Ndubisi Okoye

I admit it: I was a quirky kid. In addition to being among the pickiest of picky eaters in my entire elementary school and beyond—I also loved school (even homework), and I looked forward to bedtime. But as a mother and as a Certified Dreamwork Professional who listens to parents talk about their problems getting their kids to turn off their games and get ready for bed, I get it: Back-to-school and bedtime are two things kids generally want to avoid.

Build and observe a model of your stomach in action with this fun activity from Human Body Learning Lab. After food is squeezed down the esophagus, the first destination is the stomach. As stomach muscles churn, food mixes with a pool of strong acid and enzymes. Stomach acid is about as acidic as lemon juice. In this activity, we can watch food break down as it soaks in lemon juice.

Learn how the act of sharing fermented foods has shaped human communities throughout history—and take part in this tradition yourself by making bread from a family recipe. Fermented foods sit at the intersection wherein the personal and individual meets the communal. Our fermented foods are, of course, filled with their own communities, teeming with bacteria, yeast, and fungi that intersect with our senses and our own microbiomes.