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What's new today

Sangeethathecronica.com

This is a kids podcast about current events. In each episode, the host Sangeetha chats with a child about a news story and engages with them on their ideas of what the world looks like, to them. Topics include recent science discoveries, emerging tech, sports events, countries fighting wars, books they like to read and more.

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Episodes

Epi 75: Robotics: Real dolphins - please return to the oceans. Animatronic dolphins will dance and swim in water parks

Listen To Episode 55 about cheetahs being re-introduced in India by clicking hereMore than 50 years ago, a young and happy orca whale called Lolita (4 yrs old) was swimming with her mother and 6 siblings in the Pacific Ocean. She was captured and sold to an aquarium in the US. Lolita has been living in a tiny water tank in Miami, where she has been performing stunts and entertaining people. Lolita has not had a chance to meet or greet another orca whale.In this episode, 10-year Taanvi f...

Nov 04, 202216 min

Epi 74: Nobel Prize (part 2) - How Lego blocks' style clicks can be used to cure diseases and more...

This is Part 2 of the Nobel Prize winners for 2022. If you would like to listen to the super-fun stories in Part 1, please click here to listen to episode 69.The winners for Chemistry, according to 10-year old Vidyut might open the doors for curing diseases such as cancer. As Vidyut explains, these laureates have discovered something called click chemistry, which is a lot like letting two lego blocks click together. The winners for Economics, as 11-yr old Adya explains, might keep our mo...

Nov 02, 202214 min

Epi 73: Robotics - A robotic fish that can eat plastics and clean our oceans

To listen to episode 38 on Video Game characters, please click here or scroll below on our episode list.Remote controlled cars and planes are toys we are familiar with. A remote-controlled fish that can not just swim, but also eat the plastic pieces floating in the water is now around. Chinese scientists from Sichuan University have developed this little piece of marvel, in a bid to keep our oceans clean. 10-year Anura from Emerald Heights School, Indore, describes how micro-plastics is a big...

Oct 30, 202215 min

Epi 72: Sports - Tennis stars Federer and Serena Williams take a bow

If you would like to listen to the entertaining episode (13) on micro-plastics, please click here.Serena Williams and Roger Federer are synonymous with tennis. Both of them have dominated the sport, with a trail of Grand Slam titles and plenty of tennis records shattered. In this episode, 13-year Amogh from Michigan, a teen fond of playing both tennis and golf, walks us through the careers of these two tennis stars. Serena showed incredible promise as a sportsperson even when she was just a t...

Oct 27, 202215 min

Epi 71: Wildlife - Why lobsters, horses, pigs and octopuses feel more emotion than we think

To get a FREE subscription to Newsahoot, please click here (https://bit.ly/3VKPZHUHorses running around freely have brainwaves that are calming in nature, while those that are cooped in their lonely stables are depressed. Or at-least that's what the headset worn by horses show us in an experiment. If this reminds you of our times during the lockdown at home, you are right. Animals like pigs, lobsters, crabs, octopuses and many more have been found sentient (which means, they can feel em...

Oct 20, 202216 min

Epi 70: Why lights on Eiffel tower and skyscrapers in Europe will be turned off this winter

Eiffel tower is synonymous with its colourful lights at night. But the electricity shortage in Europe has forced the mayor of Paris to announce that lights will be turned off on the Eiffel tower an hour earlier than usual (by 11pm). Many monuments and government buildings across Europe (Germany and Spain included) will be turning off lights at night for the first time in decades. People have been asked to save electricity by not heating their homes beyond 19C. What's worse, many parts o...

Oct 16, 202215 min

Epi 69: Nobel prizes 2022 (Part 1): What's brewing in physics, medicine and peace?

Click here to answer the quiz questions (or copy paste this link onto your browser) to win a story book as a prize!Quiz link: https://s.surveyplanet.com/5d17xb1vWhen Alfred Nobel read his obituary (much to his surprise), he was horrified to read its contents. His invention (the dynamite) had caused much destruction in the world. The newspapers wrote unflattering remarks about his achievements. Much affected by what he read about himself, Nobel set upon working towards bequeathing his wealth t...

