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. 

This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635868494
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	03/03/2026
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
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

Introduction

Searching for Underwater Aliens, with Kevin J. DeBruin, Rocket Scientist
Finding Life in the Coldest Place on Earth, with Dr. Allison Cusick, Biological Oceanographer
Feathered Geniuses, with Dr. Kaeli Swift, Avian Ecologist
Sharks on the Move! with Jaida Elcock, Shark Scientist
Extreme Living in the Deep Sea, with Moronke Harris, Deep Sea Explorer
Guardians of the Planet, with Joan Melendez Misner, Spacecraft Systems Engineer
Zombie Spiders, with Dr. Faye Yap, Mechanical Engineer
Not Your Ordinary Robot, with Dr. Kris Dorsey, Robotics Engineer
Forests of the Ocean, with Madison McKay, Marine Biologist
Super Battery on Wheels, with Jill Pestana, Battery Scientist
Kidneys in Space, with Dr. Kendan Jones-Isaac, Pharmacokineticist
The Ocean's Bright Secret, with Dr. Edith Widder, Ocean Scientist
Mind-Bending Fungi, with Dr. Gordon Walker, Mycologist
Black Hole Mysteries, with Dr. Ronald Gamble, Theoretical Astrophysicist
Building Future Worlds, with Billy Almon, Astrobiofuturist
Artificial Skin, with Dr. Benjamin C.K. Tee, Materials Engineer

What Kind of Wild Science Will YOU Do?
Index