Episodes

  • Do Fish Get Thirsty?
    Nov 11 2026

    They live in water, so how could they ever need a drink? Turns out ocean fish drink seawater all day long, while freshwater fish basically never do. Here's how fish manage salt and water, and what salmon do when they switch between the two. Why the Hell Is That? is an Origami Penguin Press production.

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    11 mins
  • Why Is the Ocean Blue If Water Is Clear?
    Nov 10 2026

    Pour seawater into a glass and it's clear. Look at the ocean and it's deep blue. Is it just reflecting the sky? Partly, but that's not the main answer. Water itself has a very faint color, and you only notice it when there's a lot of it. Why the Hell Is That? is an Origami Penguin Press production.

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    10 mins
  • Why Aren't Plants Black?
    Nov 9 2026

    Plants live on sunlight, so why do they throw away green, right in the middle of the brightest part of the spectrum? A black leaf would catch more energy. Find out how chlorophyll works, why leaves change color in the fall, and the ideas scientists have for why green won. Why the Hell Is That? is an Origami Penguin Press production.

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    10 mins
  • Why Do We Dream?
    Nov 8 2026

    Every night your brain screens a bizarre movie you didn't write and forget by breakfast. Here's what's happening in your head during REM sleep, the leading theories for why we dream, and the uncomfortable truth that science still doesn't fully know. Why the Hell Is That? is an Origami Penguin Press production.

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    10 mins
  • Do Trees Really Talk to Each Other?
    Nov 7 2026

    The 'wood wide web' is one of the most shared science stories of the last decade. Trees feeding their babies, sending warnings through fungus. In 2023, a team of scientists went back and checked the evidence. The truth is messier, more honest, and honestly more interesting. Why the Hell Is That? is an Origami Penguin Press production.

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    11 mins
  • How Does a Million-Pound Cloud Just Float?
    Nov 6 2026

    A single puffy cloud can hold over a million pounds of water. So why isn't it falling on your car? Here's the physics of floating clouds, how tiny droplets beat gravity, and what finally makes them let go as rain. Why the Hell Is That? is an Origami Penguin Press production.

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    11 mins
  • Why Does Hair Turn Gray?
    Nov 5 2026

    That first gray hair hits different. Scientists cracked a big piece of the mystery in 2023: color-making stem cells that get stuck. Here's where hair color comes from, why it fades, whether stress really turns you gray, and what that research might mean down the road. Why the Hell Is That? is an Origami Penguin Press production.

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    11 mins