Believe It or Not! — Amazing True Stories for Curious Kids

The Great Stink 🤢🚽

Believe It or Not! — Amazing True Stories for Curious Kids

Show Notes

London. The smell was so bad… The government couldn’t work. In this episode of Believe It or Not!, discover the shocking true story of the Great Stink—and how one engineer helped save millions of lives by solving a problem nobody wanted to think about. 🎯 A powerful idea: The greatest inventions are sometimes the ones you never notice. Follow the podcast and share with someone who loves weird history! #KidsPodcast #History #Engineering #EducationPodcast #FunLearning #Curiosity #BelieveItOrNot

More from Believe It or Not! — Amazing True Stories for Curious Kids

Oct 22, 2026

How does clear maple tree sap become thick, golden maple syrup? Follow one drop from a sugar maple tree to the breakfast table as we discover the science of freeze-thaw weather, why fresh sap is only about 2% sugar, and why it can take roughly 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. We’ll also explore how Indigenous peoples of northeastern North America developed maple-tapping and maple-sugaring traditions long before European settlement — plus red squirrels that make their own maple snacks, Quebec’s strategic maple syrup reserve, and the unbelievable Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. 🎙️ Believe It or Not! — Episode 174 The Sweet Secret Inside a Tree 🧠 Big Question: If you could follow one food all the way from nature to your plate, what would you choose? Next time: The Sahara Desert once had lakes, grasslands, wildlife, and people. So how did the Green Sahara become one of the driest places on Earth?

Oct 9, 2026

Before Tim and Moby… there was a little boy in a hospital bed watching ants crawl across a windowsill. That boy was Avraham Kadar. Years later, he became a doctor — and an encounter with a frightened young asthma patient gave him an idea: What if complicated things could be made simple, visual, and fun for kids? That question eventually became BrainPOP. In this episode, discover the surprising true story behind one of the world’s most recognizable educational platforms — including how Mike Watanabe became the voice of Tim, why Moby mostly communicates through BEEPS, and how painfully slow 1990s internet accidentally helped create the BrainPOP quiz. 🤖 Believe it or not… BrainPOP was teaching kids online about six years before YouTube even existed. 🎙️ The Story of BrainPOP How a Doctor, a Question, and a Beeping Robot Changed Learning 🧠 BIG QUESTION: If you could write your own letter beginning: “Dear Tim and Moby…” what ONE thing would you ask them to explain? And next time… clear liquid drips from a tree. It looks like water. So how does it become thick, sweet maple syrup? Find out in Episode 174 of Believe It or Not!

Sep 28, 2026

✈️ HE HAD A CLEAR SHOT… December 20, 1943. High above Germany, a badly damaged American B-17 bomber called Ye Olde Pub is struggling to stay in the sky. Its engines are damaged. Crewmen are wounded. And home is still hundreds of kilometers away. Then another airplane appears. A German fighter. At the controls is Franz Stigler. Inside the broken bomber is 21-year-old American pilot Charlie Brown. The fighter pulls alongside. Close enough for the two enemy pilots to see each other’s faces. The American bomber can barely defend itself. Franz has the advantage. And now… he has a decision to make. What happens next will remain in both men’s memories for almost 47 years. 🎙️ Believe It or Not! — Episode 172 Discover the extraordinary true story of Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown — two enemy pilots, one unforgettable encounter, and a mystery that lasts for decades. But don’t look up the ending before you listen. 👀 🧠 BIG QUESTION: Have you ever helped someone who wasn’t on your team? And next time… A scientist walks into a shop in Hong Kong and discovers an enormous tooth believed to have come from a dragon. What creature did it really belong to? 🎧 Follow Believe It or Not! on Spotify for more strange-but-true stories for curious kids, families, and classrooms. #BelieveItOrNot #KidsPodcast #HistoryForKids #WWIIHistory #WorldWarII #FranzStigler #CharlieBrown #B17 #FlyingFortress #AviationHistory #TrueStories #AmazingHistory #DidYouKnow #CuriousKids #FamilyPodcast #EducationalPodcast The Fighter and the Broken Bomber

Sep 20, 2026

Florida. 1965. 🏈 A college football team is practicing in brutal heat. The players are sweating, exhausted, and getting sick. But something strange is happening. Why aren't the players peeing? One unusual question sends a group of doctors searching for answers. Their investigation leads to a terrible-tasting experiment, an unexpected discovery, and the invention of one of the world's most recognizable sports drinks. But how did a bathroom mystery turn into Gatorade? 🎙️ Join Bryan for Episode 171 of Believe It or Not! as we discover the incredible true story behind a drink you've probably seen a thousand times. Along the way, you'll discover surprising facts about the human body, the science of sweat, and how one small question can lead to an enormous discovery. Plus, test your detective skills with our True or False, multiple-choice, and scientific-thinking questions! 🌎 YOUR BIG QUESTION: What's the hottest or most exhausting activity you've ever done? What helped you recover afterward? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Perfect for curious kids ages 7–12, families, and classrooms. Follow Believe It or Not! and share this episode with someone who loves strange-but-true stories! 🎧 Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4wtid8ZGDRoScTtj66ZLQP Next time: Two enemy pilots meet high above Germany during World War II. What happens next? #BelieveItOrNot #KidsPodcast #Gatorade #InventionOfGatorade #ScienceForKids #HistoryForKids #EducationalPodcast #FunFacts #CuriousKids #고촌 #고촌영어 #고촌초등영어 #고촌영어공부방 #고촌맘 #김포 #김포영어 #김포초등영어 #김포영어공부방 #김포맘 #초등영어 #초등영어교육 #초등영어듣기 #영어팟캐스트 #어린이영어 #영어공부 #엄마표영어 #영어학습 #과학영어 #영어교육 #브라이언잉글리쉬클럽

Sep 14, 2026

In 1967, people gathered outside a bank in London to watch something unbelievable: A machine built into a wall… gave someone money. No teller. No open bank. No smartphone. No modern bank card. But how did the machine know who was allowed to take the cash? And who actually invented it? In Believe It or Not! Episode 170, we investigate the strange true story behind the ATM — including competing inventors, early cash machines, and a clue from 1966 that changes the whole story. 🎙️ Episode 170: The Machine That Put Money in the Wall A strange-but-true history story for curious kids ages 7–12, families, teachers, and classrooms. 🎧 Listen to Believe It or Not! on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4wtid8ZGDRoScTtj66ZLQP 💬 BIG QUESTION: What machine does your family use that would be REALLY hard to live without for one week? #BelieveItOrNot #BelieveItOrNotPodcast #KidsPodcast #EducationalPodcast #HistoryForKids #HistoryPodcast #ATM #WhoInventedTheATM #Inventions #Inventors #WeirdHistory #AmazingHistory #FunFacts #DidYouKnow #CuriousKids #KidsLearning #FamilyPodcast #STEMForKids #TrueStories #1960s #BankingHistory #MoneyHistory #LearningIsFun #PodcastForKids #Education

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