But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

Vermont Public

But Why is a show led by kids. They ask the questions and we find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world. Know a kid with a question? Record it with a smartphone. Be sure to include your kid's first name, age, and town and send the recording to questions@butwhykids.org!

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20 episodes
Updated July 24

Episodes20

Newest first

Why does space have so many planets?
Join us on a tour of our solar system with John O’Meara, chief scientist at the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. We’ll answer all of your questions about planets! How were the planets in our solar s…
July 24 · 46 min
Do animals play?
Have you ever seen your dog play with another dog? Have you seen squirrels chasing each other in the woods? Are they playing or are they doing something else? We look at the behavior of animals…
July 10 · 34 min
When was the first World Cup?
Right now, the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup is happening across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico and it’s time to learn a little bit about soccer…or should we say football? That’s one …
June 26 · 28 min
How are video games made?
How are video games made? Who invented the concept? Why do games have levels? Who invented them? Why are game consoles so expensive? Why do people like playing these games so much and do they turn…
June 12 · 26 min
What is ADHD?
What is ADHD? How does ADHD affect the brain? Why do only some people have it? How can we control our brains? An estimated 11 percent of U.S. kids are diagnosed with the neurological condition…
May 29 · 27 min
What are eels?
What are eels? And why are some eels electric? We head to Poughkeepsie, New York to learn about eels with Chris Bowser, Hudson River estuary educator with the New York Department of Environmental…
May 15 · 23 min
Why does green mean go and red mean stop?
Why is there traffic? How do traffic lights work? How do they know when to turn red and green? Why does green mean go and red mean stop? Why are cars able to go faster than they are allowed to go…
May 1 · 36 min
Are Komodo dragons really dragons?
Can’t get enough of lizards? We’re back with a bonus episode answering more of your lizard questions with Adam Clause of the San Diego Natural History Museum. This week, chameleons, Komodo dragons, …
April 24 · 20 min
How do lizards grow their tails back?
Deep in the basement of the San Diego Natural History Museum, there are thousands of jars filled with preserved reptiles and amphibians. In this episode, But Why takes a tour with collections…
April 17 · 35 min
But Why turns 10!
But Why turns ten years old on April 1, 2026! To celebrate this milestone, we’re listening back to our very first episode. We’ve got owls and turtles and bears. Naturalist Mary Holland gets into the…
April 3 · 22 min
What's it like to be a Kid Governor?
In the United States, voters in each state elect a governor every two or four year terms. The governor is the top official in the state government. But did you know five U.S. states also elect a…
March 20 · 26 min
How do we know life is not a dream?
Some questions are so big they’re existential, meaning that they get right to the heart of human existence. These are also sometimes called philosophical questions, so for this episode we called up …
March 6 · 32 min
How did bird dinosaurs survive the meteor?
Why did the dinosaurs go extinct? Many of you have learned about the meteorite that scientists say hit the earth 66 million years ago and killed off many dinosaur species. But some dinosaurs…
February 20 · 29 min
Why are brothers and sisters so annoying?
Why are brothers and sisters so annoying? Why do siblings often look a lot alike? Why do siblings fight? Can your sister be your best friend? Why do we fight with our siblings even if we love them?…
February 6 · 18 min
Do bunnies come out at night?
Why are rabbits called bunnies? Why do they have fur? Why do bunnies have puffball tails? Why do rabbits have eyes on the sides of their heads? Why do rabbits hop? Our guest is Margo DeMello,…
January 23 · 25 min
Why can’t we remember being babies?
How does memory work? Why can’t we remember things that happened when we were babies? Why do we forget? Why are some people forgetful? Why do elephants have such good memories. What’s this episode a…
January 9 · 31 min
What’s on your bucket list?
Have you ever heard of a bucket list? That’s an expression people sometimes use that means something big you want to do or see or accomplish in your lifetime! For our last episode every year, we l…
Dec 26, 2025 · 16 min
Why do goats sound like humans? A Cozy Critters Collaboration
Have you ever heard a fox scream at night and thought it was a human? And why, when goats bleat, do they sometimes sound like human babies? Animals can sometimes make similar noises but not because…
Dec 19, 2025 · 8 min
How do oysters make their shells?
On a rainy, windy day, But Why hopped on a ferry and headed to Governors Island in New York City with one thing on our minds - oysters! We met up with Mike McCann of the Billion Oyster Project to…
Dec 12, 2025 · 26 min
What’s an oboe? How does a flute work? What’s a viola?
How do musical instruments make their sounds? Why do people play music in the first place? What’s a viola bow made out of? How are musical instruments made? How much do professional musicians p…
Nov 28, 2025 · 55 min

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

Why does space have so many planets?

Do animals play?

When was the first World Cup?

How are video games made?

What is ADHD?

What are eels?

Why does green mean go and red mean stop?

Are Komodo dragons really dragons?

How do lizards grow their tails back?

But Why turns 10!

What's it like to be a Kid Governor?

How do we know life is not a dream?

How did bird dinosaurs survive the meteor?

Why are brothers and sisters so annoying?

Do bunnies come out at night?

Why can’t we remember being babies?

What’s on your bucket list?

Why do goats sound like humans? A Cozy Critters Collaboration

How do oysters make their shells?

What’s an oboe? How does a flute work? What’s a viola?