Podcast
What's new today
This is a kids and family podcast - where parents and children can listen together. In each episode, a child from anywhere in the world chats with the host (Sangeetha from India). They discuss recent science discoveries, changing technologies, curious facts about animals and birds, how football, cricket and sports are evolving, what's up with global warming and even why countries fight wars. In each episode, they discuss one current event and unearth trivia & riddles about science, sports or eve...more
Episodes
Epi 105: Young Avengers - who might be the next in Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Mar 26 2023
Superheroes have captivated our imagination for eons. The Marvel Cinematic Universe - Spiderman, Doctor Strange and many more, has been one of the most successful superhero franchises. But a void has now arisen. With Iron Man and Black Widow dead, Steve Rogers retired and Captain Marvel busy protecting other galaxies, the case for a new band of Young Avengers is high. In this episode, 7-year old Adwitya Goyal and 10-year old Rudransh Das from Children's Academy group of schools, Mumbai, sh...more
Epi 104: How signing a High Seas Treaty will protect octopuses, coral reefs and more
Mar 23 2023
In the story 'Finding Nemo', the journey undertaken by Marlin and Dory kept us all on the edge of our seats. Some of us may have also heaved a sigh of relief when the clownfish Nemo is saved and is back home. What if we told you that a band of humans have come together to save many more creatures of the sea, the ocean floor and much more. Yayy! It's true.Listen to 8-yr old Tweesha, 9-year old Saatvik and 9-year old Rachita - all of whom go to the Children's Academy Group of S...more
Epi 103: NASA appoints its first ever Woman 'Head of Science'
Mar 20 2023
In 64 years, for the first time, Dr.Nicola Fox, a British-origin scientist has been appointed to head science projects at NASA. Her dad loved science and especially space, and some of that seemed to have rubbed off on her. She also went to a girls' school and felt fully at home in science laboratories. There were no boys around, so no one told her that science may be for boys (mainly). In this episode, discussing lots of stories about her childhood and school years, is a vivacious 11-year o...more
Epi 102: Did you know that there are places on earth where no vehicles are allowed?
Mar 16 2023
Imagine going on a holiday, where you can get around in only one of three ways - walking, riding a donkey or riding a bicycle. You would also have to carry your suitcases and bags around with no taxi to transport it around. This would be true if you went to places like the island Hydra in Greece, the city of Ghent in Belgium and many islands in Maldives. To talk about how interesting or difficult life would be in such islands, we are joined by Renee Agarwal from Emerald Heights International Sc...more
Epi 101: How bacteria can help us make new smartphones and laptops
Mar 12 2023
Man will soon begin to build houses on moon. Check.The James Webb Telescope might soon tell us how the universe began its journey. Check.Bacteria can help us make new smartphones and laptop. Err...Not sure if we have lost our mind here?Pinch yourself. This is reality. In this episode with 10-year old Agastya Deshpande from Nahar International School, Mumbai, you will hear all about scientists who have discovered new uses for bacteria. They have the ability to accelerate the process of extracting...more
Epi 100: Behind the scenes - making of the 'What's new today' podcast
Mar 09 2023
Our excitement at the prospect of having reached the 100th episode milestone must be palpable - in our voices, the podcast cover and even in our sound tracks :)In this episode, 8-year old Devansh from Kolkata and 12-year old Eesha from Chennai (who have both appeared in previous episodes on science & wildlife stories) talk about their experiences. We answer questions such as -'Is there a script for each episode?''How do the children prepare for each episode?''How doe...more
Epi 99: Adventure Book series recommended for young readers by a tween
Mar 05 2023
Love solving puzzles? Enjoy listening to mythological stories? You're very likely to enjoy the two book series that our child co-host in this episode recommends.11-year old Saathvika who goes to New Albany Elementary School from Columbus , Ohio (USA) shares her thoughts on two book series - the Aru Shah series and the Greystone Secrets series. Listen to her to find out what these two book series are about. She also has plenty of reflection questions - both for the host Sangeetha and our lis...more
Epi 98: How AI cameras help save elephants and lions - a World Wildlife Day Trivia special
Mar 01 2023
A world where cameras do not just take pictures, but also tell you when and how to smile - is no longer the stuff of science fiction. For now, artificially intelligent cameras are already helping save the lives (and possibly the smiles) of people and endangered wildlife. These AI cameras placed in multiple points throughout forests can alert forest rangers if any wild animals stray from their regular paths. Often times, these wild animals enter the habitats of humans, when they change their feed...more
Epi 97: Why are the canals of Venice running dry and how boats are stuck in the mud
Feb 27 2023
Long long ago, so long ago, that most people do know how long ago (because some people have read history textbooks), Venice was nothing more than a collection of marshlands. A few fishermen eeked their living by selling fish and making salt. In time, this group of islands became a place of refuge and grew into a large town.10-year old Pragnya and 11-year old Trayee describe the history of Venice in a short story at the beginning of this episode. For those of us, the word Venice conjures images ...more
Epi 96: Losar festival - Where Tibetans meet their New Year
Feb 23 2023
Three days of festivities surround the lives of thousands of the Tibetan diaspora, as they welcome their new year - Losar. About the time when the winter chills dissipate and fresh harvest yields fill their granaries, the Tibetans (much like their Venetian friends) don masks and dance to ring in their new year.In this episode, Puranjoy Bhattacharya, a student at the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, shares his first-hand experiences of what it is like for an outsider to witness some of the...more
Epi 95: Video game review of FIFA from EA sports (part 2)
Feb 20 2023
EA sports is parting ways with FIFA. The video game that millions of players are used to calling FIFA, will soon be renamed EA Sports FC. Getting used to that?In this episode, which is the second part of a review of this video game (one of the highest downloaded games of all times), we are joined by 3 football fans. Archisman Mandal and Aarush Jaiswal - both sixth graders from Emerald Heights International School share their experiences of playing the game. Vinith Muralidharan who spends part of...more
Epi 94: Video game review of FIFA from EA sports (part 1)
Feb 17 2023
What do you do when older kids in your school don't let you play striker and relegate you to defence?You fight your way in the ground or pick up the FIFA video game and play whichever position you want to your heart's content.In this episode with Archisman and Aarush from Emerald Heights International school, Indore (both sixth graders), we are joined by Vinith Muralidharan - a child at heart, a diehard football fan who also visits the offices of Britannia to help them with their marke...more
Epi 93: Remarkable stories from Radio Land on World Radio Day
Feb 13 2023
Radio was this device in many homes that held a place of awe and respect for decades. It brought into many households the first pieces of information of what was going on in the real world. It also made entertainment commonplace. Be it classical or popular music, families clustered around the radio, for wholesome entertainment a few decades ago.Today is the World Radio Day and we trace some interesting stories along the way of radio's evolution. If you would like to be alerted via whatsapp ...more
Epi 92: The inspiring story of women taking command positions in the Indian army
Feb 10 2023
Did you know that Asian lions lead their pride whereas African lionesses often defend their pride and territory? A recent newspaper headlining 'Capt. Shiva Chauhan is the first women army officer to be posted in the Siachen Glacier' caught the attention of two super enthusiastic children from Delhi, who join us in this episode. They explore the news story, alongside their observations on how this moulds with what we see in the wildlife.12 yr old Riya Mishra and 14 yr old Madhu Kumari,...more
Epi 91: The story of the flashing green comet that's come back to visit us after 50,000 years
Feb 05 2023
Comets come and go about a dozen times in a year without much fanfare. But a green comet that's flashing its pretty smile at us, is causing much celebration around the world. There are excellent reasons why each one of us should look into our night skies to say hello to this comet. To begin with, how often do you get to meet something that's last met Neanderthals roaming the face of this earth. In this episode with fifth grader Luptha from Ohio and seventh grader Aadya from Kolkata, we...more
Epi 90: How to be a part of the Great Backyard Bird Count (part 2)
Feb 02 2023
In part 1 of this series (Epi 89), we discussed what the Great Backyard Bird Count was all about. In this episode, we answer questions on how to participate in it. There are lots of curious questions about birds too, that we have tried to answer in this episode.One of the three organisations that puts together the GBBC is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The Project Leader of GBBC - Becca Rodomsky Bish joins us in this episode to chat about birds and this event. Also on this episode are 3 curious...more
Epi 89: What is the Great Backyard Bird Count (part 1)
Jan 30 2023
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) doesn't come our way everyday. But birds do. If you love observing birds, or are curious about them, or even just love to paint or draw pictures of birds - here's an event that you can be a part of. An event where the input of each one of us from around the world can help conserve bird species and populations.One of the three organisations that puts together the GBBC is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The Project Leader of GBBC - Becca Rodomsky Bish...more
Epi 88: How robots are crawling through underground pipes and helping the world conserve water
Jan 26 2023
The UK loses 3 billion litres of water every day through leaks in its underground water pipes. That's a LOT of water. Enough to fill a few hundred Olympic size swimming pools. Imagine all the fun kids can have splashing in these pools? But no, all that water is lost!But now, the UK plans to use tiny robots to keep crawling through these pipes all year round. These robots will fix leaks faster than any humans can. 11-year Trayee from India tells us a lot more about this news story that she ...more
Epi 87: ChatGPT: where you combine coding and learning with a dose of fun
Jan 20 2023
The world has been abuzz with a secret new weapon that can turn every student's essay into a worthy A+ piece of paper. This weapon can also turn every worst programmer's nightmare into a dream. By generating lines of code with no bugs. It is also a weapon that has turned every teacher's dream into a nightmare. Having to figure out if the essay was really written by their student of this secret weapon.This is an episode on ChatGPT. The language processing AI tool that has taken the...more
Epi 86: Why the Dead Sea is really dying?
Jan 12 2023
The word Dead sea conjures images of people relaxing in the sea, floating with books in hand or just enjoying the starry images of the sky and the beaches around. But, if you plan on enjoying this anytime, you might need to make it there sooner rather than later.In this episode, 13-year old Inaaya Ijaz, a climate activist from London, UK, talks about the Dead Sea and why it might be dying. There's also trivia about Cleopatra, Egyptian mummies and ghosts from the Harry Potter books to keep ...more
Epi 85: 8 billion people - is Earth overflowing?
Jan 09 2023
It has taken us a short 11 years from 2011 to 2022 to touch 8 billion people on this world. Babies are born all over the world. But if you did take a time machine into the future, you are most likely to see those babies born in Africa and Asia and emptier maternity hospitals in the western countries.In this episode with 8-year old Jairam from Redwood Montessori School, Chennai, you will be fascinated by what a young curious child thinks of having more kids in his neighbourhood, of how we will h...more
Epi 84: Tiger sharks carrying cameras on their back - whoever heard of such a thing
Jan 05 2023
What does the grass lying on the bottom of the ocean have to do with the cars we drive? Here's a trivia that will help you make the connection. The seagrass absorbs way more carbon than the tall trees on land. So, weep not, if you have been worried about the Amazon rainforests getting the axe. Help is at hand. In this episode with 9-year old Ahalya Niranjan from Redwood Montessori School, Chennai, you can listen to the story about how some ingenious scientists use tiger sharks to help us ma...more
Sports wrap 2022: FIFA world cup, T20 world cup and Tennis GOATs
Dec 24 2022
Please click here to fill our survey and tell us what you think we can do to make the episodes better2022 was a year like none other. The FIFA final in 2022 was perhaps the greatest nail-biter in all FIFA finals. A year where Messi fulfilled his life-long dream. Also, a year where a team from Africa reached the semi-finals for the first time (that would be Morocco, if you were wondering). 2022 was another year when India did NOT win the T20 world cup. The sub-continent was less affected by this ...more
Space exploration in 2022: All that's colourful from James Webb telescope, Mission DART crashing into an asteroid and why the ISS may be losing a member
Dec 22 2022
If you are feeling jolly good about Christmas, please gift us 2 mins of your time and fill this survey to tell us what more we can do, to make this podcast channel fun and interesting (https://s.surveyplanet.com/d79mitsl)After a few decades of lull, space exploration saw a lot of action in 2022.Visiting the moon is back on our plate. Asteroids crashing into earth is no longer a worry. Hold your questions about how earth was really formed, for JWST may have answers to this and more.In this episod...more
Robotics in 2022 - VR goggles, video-game characters, cyborg cockroaches and electric autos
Dec 18 2022
Please be our Santa Claus and gift us 2 mins of your time by filling this survey https://s.surveyplanet.com/d79mitslVirtual reality is no more just a fantasy place where gamers like to go. Doctors are beginning to use VR goggles to help people become calm and even forget pain. Electric batteries now don't need to be discarded. Old ones can be used to power smaller autos - as one company Nunam showed us this year. Video game characters are becoming more diverse - no longer do you need ...more
Movies, music, books, toys - 2022 brought new dinosaurs, BTS hiatus, Indian winning international booker and new Barbies
Dec 16 2022
If you are feeling jolly good about Christmas being around, please gift us 2 mins of your time and fill this survey (https://s.surveyplanet.com/d79mitsl)2022 brought interesting science to movies - all dinosaurs had feathers!2022 also brought a temporary halt to the works of the much beloved BTS - no one is exempted from military service!The first time ever an Indian won the international booker this year and Barbie dolls are not just pretty faces anymore.Steven Spielberg did not show dinos...more
Wildlife in 2022 - All about cheetahs, sharks, tasmanian tigers, gorillas, King Kong and woolly mammoths
Dec 12 2022
Feeling festive? Please gift us 1 min of your time and fill this survey (https://s.surveyplanet.com/d79mitsl) Thanks in advance :) The year 2022 had a lot of interesting science discoveries, that had many young and curious minds really hooked. No, we are not claiming idly that kids were hooked to these news updates. You'll find this episode where an 8-yr old Dhruv, a 9-yr old Keshav and a 10-yr old Vihaan, delve into the depths of the wildlife discoveries - proof that curious kids and wildl...more
Climate Change in 2022 - Can Earth be bright and beautiful again?
Dec 08 2022
If you are feeling jolly good about Christmas, please click here and gift us 2 mins of your time and share your ideas in this survey (https://s.surveyplanet.com/d79mitsl The year 2022 was a mixed bag when it comes to climate change. While news about heatwaves, floods, droughts and melting glaciers brought some angst, innovative ideas by local fishermen in Italy, pro-active efforts by political leaders at COP27 and conservation groups in Australia brought some smiles to our faces.Meher (Grade 8) ...more
Geopolitics in 2022: funniest and most interesting stuff from countries around the world!
Dec 05 2022
We are always looking for ways to improve our podcast. Please click here to fill this survey questionnaire (2 min.) to help us. (https://s.surveyplanet.com/d79mitslIn this wrap-up about news from countries and events around the world, 4 curious children join the host Sangeetha, to talk about what they found the most interesting this year. Ananya Mathur from DPS Nagpur, Thejas Reddy from VIS, Delhi and Trayee from AAIS Chennai, discuss stories about Taiwan, Ukraine, the UK, the Yemen conflict an...more
Epi 83: How a high-schooler created a universe on the video game Minecraft
Dec 01 2022
To listen to episodes on space and video games, click here Children and adults love making creations - whether it is building sandcastles on the beach, or houses with cardboard boxes, or creating an Iron Man using Lego blocks. One teenager took up an interesting challenge - depicting the entire universe on a video game Minecraft. This was no frivolous pass-time. It involved making complex mathematical calculations and even sky-diving, to envisage how earth would look like, from space. To discuss...more
Epi 82: How a video game Pong pits itself against an artificial brain
Nov 27 2022
If you have pondered ways of testing your smarts against a computer, a game of chess will likely pop into your head. But some scientists decided to make things fun. They decided to use a 1970s video game called Pong, to test some real smarts. Think black and white screen, a paddle moving up and down, and a ball that bounces off the sides of the screen. Sounds odd? I mean, in this day and age, why not use an Xbox right?Here's the real clincher. The scientists did NOT test a real person'...more
Epi 81: Adventures of Elon Musk in Twitter land
Nov 24 2022
The world's richest man wants to let everyone have an equal say in the world. He wants everyone to share their ideas - no matter if they are Thanos or one of the Avengers. Elon Musk went ahead and bought a company Twitter to allow just that - all for all. No half measures.In this episode, Mitansh from DPS Nagpur discusses the dash of 'spices' that Elon Musk has brought along. Rocked by a lot of loans to be paid off, Musk has begun firing most of the staff. Mitansh describes what h...more
Epi 80: Climate Change - Are the rich finally going to help the rest of the world this COP27?
Nov 21 2022
To listen to episode 75 about animatronic dolphins, please click herePlanet Earth is getting warmer. Some leaders meet every year to talk about what they can do to combat climate change. Few countries go home and do something to reduce their emissions. In the midst of all this rather gloomy news is another interesting twist - although poor countries have hardly emitted any greenhouse gases, they are facing storms and floods. Some island nations could be at the brink of being submerged forever. T...more
Epi 79: Space: How space-tech and satellites work during the Ukraine-Russia war
Nov 17 2022
The war in Ukraine took several unexpected turns, first with the Ukrainian defence of its capital Kiev and the united support of several Western countries. 13-year old Neil from G.D.Goenka School, Lucknow, who has taken a keen interest in tracking the events of the Ukraine war, walks us through initial attack by Russia. He also explains the kind of support that the US and other countries lent Ukraine to help it fend off the attacks by Russia.Also joining us in this episode is 11-year old Trayee ...more
Epi 78: Environment - How beautiful underwater sculptures near Italy are protecting life under water
Nov 14 2022
To listen to episode 45 about Marvel characters, please click hereTo listen to episode 55 about cheetahs coming back to India, please click herePaolo Fanciulli, a fisherman who lives in Italy was always fascinated by shipwrecks and the fish and the algae that grew in them. He noticed also how it was getting harder to get any fish while casting his fishing nets thanks to trawling by large fishing companies. He noticed that nobody really cared about how these trawling nets were destroying the mari...more
Epi 77: Global perspectives - why Taiwan is at the centre of a tug of war between China and US
Nov 10 2022
Listen to a lively episode on Queen Elizabeth and her heir (Epi 63) by clicking hereThe island of Taiwan which is 100 miles away from China is key for us to create this podcast and for you to listen to it. In case you are wondering, the host of this podcast does not live there. But our recording equipments, our editing tools and the device on which you are now listening to this podcast - are most likely made with one important part called the semi-conductor chip. Taiwan is the single largest man...more
Epi 76: How NASA sent a spacecraft to crash into an asteroid
Nov 06 2022
To listen to Space related episodes, please click hereTo listen to Wildlife related episodes, please click hereIf you remember the tales about why dinosaurs went extinct, one of the common stories is that a meteorite crashed into earth. Some scientists in NASA who were thinking about this story were curious to see if we could avoid such a fate, if a meteorite came crashing into earth. And humans might become extinct. In this episode, 10-year Arav from Emerald Heights school, Indore, describes NA...more
Epi 75: Robotics: Real dolphins - please return to the oceans. Animatronic dolphins will dance and swim in water parks
Nov 04 2022
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 from Colu...more
Epi 74: Nobel Prize (part 2) - How Lego blocks' style clicks can be used to cure diseases and more...
