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You're listening to Brains On, where we're serious about being curious. Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Hmm, let's see. It could go in the middle of the ceiling or maybe up to the side. Hey, Rosie, what are you up to? Oh, hi, Mark. You know how Molly is on vacation? On a tasting tour of cheese curds in Wisconsin? Of course.
Well, she asked me to help with some chores while she's away, like hanging this disco ball for the Brains on Dance party. Or, oh, jeez, on a cracker, I totally forgot. Molly also said the toilet at HQ is clogged. Again! I'll just grab my toilet plunger and... Wait! No! I'm supposed to fill in for Molly as host today, too! You've got a lot to do. But don't worry, I have the answer!
Rosie, meet Sal, the solar bot. My latest invention. Solar bot? Like it's powered by the sun? Affirmative. Hello, Rosie. Uh, hi, Sal. Sal is the first completely solar-powered home assistant, but it can help you with literally any task. Watch this. Sal, can you please fix that unspeakably clogged toilet in the bathroom? My pleasure. Task. Complete. Have you ever seen a toilet unclogged so efficiently? Um, yeah. That was pretty vigorous. Hey, Sal, could you hang this disco ball? Affirmative.
I would be delighted! Let's party! May I suggest a limbo contest? Wow, a toilet plunger that also doubles as a limbo bar? Sal, you think of everything. Plunger Bernie! You're listening to Brains On from APM Studios. I'm Rosie DuPont, and I'm here with Anna from Brooklyn, New York. Hi, Anna. Hi, Rosie. Today's episode is sure to brighten up your day because we're talking all about solar panels.
Solar panels collect energy from the sun and turn that energy into electricity so we can use it to power stuff. You might have seen solar panels on top of houses or buildings. They often look like big black rectangles, and we've gotten a bunch of questions about them, like this one from Holly. Hello, my name is Holly and I'm from Clinton, New York. And my question is, how do solar panels work? An energizing question. So we're going to answer it in a bit, but first...
Anna, have you ever seen a solar panel before in real life? I've seen it on top of buildings and... In like farmlands and stuff. And can you describe what a solar panel looks like? At least the ones you've seen. It's like a big rectangle with like blue or black on it. And it has like lines. throughout the whole thing that go horizontally and vertically. So does it sort of look like graph paper, but dark? Yeah. Okay. Okay, cool. So if you could pick one thing in the world.
that you could power with solar energy, what would that thing be? And it could be a toy. It could be whatever. I choose a car because... It would like stop pollution and it would just like solar panel it. Like you can leave it when you park, you could just leave it in the sun. and for the day or something. And then at night, if you need to travel anywhere, you can use that energy. That is so cool. If I had one thing that I could make solar powered. I think it would be my hair dryer.
I was thinking of that. Because it feels like a small enough appliance. It can bring anywhere. Yeah, you can bring it anywhere, set it out in the sun, and then turn it on and get your hair going. Yeah. So for solar panels to work, they need to collect energy from our big, beautiful, glowing orb in the sky, the sun. The sun produces tons of energy.
When you're feeling the warmth of the sun on your face, you're feeling that energy. The sun's energy powers nearly all life on Earth. It warms our planet. Helps plants grow. and even creates weather patterns. People have been using this sun energy for thousands of years to do all kinds of stuff, from drying their clothes to preserving meat and fruit. But figuring out how to collect all that energy from the sun and turn it into electricity was tricky.
Scientists first figured out how you could make electricity from sunlight almost 200 years ago. They started experimenting with lots of different solar-powered inventions. But it wasn't until the 1950s that they figured out how to make solar panels that could actually power electronics. Today, solar panels are everywhere. Some power small things like calculators and lanterns.
Others are on rooftops making electricity for homes and businesses. There's even solar panels in space! Lots of satellites and other spacecraft use solar energy to take pictures and send information back to Earth. All of these solar panels work in a similar way. They take energy from the sun and turn it into electricity that we can use. Right. But how do they do it? Is somebody in here wondering how solar panels work? We are. Oh, hi, Mark. Wow, that was perfect timing. Hey, Rosie. Hi, Anna.
