Unschooling with Kai
By Kai and Dan
After many car rides filled with episodes of the Stuff You Should Know podcast with the famous Chuck and Josh, Kai said, "Hey, we should make our own podcast!" Being fresh unschoolers ourselves, we decided to dive right in and start exploring topics of Kai's interest. Each episode is a different interest of Kai's. We figure out what we already know, research and answer our questions using the library, YouTube, museums, and the internet. Then we organize our findings and present them to you! Feel free to contact us at unschoolingwithkai@gmail.com with any feedback or episode suggestions.
Unschooling with KaiJan 17, 2020
00:00
50:06
Do tire valve caps keep air in?
What’s the deal with those little black plastic tire valve caps? Do they actually hold air in the tires? Do you even need them? Find out in this episode of Unschooling With Kai!
Apr 17, 202412:53
What is a light year and how far is it?
After just having witnessed the recent solar eclipse, we started talking about speed and distance and this question popped up. Join us as we jump into some updates from previous episodes and then break down the distances of a light second, light hour, light day, and light year.
Apr 10, 202418:55
What are the different uses of brushes vs. combs?
When should you use a brush versus a comb? Does it depend on your hair type? Listen in while we try to get this tangle of an episode all straightened out. 🤭
Feb 28, 202413:29
What is the red stuff they used to seal envelopes with?
We talk about wax sealing and get a little into the history, the significance of certain wax colors, and the possibility of counterfeiting wax seals. Enjoy!
Feb 21, 202417:09
Do preying mantises live through winter?
The short answer? No. And Yes. Tricky, huh? Guess you’ll have to listen to the episode to learn more about the ootheca, the mantid life cycle, and some unrelated updates on pathogens, antigens, and black holes!
Feb 14, 202417:51
Why do we get achy when sick?
We dive into an interesting discussion about the immune system’s role in collateral damage (AKA pain) to our body. We highly recommend you check out Philip Dettmer’s book called Immune or the Kurzgesagt channel to dig deeper into our body’s immune system.
Feb 05, 202420:43
Why can’t mules reproduce?
We talk about horse and donkey offspring and what genetically stops them from reproducing!
Nov 06, 202311:53
Why does the bed of some empty flatbed trucks curve upwards in the middle?
How about that question? Is it a mouthful? Well the science behind it is not as complicated! Join us on another episode of Unschooling with Kai!
Oct 16, 202314:24
Why do knees hurt after sitting too long?
Are you an older person without knee pain? Or a young person with knee pain without a history of injury or other explanation? Let us know at unschoolingwithkai@gmail.com !!
Oct 10, 202315:25
What does “Bah Humbug!” mean?
Today we talk about Ebenezer Scrooge’s exclamation in Charles Dicken’s 1843 book A Christmas Carol. Enjoy!
Oct 05, 202313:17
What video game has the largest file size? The smallest?
We talk all things video game size from some of the largest Steam games to some of the smallest Nintendo games. We also explain kilobytes, megabytes, and gigabytes. Enjoy!
Sep 18, 202308:19
Do you get an RBI for a solo home run in baseball?
Welcome to Season Five of Unschooling with Kai! This is our first question we’re answering in this new format. Let us know what you think! Also, feel free to share any questions you want answered at unschoolingwithkai@gmail.com. Enjoy!
Sep 13, 202310:21
Military Working Dogs - Part II
We talk about MWDs and the Gear they use, their History, Rehabilitation after service, and some Dog Tales. Also, we have a big announcement at the end!!
Jun 05, 202333:17
Military Working Dogs (MWDs) - Part I
This episode we dive into the Military Working Dogs and figure out what they can do, what kind of dogs they are, which forces uses them, and what their specific training is. Stay tuned for part two!
Apr 13, 202340:29
Amtrak Part II - Equipment, Rider Experience, and the Future
In the this second Amtrak episode, we talk about: what it’s like to ride on an Amtrak train, specific train equipment, the future of Amtrak, and our own personal experience. Enjoy!
Feb 09, 202350:09
Amtrak - Part I - Routes and History
It’s been awhile but we’re back with a short but sweet episode on Amtrak. We talk about what it is, what routes they have, and some of the difficult history. Enjoy!
