But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

Why do we like being scared?

Why do some people like haunted houses and scary movies? What is fear? Why do humans have fear! Why do we get goosebumps, blink a lot and scream when we’re scared? Why are some of us afraid of what’s in our closet or under the bed at night?
We look at fear, and the fun side of fear with Marc Andersen, who co-directs the <a href="https://cc.au.dk/en/recreational-fear-lab/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recreational Fear Lab</a> at Aarhus University in Denmark. He studied fear and play and how they intersect. Turns out, moderate and controlled fear can actually have benefits to our mental health!
Download our learning guide: <a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/a9/5b/2197ba4c40bbb7a98b4e95ce9732/why-do-we-like-being-scared.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PDF</a> | <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aQbVXAaX_ezPO8LqyMpqJFQ3_2sTK-vHvBQseJ4VwRo/copy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Slide</a> | <a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/f0/93/85f557574342a830a6a3fb129679/butwhy-funfear-ep218-transcript.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Transcript</a>

But Why is a show led by kids. They ask the questions and we find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world. Know a kid with a question? Record it with a smartphone. Be sure to include your kid's first name, age, and town and send the recording to questions@butwhykids.org!