The Wonder Podcast for curious kids

How do we see? And how do we see colour? Does the world look the same through another person's eyes? In this podcast discover how the human eye works and how it sees colour. You may be surprised to learn that not everyone sees colour in the same way: a few are colour blind; others are tetrachromats which means they have an extra type of cone cell in their eye, and can see as many as 100 million different colours.  While dogs' eyes are quite similar to our own, insects have completely different eyes from people, and can see colours of light not visible to the human eye, such as ultra violet and infrared. And, believe it or not, there are even more colours in the rainbow than you might ever have realised

Why do we worry? And what can we do about it? This episode explains to children that day-to-day worries are a normal part of life. In fact, sometimes worry is a positive, rather than negative, thing.   When faced with predators, a sense of fear protected our ancient ancestors and, even today, it can push us out of our comfort zone. And when it all gets a bit too much, there are things we can do to relieve some of our worries, as we explain.        This podcast is written, and read to you, by Henrietta McMicking, with special thanks to child and adolescent therapist Ruth Burnett. It was produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas, with sound editing by Max Watson. Our theme music is by James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Have you ever wondered why poo is funny? It's stinky. It's perfectly revolting, but if you say the word poo a few times, children – and some adults – start to smile, even laugh. And it can, of course, be surprisingly useful – as a food source, a fertiliser and for marking animal territory. But adult humans don't tend to like talking about poo so we thought we'd do just that instead. This podcast is written, and read to you, by Camilla Akers-Douglas, with sound editing by Max Watson. It was produced by Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Have you ever sent a secret message to a friend? Or tried to use a clever code to protect a secret? Have you ever tried to crack a code? There are many ingenious ways to conceal, and reveal, a secret message. Keeping secrets, and code breaking, can be a matter of life and death, as Mary, Queen of Scots found out to her cost. Alan Turing's work as a code breaker during WW11 may have shortened the war by two years and saved 14 million lives. Today super-fast computers give us new ways to encrypt messages but, as ever, there is a constant race between those who create new methods of encryption and those who want to break it.  This podcast is read by Luke Irwin, with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Nicola Kličková and Tomáš Klička, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

All around the world during the darkest months of winter people light candles and look forward to a time of new hope. Why do Christians celebrate Christmas at this time of year? Why do Jewish people, Hindus, Jains, Sihks and some Buddhists celebrate with festivals of light at this darkest time? And how does Christmas vary from country to country? No matter how hard Oliver Cromwell, the Grinch and Covid-19 try, it really is impossible to cancel Christmas. This podcast is read by Henrietta McMicking with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media  Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Wherever they sailed, they plundered, pillaged and stole, so the story goes. But were the Vikings really the fierce invaders of the history books who ransacked our monasteries and captured human slaves? Or where they simply peaceful traders with an interest in travel? The clue is in the names: the word Viking did not originally mean a single group of people. It meant a pirate or raider. And with names like Thorfinn Skullsplitter, Eric Bloody Axe and Hairy Breeches, could they really have just been traders?  In this podcast we look at the clues left behind by history and ask, just how berserk did the Vikings go? This podcast is read by Oliver Akers-Douglas with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media  Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

It is exactly 400 years since a ship called the Mayflower arrived on the east coast of America, bringing 102 English settlers to the New World. Today some 35 million people all over the USA claim to have had an ancestor on the Mayflower.   As they built their colony on the Massachusetts coast, the so-called Pilgrims encountered the Wampanoag people who were unsure about the threat the new arrivals posed. The settlement became known as Plymouth, or Patuxet to the local tribes.     This podcast is read by Pandora Colin with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media  Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Have you ever wondered why chocolate tastes so good, why it is so completely and utterly scrumdiddlyumptious? In fact the raw cocoa bean tastes horrible, and it takes a lot to turn this tropical rainforest nut into chocolate.  Humans have loved it for longer than you might think, and the Aztecs drank it before going into battle. But only about 120 years ago, after a young Swiss company called Nestlé started adding milk and sugar to chocolate, did we really fall in love with it. Besides eating it, and drinking it, we have also used it as currency, to disguise a bomb and as a prop in early horror films. This podcast is read by Thomasina Miers with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media  Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Have you wondered if zero is actually a number?  Or if infinity is a number or a concept?  What is an imaginary number?  And how do numbers explain the shape of the ancient pyramids? Why is the number 60 so interesting? Just how large is the number Googol, the number that gives a certain search engine its name? And how does maths make our world more beautiful? Listen, and discover. This podcast is read by Luke Irwin with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Tomáš Klička and Nicola Kličková, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media  Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Her real name was Krystyna Skarbek.  She was Polish but spied for the British during WW11. She was brilliant and daring in a male-dominated field.  And a law unto her self.  She took risks few others would have done.  And saved lives with her rare ingenuity.  Codenames and pseudonyms, she had many: Madame Marchand, Jacqueline Armande or just plain Pauline. And, of course, Christine Granville.  She was a real-life female James Bond. And, it is said that she was Ian Fleming's inspiration for Vespar Lynd, the female double agent in his first-ever James Bond novel, Casino Royale. This podcast is read by Lucasta Cummings with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts  

