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 — and

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

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

EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concept: Systems and System Models Do bugs have elbows? That’s what Clare wants to know. Her question starts a debate between Team Bug Arms and Elbows, and Team Bug Legs and Knees! Choose a side, and come on the trail of a bug bod mystery with superstar entomologist and dragonfly specialist Jessica Ware. Turns out, dragonflies are a lot weirder (and ancient!) than you might think! MEET JESSICA WARE When we got a que

EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concept: Systems and System Models What is a butt? That’s what science journalist Katherine Wu wanted to know. Her quest for an answer leads her into a web of big butt questions, and a search to find the top butt scientists in the world. She discovers a debate over where butts come from, and a very strange butt that could rewrite the annals of butt history. "THE MASTERPIECE OF BUTT SCIENCE JOURNALISM" This episode f

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 5-LS2-1, 3-LS3-2, 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect, Systems and System Models How do whales use their blowholes to breathe, and what keeps them from filling up with water? There’s no better way to find out than getting up close and personal with whales! That’s what marine mammal biologist Justine Hudson did when she collected whale snot from belugas. Snot or “blow” is the watery cloud that sprays up when whales exhale.

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2 Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models Why do foods smell the way that they do? A would-be chef goes on a quest to find out, after she loses the ability to smell. Molly Birnbaum, editor of America’s Test Kitchen Kids and host of the podcast, Mystery Recipe, navigates us through the olfactory organs and the startling chemistry of food. Join us to discover the science of smell, and how your nose helps you cook

EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 2-LS2-2, 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concepts: Structure and Function, Systems and System Models What’s it like to be a kid doing experiments in one of the most famous science places in the world? Oscar and Mae Johnson were nine and twelve when they traveled to the Galapagos Islands with their scientist dad. The Galapagos are isolated tropical islands made famous by Charles Darwin, who came up with the theory of evolution based on his research

EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models Why do we have snot? Do animals get stuffy noses, too? We delve into the world of thick secretions with the help of Dani Rabiaotti, zoologist and author of “Believe it or Snot: The Definitive Field Guide to Earth’s Slimy Creatures.” You’ll find out why we make so much mucus, and meet the slimiest animals on the planet. Plus, you’ll discover why scientists study slime, even though