Nov 02 2022
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 money in t...more
Epi 73: Robotics - A robotic fish that can eat plastics and clean our oceans
Oct 30 2022
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 pr...more
Epi 72: Sports - Tennis stars Federer and Serena Williams take a bow
Oct 27 2022
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 todd...more
Epi 71: Wildlife - Why lobsters, horses, pigs and octopuses feel more emotion than we think
Oct 20 2022
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 emoti...more
Epi 70: Why lights on Eiffel tower and skyscrapers in Europe will be turned off this winter
Oct 16 2022
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 of E...more
Epi 69: Nobel prizes 2022 (Part 1): What's brewing in physics, medicine and peace?
Oct 14 2022
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 to a...more
Epi 68: Entertainment - Why toys that look like astronauts and scientists help kids dream differently
Oct 10 2022
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, ...more
Epi 67 - Wildlife: How Hero Rats and Cyborg cockroaches can save human lives!
Oct 06 2022
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 humans who a...more
Select short pieces from episodes where our co-hosts had us at our wits end
Oct 03 2022
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: Cars and c...more
Epi 66: Climate change - The Third Pole near Pakistan that flooded the country
Sep 29 2022
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 emissions. ...more
Curious questions about moon, Ukraine, virtual reality and books
Sep 26 2022
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.If you would like to be alerted via whatsapp on new episodes, join this free link to be a part of a Whatsapp community AND follow us on Instagram to find out about other interesting trivia. If you like what you're li...more
Epi 65: Books -The father of science fiction and how he shaped modern Marvel and Geronimo Stilton works
Sep 23 2022
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...more
Epi 64: Space - Are we really going to the moon on the 'Artemis' missions?
Sep 19 2022
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 ...more
Epi 63: Global perspectives - What does Queen Elizabeth II passing away mean for you and me
Sep 15 2022
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 ...more
Epi 62: Science - How an extinct Tasmanian tiger is being brought back to life
Sep 11 2022
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 h...more
Epi 61: Science news - Why humans speak and gorillas shriek
Sep 08 2022
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. So...more
Epi 60: Space news - Celebrating 10 years of Curiosity Rover on Planet Mars
Sep 05 2022
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 ti...more
Climate alert: A Great Green Wall springs out of a desert
Sep 02 2022
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 fo...more
Epi 59: Countries & global news - Why migrants get free medicines
Aug 29 2022
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...more
Epi 58: Climate news - How coral reefs are being brought back to good health
Aug 25 2022
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 larg...more
Epi 57: Sports news - Paralympics gaining greater glory than sports for people with 2 legs
Aug 21 2022
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.Paralympi...more
Epi 56: Why ships from Ukraine going through Black Sea will solve food shortages
Aug 19 2022
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 go, since...more
Epi 55: Wildlife news - How extinct cheetahs are being brought back to India
Aug 15 2022
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, als...more
Epi 54: Wildlife news - Why the whale shark is the world's biggest omnivore
Aug 11 2022
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 locate 1...more
Epi 53: Space news - Why the earth spun super fast and we had the shortest day in 60 years
Aug 08 2022
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 gla...more
Epi 52: Sports and Northeast - How India's Northeast has developed a culture of sportmanship
Aug 05 2022
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 East domi...more
Epi 51: Space news - How the International Space Station works and why Russia wants to break away
Aug 01 2022
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 agencies that...more
Epi 50: Climate news - How cities, smart or not, might look like in future
Jul 29 2022
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 caref...more
Epi 49: Tech news - How 'VR googles' can help you be a part of a live video game
Jul 25 2022
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 ourselve...more
Episode 48: Cars and climate: Super-fast electric cars to help autos make the air cleaner
Jul 22 2022
Autorickshaws have funny and interesting names across the world. They go by tuk-tuk, baby taxi and lapa in different countries. While Tesla, BMW, Audi, Ola, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hyundai and many more companies are making electric cars that keep our air cleaner, their gentler autorickshaw cousins haven't made much headway. But that will soon change as they get an e-lift. Nunam, an NGO has tied with Audi to take their used car batteries to power smaller auto-rickshaws. This extends the ba...more
Episode 47: Three go on an adventure in a car trip in the Mongol Rally
Jul 18 2022
The Famous Five go on adventure trips in bicycles and camp in the moors. The Secret Seven go on picnics carrying food and a dog along for adventure in the summer. In current times, we book a pretty villa somewhere in the hills and book a flight to our holiday destination. But, the Mongol Rally is a car adventure trip that might just be more adventurous than any of these. Three Indians have just left from Prague, as part of this rally, across 15 countries in Europe and Asia. There is no fixed rou...more
Episode 46: The story of the ruler who has Gota Go from his throne
Jul 15 2022
Scar in Lion King, Thanos in the Marvel universe, or Zeus the Greek God got very powerful in their kingdoms. The people in their lands were upset with the decisions of the rulers. Simba came back and fought Scar off his Pride Lands. Thanos was defeated by the Avengers. Zeus was put inside a golden cage by the other Gods. A similar story is unfolding in Sri Lanka. People of the country have been left with little or no money. All thanks to the poor decisions taken by the rulers of their country - ...more
Episode 45: Why superheroes at Marvel, DC and other comics are getting more diverse
Jul 11 2022
Black Panther, Shang Chi, Miles Morales, Miss Marvel and America Chavez are new age superheroes. They are new age, not because their super powers are starkly different from that of others, but because they don't look, or speak or perhaps even behave like other superheroes. They are not strictly male or white. Why are superheroes looking more different? What helps the studios create characters who hail from different ethnicities? Why is it important to create superheroes who are diverse?List...more
Episode 44: How your car will soon get a fitness and medical certificate
Jul 08 2022
Crash tests for cars sold in India are not common. Many people who buy cars may not even know if the car they are buying gets 0 out of 5 points for its safety features. But now, all that is set to change. Beginning 2023, the government will provide for every car produced and sold in India to be tested within the country. So, if you happen to want to buy a car, you can get a fitness certificate, very soon. If you know the answer to the riddle at the end of the episode, please email them to hello@...more
Episode 43: Can a giant gorilla like King Kong or Mei from Turning Red exist in the real world?
