What would your superpower be?

Summary

Podcast Summary: But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids
Episode: What Would Your Superpower Be?
Release Date: December 27, 2024
Host/Author: Vermont Public
Hosts: Jane Lindholm and Melody Beaudet

---

Introduction

In the festive end-of-year episode titled "What Would Your Superpower Be?", hosts Jane Lindholm and Melody Beaudet invite young listeners to explore the exciting world of superheroes. Instead of the usual adult-driven discussions, this episode is uniquely led by children who share their imaginative ideas about superpowers and superhero identities.

---

Exploring Superheroes: Origins and Realities

Kids’ Curiosities About Superheroes

The episode kicks off with questions from young listeners curious about the origins of superheroes:

• Elena, 7, Connecticut: "Who invented the first superhero and what was the first superhero?" [01:25]
• Asher, 7, Michigan: "How did superheroes and books get started?" [01:25]

Hosts’ Insights on Superheroes

Jane and Melody delve into the history and essence of superheroes:

• Jane Lindholm:
  "There have always been stories of people with special powers... These kinds of stories have been around for as long as humans have been telling stories." [01:48]

• Melody Beaudet:
  "The word superhero is really only about 100 years old... Superheroes got their start with the creation of comic books in the 1930s with the Phantom, Superman, and Batman." [02:06]

They underscore that while superheroes are fictional, the themes they embody—battles between good and evil, personal growth, and responsible use of power—are timeless and universally relatable.

---

Kids’ Superpower Choices and Superhero Names

The heart of the episode showcases a delightful array of superpower aspirations and creative superhero names submitted by children from various parts of the world. These submissions are categorized based on the type of superpower desired.

1. Invisibility and Camouflage

A significant number of children expressed a desire for invisibility or the ability to blend into surroundings:

• Benjamin:
  "My superhero name is Invisible Girl, and I'm going to be invisible for my superpower." [06:40]

• Hannah, 6, Istanbul:
  "I want to be a superhero who can lift things that are so heavy." [04:56]

• Kendra, Almost 7, Vancouver, BC, Canada:
  "My superhero name will be Chameleon Kendra, and my superpower will be blending in my surroundings." [07:00]

Notable Quote:

• Melody Beaudet:
  "It seems like a lot of us want to find a way to disappear, but to also be able to know what's going on. I like that." [08:51]

2. Flight and Enhanced Mobility

Flying remains a popular choice among young listeners:

• Emmett, 5.5, Super Baby:
  "My superhero name is Super Baby, and I would get flying in seconds." [09:10]

• Zelda, 7, Norwalk, Connecticut:
  "If I had a superpower, it would be flying with the birds in the clouds. My super name would be Supergirl." [09:10]

• Borna, from Iran:
  "My superpower name is Karen, and my superpower is flying." [09:10]

Notable Quote:

• Jane Lindholm:
  "I used to have daydreams about being able to fly... I would love to be able to fly, Melody." [10:25]

3. Animal Communication and Transformation

Several children expressed interest in communicating with animals or transforming into them:

• Remy, 7, Auckland, New Zealand:
  "My superpower would be talking to animals. My super name would be Pink Girl." [12:08]

• Kendra, Almost 7, Vancouver, BC, Canada:
  "My superhero name will be Chameleon Kendra, and my superpower will be blending in my surroundings." [07:00]

• Nicole, 7, Bermuda:
  "I want my superpower to be to communicate with animals, to turn into animals, and to ride on animals." [13:00]

Notable Quote:

• Jane Lindholm:
  "Can you imagine... being able to talk to animals and understand everything they're saying or turn into one when you wanted to?" [12:00]

4. Time Manipulation and Teleportation

Time-related powers also fascinated young minds:

• Adrian, 11, Colorado:
  "My superhero name would be Time Stop. I have the ability to stop time and do whatever I want while time is frozen." [20:05]

• Maisley, 6, Redmond, Washington:
  "I want to be able to time travel with the characters in Magic Treehouse." [20:05]

• Darun, Nearly 7, Brisbane, Australia:
  "My superpower would be teleporting through space and time." [21:20]

Notable Quote:

