Podcast Episodes

How does wildfire smoke travel so far?

Episode 270

Have you noticed especially hazy skies where you live over the last few summers? While many parts of the world are experiencing more frequent and intense wildfires, even places that are nowh…

Published on 21 hours ago

Why are puffins' beaks so colorful?

Episode 269

Have you ever seen a puffin? With their bright beaks, orange feet and black and white coloring, these birds are very cool to look at. And we’ve gotten a lot of questions about them! In this …

Published on 1 week ago

Who invented the English language?

Episode 268

Where did the English language come from? Why do words have silent letters? Why do some people have accents? Why do some words sound similar? Answers to all of your questions about English a…

Published on 3 weeks ago

Chameleons, jellyfish and ballerinas! Check out But Why Bites

Episode 267

For today’s episode, we’re doing something a little different! We’re going to be listening to our video series, But Why Bites! (Even without the video part, they’re really cool!) Every other…

Published on 1 month ago

Who created math problems?

Episode 266

Who created math problems? Why does one plus one equal 2 and not 11? Why do numbers go on forever? Why are numbers for counting? Why do you need math?

If you love math, this is the episode fo…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

Why do some people like spicy food?

Episode 265

Ever wondered why some spices burn your throat while others tickle your nose? Or why some of us live for spicy foods while others sweat at the mere thought of a habanero? How do pickles stay…

Published on 2 months ago

Why do we need to use sunscreen?

Episode 264

It’s summer and that means slathering yourself with sunblock before you’re allowed to go run around outside. Not everyone loves that ritual: sunscreen can be cold or sticky. Sometimes it get…

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Are horseshoe crabs…crabs?

Episode 263

How did horseshoe crabs get their names? Are they even crabs? And did they really exist before the dinosaurs? Early spring presents a unique opportunity to see these living fossils up close …

Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago

Who invented emoji?

Episode 262

Emoji are those little images you can send in text messages to friends and family. Nine-year-old Leila in New Jersey wants to know how they were invented. So in this episode we find out with…

Published on 3 months, 1 week ago

Why do walruses look so weird?

Episode 261

Why do walrus look the way they do? Why do they have such long tusks? Do they have other teeth? Do walruses migrate? We learn all about these majestic giants with Adam Ratner of the Marine M…

Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago