July 25, 2025 • 14 mins
For today’s episode, we’re doing something a little different! We’re going to be listening to our video series, But Why Bites! (Even without the video part, they’re really cool!) Every other week over on our YouTube channel, we answer one kid question in a short and sweet little video. You can find all of them at the But Why Kids channel while you enjoy this compilation of episodes that we’re calling a Big Bite.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jane (00:00):
Hey, Jane, here for today's episode. We're doing
something a little different.We're going to be listening to
our online video series, But WhyBites. Every other week over on
our YouTube channel, we answerone kid question in a short and
sweet little video. You can findall of them at the But Why kids
channel on YouTube, and we havea link to this compilation of
(00:22):
episodes in our show notes.We're calling it a Big Bite. But
if you're more of a listeningkid, this episode is for you.
We're calling it a Big Bite.Hope you enjoy it!
Louie (00:38):
Why do people change presidents?
Jane (00:43):
One of the big differences between the U.S. president and a
king or queen or Supreme Leaderis that the President doesn't
stay in power as the leader ofthe country forever. A president
can only serve two, four yearterms. That's it. Well,
technically, the president canonly be elected twice, but they
could serve a few more years ifthey're appointed first, like if
(01:05):
the president they're replacinghas decided to step down or has
died while in office. Butgenerally speaking, a president
can only serve two terms. That'sactually only been a rule since
1951. Before that, there was noofficial limit on how many times
someone could be electedpresident. But after the first
U.S. president, GeorgeWashington stepped down after
(01:27):
two terms, it became kind of anunwritten rule. But then one guy
named Franklin Delano Rooseveltwas elected four times in the
1930s and 40s, and after that,an amendment was made to the
Constitution making that ruleabout only getting elected
twice. Now, the reason we havethis whole president thing in
the first place is because theU.S. was founded with the idea
(01:50):
of democracy, that people have aright to choose their leader,
not be ruled by someone who theydon't choose. And if we elect
someone new every four or eightyears, the idea is no one can
become president for life. Idon't know about you, but there
are a lot of things I'd likebetter than a president for
life. How about ice cream forlife? Or puppies for life? A
(02:14):
lifetime supply of puppies! Nowthat's something I'd be happy to
vote for.
These dancers behind me are withthe Dance Theatre of Harlem, and
they're preparing for anupcoming show. Look at how
strong and beautiful they are,and sometimes they look like
they're dancing right on thetips of their toes. How do they
(02:35):
do that?
Harper (02:40):
Why do ballerinas wear ballet shoes?
Jane (02:45):
Some ballet shoes are just simple slippers that help ensure
a dancer doesn't slide on thestage when they don't want to.
But often, when we think aboutballet shoes, we're picturing
pointe shoes that help a dancerdance right up on top of their
toes.Toe or pointe shoes spelledP, O, I N, T, E, started being
(03:07):
used by dancers in the 1800sthey're designed to support a
dancer's foot and take some ofthe weight of the dancer,
allowing them to lift up ontotheir toes without crushing or
breaking delicate foot bones.But it takes years of practice
and building up of musclesbefore a ballet dancer can start
dancing on point. LindseyDonnell is a company dancer with
(03:29):
Dance Theatre of Harlem. She'sbeen dancing since she was three
years old, but wasn't allowed togo on pointe until she was 11.
What did it feel like when yourteacher first said, Okay, you
can dance on pointe.
Lindsey Donnell (03:42):
I was so excited. It was a dream come
true, because that is what I'vebeen working for.
Jane (03:47):
Why did you have to wait so long?
Lindsey Donnell (03:49):
I had to train and build technique and muscle
strength to make sure that mytoes could support my whole body
weight.
Jane (03:56):
How long does a pair of pointe shoes last?
Lindsey Donnell (03:59):
It depends on what we're doing, also sometimes
the time of year, because whenin the summer, when it's really
hot and sweaty, they'll breakdown. I usually go through about
two pairs a week.