Oct 14, 202219 min

Epi 68: Entertainment - Why toys that look like astronauts and scientists help kids dream differently

Barbie has long held a unique place and symbolised pretty looks. Not anymore. The company Mattel which makes Barbie dolls has pivoted towards showing Barbie dolls with a stronger personality. Barbie dolls are no longer just pretty faces with fancy shoes and bags. They also represent women with a purpose, profession and positive perspective. In this episode, 10th grader Anya Chaturvedi from DPS Nagpur speaks eloquently about Mattel's pivot in its line-up of Barbie dolls.Mattel, in a survey, fo...

Oct 10, 202212 min

Epi 67 - Wildlife: How Hero Rats and Cyborg cockroaches can save human lives!

Most of us have played with a remote-controlled car that we like to guide across several surfaces - both inside and outside our homes. It appears that the child in us (who loves such remote controlled cars) never left the minds of some Japanese scientists. Recently, they created a cyborg cockroach. Its movements are controlled remotely by scientists. They guide it to crawl under the debris and rubble of earthquakes. The camera attached to this cockroach can help people identify any huma...

Oct 06, 202218 min

Select short pieces from episodes where our co-hosts had us at our wits end

A special episode where we do a throwback to our earlier episodes where our co-hosts had us at our wits end and rolling with laughter. Links to the episodes featured on this podcast are below:​Episode 53: ​Why the earth spun super fast and we had the shortest day in 60 yearsEpisode 44: How your car will soon get a fitness and medical certificateEpisode 36: The curious case of sharks near a volcanoEpisode 50: Climate news - How cities, smart or not, might look like in futureEpisode 48: Ca...

Oct 03, 202212 min

Epi 66: Climate change - The Third Pole near Pakistan that flooded the country

From faraway in space, if an alien happened to use a pair of binoculars, he might have easily mistaken Pakistan for a large river, or a bunch islands sticking out an inland sea. Certainly not for one of the most fertile lands growing fragrant and aromatic spices and rice.More than a fifth of Pakistan is underwater and is witness to one of the largest natural catastrophes. Sadly Pakistan maybe paying the price of global warming despite contributing to less than 1% of global greenhouse emission...

Sep 29, 202214 min

Curious questions about moon, Ukraine, virtual reality and books

Curious children can send us their questions via email at hello@wsnt.in or DM us on Instagram here.In this episode, we answer questions that kids have sent us earlier via email. Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts to those who have sent us their answers and questions so far.Do you like to read stories? Read our newsletters hereGet Whatsapp alerts here Follow us on Instagram Email your comments at hello@wsnt.in.

Sep 26, 202212 min

Epi 65: Books -The father of science fiction and how he shaped modern Marvel and Geronimo Stilton works

If you have heard of the 'time-machine', you are already familiar with the father of science fiction - H.G.Wells. Sep 21 was H.G.Wells' birthday and we look at the works he has created, in this episode. When he wrote his works of science fiction, little may he have imagined that he was going to inspire generations of authors and children. Marvel and DC characters are richer thanks to the elements of science fiction woven into them - whether it is Iron Man's tech-fired suit or the ability of t...

Sep 23, 202215 min

Epi 64: Space - Are we really going to the moon on the 'Artemis' missions?

Quite recently, NASA launched its next set of missions named 'Artemis' - the Greek Goddess of the moon, to send people once again back to the moon. The last time we set foot on the moon, astronauts went aboard the space shuttle Apollo, who is the twin of the Greek Goddess Artemis. NASA's current mission to the moon hopes to take off from where Apollo left off.In this episode, with a vibrant 7-year old Advik from India, we explore how this mission is also expected to bring greater racial and g...

