STEM with Dr. Owl

Discover the science of cartography, bird's-eye views, and scale as we learn exactly how humans map the world. Join Emma, Dr. Owl, and Ziggy the Robot as they decode a messy backyard treasure map, explore how symbols and legends work, and find out how modern satellites help us navigate from space!

Discover the science of marine biology and animal adaptations as we explore how snails, clams, and oysters build their own shells out of calcium carbonate. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they investigate nature's built-in 3D printers, find out why turtles can never leave their shells, and laugh at Ziggy's silly attempt to use a cardboard box as armor!

Explore the earth science and plant biology behind mysterious natural phenomena like low-hanging fog, giant pumpkins, and echoing limestone caves. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and a very confused Ziggy as they open the Spooky Science Mailbag to learn about condensation, photosynthesis, and the real reason why dry autumn leaves crunch so loudly!

Learn the biology of muscle fatigue, ATP energy, and the human body in this interactive science episode. Join Dr. Owl, Curious Emma, and Ziggy the Robot as they perform a fun airplane wing experiment to discover how muscles use energy to hold our arms up against gravity. Find out why our arms don't actually gain weight when we are tired, and why taking a break is the ultimate way to recharge your energy coins!

Discover the fascinating world of structural engineering and physics as we explain how massive bridges are built to support heavy traffic without collapsing into the water. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they test out the invisible forces of tension and compression, and explore super-strong design shapes like arches and trusses. Plus, find out exactly why Ziggy's silly noodle-and-sticky-note bridge couldn't quite hold up a toy dump truck!

Discover the fascinating animal biology and adaptations behind the world's spookiest creatures as we explore why owls fly silently and whether toads really give you warts. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they dive into a haunted mailbag to learn how spiders spin their incredible webs and why jellyfish are transparent ocean ghosts. It is the perfect spooky season adventure for curious explorers!

In this episode, kids will learn the science behind natural rubber, polymers, and the chemical process of vulcanization that makes tires strong and bouncy balls jump. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy the Robot as they journey to a tropical rainforest to discover how milky tree sap transforms into everyday items—while Ziggy tries to plant a bouncy ball to grow his very own bouncy ball tree! Join our explorers' club and sign up for the newsletter at orbitalowl.com for more fun STEM activities and episode updates.

Discover the physics and chemistry behind gas density and buoyancy to understand why party balloons slowly shrink and fall to the floor. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they zoom in to the microscopic level to explore how tiny helium particles escape through solid-looking rubber polymers!

Discover the fascinating science of human anatomy as we explore the functions of blood cells, tooth enamel, bone healing, and the nervous system. Ziggy the Robot transforms the lab into a silly haunted house to answer your spookiest body mysteries. Join Dr. Owl and Emma to find out why we shudder, how broken bones fix themselves, and why our blood is like the ultimate rescue team!

Discover the science of temperature, thermal energy, and the lowest possible limit of cold known as absolute zero. Ride along in a wacky Temperature Elevator as we travel past freezing water, extreme Antarctic blizzards, and liquid nitrogen to find out just how chilly the universe can get. See if tiny particles really stop moving forever at the very bottom of the thermometer!

Explore the mechanical engineering and physics of hydraulics that give giant excavators their incredible lifting power. Answering fantastic questions from our curious explorers Everett and Kaiyi, Dr. Owl and Emma head to a muddy construction site to investigate how pressurized liquid, heavy counterweights, and wide tracks work together to move mountains of dirt. Plus, find out what happens when Ziggy tries to upgrade his own mechanical strength using a belly full of apple juice!

Learn how the Moon formed, why it changes shape, and what astronauts left behind in this special listener Q&A edition. Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy dive into Ziggy's Mailbag to answer curious questions from real young explorers about lunar dust, gravity, and Apollo rocket missions. A fun, fact-filled lunar adventure explaining Earth's closest neighbor in space.

How do birds fly, how do bugs stay up, and why can’t people flap their arms and take off? Emma follows a bird from takeoff to landing while Ziggy tests his cardboard wings. Discover lift, gliding, the tiny wing moves of insects, and the machines that let humans fly.

Discover the science of extreme weather as we explain updrafts, wind shear, and how mesocyclones create tornadoes. Join Dr. Owl, Curious Emma, and a very dizzy Ziggy the Robot in the weather lab to solve the mystery of why only some thunderstorms spin. Find out exactly what ingredients it takes to build a twisting funnel cloud and learn important tornado safety tips along the way!

Discover the incredible science of plant biology, including how flowers use turgor pressure to bloom, why leaves change color in autumn, and how evergreen trees survive the freezing winter. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they open the mailbag to answer explorer questions and learn the secret superpower plants use to bend and reach the sunlight!

Discover the science behind REM sleep and why our brains create wild stories while we snooze. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they explore the three main ingredients of dreams and answer if scientists can actually watch what you are dreaming during a sleep study. From floating marshmallows to memory filing cabinets, find out what really happens inside your head when you close your eyes!

Discover the biology behind motion sickness and learn how the inner ear and eyes send mixed signals to the brain. Emma feels a little woozy on a winding road trip, prompting Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy to investigate the body's hidden motion sensors. Tune in to solve the mystery of car sickness, learn how to prevent it, and find out exactly what happens when a robot tries out virtual reality!

Kids discover how microscopic atoms connect to create the amazing real-world materials all around us, from the water we drink to the iron hiding inside rocks. Emma and Dr. Owl open Ziggy’s overflowing mailbag to decode the Periodic Table, learn why glass shatters instead of bends, and stop one very hungry robot from eating a wooden desk. It’s a playful question-and-answer science adventure about chemistry and the tiny building blocks of our universe.

Learn the step-by-step science of architecture and engineering that goes into building a strong, safe house from the ground up. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they discover why you can't start a building with the roof, how concrete foundations keep houses from sinking, and the secret world of pipes and wires hiding inside your walls!

Discover the fascinating journey of drinking water from natural lakes and treatment plants through giant underground mains and home plumbing directly to your faucet. Join Dr. Owl, Emma, and Ziggy as they follow the pipes backward, answer trivia about water meters, and search for silly under-sink water gnomes!