Dec 08, 202239:01
Sonic Booms - Part II - The Science and the First Supersonic Plane and Car
The end of this series includes some discussion on the science of the sonic boom. We also get into the secret Bell X-1 flight in 1947 and the Thrust SSC ride 50 years later. Enjoy!
Oct 03, 202245:32
Sonic Booms - Part I - What Are They and Some Examples
We’ve arrived at season 4 of Unschooling with Kai and decided to kick it off with Sonic Booms! Here we explain what they are, how they happen, and give some everyday and some not-so-everyday examples. Enjoy!
Sep 07, 202241:03
Bees - Part IV - Queens, Communication, and Colony Collapse Disorder
This is our last episode in the bee series and possibly the last in this season. We talk about queens and their brood, bee communication, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), and bee swarms. Enjoy! … Cover photo provided by: Melanie Mason. Melanie is an unschooling mom of two living in West Chester Ohio. She is a musician by trade, and teaches violin & viola private lessons in addition to playing viola professionally in the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Just within this past year, Melanie has become fascinated with macro photography and has been taking pictures with her Olympus camera since Christmas. Prior to that time, she was taking pictures with a macro lens on her iPhone 12, which she actually bought to share the joy of looking at insects with her kids! She, however, quickly realized her passion for the art of macro photography, and the rest is history! You can find her on Instagram under her account: melaniemason. Prints of her work can be purchased on her website: https://melaniemasonmacro.myshopify.com/
May 25, 202256:20
Bees - Part III - Domestication and What Bees Make
In this third installment, we talk about that various things that bees produce. Then we discuss the various facets of domestication and human intervention including migratory beekeeping and (gasp) killer bees! …Cover photo provided by: Melanie Mason. Melanie is an unschooling mom of two living in West Chester Ohio. She is a musician by trade, and teaches violin & viola private lessons in addition to playing viola professionally in the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Just within this past year, Melanie has become fascinated with macro photography and has been taking pictures with her Olympus camera since Christmas. Prior to that time, she was taking pictures with a macro lens on her iPhone 12, which she actually bought to share the joy of looking at insects with her kids! She, however, quickly realized her passion for the art of macro photography, and the rest is history! You can find her on Instagram under her account: melaniemason. Prints of her work can be purchased on her website: https://melaniemasonmacro.myshopify.com/
May 12, 202247:44
Bees - Part II - Foraging
In this episode we discuss the various jobs a bee cycles through in their lifetime and then get deep into foraging and pollination! Video of vibrating bumblebee: https://youtu.be/SZrTndD1H10 **** The cover art (for this episode and the rest in the bee series) was provided by Melanie Mason. Melanie is an unschooling mom of two living in West Chester Ohio. She is a musician by trade, and teaches violin & viola private lessons in addition to playing viola professionally in the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Just within this past year, Melanie has become fascinated with macro photography and has been taking pictures with her Olympus camera since Christmas. Prior to that time, she was taking pictures with a macro lens on her iPhone 12, which she actually bought to share the joy of looking at insects with her kids! She, however, quickly realized her passion for the art of macro photography, and the rest is history! You can find her on Instagram under her account: melaniemason. Prints of her work can be purchased on her website: https://melaniemasonmacro.myshopify.com/
May 05, 202249:30
Bees - Part I - History and Wintering
