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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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Summary

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
  • What are eels?
    May 15 2026

    What are eels? And why are some eels electric? We head to Poughkeepsie, New York to learn about eels with Chris Bowser, Hudson River estuary educator with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Plus we learn about electric eels. Electric eels have captured the imagination of many people, but they’re not actually considered eels by the scientific community. They’re a type of knife fish, more closely related to catfish and carp. But they are electric! So we’ll tackle why they’re electric and how they create electricity. David de Santana, of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, tells us what it’s like to study electric eels in the Amazon.

    Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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    23 mins
  • Why does green mean go and red mean stop?
    May 1 2026

    Why is there traffic? How do traffic lights work? How do they know when to turn red and green? Why does green mean go and red mean stop? Why are cars able to go faster than they are allowed to go with the speed limit? Why do we drive on the right side of the road in the United States? Why are some roads bigger than others? Answers to your traffic questions with Mike Knodler, professor and director of the Transportation Center at the University of Massachusetts.


    Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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    36 mins
  • Are Komodo dragons really dragons?
    Apr 24 2026

    Can’t get enough of lizards? We’re back with a bonus episode answering more of your lizard questions with Adam Clause of the San Diego Natural History Museum. This week, chameleons, Komodo dragons, iguanas, monitor lizards and tuatara! How do chameleons change color? Why are Komodo dragons called dragons and are they endangered? How many babies do monitor lizards have? Why do iguanas have dewlaps? (And what’s a dewlap?!) Why are iguanas green? What is a tuatara?

    Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

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    21 mins
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I loved everything ❤ it's hilarious also very interesting learnt a lot make more episodes!!!!!

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it was really good overall but at some point it is a bit boring 😞,❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🖤🤍

the houmer was great

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