Everything Under The Sun

Molly Oldfield

Children are full of curiosity and questions about the world.

Each Friday, join Molly Oldfield, write of the weekly kids quiz in the Guardian each Saturday, the original QI elf and author and host of Everything Under The Sun (both the book and podcast) as she answers questions sent in by children around the world with the help of experts including Neil Gaiman, Heston Blumenthal, Grayson Perry, Lauren Child, Richard Branson and Sophie Dahl to the fish curators at the Natural History Museum.

If you're a kid - big or small - with questions you want answered or if you want to learn interesting facts about life on earth, this is the award winning podcast for you.

Do check out Everything Under The Sun - a curious question for every day of the year, published by Ladybird books now!

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178 episodes
Updated March 20

Episodes178

Newest first

Mar 15, 2019 · 10 min
17. Why on Some Days do we Remember Dreams but Not on Other Days? Where do Gorillas Sleep At Night? How do we Sleep Walk?
Hello and welcome to the 17th episode of Everything Under the Sun, a weekly podcast answering all the most pressing questions children around the world have about life on earth. Today we have three questions about sleeping and dreaming! Our first question is from Millen - he wants to know about dreams! His question is “Why on some days do we remember dreams but not on other days?” To answer the question I asked the help of Philippa Perry, she’s a psychotherapist who spends lots of time listening to people’s dreams – she tells us about why we remember some dreams and not others and why we might dream the same dream over and over again. Next up is Tommi, he wants to know “Where do Gorillas Sleep At Night?” We talk all about gorilla nests, how gorillas build them out of leaves and branches, gorilla ‘bunk beds’ up high in the trees and the patterns in which they sleep! Then it’s time for Daisy who would like to know “How do we Sleep Walk?” We talk about how sleepwalking happens and the kinds of things that might cause it, and we reassure children that it’s quite normal and children usually grow out of it. Big thanks to Millen, Tommi and Daisy for this week’s questions and Philippa Perry for her answer about dreams. If you and your family enjoy this podcast please do subscribe, rate it and give it a lovely review. It really helps! Thanks SO much to everyone who has reviewed it so far. I’ll be back next week answering more questions from children around the world in another episode of EUTS. Do send in your questions, there’s info about how to do that on the show’s website: everythingunderthesun.co.uk My twitter is @mollyoldfield Instagram @mollyoldfieldwrites My website www.mollyoldfield.com Have a lovely week! Thank you and goodbye! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 7, 2019 · 15 min
16. Where Do Ideas Come From? A World Book Day special with writer Abi Elphinstone & writer and illustrator Rob Biddulph.
It’s World Book Day! To celebrate, this week we've got three answers to a great question, from Bonnie, which is... ‘Where do Ideas Come From?’ Our first answer is from children’s book writer Abi Elphinstone. Abi is a 2019 World Book Day author and you can get her new book, Everdark on World Book Day with your WBD tokens! She talks about how adventures, daydreaming and looking at the sky out of her writing shed inspired her big ideas and tells us about how she came up with the stories and characters in Everdark. There's also a chance to win a very special copy of Everdark, signed by Abi and with a message in it just for you! To find out how to WIN this fab copy of the brilliant book with a note from Abi have a listen to the show. Next up is Rob Biddulph, a writer and the official World Book Day illustrator. If you look at your World Book Day tokens, or posters at school, or in the library and local bookshops you’ll see Rob’s colourful drawings of bookmarks all over them. Rob answers Bonnie’s question too, but because everyone creates differently he has other ways that ideas come to him. Rob says ideas come to him all the time in all kinds of different places, so he thinks its really important to but make a note of ideas, as soon as they arrive so they don’t