Who created math problems?

Have you noticed especially hazy skies where you live over the last few summers? While many parts of the world are experiencing more frequent and intense wildfires, even places that are nowhere near the fires are being impacted by the smoke from fires hundreds or thousands of miles away. Wildfire smoke gets so high in the atmosphere, it can be blown across a continent in a matter of days. In this special bonus episode, we’re going to learn the how and why of wildfire smoke that drifts around the world. And we’ll talk a little bit about how to stay safe when air quality goes down. Our guests are Professor Joel Thornton of the University of Washington and Dr. Gregg Furie of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Have you ever seen a puffin? With their bright beaks, orange feet and black and white coloring, these birds are very cool to look at. And we’ve gotten a lot of questions about them! In this episode, we talk with Don Lyons, an educator and avian ecologist with the Seabird Institute in Maine. What are puffins? Why are puffin beaks so colorful? Why do puffins dig burrows? How do puffins learn to fly? How can you tell if a puffin is male or female? How long can puffins hold their breath? Why do they have red feet? Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Where did the English language come from? Why do words have silent letters? Why do some people have accents? Why do some words sound similar? Answers to all of your questions about English and words with sociolinguist Erica Brozovsky, host of a PBS digital show called Otherwords.  Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

For today’s episode, we’re doing something a little different! We’re going to be listening to our video series, But Why Bites! (Even without the video part, they’re really cool!) Every other week over on our YouTube channel, we answer one kid question in a short and sweet little video. You can find all of them at the But Why Kids channel while you enjoy this compilation of episodes that we’re calling a Big Bite. 

Ever wondered why some spices burn your throat while others tickle your nose? Or why some of us live for spicy foods while others sweat at the mere thought of a habanero? How do pickles stay crunchy if they’re sitting in brine for weeks on end? And why do we have such different food preferences from our friends? We’re answering your food questions with chef and author Kenji López-Alt, author of the kids book Every Night is Pizza Night and co-host of The Recipe. Download our learning guides:  PDF | Google Slide