1
00:00:00,270 --> 00:00:02,760
Jane: Hey, Jane, here for
today's episode. We're doing

2
00:00:02,760 --> 00:00:06,420
something a little different.
We're going to be listening to

3
00:00:06,420 --> 00:00:11,730
our online video series, But Why
Bites. Every other week over on

4
00:00:11,730 --> 00:00:15,630
our YouTube channel, we answer
one kid question in a short and

5
00:00:15,630 --> 00:00:19,590
sweet little video. You can find
all of them at the But Why kids

6
00:00:19,590 --> 00:00:22,710
channel on YouTube, and we have
a link to this compilation of

7
00:00:22,710 --> 00:00:26,550
episodes in our show notes.
We're calling it a Big Bite. But

8
00:00:26,550 --> 00:00:30,150
if you're more of a listening
kid, this episode is for you.

9
00:00:30,420 --> 00:00:33,750
We're calling it a Big Bite.
Hope you enjoy it!

10
00:00:38,220 --> 00:00:41,100
Louie: Why do people change
presidents?

11
00:00:43,070 --> 00:00:46,340
Jane: One of the big differences
between the U.S. president and a

12
00:00:46,340 --> 00:00:50,060
king or queen or Supreme Leader
is that the President doesn't

13
00:00:50,060 --> 00:00:54,080
stay in power as the leader of
the country forever. A president

14
00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,220
can only serve two, four year
terms. That's it. Well,

15
00:00:58,460 --> 00:01:01,940
technically, the president can
only be elected twice, but they

16
00:01:01,940 --> 00:01:05,840
could serve a few more years if
they're appointed first, like if

17
00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,690
the president they're replacing
has decided to step down or has

18
00:01:08,690 --> 00:01:11,960
died while in office. But
generally speaking, a president

19
00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:16,250
can only serve two terms. That's
actually only been a rule since

20
00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:21,320
1951. Before that, there was no
official limit on how many times

21
00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:24,410
someone could be elected
president. But after the first

22
00:01:24,410 --> 00:01:27,080
U.S. president, George
Washington stepped down after

23
00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:31,940
two terms, it became kind of an
unwritten rule. But then one guy

24
00:01:31,970 --> 00:01:35,960
named Franklin Delano Roosevelt
was elected four times in the

25
00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:39,920
1930s and 40s, and after that,
an amendment was made to the

26
00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,950
Constitution making that rule
about only getting elected

27
00:01:42,950 --> 00:01:46,520
twice. Now, the reason we have
this whole president thing in

28
00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,000
the first place is because the
U.S. was founded with the idea

29
00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,990
of democracy, that people have a
right to choose their leader,

30
00:01:54,170 --> 00:01:57,950
not be ruled by someone who they
don't choose. And if we elect

31
00:01:57,950 --> 00:02:01,940
someone new every four or eight
years, the idea is no one can

32
00:02:01,940 --> 00:02:05,990
become president for life. I
don't know about you, but there

33
00:02:05,990 --> 00:02:09,050
are a lot of things I'd like
better than a president for

34
00:02:09,050 --> 00:02:14,120
life. How about ice cream for
life? Or puppies for life? A

35
00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:18,140
lifetime supply of puppies! Now
that's something I'd be happy to

36
00:02:18,140 --> 00:02:18,770
vote for.

37
00:02:21,090 --> 00:02:24,720
These dancers behind me are with
the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and

38
00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,540
they're preparing for an
upcoming show. Look at how

39
00:02:27,540 --> 00:02:31,860
strong and beautiful they are,
and sometimes they look like

40
00:02:31,860 --> 00:02:35,640
they're dancing right on the
tips of their toes. How do they

41
00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:36,330
do that?

42
00:02:40,830 --> 00:02:44,340
Harper: Why do ballerinas wear
ballet shoes?

43
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,590
Jane: Some ballet shoes are just
simple slippers that help ensure

44
00:02:48,590 --> 00:02:51,650
a dancer doesn't slide on the
stage when they don't want to.