Jane (04:10):
So in the course of a year, that means you could be
going through 100 pairs or more.
Lindsey Donnell (04:14):
That's right.
Jane (04:16):
But that being said, even the best shoes aren't making the
dancer brilliant. That's alldown to the strength and beauty
of the dancer herself, so shecan hop, pirouette and arabesque
on the tips of her toes.
If you're ever in the path of atotal solar eclipse, the skies
will darken like nighttime andstars will be visible during the
(04:38):
day. But don't worry, you won'thave to get your PJs on. A total
eclipse only lasts for a fewminutes. But why does the sun
disappear?
Camila (04:52):
What is a solar eclipse?
Jane (04:55):
A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the
Sun and the Earth. As the moonmoves in its orbit, it will
partially cover the sun for overan hour, until the sun is
totally blocked. That's calledtotality. The sky will be dark
and the sun's corona, the gassyatmosphere, will be visible.
Totality can last anywhere fromone to seven minutes, depending
(05:18):
on where you are in the path.Then the eclipse will be partial
for another hour or more again,as the moon continues in its
orbit away from the sun. It'srare to have a total eclipse in
any one place, so seeing one canbe a once in a lifetime
experience, and some peopletravel all over the world to
catch one. If you're going towatch an eclipse, you need to
(05:39):
protect your eyes. The brightlight of the sun can damage them
even while the moon is partiallyin front of it. So you have to
wear something like theseeclipse glasses. Once the sun is
totally covered, it's safe tobriefly remove those glasses and
look up. You may see the sun'scorona, but once the Eclipse
moves back into partiality, it'simportant to put your glasses
(06:02):
back on. If you don't have anyeclipse glasses, that's okay.
Try to get near a tree and lookat the ground. The shadows of
the sun passing through theleaves should make some really
cool shapes.
Coming up more But Why Bites.We'll be learning about
jellyfish, cat whiskers,dolphins and chameleons.
This is But Why (06:26):
a Podcast for Curious Kids. I'm Jane Lindholm.
We're listening to the Big Bite,a bunch of episodes from our
YouTube series But Why Bites.Let's dive back in.
An estimated 150 million peopleget stung by jellies each year.
How can an animal that's 95percent water, with no brain, be
(06:48):
so venomous?
Clinton (06:53):
Do all jellyfish sting?
Jane (06:55):
All jellies can sting. They have cells called
pneumatocysts inside theirtentacles that release venom
when touched. A single tentaclecan contain thousands of
pneumatocysts making for a verypotent attack. If a small fish
or other animal swims into thetentacles and gets stung, the
(07:16):
venom paralyzes them, allowingthe jelly to bring the fish up
to its mouth and eat it. Thatvenom also acts as the jelly's
main defense mechanism. If youbrush up against the tentacles,
those pneumatocysts spring intoaction to protect the jelly.
Jellies have no brain and noheart, and they're technically
not fish. Although a few speciescan actively hunt, most jellies
(07:40):
swim along with the current inthe ocean, trailing their
tentacles and waiting forsomething to swim into them.
Some jellies are tiny, with abody the size of your thumbnail,
while others, like the lion'smane jelly, can be eight feet
across and have tentacles thatstretch 100 feet. But most
jellies are not dangerous tohumans. In fact, you wouldn't
(08:02):
even feel many species stings,but a few species are quite
dangerous. So it's always a goodidea to steer clear of jellies
if you're not sure what you'relooking at. And whatever you do,
don't pee on a jelly sting.That's a myth, and could
actually do more harm than good.
Cats come in all shapes andsizes. Some are small and live
(08:26):
in our homes, and others arelarge and live in the jungle.
But there's one thing they allhave in common, whiskers and not
just for show, those bristlyhairs have an important job.
Bryce (08:42):
Why do cats have whiskers?
Jane (08:46):
When I think of a cat's whiskers, I'm usually picturing
the ones right here, but catshave whiskers in other places
too, above the eyes, on thechin, on the fore, legs, near
the ears and above the upperlip, that's a lot of whiskers.
