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Welcome to the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter.
In this issue:
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Neuroscience for Kids had several new additions in May including:
A. May Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter was archived
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/news2805.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
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The Neuroscience for Kids "Site of the Month" for June is the "National High School Journal of Science" at:
High school students often write to me about the research they are conducting. Sometimes these students ask for advice about where they can publish their work. One place students can publish their work is the National High School Journal of Science, this month’s "Site of the Month."
The National High School Journal of Science is a free, online, student-run, peer-reviewed research journal for high school students. Peer reviewers and a scientist advisory board ensure that papers are of a high quality. The journal accepts original research and papers describing significant developments in science and policy.
The journal covers a wide range of scientific topics including neuroscience and biology. You can get an idea of the type of papers accepted by browsing the archives of the journal dating back to 2011. If you do decide to publish your work in the National High School Journal of Science, make sure to read the submission guidelines and follow the instructions so the publication of your work is not delayed.
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The International Neuroethics Society and the International Youth Neuroscience Association are sponsoring a Neuroethics Essay Contest for high school students, secondary school students, post-secondary student, and postdoctoral fellows. Essays can cover any field of neuroethics where neuroscience intersects with society (for example, law, medicine, philosophy and psychology). Winners will receive cash prizes. The deadline for submissions is July 5, 2024, 11:30 p.m. EDT. More details and the submission entry portal:
https://neuroethicsessaycontest.com/call/
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The Allen Institute is holding the 2024 Open Science Sticker Contest for people ages 5-14 years old. Stickers should be designed around the theme "Celebrating Team Science: the power of collaboration and sharing in science." The winner of the contest will receive a set of stickers featuring the winning design and Allen Institute promotional items. Submit your sticker design by June 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. PST. More details and the submission entry portal:
https://alleninstitute.org/events/open-science-sticker-contest-24/
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Beware of a new danger that may be lurking in your backyard: the hammerhead worm (Bipalium adventitum) (a related species is Bipalium kewense). Also known as the hammerhead flatworm, arrowhead flatworm, and broadhead planarian, the hammerhead worm eats earthworms, slugs, and insect larvae. These worms are considered to be an invasive species because they feed on useful animals like earthworms.
Hammerhead worms may be gray, brown, gold or green, have a shovel-shaped head and can grow to lengths up 15 inches. The worm can also secrete tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin that blocks sodium channels on nerve cells. Tetrodotoxin is the same chemical used by the pufferfish (fugu) and blue-ringed octopus. Although tetrodotoxin is extremely potent, the hammerhead worm cannot inject the toxin. However, gloves should be worn if you are removing the worms from your garden.
More information about hammerhead worms including disposal advice:
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A. "The New Science of Stress" (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, June 2024).
B. "Lifting the Veil on Near-Death Experiences" and "Adolescent Anxiety Is Hard to Treat. New Drug-Free Approaches May Help" (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, June 2024).
C. "Idle Imaginations" (DISCOVER, May/June 2024).
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A. One cubic millimeter of human temporal cortex contains about 57,000 cells, 230 millimeters of blood vessels, and 150 million synapses (Source: Shapson-Coe, A., et al., A petavoxel fragment of human cerebral cortex reconstructed at nanoscale resolution. Science, 2024 May 10;384(6696):eadk4858).
B. Secretions of psychoactive chemicals from the parotid gland of the Colorado River toads (Incilius alvarius) may be used to develop medicines to treat depression (Source: Warren, A.L., et al. Structural pharmacology and therapeutic potential of 5-methoxytryptamines. Nature, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07403-2).
C. There are 4,300,000 neurons in the brain of a female guppy (Poecilia reticulata) (Source: Marhounova, L., et al., Artificial selection on brain size leads to matching changes in overall number of neurons, Evolution, 73:2003-2012, 2019).
D. "Blast medicine anyway! We've learned to tie into every organ in the human body but one. The brain! The brain is what life is all about." (Source: quote from actor DeForest Kelley playing the character of Dr. Leonard H. McCoy in “The Menagerie” episode of the Star Trek TV series).
E. Finland issued a Healthy Brains postage stamp in 1992; see the stamp here: https://stamps.fi/en/finnish-stamps/4290.
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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.