Big If True

We're re-releasing our very first episode! Our guest on that show, Mills Kelly, has a new podcast called The Green Tunnel, all about the history of the Appalachian Trail. You should check it out wherever you get your podcasts!

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Today we're learning about hair that's larger than life! In the past, rich and powerful folks have used their hair to show off how great they were--but all that hair power comes with a price. We talk to Emma Markiewicz about hair and big wigs on today's episode.

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This week we're launching into space! We're learning all about the rocket that propelled astronauts all the way to the moon: the Saturn V. Our guest, Michael Neufeld of the National Air and Space Museum, tells us all about what these giant rockets are, what they do, and why we stopped using them.
Show notes, including a full transcript, available at bigiftrue.abbymullen.org.

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Airships are giant balloons with engines! They've been used for recreation, espionage, defense, and more. Our guest Brett Holman tells us about these giant airborne vehicles, and what happens when people get a little bit too paranoid about them...

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The Tokyo 2020(1) Olympics are starting! So we wanted to find out a little more about what the Olympics are, and why they work the way they do. We talk to Dr. Matt Hodler, a historian of sport, to learn more about this big sporting event.

Show notes are available at bigiftrue.abbymullen.org.

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In this special July 4-themed episode, we're talking about a staple of many people's Independence Day celebration: giant explosions! Whether you love fireworks or hate them, you'll learn something about where they come from and how they're made with our expert Simon Werrett!

Show notes at https://bigiftrue.abbymullen.org/uncategorized/fireworks/.

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In this episode of Big If True, we travel to ancient Egypt---or a fictional version of ancient Egypt, which is the setting for Aida, an opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Today we're talking to Steven White about this grand opera, and what it takes to make such a production. This episode is for you even if you don't know anything about opera, or you think you don't like opera!

Shownotes, including full transcript and links to full recordings of the opera, at bigiftrue.abbymullen.org.

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In today’s episode, we’re talking about World War II on Memorial Day weekend. We don’t have time to talk about even a fraction of the war, so we’re just touching on a few topics that we’re interested in about how American soldiers got to the front. Our guest, Kim Guise of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, answers all our questions!

Show notes are at https://bigiftrue.abbymullen.org/uncategorized/world-war-ii/.

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Volcanoes are really big and really dangerous! Right now, one volcano in a big chain of volcanoes in the Caribbean is erupting. It's called La Soufriere de Saint Vincent. We talked to Charlie Mandeville of the US Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program about La Soufriere, and about volcanoes more generally.

Show notes, including a full transcript and lots of additional information, are at https://bigiftrue.abbymullen.org/uncategorized/la-soufriere/.

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Did you hear the story about the ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal? Did you find the story super confusing because it seemed so improbable? Today's episode is about the Ever Given, the ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal at the end of March. Our expert, Sal Mercogliano, talks us through what container ships are, why they're so important, and what in the world happened to the Ever Given!

Big If True is a podcast for curious kids and kids at heart, where a nine-year-old and her mom explore things that are big and true. You can find our shownotes, including a full transcript, at bigiftrue.abbymullen.org.

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