STEM with Dr. Owl

Orbital Owl

STEM with Dr. Owl

Join our endlessly curious explorer Emma, her wise feathered mentor Dr. Owl 🦉, and their goofy robot sidekick Ziggy 🤖, as they dive into the wonders of STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math! 🚀🧪📚

In STEM with Dr. Owl, each 10-minute episode turns everyday questions into exciting adventures. Why is the ocean salty? How do fish breathe underwater? What makes robots “think”? Powered by friendly AI voices, the stories come to life with answers that make you say “wow!” and giggles that make you say “again!”

Our mission is to inspire curiosity, encourage kids to ask questions, and help them see that STEM is everywhere 🌍—in the kitchen, in the sky, even in their own backyard.

✨ What is STEM? ✨
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math—the four magical keys that help us unlock how the world works! From the tiniest atoms to the farthest galaxies, STEM is everywhere.

So grab your imagination, bring your questions, and let’s blast off into discovery together! 🚀

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41 episodes
a few times a week
Avg 11 min
English

Episodes 41

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#266
Today · 11 min
Why Do We Get Car Sick? – Biology & The Human Body for Kids
Discover the biology behind motion sickness and learn how the inner ear and eyes send mixed signals to the brain. Emma feels a little woozy on a winding road trip, prompting Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy to investigate the body's hidden motion sensors. Tune in to solve the mystery of car sickness, learn how to prevent it, and find out exactly what happens when a robot tries out virtual reality!
#265
Friday · 12 min
[Ziggy's Mailbag] Why Is Glass Fragile and More! - Atoms & Chemistry for Kids
Kids discover how microscopic atoms connect to create the amazing real-world materials all around us, from the water we drink to the iron hiding inside rocks. Emma and Dr. Owl open Ziggy’s overflowing mailbag to decode the Periodic Table, learn why glass shatters instead of bends, and stop one very hungry robot from eating a wooden desk. It’s a playful question-and-answer science adventure about chemistry and the tiny building blocks of our universe.
#264
Wednesday · 12 min
How Are Houses Built? – Architecture & Engineering for Kids
Learn the step-by-step science of architecture and engineering that goes into building a strong, safe house from the ground up. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they discover why you can't start a building with the roof, how concrete foundations keep houses from sinking, and the secret world of pipes and wires hiding inside your walls!
#263
September 14 · 10 min
How Does Water Reach Our House? – Engineering & Earth Science for Kids
Discover the fascinating journey of drinking water from natural lakes and treatment plants through giant underground mains and home plumbing directly to your faucet. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they follow the pipes backward, answer trivia about water meters, and search for silly under-sink water gnomes!
#262
September 11 · 1 min
[Replay Bonus] Dive, Dive, Dive! - Emma’s Submarine Song
🎵 Dive, dive, dive! Emma’s submarine song is back—now in an extended version! Some of our little explorers loved the song from our submarine adventure and wanted to hear more, so here’s the full song for you to sing along and dive beneath the waves! 🌊🚢 Want to know how submarines really dive and rise? Check out our full submarine adventure too! 🦉🤖
#260
September 11 · 11 min
[Replay] How Does a Submarine Dive? – Buoyancy & Physics for Kids Audio episode 11m 32s
Discover the physics of buoyancy, water displacement, and how heavy metal objects can float in this exciting underwater adventure. Join Emma, Dr. Owl, and Ziggy the Robot as they explore the secrets of ballast tanks, neutral buoyancy, and compressed air, plus stick around until the very end for a secret, high-energy hyperpop song about submarines!
#259
September 9 · 9 min
How Do Animals Hide? – Animal Camouflage & Biology for Kids
Discover the science of animal camouflage and biology as we explore how creatures disguise themselves in the wild. Join Emma, Dr. Owl, and Ziggy to find out if stick insects are nocturnal, why tigers need stripes to sneak through the grass, and how the amazing octopus changes its shape in the blink of an eye.
#258
September 7 · 9 min
Where Do Words Come From? – Linguistics & History for Kids
Kids learn the origins of human language, the fundamental science of grammar, and how words get their meaning in this engaging exploration of linguistics. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy the Robot as they answer six-year-old Agnes's brilliant question, play the quiet game, and discover why Ziggy wants to rename bananas into "squiggle-bops"!
#257
September 4 · 12 min
[Ziggy's Mailbag] How Do Everyday Things Work? - Engineering & Physics for Kids
Kids discover how compasses, timers, sunscreen, thermoses, and microwaves use invisible forces and hidden processes to do their jobs. Emma and Dr. Owl follow five clues from Ziggy’s overflowing mailbag, test a timer, solve a thermos mystery, and stop one very sparkly spoon plan. It’s a playful question-and-answer science adventure about everyday engineering.