disappear and get forgotten! Rob tells us the story of how his daughter Kitty's imaginary friend Kevin gave him the idea for one of his first picture books! Find out how Roald Dahl wrote ideas in his ‘Masterpiece’ notebooks and where those notebooks are now, how his wonderful children’s book The BFG began as well as how Matilda started. You’ll also find out where the idea to start this very podcast came from, and how it took lots of friends to help make it a real. Friends, lots of hard work, and a sprinkling of magic! Happy World Book Day everyone! If you would like to find out more: Abi Elphinstone is @moonrug on twitter Rob Biddulph is @RobBiddulph I am @mollyoldfield Instagram @mollyoldfieldwrites World Book Day’s website is here: https://www.worldbookday.com My website, which has information about The Secret Museum, which has the story of Roald Dahl’s notebooks in it is www.mollyoldfield.com The podcast website is www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk With thanks to Tyler Simmons Dale, Ash Gardner @houseofstrange and Billy Colours. If you like the show please do rate and review and tell all your friends. Of course, if you have a question you would like answered on the show do record yourself asking it on an adult’s smartphone and email it into me at molly@everythingunderthesun.co.uk Thank you and enjoy this book filled week! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 1, 2019 · 12 min
15. What is the Biggest Tree in the World? How Much Water is in an Apple? How many Bunnies are there in the World? Featuring Roberto, from the Natural History Museum
This week we have three questions from Rob, Alex and Violet. They would like to know: what the biggest tree in the world? How much water is in an apple? How many bunnies are there in the world? Find out about the biggest tree in the world, called General Sherman, which I wrote about in my book, Natural Wonders of the World. I read an extract from the book about the ancient, giant trees in this week’s show. The trees grew on earth at the same time as dinosaurs roamed the earth. Find out how many people would have to join arms around the tree to circle the tree and how the giant forest in which the tree grows is affected by climate change. Discover how much water is in an apple, an orange and a cucumber. Find out about an experiment you can do to work out how much water is in an apple. Plus how much water do you think it takes to power Apple’s computers, iphones, shops and data centres? Find out how many apples you could grow by using the water that Apple devices and shops use in a year. Plus where apples first came from and how apple trees grow. To answer Violet’s question about bunnies I have Roberto, a curator of mammals at the Natural History Museum in London. He’s one of the top experts in the world about mammals and so is the best person to tell us all about bunnies – the numbers of bunnies and the number of species in the world! Plus discover the species of bunny that is so shy there is no language for it in the local language because no one has ever seen it. Enjoy the show! If you have a question you would like answered on the show just ask an adult to record you asking it and send it in to me at molly@everythingunderthesun.co.uk There’s more info on my website www.mollyoldfield.com/podcasts To find out more about Roberto from the Natural History Museum look here: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/departments-and-staff/staff-directory/roberto-portela%20miguez.html For more information about my book check out: www.mollyoldfield.com/naturalwonders Big thanks to Roberto, The Natural History Museum, Ash Gardner, Tyler Simmons Dale, Billy Colours, Audio Networks, Rob, Alex, Violet and their parents and Lily! Instagram: @mollyoldfieldwrites Twitter: @mollyoldfield Website: www.mollyoldfield.com Show website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk If you like the show please do rate, review, subscribe and tell all your friends. Thank you! Have a lovely week! Goodbye! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 22, 2019 · 12 min
14. Why are Some Animals Cold-Blooded and Some Animals Warm-Blooded? Why is There A Queen Bee? Is the Queen Bee bigger Than the Other Bees? Why Do Elephants Stomp their Feet and Stomp and Walk?
Welcome to this week’s episode of Everything Under The Sun! This week we have four questions, the first is from Evey who lives in Australia, she would like to know why some animals are warm-blooded and some are cold-blooded? To answer her we have Katie Thomas, a biologist from The Natural History Museum in London! She is studying how frogs see the word, so tells us all about frogs and other cold-blooded animals that get warmer when the sun is out, or cooler when it’s not sunny and sea creatures with anti-freeze in their bodies. Compare how their bodies work with how warm-blooded animals like your dog, a whale and us humans work! How to we keep our bodies at a constant temperature even when it’s boiling hot or freezing cold? What is the benefit to animals of being warm or cold-blooded? Have a listen to find out as well as the strange creatures that break the rules, like Opah fish who are as big as car tyres! Our second and third questions are about queen bees! Arya would like to know why there is a queen bee? And Arthur would like to know if the queen bee is bigger than the other bees? Find out all about buzzing bees and their queen, from how bees make a queen bee by feeding her special food to what they do in the beehive. Our fourth question is from Ithaca, she would like to know why elephants stomp their feet and walk and stomp? Find out how elephants can hear through their feet and send messages through the ground from miles away. Imagine if you could do that - stomp your feet and send a message to your friend in her house miles away! Plus hear who won this week’s copy of my new book Natural Wonders of the World with their buzzing bee impressions. For more info about the book, see here: www.mollyoldfield.com/naturalwonders If you have a question you would like answered on the show just find an adult with a smartphone and ask them to record you using the voice memos app on an iphone or recording app that comes with other phones. Then tell me your name, your age, a bit about yourself, and ask me your question, and send it into me at molly@everythingunderthesun.co.uk More info about sending in questions can be found here! https://www.mollyoldfield.com/podcast Thank you! Have a lovely week and enjoy the show! With thanks to the Natural History Museum in London, Audio Networks, Tyler Simmons Dale, Ash Gardner and Billy Colours. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 15, 2019 · 18 min
13. Who Invented Writing and What Did They Write about? With British Museum curator Irving Finkel. Why Do we Talk in Different Languages? How do Cheetahs Run so Fast?
Talking and writing! We all do it every day, and its one of the most important things we do! Today on Everything Under The Sun we explore who came up with the idea of writing with a brilliant guest from the British Museum, Irving Finkel who looks after the oldest writing in the world – so old it is written on clay! Plus why we talk different languages. Our first question, from Benjamin is “Why do people speak different languages?” We explore why we speak different languages as well as how many people speak the Ainu language in the world, how languages change and evolve and sometimes disappear. Find out how the English language has been changing, and about the book Lost Words, full of poems about words of nature - like acorn, dandelion and otter - that have been sadly taken out of the Junior Oxford English Dictionary but why it's so important they come back and are used by kids every day! Plus learn about the special parrots who were the last speakers of the Maypore language of the Amazon. Our second question, from Shiva, who loves cheetahs and leopards is, “who invented writing and what did they write about?” To answer this great question we have Irving Finkel, curator of ancient writing at the British Museum. Irving works with the world’s oldest writing so he is in a good position to know! Find out who invented writing about 5,000 years ago, how they wrote, what their writing was called and what they wrote about. It turns out they wrote about the same kinds of things that we do – anything you can imagine! Find out how you could take part in one of the biggest jigsaw puzzles in the world, by learning cuneiform and helping the British Museum piece together ancient spells, myths and stories. Our third question is about the animal Shiva loves – cheetahs! It comes from Martha and Heidi and it is, “how can cheetah’s run So fast?” Find out how these incredible animals have bodies that are adapted for speed and how they run faster than Usain Bolt. Who won a copy of my new book, NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD with their pirate impressions? Have a listen and find out, plus discover how you could how to win a copy THIS week! Find out about my brand new book, Natural Wonders of the World on my website: www.mollyoldfield.com/naturalwonders Or the amazon link is here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Wonders-World-Discover-marvels/dp/1526360667 For more information about the Ashurbanipal exhibition on at