I was actually crouching outside the door, waiting for the right moment. And let me tell you, my thighs are burning. But enough about my impeccable timing and unbelievably muscular legs. I am here to talk about my favorite thing in the world, solar panels. I thought your favorite thing was picking all the raisins out of the trail mix and using them to make eerily lifelike raisin sculptures of everyone at Brains on HQ. Or...
learning the names of all the dogs on your block, and then shouting hello to them out the window as they walk past your house. Nah, that's so last month. I'm all about solar panels now. And I brought a buddy to help me explain how they work. Sal, the solar-powered robot. Sal? Sal? Where are you, bud? Sal? Little buddy? How'd you get stuck under the couch? There is a large amount of snack detritus under this upholstered furniture. By my calculations, there are 146 tortilla chips.
259 cheese balls, and 1,127 rainbow candy bears. I was attempting to clean it up. So that's where my gummy bears went. Mark, did you say that Sal is a solar-powered robot? Like with solar panels? Yep, I built Sal myself. So I can tell you pretty much anything you'd want to know about solar power. I learned it all from this book. Pretty much anything you'd want to know about solar power. The book. Neat.
Ro C, do you enjoy books? I could read you every book in the Brains On library at triple the normal speed. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Um, I... Yes, I do love books, but let's just stick to solar panels for now. The first thing you need to know about solar panels is that even though they look like one big solid piece, they're actually made up of lots of smaller parts. Those smaller bits are called solar cells. Kind of like plants and animals.
They are made of lots of small pieces called cells, too. Right. Solar cells are usually black or blue, and they come in all different sizes. Most are bigger than a piece of bread, but some are smaller than a postage stamp. Perhaps I could demonstrate. If you look closely at my solar panels, you can see each solar cell. The cells are very delicate and thin. Better than four of your human hairs. Rosie, allow me to pluck four of your hairs to demonstrate.
Oh, no, no, no, no. No need. No need. I get the picture. There are layers of glass or plastic on top of these solar cells to protect them because solar panels are often outside and exposed to wind, rain, or even snow. Wait, so how do these cells work in solar panels then? Hmm, how about I show you? Sal, can I get a hand? Is Taco Tuesday the best day of the week?
Affirmative! Speaking of which, Rosie, are you hungry? Do you require a taco? I brought tacos because the studio was dangerously low on... Sustenance. Actually, yes, I'd love a taco. Oh, oh, oh my God. Are these, are these gummy bear tacos? Affirmative! I concluded they are your favorite based on the number of candy rainbow bears I found under the upholstered furniture.
These aren't bad. Actually, these are the candy rainbow bears I found under the upholstered furniture. I know you appreciate the reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Lifestyle. Rosie. Great idea, Sal. Okay, time for a solar demonstration. Let's move our little solar pal into a sunny spot. First, the sun shines on Sal's solar panels. Cozy. Next, the solar cells absorb that energy from the sun. That energy flows through special materials inside the solar cell and becomes electricity. Yay!
Hey, electricity! We can use it to turn on our nightlights. Make waffles in our waffle makers. Use our karaoke machines. Eat waffles by nightlight while singing karaoke. A hundred yeses to all those things. Finally. The electricity flows through the solar panel to a special machine that turns it into energy that we can use. And sometimes, that energy gets stored in a battery. Oh yeah, battery...
are really important for storing solar energy. That way, you can use the energy from the sun anytime, like at night or when the sun isn't shining. To briefly summarize. My solar panels are made of small pieces called solar cells. When sunlight hits the solar cells, it gets turned into electricity. And then we can use that electricity to do all kinds of stuff, like play music and bake cakes.
