July 24, 2024
Listener Questions: Waves, Stars, Bugs, and Boogers 🌊⭐🦟🤧
In this episode, we answer listener questions about how waves are made, why we can only see stars at night, how boogers are formed, and what flies, mosquitoes, and other flying bugs like to eat.
Sleep Tight!,
Sheryl & Clark
❤️👂📖
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📢 Have an interesting science topic you would like to investigate? Send us an email at hello@sleeptightscience.com , and we may feature it in an upcoming show.
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❤️ We would love to hear from you, reach out to us via email.
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About Sleep Tight Science
We’ve got bedtime down to a (Sleep Tight) Science! Sleep Tight Science is an engaging bedtime show that makes science accessible and enjoyable for the whole family. Snuggle in and drift off to sleep while learning about science topics submitted by listeners! Designed for curious young minds (but simple enough for grown-ups to understand), Sleep Tight Science uses big words to answer big questions that kids wonder about, like why do we feel icky sometimes and how do our legs help us move? Learn something new about the natural world while drifting off to dreamland. Have an interesting science question or a topic you’re curious about? Email us at hello@sleeptightscience.com, and it might just be the focus of an upcoming episode!
Dedicated to enhancing the health and happiness of children, Sleep Tight Media helps families replace bedtime struggles with bedtime snuggles.
Transcript
00:00:44
Speaker 1: Hi, science fans, Guess what. We are launching season four of sleep Tight Science this September, and we need your help to make it extra special. Did you know that your voice can be part of our show? We want to hear your amazing voices in our show opening. It's super easy and fun to join in. Just record yourself saying you are listening to sleep Tight Science, then send your recording to the email address in our show notes.
00:01:19
Speaker 2: How cool is that.
00:01:21
Speaker 1: We can't wait to hear all your fantastic voices. Thank you for listening. You're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know that kangaroos can't walk backwards? What? These hopping marsupials have powerful legs and a long tail that makes it impossible for them to move in reverse. 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 of our time together answering questions that listeners have sent us. You have sent so many excellent questions that it's hard to answer them all, So over the next couple of episodes, we are going to entirely focus on your research interests. So let's get started.
00:02:55
Speaker 2: First.
00:02:56
Speaker 1: We have a question from Skuyler maclan who lives in Kentucky. Skyler asks how does the ocean make waves and why the ocean is in constant motion. Waves form as the result of the water's motion, gravitational forces and winds. The most common waves that we see are created by wind.
00:03:26
Speaker 2: When the wind.
00:03:27
Speaker 1: Blows across the surface of the water, it pushes the water and creates waves. Imagine blowing on your hot chocolate. Those ripples on the surface are just like ocean waves, but on a much smaller scale. The stronger the wind, the bigger the waves can get. Wind transfers its energy to the water, and that energy travels through the water, making waves that can travel for thousands of miles. But that's not the only way waves are made. Sometimes, big events like underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides can cause huge waves called tsunamis. These waves are different from regular wind waves because they are caused by a sudden movement of the ocean floor, pushing a massive amount of water all at once. Gravitational forces from the Moon and the Sun are responsible for creating tides, which are the regular rise and fall of the sea levels. The Moon's gravity pulls on the Earth's water, creating a bulge in the ocean. As the Earth rotates, different areas pass through these bulges, causing high and low tides. While tides are not the same as the waves caused by the wind, they do create very large, slow moving waves, known as tidal waves. Waves are super important for lots of reasons.
00:05:15
Speaker 2: They help mix up the.
00:05:16
Speaker 1: Water in the ocean, bringing nutrients from the.
00:05:20
Speaker 2: Deep up to the surface.
00:05:22
Speaker 1: This is great news for tiny sea creatures like plankton, which need those nutrients to grow and become food for bigger sea.
00:05:31
Speaker 2: Creatures like fish.
00:05:33
Speaker 1: Without waves, the ocean wouldn't be nearly as full of life. Waves also play a big role in shaping our coastlines over time. The constant crashing of waves against the shore can wear down rocks and create beautiful rock formations, sandy beaches, and even sea cliffs. So thank the waves for that lovely sandy shore next time you're at the beach. So in a nutshell, the ocean makes waves mainly because of the wind, but also because of big events like earthquakes. Waves help mix up the ocean, bringing nutrients to the surface and shape our coastlines.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: Thank you for the questions, Geyler.
