Tumble Science Podcast for Kids

Latest Episodes:

The Tale of the High School Astronomer Mar 22, 2019

Show notes

Meet Ana Humphrey. She hasn’t graduated from high school yet, but she’s already discovered 560 places outside our solar system where we could find hidden planets. Ana won the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search with her project that used a mathematical model to pinpoint locations for exoplanet search parties. But Ana’s story is more than a successful science fair project. Find out how Ana’s love for science, math, and making a difference in her community helped her become a high school astronomer! You can hear our full interview with Ana on our Patreon and Castbox Premium channel. She has a great perspective to share on how science and math can be used to understand the world - and more on how her early concern for the environment helped lead her into space. Pledge now at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. A $1/month donation gives you access to all our bonus audio! Here are this week’s new $5+ Patrons: Brynlee, Elijah, Nehemiah, Azariah, Lena, Izzy, Sevy, and Alex. Happy birthday to Anlin and Oren Mack, Ben (aka Benny Boo) Lena, Izzy, and Harley! For more, check out the blog on our website at sciencepodcastforkids.com.

The Secret to Cheetahs’ Super Speed Mar 08, 2019

Show notes

How do cheetahs get their super speed? We talk to a cheetah scientist to find out why a spotted cat is the fastest animal on Earth. Cheetahs are literally built for speed! Anne Hilborn spent months scoping out cheetahs on the hunt in the grasslands of the Serengeti. We’ll discover how cheetahs’ incredible speed is linked to their survival - and what they do when being fast isn’t enough. **** On our special bonus interview episode - available to our Patreon & Castbox supporters - Anne shares the amazing story of how being photographed while dropping cheetah poop on herself became both her most embarrassing and her proudest moment. Photos on the blog! Pledge at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Only $1/month gets you double the Tumble, and $5/month comes with a shoutout on the show, a birthday greeting, and opportunities to be on the show! Castbox is an awesome listening app, and we’ve partnered with Castbox to launch Tumble Premium, a channel on the Castbox app featuring every episode and all our bonus interview episodes too! It’s $1.35/month through the app, or $16/year. Want to learn more about cheetah science, and reputable conservation organizations? Check out our blog at www.sciencepodcastforkids.com.

The Search at Edge of the Solar System Feb 22, 2019

Show notes

Is there a hard edge to the solar system? This question led to a big, breakthrough discovery that changed the way we picture the solar system - and every other solar system in the universe. The Kuiper Belt is a gigantic field of small, icy objects beyond Neptune, “planet scraps” left over from the formation of the planets. For many, many years, no one believed it might exist. Until astronomers Jane Luu and David Jewitt decided to see what was out there. Jane Luu tells the story of how she helped discover the Kuiper Belt. We have an exciting announcement! We’ve partnered with Castbox to launch Tumble Premium, a channel on the Castbox app featuring ad-free episodes and all our bonus interview episodes too! It’s $1.35/month through the app, or $16/year. You’ll be helping support the show while listening on a great podcast app! Don’t worry, we’ve still got the same great audio extras available on Patreon, too. This week, we have more from our interview with Jane Luu on ‘Oumuamua, the mysterious, weirdly shaped, potentially alien (yes, THAT kind of alien!) space object. Pledge at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Want to learn more about the Kuiper Belt? Check out our blog at www.sciencepodcastforkids.com.

Hamster Versus Bacteria Feb 08, 2019

Show notes

Who would win in a competition, a hamster or bacteria? Place your bets, because we’re going to tell the story of this epic science showdown. Danielle Tullman-Ercek is a synthetic biologist trying to find a better way to make life-saving medicine. To do it, she’s engineering a bacteria cell to compete with a medicine-making hamster cell. Listen to find out what if Danielle and her bacteria have what it takes to win. What’s a hamster cell doing making medicine, anyway?! If you engineered your own bacteria, what would it make and why? Draw a picture and email it to us at tumblepodcast@gmail.com! To learn more about synthetic biology, check out our blog. Want to learn more about cell biology and engineering bacteria? We have a special bonus interview episode with Danielle for our Patreon members! For only $1/month, you’ll get twice the Tumble goodness to dive deeper into all our new episodes. Pledge here: patreon.com/tumblepodcast.

