Hey, Smarty Pants, trusty narrator here.
I'm still feeling those great birthday vibes from Who Smarted turning five years old.
So many Smarty Pants have reached out to wish us a happy birthday.
I cannot thank you enough.
Even more so.
I am so thrilled that hundreds of Smarty families have taken advantage of our 50 off happy birthday subscription sale and have signed up for an entire year of Who Smarted Plus for just 1998.
That's just 166 a month to get all of the smarting, including a bonus episode every single week, plus smart EQs and trusty trivia all completely ad-free.
Not to mention you'll be supporting the show in the best way possible, so we can keep smarting with you.
However, this sale can't last forever.
So be sure to sign up on or before November 15th to lock in a year of Who Smarted Plus at just 1998.
That's just a week more.
So do it now.
Subscribe by going to our website, whosmarted.com and click birthday subscribe.
Again, you can only take advantage of our 50 off sale by going to whosmartedcom and clicking birthday subscribe on or before November 15th.
Thanks again and keep on smarting.
Hey there, Smarty Pants.
Welcome to another curiosity-packed episode of Smarty Q, where I, the trusty narrator, answer the amazing questions submitted by you, the Smarty Pants.
Now let's get right to it.
Our first question comes from Samuel, who asks how does metal stretch when hot but shrink when cold?
Ooh, loving the science question, Samuel.
Here's how it works.
Metals are made up of tiny particles called atoms that are arranged in a grid.
When metal is heated, the atoms start to vibrate faster and push a little farther apart.
This makes the whole piece of metal expand or stretch.
When the metal cools down, the atoms slow their vibrations and move closer together, so the metal shrinks more.
This is why things like bridges and train tracks have expansion joints, little gaps that allow the metal to safely expand in the heat and contract in the cold.
Next up, Kai and Cooper from Pacifica, California, want to know, why do whales breach?
In case you don't know, smarty pants breaching is when a whale leaps out of the water and makes a big splash.
Scientists aren't 100% sure why whales do it, but here are the leading ideas.
First, communication.
The giant splash makes a loud noise that other whales can hear from far away.
Next, parasite removal.
Breaching might help whales shake off itchy parasites on their skin.
Next, play or display.
Sometimes animals do things just for fun or to show strength and health.
And finally, navigation.
A high leap may help whales get a look around above the water's surface.
But like I said, nobody knows for sure.
Well, except the whale.
Moving on, Ryan in Houston, Texas asks, why do humans swing their arms when they walk?
Great observation, Ryan.
At first glance, swinging your arms might seem like wasted energy, but it's actually the opposite.
Arm swinging helps balance your body while you walk and makes the motion more efficient.
Studies show that swinging your arms reduces the amount of energy your muscles need to keep you moving.
Without swinging, walking feels stiffer and actually burns more energy.
It also helps with stability, keeping you from tipping over.
So next time you take a walk, let those arms swing away, smarty pants.
Okay, we still got a few more great questions coming up, including one about why bug bites itch.
But first, let's take a quick break for a word from our sponsors.
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That's squarespace.com slash SMARTED, code SMARTED.
Welcome back to Smarty Cues.
Our next question comes from Liam in Minnesota, who asks, why are bug bites itchy?
Ouch!
When a mosquito or another bug bites you, it injects saliva into your skin while sucking your blood.
That saliva contains proteins and chemicals that stop your blood from clotting.
Your body's immune system reacts by releasing a chemical called histamine, which causes the blood vessels around the bite to swell and the nerves to send that itchy signal to your brain.
So the itch isn't really from the bug.
It's from your body fighting back.
That's why anti-itch creams or antihistamines can help calm the reaction.
And finally, Dorothy and Elizabeth want to know how is electricity carried through your entire town?
That's an awesome question.
Electricity starts at a power plant, where it's generated, often by turbines turned by steam, water or wind.
From there it travels through high-voltage transmission lines to substations where the voltage is lowered.
Next it moves through distribution lines those are the wires you see along roads or buried underground, and finally into homes, schools and businesses.
Transformers along the way keep lowering the voltage so it's safe to use in your lights computers and toasters.
So the next time you flip a light switch, you can thank the whole system of power plants wires, substations and transformers working together to keep your town or city running.
And that's all for today.
Please remember if you've got a smarty question you'd like me to answer on SmartyQs, just email me at whosmarted at whosmartedcom.
Until next time, keep on smarting, smarty pants.
