Nov. 22, 2023
💥Extra💥 Listener Questions P.7❓
In this extra science episode, we answer the questions: Do cats and dogs have the same organs? How do cats balance so well? Where does lightning come from? How are medicines made, and how do they (and poisons) affect the body? and How do markers work?
Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark
❤️👂🔬
---
📢 Have an interesting science topic you would like investigated? Send us an email at hello@sleeptightscience.com and we may feature it in an upcoming show.
👉 First time listening to Sleep Tight Science? Please follow us or listen on Spotify.
❤️ We would love to hear from you, reach out to us via email.
---
About Sleep Tight Science
Sleep Tight Science is an engaging (but not too engaging) bedtime show for the whole family that answers the questions kids have about science. Each episode explores a fascinating topic in science and technology, from the mysteries of outer space to the wonders of the human body. Sleep Tight Science is the perfect bedtime companion for curious minds of all ages. Have an interesting science topic you would like featured? Send us an email at hello@sleeptightscience.com and we may feature it in an upcoming show.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker 1: You're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know that lightning is incredibly hot? What? A flash can heat the air around it to temperatures five times hotter than the Sun's surface. Wow, that's super hot. Hello friends, and welcome back to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers your questions about science. In this episode, instead of following a specific topic, we will spend all our time together and aswering questions that listeners have sent us. And because there have been so many, we decided to sneak in another episode to share what we have discovered. So let's get right to the questions. Our first question comes from Gina, who is nine years old and lives in Gatino, Canada. Gina asks do cats and dogs have the same organs? Cats and dogs, though different in many ways, actually have many of the same organs. Like humans. They have hearts to pump blood, lungs to breathe, stomachs to digest foods, and brains to think, though they might think more about chasing squirrels and playing with yarn. Both cats and dogs have kidneys to clean their blood, livers to help break down food, and intestines to absorb nutrients. They also have eyes to see, ears to hear, and noses to smell, although their senses are much sharper than ours. However, while their organs are mostly the same, how they work can be a bit different. For example, cats are strict carnivores, which means their diet must primarily consist of meat. Their digestive systems are specially adapted for this, unlike dogs, which are more omnivorous and can have a very diet. Also, some breeds of dogs might have specific characteristics due to their size and shape. For instance, dogs with flat faces like pugs might have different respiratory systems that make it harder for them to breathe. Cats and dogs share the same basic set of organs, but these organs can work a bit differently depending on the animal's diet, breed, and lifestyle.
00:03:14
Speaker 2: Thank you for your question, Gina.
00:03:28
Speaker 1: Next, Ezra asks how do cats balance so well? Have you ever noticed how cats move their tails when they walk on narrow spaces like a fence. That tail is like a built in balancing pole, helping them shift their weight and stay steady. It's like when tightrope walkers use a long pole to keep their balance, or like when you use your arms for balancing when you walk across something narrow. Cats also have a super special part called the vestibular apparatus in their ears. This tiny structure is like their own internal gyroscope, helping them know up from down and stay balanced. This system is so good that even if a cat falls, it can twist and turn in mid air to land on its feet, a move known as the writing reflex. Their amazing reflexes and strong flexible bodies also play a big part. Cats have quick reflexes so they can react fast to keep themselves stable. Their flexible bodies, especially their spine, let them twist and turn easily, helping them keep their balance even in tricky situations. Lastly, let's not forget those paws. Cat paws are like the ultimate sneakers. They're soft, grippy, and cushioned. This helps cats move silently. They are really sneaky, and grip surface is better, so they're less likely to slip and more likely to keep their balance. So cats balance so well because of their helpful tails, inner ear balancing system, quick reflexes, flexible bodies, and grippy paws. Nature has equipped them with all they need to be the graceful, agile creatures we love. Thank you for the question, Ezra. Our next question is from Charlie, who is five and a half years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia. Charlie asks where does lightning come from? First, we need to understand that lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere or between the atmosphere and the ground. But where does this electricity come from? The answer lies in the clouds, specifically thunderclouds, also known as cumulonimbus clouds. Imagine a big, fluffy thundercloud and it's like a massive floating factory where a lot of action is happening. Inside this factory, there are workers, which are water droplets and ice particles. These workers are busy moving around thanks to strong updraft and down drafts inside the cloud. It's like a busy day in the factory with lots of movement and activity. As these water and ice particles move around and bump into each other, they start building up electrical charges. It's like when you rub a balloon on your hair and it sticks up. That's static electricity at work in our cloud factory. The ice particles near the top tend to lose some electrons, becoming positively charged, while the heavier particles at the bottom gain electrons, becoming negatively charged. As the workday goes on in our factory, these charges start to separate within the cloud. The top becomes like a storage area filled with positive charges, while the bottom becomes a zone filled with no negative charges. Even the ground beneath the cloud can become positively charged, adding to the tension. When the difference in charges between these areas gets too big, it's like a dispute in the factory that needs to be resolved quickly. This is where lightning comes in as a powerful mediator. A lightning bolt is a sudden, massive spark that jumps between these areas of opposite charge, aiming to balance things out. This bolt is incredibly powerful and hot, which explains why it lights up the sky and why we hear thunder. The heat from the lightning causes the air to expand rapidly, creating a sonic boom known as thunder. So lightning comes from the build up and discharge of electrical energy in thunderclouds, a spectacular display of nature's power. We love watching lightning displays, but we always need to stay safe during storms. If you would like to learn more about the weather, you could tune into our episode do you know about hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons? Or find a book called extreme Weather in your library.