Jul 03 2022
A few curious scientists got together to answer the question whether we might find a giant gorilla like the King Kong, in an island somewhere in the world. The answer to this question was published in a science journal recently, which 12-year old Eesha discusses in this episode. Giants in movies like Mei from Turning Red, or the Hulk from the Avengers have kindled the imagination of many viewers. Scientists attempt to explain, in this news journal, if mammals like pandas or humans or gorillas ca...more
Episode 42: Why people love to visit Japan and what you can do there during your vacation
Jun 30 2022
Japan, after 2 long years during this pandemic, has finally opened itself to tourists who can now visit the Land of the Rising Sun. In this episode, 9-year old Shravan speaks about his summer vacations in Europe and how this differs from life in Asia. While Japan has announced opening itself to the world, they still remain very careful about how people can move around in their country. For instance, you cannot wake up one morning in a hotel in Tokyo and decide to take a stroll down a market, wi...more
Episode 41: Why fishes and corals in the Red Sea are afraid of a ship
Jun 28 2022
An old old ship is lying in the Red sea, all alone. It hasn't been cleaned, dusted or maintained for many years. 14-year Keshav (who co-hosts this episode) thinks the ship must have gone rusted and mouldy by now. The world would not be too worried about a ship gone mouldy, except that it also contains a whole lot of crude oil. The fishes and the coral reefs have been scared of the oil spilling into the sea and frantically sounding alarm bells (just kidding, it's the whales and the dol...more
Episode 40: Why the country Turkey changed its name
Jun 23 2022
The country Turkey got tired of being confused with the names of birds which are also the symbol of a national holiday in the US. Turkey's leaders were also not too keen on the meaning of the word Turkey in English (google says it refers to someone rather silly). Tired of these unflattering associations, the country has decided that the time has come for it to change its name! In this conversation with an almost 9-year old Abir from Singapore, we discuss answers to questions like 'Whe...more
Episode 39: How dinosaurs in the new Jurassic world movie are different
Jun 19 2022
The new Jurassic world dominion movie makes a departure from the previous movies in how the dinosaurs look. Taking help of paleontologists - Stephen Bassett in this movie and Jack Horner in some of the previous movies, the scenes and sets of each of these movies are getting closer and closer to how the science world thinks. Especially, about how dinosaurs looked like, millions of years ago.Listen to the full episode, where 8-year old Advik discusses with the host, the world of dinosaurs, fossils...more
Episode 38: How video-game experiences are getting better
Jun 15 2022
Kids who love video games should be able to find male and female characters / avatars with equal ease today. This was not so, just a few years ago. In this episode with an 'almost' 11-year old Trayee, we talk about how girl characters have become increasingly common (thanks in part to the efforts of a 12-yr old girl Maddie who wrote about it in 2015)Listen to this episode to also hear the personal opinions of video game developer Anish George about the changes he has seen. There's...more
Epi 37: Global perspectives - Queen Elizabeth celebrates platinum jubilee of her monarchy
Jun 12 2022
Recently, the queen of England - Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 70 years of rule as the head of state. A 9-yr old is curious to know why celebrating this milestone is a big deal. Listen to this episode to also get a hang of the what monarchs do, now that many countries are democracies. If you have any questions or comments, please email us at hello@wsnt.inFollow us on twitter hereFollow us on instagram hereIf you would like to be alerted via whatsapp on new episodes, join this free link to be...more
Episode 36: The curious case of sharks near a volcano
Jun 09 2022
Recently, a volcanic eruption in the Kavachi volcano (in Solomon islands near Australia) was recorded by NASA. The fascinating part about this submarine volcano is the presence of sharks in the warm waters surrounding the hot crater. Since sharks are otherwise associated with the clean and cold waters deep in our oceans, the presence of sharks here has been a source of puzzlement for many scientists.Listen to this conversation with almost 8-yr old Aniket to hear more about stories about ancient ...more
Episode 35: A 16-yr old Indian grandmaster wins against World No. 1
Jun 07 2022
A 16-yr old, with a rather unpronounceable name Praggnanandhaa recently won against Magnus Carlsen, the reining chess champion. In this episode, 8-yr old Adeep discusses the game, and many stories about computers that play against grandmasters. Listen to this to hear more childhood stories of Praggnanandhaa and his sister Vaishali. Follow us on Instagram hereFollow us on Twitter hereShoot us an email at hello@wsnt.in if you would like to co-host an episode with Sangeetha, or if you have any thou...more
Episode 34: Our environment - a giant goblet of fire
Jun 06 2022
In this episode, we surveyed a whole bunch of tweens and teens. We asked them about what they'd like to save on planet earth. Some even had ideas on whether they'd like to live in space vs oceans. Listen to this episode with more than 7 of our young co-hosts - Ayaansh, Reyaan, Yoshika, Vihaan, Vedant, Meher and Shravan, each speaking their minds:)Listen to the full episode with Vedant on old phones hereListen to the full episode with Meher on floating cities hereFollow us on Instagram ...more
Episode 33: All play and more pay for women soccer players
Jun 02 2022
Women soccer players in the US, who were otherwise paid lower than the male players, won a landmark ruling. The court has judged that men and women should get paid at an equal rate for the matches they play within the US. Listen to this conversation with 9-yr old Vihaan to find a lot of interesting trivia about the game of soccer, the players and how to make the world a happier place. Follow us on Twitter hereFollow us on Instagram hereIf you have any thoughts or comments, please share them as a...more
Episode 32: Hurrah! Indian author wins first ever International Booker!
