How do stoplights know when to change?

Moment Of Um

Lemonada Media

Kids & Family, Education For Kids

4.4 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2025

⏱️ 6 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Waiting for a stoplight to turn green can be really annoying, especially when you’re running late. It would be awesome if you had a magic wand you could wave to get the light to change. But alas, such things don’t exist. But how do stoplights know when to switch colors? We asked Jerry Kotzenmacher with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to help us find the answer. Got a nagging question that just won’t yield? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll put you in the express lane to answersville. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi friends. If you love Brains on Universe, you'll love the latest season of Million
0:04.9	Bizzillion Marketplace's award-winning kids podcast about money.
0:08.9	Hosts Ryan and Bridget answer the funny, tricky, and just really good questions from
0:13.1	kid listeners to help dollars make more sense.
0:16.2	Million Bizzillion is presented in partnership with Greenlight, the debit card and money app for
0:20.3	kids and teens. With Greenlight, kids debit card and money app for kids and teens.
0:21.7	With Greenlight, kids and teens learn to earn, save, spend wisely, and invest.
0:26.4	Learn all about Greenlight at greenlight.com slash million.
0:30.1	And tune in to Million bazillion wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
0:34.6	From the brains behind, brains on, this is Moment of Um.
0:40.1	Um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um, um.
0:43.7	Moment of Um comes to you from APM Studios. I'm Sandin Totten.
0:48.8	Um,
0:49.3	Um.
0:51.1	Um.
0:51.3	Ugh, this stoplight won't change, and I'm running late for my nose haircut.
1:01.1	Come on, turn green.
1:03.6	Green.
1:04.6	Green.
1:05.8	I feel like I've been stuck at this intersection forever.
1:10.5	Look at all those other cars, driving along, so smug with their green lights.
1:16.5	When will it be my turn?
	...

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