00:09:32
Speaker 2: Thank you for the question, Charlie.
00:09:37
Speaker 1: Did you know that many medicines are derived from natural sources? For instance, aspirin, one of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, originally came from the bark of willow trees. People have used willow bark for centuries to ease pain and reduce fever. Up next is Henry, who is six and from Michigan. Henry asks how are medicines made and how do they and poisons affect the body? This is a tough one. Medicines are created through a process that's a blend of science, research, and technology. It usually starts with discovery and research. Scientists often look to nature, studying plants, animals, and even microbes to find substances that might help treat diseases. Sometimes they design new molecules in a lab. Once a potential medicine is found, it goes through a series of steps. First, pre clinical testing. This involves laboratoryry studies to test its safety, and effectiveness. Second clinical trials. If the tests are promising, the substance is then tested in humans.
00:11:15
Speaker 2: Third approval.
00:11:18
Speaker 1: Regulatory bodies like the FDA in the United States or Health Canada in Canada, review the results and decide whether the medicine is safe and effective enough to be marketed. Fourth manufacturing. Once approved, the medicine is manufactured in facilities that follow strict standards to ensure its quality and consistency. Both medicines and poisons interact with our bodies, cells and organs, but in different ways. Medicines are designed to betefit the body, either by curing disease, treating symptoms, or preventing conditions. Medicines work in various ways. Some kill bacteria or viruses, some block receptors that cause symptoms, others boost the body's natural defenses, and some replace missing substances like hormones or vitamins. The key is that they target specific sits in the body to create a beneficial effect. Poisons are substances that cause harm when introduced into the body. They can damage cells, interfere with normal body functions, or even cause death in severe cases. Poisons can be natural or synthetic, and their effects depend on the type, amount, and method of exposure. For example, some poisons interrupt nerve signals, while others might damage vital organs like the heart or liver. Both medicines and poisons work because of their chemical interactions with the body. That's why dosage and usage are so important for medicines. Too little might not be effective, and too much can be harmful or even poisonous. Medicines are carefully developed, tested and regulated substances designed to help our bodies. At the same time, poisons are harmful substances that can disrupt normal body functions. Studying how substances affect the body, whether for good or bad, is a fascinating part of science and medicine. Thank you for the question, Henry. Our last question comes from Elizabeth, age six, who is from Chicago. She asks how do markers work? There is more to how markers work than we realized. Let's break it down so it's easy to understand. The main components of a marker are pigment, solvent, resin, and the marker's body. The pigment is what gives the marker its color. Pigments are colored substances that don't dissolve in the liquid inside the marker, but are suspended in it. These pigments are often synthetic, created to provide a range of vibrant colors. The solvent is the liquid that carries the pigment, and they can vary. It's typically an alcohol based solvent in permanent markers, which dries quickly and sticks to many surfaces. In washable markers, it's usually water based, making it easy to clean off skin and some fabrics. Resin is a binder that helps the pigment stick to surfaces. In permanent markers, the resin ensures that the color stays on the surface even when exposed to water or light. Lastly, there is the marker's body, including the outer casing, the nib or tip, and a reservoir that holds the pigment solvent mixture. When you write or draw with the marker, the tip, made of a porous material like felt, absorbs the pigment and solvent from the reservoir. As you move the marker across the surface, the solvent in the ink carries the pigment onto the paper or another surface. The magic happens when the solvent evaporates, which occurs very quickly. This leaves the pigment on the surface, displaying the color. In permanent markers, the quick drying solvent and the resin ensure the color adheres firmly to the surface, making it waterproof and smudgeproof. In washable markers, because the solvent is usually water based, it doesn't bind as permanently to surfaces, which allows for easy cleaning. So the next time you use a marker, think about how the combination of pigment, solvent and resin works together to bring color to your ideas. Thank you for the question, Elizabeth. This episode was made with questions from Gina who lives in Gatineau, Ezra, Charlie from Melbourne, Australia, Henry from Michigan, and Elizabeth from Chicago. We love getting your feedback on our show. If you have any feedback, please send it our way, and if you want to make sure you get all the episodes, please ask your parents to subscribe. You can find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever your parents listen to podcasts, and please, if you love learning about science with us, leave us a review. It may help others find our show. If you'd like to send us your questions, please send them to Hello at sleeptitscience dot com, sleep Tite