#256
September 2 · 12 min
How Do Airplanes Fly? - Physics & Engineering for Kids
Kids discover how airplanes fly by exploring thrust, lift, drag, and the surprising power of invisible air. At an airport window, Emma, Dr. Owl, and Ziggy use a paper strip, a runaway balloon, a model wing, and three playful challenges to uncover what engines really do, how wings lift a heavy airplane, and why the wheels do not pull it down to land.
#255
August 31 · 12 min
What Are Atoms Made Of? – Chemistry & Physics for Kids
Children will learn the foundational chemistry concepts of atoms, protons, neutrons, and electrons in this educational episode. Join our heroes as they put on their Shrink-O-Matic goggles to explore a giant stadium-sized atom and find out why the universe is mostly made of empty space!
#254
August 28 · 11 min
[Ziggy's Mailbag] Why Do Skunks Stink & How Do Birds Sing? – Animal Biology & Zoology for Kids
Discover the animal biology behind butterfly flight, skunk defense mechanisms, bird songs, and cephalopod arms in this exciting mailbag episode. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they rapidly answer listener questions about why moths fly into lights, how octopuses catch their food, and the amazing ways creatures use their built-in survival tools in the wild.
#253
August 26 · 10 min
Why Do We Get Allergies & Need Vaccines? – The Immune System for Kids
Discover the fascinating science behind the human immune system, what causes seasonal allergies, and how vaccines protect our bodies. Join Emma, Dr. Owl, and Ziggy as they uncover why harmless pollen triggers our histamine alarms and learn how vaccines act as a superhero training manual for our white blood cells.
#252
August 24 · 11 min
[Replay] How Can Tow Trucks Lift Cars? – Physics & Engineering for Kids
Kids will discover the physics of balance and how hydraulic systems allow powerful machines to lift heavy objects without tipping over. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they explore "liquid muscles" and turn a giant tow truck into a playground seesaw. We’ll learn how heavy engines act as secret counterweights to keep everything steady on the road!
#251
August 21 · 11 min
[Ziggy's Mailbag] How Parachutes Fly, Squishies Bounce & More! – Physics & Everyday Engineering for Kids
Children will learn the foundational physics behind everyday engineering, exploring how air resistance slows parachutes and water pressure powers fire hoses. Join Dr. Owl, Curious Emma, and Ziggy the Robot as they dive into an overflowing mailbag of listener questions, uncovering the space-age secrets of memory foam and discovering how conveyor belts keep things moving!
#250
August 19 · 11 min
Why Is The Ground Shaking? – Earthquakes & Geology for Kids
Learn the science behind earthquakes, tectonic plates, and tsunamis in this earth-shaking geology lesson! Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they use wooden blocks to experiment with friction, discover how fast the Earth's crust is moving, and find out why ocean waves grow into massive walls of water near the shore. Grab your safety goggles (and maybe a giant wrench) for a fun, scientific ride!
#249
August 17 · 11 min
How Do Lego Bricks Stick Together? – Physics & Engineering for Kids
Discover the physics of friction and precision engineering behind how toy bricks connect without glue or magnets. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they explore the secrets of "clutch power" and find out what really happens when giant theme park models are built. Plus, listen in to hear if Ziggy can successfully secure a towering plastic castle using peanut butter!
#248
August 14 · 11 min
[Ziggy’s Mailbag] Why Do We Sneeze & Burp? – Human Biology & Anatomy for Kids
Discover the science of human biology and anatomy by uncovering the surprising reasons behind our funniest bodily functions. Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy dive into the mailbag to learn how a burp acts as a release valve for escaping gas and why a sneeze blasts out of your nose faster than the world's fastest human runner. Grab a clean spray bottle and join us for a fun at-home experiment!
#247
August 12 · 12 min
How Do Wildfires Start? – Earth Science & Fire Ecology for Kids
Explore the science behind the Fire Triangle and understand how heat, fuel, and oxygen combine to spark natural wildfires. Join Emma, Dr. Owl, and Ziggy as they investigate lightning strikes, flying embers, and the surprising way fire helps serotinous pine cones release their seeds to grow new trees! Finally, learn how firefighters build dirt firebreaks to keep our communities and forests safe. Learning Connection: NGSS DCI: ESS3.B – Natural Hazards
#246
August 10 · 13 min
How Do Self-Driving Cars Drive? – Robotics & Engineering for Kids
Children will explore the engineering and robotics behind autonomous vehicles by learning how sensors, radar, and Lidar allow computers to see, think, decide, and act. Join Emma and Dr. Owl as they set up a cardboard obstacle course to test Ziggy's "mind-drive" car. Find out how self-driving cars avoid squishing Mr. Snuggles and why a robot might need to pull over during a snowstorm! Learning Connection: NGSS DCI: K-2-ETS1 – Engineering Design

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