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Dear Reader,

When three Richmond High School students went looking for stories they could pitch for KQED's Youth Takeover week, they discovered a lot of their friends had experienced the same, weird, scary phenomenon. They'd begin to wake up and find themselves paralyzed, unable to move a muscle, while a shadowy figure lurked in the corner of their room. I'd never heard of sleep paralysis before the students described it to me, but when I mentioned it to colleagues on the science team here at KQED, several remembered experiencing it. Decades later, the memory still gave them shivers. Nayeli Peña, Evelyn Mendoza and Yvette Villicaña researched what happens in sleep paralysis, conducted all the interviews, wrote the story, chose the music, and took BART to KQED one afternoon for a recording session. It wouldn't surprise me to find these three young women in journalism careers one day.

Our second Youth Takeover story is an essay on why teens need better sex education. We were impressed by Johanna Mendoza's forthright call for adults to step up to help teens navigate the confusing morass of bad information on television and social media about sexuality and contraception. This isn't an essay that shies away from the decisions teens face; Mendoza is offering adults a way to understand what teens need in order to make good ones.

I hope you enjoy this week's Youth Takeover; let me know how we're doing by emailing me here.

Kat Snow
Senior Editor, Science

Ever Wake Up Frozen in the Middle of the Night, With a Shadowy Figure in the Room?

You wake up in the middle of the night and see a pitch-black figure. It must be your mind playing tricks. But then the figure starts moving toward you, and you feel frozen. What's going on here?

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Commentary: Teens Need Information and Guidance About Sex

As a teenage girl, I know the feeling of not being able to bring up teen pregnancy or talk about sex-related conversations with my parents. The subject is awkward and uncomfortable for many. This was the case for me, until this year.

Bay Area Air Quality Takes a Hit in Latest Report

The American Lung Association's annual State of the Air report found the Bay Area ranked in the 10-worst metropolitan areas for ozone and particle pollution. One reason is climate change, which is driving temperatures higher and making wildfires more intense.

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Curiosity Drills Into Mars and Strikes Clay

The presence of clay on Mars is giving researchers clues to the planet's former climate.

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Today is World Press Freedom Day

This year attention is being brought to "Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation" by addressing the current challenges faced by media during elections—and acknowledging the media's potential in supporting peace and reconciliation processes. In honor of theis day, and for the journalists who provide fair and unbiased news to our community, KQED has committed to raising $50,000. We ask that you join us by making a donation to KQED today. When you do, Newman's Own Foundation and the Jaswant Singh Gill and Family Trust will match your donation, dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000! Let’s celebrate open dialogue, knowledge, and the free flow of ideas. Make your gift today and double your impact.

Thousands of California Homeowners Waiting on FEMA for Seismic Retrofits

Homeowners waiting for retrofits under the state's Earthquake Brace and Bolt program are stuck in limbo while federal funding for this year's program is tied up in red tape. That has put thousands of planned retrofits on hold.

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Threat to Sea Life as Greenhouse Gases Drift Offshore

Winds carrying greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide can travel up to 60 miles offshore, adding significantly more carbon dioxide into the ocean than previously estimated.

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Do Chimpanzees Have the Same Emotions as Humans?

"I'm not sure that there are any uniquely human emotions," says primatologist Frans de Waal.

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10 Teams Advance in International Carbon Dioxide Competition

A $20 million international competition to make profitable products from a gas that otherwise would contribute to global warming has entered its final stretch.

FUNDING FOR KQED SCIENCE IS PROVIDED BY: The National Science Foundation, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the Vadasz Family Foundation, the Fuhs Family Foundation, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED.