Curious About Glow In The Dark

PODCAST 170: CURIOUS ABOUT GLOW IN THE DARK

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 2ND, 2022

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST, AND WELCOME TO THE YEAR 2022.  LAST YEAR, 2021, WAS SUCH A GREAT YEAR FOR THE PODCAST, SO WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT 2022 HAS IN STORE FOR US.  WE HOPE YOUR YEAR IS OFF TO A GREAT START.  WE ARE GETTING THIS YEAR STARTED OFF BY LEARNING ABOUT SOMETHING REALLY NEAT THAT MIXES TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, OR MAYBE I SHOULD SAY ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS AND ONE OF OLIVIA’S FAVORITE THINGS.  ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IS SCIENCE.

O:  AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IS TOYS, I LOVE TOYS, BUT I ALSO LIKE SCIENCE.  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

D:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

“HI, THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING PORTLAND, OREGON.  I ENJOY YOUR PODCAST.  WHY DO GLOW IN THE DARK THINGS GLOW?  HAVE A NICE CHRISTMAS!

FROM, CHARLIE”

THIS NEXT BIT OF MAIL IS A 5 STAR REVIEW WE RECENTLY RECEIVED.  IT SAYS “LOVE YOUR SHOW - GLOW STICKS?  I AM ALMOST 5 YEARS OLD.  I AM CURIOUS ABOUT HOW NEON GLOW STICKS WORK.  SO FAR, MY FAVORITE EPISODE I HAVE LISTENED TO IS THE ONE ABOUT DRONES!  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SHOW!”

FROM USERNAME LYLAJ15”

O:  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING US KNOW WHAT YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT, CHARLIE AND LYLA.  WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT GLOW IN THE DARK THIS WEEK FOR YOU.

D:  A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE MAIL WE GOT FROM CHARLIE AND LYLA.  CHARLIE THANKED US FOR MENTIONING PORTLAND IN OUR SHOW.  WE DID THAT WHEN WE WERE THANKING THE 25 CITIES THAT LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST MORE THAN ANY OTHER CITIES WORLDWIDE.  GUESS WHAT?  THE FANTASTIC FOLKS IN PORTLAND STILL LOVE THE PODCAST, AND AS WE SPEAK, PORTLAND IS 24TH ON THE LIST OF CITIES THAT LOVE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  THANK YOU PORTLAND!  CHARLIE ALSO WISHED US A MERRY CHRISTMAS.  THAT’S BECAUSE HE SENT HIS E-MAIL IN JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS, BUT NOT THE CHRISTMAS THAT JUST PASSED… WE GOT CHARLIE’S E-MAIL BEFORE CHRISTMAS OF 2020, SO THANKS TO CHARLIE FOR BEING SO PATIENT WAITING FOR US TO FINALLY GET CURIOUS ABOUT GLOW IN THE DARK.  OF COURSE, THANK YOU TO LYLA TOO FOR LEAVING US A 5 STAR REVIEW.  IF YOU LEAVE US A 5 STAR REVIEW TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT, WE’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET CURIOUS FOR YOU.  WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN SOMEONE TAKES THE TIME TO LEAVE US A REVIEW.  IT HELPS THE SHOW SO MUCH.  WE READ EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE REVIEWS WE RECEIVE, AND THEY MAKE US FEEL SO WARM AND FUZZY INSIDE, SO A BIG THANKS TO LYLA, AND ANYONE ELSE THAT RECOGNIZES THE SHOW WITH A 5 STAR REVIEW.  ALRIGHT, IT’S TIME TO GET CURIOUS.  WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT IS THE RECORD FOR THE MOST PEOPLE IN A GROUP LIGHTING GLOW STICKS AT THE SAME TIME?

D:  THAT’S A FUN RECORD.  THERE ARE SO MANY STRANGE AND UNIQUE RECORDS, AND THIS IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM.  WHO WOULD EVEN THINK TO SET THE RECORD FOR MOST PEOPLE LIGHTING GLOW STICKS SIMULTANEOUSLY?  CAN YOU GUESS HOW MANY PEOPLE GATHERED TO SET THAT RECORD?  WHILE YOU’RE THINKING, LET ME TELL YOU HOW AMAZING GLOW IN THE DARK STUFF IS.  GLOW IN THE DARK PRODUCTS ARE POPULAR TODAY, AND THEY WERE ALSO POPULAR BACK WHEN I WAS A KID.  OLIVIA, WHAT KIND OF GLOW IN THE DARK STUFF DO YOU HAVE?

O:  I HAVE GLOW IN THE DARK PAJAMAS, I MADE GLOW IN THE DARK SLIME, AND MY BROTHER HAS GLOW IN THE DARK CAR TRACKS.

