Why Though? with Dr. Matt Agnew

Do Fish Get Thirsty?

Fish spend their whole life in water. But do they actually drink it? Turns out the answer depends entirely on which fish you ask. In this episode of Why Though?, Dr Matt Agnew dives into what thirst really is, why saltwater and freshwater fish handle water in completely opposite ways, and why sharks are the cleverest rule-breakers in the ocean. Plus a kid in a shark costume makes an appearance. Obviously. What you'll learn: * Thirst is your body's alert system... and your body is about 60% water * Saltwater fish live in super salty water, so water leaks out of their bodies... they drink seawater to survive and their gills filter the extra salt out * Freshwater fish have the opposite problem... water rushes into their bodies, so they barely drink at all and pee constantly to stay balanced * Sharks keep a chemical called urea in their bodies that helps water flow in naturally through their skin and gills... no drinking required * Sharks have been in the ocean for over 400 million years... longer than trees have existed on land Key Science Ideas: * Salinity: How salty water is * Osmosis: Water moving from a less salty area to a more salty area through a membrane like skin or gills * Homeostasis: Keeping the body's internal conditions just right so everything works properly * Urea: The chemical sharks use to stay hydrated without drinking seawater * Gills: A fish's built-in filter system for managing salt and water Fun Experiment: The Gummy Bear Grow-Off Grab three cups and label them Fresh, Salty, and Super Salty. Add plain water to the first, two teaspoons of salt to the second, and four teaspoons to the third. Drop a gummy bear into each cup, make a prediction, then check back after two hours and again the next morning. The fresh water gummy swells up the most as water rushes in. The salty one grows a little. The super salty one barely changes at all... the saltier the water outside, the less water moves in. That's osmosis... the exact same process fish use to manage water in their bodies every single day. Treat the gummies as science props and wash hands after handling. Why Though? The show for little scientists who love asking big questions. Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. Follow Dr Matt Agnew: Instagram: instagram.com/drmattagnew TikTok: tiktok.com/@drmattagnew YouTube: youtube.com/@whythoughpod Website: drmattagnew.com Find Why Though? podcast across the internet and share with your friends! Instagram: instagram.com/whythoughpod TikTok: tiktok.com/@whythoughpod Facebook: facebook.com/whythoughpod ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why Is Pluto No Longer a Planet?

Pluto used to be the ninth planet in our Solar System. Then in 2006 everything changed. Dr Matt Agnew explains why... and it's a better story than you think. In this episode of Why Though?, we travel back to 1930 when astronomer Clyde Tombaugh spotted a tiny moving dot in the night sky and made one of the biggest discoveries in space history. We find out what happened when scientists discovered Eris... a Pluto-like world that was even heavier than Pluto. And we learn the three-rule checklist that decides what actually counts as a planet. Of course Matt's dog Pluto makes a cameo. What you'll learn: - Pluto was discovered in 1930 and taught as the ninth planet for over 70 years - Better telescopes revealed a whole region of icy worlds beyond Neptune called the Kuiper Belt - Scientists found Eris... similar to Pluto but even heavier, which forced a big question - To be a planet, a world must orbit the Sun, be round, and clear its neighbourhood - Pluto does two out of three... but it hasn't cleared its neighbourhood - Pluto became a dwarf planet in 2006... and it's still completely incredible Key Science Ideas: - Kuiper Belt: A region beyond Neptune full of icy objects - Planet definition: The three-rule checklist astronomers use to classify worlds - Clear its neighbourhood: Being the gravitational boss of your part of space - Dwarf planet: Orbits the Sun, is round, but hasn't cleared its neighbourhood - Scientific change: Science updates its ideas when new evidence appears Fun Experiment: The Planet Checklist Challenge Scientists use a three-rule checklist to decide what counts as a planet. Now it's your turn to be the astronomer. Grab five objects from around the house... a footy, a mandarin, a marble, a 50 cent coin, and a tin of baked beans. These are your space objects. For each one, ask the three planet questions: - Does it orbit a star? Walk it around a lamp - Is it round? Check its shape - Is it the boss of its space? Could it push everything else out of its way, or does it have to share? Only objects that pass all three rules get to be a planet. Then here's the twist... change one rule and see what happens. That's exactly what scientists did in 2006. They didn't move Pluto. They just got clearer about the rules. And Pluto couldn't pass the third test. Why Though? The show for little scientists who love asking big questions. Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. Follow Dr Matt Agnew: Instagram: instagram.com/drmattagnew TikTok: tiktok.com/@drmattagnew YouTube: youtube.com/@whythoughpod Website: drmattagnew.com Find Why Though? podcast across the internet and share with your friends! Instagram: instagram.com/whythoughpod TikTok: tiktok.com/@whythoughpod Facebook: facebook.com/whythoughpod ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why Does Helium Make Our Voice Sound Funny?

Ever heard someone talk after a helium balloon and suddenly sound like a tiny squeaky mouse? There's real science behind it... and it's weirder than you think. In this episode of Why Though?, Dr Matt Agnew investigates the helium voice mystery. Why do balloons float? Why does sound travel faster through helium? And how does all of that flip a normal voice into instant chipmunk mode? Plus we find out about a super-heavy gas that does the exact opposite... making voices go deep and booming. What you'll learn: * Helium is less dense than air... that's why balloons float * Your vocal cords and throat work together to shape sound * Sound travels faster through helium, which shifts the way your voice sounds * Your brain hears those shifted sounds as higher and squeakier * Scientists call the frequencies that shape your voice formants... helium scrambles them Key Science Ideas: states of matter, density, vocal cords, resonance, formants. Fun Experiment: Hum "mmmm" with your mouth closed then slowly open it wider. Hear the change? That's resonance in action... same science, no gas required. Why Though? The show for little scientists who love asking big questions. Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. Follow Dr Matt Agnew: Instagram: instagram.com/drmattagnew [instagram.com/drmattagnew] TikTok: tiktok.com/@drmattagnew [tiktok.com/@drmattagnew] YouTube: youtube.com/@whythoughpod [youtube.com/@whythoughpod] Website: drmattagnew.com [drmattagnew.com] Find Why Though? podcast across the internet and share with your friends! Instagram: instagram.com/whythoughpod [instagram.com/whythoughpod] TikTok: tiktok.com/@whythoughpod [tiktok.com/@whythoughpod] Facebook: facebook.com/whythoughpod [facebook.com/whythoughpod] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why Does Eating Ice Cream Too Fast Give Me a Headache?

Ever bitten into ice cream too fast and felt a sudden sharp pain in your forehead? That's brain freeze... and there's real science behind it. In this episode of Why Though?, Dr Matt Agnew breaks down exactly what's happening inside your mouth and your brain when ice cream hits too hard and too fast. Why do your blood vessels squeeze and then suddenly open again? And why does your brain sometimes "feel" the pain in your forehead when the cold started on the roof of your mouth? What you'll learn: * Brain freeze starts when something super cold touches the roof of your mouth, called the palate * Cold causes tiny blood vessels to squeeze tight... then open quickly as things warm up * That fast squeeze-and-open triggers pain sensors * Your brain can get tricked into feeling that pain in your forehead, even though the cold never got anywhere near it Key Science Ideas: * Palate: The roof of your mouth * Blood vessels: Tiny tubes that carry blood around your body * Vasoconstriction: Blood vessels narrowing when cold * Vasodilation: Blood vessels widening again as things warm up * Referred pain: When your brain feels pain somewhere different from where it started Fun Experiment: The Brain Map Glitch Cross your index and middle fingers into an X. Close your eyes. Use your crossed fingertips to gently touch a grape or a pea. It'll often feel like two objects, not one. That's your brain's body map getting confused... just like brain freeze. Why Though? The show for little scientists who love asking big questions. Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. Follow Dr Matt Agnew:  Instagram: instagram.com/drmattagnew  [instagram.com/drmattagnew ] TikTok: tiktok.com/@drmattagnew  [tiktok.com/@drmattagnew ] YouTube: youtube.com/@whythoughpod  [youtube.com/@whythoughpod ] Website: drmattagnew.com [www.drmattagnew.com] Find Why Though? podcast across the internet and share with your friends! Instagram: instagram.com/whythoughpod [https://www.instagram.com/whythoughpod] TikTok: tiktok.com/@whythoughpod [http://www.tiktok.com/@whythoughpod] Facebook: facebook.com/whythoughpod [https://www.facebook.com/whythoughpod] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Why Though? is Coming Soon

Hey! I'm Dr Matt Agnew and I've got a brand new podcast coming your way very soon. Why Though? is the show for kids who can't stop asking questions. And I mean the really good ones... why do dog paws smell like Doritos? Why are farts smelly? Do fish actually get thirsty? Every episode we take one big question and turn it into a science adventure. Weird facts, real answers, and stuff that'll make you see the world completely differently. Why Though? The show for little scientists who love asking big questions. Hit follow or subscribe now so you're first in line when Episode One drops. Follow Dr Matt Agnew: Instagram: @drmattagnew [https://open.acast.com/networks/68901a7af3a75290d478c53b/shows/69be1b0c3bbfcfe8dba05019/episodes/instagram.com/drmattagnew] TikTok: tiktok.com/@drmattagnew [https://open.acast.com/networks/68901a7af3a75290d478c53b/shows/69be1b0c3bbfcfe8dba05019/episodes/tiktok.com/@drmattagnew] YouTube: youtube.com/@whythoughpod [https://open.acast.com/networks/68901a7af3a75290d478c53b/shows/69be1b0c3bbfcfe8dba05019/episodes/youtube.com/@whythoughpod] Website: drmattagnew.com [https://open.acast.com/networks/68901a7af3a75290d478c53b/shows/69be1b0c3bbfcfe8dba05019/episodes/www.drmattagnew.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.