Oh, that reminds me. Anna, Molly said I should make sure we have snacks for after the taping. So I baked us an extra large chocolate cake with coconut frosting as a post-show treat. We're going to have so much eating to do when we're done with this taping. Mmm, I love cake. Rosie, it sounds like you will need help with this extra large cake. Um...
Sure, Sal. I mean, it's already baked and everything, but... Excellent. And, Rosie, if my calculations are correct, the mystery sound is approaching. Oh, you're right, Sal. May I assist? I have dreamed of this for my entire existence, by which I mean the last four hours and 32 minutes since Mark first turned me on. Anna, it is time for the... Wow! What a rush! Nice work, Sal. Okay, Anna, ready to hear the mystery sound? Yes! Here it is.
Okay, what do you think? What do you think it is? I feel like it's a faucet running, like a faucet in the bathroom turned on and running. That's a fantastic guess. What kind of faucet? Are we talking a sink? Are we talking a shower? I feel like since there was many patterns, it's a shower. A running shower? A running shower. That someone forgot to turn off like I usually do. Okay. And I'm going to say I think it's alien static. Like I think somehow.
Somebody took a microphone and recorded sounds from outer space. Very excellent guesses. Now, if you will excuse me, the brains on toilet is clogged again! Oh yeah, time for another plunger party! Bye, Rosie. Bye, Anna. Bye, you two. Thanks for telling us about solar power and helping with the mystery sound. We'll hear the answer and get another chance to guess at the end of the show. So keep listening!
We're working on an episode about a time millions of years ago when birds and dinosaurs lived side by side. And we were wondering, if you could bring a living, breathing dinosaur to show and tell, what kind would you bring and why? A gentle triceratops for all your friends to pet? A velociraptor to play hide-and-seek with on the playground? Anna, what about you? Probably a very, very, very small T-Rex to, like, play with dolls and stuff.
How big are we talking? Like around two feet. Wow. Do you think it would get into trouble? I think a T-Rex with herbivore-type teeth. Okay. That's so cute. I love it. I think what I would actually bring is a huge pterodactyl that we could all, yeah, we could all climb on the back and then fly around the classroom. Yeah, that'd be really fun. So listeners, we want to know what kind of dinosaur you'd bring to show and tell and why.
Record your answer and send it to us at BrainsOn.org contact. While you're there, send us your mystery sounds, drawings, and questions. Like this one. Does water have a taste? And keep listening! Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Brains On, you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore. It's Alien! laundry day. While I wash my nose mufflers and tummy togas, I'll listen to a new podcast. How about...
Smash Bloom Best, my favorite debate podcast. Growing up, I was always a slide kid. I remember this park I went to, and it had everything. There was a miniature train. a spinning set of monkey bars, and even had a talking pig-shaped trash can called Porky the Litter Eater. Hi, kid. I'm Porky. Zork! Signal down! Stay right there, tummy togas. find Smash Boom Best now. Listen to Smash Boom Best wherever you get your podcasts.
Hey friends, Molly, Sandin, and Mark here with some very big news. Drumroll please. We're hitting the road in search of adventure, fresh air, and you. That's right. We're going to be live at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, April 27th. Our science-themed live stage show takes the audience on an adventure through the brain, complete with magic tricks, dance moves out of...
body experiences, mystery sounds, and a game show. Molly, you almost left out the most important part. Yeah, Molly, don't forget the big party. Oh, right. After the shows, we're throwing a brain-tastic bash. Join us afterward for a VIP party where we'll play games, guess mystery sounds, pose for photos, and give as many high fives as humanly possible. Snag a spot by purchasing a VIP...
when you buy your show ticket. Oh, that reminds me. I've got to start training. These hands aren't going to high five by themselves. Five and five. Good idea. And remember, spots are limited, so grab your tickets today at BrainsOn.org slash events. The Sold a Story podcast is about how teaching kids to read went wrong. But now we have a story about a school district where things are going very right. Let me make sure my friends are sitting crisscross applesauce.
