How else can we power the planet?
Published: Feb. 24, 2021, noonDuration: 24 minutes 27 seconds
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 massive challenge. Powering our day-to-day lives makes up almost half of fossil fuel emissions, which is causing climate change! Tai tries to find out if there’s a better way to power the planet.
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How much screen time is too much?
Published: Feb. 17, 2021, noonDuration: 26 minutes 17 seconds
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 that screen time is bad and needs to be limited. But is it really? Tai finds out. In this episode Tai talks to: Kara Bagot, child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Icahn School of Medicine Madeleine George, psychologist and analyst at RTI International Jenny Odell, writer and artist, author of How to Do Nothing
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What is at the bottom of the ocean?
Published: Feb. 10, 2021, noonDuration: 25 minutes 21 seconds
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 about our own ocean! In this episode, Tai explores the deep ocean to learn about its mysteries and what survives in its darkest corners. This week Tai spoke with: Verena Tunnicliffe, a marine biologist who has spent 30 years studying all the weird and wacky animals that thrive on the bottom of the ocean Melissa Omand, Assistant Professor of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. She’s an explorer who uses robots to explore the ocean depths Bob Dziak, NOAA’s acoustic engineer, who has dropped sound recorders into places like the Mariana Trench.
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How do I know what’s true on the internet?
Published: Feb. 3, 2021, noonDuration: 27 minutes 35 seconds
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 this episode, Tai tries to figure out how to spot misinformation and how to stop it from spreading. This week Tai spoke with: Andrea Bellemare, a CBC journalist who specializes in covering disinformation Seema Yasmin, disease expert Jimmeka Anderson, media literacy expert and creator of I Am Not the Media
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Why do humans dance?
Published: Jan. 27, 2021, noonDuration: 22 minutes 49 seconds
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 going on in the brain when people boogie? In this episode, Tai tangos into the activity that has helped humans and communities survive for thousands of years, with the help of his whole family. This week Tai spoke with: Peter Lovatt, psychologist, author of The Dance Cure Ashley ‘Colours’ Perez, dancer and teacher @classwithcolours
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Why are viruses so good at what they do?
Published: Jan. 20, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 21 minutes 41 seconds
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 viruses in the world than there are stars in the sky. So why aren’t we sick all the time? In this episode Tai looks at how viruses work, how they travel, and the ways in which they shape our lives—both bad and good. This week Tai spoke with: Seema Yasmin, physician, writer and science communicator based at Stanford University Lena Ciric, environmental engineer and lecturer at University College London
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What's happening in my teen brain?
Published: Jan. 13, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 22 minutes 39 seconds
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 ready for adulthood! But what’s happening in there? Why do humans even have an adolescent phase? And how can Tai harness his mental superpowers while he has them? This week Tai spoke to: Frances Jensen, Chair of Neurology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Juliet Davidow, psychology professor who developed the Learning and Brain Development Lab at Northeastern University
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New year, new Tai
Published: Jan. 6, 2021, 5:15 p.m.Duration: 2 minutes 23 seconds
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 Tai Asks Why will be out Wednesday, January 13. Catch you then.
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How does a song get stuck in your head?
Published: Nov. 5, 2020, 5:01 a.m.Duration: 25 minutes 36 seconds
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 heads. So what is it about certain songs that make them so catchy? How does a song get stuck in your head?
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Ask Tai Why: Silence, no more humans, and the glow of the earth’s core
Published: Oct. 29, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 8 minutes 22 seconds
In this week's bonus segment Ask Tai Why, Tai takes questions from: Penelope Cook, Toronto: Is there such a thing as complete silence? Griff, Yukon: What comes after humans? Finley, Wakefield, Quebec: Does the core of the earth glow?
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Why is space so dark if it’s full of stars?
Published: Oct. 22, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 24 minutes 38 seconds
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 bit odd that the universe isn’t just a blinding ball of light. So then, why is space so dark?
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Ask Tai Why: Fear, time and the colour of colours
Published: Oct. 15, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 7 minutes 37 seconds
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? Desmond: What is Time? George, Toronto: What makes colour a colour?
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When the dinosaurs died, how did other animals survive?
Published: Oct. 8, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 24 minutes 59 seconds
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 killed the dinosaurs—to see what traits the true survivors have in common.
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Ask Tai Why: Freckles, video games, and climate-changing farts
Published: Oct. 1, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 6 minutes 35 seconds
In bonus segment Ask Tai Why, Tai answers some questions for a change. This week, he takes questions from: Grace, Hamilton: Why do I have freckles Henry: Why are Video Games so violent? Alex, Halifax: Are farts changing the climate?