45
00:02:52,010 --> 00:02:55,700
But often, when we think about
ballet shoes, we're picturing

46
00:02:55,730 --> 00:02:59,900
pointe shoes that help a dancer
dance right up on top of their

47
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:07,400
toes.Toe or pointe shoes spelled
P, O, I N, T, E, started being

48
00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:11,180
used by dancers in the 1800s
they're designed to support a

49
00:03:11,180 --> 00:03:14,000
dancer's foot and take some of
the weight of the dancer,

50
00:03:14,210 --> 00:03:17,600
allowing them to lift up onto
their toes without crushing or

51
00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,950
breaking delicate foot bones.
But it takes years of practice

52
00:03:21,980 --> 00:03:25,070
and building up of muscles
before a ballet dancer can start

53
00:03:25,070 --> 00:03:29,330
dancing on point. Lindsey
Donnell is a company dancer with

54
00:03:29,330 --> 00:03:32,450
Dance Theatre of Harlem. She's
been dancing since she was three

55
00:03:32,450 --> 00:03:36,740
years old, but wasn't allowed to
go on pointe until she was 11.

56
00:03:37,220 --> 00:03:40,760
What did it feel like when your
teacher first said, Okay, you

57
00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:42,020
can dance on pointe.

58
00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,710
Lindsey Donnell: I was so
excited. It was a dream come

59
00:03:45,710 --> 00:03:47,750
true, because that is what I've
been working for.

60
00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,130
Jane: Why did you have to wait
so long?

61
00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,550
Lindsey Donnell: I had to train
and build technique and muscle

62
00:03:52,550 --> 00:03:55,430
strength to make sure that my
toes could support my whole body

63
00:03:55,430 --> 00:03:55,730
weight.

64
00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,610
Jane: How long does a pair of
pointe shoes last?

65
00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,150
Lindsey Donnell: It depends on
what we're doing, also sometimes

66
00:04:02,150 --> 00:04:04,520
the time of year, because when
in the summer, when it's really

67
00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,900
hot and sweaty, they'll break
down. I usually go through about

68
00:04:08,900 --> 00:04:09,890
two pairs a week.

69
00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:12,860
Jane: So in the course of a
year, that means you could be

70
00:04:12,860 --> 00:04:14,660
going through 100 pairs or more.

71
00:04:14,990 --> 00:04:15,530
Lindsey Donnell: That's right.

72
00:04:16,010 --> 00:04:19,430
Jane: But that being said, even
the best shoes aren't making the

73
00:04:19,430 --> 00:04:23,570
dancer brilliant. That's all
down to the strength and beauty

74
00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,980
of the dancer herself, so she
can hop, pirouette and arabesque

75
00:04:28,010 --> 00:04:29,360
on the tips of her toes.

76
00:04:31,550 --> 00:04:35,390
If you're ever in the path of a
total solar eclipse, the skies

77
00:04:35,390 --> 00:04:38,750
will darken like nighttime and
stars will be visible during the

78
00:04:38,750 --> 00:04:42,830
day. But don't worry, you won't
have to get your PJs on. A total

79
00:04:42,830 --> 00:04:47,630
eclipse only lasts for a few
minutes. But why does the sun

80
00:04:47,630 --> 00:04:48,590
disappear?

81
00:04:52,700 --> 00:04:54,320
Camila: What is a solar eclipse?

82
00:04:55,830 --> 00:04:58,770
Jane: A solar eclipse happens
when the moon moves between the

83
00:04:58,770 --> 00:05:02,700
Sun and the Earth. As the moon
moves in its orbit, it will

84
00:05:02,730 --> 00:05:06,390
partially cover the sun for over
an hour, until the sun is

85
00:05:06,420 --> 00:05:10,830
totally blocked. That's called
totality. The sky will be dark

86
00:05:10,830 --> 00:05:14,250
and the sun's corona, the gassy
atmosphere, will be visible.

