NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS NEWSLETTER
Volume 19, Issue 2 (February, 2015)

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Welcome to the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter.

In this issue:

1. What's New at Neuroscience for Kids
2. Neuroscience for Kids Site of the Month
3. Neuroscience for Kids Drawing Contest
4. Neuro Words
5. Brain Awareness Week
6. Bloomin Brains Summer Camp
7. Neuroseeds Teacher Workshop
8. Media Alert
9. Treasure Trove of Brain Trivia
10. Support Neuroscience for Kids
11. How to Stop Your Subscription
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1. WHAT'S NEW AT NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS

Neuroscience for Kids had several new additions in January including:

A. January Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter was archived
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/news191.html
B. 2015 Neurocalendars
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurocal.html
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2. NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS "SITE OF THE MONTH"

The Neuroscience for Kids "Site of the Month" for February is the "Bionic Man" at:

http://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/bionic-man

Visit the Bionic Man at this site developed by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering to learn about implantable technologies that may be use to treat injuries and diseases. Many of these devices could be used to help people with disorders of the nervous system. Can you identify all of the technologies used to treat neurological disorders?
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3. NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS DRAWING CONTEST

Entries to NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS DRAWING CONTEST are now being judged. The results will be posted online and announced in next month's Neuroscience for Kids newsletter.
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4. NEURO WORDS

What neuroscientific word has the most letters? The one I thought of was "neuropsychopharmacological" with 26 letters. Can you think of a neuroscientific word with more than 26 letters? Let me know.

While we are on the topic of words, the word "neuroscience" has letters that can make up many other words. Here are some of the longer words using the letters in "neuroscience": concerns, nonsecure, renounces, insecure, onscreen, renounce, unicorns, reunions.
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5. BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK

Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is next month! I hope you will participate at your own school or in your neighborhood. For more information about BAW, visit the Dana Alliance and Society for Neuroscience web sites at:

http://www.dana.org/brainweek/

and

http://www.sfn.org/BAW/

Show your BRAINY spirit for BAW:

http://www.neuro4kids.com
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6. BLOOMIN' BRAINS SUMMER CAMP

There is still time to apply to the 2015 University of Washington Bloomin' Brains Summer Camp. The camp is part of my Sowing the Seeds of Neuroscience program and it is designed for middle school students interested in the brain. Learn more about the camp and apply online at:

http://www.neuroseeds.org/home/2014-bloomin-brains-summer-camp
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7. NEUROSEEDS TEACHER WORKSHOP

You can call it a summer camp for teachers! Here at the University of Washington, we will hold a workshop for teachers August 3-7, 2014. During the workshop, teachers will work through the Sowing the Seeds of Neuroscience curriculum. Teachers who complete the workshop will be able to check out Neuroseeds kits for use in their classrooms during the school year. For more information and workshop registration, see:

https://sites.google.com/site/neuroseeds/neuroseeds-teacher-workshop

This workshop is sponsored by my Sowing the Seeds of Neuroscience program.
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8. MEDIA ALERT

A. "The First Year" by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, January, 2015) discusses brain development.

B. "The Invisible War on the Brain" by Caroline Alexander (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, February, 2015).

C. "Treating Depression at the Source" by Andres M. Lozano and Helen S. Mayberg (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, February, 2015).

D. "Alzheimer's and the Aging Brain" is the cover story in DISCOVER magazine (March, 2015).
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9. THE TREASURE TROVE OF BRAIN TRIVIA

A. The Materia Medica (the great Herbal), written by Greek physician Pediacus Dioscorides in about the middle of the 1st century AD, recommended wearing two stones from the stomach of a young swallow (bird) to cure epilepsy. (Source: Eadie, M.J., The antiepileptic Materia Medica of Pediacus Dioscorides, J. Clin. Neurosci. 11:697-701, 2004.)

B. Napoleon Bonaparte (born 1769; died 1821) likely suffered from epilepsy. (Source: Hughes, J.R., Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: did he have seizures? Psychogenic or epileptic or both?, Epilepsy & Behavior, 4:793-796, 2003.)

C. American soccer star Tim Howard was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome when he was in middle school. (Source: http://www.tsa-usa.org/aabout_tsa/images/PSATimHoward.pdf)

D. Carolus Linnaeus coined the phrase "Homo sapiens," Latin for "wise man."

E. The height of a taste bud ranges from 50-100 microns. (Source: Farbman, A.I., Taste Bud, in G. Adelman, eds., Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, 1987.)
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10. SUPPORT NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS

To ensure that Neuroscience for Kids stays available, we need your help. All contributions to Neuroscience for Kids are tax deductible (subject to IRS regulations). If you would like to donate to Neuroscience for Kids, please visit:

Help Neuroscience for Kids
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11. HOW TO STOP RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER

To remove yourself from this mailing list and stop your subscription to the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter, send e-mail to Dr. Eric H. Chudler at: chudler@u.washington.edu
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Your comments and suggestions about this newsletter and the "Neuroscience for Kids" web site are always welcome. If there are any special topics that you would like to see on the web site, just let me know.

Eric

Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D.
(e-mail: chudler@u.washington.edu)
(URL: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html)