Tumble Science Podcast For Kids

When did smartness begin? We’ll find out how a neuroscientist blends up brains, and cracks the case of the Tyrannosaurus Rex smarts! Suzana Herculano-Houzel helps us answer listener Penny’s question by explaining how “smartness” might not mean what you think - and how all animals have shown off their intelligence over time. Help us out by taking our listener survey! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tumblepodcast Listen to our bonus interview with Suzana on our Patreon when you pledge just $1 a month or more! patreon.com/tumblepodcast.Learn more about Suzana and her work on the evolution of intelligence the blog on our website, www.sciencepodcastforkids.com. We apologize that the cover art of the episode is not a scientifically accurate portrayal of a T.Rex! We know that they likely did not wear graduation caps.

Have you ever wondered what bird you’re hearing? We’re going to discover how to recognize birds by their sound - and what that means for science. Trevor Attenberg is an environmental scientist and science communicator who learned to identify birds without sight, by their sound alone. He takes us through his journey to becoming a birder and a scientist, and shares how you can learn to recognize birds by their sound.  Learn more about Trevor, and find his recommended resources for birding on the blog on our website, www.sciencepodcastforkids.com.  This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number # 2148711 - Engaging Blind, Visually Impaired, and Sighted Students in STEM with Storytelling through Podcasts. Take our survey to help support the podcast! Just go to https://bit.ly/TumbleScienceSurvey and spend a few minutes of your time answering questions.

How big is the universe? And how do we know? It's a question that puzzled astronomers for centuries. They had no way to measure distance in space - until Henrietta Leavitt showed them how. Henrietta Leavitt was a "computer" in the 19th century, before there were computers, and she made an incredible discovery that would help change the way people thought about the universe - forever. Modern-day astronomer Karen Masters helps us tell her remarkable story. If you like this episode, you'll love our free audio course, "Cataloging the Universe" where you'll learn much more about how Henrietta Leavitt's discovery made a big difference in astronomy - plus, you'll become a skywatcher yourself! "Cataloging the Universe" is more than a podcast. It’s interactive! Each episode - or lesson - in the series contains activities to complete while you listen. Plus, you’ll get discussion questions, graphic organizers, and a star journal to keep your observations in. Check out the series and download all the resources at our

We're working on a special project that we'll announce in our next episode! Enjoy one of our favorite episodes while we make it ready for you.    Why and how do cats purr? That’s what Reid wants to know. It sounds like a simple question, but it leads us to a deep challenge: Can we ever understand cats? To find out, we launch a full-scale cat purr investigation. You’ll hear from a puzzled veterinarian, a scientist who studied her cat’s annoying purr, and the author of purring.org, the premier cat purr research website. It’s a purr-fect episode for everyone who’s curious about cats.

Why are sloths so slow? We’ll find out how one sloth scientist got crafty and discovered why slowness is a sloth’s secret to survival. Rebecca Cliffe, founder of the Sloth Conservation Foundation, shares the story of her quest to study these sneakily stealthy creatures, with the help of a special backpack. What she finds will definitely surprise and delight you! If you're like Marshall, you might even laugh/cry.  To hear more about Rebecca’s slothsome adventures, listen to our bonus interview episode! It’s available to Patrons who pledge just $1 or more a month on patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Learn more about sloth research and conservation with the free resources on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com - where you’ll also find a free transcript for the episode.

Explore the sounds of ocean science on a sound scavenger hunt! Tune in as oceanographer Amy Bower takes us to the sea, to show us how she uses sound to study ocean currents and make ocean science accessible for blind and visually impaired people. Listen up and help us search for clues beneath the waves to reveal the secrets of the underwater realm! Ocean data sonifications courtesy of Dr. Jon Bellona at the University of Oregon, and the Accessible Oceans project. Learn more about Dr. Amy Bower in our bonus interview episode, available to Patrons who pledge just $1 or more a month to support Tumble, at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. We have free resources to keep exploring the world of ocean science and data sonification with Amy Bower. They’re on the blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com, along with a free transcript. This episode is the first in a series featuring blind scientists. The material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number # 2148711 - Engaging Blind, Visually Imp

A Black botanist is on a mission to discover the hidden stories of Black plant scientists throughout history. Shawn Abrahams shares how Black people are responsible for vanilla cupcakes, and the microscopes you use in science class! Plus, hear how Shawn started their own journey to becoming a botanist and historian, with the help of Wikipedia. Hear more stories from Black scientists featured on Tumble! Check out our blog post for a list of episodes. Learn more about how Shawn became a botanist on our bonus interview episode, available to Patrons who pledge $1/month on Patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Dig deeper into the stories of Black botanists on the blog on our website at sciencepodcastforkids.com. Want to hear science stories in Spanish? Listen to our Spanish show, Tumble en Español! Hosted by Nuria Net and Alvaro Ramos.