• Melody Beaudet:
  "Teleporting is when you disappear in one place and immediately appear in another." [21:12]

5. Unique and Creative Superpowers

A variety of unique superpowers were also proposed:

• Asher, 9, Michigan:
  "My superpower would be to draw anything I wanted perfectly the first time. My superhero name would be the Drawer." [10:51]

• Zinni, 4, Stevenson, Washington:
  "My superpower would be to turn people into animals. And my super name would be Chicken Fingers." [14:49]

• Amir, 8, Limerick, Ireland:
  "My superhero name would be the Imaginator, and my superpower would be to turn things that aren't real into reality." [27:50]

Notable Quote:

• Melody Beaudet:
  "Turning things that aren't real into reality... That’s an opportunity." [28:00]

---

Hosts’ Reflections: From Fiction to Reality

Jane and Melody discuss the imaginative nature of superheroes and how elements of these fictional powers have become realities through technology and human ingenuity:

• Jane Lindholm:
  "Some superpowers were magical back when people invented them, and now we've found ways to make them real." [28:27]

They ponder the future, speculating on advancements like living with robots or humans residing on Mars, emphasizing the limitless possibilities that lie ahead.

---

Redefining Superheroes: Everyday Heroes

Concluding the episode, the hosts shift focus from fictional superpowers to real-life heroism:

• Melody Beaudet:
  "Kindness is a kind of superpower." [29:24]

• Jane Lindholm:
  "Helping out someone in need might make you a superhero." [29:31]

They encourage listeners to find ways to be "real superheroes" within their communities and personal lives, highlighting that acts of kindness and curiosity are powerful in their own right.

Final Thought:

• Jane Lindholm:
  "Think about a way that you could be a real superhero in your own community, family, or life." [29:31]

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jane Lindholm:
  "There have always been stories of people with special powers..." [01:48]

• Melody Beaudet:
  "The word superhero is really only about 100 years old..." [02:06]

• Melody Beaudet:
  "It seems like a lot of us want to find a way to disappear..." [08:51]

• Jane Lindholm:
  "I used to have daydreams about being able to fly..." [10:25]

• Jane Lindholm:
  "Can you imagine... being able to talk to animals..." [12:00]

• Melody Beaudet:
  "Teleporting is when you disappear in one place..." [21:12]

• Melody Beaudet:
  "Turning things that aren't real into reality..." [28:00]

• Jane Lindholm:
  "Some superpowers were magical back when people invented them..." [28:27]

• Melody Beaudet:
  "Kindness is a kind of superpower." [29:24]

• Jane Lindholm:
  "Think about a way that you could be a real superhero..." [29:31]

---

Conclusion

What Would Your Superpower Be? is a vibrant celebration of children's creativity and imagination. Through their diverse and inventive responses, young listeners showcase not only their fascination with fantastical abilities but also their understanding of heroism in everyday actions. Jane Lindholm and Melody Beaudet adeptly bridge the gap between fiction and reality, inspiring children to recognize and cultivate their own superpowers of kindness, curiosity, and community service.

---

Additional Information

To participate in future episodes, children are encouraged to record their questions or superpower ideas using a smartphone and send them to [e-mail], including the child's first name, age, and town.

Produced by Jane Lindholm and Melody Beaudet at Vermont Public. Video series produced by Joey Pollution Colombo for YouTube. Theme music by Luke Reynolds. Distributed by PRX.

Transcript

[Jane Lindholm]

Before we get started, here's a message for the adults who are listening. Support for but why comes from Progressive Insurance do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. This is but why? A podcast for curious kids from Vermont Public. I'm Jane Lindholm.

[Melody Beaudet]

And I'm Melody Beaudet. All year long you send us questions about things you are curious about and we find interesting people with answers. But at least once per year we ask you a question.

[Jane Lindholm]

This year, for our end of year episode, we asked you, if you could have any superpower, what would it be and what would you call yourself if you could have any superhero name?

[Melody Beaudet]

And you all delivered. You've been sending us so many responses, and today we're going to hear all of them. Superheroes are kind of having a moment, so it's no wonder. We've also gotten some questions from you about superheroes recently.

