What are red states and blue states? Image

What are red states and blue states?

4 October 2024 - 27 mins
Podcast Series But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

What is voting? Why (and how) do people vote? Why can’t kids vote? Why are there red and blue states (not to mention donkeys and elephants representing political parties)? How can someone win the most votes but still lose the presidential election? We’re answering kid questions about elections with Bridgett King, a political scientist at the University of Kentucky. 

Download our learning guides: PDF | Transcript

27 mins

Series Episodes

Are Komodo dragons really dragons?

Are Komodo dragons really dragons?

Can’t get enough of lizards? We’re back with a bonus episode answering more of your lizard questions with Adam Clause of the San Diego Natural History Museum. This week, chameleons, Komodo dragons, iguanas, monitor lizards and tuatara! How do chameleons change color? Why are Komodo dragons called dragons and are they endangered? How many babies do monitor lizards have? Why do iguanas have dewlaps? (And what’s a dewlap?!)  Why are iguanas green? What is a tuatara? Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

20 mins

24 April Finished

How do lizards grow their tails back?

How do lizards grow their tails back?

Deep in the basement of the San Diego Natural History Museum, there are thousands of jars filled with preserved reptiles and amphibians. In this episode, But Why takes a tour with collections manager Adam Clause to answer your questions about lizards!  How do lizards climb walls? Do lizards hibernate? Do they sleep? Why are lizards cold blooded?  How do lizards grow back their tails if they break off? Why do geckos lick their eyes? Do lizards poop and pee?  Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

35 mins

17 April Finished

But Why turns 10!

But Why turns 10!

But Why turns ten years old on April 1, 2026! To celebrate this milestone, we’re listening back to our very first episode. We’ve got owls and turtles and bears. Naturalist Mary Holland gets into the details about hibernation–including the questions you may not even have thought to ask, like what about poop? Then we meet a barred owl named Chapin, who is cared for by Outreach for Earth Stewardship in Shelburne, Vermont.  Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript Download and print Hibernating Bear and "Om Nom" Bear, coloring pages by Lauren Turmel. 

22 mins

3 April Finished

What's it like to be a Kid Governor?

What's it like to be a Kid Governor?

In the United States, voters in each state elect a governor every two or four year terms. The governor is the top official in the state government. But did you know five U.S. states also elect a Kid Governor? It’s a part of a civics education program that helps kids learn about democracy while focusing on a community issue that’s important to them. But Why recently hosted Vermont’s Kid Governor and cabinet for a kid press conference and in this episode, we’ll listen in on that event. Plus we’ll hear from kid governors in Connecticut and Nebraska about what they hope to accomplish in their terms.   Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

26 mins

20 March Finished

How do we know life is not a dream?

How do we know life is not a dream?

Some questions are so big they’re existential, meaning that they get right to the heart of human existence. These are also sometimes called philosophical questions, so for this episode we called up a professor of philosophy, Scott Hershovitz, who teaches at the University of Michigan. He’s also written a book about how adults and kids can have philosophical discussions together. It’s called Nasty, Brutish and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

32 mins

6 March Finished

How did bird dinosaurs survive the meteor?

How did bird dinosaurs survive the meteor?

Why did the dinosaurs go extinct? Many of you have learned about the meteorite that scientists say hit the earth 66 million years ago and killed off many dinosaur species. But some dinosaurs survived, and the birds you see flying around today are their direct descendants! In this episode we trace the connection between modern birds and prehistoric dinosaurs. Other questions include:  Were any dinosaurs mammals? How did bird dinosaurs survive? Are crocodiles related to dinosaurs? Did dinosaurs have feathers? How do we know? Did all dinosaurs lay eggs? Our guest is Dr. Emily Bamforth, curator of the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum in Alberta, Canada. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

29 mins

20 February Finished

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