NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS NEWSLETTER
Volume 19, Issue 8 (August, 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. Bloomin' Brains Summer Camp
4. Society for Neuroscience Meeting
5. Media Alert
6. Treasure Trove of Brain Trivia
7. Support Neuroscience for Kids
8. 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 July including:

A. July Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter was archived
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/news197.html

B. Heading Off Concussions
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/headcon.html

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2. NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS "SITE OF THE MONTH"

The Neuroscience for Kids "Site of the Month" for August is "The Guardian: Neuroscience" at:

http://www.theguardian.com/science/neuroscience

The Guardian news service maintains a special section of their web for neuroscience with summaries of recent research. Each month, the site posts about 15 reports on a wide variety of topics including learning, memory, neurological illnesses and ethics.
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3. 2015 BLOOMIN' BRAINS SUMMER CAMP

Last month, 23 middle school kids attended the Bloomin' Brains Summer Camp at the University of Washington. The camp is part of my Sowing the Seeds of Neuroscience program funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The kids started camp with an overview of the week including safety rules and expectations. The camp staff and each of the campers then introduced themselves by playing a game of "snowball" to get everyone talking to each other. I also brought in several medicinal plants and herbs from my home garden for the kids to smell and draw in their lab notebooks. Many of the kids were able to identify the plants.

"Brain 101," an overview about the brain and neurotransmission followed. We played the neurotransmitter game and created a giant nerve cell model. After lunch, we had an auditory treasure hunt where the campers explored the University of Washington campus. The afternoon ended with the construction of brain and neuron models from playdoh, pipe cleaners and a favorite...beady neurons!

Day 2 of Bloomin' Brains Summer Camp included chemical extractions from plants, a trip to the UW Medicinal Herb Garden, a Latin lesson, hand-eye coordination game and more questions and answers about the brain. Day 3 started with a few brainy puzzles, then moved to experiments that examined how plant extracts affected the behavior of planaria. The kids also took a long hike to the Hyde Herbarium to make presses of plants and had lunch. Back in the lab after lunch was shirt and scarf tie dye time.

On the fourth day of camp, the kids studied Lumbriculus worms to see how plant extracts affected blood flow. We also had a guest presenter who taught the campers how to make different scents from essential oils. The final day of camp started with spikerboxes that were used to listen in on the neural activity from cockroach leg nerves. Everyone also made an herbal first aid kit. In the afternoon, we took another hike, this time up to the "Quad" for an outside lunch and then to the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering to learn about brains and machines. After a snack of brain jello, it was time to say goodbye.

I think all of the kids had a fun time at the Bloomin' Brains Summer Camp. Much of the success goes to the NeuroSeeds staff and undergraduate assistants who made sure that the kids were on task. You can see photos from camp online at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/109062152188489752309/2015SummerCamp?authuser=0&feat=directlink
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4. SOCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE MEETING

The annual Society for Neuroscience meeting, where thousands of neuroscientists will gather to discuss their work, will be held from October 15-21, 2015, in Chicago, IL. Although the meeting is intended for active scientific researchers, high school students may also attend if they are accompanied by a chaperone.

Registration for high school students must first be approved by the Society for Neuroscience Public Information & Outreach department. To request approval, you must submit a High School Application Form to registration@sfn.org. The cost for high school students is $45 for one day or $175 for the week. For the application form, scroll down to "High School" here:

http://www.sfn.org/annual-meeting/neuroscience-2015/registration/categories-and-fees
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5. MEDIA ALERT

A. "Smell Test" by Rebecca Wallick (BARK magazine, Summer 2015 issue) describes how a dog's sense of smell can be used to detect disease.

B. "Mind Illuminated" at the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia (PA) is a display of neuro-inspired artwork by Greg Dunn. The exhibit will be on display until January 7, 2016. For more information, see:

http://muttermuseum.org/exhibitions/mind-illuminated-works-by-greg-dunn/

C. "Flashes of Genius" by Ariel Sabar (SMITHSONIAN magazine, July/August, 2015).
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6. THE TREASURE TROVE OF BRAIN TRIVIA

A. The word "pheromone" comes from Greek meaning "to carry" and "excite."

B. Early anatomists called the dura mater "pachymeninges" because of its similarity to elephant skin.

C. According to US News & World Report, the top five universities for neuroscience and behavior are 1) Harvard University, 2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 3) University of California, Berkeley, 4) Stanford University and 5) University of Oxford. (Source: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/neuroscience-behavior)

D. Using special receptor cells called the Ampullae of Lorenzini, sharks can detect field of 10 billionths of a volt. (Source: From Helfman, G. and Burgess, G.H., Sharks. The Animal Answer Guide. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014.)

E. A 3.7 m White Shark brain weighs 35 g or 0.008% of its total body weight. (Source: Helfman, G. and Burgess, G.H., Sharks. The Animal Answer Guide. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014.)
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7. 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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8. 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)