Whiskers are thicker, stifferand longer than most of a cat's
fur, and they're more deeplyembedded around the root of each
(09:09):
whisker are nerve endings thatcan send a signal from the tip
of the whisker right to a cat'sbrain. Whiskers help a cat sense
its surroundings. They can sensenot only the slightest touch,
like a speck of dust landingnear an eyelid, but even
differences in air currents andair pressure so a cat doesn't
have to be touching a piece offurniture or its favorite prey
(09:30):
to know it's there. That'sespecially helpful at night,
when many wild cats like to huntfor their food, whiskers help
them essentially see in thedark. Most house cats have 12
whiskers on each cheek, for atotal of 24. Lions have four or
five rows of whiskers on eachside of their face, and the top
row has a different pattern, soresearchers can use their
(09:53):
whiskers like fingerprints totell each lion apart. One more
cool fact about these specialhairs, cats whiskers have
special sensory organs calledproprioceptors that help a cat
stay balanced. Who knew whiskerswere part of the secret to why
cats always land on their feet.
Nancy (10:15):
Why do dolphins jump in the air?
Jane (10:23):
There's lots of debate about why dolphins jump out of
the water, but we know at leastone of the things they do while
they're up there, they grab abreath of fresh air. Like us,
dolphins are mammals. Thatmeans, even though they live in
the sea, they need to breatheair to survive. When they're
under water, they hold theirbreath and they have some pretty
impressive lungs. One speciescalled rissos, or gray dolphins,
(10:47):
can stay down for as long as 30minutes. Other species have more
like a 10 or 15 minute limit.Let's see how long we can hold
our breath, ready?
I guess I'm no dolphin. So whenthey jump, they can take that
big, deep breath, and then theycan peek at what's happening up
(11:08):
above the water while they'rethere. Another reason they jump
could be for speed. There's lessresistance when you're flying
through the air. If you see adolphin shooting up out of the
water really fast and thensmacking down hard, it might be
trying to get rid of a whalesucker, a type of fish that
latches onto the dolphin's skinto eat parasites it finds there.
(11:28):
That does sound irritating. Andif you're saying to yourself
that if you were a dolphin,you'd leap out of the water just
for the fun of it, you might beonto something. Though, jumping
does take a lot of energy.Scientists think dolphins
sometimes do it just becausethey like it gives new meaning
to the phrase jumping for joy!
Jonathan (11:53):
How do chameleons change color?
Jane (11:56):
You've probably heard that chameleons change color to blend
into their background and hide,but new research shows they're
more often adjusting appearancein order to regulate their body
temperature or to communicate.Chameleons can't just match the
pattern of any environment theyfind themselves in, and to be
honest, they usually don't haveto. They're already pretty well
(12:17):
camouflaged. They can get alittle lighter or darker,
though, to better match theirsurroundings. And since lizards
are ectothermic, meaning theycan't regulate their own body
temperature, they sometimeschange their hue to help them
absorb more or less sunlight,but their most dramatic color
changes are saved forcommunication, to attract a mate
(12:39):
or defend their territory. Tomake bold colors chameleons have
special nanocrystals in theirskin that they can move closer
together or farther apart bytensing and relaxing. Changing
the positions of those crystalsallows them to reflect different
wavelengths of light, makingthem appear different colors.
Wish I could do that!
(13:02):
That's our last But Why Bite fortoday? If you want to see this
episode and all the coolgraphics that go with it, check
out our YouTube channel But WhyKids. You'll find a direct link
in the show notes. As always, ifyou have a question about
anything, have an adult record.You asking it on a smartphone.