the British Museum until the 24th February see here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/ashurbanipal.aspx To see more about The Secret Museum, which includes a clay tablet written on by Ashurbanipal and more stories from Irving Finkel see here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Museum-Molly-Oldfield/dp/0007455283 See a cheetah running in slow motion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4nd9GF1dRg I hope you enjoy the show! If you like Everything Under The Sun please do rate, review and subscribe! If you would like to send in a question or enter a competition just record your entry on an adult's smartphone and ask them to email the recording to me at molly@everythingunderthesun.co.uk. There's more info on my website www.mollyoldfield.com and the show's website www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk For more info check out: My instagram: @mollyoldfieldwrites My facebook: Molly Oldfield My twitter: @mollyoldfield www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk With thanks to Irving, the questions askers, the pirates, Ash Gardner, Tyler Simmons Dale, Audio Networks and Billy Colours. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 8, 2019 · 15 min
12. A Pirate's Life for Me! With The Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood
Ahoy Me Hearties! Shiver Me Timbers! Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum! This week's Pirates episode comes from The Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood and Globe Primary School in London. The V & A Museum of Childhood have a free show on at the moment called A Pirates Life For Me! So I've made a special show with them all about pirates, with questions from the local school children who helped create the show and answers from Will Newton who is a curator at the museum and made the pirates exhibition! Our first question is from Adam who likes mind boggling things involving maths - he would like to know whether pirates would make good politicians? Next Maryama and Torbin would like to know why pirates drank rum? Jayana would like to know how pirates got their own language? And finally Shiva asks whether pirates wore pants? Find out about how pirates ran a ship and elected a captain, discover Sir Walter Raleigh, one of the most famous pirates ever who was in the group called The Sea Dogs - he had lot of power during Queen Elizabeth I's reign and would have made a good politician. Until he was executed! You'll discover rum was a kind of treasure for pirates, as was food, clothes and spices - anything valuable really. Found out whether pirates really had treasure maps. Did X really mark the spot? Did they really make people walk the plank? How did pirates talk? Did they really say 'Arrrrrr.....', 'Shiver Me Timbers' and 'Yo Ho Ho!'? When is International Talk Like Pirates day? Come sail the seas with us and enjoy this jolly pirates special! You'll hear who won a special copy of my new book NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD, out THIS WEEK! So exciting! I hope you will all love the book. It is filled with the most wonderful places on our planet earth, you'll find caves filled with crystals and glow worms, monarch butterflies, birds of paradise, ancient rainforests, giant trees, strange animals called tenrecs, lemurs, aye-ayes, cherry blossom in Japan, and the most electric place on earth! Listen to children's baby dinosaur impressions sent into the show to enter the competition, plus find out what THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION is for another chance to win a copy of Natural Wonders of the World. I hope you enjoy the show! If you like Everything Under The Sun please do rate, review and subscribe! If you would like to send in a question or enter a competition just record your entry on an adult's smartphone and ask them to email the recording to me at molly@everythingunderthesun.co.uk. There's more info on my website www.mollyoldfield.com and the show's website www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk For more info check out: My brand new book, Natural Wonders of the World on my website: www.mollyoldfield.com/naturalwonders Or the amazon link is here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Wonders-World-Discover-marvels/dp/1526360667 My instagram: @mollyoldfieldwrites My facebook: Molly Oldfield My twitter: @mollyoldfield www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk The V & A Museum of Childhood's show A Pirate's Life for Me - https://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/exhibitions/a-pirates-life-for-me/ With thanks to Will Newton, Catie Poust at The V and A, Gill and Globe Primary School, Wren & Rook, Tyler Simmons Dale, Ash Gardner, Audio Networks, Billy Colours, all the children who sent in questions and all the baby dinosaurs! : ) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 1, 2019 · 14 min
11. Why Do We Taste Differently When We Have a Cold? With Heston Blumenthal. Why Do We Get Garlic Breath? And How Do Falcons Catch their Prey?
