Tai Asks Why
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Tai Asks Why
Fifteen-year-old Tai Poole won’t rest until he’s uncovered the mysteries of the universe, one probing question at a time. In Season 4 of his Webby-winning podcast, Tai talks to everyone from NASA scientists to stand-up comedians to his equally curious little brother Kien. If you’ve ever wondered why...
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Can our generation make Earth Day cool again? (Bonus from What On Earth)
The climate is changing. So are we. On What On Earth, you’ll explore a world of solutions with host Laura Lynch and our team of journalists. In 1970,...
How do we fix recycling?
Tai tries to do his part by recycling whenever he can. But it turns out just tossing stuff into the blue bin doesn't do a whole lot: less than 10 perc...
Why do we laugh?
Laughing makes us feel real good, whether you’re in on the joke or not. But does it serve a specific purpose? Why do we find some jokes hilarious and...
Are we alone in the universe?
So far, the only intelligent life we know of is right here on Earth — us! But could there be life on other planets just waiting to be discovered? In t...
How do animals know where they’re going?
We know birds can travel large distances day or night, rain or shine, even if they’ve never migrated before. If you confuse a spiny lobster and drop i...
Why is math so hard to love?
To listeners of this podcast, it’s no secret that Tai loves math. But he knows that a lot of people, including his friends, definitely don’t feel the...
Why do we love junk food so much?
Pizza, chips, gummy worms and wings — these are a few of Tai’s favourite things! He just can’t get enough of their sugary, fatty, salty goodness, even...
How reliable are our memories?
Whether they're happy, sad or the embarrassing kind we'd rather forget, memories play a big part in our lives. They shape our identities, help us conn...
What can I do when I’m anxious?
Tai’s recently been experiencing a new, unsettling feeling that he just can’t always shake. His parents suggest it’s anxiety, and according to his fri...
What will money look like in the future?
Tai loves paying for stuff with his mobile wallet. It's quick, convenient and his pockets have never been lighter! Technology has made it easier than...
Can we keep eating meat without destroying the planet?
To Tai, nothing beats cutting into a perfectly cooked steak or wolfing down a big, juicy cheeseburger. But lately he’s been paying more attention to t...
Tai’s back
Ever wondered why nothing feels better than a deep belly laugh? Or why it’s impossible to not inhale a bag of chips in one sitting? You’re not alone —...
Special episode: How powerful is NASA's new space telescope?
So, there's a MAJOR event happening in space science. NASA is set to launch the enormous James Webb Space Telescope. Why is this such a big deal? Tai'...
Introducing: Unlocking the Fountain
What if there were a pill that could add decades to your life? Would you take it? For thousands of years, people have searched for elixirs that could...
Is it possible to predict the future?
These are anxious times, and Tai just wants to know… what’s going to happen? He can’t look into a crystal ball, but there are actually people who spen...
How is the universe going to end?
Not to be a downer, but the universe could end any minute. Or it could take a hundred million years. Give or take. So we don't know *when* it will hap...
Where is the internet?
For Tai, the internet has always been there, and it's hard to imagine life without it. It seems almost like it's everywhere, all at once, like magical...
How else can we power the planet?
Nothing on our planet could function without pooower! Even though energy is all around us, harnessing that energy and turning it into power is a massi...
How much screen time is too much?
Tai and all of his friends are in a constant war with their parents over one big thing — screen time. For years, their parents have been telling them...
What is at the bottom of the ocean?
The ocean covers over 70% of our planet, and yet, we’ve only mapped about a tenth of it. We know more about the far side of the moon than we know abou...
How do I know what’s true on the internet?
It’s easier than ever to be bamboozled by bad information. Tai and his friends are no exception—even smarty pants like them fall for things online. In...
Why do humans dance?
Don’t tell anyone: Tai thinks he has two left feet and he still loves to dance when no one’s watching. But why do humans like to dance at all? What’s...
Why are viruses so good at what they do?
If you ever feel alone, you shouldn’t, because you are actually surrounded by viruses. They’re in you, they’re on you and, in fact, there are more vir...
What's happening in my teen brain?
Tai’s 14 now. As he goes through adolescence, there are all sorts of weird things happening in his brain that are literally reshaping it, getting him...
New year, new Tai
Notice anything different about Tai? It’s 2021 and he’s in high school now. A lot has changed, but not his insatiable quest for ANSWERS! Season 3 of T...
Introducing Circle Round from WBUR
Created and produced by parents of young children, Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich r...
Introducing: CBC Podcasts in Class
Free teaching resources have been developed for select episodes of Tai Asks Why! If you — or someone you know — teaches middle-school science, health,...
How does a song get stuck in your head?
Whether it’s a doot doot doot of an opening riff or a random mix of words from the chorus, 99 per cent of people admit to getting songs stuck in their...
Ask Tai Why: Silence, no more humans, and the glow of the earth’s core
In this week's bonus segment Ask Tai Why, Tai takes questions from:
Penelope Cook, Toronto: Is there such a thing as complete silence?
Why is space so dark if it’s full of stars?
Tai is fascinated by what’s in the dark spaces between the stars. Considering there are trillions of stars in the universe (and counting!), it seems a...
Ask Tai Why: Fear, time and the colour of colours
In this week's bonus segment Ask Tai Why, Tai takes questions from:
Charlotte, Toronto: What is fear, and why were we born with it?
...
When the dinosaurs died, how did other animals survive?
Tai spends a lot of time imagining how the apocalypse might go down. So, he turns to animals that have survived past apocalypses—like the one that kil...
Ask Tai Why: Freckles, video games, and climate-changing farts
In bonus segment Ask Tai Why, Tai answers some questions for a change.
This week, he takes questions from:
Grace, Hamilton:...
What’s the science behind bullying?
Tai and his friends all have experiences of being bullied. And, as he learns, it’s a pretty universal thing - even trees are known to bully other tree...
Ask Tai Why: Cuteness, hotness and the origins of English
In a new bonus segment called Ask Tai Why, Tai answers some questions for a change.
This week, he takes questions from:
Von Lewis,...
What are animals saying to each other?
Tai’s brother Kien thinks he can talk to ducks. We’ve taught our animals to sit and stay, but that’s not the same as us learning their language, you k...
What is Deja Vu?
You know that feeling when you feel like you have lived a moment already? Well that’s deja vu (French for already seen) and apparently, it happens to...
Tai is back!
Tai Poole is back - and he has no time for small talk. He’d rather discuss why space is so dark, the real reason for deja vu, and the science behind b...
Introducing The Two Princes from Gimlet
When Prince Rupert sets out to break the mysterious curse that’s destroying his kingdom, he’s ready to face whatever dastardly villain or vile monster...
Tai is coming back for season 2...and he needs your help!
Tai is coming back for a second season this September. Do you have a question you'd like Tai to answer? Send them our way! Plus, Tai Asks Why has been...