Speaker 1: You're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know that lightning is incredibly hot? What? A flash can heat the air around it to temperatures five times hotter than the Sun's surface. Wow, that's super hot. Hello friends, and welcome back to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers your questions about science. In this episode, instead of following a specific topic, we will spend all our time together and aswering questions that listeners have sent us. And because there have been so many, we decided to sneak in another episode to share what we have discovered. So let's get right to the questions. Our first question comes from Gina, who is nine years old and lives in Gatino, Canada. Gina asks do cats and dogs have the same organs? Cats and dogs, though different in many ways, actually have many of the same organs. Like humans. They have hearts to pump blood, lungs to breathe, stomachs to digest foods, and brains to think, though they might think more about chasing squirrels and playing with yarn. Both cats and dogs have kidneys to clean their blood, livers to help break down food, and intestines to absorb nutrients. They also have eyes to see, ears to hear, and noses to smell, although their senses are much sharper than ours. However, while their organs are mostly the same, how they work can be a bit different. For example, cats are strict carnivores, which means their diet must primarily consist of meat. Their digestive systems are specially adapted for this, unlike dogs, which are more omnivorous and can have a very diet. Also, some breeds of dogs might have specific characteristics due to their size and shape. For instance, dogs with flat faces like pugs might have different respiratory systems that make it harder for them to breathe. Cats and dogs share the same basic set of organs, but these organs can work a bit differently depending on the animal's diet, breed, and lifestyle.
00:03:14
Speaker 2: Thank you for your question, Gina.
00:03:28
Speaker 1: Next, Ezra asks how do cats balance so well? Have you ever noticed how cats move their tails when they walk on narrow spaces like a fence. That tail is like a built in balancing pole, helping them shift their weight and stay steady. It's like when tightrope walkers use a long pole to keep their balance, or like when you use your arms for balancing when you walk across something narrow. Cats also have a super special part called the vestibular apparatus in their ears. This tiny structure is like their own internal gyroscope, helping them know up from down and stay balanced. This system is so good that even if a cat falls, it can twist and turn in mid air to land on its feet, a move known as the writing reflex. Their amazing reflexes and strong flexible bodies also play a big part. Cats have quick reflexes so they can react fast to keep themselves stable. Their flexible bodies, especially their spine, let them twist and turn easily, helping them keep their balance even in tricky situations. Lastly, let's not forget those paws. Cat paws are like the ultimate sneakers. They're soft, grippy, and cushioned. This helps cats move silently. They are really sneaky, and grip surface is better, so they're less likely to slip and more likely to keep their balance. So cats balance so well because of their helpful tails, inner ear balancing system, quick reflexes, flexible bodies, and grippy paws. Nature has equipped them with all they need to be the graceful, agile creatures we love. Thank you for the question, Ezra. Our next question is from Charlie, who is five and a half years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia. Charlie asks where does lightning come from? First, we need to understand that lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere or between the atmosphere and the ground. But where does this electricity come from? The answer lies in the clouds, specifically thunderclouds, also known as cumulonimbus clouds. Imagine a big, fluffy thundercloud and it's like a massive floating factory where a lot of action is happening. Inside this factory, there are workers, which are water droplets and ice particles. These workers are busy moving around thanks to strong updraft and down drafts inside the cloud. It's like a busy day in the factory with lots of movement and activity. As these water and ice particles move around and bump into each other, they start building up electrical charges. It's like when you rub a balloon on your hair and it sticks up. That's static electricity at work in our cloud factory. The ice particles near the top tend to lose some electrons, becoming positively charged, while the heavier particles at the bottom gain electrons, becoming negatively charged. As the workday goes on in our factory, these charges start to separate within the cloud. The top becomes like a storage area filled with positive charges, while the bottom becomes a zone filled with no negative charges. Even the ground beneath the cloud can become positively charged, adding to the tension. When the difference in charges between these areas gets too big, it's like a dispute in the factory that needs to be resolved quickly. This is where lightning comes in as a powerful mediator. A lightning bolt is a sudden, massive spark that jumps between these areas of opposite charge, aiming to balance things out. This bolt is incredibly powerful and hot, which explains why it lights up the sky and why we hear thunder. The heat from the lightning causes the air to expand rapidly, creating a sonic boom known as thunder. So lightning comes from the build up and discharge of electrical energy in thunderclouds, a spectacular display of nature's power. We love watching lightning displays, but we always need to stay safe during storms. If you would like to learn more about the weather, you could tune into our episode do you know about hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons? Or find a book called extreme Weather in your library.