Sep 19, 202215 min

Epi 63: Global perspectives - What does Queen Elizabeth II passing away mean for you and me

Queen Elizabeth II, the oldest reigning British monarch recently passed away. She had ruled Britain for over 70 years and had many firsts to her name. Including, the first monarch to send an email. If the word 'queen' brings to your mind images of a lady declaring wars and riding her army into the battleground, well, this is not the royal duty she discharged. Kings and queens in the modern world don't have the power they had earlier. In this episode, 11-year old Adya explains how they are rea...

Sep 15, 202212 min

Epi 62: Science - How an extinct Tasmanian tiger is being brought back to life

Jurassic Park is a movie (and book) filled with an equal measure of wonders and horrors. It's a story of a park filled with a group of extinct species - dinosaurs - brought to life. This episode contains a story quite similar - an extinct species of the Tasmanian tiger being brought back to life. The only difference is that this is real. It is not a piece of fiction - it is happening here and now. Ninth-grader Umang from DAV school, Durgapur speaks about the science behind this, and about how...

Sep 11, 202213 min

Epi 61: Science news - Why humans speak and gorillas shriek

Have you wondered why humans like you and I speak in long steady voices, while gorillas, apes and chimpanzees often bounce about trees and shriek in high-pitched voices?Have you also wondered what would happen if you spoke in a shrill voice for a long time? Go ahead and try it. Or better, listen to this episode to find out what an 8-yr old boy called Devansh has found about this in a recent Science journal . A group of scientists studied our vocal chords and compared it with that of primates....

Sep 08, 202213 min

Epi 60: Space news - Celebrating 10 years of Curiosity Rover on Planet Mars

When NASA sent the Curiosity Rover to Mars in 2012, they expected the rover to last all of one year on the Red Planet. Much to their consternation and the rest of the world's delight, the rover shows no signs of slowing down. Who would have thought we owe much to dust for this? Like our brooms at home, the dust clouds on Mars help keep the solar panels on the rover clean, and keep them running. The rover was sent to answer an important question 'Could Mars have supported life at any time'? To...

Sep 05, 202211 min

Climate alert: A Great Green Wall springs out of a desert

Hello wildlife geeks, we are holding a Wildlife Quiz on 18-Sep. Come, join us to have lots of fun discussing wildlife trivia and register for the wildlife quiz by clicking here.The Sahara desert has been spreading southwards, as global warming and deforestation have been on the rise. To prevent its spread, the idea of a great green wall - a wall made of trees, rather than forests, was mooted in 2007. The trees, plants and shrubs are to help the local communities find more jobs, grow their own...

Sep 02, 202214 min

Epi 59: Countries & global news - Why migrants get free medicines

In the Journey to the Atlantis by Geronimo Stilton, a boy who speaks an unknown language and with blue skin lands up in a new place. The mouselings set out to discover ways to help him. In this episode with the fourth grader Dhruv Agarwal from Kolkata India, we discuss the news story of how California's new law might help people who come to their country, just like Thea Stilton set out to help the boy in blue skin.Dhruv comes with answers to questions like 'who is a migrant?' and 'what ...

Aug 29, 202213 min

Epi 58: Climate news - How coral reefs are being brought back to good health

For long we have been hearing news about how our marine ecosystem has been declining. In this episode, we discuss some positive developments in our oceans. The Great Barrier Reef is showing signs of recovering in nearly a third of the area, which had almost been bleached until a few years ago. Many government and not-for-profit organisations have instituted measures that help clean up coral reefs.An almost 7-year old Ayaansh who joins us to discuss this news story, also discusses the single l...

Aug 25, 202217 min

Epi 57: Sports news - Paralympics gaining greater glory than sports for people with 2 legs

Sports that exist for people who are differently abled, but emojis for these are yet to be created - that's paralympics in a nutshell. Some of these inspiring stories of people with fewer limbs swimming or playing table tennis are an inspiration to all of us. As this 13-year old co-host on this episode, who had done his research about Paralympians, describes - the next time he is faced with a difficult Math problem, he'd plod through it and solve it without batting an eyelid.Paralympian...

