| DragonFlyTV: Science for Kids
The Human Body
With Dr. Susan Marino, Kha Tran and Peta Hinds
Tuesday, April 16; 11 a.m. EDT In a recent episode of DragonflyTV, kid scientists investigated the human body. Join Dr. Susan Marino, director of the Program for Women at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology, and kid scientists Kha Tran and Peta Hinds to talk about the "Human Body" episode on Tuesday, April 16, at 11 a.m. EDT. Rick Swanson, science content director for DragonflyTV, will also be available to answer any questions about the production. In their investigation, 12 year olds Kha and Peta explore why particular Tae Kwon Do moves are so effective. By comparing the position of their feet to the face of a clock, the athletes track which foot positions afford them the greatest kicking power. After competing in a match, Kha and Peta discuss the "real life" outcomes of their investigation, focusing on how the angles of their feet throughout the competition offered them power, balance, and accuracy. Dr. Marinoa holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and served on the research faculty at Yale Medical School before coming to the University of Minnesota. She advised us on the "Taste Test" riddle featured on the "Human Body" episode. Also in the episode, kids investigated how medical device designers at Medical Plastics Laboratory in Gatesville, Tex., turn disabilities into possibilities. Also, young musicians discover circular breathing -- how to alternate between using the air in their lungs and the air "stored" in their cheeks-- to create longer and stronger musical notes. DragonflyTV is a new PBS children's science show, produced by Twin Cities Public Television. The series features a totally kid-centered approach to scientific discovery, exploration, learning and wonder. The program showcases "kid scientists" -- children from nine to 12 years old -- and their own science investigations into subjects like flight, animal behavior, space and weather, to name a few. DragonflyTV airs:
Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. on Maryland Public Television
Sundays at 9:30 a.m. WHYY Wilmington
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. on WHUT Howard University
Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WHRO Norfolk Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Rick Swanson: Welcome to our final chat on DragonflyTV's "Human Body" episode. With me is Peta Hinds, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and who recently won a gold medal in a regional competition. Also here is Dr. Susan Marino, a neuroscientist to answer questions about the segment on tast. You can start sending us questions!
Detroit, Mich.: Hi, Kha and Peta.
Taekwondo looks really cool. Is it like karate or judo, or what are the differences between the martial arts?
Jay Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: Hi Jay this is Peta, well to start out Karate uses more techniques with your feet, and Judo has more with your hands. Taekwondo is right in the middle, it is a mixture of the two arts.
Arlington, Va.: My aunt has no sense of smell or taste. Why? Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: Without having your aunt undergo a thorough assessment of
her gustatory (taste) and olfactory (smell) functions, it
is difficult to diagnose the origin of her loss, especially since a loss of smell would lead her to believe that she can't taste anything. In fact, much of what we label as "taste" is really "smell."
Dr. Marino
Crookston, Minn.: Peta and Kha:
Do you have to work out a lot to get good at tae kwon do? What do you need to do to get into the sport? Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: It does take alot of time and dedication to become good at Taekwondo, but afterwards it is very rewarding. To get into the sport all you need is to look around in the phone book to try to find a school that intrests you.
Peta
Los Angeles, Calif.: Dr. Marino:
Why can some people stand spicy foods better than others? Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: The current research points to a genetic basis for our
sensitivity to spicy foods. There are certain substances that can be used to group people into "supertasters" and "nontasters" as well as "medium tasters." Also, there are pain receptors on the tongue that mediate the burning
sensation that results from eating spicy foods.
Dr. Marino
washingtonpost.com: Peta,
How long have you been training in martial arts? How did you come up with the idea of the investigation and were there any special equipment used to measure the efficiency of the kicks? Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: I have been training in Martial Arts for 7 years. I train 3-5 days a week at my Taekwondo school, and everyday at home.
Peta
This is RIck: We came up with the investigation in part by talking with the kids about their sport, and in part by thinking about how to examine the effectiveness of their kicks. They knew already that good foot position was essential... it wasn't clear why that position was so important. I found a local company that uses equipment to study pressure on the foot during different activities. We put the two together, and came up with an interesting investigation, I think.