D:  I PROBABLY HAD A NICE VARIETY OF GLOW IN DARK STUFF TOO, ALL THE WAY BACK IN THE 80’S, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.  THE ONE THING I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I HAD WAS GLOW IN THE DARK STARS THAT WERE SCATTERED ACROSS THE CEILING IN MY BEDROOM.  AT NIGHT, MY BEDROOM CEILING RESEMBLED A NIGHT SKY, WITH BEAUTIFUL STARS TO LOOK AT BEFORE I FELL ASLEEP.  WHAT MAKES GLOW IN THE DARK SO COOL IS THAT IT CAN BE FOUND IN SO MANY AWESOME TOYS, AND CLOTHES, AND LOTS OF OTHER THINGS TOO, BUT THE WAY GLOW IN THE DARK WORKS ALSO INVOLVES SCIENCE, SO LET’S LEARN HOW GLOW IN THE DARK GLOWS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

O:  USUALLY, WHEN WE SEE THINGS THAT GLOW, LIKE A LIGHTBULB OR THE COILS IN A TOASTER OVEN, IT’S BECAUSE HEAT AND ELECTRICITY ARE INVOLVED.  YOU WON’T FIND LOTS OF EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT GLOW WITHOUT HEAT OR ELECTRICITY.

D:  WELL, GLOW IN THE DARK THINGS DON’T GET HOT OR REQUIRE ELECTRICITY.  GLOW IN THE DARK THINGS GLOW BECAUSE OF SCIENCE, AND HERE’S THE COOL PART.  THE SCIENCE INVOLVED IN MY SUPER COOL GLOW IN THE DARK STARS I HAD ON MY CEILING AND THE SCIENCE INVOLVED IN THE NEON GLOW STICKS LYLA WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IN HER REVIEW ARE DIFFERENT.  THEY ARE BOTH GLOW IN THE DARK, BUT THEY WORK IN TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAYS.

O:  GLOW IN THE DARK STARS, AND A LOT OF OTHER GLOW IN THE DARK TOYS, USE SOMETHING CALLED PHOSPHORESCENCE TO GLOW.  

D:  THAT’S A LONG WORD, BUT PHOSPHORESCENCE IS NOT THAT COMPLICATED.  MANY GLOW IN THE DARK TOYS HAVE SPECIAL CHEMICALS IN THEM CALLED PHOSPHORS. 

O:  PHOSPHORS ARE ABLE TO GLOW AFTER THEY GET ENERGIZED.

D:  THAT MEANS THAT THE GLOW IN THE DARK STARS CAPTURE LIGHT FROM THE SUN DURING THE DAY, OR FROM THE ARTIFICIAL LIGHT FROM THINGS LIKE LIGHTBULBS.  THEN, WHEN IT GETS DARK, ALL THAT LIGHT THAT WAS CAPTURED AND STORED BY THE GLOW IN THE DARK STARS MAKES THEM GLOW AND LIGHT MY CEILING UP LIKE A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT FULL OF STARS IN THE SKY.  

O:  GLOW IN THE DARK STARS WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO WORK WITHOUT HAVING ACCESS TO SUNLIGHT AND ARTIFICIAL LIGHT DURING THE DAY.  WITHOUT ALL OF THAT LIGHT DURING THE DAY, THEY WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO ENERGIZE THEMSELVES SO THEY CAN WORK IN THE DARK.  

D:  PHOSPHORESCENCE IS THE AWESOME SCIENCE BEHIND SO MANY GLOW IN THE DARK TOYS, NOT JUST STARS, BUT GLOW IN THE DARK STICKERS, YO-YOS, AND SO MUCH MORE.  THE TWO MOST COMMON PHOSPHORS USED TO MAKE THESE AWESOME GLOW IN THE DARK TOYS ARE CALLED ZINC SULFIDE AND STRONTIUM ALUMINATE.  ZINC SULFIDE HAS BEEN USED FOR A LONG TIME TO MAKE THINGS GLOW.  THE GLOW THAT COMES FROM ZINC SULFIDE GLOWS PRETTY NICELY, BUT A LOT OF THE NEWER TOYS USE STRONTIUM ALUMINATE AS A PHOSPHOR, BECAUSE THE GLOW THAT COMES FROM STRONTIUM ALUMINATE IS BRIGHTER AND LASTS LONGER.  

O:  GLOW STICKS ALSO INVOLVE SCIENCE, BUT THEY GLOW BECAUSE OF SOMETHING CALLED CHEMILUMINESCENCE.  

D:  CHEMILUMINESCENCE IS ANOTHER LONG WORD THAT’S KIND OF HARD TO SAY, BUT IT ALSO HAS A SIMPLE MEANING.  CHEMILUMINESCENCE MAKES THINGS GLOW BY USING A CHEMICAL REACTION.  HAVE YOU EVER USED A GLOW STICK BEFORE?  WELL, YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO THE GLOW STICK BEFORE IT STARTS TO GLOW.

O:  YOU NEED TO BEND THE GLOW STICK SLOWLY UNTIL IT CRACKS.  THEN IT GLOWS NICE AND BRIGHT.  GLOW STICKS ARE SO MUCH FUN.

D:  SO, WHAT’S HAPPENING EXACTLY WHEN YOU CRACK A GLOW STICK?  WELL, LET ME TELL YOU.  THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT LIQUIDS INSIDE A GLOW STICK, BUT THOSE TWO LIQUIDS AREN’T MIXING TOGETHER.  ONE OF THEM IS JUST FLOATING AROUND IN THERE, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER LIQUID IN A SMALL TUBE THAT IS JUST SLOSHING AROUND IN THAT TUBE INSIDE THE GLOW STICK.  

