Everything Under The Sun

In this week's show we answer three questions from Tasso, Lily and Mia with help from special guest expert Dan Stevens. 

Dan Stevens is an English actor who now lives in America, he shot to fame in Downton Abbey and has since been in The Man Who Invented Christmas, Night at the Museum and Eurovision. 

Dan tells us all about why actors love a stage to perform on as well as why they wear make up and costumes plus we find out about the history of make up including how our cousins, the Neanderthals wore make up 50,000 years ago! 

We find out how many people there are in the world right now and how many there are likely to be in the future as well as how many babies were born today! 

In answering Mia’s question we find out that there aren’t even numbers of boys born as girls and why that is. 

Social media:

Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod

Twitter: @everythinguts

Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield

Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk

Find out how to submit an answer on our website.

Molly Oldfield studied History at Oxford before becoming a QI elf, writing and researching questions for the BBC quiz show for twelve years. She has written three books. They are The Secret Museum, a book about all the things that are in museums that rarely, if ever, go on display; Wonders of the World’s Museums filled with things you can see, and Natural Wonders of the World about all kinds of creatures and places on our beautiful planet we call home. 

This podcast will also be published as Everything Under the Sun – A Year of Curious Questions in September 2021 by Ladybird at Penguin Random House. 

Dan Stevens twitter: @thatdanstevens

With thanks to Ash Gardner, Tyler Simmons Dale and Audio Networks

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In this week's show we answer three questions from Goldie, Tasso and Sophia with help from special guest expert Zephyr Wildman. 

Zephyr is a wonderful yoga teacher who teaches in London as well as on retreats around the world and knows all about yoga. 

We find out how yoga helps us with focus, memory and resilience and how practicing can help us feel more peaceful. We discover the history of yoga – how it began in Northern India, how priests started it and when it came over to the west. Also it’s really fun to make yoga shapes with our bodies!

We talk about the fastest dog in the world, the Greyhound as well as some of the slowest and the reasons why they run fast or slowly and how all dogs love a good walk and run each day. 

We find out how rabbits bounce as well as the Grand Nationals for rabbits held in Norway and other countries. 

Social media:

Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod

Twitter: @everythinguts

Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield

Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk

Find out how to submit an answer on our website.

Molly Oldfield studied History at Oxford before becoming a QI elf, writing and researching questions for the BBC quiz show for twelve years. She has written three books. They are The Secret Museum, a book about all the things that are in museums that rarely, if ever, go on display; Wonders of the World’s Museums filled with things you can see, and Natural Wonders of the World about all kinds of creatures and places on our beautiful planet we call home. 

This podcast will also be published as Everything Under the Sun – A Year of Curious Questions in September 2021 by Ladybird at Penguin Random House. 

More about Zephyr and her classes here: https://zephyryoga.com

With thanks to Ash Gardner, Tyler Simmons Dale, Billy Colours, Audio Networks. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In this week's show we answer lots of questions from Tabitha, Jensen, Eleanor, Alice, Ollie, Jack, Chessie and Eleanor with help from the wonderful writer Neil Gaiman. 

Neil is the author of lots of books for children and adults including Coraline, Stardust, Fortunately The Milk, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, picture books about a sneezing panda called Chu, American Gods and much more. He knows a lot about magic and mystery and helps us uncover the secrets of Christmas Eve.

Neil answers lots of questions about Christmas Eve and Father Christmas and explains how the magic is made possible on this most special of nights. 

We find out about Wilson Snowflake Bentley who was the first person to photograph snowflakes. 

And we delve into the history of Boxing Day and how it got its name. 

Happy Christmas! 

Social media:

Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod

Twitter: @everythinguts

Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield

Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk

Find out how to submit an answer on our website.

Molly Oldfield studied History at Oxford before becoming a QI elf, writing and researching questions for the BBC quiz show for twelve years. She has written three books. They are The Secret Museum, a book about all the things that are in museums that rarely, if ever, go on display; Wonders of the World’s Museums filled with things you can see, and Natural Wonders of the World about all kinds of creatures and places on our beautiful planet we call home. 

This podcast will also be published as Everything Under the Sun – A Year of Curious Questions in September 2021 by Ladybird at Penguin Random House. 

Check out Neil on twitter @neilhimself

With thanks to Tyler Simmons Dale, Ash Gardner and Billy Colours. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's show we answer questions from Orla, Emilia, Zac, Ambrose and Portia with help from special guest expert Lee Davies from Kew Gardens in London. 

Lee is curator of fungi at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Lee tells us all about mushrooms and toadstools and why they like the dark. Plus we uncover the biggest living thing in the world, which happens to be an enormous mushroom! 

We find out about how the movement of the earth and the sun creates different seasons around the world as well as what happens at the equator in the tropics. 

Find out all about the Northern Lights and what the similar lights in Australia are called as well as why the fire brigade was called when the Northern Lights made it to England! 

Social media:

Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod

Twitter: @everythinguts

Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield

Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk

Find out how to submit an answer on our website.

Molly Oldfield studied History at Oxford before becoming a QI elf, writing and researching questions for the BBC quiz show for twelve years. She has written three books. They are The Secret Museum, a book about all the things that are in museums that rarely, if ever, go on display; Wonders of the World’s Museums filled with things you can see, and Natural Wonders of the World about all kinds of creatures and places on our beautiful planet we call home. 

This podcast will also be published as Everything Under the Sun – A Year of Curious Questions in September 2021 by Ladybird at Penguin Random House. Waterstones link is here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/everything-under-the-sun/molly-oldfield/9780241433461

Lee Davies  - https://www.kew.org/science/our-science/people/lee-davies

With thanks to Tyler Simmons Dale, Ash Gardner, Audio Networks. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's show we answer three questions from Evangeline, Roman and Clara with help from special guest expert the artist Grayson Perry.

Grayson is a world-renowned artist, writer and TV presenter and works a lot with clay to make incredible pots so he is the perfect person to answer Clara’s question.

We discover how to make clay last forever and what temperature it needs to go in the oven at in a great answer recorded in Grayson’s art studio.

We also find out ways to make fire and how humans discovered it and how to create it. Plus what things can burst into flame by themselves, from nuts to computers!

In the third question we talk about the invention of chimney sweeps, the rules they lived by and why it was usually boys who did the job. But girls did it too! Plus how we clean chimneys now.

Social media:

Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod and @mollyoldfieldwrites

Twitter: @everythinguts @mollyoldfield

Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield

Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk

Find out how to submit an answer on our website.

Molly Oldfield studied History at Oxford before becoming a QI elf, writing and researching questions for the BBC quiz show for twelve years. She has written three books. They are The Secret Museum, a book about all the things that are in museums that rarely, if ever, go on display; Wonders of the World’s Museums filled with things you can see, and Natural Wonders of the World about all kinds of creatures and places on our beautiful planet we call home.

This podcast will also be published as Everything Under the Sun – A Year of Curious Questions in September 2021 by Ladybird at Penguin Random House.

For more info about Grayson Perry check out his twitter: @alan_measles and Instagram: @alanmeasles

With thanks to Ash Gardner for the theme song, Tyler Simmons Dale for editing and Billy Colours for artwork and Audio Networks for the music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to the second series of Everything Under The Sun! Thanks for sending in your questions.

In this week's show we answer three questions from Ithaca, Benji and Elijah with help from special guest expert Sir Richard Branson.

Richard Branson founded Virgin Records, Virgin airways and now Virgin Galactic which is working hard to make it easier for people to go into space. One day flying to space might be as easy as flying from London to Paris.

Richard knows all about why rockets fly to planets and tells us the different reasons humans might want to fly them and leave earth in search of adventure.

We discover how far a helium balloon will travel if you let go of it outside and what will happen to it and why. We also talk about why helium makes your voice squeaky and what makes it go low. Plus, find out about the record-breaking man who flew into the air tied onto 600 balloons.

Discover how many satellites there are in space, where a record of them is kept and what they do!

Plus we have a competition to win a Tonies Box! And a competition to win the chance to ask Neil Gaiman a Christmas question on Christmas Day on Everything Under The Sun!

Social media:

Instagram: @everythingunderthesunpod and @mollyoldfieldwrites

Twitter: @everythinguts

Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield

Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk

Find out how to submit an answer on our website.

