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ISSUE YOUR WEEKLY 13 SCIENCE O C T 1 7 NEWSLETTER 2 0 2 0 SciNews

this issue

NEW! Covid-19 Updates P.1 To the Right NEW! Winners P.2 The Zebra: What is ADHD? P.3 Type: Mammal Did You Know? P.4

Diet: Herbivore NEW! COVID-19 Updates Average lifespan in the wild: 25 years COVID-19 has created a worldwide watching for any signs that the virus may once pandemic. In the United States alone, flare up again. Countries that have followed this Weight: 440 - 990 pounds over 219,000 people have now died model include China and New Zealand. Other from this virus (up 5,000 from last countries, such as the United States and Brazil, Habitat: Africa week). Researchers and scientists are did not enforce regulations as strictly in the scrambling to find a cure or vaccine. In beginning, leading to a continual surge in cases. Zebras stick together in the United States, it has been over herds. Within the herd there seventh months since schools were are smaller family groups shut down, and orders to stay and made up of a male, several home and wear masks were put into females, and the offspring. place. As life slowly returns to normal Zebras use their front teeth (or as normal as it can be), some people to bite grass and their back have taken this to mean that the teeth to crush and grind. pandemic is coming to an end. But how long do scientists expect such

Find out more at conditions to go on—for a few more Researchers state that much is dependent on the https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/anim months or a few more years? And is vaccine, and how long immunity to the COVID-19 als/mammals/zebra/ there anything that can speed up the disease will last after vaccines are administered. process? [IMG] If it is short-term, surges in COVID-19 cases could

become an annual occurrence, somewhat similar https://www.gottman.com/blog/5-things- Some countries have been more successful at to flu season every year. Scientists also state that zebras-can-teach-us-about-fighting-stress/ handling their COVID-19 cases than others. These much is dependent on government regulations countries typically had strict lockdowns during and how society as a whole in each country the earlier months of COVID-19 when cases were reacts to doing the recommended behaviors: surging, and now have eased restrictions while socially distancing and wearing masks.

[IMG] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/nobel-prize-chemistry-awarded-scientists-jennifer-doudna-emmanuelle-charpentier-n1242378

Current events: Nobel Prize

Winners

People in Science Women who recently received the Nobel Prize, , born in 1934, was and what it was for an expert on the behaviors of wild . She made groundbreaking discoveries about their behavior, including On October 7, 2020, two women made “The two women, Jennifer the discovery that they make history when they were both awarded Doudna and Emmanuelle the . This was tools, eat and hunt for meat and Charpentier, were awarded the have similar social behaviors to the first time since Nobel prizes have . These discoveries been awarded that two women were Nobel prize for their work in completely changed our awarded a prize in the same category, CRISPR-. CRISPR stands for understanding of chimpanzees, and no man was chosen. Before this clustered regularly interspaces year, Nobel prizes were only given to 20 our closest relative in the animal short palindromic repeats.” kingdom. women in the natural sciences, which includes medicine, chemistry, and At first Goodall wanted to physics. The two women, Jennifer become a journalist but got an Doudna and , office work qualification first to were awarded the Nobel prize for their guarantee her a job. She then work in CRISPR-Cas9. CRISPR stands for travelled to Africa when a clustered regularly interspaces short former friend offered her a palindromic repeats. chance to stay on her family’s This historic event honoring women has shown farm. She took an office job for the profound impact women can have in the paleontologist who sciences. One of the most famous examples of a then thought she would be woman not being honored for her work is perfect to study chimp behavior. , who was instrumental in discovering the double-helix structure of DNA In the picture next to the title stand Jennifer (deoxyribose nucleic acid). Her work in X-ray Doudna (left) and Emmanuelle Charpentier crystallography revealed the shape of DNA, but (right). is currently a Professor at credit was awarded to and Francis the University of California, Berkeley. Emmanuelle Crick, when they were awarded the Nobel prize Charpentier is a researcher at the Max Planck Unit for their work. Rosalind Franklin however, was for the Science of . The two together Find out more at given no such award for her revolutionary mark the sixth and seventh women to be awarded https://www.famousscientists.org/jane- discovery. the Nobel prize for chemistry. goodall/

DEBUNKING SCIENCE MYTHS

There are only 3 states of matter.

In addition to solid, liquid, and gas there is also https://www.todaysparent.com/kids/kids-health/adhd-when-to-medicate/ plasma!

What is ADHD? Humans have 5 senses.

Attention deficit In order to make diagnoses more Symptoms might include We actually have at least 9 hyperactivity disorder is a consistent, the APA has grouped fidgeting, interrupting people senses including: mental health condition that the condition in 3 categories. The and not being able to wait their proprioception (sensing causes high levels of first is predominantly inattentive. turn. The 3rd type is a orientation in space), hyperactive and impulsive This is characterized by having combination about the first 2; thermoception (sense of behaviors. Because of this, difficulty focusing because this this is the most common type. temperature), people with ADHD may have type doesn’t cause disruptions Despite how common the equilibrioception (sense of trouble focusing on one task and it is least likely to be disorder is, doctors and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUZ5j7xbbKw balance), and interoception or sitting for long periods of diagnosed. This type is most researchers are still unsure about (sense of one's time. Symptoms of these common among girls, and is not what causes the condition. It is physiological condition). disorders are having trouble diagnosed because females are believed to be caused in part by concentrating, forgetting usually characterized as being . Treatments include A severed earthworm can about tasks, being easily quiet and reserved. The second behavioral therapies and regenerate and produce 2 distracted and interrupting type is predominantly medication to monitor and earthworms. people while they’re talking. hyperactive-impulsive. manage behavior. While earthworms can

regenerate themselves when injured they have a This Week’s Science Trivia distinct head and tail. So 1] What part of the brain deals with hearing and language? the head portion of the earthworm can produce a 2] This phenomenon explains why other people tend to refuse to offer help new tail but a tail can’t when other people are present during an emergency. make a new head.

3] The reaction of ethanal and oxygen results in what?

Answers:

1. Temporal lobe 2. The Bystander effect Find more at 3. Ethanoic acid https://thebestschools.org/magaz

ine/25-popular-science-myths- Find more at https://icebreakerideas.com/science-trivia/ debunked/.

Find more at https://icebreakerideas.com/science-trivia/

About Us

Hello! We are seniors at the Did You Know? North Carolina School of Science and Math. Thanks for • The scientific term for brain freeze is “sphenopalatine reading our weekly newsletter!

We started this newsletter as a ganglioneuralgia.” way to spread science • When dinosaurs existed, there were volcanoes that were erupting knowledge in our community in on the moon. a way that was easily

understandable. We are always • If you cut down a cactus in Arizona, you can be penalized for up to open to new ideas and 25 years in jail. suggestions so contact us at • In Colorado, USA, there is an active volcano that last erupted when [email protected]. the pyramids in Egypt were being built.

• Fruit stickers are edible, through washing them prior to eating is recommended.

• The scientific name for Giant Anteater means “ant eating with three fingers.”

• Astronaut is a compound word. “Astro” means “star” and “naut” means “sailor”.

SciNews Issue 13 October 17 2020

Source Links Learn more about this week’s topics by using these links!

COVID-19 Updates Nobel Prize Winners What is ADHD? https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd?ref=global#treatme https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02278-5 https://apnews.com/article/nobel-prizes-chemistry-archive- nt [IMG] 3227341e3086af0cfee34a695416eeb9 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53167780 [IMG] Did You Know?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Chemistry https://www.thespruce.com/fun-facts-about-sunflowers- 3972329

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