Aug 21, 202219 min

Epi 56: Why ships from Ukraine going through Black Sea will solve food shortages

Many people in Africa and Asia have been going without essential food ever since the Ukraine war broke out. While soldiers in Ukraine have been busy fighting the war, the farmers of Ukraine have also been busy sowing, planting and harvesting grains from their fields. Because, Ukraine is a very big supplier of wheat and sunflower oil to the world. The farmers of Ukraine have also stocked their harvest in their warehouses. But, but, but, the harvest has been sitting there with nowhere to g...

Aug 19, 202216 min

Epi 55: Wildlife news - How extinct cheetahs are being brought back to India

Commemorating India's 75 years of independence, the government of India plans to bring African cheetahs from Namibia. In this episode, 12-year old Aadya discusses the reasons for cheetahs going extinct in the past and where these cheetahs stand the best chances of survival. India has had reasonable success in ensuring healthy populations of other animals that were earlier on the brink of extinction (including the lions and rhinos). Aadya, the daughter of an officer from the Indian army, ...

Aug 15, 202214 min

Epi 54: Wildlife news - Why the whale shark is the world's biggest omnivore

The Kodiak bear, which has long held the prized position as the world's largest omnivore has been recently unseated by the whale shark. Marine biologists have long wondered about the diet of many giant creatures of the ocean. Sharks open their mouths wide to consume fish. Alongside these tiny creatures, plenty of algae, zooplankton and other plant varieties also float into their mouths. The fish biologist Mark Meekan, who was swimming in the waters of the Indian Ocean, was able to locat...

Aug 11, 202215 min

Epi 53: Space news - Why the earth spun super fast and we had the shortest day in 60 years

If you felt strange on June 29, 2022 - a bit fuzzy or if you were hiccupping continuously, you won't need a doctor. Because you, like many others, may have felt the effect of the earth spinning very fast on that day. It's been the shortest day recorded (in the last 60 years) - short by 1.59 milliseconds. Vidyut, a 10-year old who joined us on this episode, plunged into a full scale discussion of the causes and impact of this super short day. If you have questions like 'what do glaciers have t...

Aug 08, 202219 min

Epi 52: Sports and Northeast - How India's Northeast has developed a culture of sportmanship

Winning medals in weightlifting, judo and javelin throw have brought a variety of sports into the ambit of many children in India. 13-year old Tejas, who plays cricket professionally (and is equally adept at football) speaks about his own experiences. In this episode, you will also hear stories about sportspeople like Milkha Singh and Dhyan Chand, who have inspired generations. You can find answers to questions like - Why did India lose its edge in hockey? Why do people from the North E...

Aug 05, 202220 min

Epi 51: Space news - How the International Space Station works and why Russia wants to break away

The ISS is a satellite, as big as a football ground, that you can spot from your own terraces and even send messages on twitter to the astronauts in it. While they spend much of their time doing experiments, they do take a break and play a game of chess (yes, someone from space played against someone on earth over the internet, a few years ago). They are also busy trying to find how living creatures survive in micro-gravity.ISS may just no longer be ISS - as in, one of the 5 space agenc...

Aug 01, 202215 min

Epi 50: Climate news - How cities, smart or not, might look like in future

If the idea of spending your weekend by holding a cup of hot chocolate and a book (or a kindle, if you insist), and sitting in a park bench appeals to you, the future might be here in many streets of Paris. If you hope that kids will get more open spaces to play in, the future might already be here in Stockholm, which plans to ask cars to make way for children's parks. If you think we need to be more attentive to waste management, the future might be here, in Barcelona, which plans to careful...

Jul 29, 202224 min

Epi 49: Tech news - How 'VR googles' can help you be a part of a live video game

Who would have thought a pair of 3D glasses (like the ones you use to watch Marvel movies in theatres) can help us jump into a different world, atleast in our minds.In this episode, a 11-yr old tells us a story about how she fractured a couple of bones in her hand, and how watching LOTR kept her mind off the pain. Doctors are keen on using a similar effect and help our minds forget our immediate environment. Instead they want us to don a pair of goggles and enter a new world and immerse ourse...

Jul 25, 202213 min
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