Molly Oldfield studied History at Oxford before becoming a QI elf, writing and researching questions for the BBC quiz show for twelve years. She has written three books. They are The Secret Museum, a book about all the things that are in museums that rarely, if ever, go on display; Wonders of the World’s Museums filled with things you can see, and Natural Wonders of the World about all kinds of creatures and places on our beautiful planet we call home. This podcast will also be published as Everything Under the Sun – A Year of Curious Questions in September 2021 by Ladybird at Penguin Random House.

Check out Virgin Galactic - www.virgingalactic.com

Check out Tonies at www.tonies.com

With thanks to Ash Gardner at House of Strange for the theme song, Audio Networks for the music and Billy Colours for the logo.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we answer three questions, how are dictionaries made? How are Blue Plaques decided and how is earwax made?

Our guest expert is Catherine Sangster from the Oxford English Dictionary!

Find out who the first blue plaque ever was for and how they are made in Cornwall.

Do subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen to it and tell all your friends!

For more info go to www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk

Thank you!

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Today we answer four spring like questions, they are from Seraphina, Alex, Elizabeth and Anurada they are:

how do buds appear on trees? 

how do trees make their leaves? 

what the husks of seeds are made out of?

Why are blueberries skin blue? 

A big thank you to Seraphina, Elizabeth, Anurada and Alex for this week’s questions and to Jess Evans at the National Trust and Alys Fowler for this week’s excellent answers about buds, leaves and the husks of seeds! 

Remember to send everyone who doesn’t know about it and might like it the link to the podcast and ask them to subscribe to the show. If you get time you can leave a review and send me a question! To send a question just ask an adult to borrow their smartphone, record yourself saying your name and your age and a bit about yourself and send it into me at [email protected]

Thanks everyone! Sending lots of love for a good week ahead, thank you and GOODBYE!

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Hello and welcome to episode 58 of Everything Under The Sun – I hope everyone is doing okay at home!

This week we're talking about sleepy sloths, dreams and camels.

Our first question is about a sleepy animal, called a sloth and it comes from Alice, 5, she would like to know why do sloths sleep so much? 

We also discuss Catrin's question, which is why do we dream? 

I have David Eagleman who is a neuroscientist - that’s someone who studies the brain - and a best selling author. He has written books all about the brain and is interested in dreams, he has an answer for you, over to David!  

Our third question is about something grumpy which you might feel if you don't get enough sleep, or you have a bad dream it is from Christopher. He would like to know why are camels grumpy? 

A big thank you to Christopher, Catrin and Alice for this week’s questions and to David Eagleman for talking to us about why we dream! 

I hope you all have a lovely week, coming up with fun things to do while you’re all at home and wishing you all sweet dreams.

Do send everyone who doesn’t know about it and might like it the link to the podcast and ask them to subscribe to the show. If you get time you can leave a review and send me a question! To send a question just ask an adult to borrow their smartphone, record yourself saying your name and your age and a bit about yourself and send it into me at [email protected]

If your parents are on instagram tell them to follow @mollyoldfieldwrites so we can all stay in touch! 

Thanks everyone! Sending lots of love for a good week ahead, thank you and GOODBYE!

David Eagleman - https://www.eagleman.com

Podcast website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk

Twitter @mollyoldfield

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Hello and welcome to episode 57 of Everything Under The Sun – a weekly podcast answering all the most pressing questions children around the world have about life on earth!

Even though we can’t visit any at the moment there are still lots of countries out there filled with children doing the same thing as you – staying at home! I thought we’d have an episode with questions about different things in other countries this week so we can imagine places we might go in the world in the future.

Our first question is a BIG one and it comes from Annabel.

How many countries are there in the world and how were they made?

Alastair Pinkerton, who is Geography professor at Royal Holloway University has the answer!

We also find out why the Red Sea is called the Red Sea and why Poland has a desert thanks to questions from Iris and Jagoda.

Remember to subscribe to Everything Under The Sun on apple podcasts, ACast or wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode!

To send a question just ask an adult to borrow their smartphone, record yourself saying your name and your age and a bit about yourself and send it into me at [email protected]

Thanks everyone! Sending lots of love for a good week ahead, thank you and GOODBYE!

For a link to Natural Wonders of the world go here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Wonders-World-Discover-marvels/dp/1526360667

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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