This special Road Trip edition of Tumble includes all five episodes of our Life Lab series, back to back! Listen to hear how scientists are using tiny life to go to Mars, solve climate change, make better clothes, and much, much more. Life Lab explores the incredible power of a new technology you probably haven’t heard of. This technology could solve some of the biggest challenges on our planet, and beyond. But with great power, comes great responsibility. We ask important questions about...

It's Tumble's first science quiz edition! Play along as Tumble fans Arlo and Talyse compete in three science games: Purr Vs. Roar, What Does the ____ Say?, and Does It Fart? Lindsay and Marshall play quiz masters, while their contestants make a surprising discovery. And that's before the quiz even starts! If you enjoyed this quiz show and would like to hear more, let us know! To support our show and get ad-free episodes - plus the chance to be on an episode like Arlo and Taylse - join our...

We'll be back with a new episode in two weeks! What would Earth be like if our oceans never existed? That’s what Charlie wants to know! We recruit Earth detective Lucia Perez-Diaz to help us track down clues hidden within our planet’s rocks. Our investigation takes us through the mysteries of how water got on Earth, the giant plates moving beneath our feet, and why our oceans are shaped the way they are. Lucia’s also an illustrator, and will draw us an Earth without oceans. What will it...

“Do dogs think and feel the way we do?” We all know dogs can’t talk. That’s why scientists have to come up with creative ways of asking our canine companions what’s going on in their minds. We’ll find out why dog cognition scientist Zachary Silver put on a play for dogs - which inspired us to create Tumble’s very first dog radio theater production! Just call us “The Tumble Dog Players.” It will all make sense by the end of the episode. This is the final episode of Tumble’s 8th season! But...

Can we hear and touch the stars, if we can’t see them? Yuma Decaux is trying to put the night sky into everyone’s hands, through technology and engineering. Find out how stargazing captured Yuma’s imagination when he was six, and how losing his sight inspired him to explore the cosmos in a whole new way - making astronomy accessible to everyone.  Astreos, Yuma’s app, is currently in Beta. That means that when you try it out, you can give Yuma feedback on how to make it better! Download it on...

When did smartness begin? We’ll find out how a neuroscientist blends up brains, and cracks the case of the Tyrannosaurus Rex smarts! Suzana Herculano-Houzel helps us answer listener Penny’s question by explaining how “smartness” might not mean what you think - and how all animals have shown off their intelligence over time. Help us out by taking our listener survey! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tumblepodcast Listen to our bonus interview with Suzana on our Patreon when you pledge just $1...

Have you ever wondered what bird you’re hearing? We’re going to discover how to recognize birds by their sound - and what that means for science. Trevor Attenberg is an environmental scientist and science communicator who learned to identify birds without sight, by their sound alone. He takes us through his journey to becoming a birder and a scientist, and shares how you can learn to recognize birds by their sound.  Learn more about Trevor, and find his recommended resources for birding on...

How big is the universe? And how do we know? It's a question that puzzled astronomers for centuries. They had no way to measure distance in space - until Henrietta Leavitt showed them how. Henrietta Leavitt was a "computer" in the 19th century, before there were computers, and she made an incredible discovery that would help change the way people thought about the universe - forever. Modern-day astronomer Karen Masters helps us tell her remarkable story. If you like this episode, you'll...

We're working on a special project that we'll announce in our next episode! Enjoy one of our favorite episodes while we make it ready for you.    Why and how do cats purr? That’s what Reid wants to know. It sounds like a simple question, but it leads us to a deep challenge: Can we ever understand cats? To find out, we launch a full-scale cat purr investigation. You’ll hear from a puzzled veterinarian, a scientist who studied her cat’s annoying purr, and the author of purring.org, the premier...

Why are sloths so slow? We’ll find out how one sloth scientist got crafty and discovered why slowness is a sloth’s secret to survival. Rebecca Cliffe, founder of the Sloth Conservation Foundation, shares the story of her quest to study these sneakily stealthy creatures, with the help of a special backpack. What she finds will definitely surprise and delight you! If you're like Marshall, you might even laugh/cry.  To hear more about Rebecca’s slothsome adventures, listen to our bonus...

Explore the sounds of ocean science on a sound scavenger hunt! Tune in as oceanographer Amy Bower takes us to the sea, to show us how she uses sound to study ocean currents and make ocean science accessible for blind and visually impaired people. Listen up and help us search for clues beneath the waves to reveal the secrets of the underwater realm! Ocean data sonifications courtesy of Dr. Jon Bellona at the University of Oregon, and the Accessible Oceans project. Learn more about Dr. Amy...

A Black botanist is on a mission to discover the hidden stories of Black plant scientists throughout history. Shawn Abrahams shares how Black people are responsible for vanilla cupcakes, and the microscopes you use in science class! Plus, hear how Shawn started their own journey to becoming a botanist and historian, with the help of Wikipedia. Hear more stories from Black scientists featured on Tumble! Check out our blog post for a list of episodes. Learn more about how Shawn became a...

