Welcome to the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter.
In this issue:
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/news2711.html
B. New Neuroscience in the News
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/inthenews.html
C. Visit or follow my Instagram site with neuroscience facts and trivia:
https://www.instagram.com/ericchudler/
D. New Neurocalendars
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurocal.html
E. Can Zebrafish Genes Help Us Cure Paralysis?
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/zebraf.html
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The Neuroscience for Kids "Site of the Month" for December is the "Interesting Brains Project" at:
https://web.mit.edu/~interestingbrains/
The Interesting Brains Project follows the work of Dr. Ev Fedorenko and her research team as they study brains that look different from typical brains. The group uses functional magnetic resonance imaging methods to investigate how stroke, physical damage, and disease change the brain and influence behavior.
The three small, gray bars in the upper right corner of the web site provide links to pages within the resource. A few scientific publications from the group are available ("Our Findings" tab), but these papers may be somewhat technical and difficult to read for many people. Instead, head to the "In the News" tab to read articles about the research in Wired magazine and The New York Times. For more articles in the media about this work, navigate to "EvLab," that sends you to Dr. Fedorenko's Language Lab at MIT, and then click on the box labeled "Public Outreach / In the News."
You can even participate in the Interesting Brains Project. The research team is looking for people who have had a childhood stroke, cysts or hydrocephalus. Click on the "Participate" tab to learn more about how to participate in the project.
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The 2024 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/contest24.html
Entries must be received by February 1, 2024.
Good luck to everyone!
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Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is a nationwide effort organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and the Society for Neuroscience to promote the public and personal benefits of brain research. The official week for the next BAW is March 11-17, 2024, but any week is a good time to get involved.
When I take a walk around my neighborhood, I often see rocks painted with pictures of trees, flowers, stars or inspirational sayings. This got me thinking -- could rock art be used to promote Brain Awareness Week? I think the answer is "yes!"
So, let's call this program "The Brain Rocks." To participate, all you have to do is find a rock and paint it with a brain or a neuron. It would be great if you could add a few words such as "BAW 2024" or "Brain Awareness Week." Then put your brain rock outside and take a photo of it. Please do not include any people in your photos; just your brain rocks.
Upload your photo by clicking on the small + in the circle in the lower right side of the following web site:
https://padlet.com/chudler/the-brain-rocks-nyoasc2tfaiopl5z
I look forward to seeing your creation! Let's see how many brain rocks we can get posted.
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During the YSP-REACH program, students will receive an introduction to neuroscience and neural engineering, neuroethics, and the latest developments in brain-computer interfaces. The program is well suited for students interested in a science, math, technology and engineering, with a specific interest in neural engineering and neuroscience.
The deadline for summer 2024 YSP-REACH program applications is March 15, 2024. For more information and an application form, see:
https://centerforneurotech.uw.edu/content/young-scholars-program
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Last month, police in the city of Tilburg (Netherlands) reported that a large (2 meters in length) green mamba snake was on the loose. The owner of the snake told the police that the snake was missing! The police warned residents not to approach or try to capture the snake because the snake is extremely venomous.
The venom of the eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) works by causing the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Symptoms of a green mamba bite may include pain and swelling at the bite site, dizziness, nausea, heart problems, trouble breathing and paralysis.
The story has a happy ending. The snake was found safe behind a plaster wall and is healthy.
Source:
Municipality of Tilburg: https://www.tilburg.nl/nieuws/item/zoektocht-naar-ontsnapte-slang/
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A. "Memory" is a special edition of POPULAR SCIENCE magazine on newsstands now.
B. "Blind Spot" (about nearsightedness) in WIRED magazine (November 1, 2023).
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A. While at sea, wild northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) average only 2 hours of sleep per day for 7 months (Source: Kendall-Bar, J.M. et al., Brain activity of diving seals reveals short sleep cycles at depth, Science, 380:260-265, 2023).
B. Researchers have developed a wireless, handheld, non-invasive device that can detect biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease (Source: Bodily, T.A., et al., In pursuit of degenerative brain disease diagnosis: Dementia biomarkers detected by DNA aptamer-attached portable graphene biosensor, PNAS, 2023; 120 (47) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311565120).
C. Almost one in five school-aged children and preteens take melatonin for sleep (Source: Hartstein, L.E., et al., Characteristics of melatonin use among US children and adolescents, JAMA Pediatrics, 2023 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.4749).
D. Yoga may help reduce feelings of stigma and the frequency of seizures in people who have epilepsy (Source: Kaur, K., et al., Effectiveness of yoga intervention in reducing felt stigma in adults with epilepsy: A randomized controlled trial, Neurology, 2023; 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207944 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207944).
E. "Hallucinate" has been selected by the Cambridge Dictionary as the 2023 Word of the Year (Source: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/editorial/woty).
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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:
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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.