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Wed Mar 18 12:02:49 1998

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 13 - 08:42:04 ]
RESULTS from a classroom will be posted to the chat room as they are received. All other content will be posted as time permits. Please be ready to join us for the live broadcast.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 14 - 08:43:04 ]
This chat room is intended to coordinate with the special Brain Awareness Week broadcast. Content will be led from the live presentation. See http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/events/baw

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 15 - 10:09:44 ]
We're on live from the studio at this time. Join us! Let us know you're here and where you're located! Welcome!

[ Terry/CoronadoHillsElem. - 16 - 10:14:50 ]
Denver, Colorado

[ Galas/SeedsUES - 17 - 10:21:47 ]
We are 2 science classes from Seeds University Elementary School at UCLA in Los Angeles.

[ Kristi/NorthCity - 18 - 10:23:12 ]
Hello! We are from Room 11, Ms. Gustafson's class. We would like to answer any questions you may have about the experiments.

[ Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool - 20 - 10:25:07 ]
Lindbergh Middle School, Peoria, il

[ Kristi/NorthCity - 21 - 10:26:12 ]
Hi my name is Phillip. How many words did you remember on the memory test?

[ Chudler - 22 - 10:26:26 ]RE: [ Galas/SeedsUES]
We had 2 classes, so we divided our numbers in half for the chart. The first three words were remembered well. The sixth through tenth words were not remembered as well, and then the eleventh through fifteenth were remembered with increasing numbers.
Great...the recency and primacy effect seem to have shown themselves at Seeds UES

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 23 - 10:28:14 ]
Let me encourage you to send your numerical results to me through email at: lconrad@mail.arc.nasa.gov I will put them together for comparison purposes - Don't forget to let me know how many students were involved.

[ Kristi/NorthCity - 25 - 10:28:41 ]
Our class had results a lot like yours

[ Kristi/NorthCity - 26 - 10:28:52 ]
What do you think about the online movie?

[ Chudler - 28 - 10:30:01 ]RE: [Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool] Our curve for the first memory test matched yours.
Lindbergh Middle School...great job!

[ Kristi/NorthCity - 29 - 10:32:06 ]
I am Katie J.and we had 22 students

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 30 - 10:33:16 ]
RE: [Kristi/NorthCity] I am Katie J.and we had 22 students
Hi Kristi's class. We're glad to see you online. Thanks for doing the experiments for us to watch!

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 32 - 10:36:16 ]
RE: [Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool] Since we have two eyes, why don't we see two things?
What do you think Marilee?

[ Chudler - 33 - 10:37:15 ]
So...did the blind spot "appear" for everyone?

[ Chudler - 35 - 10:39:03 ]
Why don't you have a blind spot with one eye closed?

[ Chudler - 36 - 10:40:15 ]
RE: [ SANA/PARKFIELDJUNIORSCHOOL]
I AM FROM TORONO , CANADA . Q. Dr.Eric can you tell us what is your method of studying. e.g If you are provided with a new book of two thousands pages. and it has matter related to medical science.how you will plan to get hold on it. Because see such a book I get nervous and I even cannot avoid it.
Sana: I would suggest taking the book "apart" step by step. I have such a book on my desk right now. Take small pieces a a time.

[ Chudler - 40 - 10:42:24 ]
RE:Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool]
Why can't you forget things that you want to forget?
Marilee: Excellent question. Many times things that you want to forget are associated with strong emotions. The way emotions affect memory is a hot topic of research now. Two neuroscientists, Dr. Ledoux and McGaugh, are looking at this question. Apparently, emotions strongly affect memory.

[ Chudler - 41 - 10:44:23 ]
RE:[ Kristi/NorthCity]
My name is Katie M. When I did the one Eye experiment I think we have two eyes because if one got injured you still would be able to see.
Katie: good observation. In fact, there are many aspects of the nervous system that have more than one. This is called "redundancy".

[ Chudler - 43 - 10:45:49 ]
Here is a question for everyone. What animals have their eyes on their heads in the same way as humans?

[ Chudler - 44 - 10:47:31 ]
RE: [Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool] Why is the brain fragile like jello?
The "why" the brain is fragile is difficult to answer. However, it is protected quite nicely. There is cerebrospinal fluid, the meninges (dura, pia, arachnoid) and the skull which all serve to protect our brains.

[ Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool - 0 - 10:49:57 ]
We think the answer to your question is primates.

[ Chudler - 47 - 10:50:05 ]
RE: [Kristi/NorthCity] Hi this is Claire and Heather. Do animals have the same eyesite and hearing as human beings?
No...there are many differences in what animals and people can see and hear. People can see wavelength of light between about 400-700 nm and hear frequencies between about 20 and 20,000 Hz. The ranges of sight and hearing can be much different for different animals. When you have time, go to my web page, "Amazing Animal Senses" at: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~chudler/amaze.html

[ Kristi/NorthCity - 49 - 10:51:08 ]
Answers from room11:We think they are monkeys and ape family.

