But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids
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!
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 30, 2016 • 25min
Why Is The Sea Salty?
We're heading to the coast of Maine to learn a little bit about why the sea is salty, how mussels get their shells and how model ships get in those glass bottles.
Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript | Ship In Bottle Plans
Sep 16, 2016 • 13min
Why Is Soccer Called 'Soccer' Instead Of 'Football'?
7-year-old Kala wants to know why we say soccer in the United States, when the rest of the world calls the game "football." In this episode we hear from people who make their living in the game, professional players, coaches and commentators.
Sep 2, 2016 • 15min
How Long Does It Take For A Baby Cheetah To Go From Fluffball To Hunter?
How long does it take for baby animals to grow up? In this episode, we're learning about cheetahs and horses with two questions from siblings in Australia.
Aug 19, 2016 • 21min
Do Bumblebees Have Hearts?
This episode is all about bugs! We've gotten a lot of questions from you about insects and other critters. So we're tackling them with the help of Jessica Honaker and Kristie Reddick, otherwise known as the Bug Chicks.
Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript
Aug 5, 2016 • 22min
Why Don't Bicycles Fall Over?
It's all about bikes in this episode of But Why? Why bicycles can stay up when you're riding them, but fall over when stopped. Olympian Lea Davison tells how to get started when riding, and we learn how a bike chain moves a wheel.
Jul 22, 2016 • 13min
How Does An Engine Work?
Seven-year old Sawyer wants to know: how does an engine work? We learn about chainsaws from Ashleigh Belrose, an instructor the Center for Technology in Essex, Vermont.
Jul 8, 2016 • 16min
How Does It Feel When Your Family Changes?
Families grow and change. What does that feel like? We asked kids to tell us about their families, and we speak with author Amy Bloom about how love is not something that needs to be divided up, like a pie, but can expand and multiply.
Jun 24, 2016 • 10min
Why Is The Sky Blue?
Why is the sky blue? We get an answer from a science writer for NASA's Space Place. And what are Saturn's rings? Carolyn Porco of the Cassini Imaging Team explains.
Jun 10, 2016 • 23min
How Do You Make Paint?
In this episode of But Why we're learning how to make paint from an artist who wild-crafts his own pigments, and we're visiting the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to learn about the value of art.
May 27, 2016 • 19min
Why Do People Have Different Religions?
In this episode of But Why we tackle the question of why people have different religions. Our answer comes from Wendy Thomas Russell, who wrote a book on how to talk about religion for secular families. Plus we visit a farm where kids of both the human and the goat variety are involved in making cheese.
