Tumble Science Podcast for Kids

What would happen if our Moon suddenly disappeared? Would we still have tides? It turns out that the Moon has a much bigger influence on Earth than you might think. Without the Moon, life as we know it would not exist! Rocket scientist Miquel Sureda explains what happened before the Moon existed, and how we know that the Moon is slowly moving away from us...

For Earth Day, we’re discovering how the tiny, adorable pika is helping scientists study climate change! Temperatures in their mountain habitat are getting warmer, and rain and snow isn’t as predictable as it used to be. Scientists have discovered that the number of pikas in certain areas are shrinking – or even disappearing. But some populations are doing just fine. A scientist named Pika Jo wants to find out why. An unexpected disaster leads her to a surprising discovery...

What happens when a Brownie Troop goes to a weather balloon launch? One Brownie guesses that they’ll make contact with unicorns in the sky. Atmospheric scientist Gary Morris shows us what it takes to launch the biggest balloon you’ve ever seen to the very top of Earth’s atmosphere. Along the way, we’ll learn why weather balloons are the best way to find out about air pollution...

This is #2 in a series on dinosaur coprolites, AKA fossilized feces! In the 1800’s, Mary Anning was known as the best fossil hunter in England. She made many great discoveries, including dinosaur poop. With help from our friend Kidosaurus and children’s science historian Melanie Keene, we dig into Mary Anning’s story and her place in the history of women in science. After you listen to this episode, check out our blog at sciencepodcastforkids...

Call it fossil feces, dinosaur dung, or preserved poo. This is the first of a two part series on dinosaur poop! We kick it off with the modern-day science of coprolites. Paleontologist Karen Chin shares how she cracked the case of a mysterious coprolite, and discovered a different dinosaur diet. STAY TUNED for the next episode in the series, about a pioneering female paleontologist and a very unusual family of scientists, who discovered that funny looking rocks were actually ancient dung...

Return of the mailbag! The Tumble inbox is filling up with questions, and Marshall scrambles to answer them while Lindsay relaxes with a glass of lemonade. We find out why rainbows don’t fall down, why naked mole rats are naked, whether you can sneeze with your eyes open, why we have dreams, and how scientists studied tickling with a tickle robot. Want to learn more (and see what naked mole rats look like)? Visit our blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com/blog...

“How do sea stars grip onto rocks?” That’s what listener Chloe wants to know. To find out, we take a trip to an aquarium to see sea stars’ tiny tube feet in action, and call up sea star expert Chris Mah. What we learn is a surprising story of how scientists made a big mistake when it came to studying to sea stars’ spectacular grip - and how they finally got it right...

“Do plants feel pain?” Jude’s question leads us to stunning discoveries about what plants feel, what they hear, and even what they talk about! Biologist Heidi Appel reveals how scientists learned about plants’ inner lives, and tells us the story of how she discovered “listening” plants. You’ll never look at plants the same way again...

Meet Envirobot, a robotic eel who slithers along the surface of the water, seeking the source of water pollution. The future is here, and it's full of swimming robots! We meet members of the team behind Envirobot, Bezhad Bayat and Alessandro Crespi. They tell us what it takes to turn a swimming animal into a robot - the twists, the turns, the technology, and the math...

"How are minerals made?" "What makes rocks sparkly?" Mary Lou and Tilly are curious about minerals, the chemical compounds that make up rocks! Get ready for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Field Museum in Chicago! Collections manager Jim Holstein opens cabinets containing some of the most exceptional minerals in the world. Find out how scientists have classified minerals for hundreds of years, and why some minerals glow in the dark...