Wow it’s been a while since our last episode, but we’re back with Bees! We discuss some bee basics, and then talk about some of their history, and cover “wintering.” This is definitely just the first in a longer bee series. Videos: mesopredators - https://youtu.be/G4K2oBhewFA … drone eviction - https://youtu.be/3gQTtudYUiQ Link: Bee Swarm Simulator on Roblox - https://www.roblox.com/games/1537690962/Bee-Swarm-Simulator **** The cover art (for this episode and the rest in the bee series) was provided by Melanie Mason. Melanie is an unschooling mom of two living in West Chester Ohio. She is a musician by trade, and teaches violin & viola private lessons in addition to playing viola professionally in the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Just within this past year, Melanie has become fascinated with macro photography and has been taking pictures with her Olympus camera since Christmas. Prior to that time, she was taking pictures with a macro lens on her iPhone 12, which she actually bought to share the joy of looking at insects with her kids! She, however, quickly realized her passion for the art of macro photography, and the rest is history! You can find her on Instagram under her account: melaniemason. Prints of her work can be purchased on her website: https://melaniemasonmacro.myshopify.com/
Apr 28, 202248:58
MINICAST - The Immune System - Part II
In this second part of the immune system, we cover Murder University (the thymus), Gut Microbiome, Coronavirus and Vaccines, and finally Bacteriophages. Enjoy! Also, check out the Kurzgesagt videos we reference throughout The Immune System Minicasts: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFs4vir_WsTyY31efyHdmtp9l7DpR0Wvi
Jan 28, 202201:03:34
MINICAST - The Immune System - Part I
In this episode, we tackle our love for Kurzgesagt and their accessible explanations of the complicated immune system. We cover the innate and adaptive systems and what all of their cells and proteins do to protect our bodies! Check out the Kurzgesagt videos on the immune system in their Medicine & Biology Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFs4vir_WsTyY31efyHdmtp9l7DpR0Wvi
Jan 20, 202201:03:20
Ants - Part V - Weaver Ants
We talk about Kai’s favorite ants: the Weaver Ants and get into some specifics of Nests and Queens, Battle and Defenses, and Food and Drink. Enjoy! Also, here is the must-see video on how ants stick to surfaces: youtu.be/hd5upt3IrWM
Jan 07, 202201:13:07
Ants - Part IV - Marauder Ants
We talk about Kai’s second favorite (and currently Dan’s favorite) type of ants: the Marauder Ants. We discuss their species as well as their extreme Polymorphism, Trails & Food, and Raids & Fighting. Enjoy!
Dec 30, 202101:03:33
Ants - Part III - Army Ants
We talk about Kai’s 3rd favorite kind of ant—the Army Ant! We specifically describe their bivouacs, raids, and their queens/reproduction. Enjoy!!
Dec 22, 202156:37
Ants - Part II
We talk about how ants communicate, about queens and reproduction, and about polymorphism (Kai’s favorite!). Hope you enjoy this episode!
Dec 15, 202157:31
Ants - Part I
For this episode and next well cover some general (yet still quite interesting) facts that pertain to the majority of ant species. In this episode we cover What Are Ants, Body Parts, and some Special Ants and their interesting abilities/sizes.
Dec 08, 202101:05:13
Black Holes - Part III
Wow, dive even deeper into black holes and talk about gravity, spacetime, and then Hawking Radiation and other quantum weirdness. Phew! Check out the following videos as recommended in this episode: Kurzgesagt Dinosaurs youtu.be/xaQJbozY_Is … VSauce Brachistochrome youtu.be/skvnj67YGmw … Kurzgesagt Information Paradox youtu.be/yWO-cvGETRQ
Oct 19, 202101:04:56
Black Holes - Part II
We dive deeper into black holes and discuss Andromeda’s central black hole, how light works, the picture of M87’s central black hole, as well as the biggest and smallest black holes. Stay tuned for the the third and final episode in this series!
Sep 30, 202101:10:15
Black Holes - Part I
We get our feet wet in this first installment of Black Holes discussing the first observed black hole, the formation of black holes, and the black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. Check out our inspiration here: youtu.be/0FH9cgRhQ-k
Sep 17, 202149:53
Sauropods - Part II
We continue to discuss sauropods and in this episode we hit on their diet, why they got so big, their reproduction and young, as well as detailing a handful of the record-holders. See these Kurzgesagt videos for help understanding the size of life: youtu.be/f7KSfjv4Oq0 and youtu.be/MUWUHf-rzks
Sep 01, 202101:10:50
Sauropods - Part I
We intro sauropods—the biggest land animals to have ever lived. We talk about their classification, their general physical characteristics, and then place them in the larger picture of the Mesozoic era. For clarity, we recommend you look up the “archosaur clade” in an online image search!
Aug 18, 202158:38
Ninja - Unconventional Warfare
We kick off Season 3 with ninja! What are they and what do they do? Are they still around? How were they trained? What weapons did they use? And were did they come from? We answer all of these questions and also give a quick summary of unschooling as well as our process for learning about each topic.
