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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

32:58

Are wild cats afraid of water?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2025/01/10

Are all cats afraid of water? Do wild cats bury their poop? How are the cats that live in your house related to lions and tigers roaming in the wild? We take a walk in the woods with wildlife biologist Emily Carollo. She works with a conservation and research organization called Panthera that’s dedicated to helping all 40 species of wild cats in the world. Why do cats live in different habitats? What do cats eat? Why do they chase mice? Why do cats' eyes glow in the dark? Why do some cats roar and

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30:09

What would your superpower be?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/12/27

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpower to be–and what would you call yourself? That’s what we asked kids for this special end-of-year episode, and we got some amazing answers! Some kids want to fly. Some want to go back in time. One wants to be able to draw everything perfectly the first time. And a surprising number of kids want a super ability to do math!Stories about humans with special abilities have been around for as long as humans have been telling stories. But the

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25:47

Who decides what robots look like?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/12/13

Who decides what robots look like? How do robots work and move? How are they controlled? And are robots alive? We tackle all your robot questions in this episode, and we’re taking a field trip to a local factory that uses hundreds of robots to help humans do their jobs. GlobalFoundries, in Essex Junction, Vermont makes microchips that go in all kinds of electronics. In fact, if your adults have a smartphone, more than likely it has a chip made at this very facility. Engineers Adrien Plouffe and Lucy

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32:33

Why can’t animals talk to us?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/11/29

Why can’t animals talk to us? Are humans the only animals that can talk? Can different species of animals communicate with each other? We learn about animal communication with Arik Kershenbaum, author of Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication. He studies wolves, gibbons, dolphins and hyrax to learn how they communicate. Also in this episode: why are parrots able to speak human words but other birds can’t? Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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25:39

How does food turn into poop?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/11/15

Why do we have to poop? Why does fiber make you poop? Why is poop brown? Why does it smell so bad? Why do farts smell bad, too? Yup, we’re going there! In this episode, Mary Roach, author of Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, answers your questions about those things that we’re told not to talk about in polite company: poop and farts. We learn how astronauts use the bathroom in space and how many germs are in one ounce of poop.Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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21:07

Why do we have anxiety?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/11/01

Why do we worry and how can we deal with it? Why do we get anxious? Where does anxiety come from? Anxiety or worry is a hard feeling to overcome, but it’s a universal human emotion. In this episode, we explore anxiety with clinical psychologist Eileen Kennedy-Moore, also known as Dr. Friendtastic. She helps us understand why moderate anxiety is useful and necessary. But too much worry can prevent you from learning new things or doing activities that could be fun. And she has some tips for how to

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24:13

How do we vote?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/10/18

Election Day in the United States is November 5 this year and election officials across the country are already hard at work setting up polling places and processing mail in ballots. Even if you’re not old enough to vote, you can be part of the process. You can watch voting machines be tested, observe the polling places on Election Day, or even watch votes be counted once the polls close. (Sometimes there are livestreams so you can watch from the comfort of your own home!) For this episode on how

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27:29

What are red states and blue states?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/10/04

What is voting? Why (and how) do people vote? Why can’t kids vote? Why are there red and blue states (not to mention donkeys and elephants representing political parties)? How can someone win the most votes but still lose the presidential election? We’re answering kid questions about elections with Bridgett King, a political scientist at the University of Kentucky. Download our learning guides: PDF | Transcript

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26:03

Introducing ChopChop: Let's Get Corny!

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/09/20

A new food-focused kids podcast is here. It’s called ChopChop and it’s part of a non-profit committed to getting kids and families to cook and eat meals together. Explore tasty recipes on their website! They also publish a quarterly magazine in English and Spanish (a good way to practice a second language). We contributed to their very first episode and we have to say, it’s the corniest episode you’re ever going to listen to! Our contribution was the science of how popcorn pops. We hope you

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20:58

How do broken bones heal?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/09/06

Why do we have bones? How do they grow–and how do they know when to stop growing? How many do we have in our bodies? And when we break our bones, how do they heal? What do casts do? And how do you know if you’ve broken a bone? Broken bones are a common occurrence in kids. Up to 40% of girls and up to 50% of boys will break a bone in their lifetime. In this episode, we learn about the role of bones in our body and how to deal with a fractured bone with Melissa Raddatz, a family nurse

