Philosophy for Kids / Philosophy's Not Boring: The Kids Philosophy Podcast

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A groundbreaking podcast for curious kids aged 4-12, and the grown-ups listening with them, that proves philosophy, psychology and religion are anything but dull.

Join our fictional AI hosts Mira, a brilliant 9-year-old, and her younger brother Finn, age 7, as they explore philosophy, psychology and religion as one big family of questions about how we make sense of things. Each episode takes a real thinker or idea seriously, from what makes you the same person you were as a baby to why people across the world believe such different things about the soul, and then lands it somewhere in your actual life.

We don't hand you the answer and move on. Some questions have one; some have several worth comparing; some nobody has ever settled, and we'll tell you which is which. On matters of faith we stay even-handed: we describe what people believe from the outside, and never tell you what to believe yourself. Because philosophy isn't a pile of hard words to memorize. It's learning to ask a better question, and to sit with it honestly, even when it's uncomfortable.

A note on why we use AI. For us, AI allows us to deliver learning at a scale and quality that previously would have been too expensive. If we make the odd technical error, or the sound goes a bit funny, bear with us, we're trying our best. We hope you enjoy the show!

Afleveringen

What is the McGurk Effect?

4 november 2026 · 12 min
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Have you ever wondered if your eyes can actually hear? It sounds like a superpower, but it is a real trick your brain plays on you every single day! Back in 1976, two scientists named Harry McGurk and John MacDonald accidentally discovered a mind-bending illusion. They played an audio recording of a voice saying "ba" over a video of a person's lips mouthing "ga." But instead of hearing the real sound, people heard a totally made-up third sound: "da"! This incredible glitch in our senses is called the McGurk Effect! Your brain doesn't keep sight and sound in separate boxes. Instead, it acts like a super detective, taking clues from your eyes and your ears to mash together one best guess! It is why looking at your friend's face in a loud, noisy cafeteria actually helps you hear their secret, and why badly dubbed movies feel so completely wrong! Join Mira and Finn as they explore how your eyes hack your ears to change the audio files in your brain. The craziest part? Even when you know the secret, you still can't turn the trick off! Lees meer
What is democracy?

3 november 2026 · 13 min
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Imagine you are on a giant wooden ship in the middle of a dangerous, stormy ocean! Who should steer? Should it be a trained, expert captain who knows how to read the stars, or should all the passengers take a vote? In this brain-twisting episode, Mira and Finn travel back over two thousand years to Ancient Athens to answer a massive question: What is democracy, and is it really the fairest way to make decisions? Dive into the incredible mind of the philosopher Plato! In his famous book The Republic, Plato argued that only trained experts should be in charge—otherwise, it's like letting someone who just throws a good party fly an airplane! But the ancient Athenians believed that everyone living on the ship deserves a say in where it goes. Get ready for wild historical facts about how Athenians voted using broken pottery, picked leaders by random lottery, and the ultimate debate between knowing what is best versus doing what is fair! Will you choose Plato's expert captain, or will you vote with the passengers? Lees meer
What is a Zen koan?

2 november 2026 · 15 min
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Have you ever tried to solve a riddle that is actually impossible? What if the whole point of a puzzle is to completely break your brain? Welcome to the wild world of the Zen koan! In the 1700s, a famous Japanese Zen teacher named Hakuin asked his students a brain-twisting question: 'Two hands clap and there is a sound. What is the sound of one hand?' Students would spend months—even years!—trying to figure it out. They would guess snapping, waving, or even total silence, but every single answer was wrong! Why? Because this special puzzle wasn't meant to test their logic. It was designed to exhaust their busy, thinking minds until they simply gave up! Once their brains stopped trying to solve the problem, they could finally relax and experience the beautiful present moment without worrying. Join Mira and Finn on Philosophy is Not Boring as they explore this amazing ancient brain hack, learn how to turn off the noisy static in our heads, and challenge you with a fun trivia quiz! Get ready to listen... with one hand! Lees meer
Why do we pick sides?

1 november 2026 · 12 min
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Have you ever been on the playground and suddenly found yourself in an intense game of "sneakers versus boots"? Why do our brains pick sides so incredibly fast, even over silly, meaningless things? In this mind-bending episode of Philosophy is Not Boring, Mira and Finn uncover the hidden secrets of how humans form groups! First, we travel back to 1970 to meet researcher Henri Tajfel. He discovered that kids would form fiercely loyal teams over something as tiny as picking between two abstract paintings—even if they never actually met their teammates! It gets even wilder when we learn that people will sometimes give up a good deal just to make sure the "other team" loses. But wait, can we stop a rivalry once it starts? Yes! We explore a famous 1954 summer camp experiment called Robbers Cave, where two rival groups of kids learned to get along. How did they do it? By fixing a broken water supply and pulling a heavy food truck out of the mud together! Join us to find out how a shared problem (and a round of milkshakes!) can turn bitter enemies into fast friends! Lees meer
What is Halloween?

