Sarah Baik

Why are horses so big? Why do horses have tails and manes? How do their legs move? Are their bones in their hooves? What do they eat and how do they run and jump? We tackle those questions and more in this episode all about horses. We’ll also learn a little bit more about the unique horses in Iceland, where there’s a strict ban on horses coming in from other countries. But Why visited riding instructor Sonja Noack at Hestasnild, a riding school in Iceland, to get answers to all your equine questions.

Volcanoes have been erupting on Earth for BILLIONS of years, and they’re still creating new landscapes today! Volcanoes can seem mysterious and scary, but people all over the world have learned to live in close proximity to active volcanoes. Today we answer questions you’ve sent us about how they form, how they erupt, what magma/lava is, and how volcanologists work to predict when they might erupt. Our guest is Freysteinn Sigmundsson, a volcanologist and professor at the University of Iceland.

Have you noticed especially hazy skies where you live over the last few summers? While many parts of the world are experiencing more frequent and intense wildfires, even places that are nowhere near the fires are being impacted by the smoke from fires hundreds or thousands of miles away. Wildfire smoke gets so high in the atmosphere, it can be blown across a continent in a matter of days. In this special bonus episode, we’re going to learn the hows and whys of wildfire smoke that drifts around the world. And we’ll talk a little bit about how to stay safe when air quality goes down. Our guests are Professor Joel Thornton of the University of Washington and Dr. Gregg Furie of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Have you ever seen a puffin? With their bright beaks, orange feet and black and white coloring, these birds are very cool to look at. And we’ve gotten a lot of questions about them! In this episode, we talk with Don Lyons, an educator and avian ecologist with the Seabird Institute in Maine. What are puffins? Why are puffin beaks so colorful? Why do puffins dig burrows? How do puffins learn to fly? How can you tell if a puffin is male or female? How long can puffins hold their breath? Why do they have red feet?

Where did the English language come from? Why do words have silent letters? Why do some people have accents? Why do some words sound similar? Answers to all of your questions about English and words with sociolinguist Erica Brozovsky, host of a PBS digital show called Otherwords.

Who created math problems? Why does one plus one equal 2 and not 11? Why do numbers go on forever? Why are numbers for counting? Why do you need math?If you love math, this is the episode for you. And if you hate math…this is the episode for you! We’re answering all kinds of questions and demystifying the science and beauty of the discipline of mathematics with Dr. Melania Alvarez, outreach coordinator for the Department of Mathematics at the University of British Columbia in Canada. She’s also education coordinator for the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences. And she loves all your mathematical questions!

It’s summer and that means slathering yourself with sunblock before you’re allowed to go run around outside. Not everyone loves that ritual: sunscreen can be cold or sticky. Sometimes it gets in your eyes, and it always feels like it’s time to reapply JUST as you’re about to jump in the water or go kick the ball. So, what’s the deal? Is it really all that important? We get the scoop from Dr. Jeff Yu, a pediatric dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He’ll help us understand: What is a sunburn? What’s a tan? How does sunscreen work? How do you protect your eyes?

How did horseshoe crabs get their names? Are they even crabs? And did they really exist before the dinosaurs? Early spring presents a unique opportunity to see these living fossils up close as they scuttle up to the shoreline along the Atlantic coast of the United States to mate and spawn. But Why traveled to Cape Cod to see horseshoe crabs up close. There we met up with horseshoe crab expert Sara Grady, who works for Mass Audubon. We learn all about these arthropods and answer questions like: Can humans eat horseshoe crabs? What’s with the pointy tails? Do they pinch? How long do they live? And what’s so special about their blood?

Why do walrus look the way they do? Why do they have such long tusks? Do they have other teeth? Do walruses migrate? We learn all about these majestic giants with Adam Ratner of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California.

What’s the difference between seals and sea lions? Do seals bark? Are they gray? Do harbor seals live in snowy regions? Why do sea lions eat fish? Why do sea lions fight each other? Seals and sea lions are pinnipeds, fin-footed marine mammals, and we’re learning all about them today with a visit to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, where marine biologist Adam Ratner answers all your pinniped questions!