Join us on an Arctic adventure as we head out onto the sea ice with a polar bear scientist! Andrew Derocher shares exciting stories of flying in helicopters, getting bit by a polar bear cub, and discovering how polar bears are surviving in a warming world. Andrew explains what happens when polar bears move into human towns, in the bonus interview episode. It’s available to Patrons who pledge just a dollar or more a month on patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Teachers! Find a toolkit to share polar...

This is a re-broadcast of one of our most popular episodes of season 7, The Science of Butts!  What is a butt? That’s what science journalist Katherine Wu wanted to know. Her quest for an answer leads her into a web of big butt questions, and a search to find the top butt scientists in the world. She discovers a debate over where butts come from, and a very strange butt that could rewrite the annals of butt history. This episode features an original song called, “Sometimes Butt.” Trust us,...

Join Marshall as he treks through a blizzard to find a warm spot by the fire, and listen to these great winter-themed episodes of Tumble. In this Road Trip Pack, you'll hear these episodes:  The Great Seal Count The People of the Snow The Power of Pika Scientists The Volcanic Eruption Adventure Whether you're curled up by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa or out on a snow-shoe trek through the wilderness, enjoy these great episodes about science in the snow! 

How likely is it that we’ll find intelligent alien life on other planets? Are there extraterrestrial civilizations that we could contact - or that could contact us? And what would these aliens be like? We’re going to try to answer these big questions with the help of two scientists, and a very famous math equation. Hear more from Kaitlin Rassmussen and Arik Kershenbaum in our special bonus interview episode, available to Patrons who pledge just $1 or more a month to support the show on...

In this special road-trip collection of Tumble episodes, you'll hear all about scientists who are making a difference in their communities. This episode pack contains:  How to be Helping Scientist Reinventing the Wheel What to do about Trash?  If you're a teacher and you want to participate in our group of teacher advisors, please follow this link to apply: https://bit.ly/TumbleTeachers

When you have to go, where does it go? That’s what our listener Ellie wants to know. Prepare for potty humor and science as we hear from civil engineer and toilet expert Francis de los Reyes! Who invented the toilet? And what’s “The Great Stink?” We’ll be plunging into the past, present, and future of flushing to discover how toilets don’t just save us from stinky smells - they save lives. Are you a teacher? Participate in our NSF-funded research project! Sign up here:...

Ever wonder what a mummy smells like? Or why millions of animals were mummified - including baboons? We climb into ancient tombs with Egyptologist Salima Ikram, to discover the science and culture of animal mummies. Salima is a real life tomb adventurer, cautious of scorpions and curious about the dead. Join us this Halloween as we excavate the secrets behind mummies! We’re participating in Nat Geo Kids’ Podcast Party: Ancient Egypt in honor of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King...

If there’s too much gas in the atmosphere, who you gonna call? Gas Busters! Find out how a bacteria from a rabbit’s gut could help fight climate change, in our final episode of Life Lab. This episode features Dr. Ryan Tappel of LanzaTech, and a song collaboration with Basho Mosko, of Basho & Friends! You can find a transcript and other educational materials about this episode on the blog on our website, sciencepodcastforkids.com. Life Lab is supported by the Engineering Biology...

Take the Kids Listen Survey!  Tumble’s Life Lab Show at the Cambridge Science Festival  Spider silk? Mushroom leather? Discover what’s next in fashion: Clothes made from synthetic biology. We hear the story of how a synthetic biologist went from collecting spiders in his bedroom to working with some of the biggest names in fashion. This episode features Dr. Dan Widmaier, CEO of Bolt Threads. You can find a transcript and other educational materials about this episode on the blog on our...

So far in Life Lab, we’ve uncovered the power of synthetic biology. But with great power comes great responsibility! In this episode, we’ll ask “Is this a good idea?” when it comes to changing the DNA of mosquitoes to fight a deadly virus. This episode features Dr. Sam Weiss Evans and his 8 year old daughter, Izzy Weiss Evans. Hear more from Sam about modified mosquitoes and making decisions about science, in our bonus interview episode! They’re available to Tumble Patrons who pledge just a...

Should we make the move to Mars? And how would we live there? Join us as we pack our bags for Mars with the help of synthetic biology. We’ll find out how astronauts could grow their own food, medicine, and even building materials on the Red Planet. But when Lindsay and Marshall start to disagree about moving to another planet, some tricky questions threaten the mission… Welcome to Life Lab! This is the first part of our five part series about how tiny life can change our world. In Life Lab,...

What does cheese have to do with technology? What does engineering have to do with biology? And why should we know about it? We’ll slice into these questions to get a taste of what synthetic biology is, how it's already in our lives, and how it got there.  Welcome to Life Lab! This is the first part of our five part series about how tiny life can change everything. In Life Lab, we explore the incredible power of synthetic biology to solve some of our biggest challenges - and asking how it...

Season 8 of Tumble begins September 16 with a special, five-part series called “Life Lab.” Life Lab will explore the incredible power of a new technology you probably haven’t heard of. This technology could solve some of the biggest challenges on our planet, and beyond. But with great power, comes great responsibility. We’ll be asking important questions about whether it could - or should - change our future. Bonus: Life Lab will be released weekly, for five weeks! After that, we’ll return...