Making this potion is a fun way to learn about chemical reactions and offers a Valentine twist.

Animals have many ways to adapt during the cold winter months. Some migrate, adapt, or hibernate.

In the book, Mrs. Wigglebum’s Love Potion, Liza suspects Freddie is in “love.” Mrs. Wigglebum plays a Valentine’s Day joke, by making a so-call love potion, as a fun twist to teaching about chemical reactions. After all, what child doesn’t like to create potions or concoctions--something that seems to behave in a truly magical way—bubbling, growing, or changing color? And who hasn’t had a Valentine crush???  You’ll have to read the story and watch our video to learn more.

Of course in real life it’s impossible to create love potions. Or is it? The answer may be yes and no.

It is impossible to replicate true love, since it's an emotional, cognitive process that's based on experiences and memories. There's no scientific pill, elixir, or concoction for that. But it has been proven that there are specific chemicals related to emotional states similar to love—at least in animals.

A chemical hormone called a pheromone stimulates the part of our brains that increases our feelings of longing and attraction. Based off of that, various oils and perfumes have been created that include these pheromones, which supposedly attract the opposite sex.

Researchers (as well as fragrance companies) have been hoping to find a human sex pheromone for decades, but so far the search has failed. Instead perfume companies have tried to capitalize on the potential sex-specific effects of these chemicals by adding animal hormones—mainly pig or deer-- to their fragrances.  Pheromones are generally species-specific, however, so a perfume enhanced with pig pheromones is really only useful for other pigs in all likelihood.

How did this research come to be?  It is believed that the first pheromone was identified in 1953. Bombykol is secreted by female moths and is designed to attract males. The pheromone signal can travel enormous distances, even at low concentrations.  Now insect pheromones are commonly used in insect control. They can be used as bait to attract males into a trap, prevent them from mating, or to disorient them.

And while we haven’t found this type of pheromone in humans, using brain imaging, Swedish researchers have found evidence that men and women can in fact send and receive subconscious odor signals.

It’s also interesting to note, most animals smell or "sense" pheromones through a specialized half-moon shaped structure located inside the nose called the vomeronasal organ. Pheromone signals picked up by the organ are then relayed through nerves to an area of the brain called the hypothalamus, which is well known for its ability to alter emotions, hormones, reproduction, and sexual behavior. Ordinary, non-pheromone smells such as the scents of food or flowers are recognized by a different part of the nose called the olfactory epithelium.

So for now, don’t count on a potion, concoction or your favorite perfume to tamper with the “falling in love” process.  You will just have to let nature take its course. But who knows what scientists may discover in the future!

Where we live seasons can be crazy! Two days before Christmas it was 70 degrees. A couple of days later, temperatures plummeted.We can bundle up or stay inside. We also bring in our pets. But what about other animals?

Many birds migrate to warmer places. Other animals migrate, too. There are a few mammals, like some bats, caribou and elk, and whales that travel in search of food each winter. Many fish migrate. They may swim south, or move into deeper, warmer water. Insects also migrate. Some butterflies and moths fly very long distances. Others, like termites and Japanese beetles, move downward into the soil. Earthworms also move down, some as far as six feet below the surface.

Some animals remain and stay active in the winter. They adapt to changing weather by making changes in their behavior or bodies. To keep warm, animals may grow new, thicker fur in the fall. Some animals, like squirrels, mice and beavers, gather extra food in the fall and store it to eat later.

Finally, some animals hibernate. This is a special, very deep sleep. The animal's body temperature drops, and its heartbeat and breathing slow down. It uses very little energy.

True hibernators go into such a deep sleep that they are difficult to wake and may appear dead. Their body temperature drops and breathing and heart beat slow down significantly.

There is some discussion as to whether the most famous hibernator, the bear, actually hibernates. While a bear is denning, its heart rate, breathing rate, and metabolic rate do slow down.  In addition, a bear’s body temperature is reduced. However, compared to true hibernators, like ground squirrels, a bear’s metabolic rate is significantly less depressed and a bear’s body temperature is reduced only a little. Moreover, ground squirrels have to awaken about every week for about a day, eat stored food, pass waste, and then return to hibernation. They continue this cycle all winter. Bears don’t do this. They can go for more than 100 days without eating, drinking, or passing waste.  True hibernators awaken slowly.  However, bears can awaken very easily during their denning period. 

As a consequence of these distinct differences, many scientists believe that bears are not true hibernators. Instead, they refer to a bear’s denning period as “winter lethargy” or “winter sleep.” Other scientists believe that bears, instead of hibernating, fall into a deep sleep called torpor.

Learn a lesson about hibernation Fuddlebrook style this month as you read A Change of Season and watch our fun video as we model how some animals adapt before hibernation by developing a special layer of winter fat to help keep them warm.

Isn’t science awesome?