Let’s go green with five fascinating fast facts about fantastic plants, a deep dive into plant adaptations, a question about carnivorous plants, some history of the science of pitcher plants, and a photosynthesis activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

https://www.creativescience.com.au

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

02:24 Adaptations to help plants survive

05:17 Why do some plants eat animals?

07:30 Pitcher plants

09:12 Oxygen on a leaf experiment

You will need: Two green leaves, freshly picked from the same plant; two jars of water; some paper and a pencil; and a camera if you’d like to take photographs of your experiment.

Let’s get a bit stinky with five fascinating fast facts about faeces, a deep dive into unusual animal poo, a question about why poo smells bad, some history of fossilised poo, and scat saving citizen science projects for you to try yourself.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

https://www.creativescience.com.au

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

02:46 Unusual animal poo

05:04 Why does poo smell so bad?

06:08 Fossilised faeces - coprolites

08:06 Citizen science projects using animal scats

- Echidna CSI at the University of Adelaide in South Australia https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/echidna-csi

- Koala DNA at Griffith University in Queensland

https://www.griffith.edu.au/griffith-sciences/research/koala-dna

- Scoop a Poop at Macquarie University in New South Wales

https://www.scoopapoop.net/

Get X-cited with five fascinating fast facts about x-rays, a deep dive into x-ray images in medicine, a question about x-ray safety, some history of x-ray science, and a shadowy activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

https://www.creativescience.com.au

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

02:24 X-rays in medicine

04:22 Are X-rays safe?

05:43 History of X-ray science

07:31 Properties of light activity

You will need: a dark room, a torch, and a flexible drinking straw.

Let’s take a deep breath and feel the force with five fascinating fast facts about air pressure, a deep dive into the power of the wind, a question about how air pressure is used to predict the weather, some history of atmospheric science, and a forceful falling experiment for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

https://www.creativescience.com.au

Episode content:

Astronaut David Scott dropping a hammer and a feather on the Moon: NASA, Astronomy Picture of the Day, The Hammer and the Feather (2011) https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111101.html

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

02:48 Forces in air and the power of the wind

04:50 How is air pressure used to predict the weather?

05:58 Some history of barometric pressure and air resistance

08:27 Paper drop experiment

You will need: two pieces of paper that are the same size and shape. For example, two pieces of A4 size photocopy paper.

Let’s get cosmic with fascinating fast facts about the universe, a deep dive into the life cycle of stars, a question about the distance from Earth to outer space, some history of cosmic science, and a galactic activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

https://www.creativescience.com.au

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

02:48 The life cycle of a star

04:54 How far away is outer space?

06:05 Space telescopes, Edwin Hubble, and Henrietta Swan Leavitt

08:14 Swirling spiral galaxy activity

You will need: a large round bowl, water, a splash of milk, a dessert spoon, and food colouring in a dropper bottle

Description: Let’s lighten the mood with fascinating funny facts about laughter, a deep dive into what happens in your brain when you giggle, a question about tickling, some history of the science of laughter in humans and animals, and a funny activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

https://www.creativescience.com.au

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

02:58 What happens to our bodies when we laugh

05:12 Why can’t I tickle myself?

06:59 Laughter in humans and animals

08:52 Not tickling activity

You will need help from someone you a close to, like a sister or brother, close friend, or a parent.

Let’s brighten up your day with fascinating fast facts about light, a deep dive into rainbows, a question about colour blindness, some ideas about how light energy is used in technology, and a colourful activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

https://www.creativescience.com.au

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

03:21 Light spectrum and rainbows

04:50 What does it mean if someone is colour blind?

06:51 Light in technology

09:10 Rainbow CD activity

You will need an old CD or DVD, a torch, a piece of paper, and some coloured pencils.

Wrap it up – festive science

In the last episode for 2023 we look back at fast facts about sound, electricity, and liquid nitrogen in preparation for the Creative Science Christmas Show being performed in Sydney primary schools. The Creative Science for Kids podcast will return with new episodes in early 2024.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

https://www.creativescience.com.au

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction

01:07 Sound science recap

02:20 Electricity recap

03:48 Liquid nitrogen recap