Welcome to Episode #156 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Ben Hoare , nature writer and author of Animal Partnerships , to help us answer a bug-tastic question—can beetles talk to ants? Then, we’ll melt into the world of wax and wicks to discover how candles are made. And finally, we’ll follow the flow to find out where the water in a river actually comes from. Get ready for another illuminating episode full of nature, science, and wonder! See omnystudio.com/l...
May 07, 2025•17 min
Welcome to Episode #156 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we’re joined by the brilliant and always entertaining FunMaster Mike Klein —chess expert, educator, and all-around fun guy—to help us answer a seriously strategic question: how do you become a grandmaster in chess? Next, we’ll zoom out to explore the world map and ask: why do countries have capital cities? And finally, we’ll swing over to Madagascar to uncover the reason behind those stylish stripes—why are lemurs’ tails so stripy? ...
Apr 25, 2025•14 min
Welcome to Episode #154 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Helen Scales—marine biologist, author of The Sea’s Lure , and expert in all things oceanic—to answer a fascinating question: Why do we hear the sea in seashells? Then, we’ll dive into the natural world to explore the mystery behind why eggs have yolks inside them. And finally, we’ll uncover the secret to why sheepdogs are so incredibly intelligent. Get ready for another episode filled with marine wonder...
Apr 18, 2025•15 min
Welcome to Episode #153 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Sarah Holper —doctor, medical expert, and author of What’s Wrong With You? An Insider’s Guide to Your Insides —to answer a curious health question: how do you get chickenpox? Then, we’ll head outdoors to investigate why gorse bushes are so incredibly prickly. And finally, we’ll dive into the science of snacks to find out why air makes crisps go soggy. Get ready for another episode bursting with biology,...
Apr 04, 2025•14 min
*For a transcription of today's episode please visit our social media @itseverythingunderthesun * This week, we’re joined by the amazing Rose Ayling-Ellis , actress and advocate for the Deaf community, to help us explore a fascinating question—how was sign language invented? Then, we’ll take a deep dive into the mechanics of submarines to find out how they sink and resurface. And finally, we’ll uncover the science behind one of nature’s stinkiest creatures—why do skunks smell so bad? Get ready f...
Mar 28, 2025•13 min
Welcome to Episode #152 of Everything Under the Sun – Spring Special! 🌸🌿 This week, we’re celebrating spring with a flower-filled episode! We’re joined by the fantastic Carlos Lehnebach , a botanist and flower expert, to help us answer a blooming brilliant question—which flower has the most petals? Then, we’ll turn to our four-legged friends and sniff out the answer to another great question—which dog has the best sense of smell? And finally, we’ll return to the world of flowers to explore eve...
Mar 21, 2025•14 min
Welcome to Episode #151 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we’re joined by the wonderful Justin Pollard, historian and author, to help us uncover a curious question from the past—how did the ancient Egyptians blow their noses? Then, we’ll burrow into the world of wildlife to discover how hedgehogs build their cozy homes. And finally, we’ll take a closer look at tiny caterpillar eggs—how do they stick so securely to leaves? Get ready for another fascinating episode packed with history, natur...
Mar 14, 2025•15 min
Welcome to Episode #150 of Everything Under the Sun! To mark the special occasion of 150 episodes, we've have a special giveaway! Make sure to listen closely for details. This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Katherine Rundell—award-winning author and adventurer—to help us uncover the legend of the Kraken! How do we know about this mysterious sea monster, and could there be any truth behind the tales? Then, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of marine life to answer: how do sea creatures k...
Mar 06, 2025•17 min
Welcome to Episode #149 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we’re joined by the incredible Robin George Andrews, an experimental volcanologist, to help us uncover the mysteries of underwater volcanoes—how do they erupt beneath the waves? Then, we’ll dive even deeper into the world of volcanoes to answer a fiery question: why doesn’t lava melt a volcano’s own rocks? And finally, we’ll explore the intelligence of one of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures—why are dolphins so clever? Get rea...
Feb 28, 2025•15 min
This week, we’re joined by the amazing James Maclaine, from The Natural History Museum, to help us answer a Jaws-dropping question! First, we’ll dive deep into the ocean to find out—what sound do sharks make? Then, we’ll travel back in time to uncover the origins of the very first ninjas. And finally, we’ll settle an epic battle of strength—who's tougher, samurais or ninjas? Get ready for another exciting episode filled with fascinating facts and discoveries! Instagram: @itseverythingunderthesun...
Feb 20, 2025•14 min
Welcome to Episode #147 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we have special guest Iszi Lawrence, a brilliant children’s author and comedian, here to help us answer some fantastic questions! First up, we’ll explore the adventurous world of pirates and find out when they lived. Then, we’ll dive into the science of water and learn what it's made of. Finally, we’ll uncover the history of the written word and discover what the very first book ever written was! If you want more Everything Under Th...
Oct 07, 2024•13 min
Welcome to Episode #146 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we’re tackling three brilliant questions! First, we’ll learn how solar panels make electricity, with expert insights from Yasmin Ali, an engineer and author of Power Up . Yasmin has been named one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering: Sustainability by the Women's Engineering Society, and she’s here to explain the amazing science behind solar energy. Next, we’ll explore why people often smile back when we smile at them—it’s all about ...
Sep 26, 2024•12 min
Welcome to Episode #145 of Everything Under the Sun! This week, we're answering some intriguing questions! First, we'll explore why some countries have wars, with insights from our special guest, Lord Alf Dubs—a politician and former refugee with a powerful perspective on conflict and peace. We'll also learn what makes baby animals so irresistibly adorable, and why that cuteness is important for their survival. Plus, get ready to discover the curious history behind chickenpox and why it got its ...
