Zombie Spiders and Asteroid Blasters: 16 Incredible Ways That Scientists Are Changing the World

by Maynard Okereke

Overview

Have you ever heard of a spider being turned into a useful robot? Or a real-life planetary defense team protecting the Earth from asteroids? Sounds like science fiction…but it’s not! 

Take a wild ride with Maynard Okereke, the Hip Hop MD, into some of the most fascinating and strange corners of scientific research, from physics and engineering to ecology and neuroscience. These wacky wonders of nature and technology will wow all readers and inspire budding scientists to look at the world with fresh curiosity and consider how science can be used to help people, help nature, or enhance our understanding about the world. Interviews with real scientists highlight representation for diverse children and how scientists from a wide range of backgrounds are working to build a better future for our planet. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635868487
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	03/03/2026
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.35(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Maynard Okereke, aka the Hip Hop MD, is an award-winning science communicator, STEM personality, and keynote speaker. He founded Hip Hop Science to encourage minorities and youth to pursue more advanced careers in STEM. Okereke has won the Asteroid Award for Best Streaming Content and the People of Change Award and was named The National Society of Black Engineers' Entrepreneur of the Year. He's been featured on Netflix's Ada Twist Scientist, The Science Channel, and Curiosity Stream, and in Scientific American. He has also partnered with NASA, the Natural History Museum, the Boston Museum of Science, the LaBrea Tar Pits, Blue Origin, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. Okereke lives in Los Angeles, CA and is online at hiphopscienceshow.com. 

Table of Contents

Outline:

Cyborg Roaches
Researchers have created cyborg roaches that can be remote-controlled by a solar-powered backpack that taps directly into their nervous system. Scientists think these biobots could be used to help search teams locate victims of natural disasters trapped under debris.
Interview with physicist Kenjiro Fukuda

Crow Funerals
Those squawky birds you hear in the morning, might actually be in mourning. Maybe animals are more like us than we think….
Interview with ornithologist Kaeli Swift

Self-Decapitating Slugs
Being slow is the last thing you’ll think about with this slug that can self-decapitate and grow back its entire body! There's hope that this discovery will offer clues to regenerating human tissue.
Interview with ecologist Sayaka Mitoh

Electrifying Bacteria
Who would have thought the electric slide would apply to bacteria?! Boogie woogie woogie! Could these electricity-producing bacteria be the key to more environmentally friendly electronics?
Interview with molecular biologist Nikhil Malvankar

Captain Chocolate
Did you know your favorite dessert is in peril? Scientists are saving Earth’s chocolate, one cocoa plant at a time! This research is helping better understand the drought tolerance of cocoa plants to help protect crops from the impact of climate change.
Interview with plant ecophysiologist Teresa Alexander

Shark Migration
We’ve all heard of birds flying south for the winter, but what about sharks? These species' migration is truly an unsolved mystery. Solving the mystery of where various shark species migrate to and why may help with developing better conservation plans and understanding how sharks reproduce.
Interview with Jaida Elcock

A Whole New Type of Sound
Just when we thought we had heard it all, in comes a whole new type of sound wave that shakes up everything! This research may help us develop new acoustic communications, sensing, and imaging. 
Interview with physicist Dr. Shubo Wang

Life With No Sun
We all need sunlight to live, right?  Well, these organisms survive in the harshest place on Earth and never see the light of day! Research into organisms known as extromofiles that exist in the ocean’s hydrothermal vents are helping us unlock clues to the beginning of life on Earth.
Interview with ocean scientist Moronke Harris

Monkeying Around
It’s more than just swinging from trees for these primates. Monkeys are learning how to use new tools and even treat their own wounds with insects!
Interview with biologist Simon Pika

Self Healing
Imagine if your favorite toy or device could repair itself like Wolverine or Deadpool. Well, imagine no more: Self-healing materials are real!
Research into the development of self-healing materials and they’re usage in structural applications and new artificial limbs for humans.
Interview with civil engineer Jason Patrick

Blowing Up Asteroids
Just imagine if the dinosaurs had a machine to protect themselves from being wiped off the planet? Luckily we do, and scientists have proven it works!
NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) Mission and how we can actually redirect the path of an asteroid.
Interview with aerospace engineer Joan Marie

Aliens Underwater
We’ve always wondered if we’re alone in the universe, but now we might actually find the answer!
Highlighting NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission that will be detecting possible signs of life under Europa’s (Jupiter’s Moon) ice covered oceans
Interview with aerospace engineer Kevin J. Debruin

Telekinesis Super Powers
You might have seen your favorite superhero moving objects without even touching them.  Well, the world of comic book superpowers is actually now reality! Metamaterials and ultrasound waves are being used to move objects and may improve future robotics and manufacturing.
Interview with material scientist Ognjen Ilic

Fish Doing Math
Next time you think your math class is too hard, just remember that fish are problem-solving too! Research has proved that sting rays and zebra mbuna fish are capable of adding and subtracting, changing our understanding of the cognitive abilities of fish.
Interview with zoologist Vera Schluessel

Algae Power!
That green substance you see on top of ponds or dirty puddles is a lot more powerful than you think. How much more powerful? Let’s just say it’s life changing! Scientists are researching the ability of algae to bring organisms back to life, with potential future applications including reviving victims of strokes and other neurological diseases.
Interview with neurobiologist Maria del Rosaria Sanchez-Gonzalez

Zombie Spiders
Just when you thought things coming back from the dead were only in horror movies! These “necrobots” may sound spooky, but their abilities might be incredibly helpful. Scientists are using dead spiders as robotic tools to aid in the manipulation of micro objects.
Interview with mechanical engineer Faye Yap