Tumble Science Podcast For Kids

This is a re-broadcast of a favorite episode from 2019. We actually won our first AAAS Kavli Award for this episode, along with The Cave of the Underground Astronauts. Check it out! Why do seals have whiskers? Listener Karah’s question dives into the wonderful world of whisker science. Robyn Grant, a self-described “whisker biologist” shares her discoveries of how whiskers work, from training a friendly seal named Moe to making slow-mo movies of super speedy “whisking.” (You will find no cuter field of research… but if you do, tell us about it!) Listen to learn about humans’ hidden whisker muscles and find out to rank whiskers like the pros! Want to learn more about whisker science? We have more from our interview with Robyn on our Patreon podcast feed! Subscribe for $1/month at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. You can also tune in on the Castbox podcast app by tuning into our Premium Channel. Find more whiskery educational resources on our blog, at sciencepodcastforkids.com. If you want a t-shirt from our me

We’re wrapping up 2025 with a final Mailbag episode, featuring some of our longest-running Patrons! Did you know, when you sign up to support Tumble on Patreon, you’ll get a personalized message from Marshall? And if you’ve been supporting us for years, we might just call you up to chat! We’ll meet our mysterious patron, MiloSloth and his family, and learn why they love to support the show.  Plus, why is the English language so weird? Who made PB & J a combo? And do all cats hate getting wet? We have the answers. If you want to join Milo and support Tumble on Patreon, just go to patreon.com/tumblepodcast and pledge at whatever level you want! $1 or more gets you ad-free versions of the show, and $5 and up gets you a birthday shout out! Also don't forget about gift subscriptions, which make great last-minute holiday gifts! Want Tumble merch? Just go to tumblepodcast.dashery.com for t-shirts, mugs, hats, tote bags, and so much more.

How do people learn — and how can a video game help us find out? In this episode, we meet cognitive scientist Charley Wu, who built the ultimate science “mod” in Minecraft! Journey into a video game world of science to discover how and why Charley used one of the world’s most popular games to follow his curiosity about how humans learn. Featuring a “braintrust” of kid Minecraft experts to explain the game to Lindsay and Marshall, and a song inspired by The Minecraft Movie. You can learn more about Charlie, and find a transcript of this episode on the blog on our website, ⁠sciencepodcastforkids.com⁠.  Support us on Patreon! You’ll get ad free episodes, special chances to be on the show, and of course, birthday shoutouts, when you sign up at the $5 level at ⁠patreon.com/tumblepodcast⁠. Find out what we’re up to - from live events, merch drops, and more when you subscribe to our newsletter, on ⁠sciencepodcastforkids.com⁠. You can also follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and subscribe to our ⁠YouTube.⁠ Try finding awe

Why do we have snot? Do animals get stuffy noses, too? We delve into the world of thick secretions with the help of Dani Rabiaotti, zoologist and author of “Believe it or Snot: The Definitive Field Guide to Earth’s Slimy Creatures.” You’ll find out why we make so much mucus, and meet the slimiest animals on the planet. Plus, you’ll discover why scientists study slime, even though it’s super gross. This is a rebroadcast of one of our favorite episodes from season 5, inspired by a question we recently got from our listener Harrison, who wondered why snot exists. Hopefully this answers the question for him! If you want to support Tumble with your holiday shopping, there are lots of ways to do it! Our merch store can be found at Tumblepodcast.dashery.com You can join our Patreon at patreon.com/tumblepodcast, or give a gift subscription at Patreon.com/tumblepodcast/gift. Or, click our affiliate link at bit.ly/tumblemel and get some awesome science kits while helping support the show!

What sounds do fish make?

Are ghosts real… or not? That’s what Lily wants to know. To find out, we talk to a real-life Ghostbuster and science historian Efram Sera-Shriar, who takes us on a journey back in time to when the world’s most famous scientists became ghost investigators: Sitting in on séances, inventing ghost-hunting devices, and exposing the tricks of “spirit photography.” Did you know, Thomas Edison made plans to create a phone to call ghosts? Learn all this and more when you join us on the trail of spooooky spirit science!  You can learn more about Efram, and find a transcript of this episode on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.  Support us on Patreon! You’ll get ad free episodes, special chances to be on the show, and of course, birthday shoutouts, when you sign up at the $5 level at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Find out what we’re up to - from live events, merch drops, and more when you subscribe to our newsletter, on sciencepodcastforkids.com. You can also follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our