00:06:38
Speaker 1: Next, we have a question from Seth, who lives in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Seth asks why can you only see stars at night and not during the day.
00:06:50
Speaker 2: What happens to them?
00:06:54
Speaker 1: Stars are amazing balls of burning gas that shine day and night. But during the day, something big and bright gets in the way, our very own sun.
00:07:07
Speaker 2: The Sun is a star too, but it's much closer.
00:07:11
Speaker 1: To us than all the other stars in the sky. Because it's so close, its light is incredibly bright and powerful. When the Sun's light enters our atmosphere, it scatters in all directions. This scattering makes the sky appear bright and blue. During the day. The sunlight is so strong that it completely outshines the much dimmer light from the distant stars, making them invisible to our eyes.
00:07:45
Speaker 2: It's like trying to.
00:07:46
Speaker 1: See a tiny flashlight in front of a huge spotlight.
00:07:50
Speaker 2: The big light is just too bright.
00:07:54
Speaker 1: But don't worry, the stars don't go anywhere during the day. They're still there, twinkling away in space. When the Earth rotates and the sun.
00:08:05
Speaker 2: Sets, the sky gets dark.
00:08:08
Speaker 1: Without the Sun's bright light, The stars light can reach us without being overshadowed. That's why we can see them so clearly at night. To summarize, you can only see stars at night because the Sun's bright light scatters in our atmosphere and makes the sky so bright that it hides the stars.
00:08:31
Speaker 2: During the day.
00:08:33
Speaker 1: When night falls and the sky becomes dark, the stars light shines through and we can see those beautiful twinkling dots in the sky. Thank you for the question, Seth. Did you know that bananas are slightly radioactive? It's true bananas contain potassium and a tiny part of that potassium is radioactive. But don't worry. You would have to eat millions of bananas at once to feel any effects. Our next question comes from Camilla, who is nine years old and lives in Coffs Harbor, Australia. Camilla asks how snot or Booger's form. Our noses are amazing at keeping us healthy. One way they do this is by producing mucus or snot. Mucus is a sticky, slimy substance made by the lining of our noses and sinuses. It may seem gross, but it has a super important job. Here's how it works. The inside of your nose is lined with special cells that produce mucus. This mucus helps to trap dust, germs, and other tiny particles that we breathe in, preventing them from getting into our lungs. Think of mucus as a sticky trap, like a spider's web, catching all the bad stuff like dust and germs before they can get into your lungs and make you sick. When mucus catches these particles, it can start to dry out and mix with other things in your nose, like dead skin cells and dirt. As this happens, it forms into those LUs clumps we call boogers. Boogers are just dried up bits of mucus that have done their job protecting your body. Sometimes, when you have a cold or allergies, your body makes extra mucus to help flush out the germs or allergens. That's why your nose can feel extra stuffy or runny during those times. It's just your body's way of saying, hey, I'm working hard to keep you healthy. So snot or mucus is produced by your nose to trap dust, germs, and other particles. When it dries out, it forms boogers.
00:11:29
Speaker 2: It might seem.
00:11:30
Speaker 1: Yucky, but it's all part of your body's amazing defense system. Thank you for the question, Camilla. Our next question comes from Justin, who is from Saint Ustache, Quebec, Canada. Justin wants to know what flies, mosquitoes, and other flying bugs eat. Where we live, we experience all kinds of flying bugs, especially at dusk when they seem to come out to play. Let's first talk about flies. Flies are versatile eaters. They use their spongy mouthparts to soak up liquids, which mean they love anything gooey or moist. House Flies, for example, are scavengers. They'll feast on anything from rotting food to animal waste yach but flies are also important recyclers in nature, breaking down organic matter. Next, we have our least favorite, the mosquito. Did you know that only female mosquitoes bite.
00:12:58
Speaker 2: That's right.
