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Hey there, smarty pants. Welcome back to Smarty Q, the show where I, the trusty narrator, answer questions from you, the smarty pants. And I got six great questions today. So let's get smarty. Question one comes from Mira, age five, in Austin, Texas, who asks, why do kitties drink milk? Aw, great question, Mira. You've probably seen cats in cartoons lapping up bowls of milk. But here's a surprise. Most adult cats actually shouldn't drink milk. When cats are kittens, they drink their mother's milk, which their bodies are designed to digest. But as cats grow up, many of them lose the ability to properly digest lactose, the sugar found in milk. That means drinking milk can sometimes upset a cat's tummy. So why do cats still like milk? Well, for one thing, it smells good to them, it's fatty and tasty, and it probably reminds them of kittenhood. For a special treat, you can give your feline friend some cat safe milk instead. It tastes similar, but doesn't cause them any tummy trouble. Okay, question two comes from Cam in Longwood, Florida, who wants to know, why do some people have anxiety? That's a really thoughtful question, Cam. Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or fear. And it's something all humans experience sometimes. It's actually part of your brain's safety system. Your brain is designed to look out for danger. Anxiety helps you stay alert, avoid risky situations, and prepare for challenges. But sometimes that alarm system becomes extra sensitive. Anxiety can be influenced by genetics, like how your brain is wired, life experiences stress or big changes, and how your brain handles certain chemicals. The important thing to know is anxiety is not a weakness. It's a common human experience. And there are lots of ways to manage it, including talking to an adult you trust or a therapist, learning calming techniques, and getting support. All right, question three comes from Sebastian on Spotify, who asks, if we turned the solar system into a racetrack and did one lap, how long would it take? Whoa. I'm digging your imagination, smarty pants. Let's say your lap means going around the sun at the distance of Earth's orbit. Obviously, Earth already does this, and it takes one year to complete that lap. But if you wanted to zoom past all the planets in one giant loop from Mercury out past Neptune and back, that racetrack would be enormous. Even traveling incredibly fast, it would take many years to complete. Because space is unbelievably big. Planets are spaced millions and sometimes billions of miles apart. So the solar system racetrack wouldn't just be long, it would be almost unimaginable. Alright, smartypants. We've covered cats, feelings and the cosmos so far, but coming up next are questions about how animals see and how we stay safe while traveling. Stick around. We'll be right back after a quick break and a word from our sponsors. Spring is here and if you're a homeschool family trying to finish the year strong, I want to tell you about ixl. It's the award winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into your homeschool routine covering math, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K through 12th grade. What I love most about IXL is how it adapts to each child's pace. Whether your kid needs to reinforce foundational skills before an assessment or push ahead into new material, IXL meets them exactly where there they are. With no pressure and real encouragement built right in. Kids earn rewards, see their own progress, and actually feel good about learning. And for parents, the real time progress tracking is a game changer. You always know exactly where your child stands. Plus, it makes learning fun. And you know I love that over 15 million students use IXL and it's proven to improve achievement in all 50 states. So make an impact on on your child's learning. Who Smarted Listeners get an exclusive 20% off@ixl.com smarted that's ixl.com smarted for your 20% off. As the trusty narrator, I've taken the smarty pants on countless adventures. I'll do anything for the fans, but off mic I prefer to keep my adventures in the safe space of my own backyard. However, even a homebody like me can't avoid the unexpected chaos that comes with family life. Take last week for example. My niece was staying with me when she came down with a nasty cold in the middle of the night. I couldn't leave her alone to get medicine. And that's when I remembered Doordash is there for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. With a few taps on my phone, I had cough syrup and tissues delivered right to my door. Doordash saved the night and my niece was back to her energetic self in no time. Oh, and did I order a little ice cream for myself. Yes, I did, and DoorDash brought it right to my door. So while I may not be the biggest fan of real life adventures, I'm grateful that DoorDash is always there to help me navigate life's little emergencies. When life happens, get a little order delivered with DoorDash order now. Now back to SmartYQ. Question four comes from FunnyClown on Spotify. Who asks Are dogs colorblind? So here's the thing. Dogs aren't completely colorblind, but they don't see colors the same way humans do. Humans can see lots of colors because we have three types of color sensors in our eyes. Dogs only have two. That means dogs mostly see blues, yellows, and shades of gray. Colors like red and green tend to look more like brown or gray to dogs. So dogs don't see a black and white world, just a different one. And they're amazing at noticing movement and seeing in low light, which helps them navigate their surroundings. Okay, question five comes from Molly on Spotify, who asks, are there more plane crashes or shipwrecks? What do you think, smartypants? Take a guess. Historically, there have been way more shipwrecks than plane crashes, mostly because ships have been around much, much longer and early sea travel was very dangerous. Today, airplanes are actually one of the safest ways to travel. Modern planes are carefully designed, constantly monitored, and flown by highly trained pilots. Crashes are very rare. Ships have also improved a lot. But weather, rough seas, and human error can still cause problems. So while accidents can happen with any kind of transportation, flying is statistically one of the safest options. All right, we've got one last question about one of the most beautiful sights in nature, and we'll get to that right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Now Back to Smart EQS. Question 6 comes from Ward, who wants to know, how does the sky change colors during sunrise and sunset? What a beautiful question, Ward. Sunlight looks white, but it's actually made of many colors. When the sun is high in the sky, its light travels straight through the atmosphere. And. And we mostly see blue. But at sunrise and sunset, sunlight has to travel through much more air. As it passes through, blue, light gets scattered away. Reds, oranges, and pinks keep traveling, and those warmer colors fill the sky. That's why we see such amazing sunsets. It's sunlight being filtered by Earth's atmosphere. And that brings us to the end of this episode of Smarty. Q. If you have a question you've been wondering about that your parents or adults can't answer, tell us. Send it to me trusty@whosmartedhoosmarted.com until next time, keep on smarting on smarty pants.