Yum, yum, yum! This tasty episode of Everything Under The Sun has three delicious questions. Why do we taste differently when we have a cold? This is our first question, from Sanem, and it is brilliantly answered by top chef Heston Blumenthal who knows everything there is to know about how our sense of smell affects our sense of taste. He tells us about an experiment to do with a piece of apple to find out how having a cold affects the way we taste our food. Secondly Charlie would like to know why we get garlic breath not noodle breath or apple breath? Find out how garlic goes into our bloodstream and make our whole body smell as well as how we can get rid of it and what things to eat to combat bad breath and eat healthily. Our third question comes from Leo and he would like to know how falcons catch their prey? Find out all about these incredible hunters, the fastest bird in the world and how falcons have influenced jet engine design thanks to special things in their noses called baffles! You'll also hear lots of brilliant squawking parrots who entered the competition to win a copy of my new book, Natural Wonders of The World, out on 7th February in all good bookshops, and available online too! Here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Wonders-World-Discover-marvels/dp/1526360667 Plus there's another chance to win a copy of Natural Wonders of the World this week, - just tune into the podcast to find out what the competition is! Here's a clue - it involves baby dinosaurs. I hope you enjoy the show and have fun trying out Heston's experiment this weekend. Please do rate, review and subscribe to the show on apple podcasts, Acast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to send a question or a baby dinosaur impression into the show just use your phone to record the child who would like to enter, record them saying their name, age, a bit about themselves and then say the question or do the impression and send it into me at molly@everythingunderthesun.co.uk There's lots of info on my website www.mollyoldfield.com and the show's website www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk To find more info on social media go to: twitter @mollyoldfield instagram @mollyoldfieldwrites Facebook Molly Oldfield www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk With thanks to Tyler Simmons Dale, Audio Networks, Ash Gardner, Wren Rook and Billy Colours. Thank you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 25, 2019 · 15 min
10. Where do babies come from? How deep is the river Thames? Why do ladybirds have spots? With Marina Fogle
In this week's show we answer three questions from Alessandra, Sophia and Isaac, with help from special guest expert Marina Fogle. Alessandra would like to know the answer to a question we all ask at some point in our lives, which is, "Where do Babies Come from?" Parental Warning! In case you don't want your children to listen to this answer. As this can be quite a tricky one to know how to answer well for children I asked Marina Fogle, host of the top parenting podcast The Parent Hood and creator of The Bump Class, an antenatal class she runs with her sister Chiara Hunt, who is a top doctor who knows all about children. Marina knows everything about babies and is the perfect person to explain the answer to this question all children ask. If you feel your child isn't ready to listen to this one, do skip over and carry on from question two, but if they're asking you about babies or you have already had a conversation about it then this could be perfect! Much better than finding out from a book like so many parents did! Our second question comes from Sophia, she would like to know how deep the River Thames is, find out about the different depths of the river, about the times when the Thames froze over and Frost Fairs were held on the ice and also about some islands in the Thames, home to sheep and scorpions! The third question this week is from Isaac who would like to know why ladybirds have spots, so listen in to find out all about these beetles - where they got their name, their special wings, why they have spots and about the yellow liquid called reflex blood they make on their legs to scare away birds and other creatures that might want to gobble them up! You can also find out who won tickets to The Science Museum's show, The Sun, Living with Our Star. PLUS I have a new book coming out called Natural Wonders of the World filled with the most wonderful places on planet earth. If you would like to be the first kid in the world to read the book, there's a competition to win a copy in this week's show! It's very easy and fun to enter, you just have to do a great impression of a bird - find out which one in this week's show - and send it into me. The book doesn't come out until Feb 7th so you really will be the first child in the world to read it, if you win! So do enter the competition. If you'd like to send in