The coolest thing!

Connor today got to do the coolest thing (according to him)for his birthday. He went to the University of Rochester Life Science Center for his monthly science class, and there they got to test a new heart medication on water fleas. Did you know that water fleas have exoskeletons, so when you look at them under the microscope you can see all their inside parts too? After looking at fleas under the microscope, the kids learned about blood pressure and heart rate. They used blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes to find their own BP and resting HR. Then, they experimented with various new heart drugs to see how it affected the heart rate of the water fleas. I didn't get all the details, but again, I just want to reiterate--it is wonderful to live in a city with such a multitude of resources! Connor was in a working lab and a University assisting with a real drug trial. Wow!! What a great way to spend his birthday.