But Why turns ten years old on April 1, 2026! To celebrate this milestone, we’re listening back to our very first episode. We’ve got owls and turtles and bears. Naturalist Mary Holland gets into the details about hibernation–including the questions you may not even have thought to ask, like what about poop? Then we meet a barred owl named Chapin, who is cared for by Outreach for Earth Stewardship in Shelburne, Vermont.

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Download and print Hibernating Bear and "Om Nom" Bear, coloring pages by Lauren Turmel.

In the United States, voters in each state elect a governor every two or four year terms. The governor is the top official in the state government. But did you know five U.S. states also elect a Kid Governor? It’s a part of a civics education program that helps kids learn about democracy while focusing on a community issue that’s important to them. But Why recently hosted Vermont’s Kid Governor and cabinet for a kid press conference and in this episode, we’ll listen in on that event. Plus we’ll hear from kid governors in Connecticut and Nebraska about what they hope to accomplish in their terms.

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Some questions are so big they’re existential, meaning that they get right to the heart of human existence. These are also sometimes called philosophical questions, so for this episode we called up a professor of philosophy, Scott Hershovitz, who teaches at the University of Michigan. He’s also written a book about how adults and kids can have philosophical discussions together. It’s called Nasty, Brutish and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids.

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Why did the dinosaurs go extinct? Many of you have learned about the meteorite that scientists say hit the earth 66 million years ago and killed off many dinosaur species. But some dinosaurs survived, and the birds you see flying around today are their direct descendants! In this episode we trace the connection between modern birds and prehistoric dinosaurs. Other questions include:

• Were any dinosaurs mammals?
• How did bird dinosaurs survive?
• Are crocodiles related to dinosaurs?
• Did dinosaurs have feathers? How do we know?
• Did all dinosaurs lay eggs?

Our guest is Dr. Emily Bamforth, curator of the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum in Alberta, Canada.

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Why are brothers and sisters so annoying? Why do siblings often look a lot alike? Why do siblings fight? Can your sister be your best friend? Why do we fight with our siblings even if we love them? But Why takes a look at the sibling relationship with Susan Dominus, author of The Family Dynamic.

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Why are rabbits called bunnies? Why do they have fur? Why do bunnies have puffball tails? Why do rabbits have eyes on the sides of their heads? Why do rabbits hop? Our guest is Margo DeMello, professor of anthrozoology at Carroll College in Montana. She’s also a rabbit rescuer and rehabilitator who is currently caring for 12 rabbits in her home!

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

How does memory work? Why can’t we remember things that happened when we were babies? Why do we forget? Why are some people forgetful? Why do elephants have such good memories. What’s this episode about? I forgot! Oh yeah, how does our memory work! Our guest is Dr. Nick Turk-Browne, professor of psychology at Yale University.

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Have you ever heard of a bucket list? That’s an expression people sometimes use that means something big you want to do or see or accomplish in your lifetime! For our last episode every year, we like to turn things around and WE ask a question for YOU to answer! Our 2025 end-of-year question is for you to tell us what’s on your bucket list–what’s something really big that you hope to accomplish at some point in your lifetime? Listen to this episode for things to add to your bucket list!

Download our Learning Guide: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript