Tumble Science Podcast for Kids

What would Earth be like if our oceans never existed? That’s what Charlie wants to know! We recruit Earth detective Lucia Perez-Diaz to help us track down clues hidden within our planet’s rocks. Our investigation takes us through the mysteries of how water got on Earth, the giant plates moving beneath our feet, and why our oceans are shaped the way they are. Lucia’s also an illustrator, and will draw us an Earth without oceans. What will it look like? Listen to find out.Learn more about how Lucia uses her detective skills to reveal the last 200 million years of Earth’s history, on our special bonus interview episode. It’s available to Patrons who pledge $1 a month or higher! You can support our show and get our ad-free feed on patreon.com/tumblepodcast.You can see some of Lucia’s illustrations on our blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com, along with other resources to learn more about water and plate tectonics on our planet!

Why do bubbles pop, and why do bubbles have shadows? We’re in double bubble trouble with two listener questions. Luckily, Dr. Bubbles is here to save the day! We’ll find out how a normal, everyman physicist named Justin Burton became a superhero bubble scientist, on a quest to make a scientifically proven recipe for giant bubbles. Along the way, we’ll discover the answers to our listeners’ bubbling curiosity. Hear from the inventor of edible bubbles, Li Wei Tan, 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’ll have free resources about bubbles on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com. This episode is sponsored by MEL Science. Check out their awesome science boxes at https://melscience.com/sBHH/ Make sure to use the offer code "TUMBLE" at checkout for 60% off your order.  Here is Dr. Bubble’s Giant Bubble Recipe, courtesy of Emory University: Ingredients 1 liter of water (about 2 pints) 50 milliliters of Dawn Professional Detergent, which is available online (a little over 3 tablespoons) 2-3 grams of guar powder (or guar gum), a food thickener sold in some grocery stores or available online (about 1/2 heaping teaspoon) 50 milliliters of rubbing alcohol (a little more than 3 tablespoons) 2 grams of baking powder (about 1/2 teaspoon) Directions Mix the guar powder with the alcohol and stir until there are no clumps. Combine the alcohol/guar slurry with the water and mix gently for 10 minutes. Let it sit for a bit so the guar hydrates. Then mix again. The water should thicken slightly, like thin soup or unset gelatin. Add the baking powder and stir. Add the Dawn Professional Detergent and stir gently, to avoid causing the mixture to foam. Dip a giant bubble wand with a fibrous string into the mixture until it is fully immersed and slowly pull the string out. Wave the wand slowly or blow on it and enjoy the physics of giant soap bubbles! Results may vary based on humidity.

How many seeds sprouted in the historic Beal Seed experiment we covered in 2021? Find out in this updated version of one of our favorite episodes for spring! We tag along with scientists following a secret map on a mission under the cover of night, to find a buried treasure. It’s all part of one of the longest running, most legendary experiments in science history! We follow plant biologist David Lowry and his team on this secret scientist-spy-treasure hunt, which only happens once every 20 years. But things don’t go quite as planned. Find out what happens on this epic science quest. To learn more about the Beal Seed Experiment, listen to our bonus interview episode with David. It’s available to Patrons who pledge just $1/ month or more on patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Learn more about the experiment and plant biology on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.   Send us your science questions at tumblepodcast@gmail.com.

Why do colors exist in the world? That’s what Phoebe wants to know. The answer might change how you think about the colors that you see! Neuroscientist and artist Bevil Conway bends our minds and our eyes, to show us how colors are the ultimate optical illusion. We’ll discover what color is made of, why even plants can “see” color, and what color can tell us about how our brains work. Take out your coloring supplies and prepare for a color journey.Want to learn why we choose our favorite colors, or if the red I see is the same as the red you see? Listen to our bonus interview episode with Bevil, available on Patreon ad-free feed. Just pledge $1 a month or more to support the show, at patreon.com/tumblepodcast.We’ll have free resources about the science of color on the blog on our website at sciencepodcastforkids.com.

Trash is one of the biggest problems on the planet. But scientists are coming up with solutions that might surprise you. In this Earth Day episode, we meet two researchers who are tackling trash in two very different ways. Kevin Solomon hopes to solve the challenge of recycling plastic with the help of meal worms, and Lily Pollans is figuring out what kids can do to help everyone make less trash. Find out how science can help tackle Earth’s biggest challenges - and how you can help. Learn how one city learned to make less trash, in a special bonus interview episode with Lily Pollans. To listen, pledge to support us on Patreon for just $1 a month or more, at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. We’ll have free resources to learn more about how to make less trash - and new solutions for recycling - on the blog on our website at sciencepodcastforkids.com. Hey! We’re doing a live show as part of The River's Family Music Meltdown and Book Bash in Northampton, MA. Come out and see us at Smith Voke, on April 30th, 2022. We can’t wait to see you there!

Where did the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs come from? That’s what our listener Lucian wants to know. Prepare to hear a “podcast movie” about the fateful impact, starting with an explosive collision in space that sent asteroids careening towards Earth. Then we’ll discover the science behind the story, with the help of planetary scientist Sean Gulick. He led an expedition along with Dr. Joanna Morgan to drill into the impact crater - and find the final piece of evidence in the asteroid theory. This episode is sure to blow your mind.*Special thanks to the kids who helped us collect the sound effects used in the “podcast movie” section of this episode!*Learn more about the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs on our bonus interview episode with Sean. It’s available to patrons who pledge just $1 or more a month at patreon.com/tumblepodcastWe have free resources about science behind the effects of the asteroid impact, and the debate around the asteroids’ origins. Go to our blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com to check it out.

Come on a trip to Dreamland, as we explore the history of dreaming - and how science changed their meaning, forever. Our guide is Sidarta Ribiero, neuroscientist and author of “The Oracle of Night.” We’ll travel back to ancient times when gods and goddesses appeared in dreams, visit the offices of Dr. Sigmund Freud, and watch as an 8 year old boy contributes to a huge scientific breakthrough  - while he slept. Plus, we’ll send you off to sleep with the three steps to exploring the meaning of your dreams. Let’s get dreaming! Want to learn more about dreams? Tune into our bonus interview episode with Sidarta to learn more about when dreams have meaning, and how dreams might make us better at learning. We have free resources available on our blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com - including dreaming octopuses! (not octopi)

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. Learn more about cat purrs - and cat smiles - in our bonus interview episode! It’s available on our ad-free podcast feed on Patreon. It’s just $1/month to get access to all our bonus episodes. Pledge at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Watch the cheetah purr video mentioned in the episode and discover more cat purr research, on the blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com. Animal audio courtesy of Dr. Karen Masters, Dr. Robert Eklund and Stoeger AS et al, under a Creative Commons license.

Clare wants to know if bugs have elbows. Her question starts a debate between Team Bug Arms and Elbows, and Team Bug Legs and Knees! Choose a side, and come on the trail of a bug bod mystery with superstar entomologist and dragonfly specialist Jessica Ware. Turns out, dragonflies are a lot weirder (and ancient!) than you might think! Hear more from our interview with Jessica! Check out our bonus interview episode, available to patrons who support the show at just $1 a month or more. It’s on our exclusive ad-free podcast feed, along with all of our other bonus episodes! We also have free resources of cool bug and dragonfly science on the blog at our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.

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 our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.