Sep 21, 2026 · 11 min · 5 segments
Discover the biology behind motion sickness and learn how the inner ear and eyes send mixed signals to the brain. Emma feels a little woozy on a winding road trip, prompting Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy…
Welcome back, explorers! Before the break, Emma was feeling a little dizzy while reading in the car, and our friends Mihan and Ryan asked us exactly why that happens.
So, Dr. Owl, if my tummy feels sick, does that mean my stomach is the problem? Did I eat too many pancakes for breakfast?
Not exactly, Emma.
The stomach is just following orders.
The real mystery starts up in your head.
To solve this case, we have to interview our three witnesses, the eyes, the brain, and our first trivia question.
Ooh, a trivia question.
I love these.
Explorers at home, listen closely.
Where is your body's hidden motion sensor? Is it A, your big toe? B, your inner ear? or C, your elbow?
It has to be the elbow.
That is why they call it the funny bone.
It senses when things are funny or moving.
Hmm.
I know toes help us balance, but I think I remember reading something about ears.
Is the answer B, the inner ear?
Spot on, Emma.
The answer is B.
Deep inside your head, behind the part of the ear you can see, is a tiny, amazing system called the inner ear.
It is filled with fluid, kind of like a water bottle.
Like a water bottle? So when I move around, the water sloshes?
Exactly.
When the car goes forward, turns a corner, or goes over a bumpy hill...
the fluid inside your inner ear swishes around.
That swishing sends a message to your brain saying, we are moving.
Welcome back, explorers! Before the break, Emma was feeling a little dizzy while reading in the car, and our friends Mihan and Ryan asked us exactly why that happens.
So, Dr. Owl, if my tummy feels sick, does that mean my stomach is the problem? Did I eat too many pancakes for breakfast?
Not exactly, Emma.
The stomach is just following orders.
The real mystery starts up in your head.
To solve this case, we have to interview our three witnesses, the eyes, the brain, and our first trivia question.
Ooh, a trivia question.
I love these.
Explorers at home, listen closely.
Where is your body's hidden motion sensor? Is it A, your big toe? B, your inner ear? or C, your elbow?
It has to be the elbow.
That is why they call it the funny bone.
It senses when things are funny or moving.
Hmm.
I know toes help us balance, but I think I remember reading something about ears.
Is the answer B, the inner ear?
Spot on, Emma.
The answer is B.
Deep inside your head, behind the part of the ear you can see, is a tiny, amazing system called the inner ear.
It is filled with fluid, kind of like a water bottle.
Like a water bottle? So when I move around, the water sloshes?
Exactly.
When the car goes forward, turns a corner, or goes over a bumpy hill...
the fluid inside your inner ear swishes around.
That swishing sends a message to your brain saying, we are moving.
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