Welcome to Ping and Echo, a daily newsletter that links to one amazing podcast episode that is guaranteed to be a great listen for kids and their families. Each newsletter includes links to articles, videos and activities related to the podcast so you can turn every episode into an adventure.
Today’s podcast episode is from Surprisingly Brilliant, a podcast about “the true stories of the wild experiments, bizarre journeys, and strange ideas that led to incredible discoveries.” In “An Annoying Noise” the hosts trace our current understanding of the origins of the universe through a series of surprising discoveries and accidental revelations. The hosts play off each other well, stepping back throughout the episode to explain things in ways that listeners of all ages can understand - like explaining how the universe is expanding by describing how a cake bakes. The story plays out like a mystery and leaves listeners with a sense of wonder and awe about the universe around us. (And that odd antenna in the photo above plays a starring role.)
Podcast: Surprisingly Brilliant
Episode: An Annoying Noise
Length: 45 min
🧐 You Should Know
I’ll always give you a heads up if there is anything in the podcast that might surprise or worry kids. Nothing to worry about here.
💡 Try This
After you listen to the episode you can study the universe even further with the links and activities below:
Bake your own cinnamon raisin bread (bonus, the swirls look like a galaxy!)
Draw a map of the universe (or at least your own version of it)
Test the doppler effect with your car
🔎 Explore More
Read up on the science behind this episode with these links:
Watch a video that explains the universe as a fruit cake with visuals
Then watch this illustrated video which covers a lot of what is in this episode with pictures
What does it mean when they say the universe is expanding? - Library of Congress
The name Ping and Echo comes from sonar technology which relies on sending out “pings” and receiving back “echos” to discover the world around you. You can send us pictures of the art and activities created by your kids. Email them to pingandecho@gmail.com and we’ll post all your echos on our Instagram and our Twitter page.
Thanks for lending us your ears and your inbox.
Josh, Ruby, and Toby