00:12:59
Speaker 1: Female mosquitoes need the protein from blood to help develop their eggs. They have special mouthparts called pros that pierce the skin and suck up blood. Male mosquitos, on the other hand, are totally vegetarian. They feed on nectar and other plant juices. Butterflies and moths are also nectar lovers. They use their long tube like tongues called ProBiS to sip nectar from flowers. This not only gives them energy, but also helps pollinate plants. Some butterflies and moths even enjoycipping on fruit juice or tree sap. Dragonflies are the hunters of the insect world. They are predators, catching and eating other small insects like mosquitoes, flies, and gnats. While flying, Their sharp mandibles make quick work of their prey. Finally, let's not forget about bees. We love bees so much that we dedicate a whole episode to them. Bees are nature's tiny farmers. They collect nectar and pollen from flowers. The nectar gives them energy, while the pollen provides protein and other nutrients. Bees use this food to make honey and feed their young. So Flies, mosquitoes, and other flying bugs have a variety of diets. Flies love any moist and decaying, and female mosquitoes need blood. At the same time, males prefer nectar, butterflies and moths sip nectar, dragonflies hunt other insects, and bees collect nectar and pollen. Each of these flying bugs plays an important role in their ecosystems, whether it's recycling waste, pollinating plants, or controlling pest populations. Thank you for the question, Justin. Our last question comes from Lily, a seven year old from Sydney, Australia. Lily wants to know why four leaf clovers are lucky. We love this question. It's important for young scientists to be cure about all.
00:15:45
Speaker 2: Kinds of things.
00:15:47
Speaker 1: The belief that four leaf clovers are lucky is thought to have originated from Irish culture. A four leaf clover is a rare variation on the common three leaf clover. Because four leaf clovers are so rare, finding one is considered a special and lucky event. On average, there's only one four leaf clover for every five thousand three leaf clovers. That's why spotting one feels like finding a tiny treasure. The tradition of four leaf clovers being lucky goes back many years. Some people believe that each leaf of the clover represents something special. The first leaf stands for faith, the second leaf stands for hope, the third leaf stands for and the rare fourth leaf that one stands for luck. This belief has been passed down through generations, making four leaf clovers a symbol of good fortune. In many cultures, finding a four leaf clover is thought to bring luck and happiness to the person who finds it. So next time you're exploring a grassy field, see if you can find that rare four leaf clover. If you do, you might be in for some good luck. Thank you for the question, Lily. In this episode, we learned a little about how waves are made, why we can only see stars at night, how bookers are formed, and what flies, mosquitoes and other flying bugs like to eat. We would love to get your feedback on our show. If you have any feedback, please send it our way. 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. If you love learning about science with us, please 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 sleep tightscience dot com.
00:18:23
Speaker 2: Sleep tight
Speaker 1: Hi, science fans, Guess what. We are launching season four of sleep Tight Science this September, and we need your help to make it extra special. Did you know that your voice can be part of our show? We want to hear your amazing voices in our show opening. It's super easy and fun to join in. Just record yourself saying you are listening to sleep Tight Science, then send your recording to the email address in our show notes.
00:01:19
Speaker 2: How cool is that.
00:01:21
Speaker 1: We can't wait to hear all your fantastic voices. Thank you for listening. You're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know that kangaroos can't walk backwards? What? These hopping marsupials have powerful legs and a long tail that makes it impossible for them to move in reverse. 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 of our time together answering questions that listeners have sent us. You have sent so many excellent questions that it's hard to answer them all, So over the next couple of episodes, we are going to entirely focus on your research interests. So let's get started.
00:02:55
Speaker 2: First.
00:02:56
Speaker 1: We have a question from Skuyler maclan who lives in Kentucky. Skyler asks how does the ocean make waves and why the ocean is in constant motion. Waves form as the result of the water's motion, gravitational forces and winds. The most common waves that we see are created by wind.
00:03:26
Speaker 2: When the wind.