[Child Speaker]

Hi, my name's Elena. I'm seven years old. I live in the America western Connecticut. And my question is who invented the first superhero and what was the first superhero? Hello, my name is Asher and I am 7 years old and I live in Berrien Springs, Michigan. How did superheroes and books get started?

[Jane Lindholm]

There have always been stories of people with special powers. The themes popular in superhero stories, like battles between good and evil, characters needing to learn about who they are and use their power wisely. Those kinds of stories have been around for as long as humans have been telling stories.

[Melody Beaudet]

The word superhero is really only about 100 years old. Superheroes got their start with the creation of comic books in the 1930s with the Phantom Superman and Batman. And they've been popular ever since. Superhero movies have been around, really since the creation of comic books because both became popular at the same time.

[Child Speaker]

I'm Noah and I am seven and I live in Marlboro, Connecticut. R Superheroes we are. I am Jay. I am five years old and I live at Texas. And how do superheroes fly? My name is Liam. I'm six years old. I live in Idaho Falls. How do superheroes get superpowers?

[Melody Beaudet]

Superheroes are unfortunately not real. They are works of fiction. That means they're an art form that explores imaginary people and stories. And at least as far as we know, no humans can fly on their own or see through buildings or pause time.

[Jane Lindholm]

But the good Thing about that is that you can imagine your own superhero stories, and you aren't limited by what can actually happen in real life.

[Melody Beaudet]

You can create whatever powers you want to give your superhero. And many superheroes have pretty cool origin story about how they went from being a normal human to getting their superpowers. Superhero stories are really fun to read.

[Jane Lindholm]

And it can be even more fun to imagine ourselves with superpowers. So we asked you what superhero power and superhero name you would have if you could invent or be a new superhero.

[Child Speaker]

Hi, my name is Carolyn, and I'm six years old, and I'm from North Carolina, Chapel Hill. And if I had a superpower, it would be to bring stuff to me. My name is Dusty.

[Melody Beaudet]

I'm 25, still a kid. I live in America, and I love.

[Child Speaker]

But why?

[Melody Beaudet]

If I had a superpower, it would be to duplicate objects like toys. The name would be Dupligui. I could share things that I love, and there'd be a little less fighting over stuff people like.

[Child Speaker]

Hi, my name is Millie. My superpower name would be Pinky. And my super super power would. Would be Pink Blast. And it would knock over criminals. It would even catch a few things, and it would knock off buildings, knock off trees, knock off really strong things like that. And my outfit would be a pink cape, red boots, and a pink skirt with a red star on it and a pink shirt. Hello, my name is Hannah. I am six years old. I live in Istanbul. I want to be superhero. Live the things that are so heavy.

[Jane Lindholm]

Ooh, wow. Lifting things that are really heavy. I love that idea because it's both a superpower and super practical. But Melody, I really liked all of them. Like, if we could make things duplicate so nobody could fight. Or I like Kalin's, where you could zip things right to you. So if I'm sitting on the couch, I could just zip a glass of water right to me without having to get up.

[Melody Beaudet]

Oh, my gosh. That would be so useful. I'm sure so many people would love that one, especially adults. Yes. All right, let's hear a few more of your superpowers.

[Child Speaker]

Hello. My name is Jordan. I'm 10 years old, nearly 11. I'm from San Michael, Barbados. And if I had a superpower, it would be to control the elements. And my superhero name would be Anita Arrow.

[Melody Beaudet]

Spark.

[Child Speaker]

My name is Charlie, and I'm five years old, and I live in New Hampshire. My superhero name is Sparko, and my power is I wish my power was flying and be invisible. My name is Jason. I'M six years old. I live in Los Angeles, California. My superhero name is Scorpion. His power is to use the electricity whip to slash things in half. Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da du du du du du du du Octa Noon. My name is Ava. I live in Syosset, New York. I'm 8 years old. My superpowers would be flight, invisibility, and x ray vision. And my superhero name would be Amazing Eva.

[Jane Lindholm]

Amazing Eva. And Amazing Eva mentioned invisibility. That was a really popular power that a lot of you wanted, starting with Benjamin.