a bird impression, a question or a message to the show just ask an adult to record you talking and send it into me at molly@everythingunderthesun.co.uk, or there is more info on the show's website about how to do that. Social media: Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod Twitter: @everythinguts Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk Find out how to submit an answer on our website. Marina Fogle's podcast is called The Parent Hood and her ante natal classes are The Bump Class. Her instagram is @marinafogle Podcast website is here: https://www.thebumpclass.com/the-parent-hood-podcasts/ With thanks to Wren & Rook for the copy of Natural Wonders of the World competition prize, Science Museum for the Sun tickets prize, Marina Fogle, Ash at House of Strange for the theme music, Billy Colours for the logo, Audio Networks for music and Tyler Simmons Dale for editing! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 18, 2019 · 13 min
9. Why is the sun so bright? Why will the sun turn into a big red giant? And why is the sun orange? Ft special guest experts Harry Cliff and Amy (The Science Museum)
In this week's show we answer three questions from Sophia, Romilly and Alice, with help from special guest experts Harry Cliff and Amy Davey, from London's Science Museum. This week I'm at the Science Museum in London to answer your questions about The Sun, with the help of Harry and Amy, both curators at the museum involved with their current exhibition The Sun - Living with Our Closest Star. This week's questions are from Sophia, Romilly and Alice and they are: Why is the Sun so Bright? Why will the Sun turn into a Big Red Giant? And Why is the Sun Orange? Tune in to find out what the sun is made of, how big and far away the sun is, and how it creates light that travels to us on earth to help plants to grow, keep us warm and create solar energy. You will learn about Cecelia Payne who discovered the sun is made of different elements to the earth, what will happen to the sun in billions of years time and what colour the sun really is. Also find out how you can win tickets to go to see The Sun exhibition at the Science Museum for all your family! Plus find out about my new book coming out on 7th Feb called Natural Wonders of the World. With thanks to Science Museum, Tyler Simmons Dale, Sophia, Romilly and Alice. Sophia, Romilly and Alice Social media: Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod Twitter: @everythinguts Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk Find out how to submit an answer on our website. Thank you! Enjoy the episode all about our closest star! The Sun! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 11, 2019 · 12 min
8. Why do we fart? Where do tornados come from? Why do nettles sting and how? Ft special guest expert Chris Chittick.
In this week's show we answer three questions from Ray, Maya and Amelia, with help from special guest expert Chris Chittick, from the TV show Tornado Chasers. Ray would like to know: why we fart? Find out why humans can’t help farting sometimes and what they’re made up of. Ever wondered whether other animals fart? Find out whether millipedes do, whether dinosaurs did and about whale farts, as well as why sloths are the only mammals that don’t fart and how they get rid of gas inside their bodies by breathing out instead. Find out why cows are in such trouble for farting and how to stop them doing so many farts by using garlic. Plus why you might find yourself pressing a button that says “I Fart” in Denmark. Maya’s question is about tornados, she’s been reading The Wizard of Oz and wants to know where a tornado comes from. To answer her question we have Chris Chittick – he is a storm chaser and host of the hit TV show Tornado Hunters. He tells us getting a good storm system, which creates a tornado is a bit like baking a cake. He also talks about how he uses supercomputers to find storms to chase and take photographs of. Amelia would like to know how nettles sting and what they sting with - so find out how they sting and what creatures like to eat them, and about the World Nettle Eating Championships on this week’s show. Also hear who won tickets to the Natural History Museum’s show Life In the Dark and will be going to the show with all their family! Social media: Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod Twitter: @everythinguts Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk Find out how to submit an answer on our website. Does it Fart? by Nick Caruso and Danni Rabbaiotti https://www.amazon.co.uk/Does-Fart-Definitive-Animal-Flatulence/dp/1786488264 And Chris Chittick has a great website here: www.tornadohunter.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 4, 2019 · 16 min
7. What is the biggest species of owl ever known to mankind? Why do owls turn their heads all the way around? Are bats actually blind? Are any fish nocturnal? Ft. Roberto and James.
