Dr. Universe

PULLMAN, Wash. – Springtime sets the stage for one of the greatest transformations in the natural world.

WENATCHEE, Wash. – My friend Kate Evans said the answer really depends on whether you want the perspective of a person, a plant or even a cat. Evans is a plant scientist at Washington State University in Wenatchee, where she investigates fruit in the Apple Capital of the World.

PULLMAN, Wash. – We can use all kinds of animal, bug, and plant materials to make cloth. Even some of the tiniest living things on the planet can make cloth, too.

PULLMAN, Wash. – In just a word, the story of soil goes something like this: “CLORPT!” It’s fun to say, and it helps explain how tough rock turns into the soft soil farmers need to grow food and feed the world.

PULLMAN, Wash. – Our universe would look so different, that you might not recognize it even if you could be here to see it. Unfortunately, there probably wouldn’t be a whole lot to see.

PULLMAN, Wash. – Hang on tight because the human brain keeps you on a 24-hour roller coaster. Every day the human body produces a chemical messenger in the brain called melatonin. It tells the body when it is time to go to bed.