May 31 2022
Geetanjali Shree has the distinction of being the first ever Indian author to win the International Booker for her Hindi work 'Ret Samadhi' which was translated as Tomb of Sand in English. Listen to this 'almost' 10-year old's perspective on what books mean to children, and what books written in non-English languages also mean to them.Follow us on Twitter hereFollow us on Instagram hereIf you have any thoughts or comments, please share them as an audio file via email to ...more
Episode 31: Science: How astronomers took photos of the black hole Sagittarius A*
May 28 2022
A scientist called Einstein scribbled many notes on papers more than 100 years ago. These included his imaginations and calculations about objects in space. He predicted that there were powerful objects called black holes that could suck everything that came their way, included light. It was in 2019 when astronomers pieced together photos from radio telescopes across the world and released the first ever image of a black hole. More recently, for the second time ever, a direct image of another b...more
Episode 30: Eurovision and the Multiverse of Music
May 25 2022
When Europe was recovering from the after-effects of the second world war, an Italian at the European Broadcasting Union wanted to test if live broadcasting on radio would work seamlessly. He hit upon an idea of launching a song contest across Europe which would be played live on radio. The Eurovision song contest was thus born - an event rivaled only by football in terms of live viewership in Europe. More than 200m people listen to the live performances. In 2022, a band from Ukraine - called th...more
Episode 29: What is Europe doing about the war in Ukraine
May 24 2022
Russia is the largest country in the world and has got its neighbours all rattled. If you shared a border with Russia, I guess you'd be thinking of protection more than building schools and roads. In this conversation with a 10-year old, we explore answers to questions such as 'For how long will this spending go on? Or is this like the Jan 1 resolution that adults make when they THINK there is a threat of weight gain and will fizzle away?'War has also meant we have made many new ...more
Episode 28: Science - how woolly mammoths and giant kangaroos went extinct thanks to smaller brains
May 23 2022
When we think of animals that went extinct, dinosaurs and giant elephants and huge marsupials often come to mind. Meteors crashing the earth and people hunting these creatures for their skin and horns are often cited as reasons. Most recently, researchers at Tel Aviv University, and the University of Naples, examined the mass extinction of large animals. They found that extinct species had, much smaller brains than species that survived. Listen to this conversation with a 6-year old to find answ...more
Episode 27: Wonders of a floating city - nope not Venice - it's near Busan
May 17 2022
S.Korea, alongwith the UN, has created a plan for a new floating city near Busan. If you are reminded of boats and canals near Venice, you are like million others who think the same! Ancient Venice was built when people fled enemies to live in these swamplands. Today, we are building these floating cities to flee from the risks of flooding near coastal cities and islands. 'How will these cities get electricity? Can children go to schools? Can people go to work? How are these places going to...more
Episode 26: How Jacky ran 104 marathons in 104 days to set a new world record
May 16 2022
Running in parks, on football grounds or trying to catch that elusive ball before it crosses a boundary in cricket - such fun associated with all of them. But for Jacky Hunt Broersma - there was fun in running 104 marathons in 104 days. She did not pack her bags and decide to run from one of the US, where she lives, to another. Instead she stayed right at home, drop her kids off at school, go run a marathon, get to her day job (a coach), come back home, cook dinner and help her kids with their h...more
Episode 25: The French got a new leader and how they went about it in order!
May 15 2022
Recently the French elected a new President - Emmanuel Macron, for a second term. While elections are more common today than they were in ancient Greece, the French do something that the Brits or the Americans or the Indians do. They elect the person they want to become the President directly. They don't wait around to patiently choose representatives in parliament and hope to God that the representatives would choose their preferred leader. In this conversation with a 12-year old, we expl...more
Episode 24: Science: The wonders of the James Webb telescope (Part 2)
May 06 2022
In this second episode of the James Webb telescope series - we look at what infrared light coming from ancient stars is likely to contain. How do we distinguish between light coming from super ancient stars versus relatively new stars? Will the ancient galaxies look like pretty little spirals that we see in our encyclopedias? Listen to this conversation with a 10-year old to find answers to these and more.Please email us at hello@wsnt.in with your thoughts, comments and questions.If you would li...more
Episode 23: Science: The wonders of the James Webb telescope (Part 1)
May 05 2022
After nearly 3 decades of effort and testing, the James Webb telescope was successfully launched into space in Dec 2021. This telescope has been designed to help us see how the universe looked when the early stars were created. Why do we need a telescope in space, when we already have a Hubble telescope out there? Why did it take someone more than 25 years to develop this one? If this telescope is farther than the moon, how do we fix a problem if it has one? Listen to this conversation with a 1...more
Episode 22: Flash! Time out! Not enough power for ACs this summer
May 02 2022
How many things can we generate electricity from? Solar, wind, coal, nuclear, biogas and a few more, says a 10-year old. Do we use all of these to make electricity from, in India? Why did the rains last year lead to lesser coal this year? I know summer is scorching hot, then why don't we just use solar energy in places that are close to the equator? Listen to this conversation with a 10-year old to find out more about these.If you have any thoughts or comments, please email them to us at he...more
Episode 21: Really! Our phones and laptops have gold and platinum in them?
Apr 28 2022
It is not uncommon to think of dwarves with hammers working in tunnels, and filling baskets with gold bars, when we think of mining. But did you know that you can mine some gold, silver, platinum and rhodium from your own backyard? Or should we say cupboards? Listen to this conversation with a 10-year old, to find out about how we should be disposing our old bulbs, microwaves and computers, to make the world go round and clean.Please send your thoughts and comments to hello@wsnt.inIf you would l...more
Episode 20: Wow! Something floating in space will soon replace our wi-fi routers
Apr 25 2022
When we connect our phones or laptops to the internet, we connect using wi-fi or mobile data. Both of these need big fat wires to be laid all over the land and under oceans. What can people living in faraway places or on mountains do, to get internet connectivity? What are companies like SpaceX and Amazon trying to do, to get more people on earth get connected?Listen to this conversation with a 9-year old to understand where we might all be headed in future.Please email your thoughts or comments...more
Episode 19: Why quiet time in Yemen such a big deal?
