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
Jun 26, 2018 • 24min
Is it okay to use technology to help you sing better?
Molly Daniels thinks she has what it takes to be a superstar pop singer. The only trouble is, she's out of tune and can't hit the notes properly! Eek. But wait, there's a program many musicians use which "fixes" their voice. Is it wrong to use technology to make you sound better than you are?
May 28, 2018 • 2min
INTRODUCING — Short & Curly update!
We've got exciting news for you — Short & Curly is coming back soon! Molly, Carl and Matt haven't just been lazing around at the beach eating lollies, they've been super busy making you brand new episodes. And they're awesome! Hit play for a sneak peek. And tell your friends to subscribe now, so you can all hear the new shows as soon as they come out.Producer: Kyla SlavenExecutive Producer: Ian Walker
Dec 13, 2017 • 22min
Life, death and a runaway train
An out-of-control train is heading straight for a group of people who don't know they are about to be hit. You, as the driver, have some life and death decisions to make. What will you do? Hop on for a journey into one of the world's most famous thought experiments.This season is a special collaboration between the ABC Audio Studios and WNYC Studios in New York City.Hosts: Carl Smith and Shumita BasuSeries Producer: Kyla SlavenExecutive Producers: Emily Botein and Ian WalkerProducer: Amy PearlSound Engineers: Isaac Jones, Hamish Camilleri, Jolen CamilleriProduction Support: Sarah Sandbach and Brigit Berger
Dec 13, 2017 • 27min
When is it okay to dob on someone?
Kids dob to parents and teachers for all kinds of reasons. It often feels bad when someone tells on you. And, if you're the one doing the dobbing (or snitching as our American friends say), the kid who gets in trouble might not like you for it. So should we tell on people at all? When is it right to speak up and when is it better to keep your mouth shut?This season is a special collaboration between the ABC Audio Studios and WNYC Studios in New York City.Hosts: Carl Smith and Shumita BasuSeries Producer: Kyla SlavenExecutive Producers: Emily Botein and Ian WalkerProducer: Amy PearlSound Engineers: Isaac Jones, Hamish Camilleri, Jolen CamilleriProduction Support: Sarah Sandbach and Brigit Berger
Dec 13, 2017 • 28min
Were the Ancient Romans bad people?
The Ancient Romans were a bloodthirsty lot. As entertainment, they headed down to the local arena, to watch people and animals fight to the death. Today this would be illegal in many parts of the world. But the Roman Empire was a long time ago, and maybe they didn't know any better. So were the Romans wrong in how they lived their lives and can we judge them for it?This season is a special collaboration between the ABC Audio Studios and WNYC Studios in New York City.Hosts: Carl Smith and Shumita BasuSeries Producer: Kyla SlavenExecutive Producers: Emily Botein and Ian WalkerProducer: Amy PearlSound Engineers: Isaac Jones, Hamish Camilleri, Jolen CamilleriProduction Support: Sarah Sandbach and Brigit Berger
Dec 13, 2017 • 24min
What sort of life should an elephant have?
Elephants are extremely intelligent and highly social creatures who traditionally live in large family herds. But their traditional natural world isn't perfect. In the wild, they face many dangers, including from humans. An elephant living in a zoo has a very different life, a much safer one. But they must live a life controlled by humans and cope without the support of their social herd. So, are zoos a good place for elephants? Would a 'wild' life necessarily be a longer, safer or better life? And, how do we even know what counts as a 'good life' if you are an elephant?This season is a special collaboration between the ABC Audio Studios and WNYC Studios in New York City.Hosts: Carl Smith and Shumita BasuSeries Producer: Kyla SlavenExecutive Producers: Emily Botein and Ian WalkerProducer: Amy PearlSound Engineers: Isaac Jones, Hamish Camilleri, Jolen CamilleriProduction Support: Sarah Sandbach and Brigit Berger
Dec 13, 2017 • 27min
How to make the best kind of friends
Making friends and keeping friends can be hard. Sometimes you like someone a lot and then one of you changes and your friendship ends. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle thought friendship was one of the most important things in life and he came up with three main types of friendships. This show lets you think about what kind of friends you have and why.This season is a special collaboration between the ABC Audio Studios and WNYC Studios in New York City.Hosts: Carl Smith and Shumita BasuSeries Producer: Kyla SlavenExecutive Producers: Emily Botein and Ian WalkerProducer: Amy PearlSound Engineers: Isaac Jones, Hamish Camilleri, Jolen CamilleriProduction Support: Sarah Sandbach and Brigit Berger
Dec 5, 2017 • 3min
INTRODUCING — Short & Curly Goes To America
While Molly stays at home to fight crime and breed endangered lizards, Carl packs his toothbrush and some clean underwear for Short & Curly’s big adventure to New York City.
Sep 13, 2017 • 27min
Should we kill feral cats?
Australia is on the war path, pledging to kill two million feral cats by 2020. They felines are biologically the same creatures as the kitties people have as pets at home, but most were born in the wild. Feral cats are said to be responsible for millions of native animals and birds being killed each year and their numbers are skyrocketing. So, a big program to cull cats is underway. Is it okay to take some lives to protect many others? And what about the poor cats? Is it their fault humans brought them here, then let them loose in the environment?Producer: Kyla SlavenExecutive Producer: Ian WalkerGuest: Gregory Andrews, Threatened Species Commissioner Department of Environment and Energy, Australian GovernmentBrains Trust: Oliver, Hugh, Lily, Polly, Georgie, and Paddy from Millthorpe Public School, NSW
Sep 13, 2017 • 23min
Is your classroom fair?
That's not fair! How often have you heard that said at school? When the bell rings, Molly and Carl head back to the classroom but it's not long before one of them is in trouble with the teacher. A disruptive student (hint, it's Carl) can take up a lot of the teacher's attention. Is it wrong that a teacher can't give everyone an equal amount of their time? Can a classroom ever be truly fair?Producer: Kyla SlavenExecutive Producer: Ian WalkerBrains trust: Finn, Ilka, Phoenix, Megan, and Eleanor from Millthorpe Public School, NSWActing crew: Neve, Denholm, April
