Science's Not Boring
A groundbreaking podcast for curious kids aged 4-12 that proves science is anything but dull.
Join our fictional AI hosts Mira, a brilliant 9-year-old, and her younger brother Finn, age 7, as they explore the incredible world of science. From exploding volcanoes and black holes to deadly venom and the tiny machines inside your own body, each episode uncovers the most astonishing, surprising, and sometimes mind-bending wonders of science - explained in a way that actually makes sense to kids.
Whether you're discovering how rockets blast into space, why dinosaurs ruled the Earth, what really happens inside a thunderstorm, how your brain pulls off impossible tricks, or why the ocean's deepest creatures glow in the dark - Science Is Not Boring transforms big scientific ideas into unforgettable stories that ignite curiosity and wonder.
Because science isn't a pile of facts to memorize. It's the story of how everything works - and how we figure it out.
A note on why we use AI. For us, AI allows us to deliver learning at a scale and quality that previously would have been too expensive. If we make the odd technical error, or the sound goes a bit funny, bear with us, we're trying our best. We hope you enjoy the show!
Science's Not Boring
What is hidden in space?
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Welcome to Science Is Not Boring by kidopoly.com. I'm Mira! And I'm Finn. Before we jump in, a big hello to Theo, who is five and listens all the way from Sale in Manchester, England. Hi Theo! Thanks for listening. Theo asked us all about the moon, the planets, and the precious treasures hidden on them. So, Theo, this whole episode is for you. Thank you for such a brilliant idea! Precious treasures. Like pirate chests buried on the moon. Not exactly pirate chests, Finn. But imagine a rock floating in space worth $10 quintillion dollars. Wait, quintillion? Is that a real number? It sure is. And what if I told you that deep inside some planets, it literally rains solid diamonds? No way. Can we go catch some? You might need a very strong umbrella. Today we are taking a grand tour of our solar system, and even beyond, to dig up the most mind-blowing treasures hidden in space. Let's blast off! So, Finn, since Theo asked about the moon, let's start there, our closest neighbour.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I know the moon is made of rock and dust. There isn't any gold there, right?
SPEAKER_00Well, there is something way more valuable to space explorers than gold. Water ice. Ice? How is frozen water a treasure? I can get that from my freezer. True, but in space, water is incredibly heavy and expensive to launch from Earth. If we want to build a moon base, we need water already there to drink, and to make rocket fuel. Wait, rocket fuel?
SPEAKER_01From water?
SPEAKER_00Exactly! Water is H2O, which means it is made of hydrogen and oxygen. You can split them apart to make breathable air and powerful fuel. Whoa, so where exactly is this space ice hiding? Mostly at the Moon's south pole, inside deep craters called permanently shadowed regions. That sounds kind of spooky. Why are they in shadows? Because of how the moon tilts, the sun never reaches the bottom of those deep craters. It is freezing down there. Temperatures drop to minus 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
SPEAKER_01That is minus 198 degrees Celsius. I would definitely need a thick winter coat.
SPEAKER_00A spacesuit, actually. NASA sent a spacecraft called the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to scan these dark craters. And what did they find? A little puddle of ice. Way more than that. Scientists estimate there could be up to six billion metric tons of water ice trapped at the poles. Six billion tonnes? That's enough to fill thousands of swimming pools. Exactly! It is the ultimate lunar treasure. Just waiting for future astronauts to dig it up.
SPEAKER_01Okay, ice is cool for astronauts, but Theo and I want the shiny stuff. Where is the real space gold?
SPEAKER_00Buckle up, because we are heading to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter! Oh I love asteroids. Are we looking for a specific one? Yes, it is an asteroid named 16 Psyche, and it is absolutely massive.
SPEAKER_01How massive? Like the size of a mountain?
SPEAKER_00Way bigger. 16 Psyche is about 140 miles wide. That is the distance from Los Angeles all the way down to San Diego, California. That is a giant rock. But wait, what is it made of? That's the crazy part. Most asteroids are just boring rock and ice. But 16 Psyche is a metal-rich world. Scientists think it is packed with iron, nickel, and maybe even gold and platinum.
SPEAKER_01A giant floating nugget of gold and iron? That must be worth a fortune.
SPEAKER_00You have no idea. The lead scientist of NASA's Psyche mission calculated its theoretical value. Are you ready for this number? Tell me, tell me. If we could mine all the metal on 16 Psyche, it would be worth 10 quintillion dollars. Wait, what is a quintillion? How many zeros is that? A quintillion has 18 zeros, so 10 quintillion is 10,000 quadrillion dollars.
SPEAKER_0110 quintillion?
SPEAKER_00I can't even picture that in my head. To put it in perspective, the entire economy of the whole Earth is only worth about $100 trillion.
SPEAKER_01So that one rock in space is worth way more than all the money on Earth combined.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. NASA actually launched a spacecraft in 2023 just to travel there and study it. Are they going to bring the gold back to Earth and make us all rich? Actually, no. Which is a very good thing for our economy.
SPEAKER_01Wait, why wouldn't we want to bring $10 quintillion back to Earth?
SPEAKER_00Because of supply and demand. If you suddenly dumped that much metal on Earth, gold and platinum wouldn't be rare anymore. The prices would crash to zero.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I get it. Like if everyone had a million diamonds, diamonds would just be as cheap as dirt.
SPEAKER_00Speaking of diamonds, let's fire our rocket engines and fly way out to the edge of the solar system. To Uranus and Neptune. Those are the ice giant planets, right? Spot on! And on those icy planets, the weather is bizarre. We're talking about diamond rain. Rain? Made of diamonds? Wait, how does that even happen? It starts with a gas called methane. Methane is made of carbon and hydrogen atoms, and it is everywhere on Neptune. Okay, so how does gas turn into hard, sparkly diamonds? Extreme pressure. Deep inside Neptune, about 6,200 miles below the surface, the weight of the planet squishes everything together.
SPEAKER_01How hard is it squishing?
SPEAKER_00The pressure is 1.5 million times stronger than Earth's atmosphere, and it is scorching hot, up to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
SPEAKER_01So it is squishing and baking the gas?
SPEAKER_00Yes. That intense pressure literally crushes the carbon atoms out of the methane gas and forces them to lock together into solid microscopic diamonds. And then they just fall like rain. Exactly. Because diamonds are heavier than the liquid around them, they slowly sink deep into the planet's core, creating showers of diamonds raining through the darkness.
SPEAKER_01Wow. Just imagine an ocean of diamonds at the centre of Neptune.
SPEAKER_00Some scientists even tested this right here on Earth. They used super powerful X-ray lasers to blast plastic and recreated the exact pressure of Neptune. And they actually made tiny diamonds in the lab. Science is so cool!
SPEAKER_01Are there any other planets made of treasure out there?
SPEAKER_00Well, outside our solar system, scientists discovered an exoplanet called 55 Cancree E, which is about 40 light years away. What is so special about that one? It is twice the size of Earth, and scientists believe a massive chunk of the entire planet could be made of pure diamond and graphite. A whole planet of diamond? How much is that worth? Are you ready for another wild number? Forbes magazine estimated its value at $26.9 nonillion dollars. A non-illion? How many zeros does a non-illion have? 30 zeros! It is the ultimate space treasure. But there is a tiny catch. Uh-oh. What is the catch? The surface temperature is nearly 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so it would completely melt any spaceship trying to land on it.
SPEAKER_01Oh man. So all these amazing treasures ice on the moon, the golden asteroid Psyche, the diamond rain on Neptune, they are just too hard to reach right now.
SPEAKER_00For mining, yes, but they are treasures for science today. They tell us exactly how our solar system formed, from dust and gas billions of years ago.
SPEAKER_01And maybe when I'm older, I can invent a heat-proof spaceship to go get that giant space diamond.
SPEAKER_00I wouldn't put it past you, Finn.
SPEAKER_01Alright, Finn, it is time for the quiz. Are you ready? Oh boy, I hope I remember all those crazy numbers. Let's do it!
SPEAKER_00Okay, first question. What is the freezing temperature inside the moon's shadowed craters where the ice hides? Next one. What is the name of the giant asteroid packed with iron and precious metals? Question three. How much is that metal asteroid theoretically worth? Here's number four. What precious gem is raining down deep inside Neptune? Last question. What would happen to the price of rare metals if we brought that giant asteroid back to Earth? Great job! Let's see how you did and go through the answers. The first answer is temperatures drop to minus 325 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 198 Celsius. For question 2, the giant metal rock is called asteroid 16 Psyche. Number 3. The answer is it is worth a mind-blowing 10 quintillion dollars. Question 4. It is raining solid diamonds deep inside Neptune. And the final answer is, the prices would crash to zero because the metals wouldn't be rare anymore.
SPEAKER_01I still can't get over the fact that a whole planet is made of diamond or that it rains jewels on Neptune.
SPEAKER_00Space is wilder than any science fiction story, that's for sure. I'm so glad Theo asked us to investigate it.
SPEAKER_01Me too! Hey, if you love discovering space treasures with us, could you leave us a five-star review?
SPEAKER_00Yes, just scroll down on your podcast app and tap the five stars. It helps us so much, and you can pretend you're giving us a shiny diamond from Neptune.
SPEAKER_01Oh, and don't forget to check out our site kidopoly.com. We have tons of fun learning games and cool activities there.
SPEAKER_00And if you want to shout out on the show, or just want to tell us your own amazing science question, email us at hello at kidopoly.com. Who knows?
SPEAKER_01Maybe your question will be our next adventure.
SPEAKER_00See you next time on Science is not boring. Bye everyone, keep looking up at the stars.