Squiz Kids

Algorithms are quietly running huge parts of the modern world — from the GPS directions that guide you to school, to the videos that pop up on your screen.

In this week’s Squiz Kids Science Short, we explore what an algorithm actually is, where the word comes from (hint: it traces back more than 1,000 years to a mathematician often called the Father of Algebra), and how simple step-by-step instructions power computers, coding platforms like Scratch and Minecraft Education, and the apps many of us use every day.

Tune in to find out how algorithms work… and why understanding them might just change the way you look at your feed.

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast.

NAPLAN gets underway; Tap water turn off in NT; Tillies do or die match; and satellite crashes to Earth.

Huge rains caused flooding in northern Australia, muddying water supplies in Darwin and sending the Burnett River spilling into Bundaberg streets.

A 13-year-old satellite called the Van Allen Probe is heading back to Earth. Most of it will burn up in the atmosphere like a giant space fireball.

The Matildas battle North Korea in a must-win quarter-final in Perth, while the 2026 Super Netball season kicks off with exciting matches this weekend. Plus, Paralympian Michael Milton showed incredible grit competing just days after surgery.

A flood of fake videos online is spreading confusion about the war in Iran. Some are created with AI to trick people.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast.

Iran’s footballers seek safety;  NASA nudges an asteroid; an emu at the Paralympics; and a library filled with ants!

Five Iranian women footballers made a brave choice after their tournament in Australia. Worried about punishment back home, they asked Australia for asylum.

At the Winter Paralympics in Italy, Aussie snowboarder Ben Tudhope won silver — even after dislocating his shoulder! Meanwhile, Australia’s lucky mascot, Bruce the Emu, has mysteriously vanished from the team village.

NASA tested a real-life asteroid defence plan by crashing a spacecraft into a space rock called Dimorphos. Scientists say even a tiny nudge could stop a dangerous asteroid from hitting Earth someday.

Scientists have created a huge online collection of 3-D ant scans called Antscan. Using powerful X-ray machines, they captured detailed images of over 2,000 ant species.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Squiz the World goes to... Iran

Each fortnight, we give the world globe a spin and see where we land. Then we take the kids of Australia, and the world, on an audio excursion to visit that country and its people.

Join your captain, Christie Kijurina, on an audio adventure. Today, we're flying to Iran, a country once known as Persia, with a history stretching back thousands of years. From the ancient ruins of Persepolis and the poetry of Hafez and Rumi, to saffron-filled kitchens and bustling modern cities, there’s so much to discover. So, buckle up and get ready to explore Iran.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Links:

Map of Iran and the Middle East

Landscapes of Iran

Timeline of the MANY rulers of Ancient Persia

A Persian fable - Bozee the goat, and the fox

Famous Persian poems and poets

Khoresh recipe

Saffron facts for kids