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PODCAST

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

But Why is a show led by kids. They ask the questions and we find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world. Know a kid with a question? Record it with a smartphone. Be sure to include your kid"s first name, age, and town and send the recording to questions@butwhykids.org!

kids & family

All Episodes

24:12

What Is Electricity?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/07/05

Where does electricity come from? What is electricity made of? Who invented it? How does electricity work? What are electrons made of? Electrical Engineer Paul Hines answers our questions, in part one of our live call-in program. Hines is a professor at the University of Vermont and co-founder of Packetized Energy. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript | Watch On Facebook Live

en

21:00

Why Do Trains Run On Tracks?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/06/21

How do trains work? What about electric trains? Steam trains? Bullet trains? Why do they have to go on tracks? How can trains go so fast even though they're so heavy? And why don’t trains have seat belts? We’re traveling to Union Station in Washington, DC and answering all of your questions with Amtrak’s Patrick Kidd. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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33:43

Why Are Boys Boys And Girls Girls?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/06/07

This week we're answering questions about gender. We've gotten a lot of questions about the differences between boys and girls so we're tackling them with Vanderbilt anthropologist Anna Catesby Yant and Dr. Lori Racha of UVM Medical Center. This is a frank but age-appropriate conversation about male and female bodies and about how biological sex differs from gender. We think the whole family will enjoy this episode, but you're always free to give our episodes a listen to see if it's right for your

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24:18

How Do Mussels Get Their Shells?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/05/24

We're heading to the coast of Maine to learn a little bit about why the sea is salty and how mussels get their shells with Zach Whitener, a research associate at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland, Maine. We also get an answer to a question to how you get a ship in a bottle from Colorado-based ship-in-bottle builder Daniel Siemens in this encore episode from 2016. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript | Ship In Bottle Plans

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33:16

Why Am I Afraid Of The Dark?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/05/10

Lots of people are afraid of the dark, including many kids who have shared that fear with us. In today's episode we explore the fear of the dark with Daniel Handler, better known as Lemony Snicket, the author of the Series of Unfortunate Events books, and a picture book for young kids called The Dark. Then we go on a night hike with Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologist Steve Perren, to talk about ways to embrace the darkness. We practice our night vision by not using flashlights and we think about

en

29:32

Why Is Sugar Bad For You?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/04/26

Why do we need to eat and how does food give us energy? Why do you have to eat vegetables? Why does junk food taste so good? So many questions about food and nutrition. We get answers from Wesley Delbridge, of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Other questions in this episode include: Why does eating salty food make you thirsty? Why is sugar bad for you? Why are vitamins in food? Why is breakfast so important? Why do children get hungry at night? Why is fast food so popular?

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20:24

"Do Skunks Like Their Own Smell?" And Other Stumpers!

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/04/12

Today, 10 questions with one answer in common: "That's a good question!" We've picked 10 stumpers, like: Why don't we suffocate in cars when we're driving? How do we know where our mouths are? Why are there more boys than girls in books? Do monkeys every touch the ground? Why don't fish get electrocuted when lightning strikes? Where does the sidewalk end? Our experts include naturalists Mary Holland, author Grace Lin, primatologist Sofia Carrara, pediatrician Laurie Racha, Dan Goodman of AAA of

en

24:07

Who Makes The Laws?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/03/29

Who makes the laws? That's what 5-year-old Paxton from Kelowna, British Columbia wants to know! We learn about laws with Mike Doyle of the Canadian organization Civix, and Syl Sobel, author of How the U.S. Government Works. We also answer a question from Charlotte in North Carolina: how do elections work? And Hattie in England asks why her country has a government and a queen.

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25:44

Still Funny: Why Do We Laugh?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/03/15

Why do we laugh? Why do you feel ticklish when someone tickles you? Why can't you tickle yourself? In this episode, originally from 2018, we learn about how humor develops with Gina Mireault of the Infant Laughter Project at Northern Vermont University. Plus: April Fools traditions and we listen to jokes sent in by kids with Vermont comedian Josie Leavitt.

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29:44

How Is But Why Made? What Is Sound?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/03/01

In this episode of But Why, we're answering your questions about...us! Why do you make But Why? How are podcasts made? And we're answering questions about the physics of sound and radio. What is sound and how is it made? Why are sound waves invisible? How do echoes work? How do microphones work? How do radio signals work? Answers to your sound and radio questions from our VPR colleagues: sound engineer Chris Albertine and Chief Technology Officer Joe Tymecki.

en

24:05

Why Is There A Big Patch Of Garbage In The Pacific...

