Hello From the Van

Mimi Faatz

*Visual Podcast on Youtube*  A Family-Friendly and Educational Podcast for Everyone! Geared to curious families with lots of questions. We cover everything from cancer to paint colors-- always in a safe and educational way. Join us as we explore a new topic each week. 

  1. 21h ago

    How to Help a Burn

    What happens when we experience a burn? How do you help a burn when it happens?? That's what we're exploring this week on Hello From the Van! Sources: Hunter, Carin. "Systemic Response to Burns." Physiopedia. 6 Jul 2024, 08:49 UTC. 7 Nov 2026, 14:11 . Ibrahim M, Ayyoubi HS, Alkhairi LA, Tabbaa H, Elkins I, Narvel R. Fish Skin Grafts Versus Alternative Wound Dressings in Wound Care: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Cureus. 2023 Mar 19;15(3):e36348. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36348. PMID: 37082504; PMCID: PMC10111873.   Mayo Clinic Staff. "Burns: First Aid". 2026 April 6. https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-burns/basics/art-20056649  Stages of Burns. (2017, September 12). Stanford Health Care. https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/skin-hair-and-nails/burns/stages.html Subrahmanyam M. Topical application of honey for burn wound treatment - an overview. Ann Burns Fire Disasters. 2007 Sep 30;20(3):137-9. PMID: 21991084; PMCID: PMC3188068.  Wikipedia contributors. (2026h, November 4). Human skin - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_skin Stuck in your van too? Give us a follow for more educational resources.  Youtube: Hello From The Van!  Instagram/Facebook @HelloFromTheVan HelloFromTheVan.com

    How to Help a Burn

  2. Nov 1

    FEAR: What Happens When We're Scared?

    Ever wonder what's happening inside your body when you get scared? This week we take a  family-friendly approach to the science and function of fear!  SOURCES:  Adolphs R. The biology of fear. Curr Biol. 2013 Jan 21;23(2):R79-93. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.055. PMID: 23347946; PMCID: PMC3595162. Albrecht, K., PhD. (2012b, March 22). When we know where they really come from, we can start to control them. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brainsnacks/201203/the-only-5-fears-we-all-share  fear. (2026). In Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fear Jacobson, Rae., MS (2025, Sept 15). How to Help Kids Manage Fears. Child Mind Institute.  Kids, P. (n.d.-b). Becoming Brave: Help your child move past fear | Parenting tips & advice. PBS KIDS for Parents. https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/becoming-brave-help-your-child-move-past-fear LaffGaff. (2025, December 19). Scary Jokes And Puns So Funny It’s Frightening! LaffGaff. https://laffgaff.com/jokes/halloween/scary-jokes-puns Professional, C. C. M. (2025, December 19). Dopamine. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22581-dopamine Staff, BrainFoundation. (2025, October 28). Why do we like being scared? American Brain Foundation.  Well, B. N. M. (2023b, July 12). This is your brain (and body) on fear | The Well. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://www.unc.edu/discover/this-is-your-brain-and-body-on-fear/ Stuck in your van too? Give us a follow for more educational resources.  Youtube: Hello From The Van!  Instagram/Facebook @HelloFromTheVan HelloFromTheVan.com

    FEAR: What Happens When We're Scared?

  3. Oct 25

    Mondays and Etymology: An Odd Connection

    Ever wonder where the words Monday, Tuesday, etc come from?? Us too! In this episode we break down the science of etymology, and the history of the English days of the week.  SOURCES:  Almaden, S. A. (2026, July 21). Learning the days of the week in Norwegian and their meanings. Beelinguapp Blog. https://beelinguapp.com/blog/%20learning-the-days-of-the-week-in-norwegian-and-their-meanings Arabic Homeschool - Complete children’s Arabic learning program. (n.d.). Arabic Homeschool. https://www.arabichomeschool.com/post/days-of-the-week-in-the-arabic-language Berges, D. (2026, October 22). Days of the week in Spanish. Berges Institute Spanish Classes. https://www.bergesinstitutespanish.com/blog/days-of-the-week-in-spanish Contributors, What's The Origin of the Days of the Week in Your Language, Ask Europe/Reddit.  French days of the week (with audio pronunciation) - Learn French. (n.d.). https://www.thefrenchexperiment.com/learn-french/days-of-week Greek Gods & Goddesses | Theoi Greek Mythology. (n.d.). https://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/greek-gods.html Japanese Days fo the Week. (Staff of Bussu Ltd.). Busuu. https://www.busuu.com/en/japanese/days-of-the-week Nnawɔtwe nna (Days of the Week) | The 200 Word Project. (n.d.). © 2026 Boston University. https://www.bu.edu/200word/akan-twi/days/ Schantl, S., MA. (2026, September 30). The surprising origins behind the names of the days of the week. Duolingo Blog. https://blog.duolingo.com/days-of-the-week-names/ Staff, Real Language Expert Magazine . (2026, July 2). The Secret Life of the Days of the Week: a journey through language, myth, and history. Real Language Experience. https://www.reallanguageexperience.com/post/the-secret-life-of-the-days-of-the-week-a-journey-through-language-myth-and-history  The origins behind English weekday names | EF English Live. (2024, March 6). EF English Live. https://englishlive.ef.com/en/blog/language-lab/origins-behind-english-weekday-names/ Y, A. (2026, March 20). Days of the week in Arabic – pronunciation, meanings, and usage. Language learning with Preply Blog. https://preply.com/en/blog/days-of-the-week-in-arabic/ Stuck in your van too? Give us a follow for more educational resources.  Youtube: Hello From The Van!  Instagram/Facebook @HelloFromTheVan HelloFromTheVan.com