[Child Speaker]

My superhero name is Invisible man, and I'm going to be invisible for my superpower. My name is Ashore. I'm eight years old. I live in New York City, and my superpower that I wish would be a thing is sussness, which is you can blend in with your surroundings and become a material so that you can be the best at hide and seek. Hi, my name is Dashiell. If I had a superpower, it would be invisibility, and his name would be Dashiell. Hi, but why? My name is Ryan. I'm nine years old. I live in Warrenton, Pennsylvania. My superhero name would be Invisigrel, and my superpower would be Invisibility. Hi, my name is Alice. My superpower would be invisibility, and my name would be Invisigrel. My name's Matilda. I live in Croydon, England, and my supername was be the fast girl that can turn invisible. I can run so fast, no one can see me, and I'm invisible. My name's Miles, and I live in Indianapolis, and I'm six years old. And if I were a superhero and had a superpower, I would be Batman and be invisible. My name is Holden. I'm nine years old. I live in Salem Morgan. And my superhero name would be Certain Visibility. And my superpower would be Invisibility. Hi, I am Kendra. I am almost seven. I live in Vancouver, bc, Canada. My superhero name will be Chameleon Kendra, and my superpower will be Blending in my Saturdays.

[Melody Beaudet]

I was having a hard time deciding if invisibility and blending into your surroundings, kind of like camouflage, were the same thing. But either way, it seems like a lot of us want to find a way to disappear, but to also be able to know what's going on. I like that.

[Jane Lindholm]

And a lot of you wanted to be called Invisigirl. Want to know another superpower a lot of kids would love to have?

[Melody Beaudet]

Is it flying?

[Jane Lindholm]

It's flying.

[Child Speaker]

My name is Emmett. I'M five and a half years old. My superhero name is Super Baby, and I would get flying in seconds. My name is Zelda. I'm seven years old. I live in Norwalk, Connecticut. If I had a superpower, it would be flying with the birds in the clouds. And my super name would be Supergirl. My name is Liam. I'm five years old. My superhero name is Weeping Liam, because my superpower is flying. Hi. My name is Borna and I'm from Iran. My superpower name is Karen, and my superpower is flying. My name is Dax. I'm six years old. I live in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. In my special ability, I want to fly with wings.

[Jane Lindholm]

I used to have daydreams about being able to fly. Well, it was actually kind of like sort of flying. I could leap into the air and then float high above for a really long distance before coming down and then leaping right up back again. I would love to be able to fly, Melody.

[Melody Beaudet]

I mean, that would be cool, but that definitely isn't the superpower that I would wish for. But some of you had superpowers I'd never even thought of.

[Child Speaker]

My name is Asher, and I'm nine years old, and I live in Michigan. And if I had a superpower, my power would be to draw anything I wanted perfectly the first time. And my superhero name would be the Drawer. My name is Emmaus. I live in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and my superhero name would be Superboy. And my superpower would be Love is kindest and Strongest. Hi. My name is Sophie, and I live in Arlington, Virginia. I'm eight years old, and if I was a superhero, my name would be Agent Red, and my power would be that I can shoot lasers. My name is Matthew, and my super name would be Blazer. And my superpower would be I would be the Best Soldier. My name would be Cobalt, and my power would be Supersonic Speech.

[Melody Beaudet]

That last one was Sid, who lives in the United Kingdom. So many of you wanted to be able to either turn into animals or be able to talk to animals, and that's one that I would want. Jane.

[Jane Lindholm]

Me too. Can you imagine, Melody just being able to talk to animals and understand everything they're saying or turn into one when you wanted to?

[Melody Beaudet]

It would be so cool.

[Child Speaker]

