NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS NEWSLETTER
Volume 23, Issue 12 (December, 2019)

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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 Poetry Contest
  4. Neuroscience for Kids Web Site Redesign
  5. Vote: 2020 Brain Awareness Week Sticker Design Contest
  6. National Science Teachers Associated Meeting (Seattle)
  7. Media Alert
  8. Treasure Trove of Brain Trivia
  9. Support Neuroscience for Kids
  10. 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 November including:

A. November Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter was archived
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/news2311.html

B. New Neuroscience in the News
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/inthenews.html

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2. NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS "SITE OF THE MONTH"

The Neuroscience for Kids "Site of the Month" for December is "MyBrainRobbie.org" at:

https://mybrainrobbie.org

MyBrainRobbie.org is one of the few web sites about the brain for young children. The site was created for children 6-12 years old to promote good brain health and increase awareness about the importance of brain health for everyone. The central feature of the site is a six-minute video starring "Robbie" the brain. Robbie shows viewers ways to take good care of their brain. Teachers can download several worksheets they can use after their students watch the video.

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3. NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS POETRY CONTEST

The 2020 Neuroscience for Kids Poetry Contest is now open! Use your imagination to create a poem about the brain. For complete rules and an entry form, go to:

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/contest20.html

Entries must be received by February 1, 2020.

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4. NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS WEB SITE REDESIGN

Do you think that the Neuroscience for Kids web site needs to be redesigned? Or do you like the look of the current site? Now is your chance to let me know. I've got a possible new look for the web site and I'd like your advice. All of the pages from the old site have not yet been converted to the new design, but you can have a preview of the new design and let me know what you think. You can see the possible new site at: https://n-coding.net/sandbox/

Compare this new site with the existing site at: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html

Which design do you like better, the new site or the old site? Let me know: chudler@uw.edu

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5. VOTE: 2020 BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK STICKER DESIGN CONTEST

The Dana Foundation asks for your help in choosing the design for the 2020 Brain Awareness Week Sticker Contest. The Foundation has narrowed the entries to five finalists and now you can vote for your favorite. Voting is open until December 4, 2019 at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/sticker-vote-2020

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6. NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION MEETING (SEATTLE)

Are you a teacher who will be at the National Science Teachers Association meeting in Seattle (December 12-14, 2019)? If so, perhaps you can attend a session when I will present. I'll be involved in two sessions, both on December 13 (Friday). In the first session, I will collaborate with the Dana Foundation in a presentation titled "Introducing the Nervous System with Models" from 8:00 to 9:00 am in Room 604 of the convention center. In this session, we will present some simple ways to model neurons and the brain. In the second session titled "Neuroscience + Engineering + Technology: Neural Engineering for Secondary STEM Classrooms," I will team up with some high school teachers who will showcase some great neural engineering activities at the Center for Neurotechnology. This session will be held from 2:00 to 3:00 pm pm in Room 310 of the convention center.

I hope to see you there!

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7. MEDIA ALERT

A. "Will machines ever become conscious?" by Christof Koch (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, December, 2019).

B. "Why babies are so cute and why we react the way we do" by Gemma Tarlach and "I tried to find what truth and beauty looked like in my brain" by Jonathon Keats (DISCOVER magazine, December, 2019).

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8. THE TREASURE TROVE OF BRAIN TRIVIA

A. Former US President Jimmy Carter, who is 95 years old, was hospitalized last month after surgery to relieve pressure on his brain caused by falling.

B. Green Brain Comics is the name of a comic book store in Detroit (MI).

C. The Hilltop Inn in Evansville, Indiana, serves pork brain sandwiches (4.00$ for a slider; $9.50 for the Jumbo Brain sandwich). You can see their full menu on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/HilltopInnEVV/menu/

D. Walk through "The MEGA Brain" at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, PA:

https://www.davincisciencecenter.org/mega-brain/

E. "Mr. Brain" is the name of a Japanese TV show (only eight episodes were broadcast in 2009) about a neuroscientist who solved crimes.

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9. 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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10. 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)