Sep 12, 2024•12 min
Welcome to Episode #144 of Everything Under the Sun! This week Molly answers a fabulous question from Mollie about bees and their stingers, and another brilliant question from David about why we see light as colour. Bestselling and beloved children's author Chris Haughton answers a wonderful question from Brooklynne about when we started doing maths. We'll learn about which bees do and don't have stingers, why bees are so important to plants, what's in our eyeballs that help us see colours, and ...
Sep 05, 2024•15 min•Ep. 144
Hello again everyone! Welcome to Episode 19 of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! This week we're finding out about EVERYTHING UNDER THE SEA!!!!! First off: how many kilos can a whale eat? Whale expert Tom Mustill answers this one! He makes nature documentaries and he's even written a book called How to Speak Whale. Next up: how do mermai...
May 30, 2024•13 min•Ep. 143
Welcome to Episode 18 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! We've got some very exciting questions coming up for you this week! First off: why do people yawn? It's a question people have been asking for centuries! And it turns out, no one is really sure... we've asked Dr Sarah Holper for help, as she's an expert on the human body...
May 10, 2024•13 min•Season 7Ep. 18
Welcome to Episode 17 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! This week we have a very special episode featuring questions I’ve been collecting here in Bali! It’s been fantastic hearing so many curious thoughts and clever ideas, so thank you to everyone who’s shared them with me. First off, we’ve got a brilliant question from Grade...
May 02, 2024•13 min•Season 7Ep. 17
Welcome to Episode 16 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! This week we have three fascinating questions about our weird and wonderful universe! So get your space helmets on... we're taking a trip through the Solar System! How did the milky way form? Jim Al-Khalili answers this one. He is a theoretical physicist with his own rad...
Apr 26, 2024•13 min•Season 7Ep. 16
Welcome back to Everything under the Sun everyone! We've missed you! We've been taking a little break but now we are BACK and ready for another fantastic episode. This week we're learning all about SOUNDS! And we've got some very interesting questions indeed, from Sam, Florrie and Bruno. Why do people's voices sound different? Professor Guri Sandhu answers this one, as he is a doctor who takes care of the human voice. How do echoes work? Have you ever shouted into a big empty space, and then hea...
Apr 05, 2024•15 min•Season 7Ep. 15
Welcome to Episode 14 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! This week we have a special episode about global warming and protecting our beautiful planet. We've got some super important questions coming up: What happens to garbage that is not recycled? James Piper, Rubbish Expert and author of The Rubbish Book: A Complete Guide to...
Feb 23, 2024•15 min•Season 7Ep. 14
Welcome to Episode 13 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week we have some super exciting questions coming up: Why do our hearts beat when we're afraid? Teddy Keen, adventurer and author of The Lost Book of Adventure and Journey to the...
Feb 09, 2024•16 min•Season 7Ep. 13
Welcome to Episode 12 of Season 7 everyone! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has moved to Bali, Indonesia, and the paperback book of Everything Under The Sun is OUT NOW!! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week we have some super exciting questions coming up: How are robots made? Raia Hadsell from Deep Mind is answering this one for us! She tells us all about the amazing ways in wh...
Feb 02, 2024•16 min•Season 7Ep. 12
We're back for our first episode of 2024, Episode 11 of Season 7! Happy New Year everyone! This week our fantastic questions are: Where were the first schools? We've got Jonathan Taylor in to answer that one. He's a curator at the British Museum, and an expert on human life many thousands of years ago... we can't wait to hear what he's got to say about the very first schools. How did some homo sapiens survive the cold of the Ice Age? We'll find out all about how early human beings managed to sur...
Jan 26, 2024•18 min•Season 7Ep. 11
This week our wonderful guest is author Sophie Dahl answering a question about magic! Magic is everywhere around us... we know something magical will happen to you today. We'll also find out why bats hang upside-down with the children of Si Kecil bookshop in Ubud, Bali and how kinetic sand works! Happy listening everyone, and MERRY CHRISTMAS! Make sure you buy all your friends a copy of the PAPERBACK edition of Everything Under The Sun - a year of curious questions - out now! Amazon: https://www...
Dec 22, 2023•14 min•Season 7Ep. 10
We're back for the ninth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Why do people get lines on their face when they get old? Answering this one we have Ross Barr. He's a specialist in women's health, and an acupuncturist. T...
Dec 15, 2023•13 min•Season 7Ep. 9
We're back for the eighth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: How do we know what noises dinosaurs made? Answering this one we have Jack Horner, a well-known palaeontologist—that's a scientist who studies dinosaurs! ...
Dec 01, 2023•14 min•Season 7Ep. 8
We're back for the seventh episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Why is lava so hot? Answering this one we have Robin Andrews, a science journalist and an expert in all things volcanoes. What are fireworks made of? We ...
Nov 24, 2023•13 min•Season 7Ep. 7
We're back for the sixth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids' questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Why does an elephant's tummy rumble? Answering this one we have Jonathan Balcombe—a scientist and animal-lover based in Canada, and an expert in all things...
Nov 17, 2023•10 min•Season 7Ep. 6
We're back for the fifth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Why are bugs so little? Answering this one we have Erica McAlister from the Natural History Museum in London! Thank you so much Erica. What is an electron m...
Sep 29, 2023•13 min•Season 7Ep. 5
We're back for the fourth episode of Season 7! Everything Under The Sun has been nominated for Best British Podcast in the kids category, has a paperback book of Everything Under The Sun OUT NOW and has moved to Bali, Indonesia! We're going to be having lots of fun answering kids questions from all over the world. This week the questions are: Would it be possible to transfer your body onto a computer? Answering this one we have Lath Carlson from the Museum of the Future! Thank you so much Lath. ...
Sep 22, 2023•13 min•Season 7Ep. 4
