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But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

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Vermont Public

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!

#216

Why do people get older?

Younger people have lots of questions about older people, like: Why do we age? Why do people get gray or white hair? Why do older people have wrinkles? Why do older people have veins that stick up? Why are older people more tired? Why do some people get shorter as they get older? Dr. Suvi Neukam, a geriatrician at Oregon Health and Sciences University, answers kids’ questions about aging in this episode. Download our learning guide: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/2d/25/ecae12f5433698db2178225bf88b/why-do-people-get-older.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10V4inJSGwAGRYrohosDzPM1H6umEeCWXjWVYCGMbN_c/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/98/68/b55c8e224e4399902003c16dc832/but-why-216-aging-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

22 Sep 2023

26 MINS

26:39

22 Sep 2023

#215

How do birds fly?

Why do birds fly? How do raptors soar? Why do some birds fly in the shape of a V? Why can’t some birds, like penguins, emus and ostriches fly? Why do hummingbirds fly so fast? We answer all of your questions about birds and flight with help from Anna Morris of the [Vermont Institute of Natural Science] (https://vinsweb.org/) and Bridget Butler, the [Bird Diva] (https://www.birddiva.com/) . And we get a preview of our new education series [But Why: Adventures! Northeast Nature] (https://www.vermontpublic.org/but-why-adventures) . Educators: [learn more] (https://www.vermontpublic.org/but-why-adventures) about But Why: Adventures! Northeast Nature and [sign up] (https://www.vermontpublic.org/but-why-adventures) for free access to the series! Download our learning guides: [Video] (https://youtu.be/sxnj2HLmUvs) | [PDF] (https://assets.vermontpublic.org/files/butwhy/3-November-But_Why_Soaring_Lesson_Plan.pdf) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/c1/70/070365994bf1921d8b853d44da1f/but-why-215-birdsfly-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

08 Sep 2023

24 MINS

24:40

08 Sep 2023

#214

What are sun bears?

We’re thinking about bears! Actually one specific type of bear: sun bears! Have you heard about this type of bear? They’re the smallest of the world’s bears, about half the size of a black bear. They live throughout southeast Asia and have a yellow or white crescent-shaped marking on their chests. We learn about sun bears with Wong Siew Te, a scientist and researcher who runs the [Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre] (https://www.bsbcc.org.my/) in Malaysia. Also in this episode: Do bears live in caves? Why do they climb trees? Why do bears hibernate in winter? Naturalist Mary Holland answers questions about hibernation. And we are treated to [A Bear Song] (https://youtu.be/47DCpGxrv6o) by Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke! Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/d7/d6/b6b250a0497aa7ff85609cbb3a9f/what-are-sun-bears.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1durDthpQAZFC-V05dgDav2thUmWe0wQvTNgcnxjqb0M/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/b9/2e/e5e1bf554bf88c08d68af2ded95d/what-are-sun-bears-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

25 Aug 2023

21 MINS

21:56

25 Aug 2023

#213

Why don't bicycles fall over?

It's all about bikes in this episode of But Why? How come bicycles stay up when you're riding, but fall over once you stop? We turn to Andy Ruina, professor of engineering at Cornell University, for the scientific answer. We also learn how a bike chain works and Olympic mountain biker Lea Davison tells how to get started when riding. Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/7a/31/211ee40f41eeb02c757028e98dd9/why-dont-bicycles-fall-over.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1S2DmPdhvPkM-otK0t9FawHL116GLwYHMGJxyK2mndL0/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/4d/56/f130233d427d997cb80a9b876a9d/butwhy-213-bikes-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

11 Aug 2023

21 MINS

21:23

11 Aug 2023

#212

How do we learn to read?

11-year-old Alaska (from Colorado) wants to know: why do some kids love reading while others don’t? We know there’s a lot of debate lately about the best ways to teach kids how to read. But in this episode we leave the pedagogy to adults and let kids share with one another why they love to read and their best tips for kids like them, who may be struggling to learn (and love) to read. Plus, guest Fumiko Hoeft, medical doctor and professor at the University of Connecticut and at the University of California San Francisco, lifts the lid on our brains to explain what’s happening inside us when we learn to read. Dr. Hoeft runs a brain imaging research program and a lab called [BrainLENS] (https://www.brainlens.org/home-page) . Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/04/5d/ad772c2946809a3cb287c3073966/how-do-we-learn-to-read.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cDrolW7ugJKMEVBNlL18BrEm1FM8z_tD50L9C08gTMQ/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/87/f8/d992a02545e1b6324520e35567bd/but-why-212-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

28 Jul 2023

35 MINS

35:27

28 Jul 2023

#211

How are crickets so loud?

