Brain Junk

230: Flying Salamanders

September 27, 2022 08:11 - 9 minutes - 6.51 MB

Okay, they're really falling with style. But it's still cool that the Wandering salamander in the redwood forests of north western California can glide. Check out the Current Biology paper if you want to read more! And OF COURSE there's video!

229: Ponyhenge

September 20, 2022 08:37 - 8 minutes - 4.84 MB

Amy shares the solved mystery and history of Ponyhenge in Lincoln, MA. Atlas Obscura article by Jessica Hester ! Click the link🐎🐎🐎

228: Why Don’t We Lay Eggs?

September 13, 2022 08:06 - 6 minutes - 4.94 MB

Wouldn't it be cool if we could just put our eggs in a warmer instead of being pregnant for months and months?!?! We dive into some big science and BIG science words. Get ready for syncytin and viruses. Check out the brain behind this topic, Dr. Noc on TikTok Also Mammals Made By Viruses by Carl Zimmer

227: Whatever…Mom

September 06, 2022 08:52 - 8 minutes - 7 MB

Why won't your teenager listen to you? Their brain. For real. Insert teenage eye roll here. Want to know the deets? Mom's Voice study from Stanford

226: Taste Test!

August 30, 2022 08:16 - 24 minutes - 15.4 MB

In the mood for a LONG episode?!?! Wish granted! We're snacking on packages of Taco flavored jellybeans from Brach's as we snack our way through fun facts about food trucks, the history of the pique-nique, and just what's in horchata. And if you need more of us taste testing, check out Episode 138: Turkey Candy Corn image: Instagram @thejunkfoodaisle

225 Bees vs. Mirrors

August 23, 2022 08:09 - 5 minutes - 4.08 MB

Fresh off the research presses in early 2022, a new study on how honey bees navigate the world while they fly. Turns out still water and mirrors are equally vexing for bees. Check out the paper: Honeybees Flying Over a Mirror Irremediably Crash And video!

224: Cat Nights

August 16, 2022 08:48 - 4 minutes - 4.04 MB

We don't know about you, but 2022 has been a MOOD so we're starting Halloween a little early this year. Be prepared! Starting Aug 17th, we have a season of witches and cat nights. Amy also tosses a few fun extra facts into this almanac Brain Storm! Need more Almanac facts try out Farmer's Almanac!

223: Turnspit Dogs

August 09, 2022 08:58 - 5 minutes - 4.04 MB

It's 1576 and you don't have a young boy to spare to turn your meat while it cooks. So what could you use? A dog.

222: Brain Junk After Dark

August 02, 2022 08:54 - 29 minutes - 19.2 MB

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a naughty summer break episode. If you're of an age that hasn't covered human growth and development yet, this warning is for you and your parents: we are talking about everything in the no-no squares. Don't know what that is? Maybe don't Google it. Just ask your mom. In this longer than usual episode we talk about genderbending cuttlefish, strange sea cucumber orifices & sneaky fish, inappropriate Roman graffiti on Hadrian's Wal...

221: Harriet the Tortoise

July 26, 2022 08:58 - 4 minutes - 4.07 MB

Harriet lived from around 1835 to 2006! She is believed to be one of the Earth's longest lived creatures ever recorded. image from Australia Zoo via the AP file of Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, and Harriet

220: Sneaky Brands

July 19, 2022 08:42 - 13 minutes - 8.47 MB

If you grew up on the east coast of the US, you might've had Hellmann's mayo and on the west coast you'd have Best Foods. But here's the thing, it's the same product. The reasons why we have similar foods with different labels from coast to coast are as varied as the products we buy. This also hold true across the pond with snacks like Lays vs Walkers! Amy dives into some of the reasons why.

219: Wife Selling

July 12, 2022 09:20 - 4 minutes - 3.56 MB

In the 16 and 1700s, wife selling was a type of marital separation that people did when they couldn't afford divorce. It was shaming, mysoginistic, and patriarchal (basically it was a terrible time to be female). BUT wife selling was an attempt to work within a crushingly unfair system and sometimes even worked to the woman's advantage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wife_selling_(English_custom)

218: Gladiatrices

July 05, 2022 08:37 - 6 minutes - 4.23 MB

Seldom written about, female gladiators fought for glory and Rome from around 509 BCE to 200 AD. What little information we have about them was in a few historical writings and one remaining frieze. image: Amazonia and Achillea

217: Honesty Study?

