The Tale of the Hungry Koala | Tumble Episode
EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concept: Patterns, Systems and System Models How does a koala eat eucalyptus leaves? Eucalyptus is toxic to most animals, but they’re a koala’s only food. In this episode, we look past the cuddliness to discover how koalas manage to chow down on the Australian tree species. Biologist Michaela Blyton shares the story of how she convinced some extremely picky koalas to try new foods in the midst of a c
The Science of Whiskers | Tumble Episode
EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 3-LS3-2, 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect, Systems and System Models Why do seals have whiskers? Listener Karah’s question dives into the wonderful world of whisker science. Robyn Grant, a self-described “whisker biologist” shares her discoveries of how whiskers work, from training a friendly seal named Moe to making slow-mo movies of super speedy “whisking.” Here's an underwater video of a slightly different experiment,
Discover the Wildlife of Your Home | Tumble Episode
EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS4-3 Crosscutting Concept: Systems and System Models, Patterns, Cause and Effect We're going on an indoor expedition to discover the species in our own home! You’ll never look at the bugs in your house the same way again. Ecologist and author Rob Dunn is our guide to exploring what he calls, “the unknown we wake up in every morning.” We’ll find out how many species live in the average home (it’s more than y
The Surprising Story of Sea Stars' Sticky Feet | Tumble Episode
EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concept: Systems and System Models Sea stars are known for their tight grips. But what's their secret? Scientists have long suspected it has to do with their tube feet, which protrude along the undersides of sea stars arms. Depending on the species, sea stars can have thousands of tube feet. We traveled to the Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla, California to get an up-close look. How do you think tube feet wor
The Secret Senses of Plants | Tumble Episode
EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: LS 3-LS3-2, 4-LS1-1 Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect, Systems and System Models Can plants feel pain? Not really, but they can sense a lot more than you might give them credit for! That's right, plants talk to each other. And we're just starting to understand them. Dr. Appel took this research one step further when she discovered "listening plants ." In the study, caterpillars were placed on Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant r
The Journey to the Deepest Part of the Ocean with Gaelin Rosenwaks | Tumble Episode
EDUCATION RESOURCES: NGSS Standards: ESS 5-ESS2-1 Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models Where is the deepest part of the ocean, and have we been there in person? Ocean explorer Gaelin Rosenwaks answers with an amazing story of the first explorers to dive to a mysterious place called Challenger Deep. What does it take to get to the bottom of the ocean, and what will they find there? We tell the story of incredible risk and reward that changed the way we understand