You can use an app like voicememos, then have your adult
(13:22):
email the file toquestions@butwykids.org But Why
is produced by Melody Bodette,Sarah Baik, and me, Jane
Lindholm at Vermont Public anddistributed by PRX. Our video
producer is Joey Palumbo, andour theme music is by Luke
Reynolds. If you like our show,please have your adults help you
give us a thumbs up or a reviewon whatever podcast platform you
(13:45):
use. We'll be back in two weekswith an all new episode. Until
then, stay curious. You
Hey, Jane, here for today's episode. We're doing
something a little different.We're going to be listening to
our online video series, But WhyBites. Every other week over on
our YouTube channel, we answerone kid question in a short and
sweet little video. You can findall of them at the But Why kids
channel on YouTube, and we havea link to this compilation of
(00:22):
episodes in our show notes.We're calling it a Big Bite. But
if you're more of a listeningkid, this episode is for you.
We're calling it a Big Bite.Hope you enjoy it!
Louie (00:38):
Why do people change presidents?
Jane (00:43):
One of the big differences between the U.S. president and a
king or queen or Supreme Leaderis that the President doesn't
stay in power as the leader ofthe country forever. A president
can only serve two, four yearterms. That's it. Well,
technically, the president canonly be elected twice, but they
could serve a few more years ifthey're appointed first, like if
(01:05):
the president they're replacinghas decided to step down or has
died while in office. Butgenerally speaking, a president
can only serve two terms. That'sactually only been a rule since
1951. Before that, there was noofficial limit on how many times
someone could be electedpresident. But after the first
U.S. president, GeorgeWashington stepped down after
(01:27):
two terms, it became kind of anunwritten rule. But then one guy
named Franklin Delano Rooseveltwas elected four times in the
1930s and 40s, and after that,an amendment was made to the
Constitution making that ruleabout only getting elected
twice. Now, the reason we havethis whole president thing in
the first place is because theU.S. was founded with the idea
(01:50):
of democracy, that people have aright to choose their leader,
not be ruled by someone who theydon't choose. And if we elect
someone new every four or eightyears, the idea is no one can
become president for life. Idon't know about you, but there
are a lot of things I'd likebetter than a president for
life. How about ice cream forlife? Or puppies for life? A
(02:14):
lifetime supply of puppies! Nowthat's something I'd be happy to
vote for.
These dancers behind me are withthe Dance Theatre of Harlem, and
they're preparing for anupcoming show. Look at how
strong and beautiful they are,and sometimes they look like
they're dancing right on thetips of their toes. How do they
(02:35):
do that?
Harper (02:40):
Why do ballerinas wear ballet shoes?
Jane (02:45):
Some ballet shoes are just simple slippers that help ensure
a dancer doesn't slide on thestage when they don't want to.
But often, when we think aboutballet shoes, we're picturing
pointe shoes that help a dancerdance right up on top of their
toes.Toe or pointe shoes spelledP, O, I N, T, E, started being
(03:07):
used by dancers in the 1800sthey're designed to support a
dancer's foot and take some ofthe weight of the dancer,
allowing them to lift up ontotheir toes without crushing or
breaking delicate foot bones.But it takes years of practice
and building up of musclesbefore a ballet dancer can start
dancing on point. LindseyDonnell is a company dancer with
(03:29):
Dance Theatre of Harlem. She'sbeen dancing since she was three
years old, but wasn't allowed togo on pointe until she was 11.
What did it feel like when yourteacher first said, Okay, you
can dance on pointe.
Lindsey Donnell (03:42):
I was so excited. It was a dream come
true, because that is what I'vebeen working for.
Jane (03:47):
Why did you have to wait so long?
Lindsey Donnell (03:49):
I had to train and build technique and muscle
strength to make sure that mytoes could support my whole body
weight.
Jane (03:56):
How long does a pair of pointe shoes last?
Lindsey Donnell (03:59):
It depends on what we're doing, also sometimes
the time of year, because whenin the summer, when it's really
hot and sweaty, they'll breakdown. I usually go through about
two pairs a week.
Jane (04:10):
So in the course of a year, that means you could be
going through 100 pairs or more.
Lindsey Donnell (04:14):
That's right.