I've never had a child that couldn't read. How did they do it? When I tell some of my other colleagues that may be at other schools that this is what I do, and they would say, are you kidding me? New episodes of Sold a Story are available now in your podcast app. You're listening to Brains On. I'm Anna. And I'm Rosie. Today we're talking about solar panels and how they work. We just heard how solar panels are made up of solar cells that soak up energy from the sun.
These solar cells take that energy and turn it into electricity that we can use. People are really interested in using more solar power. That's because right now, most of the electricity in the US comes from power plants that burn fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are things like oil, coal, or natural gas.
They're called fossil fuels because they're literally made of ancient animals and plants that were alive on Earth a long, long, long, long time ago. After these prehistoric plants and animals died, they slowly got buried under layers of... of rock and dirt. Over millions of years, heat and pressure underground turned them into fuels. Now, we burn them and they release energy to power our cars, homes, and factories. There are a couple problems with burning fossil fuels, though.
One is that we're going to run out of them. It takes millions of years to make more, and we're using up what we have. The other problem is that when we burn these fossil fuels, we put a lot of carbon dioxide gas in our atmosphere, which can heat up the planet. That's why getting energy from the sun is so appealing. We can't run out of sunlight, and it's better for the Earth. Here to tell us more is the Earth. Along with its good pal, the Moon.
Hello, human friends. It's me, Earth. And me, the moon. So let me tell you why I'm into solar energy. Ahem. Let us tell you why we're into solar energy. Okay, sure, Moon. So, you humans are smart. You have invented all sorts of things in the relatively short time you've been living on me, the Earth. Like you invented telescopes to gaze upon me, the moon. Uh-huh. Also guitars, sewer systems, and hot chocolate, to name just a few. OMG, moon, remember when they figured out about wheels?
That was so cute. Oh my gosh, I know. And do you remember when they were super into using horses to get everywhere? I could see all the horse poop in the streets from way up here. The odors were intense. I feel like we've gotten distracted, Moon. What were we talking about again? Solar energy. Right, right. Okay, so, carbon dioxide gas. You humans make a lot of it by burning fossil fuels.
This carbon dioxide goes up into my atmosphere, way up in the sky. Now, a little carbon dioxide is good. It's one of the things that traps heat on Earth and makes it warm enough that you little humans can live here. But you humans have been making lots of carbon dioxide with your fossil fuels. You've been trapping too much heat down there. So things are warming up and that's changing the climate. My rainy parts are getting rainier.
My dry parts are getting drier. And it's getting hotter. So my pal Earth would love it if you figured out how to use fewer fossil fuels. Yeah. Instead, switch to making more electricity using the sun, a.k.a. Solar power. Or get power using wind and water. These are called renewable energies because you can't run out of them. Bonus, they don't give off more me-warming gases like carbon dioxide.
Okay, this next fact I'm about to share is sure to make the sun even more insufferable. Well, Moon, the sun is really important. Sure, Earth, but it doesn't have to rub it in my face all the time. Literally no humans would be able to see you without the sun shining light on you. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. Anyway, the amount of sun that shines on the Earth's surface in an hour and a half is enough energy to power the entire world for a full year. Dang, that's so great.
Go humans, harness that solar power. I have to say, solar power has been pretty great for growing plants on me. 10 out of 10, would recommend. All right, we gotta go. Earth promised me they'd give me notes on the solo show I've been working on. It's called The Dark Side of Me. Oh yes, can't wait. Bye little human friends.
Solar power is a great way to get the energy we need because it doesn't create so many gases that heat up the planet. Scientists are doing lots of work to figure out how to make this technology work even better. Like… figuring out ways to make solar panels that are smaller and more efficient. They're also coming up with tons of new inventions to collect more solar power. Like solar shingles for roofs. Imagine if your whole roof was covered in solar panels. Or...
what if you had solar windows for your house? Scientists are designing newer and better batteries to store all that solar energy. Scientists are even studying whether giant solar panels in space might be able to send energy back to Earth someday. So cool. Maybe someday we'll be having our nighttime waffle karaoke parties using solar power from space. Rosie, I have completed my assigned task. I don't remember assigning you a task, Sal.