    Mondays and Etymology: An Odd Connection

  4. Oct 19

    Unbe-leaf-able Fall and Photosynthesis

    It's fall time here in the US and in some regions the leaves are changing to fantastic yellows, golds, and reds. This week we answer the question, "Why do leaves change color?" and explore the growth cycle of trees.  SOURCES:  Moore, A. (2024, February 15). How trees survive in winter | College of Natural Resources News. College of Natural Resources News. https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2024/02/how-trees-survive-in-winter/  The Student Conservation Association. (2021, October 15). Why leaves change color in the fall. https://thesca.org/newsroom/why-leaves-change-color-fall?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=170347181&gbraid=0AAAAADygmdNw-v5GF97Fz70fX4--xhsOg&gclid=CjwKCAjw3NHWBhANEiwAtpwId3y-F3EGu8EuQ7IjH1_s1kEvDs3V-VlkHVsOEpNE-6Scr6pD_nWmPBoC0hEQAvD_BwE TreeHelp. (n.d.). Leaves. https://www.treehelp.com/pages/leaves?srsltid=AU7gw4VnZEmfTfm8I95KtVdhIcyq1PfcBBme_6RfDUEmDv003GDe0bD8 Why do leaves change color? (n.d.-b). National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/k-12-education/understanding-our-planet/why-do-leaves-change-color Stuck in your van too? Give us a follow for more educational resources.  Youtube: Hello From The Van!  Instagram/Facebook @HelloFromTheVan HelloFromTheVan.com

    Unbe-leaf-able Fall and Photosynthesis

  5. Oct 12

    Cats: Domesticated Chaos

    Last week it was dogs and this week, we're talking about cats! You'd think after 10,000 years of domestication we'd know more about them, but so much of their feline world remains a mystery. Find out some of what we know and what we don't know this week on Hello From the Van! SOURCES:  Jiang, Peihua; Josue, Jesusa; Li, Xia; Glaser, Dieter; Li, Weihua; Brand, Joseph G.; Margolskee, Robert F.; Reed, Danielle R.; Beauchamp, Gary K. (12 March 2012), "Major taste loss in carnivorous mammals", PNAS, 13 (109): 4956–4961, doi:10.1073/pnas.1118360109, PMC 3324019, PMID 22411809 McGrane, Scott J.; Gibbs, Matthew; Hernangomez de Alvaro, Carlos; Dunlop, Nicola; Winnig, Marcel; Klebansky, Boris; Waller, Daniel (1 January 2023). "Umami taste perception and preferences of the domestic cat (Felis catus), an obligate carnivore". Chemical Senses. 48 bjad026.  Beadle, Muriel (1979). Cat. Simon and Schuster. pp. 93–96. ISBN 978-0-671-25190-1  Schelling, Christianne. "Do cats have a sense of taste?". CatHealth.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016  Vigne, J.-D.; Evin, A.; Cucchi, T.; Dai, L.; Yu, C.; Hu, S.; Soulages, N.; Wang, W.; Sun, Z. (2016). "Earliest 'domestic' cats in China identified as leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)". PLoS One. 11 (1) e0147295. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1147295V. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0147295. PMC 4723238. PMID 26799955.  Wikipedia contributors. (2026g, October 1). Cat. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat Stuck in your van too? Give us a follow for more educational resources.  Youtube: Hello From The Van!  Instagram/Facebook @HelloFromTheVan HelloFromTheVan.com