In this week's show we answer four questions from Etienne, Douglas, Camille and Isabel, with help from special guest experts Roberto and James, from the Natural History Museum. Happy New Year! Welcome to this week’s episode of Everything Under the Sun, a weekly podcast answering all the most pressing questions children around the world have about life on earth. This week we're headed into the Natural History Museum in London. We’re going to explore their exhibition called Life in The Dark.The show is all about animals that like to go out and about in the dark or in dark places on earth. Some are nocturnal - so come out at night – like owls, foxes, frogs and badgers – others live in caves – like bats – and others in deep dark parts of the ocean.Turn your torches on and come with me as we venture into Life In The Dark! This week we have four questions from Etienne, Douglas, Camille and Isabel - they would like to know: What is the biggest species of owl ever known to mankind? Why do owls turn their heads all the way around? Are bats actually blind? And are any fish nocturnal. Along the way we will bump into scientists who work at the museum who will answer the questions you’ve sent into the show using their expert knowledge! We have Roberto, the curator of mammals at the museum and James, the curator of fish who first appeared in the podcast's first episode, talking about hammerhead sharks! Tune in to find out who won tickets to go ice skating at the Natural History Museum, hear owl impressions from Arlo, Martha and Heidi and how to win tickets to see Life in the Dark at the museum. It is a brilliant show for all the family, children go free and you can win TWO adult tickets so all the family can go along together - it's well worth the trip. Sound effects from the show are used in this very podcast, enjoy! Social media: Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod Twitter: @everythinguts Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk You can find info about how to send in a question on the website. Thank you! Artwork by Billy Colours, Music by Ash Gardner and Audio Networks, Edited Tyler Simmons Dale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 28, 2018 · 10 min
6. Why do we sing Auld Lang Syne for New Year? Why is holly spiky? Why do some animals have four legs and some have two legs? Ft special guest expert Simon Loader.
This week we have three questions from Teddy, Eleanor and Molly, with help from special guest expert Simon Loader from the Natural History Museum. They would like to know why holly is spiky, why we sing Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Eve and what it means as well as why some animals have four legs and some have two legs? Discover why we sing Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Eve, where the song came from, what it means, how Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns made it famous and why we sing it on New Years Eve. Find out about the piece of paper covered in Burns' handwriting kept in a briefcase in a secret location in the Mitchell Library in Scotland - this paper that started the worldwide tradition of singing the song each year is a precious treasure that is included in our host, Molly Oldfield's book, The Secret Museum. To answer the legs question we have Simon Loader, the curator in charge of vertebrates - creatures with a backbone - at the Natural History Museum in London. Plus, if you want to use your legs for something fun this Christmas, tune in to find out how you can win tickets for all of your family to go ice-skating at the Natural History Museum in London this holiday. Enjoy the show! For more information about the show and how to send in a question please check out the website www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk This week's episode was edited by Tyler Simmons Dale, theme music by Ash Gardner, logo by Billy Colours and music by Audio Networks. Thank you! Happy 2019. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 21, 2018 · 14 min
5. Does Mrs Christmas help Father Christmas to see who is naughty or nice? Has an astronaut ever seen Father Christmas? How do reindeers see in the dark? Why do we have Christmas trees? Ft special guest expert Neil Gaiman.
In this week's special Christmas show we answer five questions from Tommi, Rosie, Gigi, Lottie and Wren, with help from special guest expert Neil Gaiman. The first is from Bea, she'd like to know if Mrs Christmas helps Father Christmas to work out who has been naughty and who has been nice? To answer her question we have the brilliant writer Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline, Stardust, Fortunately The Milk, picture books about Chu the sneezing panda and piles of other books, he's the one who knows what goes in in the Christmas home and how it wouldn't be Christmas without Mrs Christmas. Our next questions are from Tommi, Rosie, Gigi, Lottie and Wren - they would like to know whether an astronaut has ever seen Father Christmas, how reindeers see in the dark, and why we have Christmas trees?! Tune in to find out the first song ever sung in space, hear how astronauts on their way down to earth saw a man in a red suit flying through space being pulled by reindeers and how reindeers see in the dark. We also have lots of lovely jokes sent into the show by children and a winner of tickets to ZSL London Zoo over the Christmas holidays. We hope you love the show! And don't forget to thanks Mrs Christmas on Christmas morning if your stocking is full of presents. This week's episode was made possible by Neil Gaiman, ZSL London Zoo, amazing children with great questions and jokes, Tyler Simmons Dale the editor, Ash Gardner from House of Strange who wrote the amazing theme song and Billy Colours who designed the logo and Rob Meyer the astronaut. Merry Christmas! If you would like to send a question into the show have a look at the website www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk or just record yourself asking it on a grown ups phone and send it in to me at molly@everythingunderthesun.co.uk To see the jingle bells that were played in space the Smithsonian museum in Washington DC and the web link here: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/tom-stafford’s-jingle-bells-and-wally-schirra’s-harmonica Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 14, 2018 · 11 min
