Tumble Science Podcast for Kids

How would you reinvent something that’s been used for thousands of years, by millions of people? In this episode, we discover the process of invention with Rory Cooper, an engineer who revolutionized the wheelchair. He’s our guide to time traveling back to the kings and queens who used wheelchairs, and to the future of rideable robots. Anyone want a ride on a Mars rover?! Listen to more of our interview with Rory Cooper, when you become a member on Patreon! Just $1/month gets you access to our special bonus interview episodes with all our scientists. Pledge at patreon.com/tumblepodcast.  Watch videos of Rory’s wheelchairs (including the waterpark wheelchair in action!) at our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.

Would you fly to the top of a volcano that’s about to erupt at any moment? Volcanologist Helena Buurman did, and survived to tell the tale! In 2008, Helena was monitoring Mount Redoubt in Alaska, when the ground beneath the volcano began to shake. What follows is a tale of volcanic adventure, involving earthquakes, helicopters, and a massive eruption!  We invite you to invent your own volcano! Find resources to learn more about volcano warning signs and eruptions, on our website at www.sciencepodcastforkids.com We have more from our interview with Helena Buurman for our Patrons who pledge just $1/month or more. To listen, pledge today at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. For more volcano episodes, check out one of our favorites: “What Would Earth Be Like If Volcanoes Didn’t Exist?”

What happened when astronomers discovered the first alien from another solar system? This is a true story! In 2017, a telescope in Hawaii spotted a distant object in the night sky, behaving like nothing we’d ever seen before. They named it ‘Oumuamua, and an astronomical chase began! Join astronomer Jane Luu on her quest to track it down and figure out how the first interstellar visitor arrived in our solar system. We have another great episode with Jane Luu, about her breakthrough discovery of the Kuiper Belt! Listen to The Search at the Edge of the Solar System. You can also listen to an extended interview with Jane Luu about Oumuamua when you pledge to support Tumble on our Patreon, for just $1/month. Learn more about ‘Oumuamua on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.

We’re back with a new set of kids’ questions about COVID19, as well as some important updates on questions from our first coronavirus episode. Dr. Juan Dumois, infectious disease pediatrician, answers some tricky questions like, “If you were the coronavirus, what would life feel like?” and “Can I play with my friend?”  * *Our interview with Dr. Dumois was recorded on April 17, 2020. If you’re listening weeks later, the situation and the science might have evolved, and Dr. Dumois’ answers might be outdated - information that feels old or incorrect. In that case, look for more recently updated information from trusted sources, like the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and follow guidelines from your local government. You can also keep sending us questions at tumblepodcast@gmail.com! Do you love Tumble? Support us on Patreon.com/tumblepodcast with a pledge! Find more information about some of the answers in this episode at our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.

Why do foods smell the way that they do? A would-be chef goes on a quest to find out, after she loses the ability to smell. Molly Birnbaum, editor of America’s Test Kitchen Kids and host of the podcast, Mystery Recipe, navigates us through the olfactory organs and the startling chemistry of food. Join us to discover the science of smell, and how your nose helps you cook and taste. Want to hear more from our interview with Molly? We have a special bonus interview episode available to all our patrons! Just pledge $1 or more a month at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. We’re sharing more resources about the science of smell and cooking on our blog at our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.

Los virus son como los ninjas más pequeños del planeta. Tienen infinidad de trucos y misterios. ¿Cómo adquieren los animales los virus y cómo se lo pasan a los humanos? Esa era la pregunta de uno de nuestros oyentes. Para averiguar la respuesta, nos adentramos en la ciencia de la virología, el estudio de los virus. El Dr. Jasdave Chahal es un virólogo y nos explica cómo el coronavirus saltó por dos especies hasta los humanos, y de dónde salió. Además, averiguamos cómo los científicos descubrieron los virus aún antes de poder verlos, y cómo cómo crearon las herramientas para protegernos de estos sigilosos ninjas. Esta es una versión especial en español de Tumble, producida por Nuria Net y Alex García de La Coctelera Music. ¡Gracias a todos los que ayudaron con este episodio! Para más recursos (en inglés) sobre el coronavirus visita nuestra página web, sciencepodcastforkids.com. También te puede interesar este episodio con las preguntas de nuestros oyentes: Coronavirus: Preguntas y Respuestas para Niños y este otro episodio sobre los virus y las vacunas (en inglés): The Sign of the Ninja Virus.