How are crickets so loud? Why do they chirp at night? How are they different from grasshoppers? We’re talking crickets today with Karim Vahed, a cricket and katydid expert and entomologist (bug scientist) in England who works with BugLife, the Invertebrate Conservation Trust. In this episode, Professor Vahed takes on some of pressing general insect questions as well: Do insects have bones? What do baby bugs like to do? Do insects drink water? Why are bugs so important? Download our learning guides: [ PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/ec/3d/97ad2a0a40ca92e624e99ffdee69/why-do-crickets-chirp.pdf) | [ Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1j84okY8898CXMjD8q1CE_yYNQO3s4qFPnZIaeDS1nKE/copy) | [ Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/30/75/91f1aca64e9a981cfbd3a4e0a124/but-why-185-crickets-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

14 Jul 2023

26 MINS

26:43

14 Jul 2023

#210

Why do we have allergies?

Why is it that some people have allergies when others don’t, even if they’re in the same family? How do allergies work? Can you be allergic to water? Why are some people allergic to cats and dogs? Can you grow out of your allergies? We’re joined by pediatrician and allergy researcher [ Dr. Ruchi Gupta] (https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=17229) to answer the dozens of questions kids have sent us on this topic. Plus we learn about promising treatments being developed to help relieve allergy suffering. Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/e5/f0/13089fbc415092527a6f4eb940d7/why-do-people-have-allergies.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1x_ZsXwJqgWKVM8TN5Mbzr18rxp99gYFAWyAz6rI0VAA/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/cb/41/06dc8f7e4677a2f860563086cbaf/why-do-people-have-allergies-transcript.pdf) . ... Read more

30 Jun 2023

30 MINS

30:28

30 Jun 2023

#209

What are eels?

What are eels? And why are some eels electric? We head to Poughkeepsie, New York to learn about eels with Chris Bowser, Hudson River estuary educator with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Plus we learn about electric eels. Electric eels have captured the imagination of many people, but they’re not actually considered eels by the scientific community. They’re a type of knife fish, more closely related to catfish and carp. But they are electric! So we’ll tackle why they’re electric and how they create electricity. David de Santana, of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, tells us what it’s like to study electric eels in the Amazon. Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/05/aa/caf85faa43ff85adc036429f4545/what-are-eels.pdf) | [Google Slides] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kerTCQKoEJkdG4ceSc-u5ZPfeimtVrl3Y9e2K_PhQN0/copy) ... Read more

16 Jun 2023

23 MINS

23:02

16 Jun 2023

#208

Why is social media so addictive?

Why do people spend so much time on social media? But Why answers kids' questions about social media and screen time and we learn about how to be a good citizen online with Devorah Heitner, author of [Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World ] (https://devorahheitner.com/screenwise/) and [Growing Up In Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World] (https://devorahheitner.com/growing-up-in-public/) , coming in September. Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/ce/78/fec4f36843739e127e9fc33c66c2/why-is-social-media-so-addictive.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1FXa1QraPbZZt8tf2pvfg9W3UR1l5eFuDoIlMyIhOPKw/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/b2/33/12fd988a42bf8929b61880c99b19/butwhy-socialmedia-ep208-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

02 Jun 2023

19 MINS

19:51

02 Jun 2023

#207

Why do wolves howl?

Why do wolves howl at the moon? Do wolves have different howls? How were wolves domesticated into dogs? How do wolves run fast for so long? What kind of habitats do wolves prefer? Why are people scared of wolves? Do they eat people? How do we protect them? But Why visits the [Wolf Conservation Center] (https://nywolf.org/) in South Salem, New York, where education director Regan Downey answers kid questions about these apex predators. Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/3b/59/a8578fd14c4db803387a6a3a4822/why-do-wolves-howl.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ngEyJnJJS35pN0hh_71JFpu8TKUU_0mOxU8UKHuaODI/copy) | [Transcript ] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/7e/bb/1a3ac5be427cb80dd18366cb3b26/butwhy-wolves-ep207-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

19 May 2023

27 MINS

27:17

19 May 2023

#206

Nine questions about nature in cities

Do bears ever live in cities? Why do so many crows gather together on winter nights? How many raccoons are there in cities? What’s the deal with so many maple trees in Vermont? Why are flowers different colors? How are snakes born with venom? Why do some foxes turn white in the winter and others don’t? Where is a good place to observe wildlife? How do urban wild places support wildlife in cities? Naturalist Teage O’Connor answers questions from Burlington classrooms in this special live episode of But Why. Download our learning guide: [PDF ] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/45/66/3c54b0de40c59b467b56e6ef524d/nine-questions-about-nature-in-cities.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1uAfwWYN2RE6soSe1pDnqjVUG1nUjftK0ZmZdk_CgM6o/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/22/50/4f8b04234ca0b8345008750cab07/butwhy-c206-citynature-transcript.pdf) | [Scavenger Hunt] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/a7/58/e83a065943749d3e4847797a3b73/website-explore-your-backyard.pdf) ... Read more

05 May 2023

31 MINS

31:47

05 May 2023

#205

Why aren’t babies just little adults?