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/02/15

Why is there a big patch of garbage in the Pacific Ocean? Four-year-old Leon has heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and he wants to know what the deal is. So we speak with someone who's actually been there! Teen Vogue News and Politics Editor Alli Maloney visited the garbage patch last year for a series called Plastic Planet. But in this episode we'll also explore how young people are becoming activists, trying to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced, waste that sometimes goes into the

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20:37

Why Do Elephants Have Trunks? Why Do Giraffes Have...

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/02/01

We're exploring two different animals in today's episode. One has a long neck and the other has a long trunk! We'll answer: Why are elephants so big? How do their trunks work? Why do they have tusks? Why is elephant skin so rough? Do elephants stomp? Are they actually afraid of mice? And Why are elephants being poached? Peter Wrege of the Elephant Listening Project, which studies elephants in Central African Republic, answers elephant questions. And Steph Fennessy, from the Giraffe Conservation

en

30:57

Why Do Days Start At 12 O'Clock?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/01/18

How was time created? How did one minute become 60 seconds and one hour became 60 minutes? Why is time segmented into 12-hour periods? How do clocks work? Why is a year 365 days? Why is there an extra day in February every four years? Does time have a beginning or an end? Is time travel possible? Answers to all of your time questions with Andrew Novick of NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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20:35

Why Do We Sometimes See The Moon During The Day?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2019/01/04

Why does the moon change shape? How much does the moon weigh? What color is the moon? Why does the Earth only have one moon? Why does the moon have holes? Where does the moon go when we can't see it? Why do we sometimes see the moon in the daytime? Why does the moon look like it's following you when you're in the car? Answers to your moon questions with John O'Meara, chief scientist at the W.M. Keck Observatory.

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29:10

What Is It Like To Be An Adult?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2018/12/21

What is it like to be an adult? It's a big question from a young mind! We invited adults who listen to share their perspectives and Nora McInerny, host of the podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking, helps guide us through that and a few other questions about the strange world of adults: Why can adults do things that kids can't do? Why don't adults play pretend like they used to when they were kids? What happens when you don't listen to your boss? And why do people cry when they're happy?

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24:02

Why Do We Poop And Fart?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2018/12/07

How does your body make poop? How many germs are in an ounce of poop? Why do people fart and why are farts stinky? Look, everybody does it, so today we're going to tackle one of the areas kids seem to find fascinating: why and how we poop! Plus, we get some help from Chicago public radio station WBEZ's Curious City to learn about what happens after you flush the toilet.

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18:34

Circle Round: 'Armadillo's Song'

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2018/11/20

This week, instead of a normal episode, we're bringing you an episode from one of our podcast friends, Circle Round, from WBUR in Boston. Circle Round features folk tales from around the world, and we've selected one we think you'll really enjoy. French comedian Gad Elmaleh stars in "Armadillo's Song," a story about achieving goals and proving naysayers wrong!

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29:04

Why Don't Spiders Get Stuck In Their Webs?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2018/11/09

Why don't spiders stick to their own webs? How do spiders walk up walls and on ceilings without falling? Why do spiders have eight legs and eight eyes? How do they make webs? And silk? What's a cobweb? How do spiders eat? And why are daddy long legs called daddy long legs when they have to have a female to produce babies?! We're talking spiders today with arachnologist Catherine Scott. Download our learning guides: Transcript| Coloring Page

en

21:43

Why Do We Celebrate Halloween?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2018/10/26

Why do we celebrate Halloween? Who created this holiday? Where do pumpkins come from and why do we carve them? This week we're answering your Halloween questions with a professor of all kinds of scary and creepy things, Regina Hansen of Boston University.

en

18:53

Living With A Brain Tumor: 11-Year-Old Twins Share...

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2018/10/12

In today's episode we're not answering any questions. Instead, we're going to talk with 11-year-old twins Isabelle and Sophie Posner-Brown. When Sophie was two, she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. She's had three surgeries and lots of chemotherapy, but she's been on a break from chemo for the last four years. The twins talked with But Why about what it's like to live with Sophie's illness.

en

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