Your Paw-some Question | Why are giraffe's tongues purple? - Ask Dr. Universe 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...

Cosmo and I learned all about melanin and giraffes' long, dark tongues. 🎙️🦒 Listen to the podcast here: www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis... #GoCougs @pullman.wsu.edu

How do robins find worms? Sometimes robins see what they’re hunting. They may notice tiny movements in the soil. Or they might spot small holes in the ground—or even a bit of a worm poking out of a hole. Usually robins see or ...

Thank goodness I was the early bird getting this answer with @pullman.wsu.edu's Heather Watts 🪱🐦‍⬛ askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/04/16/r... #GoCougs @wsu

I really dug answering this science question with @wsucahnrs.bsky.social's Cynthia Gleason 🪱 #GoCougs #STEMeducation @pullman.wsu.edu askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/04/09/w...

How Do You Science | Meet a Planetary Scientist (Will we ever live on Mars? Are aliens real?) - Ask Dr. Universe 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 s...

Can't get enough Artemis 2? Take a break with @pullman.wsu.edu planetary scientist Julie Menard 🚀 "How Do You Science | Meet a Planetary Scientist (Will we ever live on Mars? Are aliens real?)" podcast at www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis... @wsucahnrs.bsky.social #STEMeducation

What makes fluffy snow turn into crunchy, slippery, icy snow? The sun melts the top layer of snow. Liquid water oozes into the air pockets. If the snow refreezes, the liquid water between snowflakes freezes, too.

I'm glad @pullman.wsu.edu's Jaitun Patel gave me the cold, hard facts on snow ❄️ #GoCougs #STEMeducation @wsusystem askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/04/02/m...

Your Paw-some Question | What is the life cycle of a ladybug? - Ask Dr. Universe 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 De...

Listening to "Your Paw-some Question | What is the life cycle of a ladybug?" at www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis... @pullman.wsu.edu #GoCougs #STEMeducation

Why do some apple trees produce more apples than others? Productive apple trees need another compatible apple tree nearby. Apple production also depends on weather and how many apples it made the previous year.

So many thanks to Kate Evans of @wsuextension.bsky.social for taking a bite out of this question 🍎 #GoCougs #STEMeducation @pullman.wsu.edu askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/03/26/a...

What is a white hole? Dear Darwin and Rubal, Before I read your question, I had never heard of a white hole. So, I scampered over to my friend Vivienne Baldassare to find out more. She’s an astrophysicist at Washington Sta...

I hope this gravity-defying answer from @pullman.wsu.edu's Vivienne Baldassare streams toward you faster than the speed of light 🌌 #GoCougs #STEMeducation askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/03/12/w...

How Do You Science | Meet a Planetary Scientist (Will we ever live on Mars? Are aliens real?) - Ask Dr. Universe 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 s...

So many thanks to my stellar friend Julie Menard of @pullman.wsu.edu and @wsucahnrs.bsky.social for taking me on an out-of-this-world trip 🪐🎙️🛸 #GoCougs #STEMeducation www.buzzsprout.com/1338544/epis...

What is a chemical reaction? Dear Tim, I love to bake and eat depression cake. It was invented during the Great Depression in the 1930s, when some cake ingredients—like eggs, milk and butter—were hard to get. The recipe makes flu...

I really reacted to this effervescent answer from @pullman.wsu.edu's Mary Fennimore 🫧 #GoCougs #STEMeducation askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2026/03/05/w...

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. 🐾askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2025/12/04/why-do-we-hav... #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...