Once the heavens were the domain of just gods and angels – which is one of the reasons why Icarcus fell back to earth. Humans only really mastered flight when they developed their understanding of two crucial concepts: lift and thrust. In the early 1900s, with the invention of the petrol engine, the Wright brothers took to the sky in a biplane, albeit for only 59 seconds at first. By 1949, when the first commercial jet-engine airliner crossed the Atlantic Ocean, 44 passengers were considered a lot. Today the world's largest airliner – the mighty Airbus A380 – can hold more than 600 people and fly over 8,000 miles without refuelling. And, aeronautical engineers are working on improving the design and efficiency of the planes of the future even further.  This podcast is read by Luke Irwin with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Tomáš Klička and Nicola Kličková, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts  

Welcome to Season 2 of The Wonder Podcast. This episode tells the true story of a thief who stole the Mona Lisa. Every year 10 million visitors come to the Louvre museum in Paris to see this portrait of a 16th-century Italian noblewoman by Leonardo da Vinci. But it was not until she was stolen on 21 August, 1911 that the Mona Lisa achieved global fame.   So who took her, and why wasn't she found for over two years? Did you know that Pablo Picasso was even a suspect?     This podcast is read by Henrietta McMicking with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell   To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk    Social media Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts   Our thanks to Ruthie Knapp, author of the children's picture book ‘Who Stole Mona Lisa?', for first alerting us to this story 

The new coronavirus has had a huge impact on our daily lives, and has made some people very sick but others who caught it haven't been ill at all. You might be wondering how we fight off illnesses like coronavirus. This week's episode is about the immune system and how it works to protect humans from diseases caused by viruses and bacteria. Using the garden as an analogy, we explain the difference between red and white blood cells, and the innate and adaptive immune system.  In order to make this serious but relevant subject more fun, we break with our narrative style to tell the story in dialogue form. This episode is read by both Henrietta McMicking and Arthur Akers-Douglas. We are eternally grateful to our amazing sound editor Max Watson. The script was written by Nicola Booth and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell.  To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