Did dinosaurs sniff each other’s butts like dogs? That’s what listener Ernie wants to know! We’ll dig up the surprising dino discovery that leads to our answer with the help of  one of the world’s foremost animal butt experts, Dr. Diane Kelly!  You can learn more about Diane, and find a transcript of this episode on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.  Support us on Patreon! You’ll get ad free episodes, special chances to be on the show, and of course, birthday shoutouts, when you sign up at the $5 level at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Find out what we’re up to - from live events, merch drops, and more when you subscribe to our newsletter, on sciencepodcastforkids.com.  You can also follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube.

This is our final Mailbag episode before all-new stories of science discovery arrive on Friday, October 17. Lindsay and Marshall share behind-the-scenes updates on what’s coming up in Season 11 — plus a special challenge to guess the topics of our first three episodes! Then, astrophysicist Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi (host of NOVA’s Particles of Thought and judge on Netflix’s Baking Impossible) joins us to tackle your big-universe questions: How does your body know you’re in a black hole? How do asteroids form? Why don’t we feel dizzy as Earth spins? And… what dessert would be best to eat in space? Plus we read your reviews, share how to support Tumble, and send in your own guesses and stories. Next time, we kick off a brand-new season of science adventures! LINKS! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/tumblepodcast Yoto cards: https://us.yotoplay.com/products/animal-facts-critter-curiosities-gross-science-pack Audiobook: https://www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/single-post/tumble-media-annou

We have a big announcement: Tumble en Español is returning on September 25th! This is a rebroadcast of an episode of Tumble from last season. If you can't wait to hear the Spanish-language version, just go subscribe to Tumble en Español wherever you get your podcasts. Why are there so many axolotls in fishtanks, and so few in the wild? That’s what Maximiliano wants to know. You may have found axolotls in the lush caves of Minecraft, but in real life, they live in the lakes and canals of Xochimilco, near Mexico City. But the species is slowly disappearing from its native habitat. Axolotl veterinarian Horacio Mena takes us on a journey to Xochimilco to find out what scientists are doing to save these adorable amphibians. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2415575. Want to hear Aidee's Album "Nothing Rhymes With Orange?" Just click here. (https://platoon.lnk.to/nothing-rhymes-with-orange) Also don't forget to support Tumble on Patreon by going to

There’s so much happening in the world of Tumble, and we’re excited to share it all with you! Plus we answer questions about plants with the help of plant biologist Carina Baskett. Tumble Yoto Cards  A brand-new pack of 3 cards with Tumble episodes on our most popular themes - Animals, Bugs, and Gross Science - for the Yoto audio player!  Get it 20% off during Yoto’s Back to School sale on educational cards: https://us.yotoplay.com/products/animal-facts-critter-curiosities-gross-science-pack Tumble Science in the Field: Europe Our first ever audiobook featuring science adventure episodes in Europe! Find it where you get  your audiobooks:  Audible , Libro.fm , Hoopla , Audiobooks.com , and more!! Tumble Live Events! Cambridge Science Festival in Cambridge, MA - Sept 21 Princeton Public Library, Thursday September 25th The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University. Saturday September 27th Connecticut River Museum in Essex, CT - October 11  Lincoln

Is fire a liquid, a solid, or is it even matter at all? And what is the science of asking good questions? Lindsay and Marshall dig into the Tumble mailbag to answer listener questions with the help of Tumble's science advisors, and respond to reviews! Somehow, the whole "cats are evil" thing just refuses to die. We want to hear from you! Send us YOUR science questions, and let us know what you think of this mailbag episode! Here's how to do it: Email Lindsay & Marshall at tumblepodcast@gmail.com Upload a voice recording on our website sciencepodcastforkids.com Want to support Tumble on Patreon? Go to patreon.com/tumblepodcast, and for a limited time you can get 75% off the first month using the code BTS2025 at check out! You can also stream Science Songs vol. 1 here, or find the album on Bandcamp here. Our merch store is tumblepodcast.dashery.com, where you can find the bird jacket t-shirt!