How do animals get viruses to pass on to humans? That’s what listener Ian wanted to know. To find out, we’re exploring the science of virology - the study of viruses. Virologist Dr. Jasdave Chahal explains how coronavirus jumped through two species into humans, and where they came from in the first place. Plus, we’ll find out how scientists discovered viruses before even seeing them, and how they built the tools to fight back. We have more virology resources on the blog for this episode on our website, www.sciencepodcastforkids.com. Want to hear more from our interview with Jasdave? We have a bonus interview episode available for Patreons, when you pledge $1/month or more at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Do you have questions about coronavirus? Send them to us at tumblepodcast@gmail.com. Correction: A previous version of this episode stated that viruses were first discovered in rabies. They were discovered in tobacco mosaic virus. The new version makes the correction that viruses were first hypothesized in rabies, but discovered later in tobacco plants.

Si tienes preguntas sobre el coronavirus, tenemos las respuestas. El coronavirus nos está afectando a todos y puede parecer peligroso y difícil de entender. Por esta razón, Tumble reunió preguntas de sus oyentes y contactó con un experto para responderlas. Le preguntamos al Dr. Juan Dumois, un médico pediátrico de enfermedades infecciosas, lo que todos nos estamos preguntando, especialmente los niños:**** He escuchado que el coronavirus empezó con unos murciélagos y quería saber si esto es cierto. Y si fue así, ¿qué pasó?  ¿De dónde proviene el nombre del coronavirus? ¿Cómo se transmite el coronavirus de persona en persona? ¿Por qué el coronavirus parece ser más peligroso para la gente mayor que para los niños? ¿Puedo darle besos y abrazos a mi abuela? ¿Le puede dar coronavirus a mi mascota? ¿Cómo puede la ciencia ayudar a frenar este brote? Esta es una versión especial en español de Tumble, producida por Nuria Net y Alex García de La Coctelera Music. ¡Gracias a todos los que ayudaron con este episodio! Para más recursos (en inglés) sobre el coronavirus visita nuestra página web, sciencepodcastforkids.com. También te puede interesar este episodio sobre los virus y las vacunas (en inglés): The Sign of the Ninja Virus.  Si estás buscando actividades, también tenemos materiales educativos para acompañar algunos de nuestros episodios. Si utilizas el código COVID, puedes descargarlos de forma gratuita durante la cuarentena del coronavirus. Solo tienes que ir a “Teacher Store” en nuestra página web y poner COVID al finalizar la compra.  Esperamos que este episodio especial te ayude a entender el coronavirus desde un punto de vista científico y que durante estos tiempos inciertos, ayude a los niños y a sus familias a proteger a sus seres queridos más susceptibles.

**Evidence about behavior and contagion has evolved since this podcast was released. Please refer to current reporting from trusted sources like Stat News for updated information about coronavirus.** Do you have questions about coronavirus? We’ve got answers. Coronavirus is probably affecting your life right now, and it can seem scary and complicated to understand. That’s why we collected questions from listeners, and got an expert to answer them. We asked Dr. Juan Dumois, an infectious disease pediatrician, these questions and more: Did coronavirus really originate from bats, because that’s what I heard? If so, how did it happen? How did coronavirus get its name? How does coronavirus travel to different people? Why does coronavirus seem more dangerous for the elderly than it is for kids? Can I still hug and kiss my grandma? Can my pet get coronavirus? What will it take to end the outbreak? How can science help? Thanks to everyone who contributed to this episode! We’ll have more resources for kids about coronavirus on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com. You might also want to listen to our episode about viruses and vaccines: The Sign of the Ninja Virus. If you’re looking for activities, we also have educational materials to go along with some of our episodes. We are making them free during the coronavirus outbreak with the code COVID. Just go to our “Teacher Store” on our website and enter COVID at checkout. We hope this special episode helps you understand the science behind the coronavirus, and how kids and families can help keep vulnerable people safe during this uncertain time.

Can science make you better at sports? Sports scientist John Drazan says the answer is yes. John shares how losing a high school basketball game made him start thinking like a scientist. His high school physics teacher stepped in to explain how an idea called “mechanical advantage” could have saved the last point of the game - and changed his life forever. Join us to hear John’s aha moment, and hear his tips on how science can make you better at the things you love to do.  Want to hear more about sports and science? We have a bonus interview episode with John, where he shares how he used physics to learn how to dunk. You can listen to this and all our other scientist interview episodes when you pledge just $1/month on patreon, at patreon.com/tumblepodcast We have some great resources on science and sports available on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.