But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

• Why are puffins' beaks so colorful?

  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

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• Who invented the English language?

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

  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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• Who created math problems?

  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 | TranscriptMath 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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• Why do some people like spicy food?

  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

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