O:  WHEN YOU CRACK A GLOW STICK, THAT TUBE ON THE INSIDE IS WHAT GETS CRACKED, AND WHEN THAT TUBE CRACKS, THE TWO LIQUIDS INSIDE THE GLOW STICK FINALLY MIX TOGETHER.

D:  AND, WHEN THEY MIX TOGETHER, THEY CAUSE A CHEMICAL REACTION THAT MAKES THEM GLOW BEAUTIFUL NEON COLORS.  HOW’S THAT FOR SOME COOL SCIENCE?  SO, WE’VE DISCUSSED PHOSPHORESCENCE AND CHEMILUMINESCENCE.  HOW ABOUT WE LEARN TWO MORE LONG WORDS THAT EXPLAIN HOW SCIENCE HELPS THINGS GLOW IN THE DARK?

O:  LET’S LEARN ABOUT RADIOLUMINESCENCE NEXT.  THAT’S THE SCIENCE BEHIND THINGS LIKE GLOW IN THE DARK WATCHES AND CLOCKS.

D:  HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A WATCH OR CLOCK THAT HAS NUMBERS OR HANDS THAT GLOW IN THE DARK?  THOSE SUPER COOL WATCHES WORK USING RADIOLUMINESCENCE.  THAT MEANS THAT THEY RELY ON A RADIOACTIVE ELEMENT, LIKE RADIUM, TO MAKE THINGS GLOW.  THESE THINGS LIKE GLOW IN THE DARK WATCHES THAT WORK USING RADIOLUMINESCENCE ARE ABLE TO GLOW WITH LITTLE OR NO CHARGE.  THEY DON’T NEED TO GET ALL CHARGED UP DURING THE DAY LIKE GLOW IN THE DARK STARS DO.  OKAY, I’VE SAVED MY FAVORITE GLOW IN THE DARK SCIENCE FOR LAST.

O:  INTRODUCING - BIOLUMINESCENCE.  BIO MEANS LIFE OR LIVING THINGS, AND LUMIN COMES FROM LATIN AND MEANS LIGHT.  YOU CAN FIND BIO IN WORDS LIKE BIOLOGY, WHICH IS THE SCIENCE OF LIVING THINGS.  YOU CAN FIND LUMIN IN WORDS LIKE ILLUMINATE, WHICH MEANS MAKE SOMETHING LIGHT UP.  SO, THE WORD BIOLUMINESCENCE MEANS LIVING THINGS THAT LIGHT UP.  HOORAY, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT FIREFLIES.

D:  AND FIREFLIES ARE SO NEAT.  WE LOVE GOING IN THE BACKYARD DURING THE SUMMER AND WATCHING FIREFLIES LIGHT UP.  SO, HOW DO THEY LIGHT UP AND GLOW?  WELL, THEY NATURALLY HAVE A CHEMICAL IN THEIR TINY BODIES THAT MAKES THEM LIGHT UP.  AND THEY AREN’T THE ONLY ANIMALS THAT USE BIOLUMINESCENCE TO LIGHT UP EITHER.  OTHER LIGHT UP ANIMALS INCLUDE FISH LIKE ANGLERFISH, SOME OCTOPUSES, CORAL, AND GLOW WORMS.  YES, THAT’S RIGHT, WORMS THAT GLOW.  

ALRIGHT OLIVIA, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  HOW MANY PEOPLE GOT TOGETHER TO SET THE RECORD FOR MOST PEOPLE LIGHTING GLOW STICKS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

O:  THE GATHERING INCLUDED 4,394 PEOPLE.  THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE!

D:  IT HAPPENED JUST 4 YEARS AGO IN NOVEMBER OF 2018 IN PLAZA DE BOLIVAR, IN BOGOTA, COLOMBIA.  IT HAPPENED WHEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE GOT TOGETHER TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S RIGHTS.  THAT’S FANTASTIC STUFF.

WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  170 - GLOW IN THE DARK.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB CHARLIE AND LYLA FOR THE ILLUMINATING EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE, WE HAVE TWO MORE PEOPLE TO THANK.

O:  THANKS TO OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, THEO AND ASA L.

D:  A BIG THANKS TO THEO AND ASA FOR HELPING TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST.  EVERYTHING OUR PATREON SUPPORTERS DO TO HELP THE SHOW IS MORE APPRECIATED THAN THEY KNOW.  IT’S THE AMAZING STUFF THAT OUR LISTENERS DO, LIKE SUPPORT US ON PATREON, LEAVE 5 STAR REVIEWS FOR THE PODCAST, AND TELL THEIR FRIENDS ABOUT US AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT CURIOUS KID PODCAST, THAT ALLOWED US TO REACH 170 EPISODES OF CURIOSITY.  WHAT A FANTASTIC START TO 2022.  HERE’S TO A YEAR FULL OF LEARNING FUN AND EXCITING THINGS.  NEXT WEEK, WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT FLAGS FOR LISTENERS IN HOWELL, MICHIGAN AND AUSTIN, TEXAS.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.