87
00:05:14,790 --> 00:05:18,540
Totality can last anywhere from
one to seven minutes, depending

88
00:05:18,540 --> 00:05:21,930
on where you are in the path.
Then the eclipse will be partial

89
00:05:21,930 --> 00:05:25,650
for another hour or more again,
as the moon continues in its

90
00:05:25,650 --> 00:05:29,550
orbit away from the sun. It's
rare to have a total eclipse in

91
00:05:29,550 --> 00:05:33,270
any one place, so seeing one can
be a once in a lifetime

92
00:05:33,270 --> 00:05:36,840
experience, and some people
travel all over the world to

93
00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:39,900
catch one. If you're going to
watch an eclipse, you need to

94
00:05:39,900 --> 00:05:44,070
protect your eyes. The bright
light of the sun can damage them

95
00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,250
even while the moon is partially
in front of it. So you have to

96
00:05:47,250 --> 00:05:50,850
wear something like these
eclipse glasses. Once the sun is

97
00:05:50,850 --> 00:05:54,360
totally covered, it's safe to
briefly remove those glasses and

98
00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,890
look up. You may see the sun's
corona, but once the Eclipse

99
00:05:58,890 --> 00:06:02,550
moves back into partiality, it's
important to put your glasses

100
00:06:02,550 --> 00:06:06,690
back on. If you don't have any
eclipse glasses, that's okay.

101
00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,890
Try to get near a tree and look
at the ground. The shadows of

102
00:06:10,890 --> 00:06:13,920
the sun passing through the
leaves should make some really

103
00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:14,820
cool shapes.

104
00:06:16,890 --> 00:06:20,280
Coming up more But Why Bites.
We'll be learning about

105
00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:24,120
jellyfish, cat whiskers,
dolphins and chameleons.

106
00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,030
This is But Why: a Podcast for
Curious Kids. I'm Jane Lindholm.

107
00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,420
We're listening to the Big Bite,
a bunch of episodes from our

108
00:06:33,420 --> 00:06:36,780
YouTube series But Why Bites.
Let's dive back in.

109
00:06:38,940 --> 00:06:43,800
An estimated 150 million people
get stung by jellies each year.

110
00:06:44,250 --> 00:06:48,990
How can an animal that's 95
percent water, with no brain, be

111
00:06:48,990 --> 00:06:49,890
so venomous?

112
00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:55,540
Clinton: Do all jellyfish sting?

113
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,030
Jane: All jellies can sting.
They have cells called

114
00:06:59,020 --> 00:07:03,880
pneumatocysts inside their
tentacles that release venom

115
00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:08,140
when touched. A single tentacle
can contain thousands of

116
00:07:08,170 --> 00:07:13,180
pneumatocysts making for a very
potent attack. If a small fish

117
00:07:13,180 --> 00:07:16,510
or other animal swims into the
tentacles and gets stung, the

118
00:07:16,510 --> 00:07:20,470
venom paralyzes them, allowing
the jelly to bring the fish up

119
00:07:20,470 --> 00:07:24,160
to its mouth and eat it. That
venom also acts as the jelly's

120
00:07:24,190 --> 00:07:27,550
main defense mechanism. If you
brush up against the tentacles,

121
00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,000
those pneumatocysts spring into
action to protect the jelly.

122
00:07:31,750 --> 00:07:35,260
Jellies have no brain and no
heart, and they're technically

123
00:07:35,260 --> 00:07:40,480
not fish. Although a few species
can actively hunt, most jellies

124
00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,630
swim along with the current in
the ocean, trailing their

125
00:07:43,630 --> 00:07:46,510
tentacles and waiting for
something to swim into them.

126
00:07:46,780 --> 00:07:50,560
Some jellies are tiny, with a
body the size of your thumbnail,

127
00:07:50,950 --> 00:07:54,550
while others, like the lion's
mane jelly, can be eight feet

128
00:07:54,550 --> 00:07:59,650
across and have tentacles that
stretch 100 feet. But most

129
00:07:59,650 --> 00:08:02,770
jellies are not dangerous to
humans. In fact, you wouldn't

130
00:08:02,770 --> 00:08:07,030
even feel many species stings,
but a few species are quite

131
00:08:07,030 --> 00:08:10,600
dangerous. So it's always a good
idea to steer clear of jellies

132
00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:14,140
if you're not sure what you're
looking at. And whatever you do,

133
00:08:14,290 --> 00:08:18,220
don't pee on a jelly sting.
That's a myth, and could

134
00:08:18,220 --> 00:08:20,110
actually do more harm than good.

