But Why: Intro For Adults
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My question is, who invented words? Do animals have the same taste buds as people have? What does the head of the world feel like? Why do geese fly in the shape of a V? How do bears sleep out in the dark?

Hi, my name is Jane Lindholm, and I'm the host of a new podcast for kids from VPR, Vermont Public Radio. We're calling the show, But Why?, a podcast for curious kids. It's designed to be something you and your children can listen to on long rides in the car, at the dinner table, or whenever you're in the mood for learning something new. Think of it as public radio for your kids.

Children are curious creatures. Anyone who's spent time with a five-year-old knows that they have a lot of questions. Some of them are really easy to answer, and others are quite a bit tougher. I wanted to give kids a space of their own to ask their funny, interesting, big and small questions and get a real answer. So that's what But Why is all about. Kids ask the questions, and I help find interesting, enthusiastic people who can offer an answer. Like this guy.

The important thing is that it's great that people like you are asking tough questions. Only by thinking about all these possibilities will humanity continue to survive and flourish. That's science fiction writer and author M.T. Anderson. He's written books like Feed, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, and a series of books called Pals in Peril.

He helps us answer a question from Charlie in Episode 2 about what the end of the world might feel like. That's a really big question, and it required some sensitive answers. So we get three, including one from an astrophysicist about what scientists know about asteroids, dying stars, etc.,

Not every episode is that heady. And if there's ever anything we think might be scary, our producer Melody Baudet and I will give you a heads up in the text that accompanies the podcast on our webpage and in the little description of the show when you download it. Some of the questions are just funny. Some are serious. Some are science-y. Some historical, like who invented words, which I guess could be both science and history. And some of the questions are just funny.

We want all kinds of questions, and we love everything that kids ask. So we hope your kids really like this podcast, and more importantly, that they and you learn something in every new episode.

And we hope you'll participate. But why only works if kids send their questions. So if your child has a question that you'd like some help answering, send it our way. If you have a smartphone, that's actually all you need. Just use the memo function to record the audio of your kid asking the question. Be sure to include your child's first name, age, and where you live. Like this.

Hi, my name's Rachel. I live in Kensington, Maryland. I'm in second grade. My question is, why is there a freckle on my belly button?

By the way, there's no need to use the video function on your phone. We love seeing your cute kids, but we can't use the video portion, and the audio is usually better if you just get right up close to your child to record. So just use that memo function on your smartphone to record the question, and then email it to questions at butwhykids.org.

We hope to produce a new episode every two weeks, so be sure to tune in and learn something new. And you can always find all of our episodes and profiles of the kids and the experts we've talked to at ButWhyKids.org. We always love feedback. You can tell us what your kids like and don't like and what you like or don't like. Thanks for producing Curious Kids. And thanks for listening to But Why. ♪