00:03:27
Speaker 1: Blows across the surface of the water, it pushes the water and creates waves. Imagine blowing on your hot chocolate. Those ripples on the surface are just like ocean waves, but on a much smaller scale. The stronger the wind, the bigger the waves can get. Wind transfers its energy to the water, and that energy travels through the water, making waves that can travel for thousands of miles. But that's not the only way waves are made. Sometimes, big events like underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides can cause huge waves called tsunamis. These waves are different from regular wind waves because they are caused by a sudden movement of the ocean floor, pushing a massive amount of water all at once. Gravitational forces from the Moon and the Sun are responsible for creating tides, which are the regular rise and fall of the sea levels. The Moon's gravity pulls on the Earth's water, creating a bulge in the ocean. As the Earth rotates, different areas pass through these bulges, causing high and low tides. While tides are not the same as the waves caused by the wind, they do create very large, slow moving waves, known as tidal waves. Waves are super important for lots of reasons.
00:05:15
Speaker 2: They help mix up the.
00:05:16
Speaker 1: Water in the ocean, bringing nutrients from the.
00:05:20
Speaker 2: Deep up to the surface.
00:05:22
Speaker 1: This is great news for tiny sea creatures like plankton, which need those nutrients to grow and become food for bigger sea.
00:05:31
Speaker 2: Creatures like fish.
00:05:33
Speaker 1: Without waves, the ocean wouldn't be nearly as full of life. Waves also play a big role in shaping our coastlines over time. The constant crashing of waves against the shore can wear down rocks and create beautiful rock formations, sandy beaches, and even sea cliffs. So thank the waves for that lovely sandy shore next time you're at the beach. So in a nutshell, the ocean makes waves mainly because of the wind, but also because of big events like earthquakes. Waves help mix up the ocean, bringing nutrients to the surface and shape our coastlines.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: Thank you for the questions, Geyler.
00:06:38
Speaker 1: Next, we have a question from Seth, who lives in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Seth asks why can you only see stars at night and not during the day.
00:06:50
Speaker 2: What happens to them?
00:06:54
Speaker 1: Stars are amazing balls of burning gas that shine day and night. But during the day, something big and bright gets in the way, our very own sun.
00:07:07
Speaker 2: The Sun is a star too, but it's much closer.
00:07:11
Speaker 1: To us than all the other stars in the sky. Because it's so close, its light is incredibly bright and powerful. When the Sun's light enters our atmosphere, it scatters in all directions. This scattering makes the sky appear bright and blue. During the day. The sunlight is so strong that it completely outshines the much dimmer light from the distant stars, making them invisible to our eyes.
00:07:45
Speaker 2: It's like trying to.
00:07:46
Speaker 1: See a tiny flashlight in front of a huge spotlight.
00:07:50
Speaker 2: The big light is just too bright.
00:07:54
Speaker 1: But don't worry, the stars don't go anywhere during the day. They're still there, twinkling away in space. When the Earth rotates and the sun.
00:08:05
Speaker 2: Sets, the sky gets dark.
00:08:08
Speaker 1: Without the Sun's bright light, The stars light can reach us without being overshadowed. That's why we can see them so clearly at night. To summarize, you can only see stars at night because the Sun's bright light scatters in our atmosphere and makes the sky so bright that it hides the stars.
00:08:31
Speaker 2: During the day.
00:08:33
Speaker 1: When night falls and the sky becomes dark, the stars light shines through and we can see those beautiful twinkling dots in the sky. Thank you for the question, Seth. Did you know that bananas are slightly radioactive? It's true bananas contain potassium and a tiny part of that potassium is radioactive. But don't worry. You would have to eat millions of bananas at once to feel any effects. Our next question comes from Camilla, who is nine years old and lives in Coffs Harbor, Australia. Camilla asks how snot or Booger's form. Our noses are amazing at keeping us healthy. One way they do this is by producing mucus or snot. Mucus is a sticky, slimy substance made by the lining of our noses and sinuses. It may seem gross, but it has a super important job. Here's how it works. The inside of your nose is lined with special cells that produce mucus. This mucus helps to trap dust, germs, and other tiny particles that we breathe in, preventing them from getting into our lungs. Think of mucus as a sticky trap, like a spider's web, catching all the bad stuff like dust and germs before they can get into your lungs and make you sick. When mucus catches these particles, it can start to dry out and mix with other things in your nose, like dead skin cells and dirt. As this happens, it forms into those LUs clumps we call boogers. Boogers are just dried up bits of mucus that have done their job protecting your body. Sometimes, when you have a cold or allergies, your body makes extra mucus to help flush out the germs or allergens. That's why your nose can feel extra stuffy or runny during those times. It's just your body's way of saying, hey, I'm working hard to keep you healthy. So snot or mucus is produced by your nose to trap dust, germs, and other particles. When it dries out, it forms boogers.