31 oktober 2026 · 11 min
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Get ready to uncover the ultimate mystery of spooky season! Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Halloween on October 31st, or why it is called Halloween in the first place? Join Mira and Finn on Philosophy is Not Boring as they travel back in time to discover the secret history of this famous holiday! It turns out, Halloween comes from an old phrase meaning All Hallows' Eve, the night before the Christian holiday of All Saints' Day. But the story goes back even further! Thousands of years ago, the ancient Celts celebrated a festival called Samhain, where they believed the boundary between the living and spirit worlds grew super thin. From inviting ancestors to dinner, to lighting paper lanterns in Japan for the summer festival of Obon, to building beautiful marigold-covered altars for Mexico's Day of the Dead, people all over the world have incredible ways to remember loved ones! Discover why remembering someone is an amazing superpower, how traditions stack on top of each other, and why death doesn't mean someone stops being part of your family. Hit play and let's explore the beautiful magic of memories! Lees meer
Who was Ibn Sina?

30 oktober 2026 · 12 min
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Have you ever tried to feel absolutely nothing? It’s almost impossible! You can always feel your toes in your shoes or hear your own heartbeat. But what if you couldn't? Join Mira and Finn on a mind-bending journey back to the early 1000s to meet a brilliant Persian doctor and philosopher named Ibn Sina! During the Islamic Golden Age, Ibn Sina created one of the most famous and spooky thought experiments in history: The Floating Man. Imagine a man created in a single instant, floating in total darkness, with no memories and absolutely no way to feel his own physical body. Would he still know that he exists? Ibn Sina said yes! This wild puzzle proved that our minds, or our "selves," are completely different from our physical bodies. It even inspired the famous philosopher René Descartes to declare, "I think, therefore I am" over 600 years later! Tune in to discover why you are so much more than just a pile of bones and muscles, and explore the ultimate magic of the human mind! Lees meer
How did babies count?

29 oktober 2026 · 12 min
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Have you ever wondered what is going on inside a tiny baby's head? Do they only know how to sleep, cry, and eat snacks, or are their brains already working super hard? For a long time, famous thinkers believed babies were born with a "blank slate"—like an empty computer with zero programs installed! But in 1992, a scientist named Karen Wynn at the University of Arizona decided to test this with a brilliant experiment. She created a tiny puppet stage with colorful toys to see if five-month-old babies could actually do math! But how do you give a math test to someone who can't even hold a pencil? With a sneaky magic trick! Using a hidden trap door, researchers secretly took a toy away. When the screen dropped, one plus one suddenly equaled one! The babies were so surprised that they stared for a super long time! Does this mean we are all born with a built-in math calculator in our brains, or were the babies just tracking their toys? Join Mira and Finn as we dive into this amazing mystery, discover ancient Roman pebbles, and find out if tiny babies are actually math geniuses! Lees meer
Who was John Stuart Mill?

28 oktober 2026 · 11 min
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Have you ever wanted to eat a whole gallon of double chocolate fudge ice cream for dinner and thought, 'It's my body, it's my choice!'? Well, get ready to test that idea! Travel back to 1859 England to meet a super-smart philosopher named John Stuart Mill. He was a certified genius who started learning Ancient Greek when he was just three years old! When he grew up, he wrote a famous book called 'On Liberty' and came up with one giant rule for the world: The Harm Principle. This rule says you should be allowed to do whatever you want, as long as you aren't hurting anyone else! Sounds awesome, right? But wait... what actually counts as 'harm'? If you play the drums at 3 AM and make your neighbors grumpy, is that causing harm? What if your bad choices make your family sad? Join Mira and Finn as they untangle the invisible spiderweb of human connection, discover what 'experiments in living' are, and learn why this famous rule doesn't actually apply to kids! Lees meer
What is the invisible gorilla?

27 oktober 2026 · 11 min
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Have you ever been staring right at something, like a missing Lego piece or the ketchup in the fridge, but you literally cannot see it? Get ready for a mind-bending episode that will change how you look at the world! In 1999, psychologists Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris set up a famous experiment at Harvard University. They asked students to watch a video of people passing basketballs and carefully count the passes. But halfway through the game, someone in a giant, furry black gorilla suit walked right into the middle of the players, thumped their chest, and walked away. Guess what? Almost half of the viewers completely missed the giant gorilla! How is that even possible?! Join Mira and Finn as they uncover the wild science of "inattentional blindness." You will learn how your brain acts like a busy movie editor, quietly deleting things from your vision so you don't get overwhelmed. Discover why your brain tricks you, how even expert doctors miss crazy details, and why you might not hear your parents when you are playing a tough video game. Tune in to test your own brain! Lees meer
What is the Amish community?

26 oktober 2026 · 12 min
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Imagine waking up tomorrow and deciding to get rid of your family car, the television, and all the iPads for good! Sounds crazy, right? But for the Amish community, living without modern technology isn't a punishment—it's a thoughtful choice! Travel back in time with Mira and Finn to 1500s Switzerland to discover the origins of the Anabaptists, and find out why thousands later settled in Pennsylvania for religious freedom. Today, over 400,000 Amish people drive horse-drawn buggies, wear plain clothes without zippers, and live very simply. But why do they say no to super-fast cars and video games? Because they ask a totally different question about new inventions: Does this bring our family closer together, or pull us apart? You won't believe what happens when an Amish community works together—they can build an entire two-story wooden barn from the ground up in just a single day! Tune in to learn why sometimes, you don't need the fastest modern gadgets to have a wonderful life, you just need your neighbors! Lees meer