Do you know about semiconductors? ⚡💻

Sleep Tight Science - A Bedtime Science Show For Kids

Sleep Tight Media

Kids & Family, Education For Kids

4.4 • 613 Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Semiconductors might be tiny, but they do BIG things! In this episode of Sleep Tight Science, we explore what semiconductors are, how they’re made, and why they’re so important in everything from smartphones and laptops to space rockets and self-driving cars. This episode is perfect for curious minds who love asking questions like How do computers work? or What makes my phone so smart? Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️👂📖 ✨ Want more stories and fewer interruptions? Join Sleep Tight Premium for ad-free listening, bonus bedtime stories every week, and personalized shout-outs for your little ones! Start your free trial now on Apple Podcasts or at ⁠⁠sleeptightpremium.com⁠⁠. Themes in this episode: ✔️ Basic electronics: How semiconductors help devices work ✔️ Materials science: What semiconductors are made of and why they’re special ✔️ Tiny technology: Understanding microchips, transistors, and nanometers ✔️ Manufacturing process: How semiconductors are made from silicon crystals ✔️ Everyday science: Real-world uses of semiconductors in technology we use daily ✔️ Science literacy: Making complex scientific ideas like doping, circuits, and logic accessible to young listeners --- Support Us 👉 Join ⁠Premium⁠ for AD FREE listening and extra bedtime stories! 👉 ⁠Sleep Tight Premium⁠ is now available in Apple Podcasts! 🎉 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts, or share our podcast with your friends. 📢 Have an interesting science topic you would like to investigate? Send us an email at ⁠[email protected]⁠ , and we may feature it in an upcoming show. --- About Sleep Tight Science We’ve got bedtime down to a (Sleep Tight) Science! Sleep Tight Science is an engaging bedtime show that makes science accessible and enjoyable for the whole family. Snuggle in and drift off to sleep while learning about science topics submitted by listeners! Designed for curious young minds (but simple enough for grown-ups to understand), Sleep Tight Science uses big words to answer big questions that kids wonder about, like why do we feel icky sometimes and how do our legs help us move? Learn something new about the natural world while drifting off to dreamland. Have an interesting science question or a topic you’re curious about? Email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠, and it might just be the focus of an upcoming episode! Dedicated to enhancing the health and happiness of children, Sleep Tight Media helps families replace bedtime struggles with bedtime snuggles. -- Please check out: ⁠⁠www.abcmouse.com/sleeptightscience⁠ Advertising provided by Starglow Media. Learn more about Starglow Media ⁠here

Transcript

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0:00.0	You are just doing the free society.
0:15.0	Did you know that a single microchip can contain more transistors than there are people on Earth?
0:24.2	What?
0:25.3	That's billions of tiny switches, all working together on a chip, the size of your fingernail.
0:37.3	Music Hello, friends, and welcome back to Sleeptight Science,
0:45.7	a bedtime show that answers your questions about science.
0:51.4	Have you ever wondered how computers, cell phones, video game consoles, drones, or even self-driving cars work?
1:02.8	How can something small enough to fit in your pocket or zoom through the sky do do so many amazing things.
1:13.6	Well, the secret is something called semiconductors.
1:18.6	These tiny materials are at the heart of computer chips,
1:22.6	the brains that help modern electronics, think, process, and remember things.
1:30.3	Without semiconductors, we wouldn't have smartphones, smart fridges, or smart, well, anything.
1:40.3	But what's also pretty interesting is that as scientists figure out how to make semiconductors
1:47.0	smaller, faster, and more powerful, the devices we use every day become even more amazing.
1:57.0	Believe it or not, your parents' phones today have more computing power than some of the first computers that filled entire rooms.
2:08.6	In this episode, we will start to learn all about semiconductors.
2:15.6	We'll learn what they are, why they're special, how they're made,
2:21.8	and all the incredible ways they're used, from helping you listen to this podcast to guiding rockets
2:29.4	into space, semiconductors power the modern world.
2:38.7	By the end of this episode, you'll know exactly why they matter,
2:44.0	because without them, almost nothing with electronics would work.
2:50.2	So if you're in bed, get cozy, and maybe close your eyes.
	...

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