00:09:32
Speaker 2: Thank you for the question, Charlie.
00:09:37
Speaker 1: Did you know that many medicines are derived from natural sources? For instance, aspirin, one of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, originally came from the bark of willow trees. People have used willow bark for centuries to ease pain and reduce fever. Up next is Henry, who is six and from Michigan. Henry asks how are medicines made and how do they and poisons affect the body? This is a tough one. Medicines are created through a process that's a blend of science, research, and technology. It usually starts with discovery and research. Scientists often look to nature, studying plants, animals, and even microbes to find substances that might help treat diseases. Sometimes they design new molecules in a lab. Once a potential medicine is found, it goes through a series of steps. First, pre clinical testing. This involves laboratoryry studies to test its safety, and effectiveness. Second clinical trials. If the tests are promising, the substance is then tested in humans.
00:11:15
Speaker 2: Third approval.
00:11:18
Speaker 1: Regulatory bodies like the FDA in the United States or Health Canada in Canada, review the results and decide whether the medicine is safe and effective enough to be marketed. Fourth manufacturing. Once approved, the medicine is manufactured in facilities that follow strict standards to ensure its quality and consistency. Both medicines and poisons interact with our bodies, cells and organs, but in different ways. Medicines are designed to betefit the body, either by curing disease, treating symptoms, or preventing conditions. Medicines work in various ways. Some kill bacteria or viruses, some block receptors that cause symptoms, others boost the body's natural defenses, and some replace missing substances like hormones or vitamins. The key is that they target specific sits in the body to create a beneficial effect. Poisons are substances that cause harm when introduced into the body. They can damage cells, interfere with normal body functions, or even cause death in severe cases. Poisons can be natural or synthetic, and their effects depend on the type, amount, and method of exposure. For example, some poisons interrupt nerve signals, while others might damage vital organs like the heart or liver. Both medicines and poisons work because of their chemical interactions with the body. That's why dosage and usage are so important for medicines. Too little might not be effective, and too much can be harmful or even poisonous. Medicines are carefully developed, tested and regulated substances designed to help our bodies. At the same time, poisons are harmful substances that can disrupt normal body functions. Studying how substances affect the body, whether for good or bad, is a fascinating part of science and medicine. Thank you for the question, Henry. Our last question comes from Elizabeth, age six, who is from Chicago. She asks how do markers work? There is more to how markers work than we realized. Let's break it down so it's easy to understand. The main components of a marker are pigment, solvent, resin, and the marker's body. The pigment is what gives the marker its color. Pigments are colored substances that don't dissolve in the liquid inside the marker, but are suspended in it. These pigments are often synthetic, created to provide a range of vibrant colors. The solvent is the liquid that carries the pigment, and they can vary. It's typically an alcohol based solvent in permanent markers, which dries quickly and sticks to many surfaces. In washable markers, it's usually water based, making it easy to clean off skin and some fabrics. Resin is a binder that helps the pigment stick to surfaces. In permanent markers, the resin ensures that the color stays on the surface even when exposed to water or light. Lastly, there is the marker's body, including the outer casing, the nib or tip, and a reservoir that holds the pigment solvent mixture. When you write or draw with the marker, the tip, made of a porous material like felt, absorbs the pigment and solvent from the reservoir. As you move the marker across the surface, the solvent in the ink carries the pigment onto the paper or another surface. The magic happens when the solvent evaporates, which occurs very quickly. This leaves the pigment on the surface, displaying the color. In permanent markers, the quick drying solvent and the resin ensure the color adheres firmly to the surface, making it waterproof and smudgeproof. In washable markers, because the solvent is usually water based, it doesn't bind as permanently to surfaces, which allows for easy cleaning. So the next time you use a marker, think about how the combination of pigment, solvent and resin works together to bring color to your ideas. Thank you for the question, Elizabeth. This episode was made with questions from Gina who lives in Gatineau, Ezra, Charlie from Melbourne, Australia, Henry from Michigan, and Elizabeth from Chicago. We love getting your feedback on our show. If you have any feedback, please send it our way, and if you want to make sure you get all the episodes, please ask your parents to subscribe. You can find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever your parents listen to podcasts, and please, if you love learning about science with us, leave us a review. It may help others find our show. If you'd like to send us your questions, please send them to Hello at sleeptitscience dot com, sleep Tite