Baltimore, Md.: Where does one get the pressure pad and computer seen on your program? I would like to use it for studies of other sports. Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: There are a number of manufacturers of this type of equipment. We used the one from Novel Electronics, which is actually a German firm, but their US rep is here in St Paul. You can find more about the company and their equipment at
www.novel.de
They have a variety of pressure sensing pads to accomodate many different applications. Rick
Denver, Colo.: To the scientist:
Do you know this answer: why do people like certain foods and hate others? Does it have to do with taste buds, or just with what you grow up eating and get used to? Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: This is a great question since it shows how we can't under-
stand the workings of the body without also taking into
consideration interactions with the environment. We do know that there is some genetic component to taste; people have different numbers of taste buds. Also, at birth, babies show a positive affect when given a sweet solution, while they will reject a bitter one. However, as you probably know, some people learn to like bitter things, such as quinine water. This is clearly learned. Some researchers have spent a lot of time examining cultural food preferences, and found that people from hot climates
eat more spicy foods than those of us in the North. Certainly, this points to the role of learning and experience in our likes and dislikes.
Dr. Marino
Brooklyn Park, Minn.: Peta: Are you going to be in any more taekwondo contests like you were in the show? Are you nationally ranked at your sport? Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: Yes I have been in many other Taekwondo competitions, in competitions there are many different aspects: forms, sparring, and breaking as well as many others. I focus on forms and sparring. As for being nationally ranked, not yet. I have been to quite a few national/international competitions, but I will not be recognized until I am 14 years old. Once you reach the age of 14, you will have what they call like a resume. You will become recognized all over the US. You will get the chance to go to a variety of different competitions out of the country. Something that is really funny is when you go to a competition and complete strangers will complement you on how well you have done! I just can't get used to that!
Peta
Philadelphia, Pa.: Is it true that there are only four basic kinds of tastes? And are only certain parts of your tongue sensitive to those tastes?
Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: Yes, it is true that there are only four basic kinds of tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. But the tongue "map" that you often see printed in textbooks is misleading: you can actually experience each of the four basic tastes at any point on the tongue. Think of it this way - it would be pretty bad if you could only taste salt or sweet on the front of your tongue, since in nature, bitter-tasting substances are often poisonous. Therefore, you would have to put that bad substances well into your mouth before you realized that you should be spitting it out! If you think about it, when someone gives you an
unfamiliar food, you probably stick your tongue out and sample it with the front of your tongue first. If it's bitter, you will know!
Dr. Marino
Oakdale, Minn.: That circular breathing thing on your show was great. Can kids use that method to do better at sports, or just for musical instruments?
Thanks.
Kyle Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: Isn't that an amazing technique? It takes an unusual level of coordination to breathe that way. Manny Laureano, the trumpet player from the Minnesota Orchestra who appeared in that piece, is really outstanding. You can see just when he used air from his cheeks, and when he used air from his lungs.
I have not heard of using the technique to gain an advantage for doing sports. Even when you're playing soccer, you have a moment to catch your breath. When you're playing a trumpet and need to keep a note going, that's when the circular breathing helps out. And yes, kids can and do learn the technique, too, not just adult musicians. RIck
Arlington, Va.: How did you figure out what things to have kids taste? What other foods should we try? I want to do this for my science project. Janet (Age 12) Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: I suppose you could try just about any foods you want. We tried to get a variety of flavors, some of them simple (just salty, or just sweet) and some of them complicated (mixtures of spicy and sour and whatever else, like salsa). One difficulty that come up in the test was some of the food choices which seemed obvious (like limes, for instance), weren't familiar to the kids, even without the nose plugs. They had a hard time recognizing limes. This makes it hard to analyze the results, because you don't know if they can't recognize it because their nose is plugged, or because they just have never eaten it before.
I think it's also important to be fair to your taste testers, and not give them anything really gross or disgusting... you don't want to do Fear Factor, you know. Of course, we used brussel sprouts for one test, and some people thought that was gross, so I guess it's hard to say.