[ Chudler - 51 - 10:51:30 ]
RE: [Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool] How did the brain get its name?
Many neuroscience words come from Latin and Greek words. You can see some of these roots and their meanings on my page at: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~chudler/neuroroot.html

[ Chudler - 52 - 10:52:39 ]
RE: [Galas/SeedsUES] Pretty much all of the class "saw" the blind spot.
To Mrs. Galas' class: great work! Often times people miss the blind spot because they move the paper too fast.

[ Chudler - 54 - 10:54:56 ]
RE: [Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool] Are there neuroscientists working on brain transplants?
Yes, there is transplant research going on. However, this is NOT a complete brain transplant. Rather, small "patches" of tissue are transplanted into areas that are damaged. There is some exciting work going on with transplants for treating Parkinson's disease.

[ Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool - 56 - 10:55:18 ]
We wanted to let you know that these questions are not coming from Marilee, but a room of 75, 7th grade students at Lindbergh Middle School.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 57 - 10:56:28 ]
We just have a very few minutes left. We would love to hear from your class. What do you think about the results from your class to the experiments?

[ Chudler - 60 - 10:57:44 ]
RE: [Galas/SeedsUES] You don't have a blind spot with one eye closed because blind means you can't see. You can't see out of that eye anyway, so there is no specific spot that is blind.
Yes, but what about the eye that is opened. Let's talk about why we have a blind spot in the first place....the blind spot is caused when an image is focus on a part of the retina with no photoreceptors (cells that respond to light). The retina is the back part of the eye. The place on the retina where the optic nerve (and blood vessels) comes together has no place for photoreceptors. Therefore when light hits this place, no information is sent to the brain.

[ Kristi/NorthCity - 63 - 10:59:07 ]
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! WE loved participating in this TERRIFIC project! We are looking forward to the next one! Dr. Chudler, we will see you at the Brain Awareness Week Open House at the UW Medical Center! You are great!

[ Chudler - 0 - 10:59:15 ]
RE: [Kristi/NorthCity] Dr. Chudler, Why is your eyesight not divided in two? Marcus
Actually, in a way, your eyesight IS divided in two. The left and right visual fields DO project to different sides of the brain. You brain is able to put these together.

[ Marilee/LindberghMiddleSchool - 64 - 11:00:26 ]
Thank you for this opportunity. Lindbergh Middle School, Peoria, Illinois

[ Chudler - 65 - 11:00:54 ]
RE: [Galas/SeedsUES] how do neurons and synapses form?
This is one of the mysteries of neuroscience...how do neurons and synapses form. We know that neurons have a "programmed" place to connect and that drugs can affect how synapses are made, but much about neuronal development is still unknown.

[ Chudler - 68 - 11:02:23 ]
RE: [Galas/SeedsUES] Why don't humans have eyes on the sides of their heads?
Good question...you tell me...what would eyes on the side of the head do to depth perception?

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 69 - 11:03:02 ]
It is 11:00 here, and this ends our scheduled time for this chat. We would still like to hear from you as to your classroom results. Send them to me at lconrad@mail.arc.nasa.gov

[ Chudler - 70 - 11:03:26 ]
RE: [Chudler] Good question...you tell me...what would eyes on the side of the head do to depth perception?
Compare the location of the eyes of humans with those of a duck or a squirrel.

[ Chudler - ]
RE: [Galas/SeedsUES] Does the brain have anything to do with you genes?
Actually, I think it is just the opposite...your genes have much to do with your brain. You also have to remember, though, that your genes are not the whole story. Experience and learning can modify what your genes have planned.

[ Chudler - ]
RE: [Galas/SeedsUES] If the right part of the brain controls the left side of the body and vica versa would you be brain dead with only a middle part of the brain? -Josh
You can find the definition of brain death here: http://www.medstudents.com.br/neuro/neuro5.htm This usually means that even the brain stem is not functioning normally.

[ Chudler - ]
RE: [Galas/SeedsUES] In brain damage, do you lose neurons or just neural pathways?
If a neuron becomes damaged and dies, its axon will also die. Therefore, both the neuron and its projection will be affected.

[ Chudler - ]
RE: [Galas/SeedsUES] How do people become mentally ill?
Mental illness has a huge emotional, social and financial impact on all of us. Some types of mental illness have a genetic link...others do not. There is still much we need to learn about the causes and cures of mental illness.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 71 - 11:04:09 ]
I want to thank Eric for joining us to celebrate Brain Awareness Week. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Thank you to those of you who joined us. This has been a neat way to spend time with a neuroscientist during Brain Awareness week. Thanks Eric!

[ Chudler - 72 - 11:04:40 ]
Nice chatting with everyone.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 81 - 11:15:33 ]
This entire event will be archived and you will be able to find it and view it online at the Brain Awareness Week URL: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/neuron/events/baw Thank you for joining us!