I assisted you with the extra large chocolate cake as requested. You said you had so much eating to do, so I took the liberty of doing all that eating for you. I have consumed the entire cake. My cake? I didn't... Mark! Solar panels take energy from the sun and turn it into electricity. Each panel is made up of individual pieces called solar cells. The cells absorb energy from the sun, then turn it into electricity that we can use.
is an important tool for helping slow down climate change. That's because it doesn't release as much of the gases that heat up the planet as things like burning oil and gas do. That's it for this episode of Brains On. This episode was written by Shayla Farzan and Molly Bloom. It was edited by Sandin Totten.
Fact-checking by Rebecca Rand. We had engineering help from Gary O'Keefe with sound design by Rachel Brees. And original theme music by Mark Sanchez. We had production help from the rest of the Brains On Universe team. Anna Goldfield, Nico Gonzalez-Whistler, Ruby Guthrie, Lauren Humpert, Joshua Ray, Mark Sanchez, Charlotte Traver, Anna Weigel, and Aron Woldeselassi.
Beth Perlman is our executive producer, and the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Amir Bibawi. Brains On is a non-profit public radio program. There are lots of ways to support the show. Join SmartyPass for bonus episodes and ad-free versions of all of the shows in the Brains On universe. Become a SmartyPass subscriber today for just $5. While you're there, you can send us mystery sounds, drawings, and questions. Okay, Anna.
Are you ready to listen to that mystery sound again? Yes. Here we go. Okay. Is your guess the same? Has it changed? What do you think? I still think it's a shower. Running shower. Okay. Or a hot tub. Or a hot tub. Oh, switching it up. Which do you think it is? Shower because that's more likely. Okay. I think that's a really good guess. I am going to stick with my alien signals from outer space. But so let's see what the answer is.
Hi, my name is Barney and I live in New Jersey and that was the sound of a shower running. Whoa, you got it so right. Good guesses. Wow, incredible. Now it's time for the Brains Honor Roll. These are the incredible kids who keep this show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives. We'll see you next time.
Frank from Singapore, Ellis from Taunton, UK, Lucas from Edmonton, Alberta, Jacob, Claire, and Madeline from Parker, Colorado, Ambrose from Salem, Massachusetts, Gwen and Oliver from Chicago, Edith and Iris from Scotts Bay, Nova Scotia, Isabel and Adelaide from Maplewood. We'll see you next time.
from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Audrey from Eagle Mountain, Utah. Lulu from Rollsville, North Carolina. Isaiah from Hialeah, Florida. Maya from Houston, Texas. Margaret Grace from Sacramento. Esme from Rochester, Minnesota. Kian from Sugarland, Texas. Merlin from Thank you.
From New York. Zarifa from Edmonton, Alberta. Phoebe from Anchorage, Alaska. Max from Shanghai, China. Rain from Tucson, Arizona. Adam from Toronto. Ember from Beaver Lodge, Alberta. Barclay from Duncan, British Columbia. Jackson from Honolulu. Taya and Temperance from Rescue California, Lucas from South Australia, Max from Hastings, New Zealand, Nick from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Casey from Minneapolis, JC from Ashton, Idaho, Evan from London, and Hazel from Reston, Virginia.
We'll be back next week with an episode all about trends. Thank you for listening. The Soul to Story podcast is about how teaching kids to read went wrong. But now we have a story about a school district where things are going very right. Let me make sure my friends are sitting crisscross applesauce and...
I've never had a child that couldn't read. How did they do it? When I tell some of my other colleagues that may be at other schools that this is what I do, and they would say, you kidding me? New episodes of Sold a Story are available now in your podcast app.