My recommendation, now that we tried it, is to use only four or five foods, instead of eight, and maybe only four testers. If you want to do a longer study, then you can add people to your investigation. Rick
washingtonpost.com: Dr. Marino,
For readers who haven't seen the Human Body episode, can you explain your role in your taste testing segment? Also, what was the particular experiment for the taste test? Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: As someone who has done research on the neurobiology of the chemical senses, which includes smell as well as taste, I was able to offer my expertise on the interaction of these two senses. When we put food in our mouths, not only do we stimulate our taste buds, but while chewing, we release "aromatics" or smell molecules that make their way up to the olfactory receptors via the connection between the nose and throat. Since the taste buds are only capable of mediating four basic qualities, much of the enjoyment we get out of eating comes from smell. The experiment on the Human Body episode was designed to figure out how much of what was being experienced was due to "taste" versus "smell"
Dr. Marino
Flint, Mich.: What was the best thing about being on Dragonfly TV? What was the hardest thing?
Brandi Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: Hi Brandi, this is Peta. Well the best thing about being on Dragonfly TV has got to be just learning so much about yourself during the investigation. When I say learning about myself I mean learning about the muscle groups that help make my kicks so powerful, it was a very fun, and interesting experience. The hardest thing is definately keeping yourself from laughing hysterically during a shot, especially when you are with your friends!
Thanks for your question,
Peta
Minneapolis, Minn.: Why do people like foods when they get older that they hate when they are younger? Like I used to hate coffee, and now I like it. And certain vegetables, too. Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: We are not completely certain of why food preferences change over a person's lifespan. Certainly, medications, illnesses, or damage to certain areas of the brain can result in taste change. Taste buds are connected to the brain via certain "cranial" nerves, so if those nerves are damaged, it affects the ability of the taste bud to work properly. Also, people who are undergoing chemotherapy often report an overwhelming metallic taste in their mouths, which is a result of the medication they are taking.
As for your new preference for coffee, perhaps you kept drinking it despite your initial dislike, because you enjoyed sitting down at a cafe with your friends and having stimulating conversation. It could be that the positive emotional experiences associated with the coffee drinking were strong enough to change your taste preference.
Dr. Marino
Arlington, Va.: Peta, I'm a martial arts student also. Has your investigation helped you do better in your kicks and punches? Also, has your teacher seen improvement as well? Do you think you will develop more investigations that will help you in future competitions? Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: I think that the investigation definately helped me in many different ways. I can figure out when I every once in a while get hurt, what caused it. It could have been that I wasn't turning my foot all the way, so that is why I hurt my calf muscle, or something along those lines.
I think that my instructors have seen improvements, I have definately seen improvements in myself, which I think is what really counts. When you are doing your form or sparring, your coach can only do so much, it is up to you to do your best.
Peta
River Falls, Wis.: How old do you have to be to get on DragonflyTV? Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: DragonflyTV features kids in the ages 9-12. We've heard from a lot of 5, 6, and 7 year olds (and their teachers!!)who are doing science investigations, too, which pleases us greatly, but they'll have to keep doing good science for a few more years until they are in our age bracket. And we really would like to hear from kids who are working on the science fair projects right now. Send us a description of your inveestigation, to
http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv
Click on the link for Be On DFTV, and let us know what you are studying. We might consider you or your investigation for a future episode!! Rick
Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: Thanks so much for these intriguing questions. If any of you are interested in asking me more questions, or might want to know more about what a neuroscientist does, you can contact me at marin007@umn.edu
Dr. Marino
Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: Thanks for all of your great questions. If your are in the Twin Cities are and are looking for a Taekwondo school visit our website at: www.worldtaekwondoacademy.com
Thanks Again,
Peta
Dr. Susan Marino, Peta Hinds, and Rick Swanson: Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, and to Washington Post for hosting these chats. DragonflyTV is a production of Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) in St Paul, MN, generously funded by the National Science Foundation and Best Buy Corporation. In much of the country, the first season of DFTV is over, but continue to look for us in re-runs, and watch for the premiere of Season 2 next January. Thanks! Rick Swanson
washingtonpost.com: That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion. © Copyright 2002 The Washington Post Company |
