There are two beliefs at the core of the Tumble Podcast:
The first belief is what inspired the Tumble Podcast. Here's how most science education goes: We learn science from books, we're tested on our knowledge of the facts, and when we have the chance to do hands-on experiments, we test known hypotheses. And we end up going through 12+ years of mandatory science classes without understanding the most basic, and most important scientific concept: How science works.
Science is not a body of facts. Science is a process. There are mistakes, and false starts, and experiments that don't work, again and again and again. That's how science works.
But we don't get that part in school. We struggle with understanding science in society. The driving motivation for Tumble is the fact that there are people in positions of power who do not understand science as a process. Scientific illiteracy has crippled the world's ability to act on some of our most pressing problems.
It is really hard to teach adults new things, especially when they think it involves "belief." That's why their target audience is children. While they hope to inspire curiosity and discovery through accessible storytelling, their show isn't about preparing kids to be scientists or engineers. They hope to prepare kids to be smart participants in society, who understand that science is one of the most powerful tools we have to shape our future.
The second belief is the fun part. They’re so excited about the way that podcasts have taken off the past year. But as they’ve watched an explosion in content aimed at adult listeners, there's not much being made specifically for kids. But kids are listening anyway.
They’ve been talking to families who love listening to podcasts. There are wonderful storytelling programs for young kids, but older kids are eating up shows like RadioLab and Freakonomics. The thing is, the content on those programs isn't always appropriate for kids. Sometimes these shows offer warnings about adult content, but mostly they're just not thinking about younger audiences. That's fine, but it leaves families in an awkward place. Wouldn't it be better if there was just good, age-appropriate podcast content for kids?
There's no reason why this shouldn't exist, other than people haven't done it yet. That's what strengthens their resolve to make Tumble, because they believe they’re at the forefront of something big. Podcasts are an incredible medium, with so much potential for thoughtful education and entertainment for kids. They strive to lead by example: By creating a well-produced, values-driven podcast that's enjoyable for both kids and adults.