135
00:08:22,270 --> 00:08:26,440
Cats come in all shapes and
sizes. Some are small and live

136
00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,410
in our homes, and others are
large and live in the jungle.

137
00:08:29,770 --> 00:08:34,270
But there's one thing they all
have in common, whiskers and not

138
00:08:34,270 --> 00:08:38,020
just for show, those bristly
hairs have an important job.

139
00:08:42,020 --> 00:08:45,140
Bryce: Why do cats have
whiskers?

140
00:08:46,740 --> 00:08:49,590
Jane: When I think of a cat's
whiskers, I'm usually picturing

141
00:08:49,590 --> 00:08:54,450
the ones right here, but cats
have whiskers in other places

142
00:08:54,450 --> 00:08:58,530
too, above the eyes, on the
chin, on the fore, legs, near

143
00:08:58,530 --> 00:09:01,650
the ears and above the upper
lip, that's a lot of whiskers.

144
00:09:02,190 --> 00:09:05,700
Whiskers are thicker, stiffer
and longer than most of a cat's

145
00:09:05,700 --> 00:09:09,270
fur, and they're more deeply
embedded around the root of each

146
00:09:09,270 --> 00:09:12,510
whisker are nerve endings that
can send a signal from the tip

147
00:09:12,510 --> 00:09:16,830
of the whisker right to a cat's
brain. Whiskers help a cat sense

148
00:09:16,860 --> 00:09:20,550
its surroundings. They can sense
not only the slightest touch,

149
00:09:20,580 --> 00:09:24,150
like a speck of dust landing
near an eyelid, but even

150
00:09:24,150 --> 00:09:27,960
differences in air currents and
air pressure so a cat doesn't

151
00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,990
have to be touching a piece of
furniture or its favorite prey

152
00:09:30,990 --> 00:09:34,350
to know it's there. That's
especially helpful at night,

153
00:09:34,410 --> 00:09:37,890
when many wild cats like to hunt
for their food, whiskers help

154
00:09:37,890 --> 00:09:42,150
them essentially see in the
dark. Most house cats have 12

155
00:09:42,180 --> 00:09:46,560
whiskers on each cheek, for a
total of 24. Lions have four or

156
00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:49,950
five rows of whiskers on each
side of their face, and the top

157
00:09:49,950 --> 00:09:53,370
row has a different pattern, so
researchers can use their

158
00:09:53,370 --> 00:09:57,990
whiskers like fingerprints to
tell each lion apart. One more

159
00:09:57,990 --> 00:10:01,290
cool fact about these special
hairs, cats whiskers have

160
00:10:01,290 --> 00:10:05,490
special sensory organs called
proprioceptors that help a cat

161
00:10:05,490 --> 00:10:09,480
stay balanced. Who knew whiskers
were part of the secret to why

162
00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:11,310
cats always land on their feet.

163
00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,910
Nancy: Why do dolphins jump in
the air?

164
00:10:23,270 --> 00:10:25,850
Jane: There's lots of debate
about why dolphins jump out of

165
00:10:25,850 --> 00:10:28,970
the water, but we know at least
one of the things they do while

166
00:10:28,970 --> 00:10:33,140
they're up there, they grab a
breath of fresh air. Like us,

167
00:10:33,140 --> 00:10:35,990
dolphins are mammals. That
means, even though they live in

168
00:10:35,990 --> 00:10:39,320
the sea, they need to breathe
air to survive. When they're

169
00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,650
under water, they hold their
breath and they have some pretty

170
00:10:42,650 --> 00:10:47,210
impressive lungs. One species
called rissos, or gray dolphins,

171
00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:51,380
can stay down for as long as 30
minutes. Other species have more

172
00:10:51,380 --> 00:10:54,740
like a 10 or 15 minute limit.
Let's see how long we can hold

173
00:10:54,740 --> 00:10:55,820
our breath, ready?

