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Welcome to the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter.
In this issue:
1. What's New at Neuroscience for Kids____________________________________________________________
A. July Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter was archived
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/news197.html
B. Heading Off Concussions
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.
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
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
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).
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.)
Help Neuroscience for Kids
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/headcon.html
__________________________________________________________2. NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS "SITE OF THE MONTH"
The Neuroscience for Kids "Site of the Month" for August is "The Guardian:
Neuroscience" at:
__________________________________________________________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.
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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.
__________________________________________________________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.
__________________________________________________________6. THE TREASURE TROVE OF BRAIN TRIVIA
A. The word "pheromone" comes from Greek meaning "to carry" and
"excite."
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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:
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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)