The Superpower of the Secret Names Jan 25, 2019

Show notes

How do species get their scientific names? To find out, Lindsay and Marshall take a field trip behind the scenes at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. That’s where we meet Chris Mah, a sea star scientist who has discovered and named over 50 new species! (You might remember him from “The Surprising Story of Sea Stars’ Sticky Feet.”) Chris shows us next season’s hottest new sea stars, shows off his amazing toy collection, and shares the secrets behind his super naming super powers. What would you name a new species, and why? Tell us at tumblepodcast@gmail.com. See Marshall’s photos from our trip, including Chris’ amazing office and the giant not-so-giant sea star he shows us in the episode. It’s on our blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com. Hear a bonus “interview episode” with Chris Mah when you support Tumble on Patreon! Plus, hear from scientists from all our recent episodes! Pledge here: patreon.com/tumblepodcast

The Cave of the Underground Astronauts Jan 11, 2019

Show notes

Do you love fossils, adventure, and spending time in small spaces? If so, you could become an underground astronaut! Marina Elliot, Becca Peixotto, and Kenni Molopyane found this unusual job description through a Facebook ad, and landed deep inside a cave that few people can access. The team of archeologists talked to Tumble in the middle of excavating Homo Naledi, one of the biggest recent discoveries on the human family tree. Find out how they squeeze through a 7 inch gap on their daily commute, and how their work could change the way we understand early human history. Hear more from inside the cave with Marina, Becca, and Kenni when you pledge $1/month on Patreon! Support Tumble and get bonus interview episodes of new episodes. Find out more about Homo Naledi, and how you can explore the cave in virtual reality, with resources on our blog.

The Animal Road Trip Adventure Dec 21, 2018

Show notes

Join us for a journey through Tumble's favorite animal episodes! Swim with whale sharks in Mexico, climb mountains with pikas, travel back in time to discover our earliest primate relatives, and more. Download two hours of stories of animal science discovery, and you'll be all set to turn your road trip into an animal adventure. For a collection of episodes about astronomy, check out The Road Trip To Outer Space. We'll be back January 11 with brand new episodes. Have a great holiday!

Discover the Wildlife of Your Home Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

We're going on an indoor expedition to discover the species in our own home! You’ll never look at the bugs in your house the same way again. Ecologist and author Rob Dunn is our guide to exploring what he calls, “the unknown we wake up in every morning.” We’ll find out how many species live in the average home (it’s more than you think!) and tell you how you can conduct your own scientific survey inside your house. It’s an activity that could help scientists discover indoor wildlife all around the world. To learn how you can sign up for Rob’s citizen science project, Never Home Alone, check out our blog at www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/blog. Our friend Science Mom has created a downloadable coloring book and indoor bug guide, special for this episode! It’s available to our Patreon members at all levels. To get it, just pledge any amount to support the show at https://www.patreon.com/tumblepodcast.

Inside the Bat Cave (BONUS EPISODE) Nov 23, 2018

Show notes

What’s it like to go inside the world’s largest bat colony? In this special bonus episode, we’re sharing part of our interview with Jessica Dreyer, modern day Bat Woman and biologist. (Remember her from “The Journey to the Bat Cave”?!) Find out why a cave just outside San Antonio, Texas is home to 15 million bats - the largest gathering of mammals anywhere on the planet! Want to get behind-the-scenes of our stories of science discovery? Join our Patreon campaign to get bonus interview episodes with every new episode of Tumble! Starting at only $1 a month, you’ll get access to a special podcast feed with all of our regular episodes, PLUS interviews! A Patreon subscription is a great holiday gift for any Tumble fan. Better yet, your support helps us keep making the show! Here’s the rest of our great Patreon rewards: \$5 a month: A shoutout when you join, a special birthday greeting, and the chance to answer OUR science questions on the podcast. \$10 a month: All that plus a Tumble t-shirt. \$20 a month: Superfan level! We send you everything plus a handwritten postcard from Barcelona! Pledge now at patreon.com/tumblepodcast to pledge at any level. Every little bit helps! We can’t wait to share more stories of science discovery with you.

Tumble Presents: Becoming Mother Nature Nov 09, 2018

Show notes

Today we’re presenting the first episode of Becoming Mother Nature, a show from our friends at Gen-Z Media. It’s recommended for listeners 9 and up. For the rest of our listeners, we’ll be back with a new Tumble episode next month! When Chloe is sent off to live with her mysterious and eccentric grandmother, she learns an unbelievable secret. Grandma Ivy is none other than Mother Nature herself! And Chloe is next in line to assume the power and responsibility of the job. Can a twelve-year-old learn to balance the entire world’s ecosystem while just trying to fit in at her new school? Only Mother Nature knows.