Space Guts, Froggy Force Fields & Ring-a-Ding Asteroids! (9.29.26)

0:00Pouring in curiosity, activating podcasts, let's ignite the experiment. Here we go! Good morning! It's Tuesday, September 29th, 2026. Here's something wild. Scientists have spotted surprising changes in Chereclo's rings, and they didn't expect this at all. Chereclo is a unique space rock that's got rings like Saturn's, and using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers found some major shifts between 2017 and 2022. The inner ring got about 50% denser while the outer ring lost around 60% of its material. This discovery is a big deal because scientists didn't know asteroid rings could change so quickly. Closer to home, scientists in China just discovered a new virus spread by ticks that's been causing mysterious flu-like illnesses for years. The virus, called ALTNV, shows up in people bitten by ticks and causes fever, tiredness,

1:03and stomach problems. Researchers found it while investigating why about 30% of patients with tick-bytes symptoms tested negative for other known tick diseases. The discovery could help doctors better diagnose and treat people who get sick after tick-bytes in Asia. Now, let's look up at space. This figured out why astronauts get constipated in space, and it's all about gut bacteria. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen studied blood samples from 52 astronauts on the International Space Station and found that within weeks of leaving Earth, their gut bacteria start breaking down protein instead of fiber. Here's what's happening. Microgravity probably slows food moving through intestines, giving bacteria more time to ferment protein, which messes with digestion. That's a big deal for future Mars missions. Okay, let's see if you are paying attention. Here's your first quiz question. By what percentage did Cheryclose Outer Ring lose its material between 2017 and 2022?

2:10Is it a, about 50%, maybe B, around 30%, how about C, around 60%, or D, or D, or B? So much it could fill a cosmic swimming pool. You have five seconds to think about your answer. Analyzing data. Observing results. Times up? The answer is C, around 60%. Cheryclose is the smallest known object in our solar system with rings, measuring only about 250 kilometers across. Hope you nailed that one. Here's a fun one from the history books. On this day, September 29th, in 2008, SpaceX launched its first successful rocket, Falcon 1. After three failures, Elon Musk's company finally put a rocket in orbit, the beginning

3:11of the private space revolution. Wow. All right, more news coming up. Here's one I thought was interesting. Scientists at the University of Texas just figured out that a massive meteor struck Oklahoma about 370 million years ago. That's 100 million years later than everyone thought. The impact site sits under the town of Ames and is now a major oil and gas field. Researchers had originally dated it using ancient fossils, which pointed to 467 million years ago during something called the Ordovician Meteor Event, when Earth might have had rings like Saturn. Here's what else is making news. Scientists in Chile just spotted star-forming gas in galaxies from only 700 million years after the Big Bang. That's super early in the universe's history. Using the Almatelescope, they found neutral gas, which hasn't been changed by starlight yet, and is key to forming new stars. The team found this gas in all four galaxies they studied, so we're getting new clues

4:14about how the very first stars came together. Also making headlines, scientists in Brazil recently figured out why some frogs survive a deadly fungus while others don't. Turns out they're wearing armor made of bacteria. Researchers found that clay-rober frogs near São Paulo have special skin bacteria that fight off a fungus that's wiped out dozens of amphibian species worldwide. When scientists washed away the bacteria with antibiotics, the frogs suddenly became vulnerable. The team mapped over 700 different bacterial strains to show which bacteria protect frogs best. Round 2 Here's one more question to keep you on your toes. How many million years ago did the Meteor actually strike Oklahoma? Is it a 467 million years ago? Is it b 270 million years ago? Is it c 170 million years ago?

5:18Or is it d so long ago that dinosaurs were still learning to ride bicycles? Five seconds on the clock. What do you think? Analyzing data. Observing results. And the answer is c 370 million years ago, that was during a time when the first forests were just starting to appear on land and fish were the dominant animals. Pat yourself on the back if you picked the right answer. Here's today's what do you think? Would you rather explore space for a year and risk getting constipated or stay home on Earth? Talk it over with a friend or family member we'd love to know what you think. A shout out to MLK Junior Elementary School in Boston, Massachusetts. Glad you're here.

6:19Want to hear your school's name? Drop us a review and let us know where you're listening from. Time for your word of the day. Today's word is nomenclature. The system of names used in a particular field. Here it is in a sentence. Scientists use a special nomenclature to name newly discovered species. Now you've got a new word in your vocabulary. Nice. Fact of the day. Ready for this one? As nocturnal hunters, bats play a crucial role in controlling insect populations, feasting on thousands of mosquitoes and other pests each night. You can tell your friends that one. Wow. OK, joke time. How do you stop an astronaut's baby from crying? You rock it. Hope that one got you. Today we covered shifting rings around the space rock cherichlo, a new tick-borne virus in China, why astronauts get constipated in space, an Oklahoma meteor impact that happened

7:23way later than scientists thought. Ancient star-forming gas spotted near the Big Bang and bacteria that protect frogs from deadly fungus. And that's a wrap. See you next time. Science is happening all around us every single day. And there's always something new to discover. Keep being curious and we'll see you tomorrow with more mind-blowing science. Thanks for joining us on Science Kids News Flash. This podcast was brought to you by Kids News Flash Universe. Be sure to check out our other podcasts, Kids Ask History, Space Kids News Flash, Animal Battle Royale, AI Kids News Flash, and the Daily Catcast. Experiment concluded. Curioxy Preserve. Until our next discovery.