Jane (04:16):
But that being said, even the best shoes aren't making the
dancer brilliant. That's alldown to the strength and beauty
of the dancer herself, so shecan hop, pirouette and arabesque
on the tips of her toes.
If you're ever in the path of atotal solar eclipse, the skies
will darken like nighttime andstars will be visible during the
(04:38):
day. But don't worry, you won'thave to get your PJs on. A total
eclipse only lasts for a fewminutes. But why does the sun
disappear?
Camila (04:52):
What is a solar eclipse?
Jane (04:55):
A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the
Sun and the Earth. As the moonmoves in its orbit, it will
partially cover the sun for overan hour, until the sun is
totally blocked. That's calledtotality. The sky will be dark
and the sun's corona, the gassyatmosphere, will be visible.
Totality can last anywhere fromone to seven minutes, depending
(05:18):
on where you are in the path.Then the eclipse will be partial
for another hour or more again,as the moon continues in its
orbit away from the sun. It'srare to have a total eclipse in
any one place, so seeing one canbe a once in a lifetime
experience, and some peopletravel all over the world to
catch one. If you're going towatch an eclipse, you need to
(05:39):
protect your eyes. The brightlight of the sun can damage them
even while the moon is partiallyin front of it. So you have to
wear something like theseeclipse glasses. Once the sun is
totally covered, it's safe tobriefly remove those glasses and
look up. You may see the sun'scorona, but once the Eclipse
moves back into partiality, it'simportant to put your glasses
(06:02):
back on. If you don't have anyeclipse glasses, that's okay.
Try to get near a tree and lookat the ground. The shadows of
the sun passing through theleaves should make some really
cool shapes.
Coming up more But Why Bites.We'll be learning about
jellyfish, cat whiskers,dolphins and chameleons.
This is But Why (06:26):
a Podcast for Curious Kids. I'm Jane Lindholm.
We're listening to the Big Bite,a bunch of episodes from our
YouTube series But Why Bites.Let's dive back in.
An estimated 150 million peopleget stung by jellies each year.
How can an animal that's 95percent water, with no brain, be
(06:48):
so venomous?
Clinton (06:53):
Do all jellyfish sting?
Jane (06:55):
All jellies can sting. They have cells called
pneumatocysts inside theirtentacles that release venom
when touched. A single tentaclecan contain thousands of
pneumatocysts making for a verypotent attack. If a small fish
or other animal swims into thetentacles and gets stung, the
(07:16):
venom paralyzes them, allowingthe jelly to bring the fish up
to its mouth and eat it. Thatvenom also acts as the jelly's
main defense mechanism. If youbrush up against the tentacles,
those pneumatocysts spring intoaction to protect the jelly.
Jellies have no brain and noheart, and they're technically
not fish. Although a few speciescan actively hunt, most jellies
(07:40):
swim along with the current inthe ocean, trailing their
tentacles and waiting forsomething to swim into them.
Some jellies are tiny, with abody the size of your thumbnail,
while others, like the lion'smane jelly, can be eight feet
across and have tentacles thatstretch 100 feet. But most
jellies are not dangerous tohumans. In fact, you wouldn't
(08:02):
even feel many species stings,but a few species are quite
dangerous. So it's always a goodidea to steer clear of jellies
if you're not sure what you'relooking at. And whatever you do,
don't pee on a jelly sting.That's a myth, and could
actually do more harm than good.
Cats come in all shapes andsizes. Some are small and live
(08:26):
in our homes, and others arelarge and live in the jungle.
But there's one thing they allhave in common, whiskers and not
just for show, those bristlyhairs have an important job.
Bryce (08:42):
Why do cats have whiskers?
Jane (08:46):
When I think of a cat's whiskers, I'm usually picturing
the ones right here, but catshave whiskers in other places
too, above the eyes, on thechin, on the fore, legs, near
the ears and above the upperlip, that's a lot of whiskers.
