Molly Oldfield

Everything Under The Sun

Kids EN ↓ 178 episodes

Children are full of curiosity and questions about the world. Each Friday, join Molly Oldfield, write of the weekly kids quiz in the Guardian each Saturday, the original QI elf and author and host of Everything Under The Sun (both the book and podcast) as she answers questions sent in by children around the world with the help of experts including Neil Gaiman, Heston Blumenthal, Grayson Perry, Lauren Child, Richard Branson and Sophie Dahl to the fish curators at the Natural History Museum. If you're a kid - big or small - with questions you want answered or if you want to learn interesting fac...

Author

Molly Oldfield

Episodes

#150 How do we know about the Kraken? w/ Katherine Rundell. How do sea creature not get water in their eyes? How many metres deep is the ocean? 06.03.2025 17:17

Welcome to Episode #150 of Everything Under the Sun! To mark the special occasion of 150 episodes, we've have a special giveaway! Make sure to listen closely for details. This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Katherine Rundell—award-winning author and adventurer—to help us uncover the legend of the Kraken! How do we know about this mysterious sea monster, and could there be an...

#149 How do underwater volcanoes erupt w/ Robin George Andrews. Why does lava not melt volcano's rocks? Why are dolphins so clever? 28.02.2025 14:46

Welcome to Episode #149 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we’re joined by the incredible Robin George Andrews, an experimental volcanologist, to help us uncover the mysteries of underwater volcanoes—how do they erupt beneath the waves? Then, we’ll dive even deeper into the world of volcanoes to answer a fiery question: why doesn’t lava melt a volcano’s own rocks...

#148 What sound do sharks make? w/ James Maclaine. Who Were The First Ninjas? Who's The Strongest, Samurais or Ninjas? 20.02.2025 13:32

This week, we’re joined by the amazing James Maclaine, from The Natural History Museum, to help us answer a Jaws-dropping question! First, we’ll dive deep into the ocean to find out—what sound do sharks make? Then, we’ll travel back in time to uncover the origins of the very first ninjas. And finally, we’ll settle an epic battle of strength—who's tougher, samura...

#147 When were the first pirates? w/ Iszi Lawrence. What was the first book written? What is water made out of ? 07.10.2024 12:40

Welcome to Episode #147 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we have special guest Iszi Lawrence, a brilliant children’s author and comedian, here to help us answer some fantastic questions! First up, we’ll explore the adventurous world of pirates and find out when they lived. Then, we’ll dive into the science of water and learn what it's made of. Finally, we’ll uncover the history of the writt...

#146 How do solar panels make electricity? With Yasmin Ali. Why do people smile back when we smile on them? Why does the moon follow us? 26.09.2024 12:17

Welcome to Episode #146 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we’re tackling three brilliant questions! First, we’ll learn how solar panels make electricity, with expert insights from Yasmin Ali, an engineer and author of Power Up . Yasmin has been named one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering: Sustainability by the Women's Engineering Society, and she’s here to explain the amazing science behind...

#145 Why do some countries have wars? With Lord Alf Dubs. Why are baby animals so cute? How did chicken pox get it's name? 12.09.2024 11:31

Welcome to Episode #145 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we're answering some intriguing questions! First, we'll explore why some countries have wars, with insights from our special guest, Lord Alf Dubs—a politician and former refugee with a powerful perspective on conflict and peace. We'll also learn what makes baby animals so irresistibly adorable, and why that cuteness is important for...

#144: Bee stings, colours, and maths with Chris Haughton 05.09.2024 15:12

Welcome to Episode #144 of Everything Under the Sun! This week Molly answers a fabulous question from Mollie about bees and their stingers, and another brilliant question from David about why we see light as colour. Bestselling and beloved children's author Chris Haughton answers a wonderful question from Brooklynne about when we started doing maths. We'll learn about which bees do and don't have...

How many kilos can a whale eat? With Tom Mustill. How do mermaids grow their tails? What lives in the Mariana Trench? 30.05.2024 12:40

Hello again everyone! Welcome to Episode 19 of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! This week we're finding out about EVERYTHING UNDER THE SEA!!!!! First off: how many kilos can a whale eat? Whale expert Tom Mustill answers this one! He m...

Why do people yawn? With Dr Sarah Holper. Why do lions have manes? Which ocean animals are already extinct? 10.05.2024 12:41

Welcome to Episode 18 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! We've got some very exciting questions coming up for you this week! First off: why do people yawn? It's a question people have been asking for centuries! And it turns out,...

