What is electricity? How does it work? Where does it come from? Everyone has heard of electricity, but most people don’t understand much about it. Scientists have studied electricity for centuries, and they still have many unanswered questions! Listen to an electrical engineer explain some of the things we know, and still don’t know, about electricity.
Story Length: 3:40
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People rely on batteries to power our technology: laptops and phones run on rechargeable batteries. These can leak and are full of chemicals. But over time, these batteries stop re-charging, forcing us to purchase a new battery. But what if our batteries never died? A new battery was recently created that can last over 100 times longer than typical batteries. Listen to this story to figure out how one scientist has engineered a new battery.
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All animals, including humans, need to sleep. Scientists have several theories that help explain why we sleep. In this episode of But Why, a child sleep psychologist describes the evolutionary theory of sleep and explains how sleep benefits the brain and body. Listen to learn more about the science of sleep and its importance for healthy growth and development.
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In history, sometimes someone’s ideas are not fully appreciated until long after their death. Ada Lovelace was such a person. Born in 1815 and raised in a life of privilege, Ada had connections to many famous people, including mathematician Charles Babbage, who pioneered the idea of a computer. As a teen, Lovelace was mentored by Babbage. Gifted in math, she wound up expanding on Babbage’s early ideas, developing what some consider the world’s first computer program. Listen to learn about the story of Ada Lovelace’s life and how, a century after her death, she contributed to modern computer programming.
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