Why are babies small and grownups big? Why are babies so helpless, instead of little versions of adults? Do babies know they're babies? How do babies grow? How do babies learn to talk? Kids have been sending us lots of questions about babies! This week we're learning more about the development of the human brain with Celeste Kidd, professor of psychology and primary investigator at the Kidd Lab at the University of California Berkeley. Download our learning guides: [ PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/2c/6d/c3e338fb4249aebc40955eab095d/why-arent-babies-just-little-adults.pdf) | [ Google Slides] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1s5-JGMQG_TdBY3QOxTeVRJao6njNPJGfd14wzpn89xc/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/64/99/92ed9cad46f99dcb216116d69f8b/butwhy-ep205-littleadults-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

21 Apr 2023

28 MINS

28:03

21 Apr 2023

#204

Why do we donate blood?

One of the things that makes blood so special is we can share it with other people! Scientists and doctors have figured out safe ways to take the blood from one person and put it into the body of a different person who needs it. That’s called a transfusion. Why would someone need more blood? Doctors use blood transfusions to help people who have been in accidents and to treat people with certain kinds of cancer, sickle cell disease and other conditions. But if you’ve never heard about this before, it can sound kind of strange and alarming to think about giving away something that is so necessary to your life! In our second blood-related episode we’ll tag along with Jane as she donates some of her own blood. Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/db/40/f03c22ae4033b2becc8f4e1e94dd/why-do-we-have-blood-and-what-does-it-do.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UrIUS-FGy60KX_aCKizxdIYudhV8XllVsQGwfbnvyOE/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/55/ff/9343880043be92c75dffd2b04a7b/but-why-204-blood-donation-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

07 Apr 2023

13 MINS

13:08

07 Apr 2023

#203

Why do we have blood and what does it do?

Why do people have blood, what is it, and what does it do? How do our bodies make new blood? Is it red or blue? Why does blood taste like metal? And why do we have different blood types? Our listeners have a lot of questions about blood. We learn about blood with UVM Medical Center and Larner College of Medicine pathologist Dr. Sarah Harm. Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/db/40/f03c22ae4033b2becc8f4e1e94dd/why-do-we-have-blood-and-what-does-it-do.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UrIUS-FGy60KX_aCKizxdIYudhV8XllVsQGwfbnvyOE/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/c5/34/641085234877bb7eaeab4cd2adf1/butwhy-blood-ep203-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

24 Mar 2023

32 MINS

32:28

24 Mar 2023

#202

How do water slides work?

How do water slides work and how are they built? Why do you have to be a certain age or height to go down a water slide? Where does the water in water parks come from? And which is easier to design and build: a water slide or a roller coaster? First we did a little research of our own at Jay Peak Pump House Water Park. (And by “research” we mean “going down the water slides.”) And to teach us more about what’s actually happening when you take your thrill ride, we talked with water slide engineers Songyi Moon and Kelly Sall at WhiteWater West. Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/0b/02/1c4b3ae24534a97ea6069cc4126b/how-do-water-slides-work.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17ycGvw0ZmFU3gpUGkWvw-cPifoO8-omm1U4SkS0GfaA/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/3c/e4/5eafe396471982cd3334f269ef78/but-why-202-waterslides-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

10 Mar 2023

18 MINS

18:44

10 Mar 2023

#201

Carrots give you night vision! And other things adults say

In this episode: part two of parentisms- you know, the things adults like to say that may or may not be true. So many of these sayings have to do with food: Eating carrots will improve your vision. Drinking coffee will make you shorter. Don’t swallow watermelon seeds or they’ll grow in your stomach. We do a little fact checking on this generational eating advice with Dr. Nusheen Ameenuddin of the Mayo Clinic. And we explore a few other sayings you sent us, like why do parents always say, “Next time” when they really mean “No”? And what the heck does it mean to keep your eyes peeled? Download our learning guides: [PDF] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/33/c4/31a5e1254a0580b5ad91d498a5b2/dont-swallow-gum-and-other-things-parents-say.pdf) | [Google Slide] (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AXtU4kwblnuanM-H6Ac_c7eXloXF0xkI5MAmn7nXCDo/copy) | [Transcript] (https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/21/3b/d8a931a649fc9e9f1e5e89cc4123/but-why-201-moreparentisms-transcript.pdf) ... Read more

24 Feb 2023

43 MINS

43:34