SolveItForKids Science podcast

What if you could harness the power of the sun in a donut? Scientists can. Well not a real donut, of course. Listen to this energetic talk with Dr. Arturo Dominguez of the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab to learn all about nuclear fusion!

Do you have a pet? Then THIS is the episode for you! We have the awesome Dr. Michelle Clements, veterinarian, chatting with us about dogs, cats, guniea pigs, rabbits, and many other animals. Don't miss this Pet-tastic conversation!

Wish you could make a great video? Our guest, anthropologist and documentary filmmaker Nick Norris, tells us how! He explains the ins and outs of how to get a great video (hint: light is EVERYTHING!) Don't miss this FUN and informative chat! 

How does a chemical engineer become an editor for children's books at MIT Press? Listen to the awesome Dr. Jermey Matthews to find out. He will give tips on how to get kids excited about STEM/STEM and literacy! Don't miss this FUN and informative chat!!

Have you ever wondererd how the International Space Stations (ISS) was built? We are thrilled to have NASA engineer Lou Ramon on our show to tell us all about it! Lou not only helped design and build the ISS, but also worked on the Apollo Moon Lander. TONS of awesome space knowledge on this podcast. Don't miss it!

Have you ever wondered how engineers make a "brain" for a computer? Listen to electrical engineer Lisa Leinbaugh explain this really cool process of how they actually layer multiple wafers of silicon to create a semiconductor. WOW!

Ever wonder WHAT is living in your dirt? Horticulturist Kelly Bull is here to tell us. She even gives us tips on how to grow amazing plants! (Hint: you don't have to be born with a "green thumb") If you love growing things, listen to this FUN and informative chat! 

Join us for a supersonic blast off to our brand new season! What is it like to fly over 100 different kinds of aircraft? We are thrilled to have NASA test pilot Nils Larson join us to talk about doing just that. This exciting chat soars to new heights as Nils explans his cool new job of being NASA's lead pilot on the X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology Aircraft (QueSST). 

Happy New Year! Start the year of right by listening to some of our best out-of-this-world episodes. They include chats with engineer and author Suzanne Slade, LIGO scientist Dr. Eric Thrane, and NASA JPL engineer Brian Franz. You'll learn about how to have a snowball fight on Mars, how to listen to black holes, and how the Perserverance Rover works on Mars. 

Happy Holidays! Check out our BEST of Animals compiliation with snippets from earlier shows with Dr. Sarah McAnulty, Dr. Alison Pearce Steves, and David Brown. Take a listen to these fun episodes that discuss squishy squid, rhinos in the midwest and how to find a hidden giraffe. 

Happy Holidays! Jennifer and Jeff are on vacation, but don't miss our BEST of Science in Your Backyard compilation with snippets from episodes with some of our favorite "backyard" scientists- Dr. Loree Griffin Burns, Dr. Colleen Kelley, and Dr. Anne Estes. Take a listen to these FUN episodes that discuss moths, stinky plants, and how YOU are like a Dung Beetle. 

Our last episode of the season may just be our best! Our guest is the awesome Dr. Alan Stern, the principal investigator for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. The FIRST spacecraft to explore Pluto and its moons up close. Don't miss this FASCINATING and out-of-this-world chat which will take you to the farthest reaches of our solar system, where New Horizons is heading next! 

Toilet Paper. It's something you use every day. But do you ever think about how it's MADE? We have chemical engineer Madion Matson on our show today to chat about the in-depth chemical and material processes that go into making the one thing none of us want to be without! Listen and you may just learn some surprising facts about toilet paper! 

We all know that people have germs, but do WHALES have germs? Listen to this awesome chat with Dr. Amy Apprill of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as she explains that - YES, they do! Her team is doing some amazing research with whales that involve getting up close and personal with them as well as using drones to learn all about their microbes and what they can tell us. Don't miss this chance...

Have you ever wondered how bridges are demolished? Engineers must use BIG cranes to do it. Listen to this FUN and fascinating chat with Bridge Engineer Luis Duque as he explains how they dismantle a bridge piece by piece. He even shares with us how bridge inspections are done and tells us about the very famous bridge he is working on right now! 

Snakes! If you've ever wonder what it would be like to work as a herptologist and handle snakes in a zoo, you're about to find out. Join us for our lively discussion with Herptology Curator Travis Land as he talks all about the slithering, side-winding creatures he works with on a daily basis. 

Teachers are amazingly innovative!  When music teacher Laurie Orth wanted to get her students to learn the recorder she decided to use SPACE to do it! Listen to this FUN, music-filled episode with STEAM pioneer educator Laurie as she teaches us how music and space go together! (We even get her to do a few songs for us). 

Do you ever wonder how engineers solve problems? Or why they test things over and over? We have Dr. Cory Hixon, an assistant professor of engineering at Colorado Christian University to explain it all. He has some pretty amazing ways to teach future engineers. Don't miss this fascinating conversation. And DO his challenge, too. 

Ocean Pollution is a serious problem. How do scientists study it? And what can be done about this? Listen to this fascinating and fact-filled chat with Dr. Padma Venkatraman, who is not only an esteemed oceanographer but also an award-winning author! Dr. Padma explains the science of pollution and challenges us all to help clean it up! 

When you think of NASA, you might think of astronauts, but NASA employs tons of people whose jobs are also important to the agency. Take a listen to Kirsten Larson, former NASA public affairs officer, now children's author, who gives us a behind-the-scenes peek into how NASA helps the public understand how a space agency helps people on the ground! 

Have you ever wondered how bridges are built? How do engineers know what materials to use? Listen to this enthusiastic and fascinating chat with Bridge Engineer Danielle Schroeder as she takes us behind the scenes and teaches us about how structures stand up. Don't forget to do the awesome challenge! 

Do you love going to the zoo? Want a behind-the-scenes peek into how zookeepers keep their animals safe and happy? Listen to this fascinating episode with Zookeeper Susan Summers as she tells us what it's like to take care of some amazing animals! 

Ever wish you could discover a fossil? Listen to this exciting episode with paleontologist and science cosplay educator Gabriel-Philip Santos who works with the ALF Museum in CA. He shares with us his studies of some amazing fossilized marine animals and they ended up on dry land! (There are even some sci-fi references to explain the science here)  

Teeth are some of the hardest substances in the body, so why do they break down? Listen to this FUN chat with dentist, Dr. Emily Swanson as she explain to us WHY teeth decay. You just might learn some tips and tricks for ways to keep your teeth healthy and free from cavities. When you're done listening to this episode, go back and listen to "How Do You Build Teeth Out of Soap?" another fabulous sh...

Science is sometimes best when its slow.  When you want to learn how materials are affected by the change in atmosphere, you use a balloon to transport them to the edge of space. Listen to this fascinating episode with retired Air Force Colonel Norman Black as he describes how KIDS are learning about the how objects change as they approach the edge of space!