June 28, 2022 08:00 - 10 minutes - 7.87 MB

2012 published research detailed how you could influence someone's honesty on say, a test. It all depended on if they signed an agreement to be truthful at the beginning or the end of the test. A lot of what is discussed in the paper feels like common sense. And was also hard to reproduce. How hard is it to make people WANT to be honest? Bonus content...the article that goes with this image by Samantha Lee from Business Insider...how to tell if someone is lying. The retracted honesty rese...

216: Parachuting Beavers

June 21, 2022 08:11 - 5 minutes - 3.73 MB

In 1948, Idaho Fish and Game got the bright idea to transport beavers into the back country with PARACHUTES. It was a wild and wacky compromise to save dwindling beaver populations, promote healthy forests, and keep beavers out of post WWII housing developments.

215: James Madison & the 4 Letters

June 14, 2022 08:01 - 6 minutes - 5.44 MB

It's 1789 and the beginning of bureaucracy in the United States. James Madison is writing letters to smooth the path of George Washington's disorganized congress. The way it all went down is hilarious. Not one of the 4 letters BUT this one was written by James Madison to George Washington on Dec. of 1789. He might've been a great writer, but his handwriting is impossible.

214: Sky Puppies

June 07, 2022 08:33 - 4 minutes - 3.95 MB

While baby Egyptian fruit bats start life getting carried around, once they get too heavy, their mothers leave them in a cave while they forage. It's tough love that gets them out of the cave and learning how to find home and food. image by Yuval Barkai from New York Times Science Current Biology article by Aya Goldshtein, Lee Harten, & Yossi Yovel

213: Unexpected Origin of Roller Skates

May 31, 2022 08:17 - 10 minutes - 8.16 MB

The first roller skates were patented by John Joseph Merlin in 1760. He showed off his new fangled wheeled shoes with an epic entrance to a party that ended not quite how he thought it would.

212: Peanut Butter Diamonds

May 24, 2022 08:31 - 7 minutes - 5.53 MB

With enough pressure and heat, just about anything with enough carbon in it could become a diamond. And thankfully for us, when a scientist was asked, could he turn peanut butter into a diamond, he decided to find out. How NOT to make a diamond at home: 😂😂😂

211: Eating Underwater

May 17, 2022 08:38 - 8 minutes - 6.67 MB

How do whales open their mouths to grab a mouthful of food without drowning?! Because it's not just krill that goes in, but hundreds of gallons of water. Amy digs into why. The adaptation is remarkable. Check out Science News magazine for a cool diagram! And here's my other (Amy's) sources: EurekAlert Baleen Whales use "oral plug" to eat without drowning Science Alert How Much Can a Great Whale Gulp The Measure of Things This is my favorite place to go for size comparisons!

210: Ancient Prosthetic Eye

May 10, 2022 08:32 - 7 minutes - 5.81 MB

In 2007, a woman's 5,000 year old skeleton was found in Burnt City, Iran. She was at least six feet tall and had what researchers think may be the first example of a prosthetic eye. image: Check out the original paper!

209: Detachable Tails

May 03, 2022 09:24 - 4 minutes - 4.11 MB

In cases of emergency, lizards pop off their tails to get away. Evolution made it possible for that tail to stay on when tugged but not twisted. It all comes down to physiology and a cool adaptation called nanopores. Close up of the nanopores and detached tail: image from NAVAJIT S. BABAN/NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ABU DHABI

208: Thunderclappers

April 26, 2022 08:14 - 4 minutes - 3.95 MB

It wasn't just fame and glory that inspired Lewis and Clark's expedition across this great land. It took a "medication" so powerful that people would pray before they took it. Researchers figured out how to locate campsites from that 1804-1805 trip by analyzing dirt for Mercury. Because of course they were using medicine that was toxic. image: Pharmacy Times 08/14/2020

207: Cockroach Personalities

April 19, 2022 08:42 - 9 minutes - 7.27 MB

Anything that scatters when you turn on the light...does it have a personality? Is the cockroach urge to run an indicator of a bold or timid world view? So many questions. Of course Amy found us some answers. Cockroaches with their little monitors. image from Reuters and Science Alert

206: The Smartest Fish?

