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Brains On! Science podcast for kids

What makes tiny tardigrades tick?

Brains On! Science podcast for kids

American Public Media

Kids & Family, Education For Kids

4.413.5K Ratings

🗓️ 26 April 2022

⏱️ 30 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You can find micro-animals just about everywhere. They’re on your face and in your hair. They’re in puddles and in soil. One of the most famous of these microscopic creatures is the tardigrade.

This episode zooms in on these adorable little animals, also known as moss piglets and water bears. The biggest tardigrade is about the size of the tip of a sharpened pencil, but most are smaller. More like the width of a hair. They’re kinda like a squishy pillow with eight legs, four on each side, with finger-like little claws at the end of each leg. And a round, snout-like opening on its face.

Jasmine Nirody tells us what she’s learned about these cuties through her research. She’s watched hundreds of hours of tardigrade videos. Way better than YouTube, right? We’ll also hear about where you can find tardigrades, how they live and why we’ve sent them to space.


Don’t forget to check out the brand new Mystery Sound too. If you’re near Los Angeles or St. Paul, you still have time to check out Brains On Live: Your Brain Is Magic. Molly, Marc and Sanden will wow you with magic, jokes and dancing. Ticket info is at brainson.org/events.

This episode was sponsored by:

Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINSON)

Novo (Novo.co/BRAINS)

Insect Lore (Insectlore.com)

Shopify (Shopify.com/brainson)

Galileo Camps (Galileo-camps.com – promo code: FUNSUMMER2022 for $100 off camp)

Little Passports (Littlepassports.com/BRAINS – 20% off for new customers)

Pinna (Pinna.fm/BRAINSON - promo code BRAINSON)

Mathnasium (Mathnasium.com)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hi, it's Molly from BrainsOn and Smash Boom Best with an important request for the curious

0:04.4

adults listening in today.

0:06.4

As you may know, the BrainsOn universe is public media.

0:10.2

Philanthropic donations from you help power this show and so many others that our team created

0:15.6

this year.

0:16.9

When you donate today, you could choose an extra special thank you gift, maybe kids stop

0:21.8

listening for a second if you want a surprise.

0:24.6

This gift would be a personalized message from me.

0:27.7

For the BrainsOn universe fan in your life and it will get there in time for the holidays.

0:33.7

Find more details and make your donation at brainson.org slash donate.

0:38.9

That's brainson.org slash donate.

0:42.2

Thank you so much for your support.

0:44.0

You're listening to BrainsOn or serious about being curious.

0:47.8

BrainsOn is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

0:54.0

Arturo, I am so glad you're here for the taping.

0:58.4

It's so exciting visiting the BrainsOn headquarters.

1:01.0

I'll give you a full tour after but let's just duck into the lounge so I can grab us

1:04.6

both some waters.

1:05.6

Oh, hey Mark, this is...

1:08.6

Shh!

1:10.0

And then Goldie might said, this sebaceous gland is too oily.

1:16.7

So she went to the next gland and said, this sebaceous gland is too dry.

...

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