S2 E105: Book review - George's secret key to the universe

Paleontologists uncovered that the T-Rex was quite likely way bigger than they had originally thought it was. Based on recent fossil finds and some intelligent computer simulation, it turns out that if we remade Jurassic Park today, we would have had to create a much larger version of the T-Rex. Apart from this scientific discovery, there were lots of other interesting news stories in science and wildlife this year. To speak about these, four primary schoolers shared their picks of the best stories from the year. Co-hosts: Anina, Chandrika, Smyan and Venkatesh 1.Read the story of why some people think ghosts are real 2. Read the story of how C.V.Raman discovered why the sea was blue 3. Listen to the podcast on how our brains behave when we type vs write 4. Listen to the story of Roger the search and rescue dog from Taiwan Order your copy of our book for kids 'Bag of stories from 2024' by clicking here. Each copy costs INR 399/- (we are able to fulfil all orders placed inside India only at the moment)

Children come up with ideas and stories like magicians pulling rabbits out of hats—nobody knows how, but it’s endlessly entertaining. It’s a mix of imagination (and maybe a little too much candy). But how can they turn their ideas into a well-written story? Menaka Raman, an award-winning children’s author, joins us in this episode. She chats with five young, budding authors about the tricks in her bag for writing great stories. 1. More about Menaka Raman on her website 2. Follow Menaka on Instagram 3. Follow Menaka on X (formerly known as Twitter) 4. More about the book ‘Bird by Bird’ by Anne Lamott 5. Read our newsletter for kids ‘Lighter Side’ about current events 6. To join Sangeetha and speak on this podcast (kids aged 7-15), register here 7. Follow What’s new today on Instagram 8. If you have any thoughts or comments, email us at [email protected]. We pledge to give your ideas the deep, meaningful consideration that we normally reserve for selecting a dessert. 9. Support us by buying us a cup of coffee

Neeraj Chopra's gold medal was India's first ever gold medal won by an athlete in Olympics. There was much adulation and rejoicing in the country. Sumit Antil also won a gold for India at the Tokyo Paralympics and successfully defended his title at the Paris Paralympics. For all his deeds, he went unnoticed relatively. This episode captures the story of his journey and challenges. Most importantly, the story captures the essence of what an 8-year old perceives as important / interesting in Sumit Antil's story. Co-host: Ahaan Krishnam (8-yr old, Bengaluru) 1. More ⁠on volcanoes in Iceland 2. Support our show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠by buying us a cup of coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3. Feature in our podcasts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(for kids aged 7-15), register here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 4. Read our newsletters 'Lighter Side' ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for kids and families here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you have any comments or questions, please email me at [email protected]

One of the earliest children's book series that took young readers into magical lands was the 'Chronicles of Narnia' by C.S.Lewis. In this podcast episode, two young readers (10-yr olds Darsh and Prakriti) share what they think of this book's plot, the writing style and how they would change the book (if they had authored it). 1. More on books that we recommend for young readers 2. Support our show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠by buying us a cup of coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3. Feature in our podcasts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(for kids aged 7-15), register here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 4. Read our newsletters 'Lighter Side' ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for kids and families here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you have any comments or questions, please email me at [email protected]

More people in S.Korea bought strollers for dogs than they did for children (i.e. human babies). The S.Korean government has been alarmed by this trend. While people who have been observing changes in S.Korea over the past twenty years are not really surprised, they still are worried. Why are people not happy with dogs getting more strollers than human babies? What next? Listen to the full episode to find out why. Co-host: Smyan Shetty (10-yrs old) 1. Where idlis came from 2. Support our show ⁠⁠⁠⁠by buying us a cup of coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3. Feature in our podcasts ⁠⁠⁠⁠(for kids aged 7-15), register here⁠⁠⁠⁠ 4. Read our newsletters 'Lighter Side' ⁠⁠⁠⁠for kids and families here⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you have any comments or questions, please email me at [email protected]

One street that is often used by cyclists and pedestrians in Prague has been renamed as Nicholas Winton street. He was no Olympic athlete but had accomplished something else of Olympian proportions. During 1939, he had helped hundreds of Jewish children flee from Nazi persecution and gain safe entrance into Britain. For over 50 years, his actions went unremarked until a British TV show brought them into common memory. As we see ever more wars and conflicts, and refugees fleeing these zones, this story is a warm reminder of the wonders that can be done if we had compassion and courage. 1. Watch the video of ⁠⁠Nicholas Winton in the TV show That's Life!⁠ 2. Support our show ⁠⁠⁠by buying us a cup of coffee⁠⁠⁠ 3. Feature in our podcasts ⁠⁠⁠(for kids aged 7-15), register here⁠⁠⁠ 4. Read our newsletters ⁠⁠⁠for kids and families here⁠⁠⁠ If you have any comments or questions, please email me at [email protected]

Earth is wonderful, but one day we might need more space to live, especially as our world changes. If we could travel to Mars and build homes there, that would solve a lot of our problems right? SpaceX just launched a giant rocket that has taken one step closer to getting to Mars. Before you get excited about booking your next summer vacation in Mars, hold onto that thought for a few years more. Listen to Darsh (10 yr old, Chennai) and Rohan (10 yr old, Chennai) to find out about why the SpaceX Superheavy is a big milestone in space exploration. 1. Listen to the ⁠India Space Podcast series here⁠ 2. Listen to the ⁠episode on Dogs in Italy⁠ 3. SpaceX website - read dimensions of the Starship rocket 4. Watch the video of how the two arms caught the rocket 5. Support our show ⁠by buying us a cup of coffee⁠ 6. Feature in our podcasts ⁠(for kids aged 7-15), register here⁠ 7. Read our newsletters ⁠for kids and families here⁠ If you have any comments or questions, please email me at [email protected]

Just like the tale of the old man whose three sons used their silver coins differently, this episode explores how two countries used their pots of liquid gold differently. This episode is styled like a 'Discovery Game'. We drop new information about what happens in each country every few years, as the game goes on. The cohost (Devansh, 5th grader from Kolkata) makes guesses about what happens to each of these countries. Devansh also gets to decide where he would like to live in (and is allowed to shift between the two countries freely) as the game goes on. It's kind of a masterclass in prediction and exploration :) Additional links and resources 1. Recommended episode on ⁠why health drinks can be bad for kids⁠ 2. Pre-order your 2024 copy of the Lighter Side magazine for kids and families covering the top news stories of the year 3. To join Sangeetha as a cohost (just like Devansh), ⁠register here⁠ 4. Buy us a cup of coffee ⁠to keep this podcast going⁠

Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy Hawking forayed into writing a science-fiction book series for young kids. This book (George's secret key to the universe) is the first of the series. The plot involves two young children traveling in space involving a mixed bag of adventures. The authors have also incorporated many images from NASA's repository to bring real science into the hands of the young. In this episode, four primary schoolers joined us to share their opinions of the book as well as creative ideas of how they would explore space if they had a chance. If you are looking for a new book to pick up for your 7-11 year old, this might be it. Listen to the full episode to find out more. Co-hosts: Manisha Maheshwari (educator, Mumbai), Devansh (Kolkata), Prakriti (Mumbai), Smyan (California), Nayra (Mumbai) Additional links / references 1. About Stephen Hawking 2. About Lucy Hawking Read our newsletter for kids about current affairs Support our podcast by buying us a cup of coffee Send us your thoughts and comments via email to [email protected]

When sixth grader Sophia came home with a sullen face from school, her mother Pilar Schiavo was busy contesting California's State Assembly elections. Sophia was so overwhelmed by the volume of work expected of her that she requested her mum to ban all homework if she got elected. Pilar did win the election. She also remembered her daughter's trauma. Keeping these in mind, she has formulated a bill for the State to pass - a bill that mandates limiting homework or altogether banning it, in certain cases. For more details on this homework ban, read our newsletter Others To enrol in our writing courses for children aged 7-15, check out the details here To support this podcast and keep it ad-free, please donate here. If your child would like to co-host an episode on this podcast channel, please register here.