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But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

By: Vermont Public
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 But Why is a show led by kids. They ask the questions and we find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world. Know a kid with a question? Record it with a smartphone. Be sure to include your kid's first name, age, and town and send the recording to questions@butwhykids.org!Vermont Public
Episodes
  • Who invented the English language?

    Who invented the English language?
    Aug 8 2025

    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
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    35 mins
  • Chameleons, jellyfish and ballerinas! Check out But Why Bites

    Chameleons, jellyfish and ballerinas! Check out But Why Bites
    Jul 25 2025

    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.

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    14 mins
  • Who created math problems?

    Who created math problems?
    Jul 11 2025

    Who created math problems? Why does one plus one equal 2 and not 11? Why do numbers go on forever? Why are numbers for counting? Why do you need math?

    If you love math, this is the episode for you. And if you hate math…this is the episode for you! We’re answering all kinds of questions and demystifying the science and beauty of the discipline of mathematics with Dr. Melania Alvarez, outreach coordinator for the Department of Mathematics at the University of British Columbia in Canada. She’s also education coordinator for the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences. And she loves all your mathematical questions!

    Stay tuned for a math puzzle you can solve during the episode!

    Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

    Math Question: There's a farmer who sells live chickens. He goes to three markets to sell them.

    At the first market, he sells half of his chickens, plus half a chicken.

    Then he goes to the second market, where he sells half of his remaining chickens, plus half a chicken.

    At the third market, he sells half of all his remaining chickens, plus half a chicken. And he is left with no chickens.

    How many chickens did he have at the start?

    (HINT: No chickens were harmed at any of the markets, and they were all fully alive when they were sold.)

    (Answer: 7 chickens)
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    29 mins
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Learning new things about every single thing in life and how my body works inside

Learning about how things work and learning new things

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