April 12, 2022 08:30 - 12 minutes - 9.44 MB

Set aside your mammal bias because this week we're celebrating the unexpected smarts of archerfish and goldfish! Turns out, goldfish might be able to drive a car and archerfish might just be able to count. Sit back and get ready for your mind to be blown. Goldfish research with cars. Watch out Tesla, they're coming for ya! Check out this article by the Smithsonian all about the FOV (fish operated vehicle) There's even a short movie of the goldfish in action!

205: Vatican Women’s Rifle Club

April 01, 2022 07:36 - 5 minutes - 4.7 MB

Amy pulled out all the stops for this shenanigan filled episode. Don't be an April's Fool like Trace. image from Snopes Amy's Sources (aside from her shenanigan-filled heart): Snopes.com Blandx.com 1936 Olympics Article

204: Baker Miller Pink

March 29, 2022 07:19 - 12 minutes - 9.4 MB

In 1978, Dr. Alexander Schauss and a research assistant mixed 1 gallon of white latex paint with a pint of shiny red and created P-618 aka Baker Miller Pink. They thought it would relax people, especially people in stressful situations, like prison. Take a look at that powerful pink and you be the judge.

203: Unexpected Results

March 22, 2022 09:02 - 16 minutes - 12.9 MB

We always hear about research "wins". Rarely do we discuss "failures"--and we should. Today we dive into a few examples of how not getting the "right" answer isn't wrong. Clever Hans! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMNxkQXwykA Loma Pendergraft: Fussing Over Food Amy's Sources: Clever Hans:Wikipedia: Observer Expectancy EffectWikipedia Clever HansCrow Vocalizations:Corvid Research Blog Part ICorvid Research Blog Part II

202: Honeypot Ants

March 15, 2022 08:05 - 4 minutes - 4 MB

Imagine you're an ant living in an arid climate. There's no grocery stores! How do you keep enough food on hand for when things are scarce? You won't believe it. Watch the below IF YOU DARE Amy's Sources: Nat Geo: Honeypot Ants Alexanderwild.com Ants Myrmecocystus

201: Rabbit War

March 08, 2022 09:21 - 4 minutes - 3.87 MB

What happens when you are the Emperor of France and your hunting party plans go completely wrong? You get attacked by rabbits. This isn't a Monty Python skit, its history! Napoleon meets his Bunnyloo image from CuriousRambler

200th Episode!!!

March 01, 2022 09:14 - 32 minutes - 25.8 MB

To celebrate our 200th episode, we're going back to 1822 to share cool facts from two-hundred years ago! Listen in to a cornucopia of historical cooking, human experimentation, the discovery of stork migration, general Amy and Trace wackiness, one of the earliest versions of a computer, and MORE. We appreciate you Brain Junkies so much! Enjoy the show. Check out The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary Pfeilstorch!

199: Science of Gift Wrap

February 22, 2022 09:31 - 9 minutes - 7.96 MB

Gifts. Just because that decorative paper is slapped on with yards of tape doesn't mean what's inside isn't something you'd want. Amy dives into a study about how we feel about gifts based on shabby wrapping paper.

198: Mary McLeod Bethune

February 15, 2022 09:25 - 5 minutes - 3.78 MB

Mary McLeod Bethune was the daughter of former slaves and a founder of Bethune-Cookman University. She was often the only woman of color with a seat at the table in the early political history of the 1900s. Mary McLeod Bethune with girls from the Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in Daytona, c. 1905. Inscribed photograph of Mary McLeod Bethune standing before the U. S. capitol text: Washington, D. C., 1954. “To Richard, with love. Mary McLeod Bethune ‘54.”

197: Singing Gorillas

February 08, 2022 09:32 - 5 minutes - 3.98 MB

Give a captive gorilla tasty food, they often vocalize in ways that sound a lot like singing. It's so charming! But scientists thought this "singing" was a response to living close to humans. Turns out, wild gorillas sing too. Check out this YouTube for an example! Gorillas Sing!!

