SolveItForKids Science podcast

Happy Holidays! Jennifer and Jeff are on vacation, but don't miss our BEST of Science in Your Backyard compilation with snippets from episodes with some of our favorite "backyard" scientists- Dr. Loree Griffin Burns, Dr. Colleen Kelley, and Dr. Anne Estes. Take a listen to these FUN episodes that discuss moths, stinky plants, and how YOU are like a Dung Beetle.

Our last episode of the season may just be our best! Our guest is the awesome Dr. Alan Stern, the principal investigator for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. The FIRST spacecraft to explore Pluto and its moons up close. Don't miss this FASCINATING and out-of-this-world chat which will take you to the farthest reaches of our solar system, where New Horizons is heading next!

Toilet Paper. It's something you use every day. But do you ever think about how it's MADE? We have chemical engineer Madion Matson on our show today to chat about the in-depth chemical and material processes that go into making the one thing none of us want to be without! Listen and you may just learn some surprising facts about toilet paper!

We all know that people have germs, but do WHALES have germs? Listen to this awesome chat with Dr. Amy Apprill of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as she explains that - YES, they do! Her team is doing some amazing research with whales that involve getting up close and personal with them as well as using drones to learn all about their microbes and what they can tell us. Don't miss this chance to learn about one of the biggest animals in the ocean!

Have you ever wondered how bridges are demolished? Engineers must use BIG cranes to do it. Listen to this FUN and fascinating chat with Bridge Engineer Luis Duque as he explains how they dismantle a bridge piece by piece. He even shares with us how bridge inspections are done and tells us about the very famous bridge he is working on right now!

Snakes! If you've ever wonder what it would be like to work as a herptologist and handle snakes in a zoo, you're about to find out. Join us for our lively discussion with Herptology Curator Travis Land as he talks all about the slithering, side-winding creatures he works with on a daily basis.

Teachers are amazingly innovative! When music teacher Laurie Orth wanted to get her students to learn the recorder she decided to use SPACE to do it! Listen to this FUN, music-filled episode with STEAM pioneer educator Laurie as she teaches us how music and space go together! (We even get her to do a few songs for us).

Do you ever wonder how engineers solve problems? Or why they test things over and over? We have Dr. Cory Hixon, an assistant professor of engineering at Colorado Christian University to explain it all. He has some pretty amazing ways to teach future engineers. Don't miss this fascinating conversation. And DO his challenge, too.

Ocean Pollution is a serious problem. How do scientists study it? And what can be done about this? Listen to this fascinating and fact-filled chat with Dr. Padma Venkatraman, who is not only an esteemed oceanographer but also an award-winning author! Dr. Padma explains the science of pollution and challenges us all to help clean it up!

When you think of NASA, you might think of astronauts, but NASA employs tons of people whose jobs are also important to the agency. Take a listen to Kirsten Larson, former NASA public affairs officer, now children's author, who gives us a behind-the-scenes peek into how NASA helps the public understand how a space agency helps people on the ground!