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What’s the science behind bullying?
Published: Sept. 24, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 27 minutes 45 seconds
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 trees! Why is such an unpleasant thing so widespread? What is the science behind bullying?
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Ask Tai Why: Cuteness, hotness and the origins of English
Published: Sept. 17, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 8 minutes 48 seconds
In a new bonus segment called Ask Tai Why, Tai answers some questions for a change. This week, he takes questions from: Von Lewis, Halifax: Why do cute animals make us smile? Hamzah, Ontario: Why is the sun hot? Rhea, Ontario: Who invented the English Language?
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What are animals saying to each other?
Published: Sept. 10, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 26 minutes 36 seconds
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 know? Do animals have language? And if they do, could we learn it? Can we ever really know what animals are saying to each other?
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What is Deja Vu
Published: Sept. 3, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 23 minutes 45 seconds
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 over 60 per cent of people! But why? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? What is Deja Vu?
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How will we fix climate change?
Published: Aug. 27, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 21 minutes 10 seconds
Tai is freaking out about climate change. He's worried we're doomed. Tides are rising, species are dying from all of the heat. He's finding it hard to have hope...until he meets a man from NASA.
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Which is cooler, zero or infinity?
Published: Aug. 20, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 18 minutes 22 seconds
Before he fully spoke English, Tai's first language was math. He loves numbers! Now he's talking to mathematicians about the ultimate coolness of two very special numbers: zero and infinity.
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Why do we dream?
Published: Aug. 13, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 24 minutes 5 seconds
After thinking through a recent terrifying nightmare, Tai starts to question the importance of dreams. Why can't our minds just do nothing when we sleep?
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What happens after you die?
Published: Aug. 6, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 21 minutes 45 seconds
The death of his grandfather has Tai thinking about the afterlife. The idea that our bodies and consciousness become nothing is really weird and confusing. So Tai turns to different religions for answers.
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Should we trust our gut?
Published: July 30, 2020, 4:01 a.m.Duration: 23 minutes 5 seconds
We've all heard the saying trust your gut, but is that scientifically accurate? Tai grapples with what that really means. If our guts are making decisions does that mean there's a brain in our gut?
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What is love?
Published: July 23, 2020, 1:48 p.m.Duration: 21 minutes 5 seconds
Love is weird. How can this thing take over your body and bend it to its will? Tai looks to science, philosophy and his mom for answers.
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Trailer
Published: July 13, 2020, 2:57 p.m.Duration: 2 minutes 14 seconds
Meet Tai Poole - a little guy with big questions. Join him as he heads from universities to playgrounds seeking answers. He may not solve all the mysteries of life, but give him a break ... he's only 11 years old.
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Introducing Circle Round from WBUR
Published: Nov. 26, 2019, 5:10 a.m.Duration: 14 minutes 32 seconds
Created and produced by parents of young children, Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Listen on your favourite podcast app.
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Introducing: CBC Podcasts in Class
Published: Sept. 26, 2019, 4 p.m.Duration: 1 minute 34 seconds
Free teaching resources have been developed for select episodes of Tai Asks Why! If you — or someone you know — teaches middle-school science, health, language or social studies, visit cbc.ca/teachingguides to learn more.
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Tai is back!
Published: Aug. 21, 2019, 4:10 a.m.Duration: 2 minutes 16 seconds
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 bullying. Join Tai as he boldly goes where no 7th grader has gone before to find you answers you never knew you needed. His conversations with everyone from NASA experts, to award-winning musicians, to his little brother Kien will expand your mind and touch your heart.
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Introducing The Two Princes from Gimlet
Published: June 20, 2019, 4 p.m.Duration: 25 minutes
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 stands in his way. What he isn’t prepared for are the bewildering new emotions he feels when he meets the handsome Amir, a rival prince on a quest to save his own realm. Forced to team up, the two princes soon discover that the only thing more difficult than saving their kingdoms is following their hearts. Listen to The Two Princes at gimlet.media/twoprinces. Tai Asks Why returns on August 28 for Season 2!
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Tai is coming back for season 2...and he needs your help!
Published: April 9, 2019, 4:10 a.m.Duration: 1 minute 51 seconds
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 nominated for a Webby Award! But to win, we need your vote! Head to cbc.ca/taiaskswhy to learn how to vote or to ask Tai a question.
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Tai Says Hi
Published: Aug. 28, 2018, 4:10 a.m.Duration: 2 minutes 24 seconds
Meet Tai Poole - a little guy with big questions. Join him as he heads from universities to playgrounds seeking answers. He may not solve all the mysteries of life, but give him a break ... he's only 11 years old. Coming October 24.
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