Can you tickle a dog? A rat? A chimpanzee? Our listeners have been wondering — and it turns out, the science of tickling is way weirder and more fascinating than anyone expected. In this special Mailbag edition, we answer your tickling questions with the help of a real tickle scientist, and Marshall debuts a brand-new song inspired by a listener's spider roommate! 🎶🕷️ 🎧 Listen to the Episode 🤣 What Kids Will Learn Whether dogs, rats, and other animals can be tickled — an

Do trees think? That's the question nine-year-old listener Alden wanted to find out — and he already had a hunch that mushroom roots might be involved. In this episode, you'll meet a young soil scientist named Natalia Mondi, who studies forests from the ground up. She'll take us underground to discover how trees send messages through a hidden network — and how that knowledge is helping to heal a sick forest in Canada. 🎧 Listen to the Episode 🌲 What Kids Will Learn Why tree

Why does most of the universe seem to be made of something we can’t even see? And if dark matter is invisible, how do scientists know it’s there—or find it? In this episode, you’ll meet physicist Alvaro Chavarria, who’s searching for answers deep inside a laboratory hidden under a mountain in the French Alps. Join us as we go underground to explore one of the biggest mysteries in science—and discover why everything we think we know about the universe might still be up for de

Why do we have five fingers, and not five, six or seven? And if we lose a finger, why can't we grow it back? In this episode you'll meet a scientist named Jessica Whited who's on a mission to learn the answer to those questions. She's studying Axolotls to see if we can learn their secrets to growing limbs after they've been lost. 🎧 Listen to the Episode 🦎What Kids Will Learn Why most humans have five fingers — and how evolution and our common ancestors shaped our hands. How

Do animals have friends? And what are those friendships like? In this episode we'll meet two scientists who have spent their life studying animal friendships. Karen Bales and Annaliese Beery each specialize in studying adorable animals who love to spend time with their closest friends. Listen in to find out what they've learned from animal besties! 🎧 Listen to the Episode 🐭 What Kids Will Learn How scientists look at animal's behavior to try to tell what it might be thinki

How did the Earth begin, and how do scientists know? In this episode, we'll meet Bill Bottke and learn how mysterious, ancient asteroids might hold the secrets to how the solar system began. We'll also hear an incredible story about the very beginnings of our planet--so buckle up for an amazing adventure! 🎧 Listen to the Episode 🌎 What Kids Will Learn How scientists think Earth formed How scientists use space rocks like asteroids and meteorites to uncover clues about Earth'

How do people learn — and how can a video game help us find out? In this episode, we meet cognitive scientist Dr. Charley Wu, who turned Minecraft into a giant science experiment. With help from a “braintrust” of kid Minecraft experts, Lindsay and Marshall explore how Charley used pumpkins, watermelons, and blocky rewards to study when we learn on our own and when we learn from others. Plus, ideas for turning your own games into experiments! 🎧 Listen to the Episode ⛏️ What K

Ever wondered what a fish sounds like? Spoiler: it’s way more interesting than “blub blub blub.” In this episode of Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, we explore the strange and hilarious noises that fish use to communicate underwater — from tiny ticking herrings to the booping Gulf toadfish. Grab your imaginary snorkel, because we’re going underwater to hear the ocean in a whole new way. 🎧 Listen to the Episode 🌊 What Kids Will Learn How fish make sounds underwater using s

Are ghosts real? Or are they just in our heads?   That’s what six-year-old Lily from Hawaii wants to know — and she’s not the only one! In this spooky Halloween episode of Tumble , Lindsay and Marshall team up with a real-life ghost historian, Dr. Efram Sera-Shriar, to explore how scientists once tried to prove the existence of spirits. From floating tables to “spirit photography” and even Thomas Edison’s plans for a ghost phone, it’s a chilling journey through the science of

Ever wondered if dinosaurs sniffed each other’s butts like dogs? In our latest episode, The Dino Butt Fossil , we dig into one of the strangest and funniest fossil discoveries ever made—one that helps scientists understand how dinosaurs communicated, smelled, and even pooped! 🎧 Listen to the Episode 🦕 What Kids Will Learn How scientists studied a rare fossilized dinosaur butt. How comparing it to modern animals helps reveal dinosaur behavior. How scientists use evidence t