Can animals laugh? Why do sperm whales sleep vertically? With Felix Marx from Te Papa Museum. Why do people say that cats have nine lives? 02.05.2024 13:12

Welcome to Episode 17 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! This week we have a very special episode featuring questions I’ve been collecting here in Bali! It’s been fantastic hearing so many curious thoughts and clever ideas, so...

How did the Milky Way form? With Jim Al-Khalili. Why is there no gravity on space? Why is Earth called Earth? 26.04.2024 13:24

Welcome to Episode 16 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! This week we have three fascinating questions about our weird and wonderful universe! So get your space helmets on... we're taking a trip through the Solar System! How...

Why do people's voices sound different? With Professor Guri Sandhu. How do echoes work? How did the Grand Canyon open up? 05.04.2024 14:30

Welcome back to Everything under the Sun everyone! We've missed you! We've been taking a little break but now we are BACK and ready for another fantastic episode. This week we're learning all about SOUNDS! And we've got some very interesting questions indeed, from Sam, Florrie and Bruno. Why do people's voices sound different? Professor Guri Sandhu answers this one, as he is a doctor who take...

What happens to garbage that is not recycled? With James Piper. Why does pollution cause climate change? Which part of the world is most affected by global warming? 23.02.2024 14:43

Welcome to Episode 14 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! This week we have a special episode about global warming and protecting our beautiful planet. We've got some super important questions coming up: What happens to garba...

Why do our hearts beat when we're afraid? How are spiders born? Why do some children look like their parents? 09.02.2024 15:41

Welcome to Episode 13 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week we have some super exciting questions coming up: Why do our hearts...

How are robots made? Why is the immortal jellyfish immortal? Can babies talk to other babies? 02.02.2024 15:40

Welcome to Episode 12 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week we have some super exciting questions coming up: How are robots mad...

Where were the first schools? With Jonathan Taylor. How did some homo sapiens survive the Ice Age? Why do men have beards? 26.01.2024 17:31

We're back for our first episode of 2024, Episode 11 of Season 7! Happy New Year everyone! This week our fantastic questions are: Where were the first schools? We've got Jonathan Taylor in to answer that one. He's a curator at the British Museum, and an expert on human life many thousands of years ago... we can't wait to hear what he's got to say about the very first schools. How did some homo sa...

How is magic made? With Sophie Dahl. Why do bats hang upside down? How does kinetic sand work? 22.12.2023 13:30

This week our wonderful guest is author Sophie Dahl answering a question about magic! Magic is everywhere around us... we know something magical will happen to you today. We'll also find out why bats hang upside-down with the children of Si Kecil bookshop in Ubud, Bali and how kinetic sand works! Happy listening everyone, and MERRY CHRISTMAS! Make sure you buy all your friends a copy of the PAPER...

Why do people get wrinkles? With Ross Barr. How does sunscreen work? How are stars made? 15.12.2023 13:26

We're back for the ninth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Why do people get lines on their face when they g...

What noises did dinosaurs make? With Jack Horner. Who built the Eiffel Tower? Why do nails grow? 01.12.2023 13:52

We're back for the eighth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: How do we know what noises dinosaurs made? Answe...

Why is lava so hot? With Robin Andrews. What are fireworks made of? Why do pandas eat bamboo? 24.11.2023 12:45

We're back for the seventh episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Why is lava so hot? Answering this one we have...

Why does an elephant's tummy rumble? With Jonathan Balcombe. Why do we get pins and needles? How do mirrors reflect? 17.11.2023 10:23

We're back for the sixth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Why does an elephant's tummy rumble? Answering th...

Why are bugs so little? With Erica McAlister. What are electrons made of? What is the richest place in the world? 29.09.2023 12:41

We're back for the fifth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Why are bugs so little? Answering this one we have Erica...

Would it be possible to transfer your body onto a computer? With Lath Carlson. How do aeroplanes fly? How many eggs does an octopus lay? 22.09.2023 13:25

We're back for the fourth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Would it be possible to transfer your body onto a compu...

Why is garlic good for your heart? With Tara Lee. How do skunks get their smell out? Do seagulls and snakes sneeze? 15.09.2023 12:58

We're back for the third episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Why is garlic good for your heart? Answering this one we...

How was ballet invented? With Dame Darcey Bussell. Why do penguins waddle? What are bones made from? 08.09.2023 15:00

We're back for the second episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun coming out soon and moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Who invented ballet? We have ballerina and former S...