Kia ora. My name is Remy. I am from Auckland, New Zealand, and I am seven years old. And my superpower would be talking to animals. And my super name would be Pink Girl. My name is Emma. I'm 12 years old, and I'm from Burlington, North Carolina. And if I could have Any superpower I wanted. I think I would like to be able to turn into an animal whenever I wanted to. My name is Santi, and I'm from Colombia and I live in Oregon. Here's borrow. And my superhero name would be grayscale, and my power would be turning into a ginormous crayfish. Hello, I'm Reneta. I'm from Mexico. I'm seven years old. My superpower would be that I could talk with the Stingrays, and my superhero name would be Stingray. My name's Nicole. I'm seven years old. I live in Bermuda. And if I had any superpower, it would be to communicate with animals, to turn into animals, and to ride on animals. Hi, my name's Nelly, and I'm seven years old, and I'm from Melbourne, Australia. And if I was a superhero, my name would be the Rainbow, and my superpower would be to turn into any animal I want. Hi, my name is Charlotte. I'm eight years old. I live in West Chester, Pennsylvania. My superpower name is Lily. And my superpower is to turn into animals and to talk to animals. Hi, my name is Roy. I'm 5, 1112. I am from Martinez, California. And if I had a superpower, I would want it to be talking to animals. Hi, my name is Henley, and I'm six years old. And my superpower would be talking to animals. And why it would be talking to animals is because so I can know what they want. Cause, like, basically, dogs, they're begging, I don't know what they want. So then, like, I could talk to them so that I know what they want. My name is Zinni. I live in Stevenson, Washington. My superpower would be to turn people into animals. And my super name would be Chicken Fingers. And my age is 4.

[Jane Lindholm]

I love the name Chicken Fingers as a superhero name Melody.

[Melody Beaudet]

That's so, so co for all of.

[Jane Lindholm]

You who want to communicate with animals. Did you hear our recent interview and episode about how animals talk to each other and how researchers are working on understanding what they're saying so that we know more about animal communication? I know you can't magically turn into an animal or magically understand what they're saying, but maybe you can in real life become a scientist who studies them someday.

[Melody Beaudet]

Here are a few more superpowers that didn't really fit in a category.

[Child Speaker]

My name's Lyra. I'm eight years old. I live in Ithaca, New York. And my superhero name would be Lyra. And then my superhero power would be I can speak any Language that is spoke to me. Hi, my name is Zoya, and I live in California. Los Angeles. And my superpower is gonna be transforming into Wonder Woman. Hi, my name is Ellie, and I'm five years old, and I live in Columbus, Ohio. If I had a superpower, it would be shrinking, and my name would be Shrinker Girl. Hi, my name is Memo. I'm from Oakland, California. My superhero would be called Nutcracka and probably Naklakas. My name is Aura and my superpower name is Q. And I like building things tall up to the sky. Hi, my name is Sigri. I am 6 years old. I live in Minneapolis St. Paul. If I had a superpower, my superpower would be knowing everything. And if I had a superhero name, my name would be Siguri.

[Jane Lindholm]

Knowing everything. Isn't that what your adults already do? They know everything?

[Melody Beaudet]

No.

[Jane Lindholm]

Yeah. That's absolutely not a superpower of most adults. I think we actually feel like we know less now than we did when we were kids. So that might be a good one for a lot of the adults listening.

[Melody Beaudet]

But if you knew everything, would you still be curious? There wouldn't be anything to learn.

[Jane Lindholm]

Yeah, I guess that's true. Okay, maybe I'm okay with not knowing everything.

[Melody Beaudet]

Coming up, more of you superheroes.

[Jane Lindholm]

This is. But why A podcast for curious kids. I'm Jane Lindholm.

[Melody Beaudet]

And I'm Melody Beaudet. Usually you ask the questions. Today you're answering the question. We asked what your superhero powers would be, and we're loving hearing your creative ideas.

[Child Speaker]

My name is Winnie. I'm four years old. I live in Cape Town. My superpower's magnetic. Super magnetic. It takes things to organize. Hello, my name is Dani. I am six years old. I live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. My superpower will be to invent anything that people with good intention want. My superpower name is Serena. My superpower is going to be Bean Station Sticky. And there's a super power that makes villains be destroyed.

[Jane Lindholm]

Ooh. Lots of superpowers in comic books and movies are designed to destroy villains. That's a good one. But sometimes we're just looking for powers that are super cool or just otherwise useful. Like a surprising number of you want a super ability to do math.

[Child Speaker]

My name is Holly Dunes, and I'm six years old, and I'm from West Texas. And my superhero name would be Mathematica. And my power would be solving numbers really fast in my head. My name is Luca. I'm from Apsley, Canada. I'm five and a half years Old. My superhero name would be Math Master, and he could solve math problems in his head in seconds. My name is Micah. I'm 11 years old and I live in Hudsonville, Michigan. My superhero name is Super Math Solver. I can solve any math problems in an instant. I'm Emerson. I'm 8 years old. My superpower would be solving math equations in seconds because I really like math and I got an A plus. A plus in math.

