On this episode of Here's Why, we're talking about lithium-ion batteries, and why the airlines care about you bringing them on airplanes. Lithium-ion batteries are used in products that we see every day, including our smartphones, activity trackers, flashlights, laptops, tablets, and more. We'll talk with experts about why you're asked about them at the airport, the risks they pose, safety precautions you can take and how current safety science research around lithium-ion batteries can impact your everyday lives.

On this episode of Here's Why we're talking about materials and why they matter. Everything that goes into making our everyday products is sourced from a variety of different places. How we source those materials is an important step in building our sustainable future. Our guests today are not only focused on new materials discovery, they're also focused on efficiencies, reducing waste, and lowering manufacturing costs, all in the name of combating climate change.

Welcome to Here's Why: a new podcast from UL Research Institutes. At UL Research Institutes, we're a global leader in safety science, and our teams are made up of scientists, researchers, chemists, safety experts and beyond. Together, we work toward safety for the greater good. In this podcast, we'll talk with experts from within our Institutes and some of the best and brightest minds in the safety science community to take you behind the scenes and into the science informing the most common standards, regulations and safety advice on products you use every single day. You can tune in to our Here's Why podcast series on Spotify, Apple podcasts and Google podcasts, and visit UL.org for more information.

On this episode of Here's Why, we're talking about teaching science in schools and why it matters. We'll talk to three experienced teachers about safety science education, why it's relevant for educators, how it can fit into an already developed curriculum, and some resources ULRI provides to support teachers.