an Extension Vegetable Specialist - Ask Dr. Universe 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 isWhat it was like for Extension agents back in 1918...

I had a blast talking @wsuextension.bsky.social with Tim Waters 🧅🥔 Come for the land-grant info; stay for 1918 jackrabbits and lightning strikes in veggie fields. Check out How Do You Science | Meet an Extension Vegetable Specialist at www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis... #GoCougs #STEMeducation

Can humans live in space for a month? Dear Maya, I mostly keep all four paws on the ground. It’s hard to imagine living out in space. I asked my friend Erica Crespi about it. She’s a biologist at Washington State University. She  studies ...

A whole month in space? My friend Erica Crespi of @pullman.wsu.edu helped me investigate how humans handle life beyond Earth. It’s a fur-midable cosmic challenge! 🚀 #GoCougs #STEMeducation
askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/11/26/c...

What’s the hardest math equation in the world? Dear James, There weren’t calculators or computers in medieval Europe. But there were math duels. Mathematicians would gather in public squares and pose tricky math problems to each other. Then they r...

My pal Daryl DeFord of @pullman.wsu.edu says math is about poking at what “doesn’t quite make sense.” It’s a fur‑midable puzzle! 🧮 #GoCougs #STEMeducation askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/11/20/w...

Why did they invent paper? Dear Sofia, Every week my column gets printed on paper. Sometimes I use paper to dry my paws. Or clean up after I use the litterbox. I asked my friend Xiuyu Wang who invented paper—and why. He studies...

My friend Xiuyu Wang of @wsuvancouver.bsky.social helped me unfold why paper is a fur-midable leap in history 📜 #GoCougs #STEMeducation @pullman.wsu.edu askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/11/13/w...

Why do some humans like to do bad things? Dear Leonel, I’ve met some naughty cats. I’ve also known some misunderstood ones. I asked my friend Chris Barry why humans are sometimes like that, too. He’s a psychologist at Washington State Univers...

@pullman.wsu.edu’s Chris Barry takes me to the heart of purr-plexing human behaviour—and teaches me about the power of empathy.🐾 #GoCougs #STEMEducation @wsusystem askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/11/06/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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

@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 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 ...

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

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...

🐸 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 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

✨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

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

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

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