{"podcast":{"title":"Why Though? with Dr. Matt Agnew","slug":"why-though-with-dr-matt-agnew-7777450","podcast_index_feed_id":7777450,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/69be1b0c3bbfcfe8dba05019","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/why-though-with-dr-matt-agnew","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/cover/1774065121689-4e0094d7-a958-4003-969a-368bfd3dc9fd.jpeg","author":"MIK and Dr Matt Agnew","episode_count":12,"summary":"Hosted by scientist Dr Matt Agnew, Why Though? is Australia's new science podcast for curious kids aged 8–12. Every episode starts with one question kids actually ask... and ends with a science adventure. Real answers, weird facts, and the kind of stuff that makes you look at the world differently on the walk home from school. Perfect for car trips, classrooms, and kids who can't stop asking why. Why Though? The show for little scientists who love asking big questions. Follow or subscribe now so you don't miss Episode One. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-12T18:20:02.657954+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/why-though-with-dr-matt-agnew-7777450"},"episode":{"title":"Why Does Looking at the Sun Make Some People Sneeze?","slug":"why-does-looking-at-the-sun-make-some-people-sneeze","published_at":"2026-06-20T20:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/why-though-with-dr-matt-agnew-7777450/why-does-looking-at-the-sun-make-some-people-sneeze","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/why-though-with-dr-matt-agnew-7777450","url":"https://shows.acast.com/why-though-with-dr-matt-agnew/episodes/why-does-looking-at-the-sun-make-some-people-sneeze","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69be1b0c3bbfcfe8dba05019/e/6a34f94a86368bae087584bd/media.mp3","summary":"Have you ever walked outside on a bright sunny day and suddenly sneezed... with no dust, no pepper, no cat fluff anywhere? Just sunshine and a sneeze? There's a real science reason behind it. Dr Matt Agnew investigates the sun sneeze mystery. What even is a sneeze? Why does bright light trigger one for some people? And why does it run in families? What you'll learn: Sneezing is your body's nose cleaning button... a blast of air that clears anything annoying from your mucous membrane When bright sunlight hits your eyes, your brain urgently signals blink and squint For about 1 in 4 people, the blink button and the sneeze button sit really close together in the brain... so pressing one accidentally bumps the other Scientists call this ACHOO Syndrome... short for Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst Sun sneezing is linked to your genes, which means it can run in families Sun sneezes won't hurt you... but stop before the sneeze hits if you're on a bike or crossing the road Key Science Ideas: Mucous membrane: The sticky lining inside your nose that catches dust, germs and anything annoying Optic nerve: The nerve that carries signals from your eyes to your brain ACHOO Syndrome: The scientific name for sun sneezing... and yes, the acronym was absolutely intentional Genes: The instructions inside your body that decide things like eye colour, height, and apparently whether sunshine makes you sneeze Reflex: An automatic body response your brain triggers without you choosing it Fun Experiment: The Family Sun Sneeze Survey Ask everyone in your family whether they sneeze when they look at bright light. Try a torch in a dark room if the sun isn't cooperating. Keep track of who does and who doesn't. If sun sneezing runs in your family, you'll start to see a pattern.…","meta_description":"Have you ever walked outside on a bright sunny day and suddenly sneezed... with no dust, no pepper, no cat fluff anywhere? Just sunshine and a sneeze? The…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":280,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/why-though-with-dr-matt-agnew-7777450/episodes/why-does-looking-at-the-sun-make-some-people-sneeze/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/why-though-with-dr-matt-agnew-7777450/why-does-looking-at-the-sun-make-some-people-sneeze.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}