174
00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:05,330
I guess I'm no dolphin. So when
they jump, they can take that

175
00:11:05,330 --> 00:11:08,780
big, deep breath, and then they
can peek at what's happening up

176
00:11:08,780 --> 00:11:11,990
above the water while they're
there. Another reason they jump

177
00:11:11,990 --> 00:11:15,230
could be for speed. There's less
resistance when you're flying

178
00:11:15,230 --> 00:11:18,710
through the air. If you see a
dolphin shooting up out of the

179
00:11:18,710 --> 00:11:21,980
water really fast and then
smacking down hard, it might be

180
00:11:21,980 --> 00:11:25,010
trying to get rid of a whale
sucker, a type of fish that

181
00:11:25,010 --> 00:11:28,520
latches onto the dolphin's skin
to eat parasites it finds there.

182
00:11:28,910 --> 00:11:32,150
That does sound irritating. And
if you're saying to yourself

183
00:11:32,150 --> 00:11:34,880
that if you were a dolphin,
you'd leap out of the water just

184
00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,270
for the fun of it, you might be
onto something. Though, jumping

185
00:11:38,270 --> 00:11:41,540
does take a lot of energy.
Scientists think dolphins

186
00:11:41,540 --> 00:11:45,290
sometimes do it just because
they like it gives new meaning

187
00:11:45,290 --> 00:11:47,150
to the phrase jumping for joy!

188
00:11:53,380 --> 00:11:55,480
Jonathan: How do chameleons
change color?

189
00:11:56,740 --> 00:12:00,220
Jane: You've probably heard that
chameleons change color to blend

190
00:12:00,220 --> 00:12:03,670
into their background and hide,
but new research shows they're

191
00:12:03,670 --> 00:12:06,820
more often adjusting appearance
in order to regulate their body

192
00:12:06,820 --> 00:12:11,020
temperature or to communicate.
Chameleons can't just match the

193
00:12:11,020 --> 00:12:14,500
pattern of any environment they
find themselves in, and to be

194
00:12:14,500 --> 00:12:17,890
honest, they usually don't have
to. They're already pretty well

195
00:12:17,890 --> 00:12:20,980
camouflaged. They can get a
little lighter or darker,

196
00:12:20,980 --> 00:12:25,000
though, to better match their
surroundings. And since lizards

197
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,420
are ectothermic, meaning they
can't regulate their own body

198
00:12:28,420 --> 00:12:31,780
temperature, they sometimes
change their hue to help them

199
00:12:31,780 --> 00:12:36,160
absorb more or less sunlight,
but their most dramatic color

200
00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,550
changes are saved for
communication, to attract a mate

201
00:12:39,580 --> 00:12:43,960
or defend their territory. To
make bold colors chameleons have

202
00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:47,410
special nanocrystals in their
skin that they can move closer

203
00:12:47,410 --> 00:12:51,940
together or farther apart by
tensing and relaxing. Changing

204
00:12:51,940 --> 00:12:55,420
the positions of those crystals
allows them to reflect different

205
00:12:55,420 --> 00:12:58,780
wavelengths of light, making
them appear different colors.

206
00:12:59,350 --> 00:13:00,550
Wish I could do that!

207
00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:06,040
That's our last But Why Bite for
today? If you want to see this

208
00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,770
episode and all the cool
graphics that go with it, check

209
00:13:08,770 --> 00:13:12,670
out our YouTube channel But Why
Kids. You'll find a direct link

210
00:13:12,670 --> 00:13:16,060
in the show notes. As always, if
you have a question about

211
00:13:16,060 --> 00:13:19,270
anything, have an adult record.
You asking it on a smartphone.

212
00:13:19,630 --> 00:13:22,870
You can use an app like voice
memos, then have your adult

213
00:13:22,900 --> 00:13:25,450
email the file to
questions@butwykids.org But Why

214
00:13:27,010 --> 00:13:30,340
is produced by Melody Bodette,
Sarah Baik, and me, Jane

215
00:13:30,340 --> 00:13:34,930
Lindholm at Vermont Public and
distributed by PRX. Our video

216
00:13:34,930 --> 00:13:37,930
producer is Joey Palumbo, and
our theme music is by Luke

217
00:13:37,930 --> 00:13:41,350
Reynolds. If you like our show,
please have your adults help you

218
00:13:41,350 --> 00:13:45,520
give us a thumbs up or a review
on whatever podcast platform you

219
00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:50,500
use. We'll be back in two weeks
with an all new episode. Until

220
00:13:50,500 --> 00:14:04,660
then, stay curious. You