Jul 02, 202101:46:33
Top 3 Largest US Military Cargo Airplanes (C-5, C-17, and C-130)
We compare and contrast the three largest US military cargo airplanes including the C-5 Galaxy, the C-17 Globemaster III, and the C-130 Hercules. Then we geek-out over the C-5, it’s sheer size, and all of the interesting facts we know about it. Check out our recommended videos on aerial refueling (https://youtu.be/r-s9ajt4aE8), kneeling (https://youtu.be/EqZUVtKzjtc), and backing up (https://youtu.be/PkCYCtIz33o). Finally, here is Kai posing in front of our C-17 Globemaster III chalk drawing (https://readingrecipe.blogspot.com/p/podcast-resources.html).
Jun 06, 202101:36:45
Wild Dogs - Part VI - Dholes, Jackals, Dingoes, and African Wild Dogs
We briefly jump between dholes, jackals, dingoes, and African wild dogs giving fun facts on each one. One of these dogs even pees upside down! Here’s the video we mention of jackals masking their own scent: youtu.be/AhEdKY4ujjg
Mar 20, 202143:05
Wild Dogs - Part V - Coyotes
Coyotes: not quite the hopeless cartoon character nor the disease-ridden dog we’ve imagined. In fact, they’re rather well-adapted to the ever-changing environment.
Mar 06, 202101:03:51
Wild Dogs - Part IV - Foxes Continued
We cover some of the cool facts and trivia concerning Grey Foxes, Arctic Foxes, Fennec Foxes, and Bat-eared Foxes. The “Kurzgesagt” video Kai mentioned is here: youtu.be/MUWUHf-rzks
Feb 27, 202154:45
Wild Dogs - Part III - Foxes
We give a general discussion of foxes and their behavior and then specifically dive into Red Foxes. We’ll continue with other fox species next episode. Also, check out two videos we recommend from Save A Fox to see some “gekkering.” - (on Facebook) https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2127936207336098&id=376054892842542 and (on YouTube) https://youtu.be/3Pu12roK7Rc
Feb 13, 202101:01:23
Wild Dogs - Part II - Wolves Continued
We continue to explore wolves in this episode. We talk about: characteristics / abilities, the pack / hunting, and the den and pups. Enjoy!
Feb 06, 202101:06:26
Wild Dogs - Part I - Wolves
We are joined again by Ananya (our guest from the Wild Cats series) as we discuss the oldest and largest members of the dog family: wolves.
Jan 30, 202152:36
MINICAST - The Missing Flight of Malaysian Airlines MH370
MH370 is still an unsolved mystery that may never be solved. Our interest was piqued from the start.
Dec 09, 202046:35
Tsar Bomba
We get down and dirty about the “clean” Tsar Bomba that the USSR tested on their own land. It was the biggest nuclear bomb ever!
Oct 30, 202001:31:45
Wild Cats - Part IV - Lynxes, Bobcats, and Other Small Cats
We talk all about the felinae subgroup of cats especially the ones in the BBC documentary Big Cats as well as our favorites. We obviously won’t be able to cover all 33 cats in the subgroup!
Sep 05, 202001:43:54
Wild Cats - Part III - Leopards, Tigers, and Lions
We get down and dirty in our discussion of the “panthera” subfamily of cats—those that can roar!
Aug 29, 202001:41:26
Wild Cats - Part II - Behaviors and Characteristics
We talk about what makes an animal a mammal, and then zero in more closely on “felids” explaining their physical and behavioral characteristics.
Aug 22, 202001:08:29
Wild Cats - Part I - Trivia
We introduce the topic of wild cats, talk about the category and have fun with some trivia with a special guest. Join us!
Aug 15, 202054:55
Aircraft Carriers - Part II
We discuss plane launching from US aircraft carriers as well as the island, bridge, and strike group. Then, we discuss our favorite part: combat and war games!
Mar 16, 202042:23
Aircraft Carriers - Part I
We talk all about aircraft carriers including a little history, a country comparison, and the inner workings of a US aircraft carrier!
Feb 18, 202038:16