4. Why Can't Penguins Fly? Why do Snakes shed their Skin? How Big can a Giant Crab get?
This week we answer questions from Oscar, Harry and Caleb. They would like to know why penguins can't fly, why snakes shed their skin and how big can a giant crab get to? We find out why chubby penguin Dads are popular, how penguins that build nests for their eggs poo without making the nests messy, why snakes shed their skin and all about different giant crabs, where they live and what they get up to. Our special guest expert this week is Suzi, a keeper at ZSL London Zoo who knows all about penguins. Tune in to find out all the answers and more as well as how you can win a family ticket to London Zoo during the Christmas holidays. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 7, 2018 · 11 min
3. Why do flamingos stand on one leg? Why do waves break on the beach? Why do bears hibernate when they've got such long fur to keep them warm?
In this week's show we answer three questions from Millie, Diah and Tommi. They would like to know why flamingos stand on one leg, why waves break on the beach and why bears hibernate when they've got such long fur to keep them warm? We find out about flamingo legs, how they sleep standing up, why they're pink and why they sometimes lose their pink colour when they have new baby chicks! We answer Diah's question which she sent in from her home on the island of Bali, in Indonesia and hear her language, Bahasa Indonesian. Finally we find out why bears hibernate and how they do it - including the way they plug up their bottoms for a winter snooze with a special plug they make themselves called a 'tappen'. Everything Under the Sun is edited by Tyler Simmons Dale, with theme music by Ash Gardner at House of Strange and logo artwork by Billy Colours. If you, your child or a child you know/teach/love have a question you would like answered on the show do record the question using a voice recording app on a phone (not whats app recorder tho) and send it into the show to molly@everythingunderthesun.co.uk. There's lots of info about how to do it on the show's website www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk. Many thanks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 30, 2018 · 10 min
2. Why are rainbows so colourful? Why do we sleepwalk? Why do some people spit when they're talking?
In this week's show we answer three questions from Wren, Abi and Tomos. They would like to know why rainbows are so colourful, why some people talk in their sleep and why some people spit when they're talking? We discuss where the rainbow's colours come from and we talk about Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, and why the colours of our eyes are named after her. We discover the parts of a sleep cycle when you're most likely to sleep talk and finally what causes spitting, how to stop it from happening, as well as the amount of saliva our bodies make each day - it's a lot more than you might think! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 23, 2018 · 9 min
1. Can blue whales talk to killer whales? Why do killer whales have white patches by their eyes? Why do hammerhead sharks have heads shaped like hammers? Ft special guest expert James McLaine.
In this week's show we answer three questions from Bea, Finn and Tommi, with special help from James McLaine from London's Natural History Museum. They would like to know whether blue whales can talk to killer whales, why killer whales have white patches by their eyes and why hammerhead sharks have heads shaped like hammers? We find out the different ways whales and dolphins communicate underwater, what the white patches are for and our special guest expert James Mclaine from the Natural History Museum in London answers the question about hammerhead sharks. He's one of the top experts about sharks in the world because he's in charge of all the millions of fish in the collection of the Natural History Museum in London and recently appeared on Blue Peter talking about weird and wonderful fish! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 14, 2018 · 1 min
Trailer for Everything Under The Sun
Children are full of curiosity and questions about the world. Each Friday, join Molly Oldfield, the very first question writer or QI elf on the BBC TV show QI and author of three books as she answers questions - often with the help of experts - sent into the show by children around the world. If you or a child you know has a question you would like answered, or just want to learn interesting facts about life on earth, this is the podcast for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.