Apr 24 2022
At the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, lies a country called Yemen. Lots of groups of people have been angry at each other and have been fighting a nasty war for over 7 years. Children haven't been able to go to school, people don't have work and food is hard to come by. Finally, last week, a truce (or some quiet time) was announced. 'If so many groups of people want to sit down and negotiate peace, I am not sure if that is easy' - says 9-year old Yoanna, in this episode. Liste...more
Episode 18: Wheat and Lemon - why are their prices hard to reckon
Apr 22 2022
Food prices all over the world are sky rocketing. Temperatures are soaring high. 'How come a war fought by Russia in a far away country seems to affect us in India, so badly? Why are poor countries like India affected more than rich countries, by food price increases?'Listen to this conversation with a 9-year old to explore how high food prices are, and what to expect next.If you have any thoughts or comments, please email us at hello@wsnt.inIf you would like to be alerted via whatsapp...more
Episode 17: Science: How can better rules protect marine life?
Apr 20 2022
Only a thin strip of water near the coastline is governed by countries. The rest of the oceans, called High Seas, is left largely ungoverned. A high seas treaty was to have helped safeguard the lives of marine creatures, reduce pollution of the seas through deep-sea mining and set up a framework by which the rich and poor countries can share genetic resources well.Listen to this conversation with a 9-year old who says 'if mining for new minerals can help us create clean vehicles but pollute...more
Episode 16: Why do workers in Amazon want to join 'unions'?
Apr 19 2022
Recently, a few thousand workers in a warehouse of Amazon in New York voted to be a part of a union. Why workers need to be part of unions? Won't this give them a lot of power over their bosses? Will more companies in other parts of the world also start unions?Listen to this conversation with a 9-year old to understand her world view of profit-focused companies vs. unions.If you have any thoughts or comments please share them via email to hello@wsnt.in.Follow us on http://twitter.com/@Whats...more
Episode 15: What are these wonder jars doing in Assam?
Apr 15 2022
Recently a few giant stone jars were discovered in North Eastern India (Assam). We are guessing that these jars were used to keep the ashes of the dead. Sometimes, they also contained some pretty beads and ancient bracelets. These stone jars are similar to the jars found in Laos."How does someone carry or lift a giant 3m high stone jar? Ancient humans must have been really strong, is it? How do we find if people in Assam migrated to Laos or people from Laos migrated to Assam?"To find a...more
Episode 14: Gee - why are Russians welcome in Turkey ?
Apr 15 2022
"Russia has attacked Ukraine. So do people avoid the bully? Like not talk to them or sit next to them at lunch? But wait....do we really have a problem with the people of Russia or only the Russian government?""Why is Turkey happy to welcome some Russians into their country?"Listen to this conversation between a 10-year old and a curious adult, who try to find answers to these questions together.Please share your thoughts or comments by email to hello@wsnt.inIf you are less ...more
Episode 13: Science for kids - why do we eat micro-plastics?
Apr 11 2022
'Did you know that most of us eat plastic, just like we eat rice or pasta?' None of us willingly orders a plate of plastic at a restaurant. But those little plastic straws and juice containers that we throw into the garbage bins at home can land up in our food plates. 'How does a plastic straw come back with our rice? Doesn't our body just send it all out?' Listen to the podcast to get answers to this question.What's new today is a family podcast where kids and pare...more
Episode 12: Why Sri Lankans are unable to get enough fuel and food
Apr 10 2022
"Why can't the Sri Lankans grow enough food for themselves? How do refugees free from an island nation? Why did the people not oppose bad governments many years ago - why wait till now?" - Questions posed by a 10-year old. Listen to this conversation between a 10-year old and an adult - that unravels how the crisis started in Sri Lanka, and what's going on there now. Email your queries and comments to hello@wsnt.inIf you would like to be alerted via whatsapp on new episodes, ...more
Episode 11: How are drones helping Ukraine fight its war
Apr 02 2022
Imagine the drones that you have seen in weddings taking photos? Something similar, only much bigger, is helping Ukraine fight its war against Russia. What's a drone? How do drones keep enemies at bay, in a war ? Did you know that even farmers use drones? And what is Dominoes planning to use them for?Listen to the podcast to find out more about this.If you have any thoughts or queries, please email us at hello@wsnt.in. We read every single text message that comes our way. If you send us you...more
Episode 10: How pig sounds help us understand animals better
Apr 01 2022
A short loud squeal vs a long grunt - one could mean excitement and the other anxiety. Each sound emitted by animals can give us excellent clues to understand their mental state better. If, you like many of us, are not very sure which is which - an app will likely be out shortly. If you listen to a new grunt around you and you upload it on the app, you might find out for yourself if the animal is filled with sorrow or is just plain hungry or thoroughly joyous. Why is this app important for us? W...more
Episode 9: Why is inflation here to stay?
Dec 22 2021
Before we understand the word inflation, listen to this story of how our Christmas gifts and everything else we order on our phones and laptops get to our homes. It begins with a little phone call or an order that our neighbourhood sellers make to our factories. As the pandemic struck us, workers in many factories have had a tough time getting to work and making things. This podcast tracks how a toy seller orders a small game of chess, gets it from his factory in China, manages to get a shipload...more
Episode 8: Why are we sending people to the moon
Dec 20 2021
Our story for today begins more than 50 years ago. It was a pleasant night in summer in July 1969. Well past 10 pm EST, people in the US sat up wide awake in front of their TV sets to watch a grainy, black and white video of man landing on the moon for the first time in the history of mankind. Following this stellar achievement, the US sent over 10 missions with many more crew members who set foot on the moon, collected rock samples and came back to earth. This frenzy of sending manned lunar mis...more
Episode 7: Why is Ukraine important for Russia ?
