Short & Curly
ABC Australia
Short & Curly is the fun and educational ABC Kids and Family podcast that makes philosophy and ethics easy, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Hosted by Molly Daniels, Carl Smith, and philosopher Eleanor Gordon-Smith, the show explores big questions for kids about right and wrong, fairness, truth, knowledge, logic, beauty, and art.
Perfect for kids aged 8–12, Short & Curly is loved by families, parents, and teachers worldwide. One of the best kids shows for curious minds, it inspires learning, laughter, and big ideas that help children learn how to think, not what to think.
Created by the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), trusted makers of award-winning children's content.
Binge this free educational ABC kids podcast series on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts worldwide
Classroom Resources: Listen to the podcast in the classroom or as homework and use these resources to explore and expand upon the diverse themes and subjects covered in the show.
Perfect for kids aged 8–12, Short & Curly is loved by families, parents, and teachers worldwide. One of the best kids shows for curious minds, it inspires learning, laughter, and big ideas that help children learn how to think, not what to think.
Created by the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), trusted makers of award-winning children's content.
Binge this free educational ABC kids podcast series on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts worldwide
Classroom Resources: Listen to the podcast in the classroom or as homework and use these resources to explore and expand upon the diverse themes and subjects covered in the show.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 31, 2021 • 23min
The ethics of smartphones
When Molly got her first smartphone, she was so excited she couldn’t stop staring at her screen and she walked into a power pole. Carl is not so convinced by this flashy and very useful technology. Brains Trust: Guardian Angels Primary School in Queensland — Cienna, Daniel, Ellena, Eva, Kaizin and Laetitia.
Mar 31, 2021 • 21min
Making "life and death" decisions for your pet
Molly and Carl finally get their dream jobs as vets but soon learn it's not all cuddles with cute animals — big and important decisions have to be made. Like whether to de-sex a pet or when it might be best to euthanise a much-loved furry member of the family.Brains Trust: Guardian Angels Primary School in Queensland — Cienna, Daniel, Ellena, Eva, Kaizin and LaetitiaGuest: Dr Ari Ende, VETaround, Sydney
Mar 31, 2021 • 24min
It's the end of the world. Let's go berserk!
Here's a little thought experiment: if you found out the world was going to end next week, would the rules about right and wrong change? If there was no tomorrow would it be okay to steal something you really wanted, or punch someone who had been bullying you? Let's see how Molly and Carl deal with a little thing called… the end of the world.Brains Trust: Somerset College in Queensland — Ethan, Saeesha, Spencer, Maddi, John, and Harry.
Mar 31, 2021 • 21min
Can we build a world that works for everyone?
Carl has shrunk Molly and set her up in a world built of LEGO. You'd think that would be a fun adventure, but not for Molly, who just doesn't fit in. We find out if it's possible to build a world that works for everyone.Brains Trust: Somerset College, Queensland — Charlotte, Abhiraj, Magnus, Isabel, Sarah and Archie.Guest: Simon Darcy, Professor of Social Inclusion at the University of Technology, Sydney.
Mar 31, 2021 • 25min
Should we always be brave?
Molly and Carl head to Sweden to try one of the most disgusting foods in the world. Just wait until you find out what it is! Between gagging and dry retching, they try to answer an important question — am I brave or am I a coward? And is one always good and one always bad?Brains Trust: Guardian Angels Primary School in Queensland — Cienna, Daniel, Ellena, Eva, Kaizin and Laetitia.
Feb 22, 2021 • 4min
BITE — It was an accident!
Have you ever been punished for something that was an accident? Like, you really, really didn't mean to do it, but you still got in trouble. Today's BITE: If you didn't mean to do something should you still get in trouble?
Feb 15, 2021 • 6min
BITE — Killing in computer games
Do you ever play computer games where you have to kill another character? Does that make you feel bad? Should it? Today's BITE: Is it wrong to enjoy killing people in computing games?
Dec 24, 2020 • 17min
Is it fair to punish the whole class?
Have you ever been in a situation where someone did something wrong, but didn't own up? And then the teacher punished the whole class until the real culprit confessed! Is it fair for a whole group to be punished for something one person did? Molly, Carl and Matt go back to school to find out. Brains Trust — Somerset College in Queensland: Ethan, Saeesha, Spencer, Maddi, John, and Harry.
Dec 24, 2020 • 23min
Swimmers vs sharks — who matters most?
On a hot sunny day there's nothing Molly loves better than a swim in the ocean. But the sea can be dangerous, right? There are big waves, dangerous rips and SHARKS! Even though shark attacks are actually very rare, they can be deadly. So, should we kill sharks before they have a chance to kill us?Brains Trust: Guardian Angels Primary School in Queensland — Cienna, Daniel, Ellena, Eva, Kaizin and Laetitia. Paul De Gelder — Former Navy Diver and shark attack survivor.
Dec 24, 2020 • 24min
Do the ends justify the means?
When Matt doesn't have his nose in a big thick philosophy book, he loves watching movies. So when he invites Molly and Carl to "Matt's Mega Movie Trivia Night", they jump at the chance. But it's not any old trivia night, it's about ethics, and he asks only one big question: If you do something bad but you do it to make the end result good, does that make it okay? Brains Trust: Guardian Angels Primary School in Queensland — Cienna, Daniel, Ellena, Eva, Kaizin and Laetitia