00:11:29
Speaker 2: It might seem.
00:11:30
Speaker 1: Yucky, but it's all part of your body's amazing defense system. Thank you for the question, Camilla. Our next question comes from Justin, who is from Saint Ustache, Quebec, Canada. Justin wants to know what flies, mosquitoes, and other flying bugs eat. Where we live, we experience all kinds of flying bugs, especially at dusk when they seem to come out to play. Let's first talk about flies. Flies are versatile eaters. They use their spongy mouthparts to soak up liquids, which mean they love anything gooey or moist. House Flies, for example, are scavengers. They'll feast on anything from rotting food to animal waste yach but flies are also important recyclers in nature, breaking down organic matter. Next, we have our least favorite, the mosquito. Did you know that only female mosquitoes bite.
00:12:58
Speaker 2: That's right.
00:12:59
Speaker 1: Female mosquitoes need the protein from blood to help develop their eggs. They have special mouthparts called pros that pierce the skin and suck up blood. Male mosquitos, on the other hand, are totally vegetarian. They feed on nectar and other plant juices. Butterflies and moths are also nectar lovers. They use their long tube like tongues called ProBiS to sip nectar from flowers. This not only gives them energy, but also helps pollinate plants. Some butterflies and moths even enjoycipping on fruit juice or tree sap. Dragonflies are the hunters of the insect world. They are predators, catching and eating other small insects like mosquitoes, flies, and gnats. While flying, Their sharp mandibles make quick work of their prey. Finally, let's not forget about bees. We love bees so much that we dedicate a whole episode to them. Bees are nature's tiny farmers. They collect nectar and pollen from flowers. The nectar gives them energy, while the pollen provides protein and other nutrients. Bees use this food to make honey and feed their young. So Flies, mosquitoes, and other flying bugs have a variety of diets. Flies love any moist and decaying, and female mosquitoes need blood. At the same time, males prefer nectar, butterflies and moths sip nectar, dragonflies hunt other insects, and bees collect nectar and pollen. Each of these flying bugs plays an important role in their ecosystems, whether it's recycling waste, pollinating plants, or controlling pest populations. Thank you for the question, Justin. Our last question comes from Lily, a seven year old from Sydney, Australia. Lily wants to know why four leaf clovers are lucky. We love this question. It's important for young scientists to be cure about all.
00:15:45
Speaker 2: Kinds of things.
00:15:47
Speaker 1: The belief that four leaf clovers are lucky is thought to have originated from Irish culture. A four leaf clover is a rare variation on the common three leaf clover. Because four leaf clovers are so rare, finding one is considered a special and lucky event. On average, there's only one four leaf clover for every five thousand three leaf clovers. That's why spotting one feels like finding a tiny treasure. The tradition of four leaf clovers being lucky goes back many years. Some people believe that each leaf of the clover represents something special. The first leaf stands for faith, the second leaf stands for hope, the third leaf stands for and the rare fourth leaf that one stands for luck. This belief has been passed down through generations, making four leaf clovers a symbol of good fortune. In many cultures, finding a four leaf clover is thought to bring luck and happiness to the person who finds it. So next time you're exploring a grassy field, see if you can find that rare four leaf clover. If you do, you might be in for some good luck. Thank you for the question, Lily. In this episode, we learned a little about how waves are made, why we can only see stars at night, how bookers are formed, and what flies, mosquitoes and other flying bugs like to eat. We would love to get your feedback on our show. If you have any feedback, please send it our way. 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. If you love learning about science with us, please 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 sleep tightscience dot com.
00:18:23
Speaker 2: Sleep tight