Whiskers are thicker, stifferand longer than most of a cat's
fur, and they're more deeplyembedded around the root of each
(09:09):
whisker are nerve endings thatcan send a signal from the tip
of the whisker right to a cat'sbrain. Whiskers help a cat sense
its surroundings. They can sensenot only the slightest touch,
like a speck of dust landingnear an eyelid, but even
differences in air currents andair pressure so a cat doesn't
have to be touching a piece offurniture or its favorite prey
(09:30):
to know it's there. That'sespecially helpful at night,
when many wild cats like to huntfor their food, whiskers help
them essentially see in thedark. Most house cats have 12
whiskers on each cheek, for atotal of 24. Lions have four or
five rows of whiskers on eachside of their face, and the top
row has a different pattern, soresearchers can use their
(09:53):
whiskers like fingerprints totell each lion apart. One more
cool fact about these specialhairs, cats whiskers have
special sensory organs calledproprioceptors that help a cat
stay balanced. Who knew whiskerswere part of the secret to why
cats always land on their feet.
Nancy (10:15):
Why do dolphins jump in the air?
Jane (10:23):
There's lots of debate about why dolphins jump out of
the water, but we know at leastone of the things they do while
they're up there, they grab abreath of fresh air. Like us,
dolphins are mammals. Thatmeans, even though they live in
the sea, they need to breatheair to survive. When they're
under water, they hold theirbreath and they have some pretty
impressive lungs. One speciescalled rissos, or gray dolphins,
(10:47):
can stay down for as long as 30minutes. Other species have more
like a 10 or 15 minute limit.Let's see how long we can hold
our breath, ready?
I guess I'm no dolphin. So whenthey jump, they can take that
big, deep breath, and then theycan peek at what's happening up
(11:08):
above the water while they'rethere. Another reason they jump
could be for speed. There's lessresistance when you're flying
through the air. If you see adolphin shooting up out of the
water really fast and thensmacking down hard, it might be
trying to get rid of a whalesucker, a type of fish that
latches onto the dolphin's skinto eat parasites it finds there.
(11:28):
That does sound irritating. Andif you're saying to yourself
that if you were a dolphin,you'd leap out of the water just
for the fun of it, you might beonto something. Though, jumping
does take a lot of energy.Scientists think dolphins
sometimes do it just becausethey like it gives new meaning
to the phrase jumping for joy!
Jonathan (11:53):
How do chameleons change color?
Jane (11:56):
You've probably heard that chameleons change color to blend
into their background and hide,but new research shows they're
more often adjusting appearancein order to regulate their body
temperature or to communicate.Chameleons can't just match the
pattern of any environment theyfind themselves in, and to be
honest, they usually don't haveto. They're already pretty well
(12:17):
camouflaged. They can get alittle lighter or darker,
though, to better match theirsurroundings. And since lizards
are ectothermic, meaning theycan't regulate their own body
temperature, they sometimeschange their hue to help them
absorb more or less sunlight,but their most dramatic color
changes are saved forcommunication, to attract a mate
(12:39):
or defend their territory. Tomake bold colors chameleons have
special nanocrystals in theirskin that they can move closer
together or farther apart bytensing and relaxing. Changing
the positions of those crystalsallows them to reflect different
wavelengths of light, makingthem appear different colors.
Wish I could do that!
(13:02):
That's our last But Why Bite fortoday? If you want to see this
episode and all the coolgraphics that go with it, check
out our YouTube channel But WhyKids. You'll find a direct link
in the show notes. As always, ifyou have a question about
anything, have an adult record.You asking it on a smartphone.
You can use an app like voicememos, then have your adult
(13:22):
email the file toquestions@butwykids.org But Why
is produced by Melody Bodette,Sarah Baik, and me, Jane
Lindholm at Vermont Public anddistributed by PRX. Our video
producer is Joey Palumbo, andour theme music is by Luke
Reynolds. If you like our show,please have your adults help you
give us a thumbs up or a reviewon whatever podcast platform you
(13:45):
use. We'll be back in two weekswith an all new episode. Until
then, stay curious. You
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