But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

Have you ever seen your dog play with another dog? Have you seen squirrels chasing each other in the woods? Are they playing or are they doing something else? We look at the behavior of animals with Marco Wendt, Wildlife Ambassador for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and host of Amazing Wildlife: A San Diego Zoo Podcast . Also in this episode: Why do pigs like to play in the mud? Why do elepha...

Right now, the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup is happening across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico and it’s time to learn a little bit about soccer…or should we say football? That’s one conundrum we’ll be tackling: why is it called soccer in some countries and football in others? We’ll also look at World Cup questions like where the first tournament was played and what makes the trophy...

How are video games made? Who invented the concept? Why do games have levels? Who invented them? Why are game consoles so expensive? Why do people like playing these games so much and do they turn your brain to mush? What do you do if you can’t make yourself stop playing? In this episode, we talk with Patrick Klepek, writer and editor of Crossplay, a newsletter focused on video games and parenting...

What is ADHD? How does ADHD affect the brain? Why do only some people have it? How can we control our brains? An estimated 11 percent of U.S. kids are diagnosed with the neurological condition known as ADHD, so you may have it or have a friend or classmate with this unique way of thinking. In this episode we explore how you can learn to balance the strengths and challenges of ADHD with Dr. Liz Ang...

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 f...

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 directo...

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?...

Deep in the basement of the San Diego Natural History Museum, there are thousands of jars filled with preserved reptiles and amphibians. In this episode, But Why takes a tour with collections manager Adam Clause to answer your questions about lizards!  How do lizards climb walls? Do lizards hibernate? Do they sleep? Why are lizards cold blooded?  How do lizards grow back their tails if they break...

But Why turns ten years old on April 1, 2026! To celebrate this milestone, we’re listening back to our very first episode. We’ve got owls and turtles and bears. Naturalist Mary Holland gets into the details about hibernation–including the questions you may not even have thought to ask, like what about poop? Then we meet a barred owl named Chapin, who is cared for by Outreach for Earth Stewardship...

In the United States, voters in each state elect a governor every two or four year terms. The governor is the top official in the state government. But did you know five U.S. states also elect a Kid Governor ? It’s a part of a civics education program that helps kids learn about democracy while focusing on a community issue that’s important to them. But Why recently hosted Vermont’s Kid Governor a...

Some questions are so big they’re existential, meaning that they get right to the heart of human existence. These are also sometimes called philosophical questions, so for this episode we called up a professor of philosophy, Scott Hershovitz, who teaches at the University of Michigan. He’s also written a book about how adults and kids can have philosophical discussions together. It’s called Nasty,...

Why did the dinosaurs go extinct? Many of you have learned about the meteorite that scientists say hit the earth 66 million years ago and killed off many dinosaur species. But some dinosaurs survived, and the birds you see flying around today are their direct descendants! In this episode we trace the connection between modern birds and prehistoric dinosaurs. Other questions include:  Were any dino...

Why are brothers and sisters so annoying? Why do siblings often look a lot alike? Why do siblings fight? Can your sister be your best friend? Why do we fight with our siblings even if we love them? But Why takes a look at the sibling relationship with Susan Dominus, author of The Family Dynamic . Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Why are rabbits called bunnies? Why do they have fur? Why do bunnies have puffball tails? Why do rabbits have eyes on the sides of their heads? Why do rabbits hop? Our guest is Margo DeMello, professor of anthrozoology at Carroll College in Montana. She’s also a rabbit rescuer and rehabilitator who is currently caring for 12 rabbits in her home!  Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide |...

How does memory work? Why can’t we remember things that happened when we were babies? Why do we forget? Why are some people forgetful? Why do elephants have such good memories. What’s this episode about? I forgot! Oh yeah, how does our memory work! Our guest is Dr. Nick Turk-Browne, professor of psychology at Yale University. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Have you ever heard of a bucket list? That’s an expression people sometimes use that means something big you want to do or see or accomplish in your lifetime! For our last episode every year, we like to turn things around and WE ask a question for YOU to answer! Our 2025 end-of-year question is for you to tell us what’s on your bucket list–what’s something really big that you hope to accomplish at...

Have you ever heard a fox scream at night and thought it was a human? And why, when goats bleat, do they sometimes sound like human babies? Animals can sometimes make similar noises but not because they’re feeling the same things. It often has more to do with how similar the sound-making structures in our bodies are! In this bonus episode, we learn about how animals make sounds and how their vocal...

On a rainy, windy day, But Why hopped on a ferry and headed to Governors Island in New York City with one thing on our minds - oysters! We met up with Mike McCann of the Billion Oyster Project to learn more about these very special bivalves. How do they get their shells? How long do they live? What do oysters eat and who eats them? Why do people eat oysters without cooking them?  Download our lear...

How do musical instruments make their sounds? Why do people play music in the first place? What’s a viola bow made out of? How are musical instruments made? How much do professional musicians practice? Three musicians from the Vermont Symphony Orchestra joined families at the Vermont Public Studios for a special live episode during our Curious Kids Day live events. We hear from Melissa Meilens on...

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an American tradition. It’s been going since 1924. This year marks the 99th parade (it took three years off during World War II). It’s famous for elaborate floats and huge character balloons that bob above the streets as the parade marches forward. Millions of people watch the parade live in New York City each year, but many many more watch it on TV. And some...

What’s your favorite color? Where do colors come from? Why do people see colors? Does everyone see colors the same way? How many colors are there in the world? We learn about colors with Kassia St. Clair, the author of a book called The Secret Lives of Color . We talk about the science of color as well as all the ways color and culture are intertwined. Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Sl...

Who invented candy? Why is it so sweet? Why does hard candy melt in your mouth? How are candy corn, gummies and nerds made? What makes pop rocks pop? We talk with traditional candy makers at Sticky in California and Hercules Candies in New York about how these sweet treats take their shape. And we get a little reminder about why we can’t eat sugar all day, every day. Download our learning guides:...

Why are horses so big? Why do horses have tails and manes? How do their legs move? Are their bones in their hooves? What do they eat and how do they run and jump? We tackle those questions and more in this episode all about horses. We’ll also learn a little bit more about the unique horses in Iceland, where there’s a strict ban on horses coming in from other countries. But Why visited riding instr...

Volcanoes have been erupting on Earth for BILLIONS of years, and they’re still creating new landscapes today! Volcanoes can seem mysterious and scary, but people all over the world have learned to live in close proximity to active volcanoes. Today we answer questions you’ve sent us about how they form, how they erupt, what magma/lava is, and how volcanologists work to predict when they might erupt...

But Why went somewhere really cool - literally - and we’re taking you along! We visited Sólheimajökull, a glacier in southern Iceland and then talked with University of Iceland glaciologist Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir to discover how glaciers are formed, why they can be different colors, and how they shape the land. (Do you know the difference between a V-shaped valley and a U-shaped valley? Glaciers...