[Melody Beaudet]

Congrats on that. A. Emerson. Some of you wanted powers relating to your eyes.

[Child Speaker]

My name is Oola. I'm six years old. I live in Perth, Australia. My superhero name is Chloe. And my superhero power is. I can see in the dark. My name is Laila. I am five years old. I live in Mansbury, the uk. My superhero's name is Blazer, who can shoot blazers from his eye.

[Jane Lindholm]

That's a good one. But always use your laser shooting powers for good, not evil. Some of you wanted the ability to mess with time.

[Child Speaker]

Hello. My name is Adrian. I live in Colorado. I'm 11 years old. My superhero name would be Time Stop. I have the ability to stop time and do whatever I want while time is frozen. And when I snap my fingers, time would go back to normal. Bye. My name is Maisley. I live in Redmond, Washington. I'm six years old and I want to be able to time travel with the characters in Magic Treehouse. My name is Karis. I live in Moncton, Vermont. I'm 8 years old and my superhero power would be that I could go back in time and talk to myself. Hi, I'm Katrina and I'm 10 years old. Hi, I'm Hayward and I'm 8 years old. We live in South Carolina. If I had a superpower, it would be telekinesis, to move things with my mind without touching it. Also, I would be called Blaze. If I had a superpower, it would be to rewind and fast forward time. And my superhero name would be the Time Rocket.

[Melody Beaudet]

What about moving yourself with just your mind? Teleporting is when you disappear in one place and immediately appear in another.

[Child Speaker]

Hello. My name is Darun. I am nearly seven years old. I live in Brisbane, Australia, and my superpower would be teleporting through space and time. And if I had held someone's hand, they would be teleported too. My superhero name would be Teleported. Hi. We are the Bolin sisters. My hero name is Luna, and my powers are to fly and teleport. My superhero name is Lavender, and my powers are to fly and shapeshift. My superhero name is Bubble Blaze, and my superpower is teleporting. My real name is Ellie and I'm seven years old and from Lawrence, Kansas. My name is Jade. I'm eight years old. I live in Morocco, California, and if I would have a superpower, I would like to teleport.

[Jane Lindholm]

From teleportation to telepathy, the ability to read minds.

[Child Speaker]

Hi, my name is Fat. I'm seven years old and I live in Dallas, Texas. I would like my superhero name to be Sasha, and I like my superhero power to be telepathy. My name is Ruby, I'm six years old, I live in Moraga, California, and I want my superpower to be to read people's minds.

[Melody Beaudet]

Jane, can you read my mind?

[Jane Lindholm]

Only when you're annoyed with me.

[Melody Beaudet]

That would never happen. Some of you want to control elements like water and fire or to control the weather.

[Child Speaker]

Hi, my name is Cecilia. I 9 years old, and I am from Fall City, Washington, and if I were to have a superpower, it would be to control water. Hi, my name is Alexis and I'm five years old. I live in California. My super name will be Super Rainbow. My superpower will be freezing people that are bad and fire within the house. Superpower is rodent. Hi, my name is Ben, and I'm 8 years old, and I live in Jarkarta, Indonesia, and my superhero name is Boom Slayer, and his power is shooting thunderstorms and be invisible. My name is Claire. I live in Grozeo, Michigan, and I am 7 years old. My superpower would be to control the weather so I could make it snow so I can make snowmen all the time. My name's Freya. I'm seven, I live in England, and my superhero name will be Turtle Girl, and my power will be to change the weather. Bye.

[Jane Lindholm]

Controlling the weather would be so useful, Melody. I think if that was a real power, it would be very much in demand if we were all picking our superpowers.

[Melody Beaudet]

Yeah, but don't you think a lot of kids and, you know, maybe some adults might use that to get some snow days so they don't have to go to school?

[Jane Lindholm]

Well, that's true. All right, we have a few more that didn't fit into any specific categories, but we still love them. Here we go.

