Tumble Science Podcast for Kids

Latest Episodes:

What If There Were No Animals? Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

What would the world be like without animals? Rae Wynn Grant - ecologist, podcaster, and bear cub cuddler - gives us a picture of what would happen if animals disappeared, and explains how we can stop it from happening. We’ll find out how the Endangered Species Act has worked for over 50 years to save endangered species, and how we can make it even better for the next generation. Thanks to Elliana, as well as Hadley and Roman for their question!

This episode is part of the Kids Podcast Party! Tumble and other kids podcasters are making episodes to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. Want to hear more? Check out Smash Boom Best, and their episode about Capybaras vs. Komodo Dragons.

Hear more from our interview with Rae Wynn Grant - host of Going Wild with Rae Wynn Grant - on the bonus interview episode on our Patreon, at patreon.com/tumblepodcast

We have free resources for this episode on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com.

The Mind Control Cat Parasite Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

It’s a Halloween episode! “There’s a scary secret lurking in the kitty litter…” We’re making a horror movie about a common cat parasite - that can control minds! Toxoplasma gondii makes mice lose their fear of cats, in a plot to take over the world! Biologist Sebastian Lourido helps us tell the true tale of toxoplasma’s quest for cat domination, and what scientists are doing to stop the parasite in its banana-shaped tracks.

How Do We Read? Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

How does reading work in the brain? It’s a question that has fascinated scientists for years. Could braille - the system of raised dots that blind and low vision people use to read - be the key to understanding how it works? We talk to writer Andrew Leland (“The Country of the Blind”) and neuroscientist Simon Fischer-Baum to learn about the invention of braille, and how it could be the key to learning how reading works - for everyone. And we might just solve a bedtime reading mystery along the way.

Learn more about braille on the bonus interview episode on our Patreon, at patreon.com/tumblepodcast.

We have more free resources about braille and the science of reading available on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number # 2148711 - Engaging Blind, Visually Impaired, and Sighted Students in STEM with Storytelling through Podcasts.

The Science of Fungi Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

Do fungi breathe? That’s what listener Alice wants to know - and we’ll find out in our punniest episode yet! We visit the Fungarium - the largest and oldest collection of fungi in the world with curator Lee Davies, who describes himself as a “librarian” of mushrooms. We’ll explore how fungi live and die, and why there’s so many species left to discover. Watch out for the zombie fungi! And beware, Lindsay and Marshall don’t hold back on the “fun guy” puns!

Our series "Life Lab" is a Signal Award Finalist! Vote for us to win the Gold Medal here: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2023/limited-series-specials/general/kids

Also check out our Threadless store! https://www.threadless.com/@Tumble_Podcast

Did Dinosaurs Burp? Sep 15, 2023

Show notes

Tune into our Season 9 premiere to find out the answer to this stinky question. We’ll hear about dino gasses from returning guest Jessica Whiteside and their potential ecological impact from David Wilkinson. Our dive into dinosaur digestion will lead us to a smelly look at gas in Earth’s past!

Listen to our bonus interview episode with Dave to learn more about how he studies the past without a time machine. You can hear it when you support us for just $1 on Spotify or on Patreon on patreon.com/tumblepodcast.

Free resources, including a transcript, are available on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com

Check out our new Tumble t-shirts and merch: https://tumblepodcast.threadless.com/

Coming September 15th - Tumble Season 9! Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

A new season of Tumble is coming soon! Have you ever wondered whether dinosaurs burped? Or where the largest fungus collection in the world is? Or how braille was invented? Learn that and more in the newest season of Tumble!

Also, if you love our show, make sure to tell three people you know about how awesome you think it is. It really helps us out!

The Great Cave Road Trip Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

Join Marshall on a Cave Road Trip! On Season 8’s last road trip, you’ll find cave-themed episodes of Tumble, featuring bats and archaeology! Avoid the stalagmites and tune in to these fun episodes:

The Journey to the Bat Cave
Inside the Bat Cave [BONUS]
The Cave of the Underground Astronauts
The Cave of The Neanderthal Tools

Free resources, including a transcript for each episode, are available on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com

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Become a Spotify subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/tumblescience/subscribe

Tumble Presents Girl Tales Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

Do you ever wonder what would happen if Cinderella started her own rock band or if Medusa realized just cool her hair was? Well … there’s a Webby Award winning show called Girl Tales that takes classic stories and puts a unique twist on them, giving girls the chance to save the day, use their intelligence and bravery, and show that they can be the heroes of their own stories! If you're ready for an adventure, find Girl Tales wherever you get your podcasts!

Meema (or Memory) and her sisters run the most successful inspiration factory in the universe: The Idea Factory! In the Idea Factory, they don't make money, they make ideas! Meema wants to tell you a story (that's never-ended) about Narcissus & little black mirrors that make everyone just like him, obsessed with themselves and what the mirror reflects back at them!

This Girl Tales episode won the Variety/Gotham Audio Honors in 2022.

Written by Georgina Escobar

Starring: Barron Bass, Jennifer Sun Bell, Adriana Colon, & Mindy Escobar-Leanse

Produced by Chad Chenail

Assistant Produced by Megan Bagala

Executive Produced by Rebecca Cunningham

The Cave of the Neanderthal Tools [ENCORE] Aug 04, 2023

Show notes

We're still on vacation, and while we wait to come back for our ninth season of Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, we're sharing one of our favorite episodes from a few years ago: The Cave of the Neanderthal Tools.

What tools did Neanderthals use? That’s what Leo wants to know. We dig into the past of Neanderthal archeology, back to when people used to excavate caves with dynamite! Archeologist and author Rebecca Wragg Sykes shares the explosive story of how Neanderthals made tools, and what they can tell us about how Neanderthals lived.

Listen to our bonus interview episode with Rebecca about Neanderthals caves, available for Patrons who pledge just $1/ month or more on patreon.com/tumblepodcast.

Learn more about Neanderthals and their “knapping” habits with the free resources on our blog at www.sciencepodcastforkids.com.

Tumble is Bilingual! “The Dinosaur Asteroid” & “El Asteroide Que Mató Los Dinosaurios” Jul 21, 2023

Show notes

Did you know that you can listen to Tumble in Spanish?! Tumble en Español is our Spanish podcast, hosted by native Spanish speakers Nuria Net and Alvaro Ramos. It’s an adaptation, not a translation! Meet Nuria in this episode and learn Tumble en Español’s special sign-off. Then, listen to one of our favorite episodes in both English and Spanish. To hear more, subscribe to Tumble en Español at http://tumbleenespanol.com/ or navigate to “En Español” at sciencepodcastforkids.com. There are transcripts for each episode!