This is a summer rebroadcast of an episode of Tumble from a few years ago. 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 you

Do you know why four leaf clovers are so rare? Or if just one side of our brain can fall asleep? Why do fish have different colors, and how big is infinity? Lindsay & Marshall dig into the Tumble mailbag to answer listener questions with the help of Tumble’s science advisors, and respond to reviews! (Yes, we’ll talk about cats.)  We want to hear from you! Send us YOUR science questions, and let us know what you think of this mailbag episode! Here’s how to do it: Email Lindsay & Marshall at tumblepodcast@gmail.com Upload a voice recording on our website sciencepodcastforkids.com Donate to Central Texas Flood Relief: bit.ly/tumbletexasfloods Support Tumble on Patreon: patreon.com/tumblepodcast Stream Science Songs Vol. 1 here!

Listen to our brand new album of science songs, and play some games along with us as we celebrate the release of our album: Science Songs Vol. 1! It’s a special summer episode that will get you singing along and testing your knowledge of everything from capybaras to planets! Here’s where you can listen to the full album:  Spotify: Listen on Spotify Apple Music: Listen on Apple Music Bandcamp: Support us on Bandcamp Watch the music video for How Do You Catch a Happy Cappy?  Check out our Dino Map Adventure. Support Tumble on Patreon and get a birthday shoutout for just $5/month. Follow us on Instagram, and subscribe to Tumble’s YouTube channel for full episodes and much more!

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! Tumble is on our summer break right now, working on some exciting new projects. Stay tuned to hear them in our feed! 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.

What if you found out that there was a tiny, nearly invisible type of plastic pollution that’s found nearly everywhere… but you’d never heard of it! That’s what happened to environmental scientist Jace Tunnell several years ago, and he’s been on a great nurdle hunt ever since! This episode on fighting plastic waste comes with a special bonus: the opportunity to enroll in a “Nurdle Patrol” and lead the Nurdle search in your community! Join the Nurdle Patrol Special Agent Training Course at sciencepodcastforkids.com/nurdles If you want to support Tumble on Patreon, just go to patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Ad-free early access to episodes is just $1/month, and for just $5/month you can get a birthday shout out on our feed! T-shirts and other merch (including merch specific to this episode) are available at the Tumble merch store, at tumblepodcast.dashery.com.

To support the Tumble Joke-ha-thon and win awesome prizes, go here! “Did dinosaurs burp?” Tune into our Season 9 premiere to find out the answer to this stinky question. We’ll hear about dino gasses from returning guest Jessica Whiteside and their potential ecological impact from David Wilkinson. Our dive into dinosaur digestion will lead us to a smelly look at gas in Earth’s past! Listen to our bonus interview episode with Dave to learn more about how he studies the past without a time machine. You can hear it when you support us for just $1 on Spotify or on Patreon on patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Free resources, including a transcript, are available on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com Check out our new Tumble t-shirts and merch: https://tumblepodcast.dashery.com/

Why is the center of a raging storm so… calm? Tumble listener Lydia wants to know what’s really going on in the eye of a hurricane. To find out, we’re flying into the storm — literally — with meteorologist Shirley Murillo! Shirley is a real-life “hurricane hunter” who flies in a specially equipped airplane to collect data from inside the hurricane itself! Discover how hurricanes form, and what keeps the center of the storm calm, and what Shirley learned while flying through Hurricane Katrina, one of the most impactful storms in U.S. history. Buckle up — it's going to be a wild ride! You can find a transcript of the episode and learn more about hurricane hunters on the blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com Send us your science questions to tumblepodcast@gmail.com and leave a review on Apple Podcasts with the help of a grownup! Support the show by becoming a Patreon member for just $1/month! This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number # 2415575 - Culturally S

Was there ever nothing in the universe? What is nothing? That’s what listener Aviva wants to know. We turned to particle physicist Dr. Jessica Esquivel to find out! She takes us on a mind-bending journey to ask what existed before the universe began, and how a quantum dance party might have started the Big Bang! This story about subatomic particles, giant magnets, and quantum physics is something that will blow your mind.  You can find a transcript of the episode and learn more about the particle party in nothing on  the blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com Send us your science questions, ideas and songs to tumblepodcast@gmail.com Support the show by becoming a Patreon member, or making a tax-deductible donation to Tumble Education, a 501c3 organization. We also have a new merch store! Go get yourself some stuff! This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number # 2415575 - Culturally Situated STEM Podcasts for Kids.