For long car journeys: all episodes of Professorproef are now online

25 June 2026 News item

Perfect for those long car journeys as you head off on holiday: all episodes of Professorproef, Radboud University’s children’s podcast in Dutch, are now online. Children get answers to questions such as: Are we living in a black hole?, Do plants grow better if you talk to them? and How do I found my own country? The episodes are now available to listen to via your favourite podcast app and to watch on YouTube.

For all parents who are fed up with hearing the question, ‘Are we there yet?’ for the umpteenth time, why not put on a podcast in the car on the way to your holiday destination? In Professorproef, children grill scientists in their lab coats, and at the end of each episode the child decides whether the scientist has passed the test. All 6 episodes of Series 1 are now online.

Episode 1: Cato – Do plants grow better if you talk to them?

Does it make any difference to a plant if you talk to it? And does it matter whether you speak in an angry or a happy tone? In this episode of Professorproef, Cato (11) asks ecologist Constant exactly how it works. How do plants actually grow? And what do caterpillars have to do with it?

Groeien plantjes beter als je tegen ze praat?

Episode 2: Raffy – How do I found my own country?

Raffy (11) would love to found his own country but wonders what it would take. How do you get the money, for example, and what rules do you have to follow? Lawyer Jasper explains that it is quite complicated and that many existing countries are not exactly keen on new ones popping up. Will Raffy succeed?

Watch it on YouTube.

Episode 3: Rosa – Are we living in a black hole?

Could it be that we are already living in a black hole? That is what Rosa (11) wonders as she stares up at the dark night sky. Rosa already knows that there is a lot, lot, lot of gravity in a black hole, which means you would be ‘spaghettified’ if you fell into one. She explains exactly what that means so well that scientist Béatrice is completely amazed. What else can Béatrice teach Rosa – and us – about black holes?

Leven we in een zwart gat?

Episode 4: Tess – Where does inspiration come from?

Why is it that Tess (11) sometimes suddenly thinks of an egg while drawing? Philosopher Marc Slors knows where inspiration comes from and how you can suddenly make an association between a bicycle and a cow. And what on earth does a cupboard in your head have to do with it? By the end of the episode, the lab director is certainly feeling inspired – and hopefully you will be too!

Watch it on YouTube.

Episode 5: Noud – What is a conspiracy theory?

Did you know that some people think all the birds in the world are robots? And that the Earth is flat? Noud (11) wants to know what a conspiracy theory is and, above all, how you can avoid falling for one.

For example, he thought that NEC had lost the cup final because the referee had been bribed. Linguist Yvette Linders explains how you can make sure your life stays conspiracy-theory-free – unless, of course, you, like Noud, simply enjoy hearing about them.

Wat is een complottheorie?

Episode 6: Sandro – Why do bullies bully?

Sandro (9) doesn't understand why some children bully others. Surely that is neither cool nor brave? Scientist Nathalie explains that in some classes, bullying is actually seen as cool or brave and that the way a teacher responds to it is very important. Meanwhile, Sandro comes up with a way to send the teacher a message using a paper aeroplane and gets an answer to the question of why bullying still happens.

The podcast is aimed at children in Years 6, 7 and 8 and their parents. Watch the trailer here:

Trailer Professorproef

Contact information

For further information, please contact team Science communication via +31 24 361 6000 or media [at] ru.nl (media[at]ru[dot]nl).

Contact: Prof. J. Krommendijk (Jasper) , Dr B.P. Bonga (Béatrice) , Prof. M.V.P. Slors (Marc) , Dr Y.F.M. Linders (Yvette) , Dr N.A.H. Hoekstra (Nathalie)
Organizational unit: Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics, High Energy Physics, Astrophysics, Mathematics
Theme: Sustainability, Philosophy, Behaviour, Nature, Law, Society, Language, Universe