Family

Dr. Universe: Why do dogs have pads on their feet? – Izzy, 10, Louisiana

The black and white photo caught my eye at a local yard sale. A sly smile graced the face of a 1920s-era newsboy as he clutched his stack of papers. Perched against a downtown Spokane fire hydrant, his shirt was ragged and torn. Vintage autos sat parked behind him on the street. They say a picture paints a thousand words, and this one was a historic goldmine.

When Taylor Swift announced she said “yes” to Travis Kelce, the internet squealed. And then it nitpicked.

Dr. Universe: What happens if you get eaten by a shark? – Prince, Georgia

Local author and retired Eastern Washington University professor of recreation management Barbara Brock suspects you might be in need of a fun date. In a world where loneliness has become an increasing concern on even a governmental level, she’s probably right.

Last month, outdoor summer Camp Ka-Mee-Lin hosted a 30th birthday bash at Kiwanis Park in Post Falls for its families, campers, staff and community with music, BBQ, treats, music, games and good ol’ fun.

Dr. Universe: What was the largest dinosaur? – Carlos, California

When I gave birth to my first child, the clothes were part of the fun: dressing her in adorable onesies, shopping for baby outfits, gratefully receiving hand-me-downs. Fast-forward six years: Two more kids, countless growth spurts and heaps of clothes later, I’m overwhelmed.

Lessons in naval knot-tying ultimately resulted in Roger DeShaw tying the knot with the love of his life.

Dr. Universe: I would really like to make a better way to get a shot that doesn’t hurt so much. – Jacob, 10, Cayman Islands

My writing career has taken me to a lot of places, from the expected (countless concerts and theater productions) to the atypical (an ice cream eating contest and rollercoasters at Silverwood).

As summer fades into fall and kids begin, often somewhat begrudgingly, to shuffle their way back to school, there are some necessary scholastic items people may take for granted.

You might have caught that spectacular teacher trick shot audition on “America’s Got Talent.” With throwing accuracy which rivaled that of Patrick Mahomes, Georgia physical education instructor Amanda Badertscher launched footballs into a target from increasingly long distances. Her after-hours gig left the AGT judges stunned and earned thunderous applause from the studio audience.

Dr. Universe: How do turtles get their shells? – Malachi, 8, New York

Dr. Universe: How did humans invent any language? How did they communicate back then? How did they know that difficult meant hard and what hard meant, too? – Anika, 10, Georgia

The plumber, the mason, the electrician and the carpenter arrived a full hour early to collect their blueprints. They had two days in June to build an 8-foot-by-10-foot tiny home inside the convention center in downtown Atlanta. They knew little else about their assignment, but they were eager to get started.

Dr. Universe: How do fish breathe? – Nghi, 11, Vietnam

Dressed in a matching polka dot tank top and ruffled skirt with blue chunky heeled boots and a mini purse, Mattel’s newest Barbie may look like previous dolls at first glance.