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21:10

How do wind turbines work?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/08/23

How do wind turbines work? How are wind turbines made? What will our energy picture look like in the future? We’re taking a deep dive into wind power, and trying to make the technology understandable, with Josh Castonguay of Vermont utility Green Mountain Power. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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37:39

Do earthworms have eyes?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/08/09

Come along to learn all about the wriggling worms that live in the dirt beneath your feet. Earthworms are everywhere, and there are many species of worms yet to be discovered. How do worms communicate? Why do worms have slime? Why do worms come out when it rains? Answers to all of your worm questions with earthworm detective Sam James. Plus, we learn about worm composting with a kid who’s in charge of her family’s food scraps! Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slides

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19:02

How do we learn to swim?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/08/02

But it’s important to know how to swim if you’re going to be around water! In this episode, Upper Valley Aquatic Center Swim School Director Kana Wyman gives us swimming tips, like how to get comfortable putting our heads in the water, how to float and more.Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slides | TranscriptA few tips for getting started:If you don’t live near a pool or body of water, you can learn some primary skills even in a bathtub or using a bucket. Get used to putting

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20:03

What’s it like to compete in the Olympics?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/07/26

We’re celebrating the Olympics and Olympic athletes with an episode chock full of the interviews we’ve done with Olympians. Plus we answer some of the Olympic-themed questions you’ve sent us, starting with: what’s all the hype about winning a big piece of metal? And are those medals really made out of gold, silver and bronze? And we speak with Paralympian Emelia Perry, who’s competing in the paratriathlon in Paris! (Other athletes we hear from: skier Andrew Weibrecht, bobsledder Elana

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24:26

Why do we wear clothes?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/07/12

Have you ever been threading one leg through a pair of pants in the morning and wondered…why do we wear clothes anyway? Or wondered why pockets in clothing designed for girls are sometimes smaller than the pockets in clothing designed for boys? In this episode we tackle questions about clothes with fashion historian and writer Amber Butchart.Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slides | Transcript

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26:13

Who invented pizza?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/06/28

How is pizza dough made? How does gluten-free dough rise? Who invented pizza? Is there pizza in every country? Is yeast alive?! Kids love pizza and they have questions! We get answers from Frank Pinello of Best Pizza in Williamsburg and Scott Wiener of Scott’s Pizza Tours. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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24:19

Why do oranges have peels?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/06/14

Why do oranges have peels? Why is the inside of an orange segmented? Why are lemons and limes so sour? Why do lemons have seeds but limes don’t? Why does fruit have juice? How many oranges are in a gallon of juice? How do seedless oranges reproduce? How are oranges available year-round? Why are the fruit and the color both called orange? We’re answering questions about citrus with Fernando Alferez from the University of Florida’s Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. Download our

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14:18

Do people eat bugs?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/06/07

Yes! In many parts of the world, insects are a regular part of people’s diets. Bugs are an efficient source of protein, and many cultures find them delicious. Some countries, like the US, don’t have a strong culture of insect cuisine, but that’s starting to change as people look for ways to feed a growing global population without using as many resources as we currently do. So insects might be an important part of our future diets as well. With all the talk about cicadas this summer, eating

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19:43

Why do cicadas come out every 17 years?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/05/31

This spring, trillions of periodical cicadas are emerging from the ground, where they’ve spent 13 or 17 years feeding on xylem (basically, tree juice). The two specific broods emerging this year have not come out at the same time since 1803, and kids may be hearing a lot of news about these loud insects. So today we’re tackling the cicada questions you’ve sent us: Why do cicadas come out every 17 years? What do cicadas eat? Why are there more cicadas at night than in the morning? Why do

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23:11

Where does the sky end?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids ·

2024/05/17

Where is the border between sky and space? That's what 5-year-old Matthias of Durham, New Hampshire wants to know. Alesandra, 3 of Bella Vista, Arkansas wants to know why we can't hold air. In this episode from 2020, we’re joined by anthropologist Hugh Raffles, a professor at The New School, and by astronomer John O'Meara, chief scientist at the Keck Observatory. And we have special scoring by cellist Zoë Keating.Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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272 results

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