Dec 20 2021
Today's story begins over 30 years ago when a rather large country called the Soviet Union broke off into smaller units. One of them is a unit we call today as Russia. Many Russians were sad that some land parts that were close to their heart were lost to them. One of them was Ukraine. An old Russian civilisation called the Ruriks had set up their rule from Kiev, which is today the capital of Ukraine. In today's episode, we cover fun facts about Ukraine (did you know that Ukraine is t...more
Episode 6: What China's warplanes flying over Taiwan means
Oct 08 2021
China flew over 150 airplanes over the Taiwanese air defense zone in the past week or so. Taiwan retaliated with its aircrafts, alert to defend itself if a threat arose. So far, there hasn't been an open war. But what does this mean for Taiwan's independence and democracy ?Why does China want to attack Taiwan ?Taiwan is a tiny island near China. More than 70 years ago, two groups of people competed to win the right to rule China. A group called the Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, w...more
Episode 5: Nobel Prize for Physiology 2021 - decoded for kids
Oct 07 2021
The Nobel Prize for Physiology 2021 goes to two scientists who have helped us identify which receptors in our bodies sense heat, touch, temperature and pressure.In this podcast, we explain what these 4 receptors (TRPV1, TRPM8, PIEZO1, PIEZO2) mean, in simple terms for kids to understand. We also answer questions raised by our young listeners -a) We always knew that we had sensors for touch and heat that sent information to our brain. What does this research tell us additionally ?b) Why are these...more
Episode 4: Why Christmas might have fewer gifts, Dinosaurs were once cat-sized
Oct 05 2021
This festive season, grocery stores the world over may find fewer toys, furniture, clothes and other such items. After the pandemic, people started buying more things both on ecommerce portals and in person once the neighbourhood stores opened. As a result, factories in Asia - which is where most of the world gets its stuff, started producing more. But in the meanwhile, another little crisis had been brewing. This was the shipping crisis - some ports were still closed or had fewer workers to han...more
Episode 3: Internet satellites and light pollution
Oct 04 2021
SpaceX, Amazon and many more internet satellite companies are planning to send over 60,000 satellites into the space over the next few years. While this can serve many under-served parts of the world with faster and cheaper internet connectivity, this can also have a harmful impact, by way of light pollution.Light pollution is caused by the fact that there can be more visible satellites than there are visible stars. This can impact the ability of astronomers to see the night sky clearly. Also, t...more
Episode 2: Haitian refugee crisis, Prehistoric Australian eagle discovered
Oct 03 2021
Thousands of Haitians are camping outside the US, near the Mexican border, seeking refuge. These Haitians have spent over a decade living and working outside Haiti, in various countries in S.America, mainly Brazil and Chile. Haiti was impacted by an earthquake over a decade ago, and more recently in August this year. Jobs and food are scarce to come by in Haiti. The US, however, is turning back these refugees and sending them back in planes. Fossil remains of an Australian eagle have recently su...more
Episode 1: Truck driver shortage in UK, NASA's LANDSAT 9 goes into orbit
Sep 30 2021
People in UK face a shortage of fuel in fuel station and groceries in supermarkets, not due to shortage of food or fuel, but due to a shortage of truck drivers who can haul these items across the country. Between Brexit and the pandemic, the UK is faced with a grim winter. For the immediate future, the government plans to issue 10,000 more visas to combat the shortage. But it waits to be seen, how the government will sort this shortage out in the longer term.NASA's LANDSAT 9 was recently la...more
China faces power cuts, synthetic trees inventions can improve access to drinking water
Sep 29 2021
China's factories are faced with rising demand but these factories are unable to produce enough as they don't have enough power. China is keen on keeping its carbon emissions under control. So Chinese coal power stations are not allowed to increase power output in keeping with the rising demand. Chinese factories, as a result, are working fewer hours. Global supply chains involving phones, laptops, leather shoes, or textiles are likely to be impacted.Scientists from Virginia Tech have ...more
Google turns 23, Germany election results
Sep 28 2021
Google turned 23 on the 27th of Sep. Happy birthday Google ! As intricate as Google has become a part of our lives, there are many fascinating trivia about Google that we explore about its past. Its first servers were housed in Lego bricks, its lawns are mowed by a team of goats and its motto is 'Don't be evil'. If you want to see the picture of the Lego bricks and the first server of Google, you can access that at http://infolab.stanford.edu/pub/voy/museum/pictures/display/0-4-G...more
Jeff Bezos pledge to biodiversity, Active pups have better mental health
Sep 27 2021
Last week, the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and a few more billionaires pledged $5 billion towards protecting land and water. This money was to be used to conserve biodiversity - as in, taking care that a wide variety of species of birds, animals, trees and plants thrive well. Some of us might think of managing global warming by riding bicycles instead of cars, it would serve us well to remember that protecting the earth and conserving our trees and birds and animals, are equally important. This f...more
Netflix buys rights to Roald Dahl, Evergrande may fail, home team advantages
Sep 23 2021
Netflix has bought the rights to all of Roald Dahl's works. Netflix already has a series based on Charlie and the chocolate factory in the works. In addition, the company plans to release animated and live action movies or series on atleast 16 of his works. So, for those of you who love Willy Wonka, Matilda, BFG and more, there is a lot in store !Evergrande, a Chinese company that builds and sells properties is having trouble paying off its loans. Failure of Evergrande can affect the banks...more
India resumes vaccine exports, Autumn equinox, Guiness record of oldest twins
Sep 22 2021
If you lived in India, you would have known that there was a mad scramble for vaccine shots in April and May this year. A lot of people feared that there would not be enough vaccines going around. So, the government decided to stop exporting or sharing it with other nations. But now, as factories in the country are able to produce a lot more, India has decided to begin exporting again. India is the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines. So, when large manufacturers like India - restart export...more
Rising gas prices in Europe, China kids limit for videos, Ptesaur kids could fly
Sep 22 2021
Price of electricity in Europe is now more than double of what it was in January 2021. Winter has been more prolonged this year, going right upto March. People needed more power to keep their homes heated this year. As more people worked from homes, there was more demand for power from residences, almost up 8% this year. Supply of natural gas from Russia has declined. Food prices in Europe are also going up. It might be a tough year for European consumers this winter.China video-game sharing co...more
Afghan schools for boys, Australia buys submarines, birds learn from inside their eggs
Sep 21 2021
Taliban's new rules allow schools to open, but only for boys. Schools are facing shortages of teachers since many of the roles of teachers till recently were filled by women. UN aid agencies are trying to pressure the Taliban to open schools for girls too.Australia scraps a deal with France to buy submarines. Instead Australia goes ahead and buys nuclear powered submarines from the USA. Threatened by China's growing naval fleet, the US offers to share its nuclear technology with Austra...more
Introducing 'What's new today'
Sep 20 2021
Welcome to 'What's new today', a lively kids and families podcast. We invite children in every episode to co-host the show with Sangeetha (the host), and they chat about current events. These conversations are unscripted, filled with wit and curiosity. New episodes will be released every Monday and Friday.Video excerpts and behind the scenes shots of our podcast episodes can be found on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatsnewtoday_wsnt_podcast/Our goal in creating this podca...more