Join us on an Arctic adventure as we head out onto the sea ice with a polar bear scientist! Andrew Derocher shares exciting stories of flying in helicopters, getting bit by a polar bear cub, and discovering how polar bears are surviving in a warming world. Andrew explains what happens when polar bears move into human towns, in the bonus interview episode. It’s available to Patrons who pledge just a dollar or more a month on patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Teachers! Find a toolkit to share polar bear science with students, on the World Wildlife Fund’s WildClassroom.org. A transcript for this episode and other resources are available on our website, sciencepodcast.com

This is a re-broadcast of one of our most popular episodes of season 7, The Science of Butts!  What is a butt? That’s what science journalist Katherine Wu wanted to know. Her quest for an answer leads her into a web of big butt questions, and a search to find the top butt scientists in the world. She discovers a debate over where butts come from, and a very strange butt that could rewrite the annals of butt history. This episode features an original song called, “Sometimes Butt.” Trust us, it’s a fun one! (And yes, we say the word “butt” and other butt-related words a lot.) Can’t get enough of butt science? There’s plenty more! Listen to a bonus interview episode with Katherine Wu, available to Patrons who support Tumble at a level of $1 a month or more. You’ll get access to an ad-free feed with all our bonus episodes, at patreon.com/tumblepodcast This episode is based on Katherine’s article, “The Body’s Most Embarrassing Organ is an Evolutionary Marvel.” Find more butt science resources on the blog on ou

Join Marshall as he treks through a blizzard to find a warm spot by the fire, and listen to these great winter-themed episodes of Tumble. In this Road Trip Pack, you'll hear these episodes:  The Great Seal Count The People of the Snow The Power of Pika Scientists The Volcanic Eruption Adventure Whether you're curled up by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa or out on a snow-shoe trek through the wilderness, enjoy these great episodes about science in the snow! 

How likely is it that we’ll find intelligent alien life on other planets? Are there extraterrestrial civilizations that we could contact - or that could contact us? And what would these aliens be like? We’re going to try to answer these big questions with the help of two scientists, and a very famous math equation. Hear more from Kaitlin Rassmussen and Arik Kershenbaum in our special bonus interview episode, available to Patrons who pledge just $1 or more a month to support the show on patreon.com/tumblepodcast We have free resources available on the blog on our website, https://www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/single-post/do-aliens-exist Here's a podcast we think you'll like: Armchair Adventures! It is a super-fun and a little bit bonkers series for kids aged 6-10. Join Connie and her gang of explorers for a new adventure every episode. Using your awesome imagination, you’ll visit magical places, meet extraordinary people and learn a thing or two along the way. It’s jam-packed full of sing and move-along fun

In this special road-trip collection of Tumble episodes, you'll hear all about scientists who are making a difference in their communities. This episode pack contains:  How to be Helping Scientist Reinventing the Wheel What to do about Trash?  If you're a teacher and you want to participate in our group of teacher advisors, please follow this link to apply: https://bit.ly/TumbleTeachers

When you have to go, where does it go? That’s what our listener Ellie wants to know. Prepare for potty humor and science as we hear from civil engineer and toilet expert Francis de los Reyes! Who invented the toilet? And what’s “The Great Stink?” We’ll be plunging into the past, present, and future of flushing to discover how toilets don’t just save us from stinky smells - they save lives. Are you a teacher? Participate in our NSF-funded research project! Sign up here: https://bit.ly/TumbleTeachers Learn more about toilets and sanitation around the world, on our bonus interview episode with Francis de los Reyes. It’s available to Patreons who pledge just $1 a month at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. We have free resources about this episode on the blog on our website: https://www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/single-post/how-do-toilets-work All episodes have transcripts now! 