[Child Speaker]

Hi, my name is Tom. I'm nine years old. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and if I was a superhero, my name would be the Changer, and my power would be shape shifting.

[Melody Beaudet]

You know, I thought shape shifting would be much more popular.

[Child Speaker]

My name is Kai. I'M six years old, and I live in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. And my superpower is I can eat marshmallows all day long.

[Melody Beaudet]

I'd really love that power. I suppose I could eat marshmallows all day long, but that would definitely give you a stomachache.

[Child Speaker]

My name is Elizabeth. I live in St. Albans, Vermont. I'm four years old, and my superpower is to fly and freeze everything into ice and turn everything into ice cream. My name is Meika. I two years old, and my superpower Detective Burnaby and detector the new land. My name is Elliot. I live in Seaton, and I am now 10. And if I had a superpower, it would be rapping really fast because then I could have lots of money and be successful. Oh, and my name would be Rappin Robin.

[Jane Lindholm]

A lot of people have had a lot of success at wrapping, and that's one that you could maybe do with some extra practice. You don't need a superpower at all.

[Child Speaker]

My name is Karina. I am seven years old, and I live in Newton, Massachusetts. My superpower would be what I think of. It would appear right in front of me. And my name would be the wishmaker. My name is Georgia. I'm six years old. I live in McLean, Virginia. And my superhero name and power been be breathing underwater. And my name would be Merlinda. My name is Naomi. I'm eight years old. I live in Everett, Washington. And if I could have any superpower, I would want to be able to climb on walls and ceilings. And then when I came back down, people would be like, where were you? And my superhero name would probably be Super Naomi. Hi, I'm Raphael. I am seven years old. I live in West Reading, Pennsylvania. And my superhero is named Gilbert. And he can breathe on the water, and he can fly, and he could travel through stuff that humans can't travel through. My name is Nia. I am five and a half years old. I live in Redwood City, California. My superhero name is Magical lion Wolf. My super power would be to make wishes. Hello. My name is Amir and I'm eight years old. I live in Limerick, Ireland. And my superhero name would be the imaginator. And my superpower would be to turn things that aren't real to reality.

[Melody Beaudet]

I love that one. Turning things that aren't real into reality. Things that come into your imagination. That's an opportunity. I think we all have to create something new. Sure, we're limited by technology and things like that. You know, we can't fly on our own, but we can get into a plane and Travel all around the world. It's amazing to think that flying for humans wasn't even possible back when superheroes as we know them today were invented. And now humans have not only flown all over the world, but we've been to the moon. That's pretty cool.

[Jane Lindholm]

It is pretty cool. And I guess it's like you have to imagine it as a superpower that's almost unbelievable before you can create the reality of it. So some superpowers were magical back when people invented them, and now we've found ways to make them real, even if it's not exactly what we imagined in the comic books and movies. I really wonder what the next century is going to bring. Are we going to be living in houses filled with robots? Or maybe someday humans will be living on Mars? I guess there's no way to know. But we can imagine anything. And here's something else to chew on before we end the episode. It's true that a lot of the superpowers we've talked about today aren't really possible. They're just fun to imagine. But when we expand our definition of what a superhero is, there are lots of ways to be a superhero for real.

[Melody Beaudet]

That's true, Jane. Kindness is a kind of superpower.

[Jane Lindholm]

Yeah. And curiosity is a superpower.

[Melody Beaudet]

And helping out someone in need might make you a superhero.

[Jane Lindholm]

So I guess that's a good way to end the episode. Melody, our instruction to you as we end the year and end the episode is to think about a way that you could be a real superhero in your own community, family or life.

[Melody Beaudet]

That's a great idea, Jane. That's it for this episode. Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a superpower. If you have a question about anything, have an adult record you asking it. It's easy to do on a smartphone using an app like voice memos. Then email the file to questionsutwykids.org but.

[Jane Lindholm]

Why is produced by Melody Beaudet and me, Jane Lindholm at Vermont Public. Joey Pollution Colombo produces our video series for YouTube. Our theme music is by Luke Reynolds and we're distributed by prx. We'll be back in two weeks with an all new episode. Until then, stay super.

[Child Speaker]

From prx.