    Cats: Domesticated Chaos

  6. Oct 5

    Dogs: Sniffing and Service

    Have you ever wondered HOW dogs are trained to smell the undetecable or what it takes to be a true service dog?? This week we learn all about how and why dogs smell so well and what it legally takes to be a working dog in the world.  Sources: Cpdt, S. G. M. (2025, August 29). What is a diabetic alert dog? Understanding their Life-Saving abilities. American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/diabetic-alert-dog/ N.D. (2026, June 29) Dogs Leave Antarctica.  National Museum Australia. https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/dogs-leave-antarctica How dogs use smell to perceive the world | VCA Animal Hospitals. (n.d.). Vca. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/how-dogs-use-smell-to-perceive-the-world  Kokocińska-Kusiak, A., Woszczyło, M., Zybala, M., Maciocha, J., Barłowska, K., & Dzięcioł, M. (2021). Canine olfaction: physiology, behavior, and possibilities for practical applications. Animals, 11(8), 2463. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082463 Seizure Alert Dogs | Epilepsy Foundation. (n.d.). Epilepsy Foundation. https://epilepsyfoundation.org.au/understanding-epilepsy/epilepsy-and-seizure-management-tools/seizure-alert-dogs/  "Using Canines to Detect Spotted Knapweed: Field Surveys & Characterization of Plant Volatiles". Goodwin, Kim Marie. 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010. Stuck in your van too? Give us a follow for more educational resources.  Youtube: Hello From The Van!  Instagram/Facebook @HelloFromTheVan HelloFromTheVan.com

    Dogs: Sniffing and Service

  7. Sep 27

    Cool Science: Brian Freezes

    Ever wonder what causes a brain freeze? In this episode we go into the science of a brain freeze, different cultural views on icy foods, and the statistics of ice cream. It's a super cooool episode of Hello From the Van!  Sources:  Brain freeze. (2025, September 24). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21478-brain-freeze Golen, T., MD. (2023, June 1). What causes brain freeze? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/what-causes-brain-freeze Ice cream consumption melts from 2000 to 2021 | Economic Research Service. (n.d.). https://ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/106814 Minassian, L. (2026, August 9). The country that eats the most ice cream per person (And it’s not even close). Yahoo Life.  Tuohetibake, R., & Hong, Z. (2026). The logic of hot and cold: cognitive and cultural dynamics of food beliefs in a Uyghur community. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-07038-w 韩晶晶. The Chinese ways of drinking water. China Story. (Selected from 101 Stories for Foreigners to Understand Chinese People by Yi S. Ellis and Bryan D. Ellis, published by China Intercontinental Press in 2012) Stuck in your van too? Give us a follow for more educational resources.  Youtube: Hello From The Van!  Instagram/Facebook @HelloFromTheVan HelloFromTheVan.com

    Cool Science: Brian Freezes

  8. Sep 20

    Why is it SPICY?? A Capsaicin Explainer

    Ever wonder why peppers are painful? In this episode we take a look at the fascinating world of plant evolutions, digestive designs, and the history of the pepper plant.  Sources:  Borrell, B. (2013, November 18). What's So Hot About Chili Peppers? Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/whats-so-hot-about-chili-peppers-116907465/ Farr, K. (2019, May 3). The Scoville rating scale. MySpicer | Spices, Herbs, Seasonings. https://www.myspicer.com/scoville-rating-scale/ Hulick, K. (2019, December 3). The cool science of hot peppers. Science News Explores. https://www.snexplores.org/article/cool-science-hot-peppers Kaiserman, B. (2014, December 5). Hungry for spice: The Story of Hot Sauce in America | Highbrow Magazine. Highbrow Magazine. https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4481-hungry-spice-story-hot-sauce-america Wikipedia contributors. (2026e, August 29). Ed Currie. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Currie Wikipedia contributors. (2026e, September 16). Scoville scale. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale Stuck in your van too? Give us a follow for more educational resources.  Youtube: Hello From The Van!  Instagram/Facebook @HelloFromTheVan HelloFromTheVan.com

    Why is it SPICY?? A Capsaicin Explainer
See All (60)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

*Visual Podcast on Youtube*  A Family-Friendly and Educational Podcast for Everyone! Geared to curious families with lots of questions. We cover everything from cancer to paint colors-- always in a safe and educational way. Join us as we explore a new topic each week. 

Information

  • Creator
    Mimi Faatz
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hello From the Van
  • Show Website
    Hello From the Van