Ever wonder what a mummy smells like? Or why millions of animals were mummified - including baboons? We climb into ancient tombs with Egyptologist Salima Ikram, to discover the science and culture of animal mummies. Salima is a real life tomb adventurer, cautious of scorpions and curious about the dead. Join us this Halloween as we excavate the secrets behind mummies! We’re participating in Nat Geo Kids’ Podcast Party: Ancient Egypt in honor of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. Together with other kids podcasts we are making episode about Ancient Egypt. If you are interested in listening to more, check out Greeking Out.  We're also participating in a Kids Listen Survey! Grownups, take a moment to tell us about your family media habits in this quick survey.  Hear more from Salima in a bonus interview episode available on our ad-free Patreon feed! It’s available for just $1/month when you pledge to support Tumble at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. We have free resources about this episod

If there’s too much gas in the atmosphere, who you gonna call? Gas Busters! Find out how a bacteria from a rabbit’s gut could help fight climate change, in our final episode of Life Lab. This episode features Dr. Ryan Tappel of LanzaTech, and a song collaboration with Basho Mosko, of Basho & Friends! You can find a transcript and other educational materials about this episode on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com. Life Lab is supported by the Engineering Biology Research Consortium, a non-profit committed to educating the next-generation and building a community dedicated to solving big challenges with engineering biology. Funded by the National Science Foundation. Find more of Basho’s educational music here.

Take the Kids Listen Survey!  Tumble’s Life Lab Show at the Cambridge Science Festival  Spider silk? Mushroom leather? Discover what’s next in fashion: Clothes made from synthetic biology. We hear the story of how a synthetic biologist went from collecting spiders in his bedroom to working with some of the biggest names in fashion. This episode features Dr. Dan Widmaier, CEO of Bolt Threads. You can find a transcript and other educational materials about this episode on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com. Life Lab is supported by the Engineering Biology Research Consortium, a non-profit committed to educating the next-generation and building a community dedicated to solving big challenges with engineering biology. Funded by the National Science Foundation.

So far in Life Lab, we’ve uncovered the power of synthetic biology. But with great power comes great responsibility! In this episode, we’ll ask “Is this a good idea?” when it comes to changing the DNA of mosquitoes to fight a deadly virus. This episode features Dr. Sam Weiss Evans and his 8 year old daughter, Izzy Weiss Evans. Hear more from Sam about modified mosquitoes and making decisions about science, in our bonus interview episode! They’re available to Tumble Patrons who pledge just a dollar or more a month, on patreon.com/tumblepodcast. You can find a transcript and other educational materials about this episode on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com. Life Lab is supported by the Engineering Biology Research Consortium, a non-profit committed to educating the next-generation and building a community dedicated to solving big challenges with engineering biology. Funded by the National Science Foundation.

Should we make the move to Mars? And how would we live there? Join us as we pack our bags for Mars with the help of synthetic biology. We’ll find out how astronauts could grow their own food, medicine, and even building materials on the Red Planet. But when Lindsay and Marshall start to disagree about moving to another planet, some tricky questions threaten the mission… Welcome to Life Lab! This is the first part of our five part series about how tiny life can change our world. In Life Lab, we explore the incredible power of synthetic biology to solve some of our biggest challenges - and asking how it could change our future. This episode features Adam Arkin and Kris Prather. Life Lab is supported by the Engineering Biology Research Consortium, a non-profit committed to educating the next-generation and building a community dedicated to solving big challenges with engineering biology. Funded by the National Science Foundation. We have two bonus interviews for you this week, featuring Christina and Kris! T

What does cheese have to do with technology? What does engineering have to do with biology? And why should we know about it? We’ll slice into these questions to get a taste of what synthetic biology is, how it's already in our lives, and how it got there.  Welcome to Life Lab! This is the first part of our five part series about how tiny life can change everything. In Life Lab, we explore the incredible power of synthetic biology to solve some of our biggest challenges - and asking how it could change our future.  This episode features Christina Agapakis and Kristala Prather. Life Lab is supported by the Engineering Biology Research Consortium, a non-profit committed to educating the next-generation and building a community dedicated to solving big challenges with engineering biology. Funded by the National Science Foundation. We have two bonus interviews for you this week, featuring Christina and Kris! They’re available to Tumble Patrons who pledge just a dollar or more a month, on patreon.com/tumblepodc

Season 8 of Tumble begins September 16 with a special, five-part series called “Life Lab.” Life Lab will explore the incredible power of a new technology you probably haven’t heard of. This technology could solve some of the biggest challenges on our planet, and beyond. But with great power, comes great responsibility. We’ll be asking important questions about whether it could - or should - change our future. Bonus: Life Lab will be released weekly, for five weeks! After that, we’ll return to our regular schedule of science discovery, every other week. Help us spread the word! If you can’t wait for all new episodes of Tumble, tell your friends, family, and your teachers to listen along with you. Subscribe or follow wherever you listen to Tumble Science Podcast for Kids.