SJK Audio Edition Science Journal for Kids

Read this article at:   or watch at: https://youtu.be/SvF3TX1iO2Q 
Summary: Scientists tested how blind and sighted people used sound in tracking motion to learn more about how the brain works.
Abstract: You hear footsteps behind you. They’re getting louder! You turn around quickly. Your friend was trying to sneak up on you. How did you know they were there? Your brain was hard at work! It took clues from your senses and turned those clues into information. But not everybody’s senses work the same way. When someone is blind or deaf, their brains learn to use the other senses differently. We were interested in knowing how blind people use sounds to learn about moving objects. We found that people who became blind during early childhood were better at following sounds than sighted people. Both blind and sighted people tracked moving sounds in a similar way. But blind people were much better at ignoring background noise.


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Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-air-travel-produce-fewer-greenhouse-gas-emissions/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/d8mS4bH_G2E 
Summary: Researchers compare nine different possible scenarios to determine how the aviation industry could reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Abstract: When you think about the causes of climate change, what comes to mind? Do you think of gasoline-powered cars? Or do you think about coal and natural gas power plants? It turns out that a big source of greenhouse gas emissions is flying. To prevent Earth from becoming too warm, many countries have set net-zero emission goals. So, the aviation industry needs to make changes. We analyzed the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced in nine different scenarios in the years up to 2050. Each scenario included a change in the demand for flying, a change in the efficiency of the airplanes, and a change in the type of fuel used. We found making changes to these factors can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the aviation industry will also need to invest in carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. With these changes, it is possible for the aviation industry to reach net-zero emissions by 2050!


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at:   or watch at: https://youtu.be/QsLFuo8TvhI 
Summary: Researchers explore what causes online political discussions to get so mean.
Abstract: Online discussions about politics can be very nasty. But why is that? Researchers have proposed two theories. One talks about the disagreement over ideas. And the second theory is that people see others as rivals. But there is a third theory called the "troll hypothesis". It suggests that mean people are mean, regardless of the topic. To see if this is right, we analyzed comments on Reddit. We found that people who often argue and are rude in political discussions are also mean when they talk about other things. Plus, those who make comments on communities of both political sides turn out to be the meanest! So, online discussions get mean largely because of these people rather than the topic.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/why-dont-whales-get-cancer/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/C11YMSLV_e4
Summary: Researchers wanted to discover how the genomes of the humpback whale have evolved to help them avoid developing cancer.
Abstract: Every day, the cells in your body are super busy growing and dividing. When something goes wrong, mutations appear. Our immune system usually detects cells with mistakes and kills them before they become a problem. But sometimes they go undetected and the rogue cell multiplies, turning into cancer. So, if an animal has more cells and a longer life, it should get more cancer. Whales have up to 1,000 times more cells than humans and some live for over 200 years. But their cancer rates are no higher than ours! To figure out why this is, we compared the humpback whale and other whale genomes to other mammal genomes. Our DNA analysis showed that in whales there was duplication of cancer-suppressing genes. We also found that whales have the slowest rate of genetic changes. Our findings help us understand the role of DNA in preventing cancer. It could also help us fight cancer in humans!


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-ai-make-online-chats-kinder/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/kgt424nIx6k 
Summary: Researchers wanted to see if AI assistants can improve online political discussions.
Abstract: Imagine a world where everyone can talk and share their ideas. Even if they don't agree, they listen to each other. This is what should happen in a democracy. But sometimes, when people chat online, things can get a bit mean. We wanted to see if artificial intelligence (AI) could make online talks kinder.
So, we did an online experiment with pairs of people discussing a tricky topic: laws about who can own guns. One participant in each pair had an AI assistant that made suggestions. The participants could accept or ignore the suggestions. Most participants took the AI's advice, which made people more positive and polite. Even if they disagreed, they understood and respected each other. The good thing is that the AI didn't change the topic, it just helped people to talk to each other more kindly.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-doctors-treat-endometriosis/  or watch at: https://youtu.be/LWDUiEuk-GY
Summary: Researchers studied how different types and amounts of macrophages affect endometriosis in mice.
Abstract: Normally, the tissue that makes up each of your body’s organs only grows in the place it should. But that’s not the case for people with endometriosis. With this disease, tissue that lines the uterus grows outside the uterus as lesions. These cause pain and infertility. Endometriosis affects about 10% of women worldwide as well as some trans people. On very rare occasions it has been detected in men. 
Scientists know that people with endometriosis have high levels of a type of white blood cell called macrophages. We wanted to find out how macrophages affected the growth of lesions as well as pain in people with endometriosis. So, we studied mice with endometriosis in a laboratory. We changed the number and type of macrophages present in the mice to learn how these cells affect the development of lesions. We discovered that certain types of macrophages may help to treat endometriosis. Others encourage the development of lesions. Our findings could lead to new treatments for endometriosis patients!


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencejournalforkids.substack.com