What do we love about a good film? Is it that they transport us to a different world? To places where our imagination can take flight? The films of Studio Ghibli are full of strange creatures and extraordinary flying machines; places where sprites live and incredible transformations are possible; and lots of cats – even a cat that looks like a bus. They celebrate the beauty of nature, daring invention, and explore the idea of unlikely gods and spirits that lie just beyond our understanding. The Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki set up Studio Ghibli in 1985. Since then he has written and directed 12 anime films. With titles like Spirited Away and Castle in the Sky, he take us to fantasy landscapes where anything can happen, and magic is just around the corner.  This episode is read by the actor Philip McGinley, best known for playing Anguy the Archer in season 3 of Game of Thrones. We are eternally grateful to our amazing sound editor Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas and produced by Henrietta McMicking and Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by James Burrell.  To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Seventy two years ago over 800 passengers arrived in the UK from the Caribbean aboard the Empire Windrush. This episode tells the story of their journey: from their initial optimism to the difficulties they faced adapting to life in Britain.  The Empire Windrush lent its name to the 'Windrush generation', the people that came from the West Indies to live in the UK over a period of 25 years. Not only did they helped rebuild Britain after the Second World War but they enriched its culture too. These people were the parents, and grandparents, of British comedian Lenny Henry, writer Zadie Smith, footballers Ian Wright and Marcus Rashford, Lea-Anne Pinnock from Little Mix – and many more.  The Windrush episode is read by the actor Suzette Llewellyn who plays Sheree in the British soap opera Eastenders. Her own parents came to London from Jamaica.  We are eternally grateful to our amazing sound editor Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell.  To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Hello Wonder! Carnivorous plants are awfully strange, and strangely awful. They may sound like the stuff of nightmares, or science-fiction, but they are most definitely real and ready to commit murder to survive. They attract, then trap, their victims and devour the bodies. These deadly assassins grow in every remote region of the world, except Antartica. And lurk underwater too.  In episode three of The Wonder Podcast we discover how these plants have evolved their murderous tendencies, and why they grow into weird and wonderful shapes – jaw-shapes, urn-shapes or even toilet-shapes, complete with loo seat and lid. This podcast is read by Luke Irwin with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios.  To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Hello Wonder! Have you ever wondered, what is the point of sport?  Of kicking a ball? Hitting a ball? Serving a ball? Of running a race? Of cycling? Or swimming? Or which jockey, on which horse, finishes first? Why bother counting the number of runs made by a bat striking a red leather ball? Why does both playing and watching sport obsess us so? Is it just a game? Or is sport a quest of perfection from which we learn lessons that stay with us forever? This Wonder podcast is read by the ITV racing presenter Alice Plunkett with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios.  To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Hello Wonder! The fourth episode of The Wonder Podcast tells the story of a schoolgirl from Pakistan who stood up for girls' rights to an education. To silence her, the Taliban, a group of religious extremists, shot her. Malala Yousafzai did not just survive: she became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Her journey began in the Swat Valley, a remote corner of Pakistan, and even she does not know where it will end.  After Malala was airlifted to the UK for life-saving surgery, she made a remarkable recovery and a life for herself and her family in Birmingham. Today she is studying at Oxford University, and has met presidents, prime ministers and, of course, the Queen. Malala continues to call for girls everywhere to be allowed to learn, and to lead. This podcast is read by Anisa Kadri with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios.  To learn more about Malala's work, or contribute to the Malala Fund, visit https://malala.org/ To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts

Hello Wonder!  Welcome to the first episode of The Wonder Podcast. It tells the story of Buzz Aldrin – fighter pilot, astronaut and member of the first manned space mission to another world – and how he lent his name to a famous Space Ranger superhero. You guessed it, Buzz Lightyear. Most of us can only dream of adventures to far-off places but 51 years ago two men stepped onto the moon. Back on earth some 600 million people watched, spellbound, as together Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong planted the American flag on the lunar surface. The world was mesmerised then. Even now this story is still captivating. The Buzz podcast is read by the actor Oliver Milburn, with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Camilla Akers-Douglas, with editing and fact checking by Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios.  We'd love to hear from you. Pictures and jokes are welcome too.  To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media  Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts  

Hello Wonder! The second episode of The Wonder Podcast tells the story of Queen Mary I who has been called a 16th-century Greta Thunberg – she was passionate, clever and very determined. She was also the first proper queen of England. Her father Henry VIII once called her ‘the greatest pearl in the kingdom' yet today she is remembered as ‘Bloody Mary' since she had hundreds of her Protestant enemies burned at the stake. All the Tudor kings and queens were ruthless killers. Her father executed some 50,000 people – about two percent of his subjects. And Mary's sister Elizabeth I's favourite torture method was to have her enemies hung, drawn and quartered. Does Mary really deserve her bloody nickname? The Mary I podcast is read by the actor Pandora Colin, with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Henrietta McMicking, with editing by Camilla Akers-Douglas. Our theme music is by the amazing James Burrell. Thanks also to Oli Morgan, mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios. The painting of Mary 1, by Master John (1544) hangs in London's National Portrait Gallery. We would love to hear from you. Pictures and jokes are welcome too.  To contact us, email camilla@wonderaudio.co.uk or henrietta@wonderaudio.co.uk  Social media   Twitter @wonder_podcast Facebook @wonderpodcasts Instagram @wonderpodcasts