The Big Why

Pencils down! Does that phrase bring back some anxiety-inducing memories? What if, like in your bad dreams, it's an exam you haven't studied for? A listener wants to know why student test scores have stopped rising. The answer involves triangles and time. Learn more in this lesson of The Big Why. There won't be a quiz afterward.

Elk are a familiar sight in much of Montana now, but that hasn't always been the case. By the early 1900s, unregulated hunting had led to massive declines in wildlife nationwide. But In Yellowstone, elk populations were exploding thanks to protections in place there. The solution to restoring elk outside the park seemed obvious. Less obvious was how to make it happen. This week on the Big Why, we trace the animals' bumpy path from the living laboratory called Yellowstone Park to the Bitterroot Valley and beyond.

If you’ve been to a taproom, you know that at most breweries across the state there’s a three pint limit and they stop serving at 8 p.m. One listener wants to know why. We've got answers. Pull up a stool, crack open a local brew and settle in for a taproom tale – or some barroom banter, depending on the time of day.

How do cabbage and spices become ingredients for community building? In Korea, the answer is kimjang, the fall tradition of making and sharing kimchi. This week on The Big Why, we visit a farm in the Bitterroot Valley where a group of Montanans came together to keep a food custom alive and find comfort and connection among the cabbage.

In Montana, abortion access has been at times illegal, legal, and stuck in limbo. Providers have weathered bombings and arson, advocates and opponents have battled it out in court, and citizens have passed a constitutional amendment affirming a woman's right to choose. One listener wants to know more about the history of reproductive rights in Montana. MTPR's Aaron Bolton reports on the underground networks, political violence and landmark court cases that got us to where we are today.

A flag's primary purpose is to be recognized from a distance. That means few colors, no lettering and a clear distinction from other flags. Ideally, it should be simple enough for a child to draw it from memory. So, how did Montana end up with such a complicated flag? Learn more in this episode of The Big Why.

This week on The Big Why, we’re exploring Montana’s 56 counties. A listener from Billings wants to know how they got their shapes. Finding the answer led MTPR's Austin Amestoy down a rabbit hole where he found a saga of boom and bust, backroom dealing and an unlikely folk hero.

This week: A second edition of "The Little Why," where we tackle questions from our younger listeners. Saddle up, grab the reins and ride along with us as we learn about wild horses in Montana.

The word "wildfire" often conjures dramatic images of walls of flame, charred landscapes and one particularly famous photo of elk in a river, surrounded by flames. So, how do wildlife fare during these big fires? This week on The Big Why, a listener asks, why we don't get any statistics on wildlife that die in wildfires.

This week on The Big Why: A listener is curious about recyclables that don’t get recycled in Montana. Namely, why is plastic recycling so limited? "We're all encouraged to recycle. But when it comes right down to it, what happens to the things we actually recycle?"