Brains On! Science podcast for kids – Details, episodes & analysis

Fidget toys are everywhere. There are ones you can squeeze, or click, or spin. Others are puzzles or have cool textures to touch. Some classrooms even have fidget toys for students, but do they help kids concentrate or are they just a distraction? Molly and co-host Penelope team up with an unconventional band to learn why we fidget in the first place.

Plus, neuroscientist Dr. Julie Schweitzer, from the UC Davis MIND Institute, answers questions about the science of fidget toys.

All that plus a brand new Mystery Sound and peek into what's happening at the brand new Brains On Headquarters!

Want to support the show? Head to smartypass.org to subscribe or donate!

Click here for a transcript of this episode.

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We’re back! We’ve officially moved into our new headquarters! Come unpack with us and get a tour while we fill you in on some big news. Plus, new episodes of Brains On coming later this month and new Smash Boom and Forever Ago after that. If you want to support the show or drop us a line, head to brainson.org. The best way to keep us going is to join Smarty Pass or donate here: https://brainson.supercast.com. Thank you!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oh no! Molly’s been bequeathed her great-great grandfather’s skateboard, which unfortunately contains the spirit of dictionary editor Rutherford Williams Webster! Hoping to defeat the skateboard poltergeist, Anna and Marc must attempt to spell and define Webster’s most obscure words!

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Insects can live almost anywhere: backyards, mountaintops, scorching hot deserts, underwater, even on Antarctica! There are more than a million different species out there, from speedy dragonflies that zip through the air as fast as a car to rainbow-colored beetles living in tropical rainforests. Plus, scientists are discovering new ones all the time! But why does the world need bugs? And why do they make us feel a little icky sometimes? In this super buggy episode, Molly and co-host Lorna meet bug scientist Meredith Cenzer and learn more about what we can do to protect our tiny friends.

This episode was sponsored by:

• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - Terms and conditions apply. Cost per application pricing not available for everyone.)

*****
Do you have your Smarty Pass yet?? Get yours today for just $4/month (or $36/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you heard the expression “dogs are people’s best friend”? Where did it come from? And why are dogs and humans such great pals? Molly and co-host Kha-ai jump back in time to learn how dogs became humans’ best friends, and answer the question why do dogs wag their tails? Plus, we’ll also explore how dogs help humans and even other animals like cheetahs. And keep your ears perked for a brand new Mystery Sound!

This episode was sponsored by:

• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - Terms and conditions apply. Cost per application pricing not available for everyone.)

*****

Do you have your Smarty Pass yet?? Get yours today for just $4/month (or $36/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friendship rules! Friends help us work through problems, keep us company and bring joy to our lives. Making friends might have also helped our prehistoric ancestors survive and thrive! Still, friendship can be tough sometimes. In this episode, we’ll answer your friendship questions with Eileen Kennedy-Moore (a.k.a Dr. Friendtastic!) and hear some advice from a filmmaker with autism about making friends. Plus an all-new Mystery Sound!

This episode was sponsored by:

Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - Terms and conditions apply. Cost per application pricing not available for everyone.)

*****
Do you have your Smarty Pass yet?? Get yours today for just $4/month (or $36/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans need sleep to survive, but do plants doze off too? In this episode, we’ll look into how plants rest. Turns out humans and plants aren’t all that different! We’ll hear about how we share a common ancestor, way, way back in history. We’ll also learn how plants and people have little built-in clocks that tell us when it’s day and night! Oh, and Sanden parties with his plant pals and we guess an all-new Mystery Sound.

This episode was sponsored by:

• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - Terms and conditions apply. Cost per application pricing not available for everyone.)

*****
Do you have your Smarty Pass yet?? Get yours today for just $4/month (or $36/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our big, beautiful sky stretches all the way from the ground beneath our feet to about sixty miles above the Earth. It’s made up of countless air molecules, pinging around like tiny, invisible pinballs. And even though we can’t feel the weight of each individual air molecule, all together they weigh a lot! But how much does the sky actually weigh? (spoiler alert: it involves lots and lots of farting cats…) Molly and co-host Felix learn more by talking with a band of singing walruses and a pretty wacky weatherwoman. And don’t miss this week’s extra mysterious Mystery Sound!

This episode was sponsored by:

• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - Terms and conditions apply. Cost per application pricing not available for everyone.)
• Thrive Market(Thrivemarket.com/brains - Click for 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift.)

*****
Do you have your Smarty Pass yet?? Get yours today for just $4/month (or $36/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lots of creatures are able to glow, like fish, mushrooms, fireflies and even some bacteria! This special ability is called bioluminescence and it looks like magic, but it’s actually chemistry. In this episode, we’ll travel to the bottom of the ocean in the ExPLORERR to meet some super spectacular, bioluminescent friends and find out why so many animals make their own light. And we’ll hear from a scientist who uses bioluminescence in cancer research. Plus a brand new mystery sound!

This episode is sponsored by:

• Disney Plus Originals (Disneyplusoriginals.disney.com - Disney Plus Originals' Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur)
• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - Terms and conditions apply. Cost per application pricing not available for everyone.)
• Thrive Market (Thrivemarket.com/brains - For 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift.)

*****

Do you have your Smarty Pass yet?? Get yours today for just $4/month (or $36/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xuan June’s hearing aids have kept her company for pretty much her entire life. They go with her to school, tag along for a ride while she skateboards and sit snugly while she draws and dreams up goth-cute fashion designs.

In this episode, Xuan June is getting fitted for a new pair of hearing aids — and she’s invited Molly to come with her! Together they learn all about how these cool superpowered devices work. Plus, we find out how sound travels and get a chance to guess TWO mystery sounds.

This episode was sponsored by:

• Disney Plus Originals (Disneyplusoriginals.disney.com - Disney Plus Originals' Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur)
• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - Terms and conditions apply. Cost per application pricing not available for everyone.)
• Thrive Market (Thrivemarket.com/brains - For 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift.)

*****

Do you have your Smarty Pass yet?? Get yours today for just $4/month (or $36/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.