196: Amy the Black Belt

February 01, 2022 09:38 - 7 minutes - 5.16 MB

One of the highest achievements in martial arts is the black belt. And Amy, OUR Amy Barton has reached that pinnacle in Taekwondo. How cool is that?!? To celebrate we're talking about the history of the belt system. Raise your glass to congratulate Amy!! https://traditional-dojo.com/blog/88092/The-true-and-not-so-true-history-of-the-Martial-Arts-belt-system- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_belt_(martial_arts)

195: Bag of Facts

January 25, 2022 08:24 - 17 minutes - 12.9 MB

We're diving into a long episode chock-a-block full of weird facts. Get ready for German phrases, the history of bullion, hot dogs, neurons, and more (and OF COURSE a little Chuck Norris!) image: journal with the literal bug in the system. National Geographic Amy's Miscellany:German Words https://www.fluentu.com/blog/german/weird-german-words-vocabulary/ Morgenmuffle-not a good morning person Fernweh (Distance pain) Kummerspeck (Grief bacon) Innerer Schweinehund (Inner pig dog) Fremd...

194: Iris Sphincters

January 18, 2022 09:22 - 11 minutes - 7.75 MB

You might think you're special because you can flex your nostrils or flap your ears--but it turns out that there is a person out there who can voluntarily move their pupillary sphincters. What the heck are those? Listen to this one, it's worth it. Want to know more? Check out the scientific paper! Amy's Links: https://www.livescience.com/man-can-control-pupil-dilation.html https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167876021008448?via%3Dihub

193: Navy Seals

January 11, 2022 08:36 - 9 minutes - 6.98 MB

The US military uses more than boats to protect our Naval bases. This episode brings a whole new meaning to "Navy seals". Check out this AP archive video -- it's remarkable! More cool resources! Marine Mammal Program

192: Potholes

January 04, 2022 08:56 - 6 minutes - 5.03 MB

Welcome to 2022!! Over the next few episodes we're changing things up a bit. Let us know what you think! Email us at [email protected] or drop us a message on our Instagram This week we dive into the origin of the word pothole. It's funnier than you might think. P.S. Trace does mention the word penis one time...but it's not explicit. We promise. Photo from the Pothole Gardener

191: Brain Junk Winter Break

November 30, 2021 09:39 - 5 minutes - 4.22 MB

We don't know about y'all, but 2020 and 2021 have been a whole thing. Right?! So Trace and Amy are taking the month of December to recharge their love of facts and weirdness. We'll be back on Jan 4, 2022 with new episodes! Until then, this episode has some fun facts about winter. Also, here's where you can find us until we're back! Click on the buttons to visit our socials🧡 A view of Aomori, Japan! image by Neuzgi on Imgur (click the link for more pictures from this series)

190: Beard Power

November 23, 2021 09:09 - 5 minutes - 4.08 MB

Those of you with a thick beard, that hair does more than make you look suave or rugged. Turns out, a beard might be protecting your face. There's even an Ig Nobel winning study to prove it. Feeling super scientific? Read the study: Impact Protection Potential of Mammalian Hair: Testing the Pugilism Hypothesis for the Evolution of Human Facial Hair

189: Disco Clams

November 16, 2021 09:10 - 4 minutes - 3.19 MB

It's an underwater Brain Storm today with Disco Clams! It's a 4 inch long clam with fancy red mantle and a line of rippling "disco ball". It has a sneaky defense against predators, you'll be surprised. We promise. Disco calm image from Big Blue Pacific/Youtube. See them in the wild! Disco Clams

188: Trash Parrots

November 09, 2021 09:26 - 5 minutes - 4.33 MB

Forget raccoons digging into your trash cans, Australia has giant parrots snacking out of trash bins. Some family groups of Sulfur-crested cockatoos are teaching each other how to hack people's trash. See one of these wily birds in action!

187: Animal Buddy Cops

November 02, 2021 08:28 - 4 minutes - 3.63 MB

In an unexpected turn of events, two predators with very different hunting styles work cooperatively. During the summer months, badgers and coyotes will sometimes team up during the summer months to find and catch more food than they could by themselves. image: US Fish and Wildlife Service

186: Sudden Genius

October 26, 2021 08:03 - 4 minutes - 3.83 MB

Imagine waking up from a nap to discover that you can compose music in your head. What a shock that would be! There are people who are born with savant type art or mathematics abilities, but there is also the amazing possibility that someone's brain might suddenly unlock an out-of-the-blue talent. Scientist have theories as to what causes Sudden Savant Syndrome, but no one is exactly sure what is happening inside the brain of a person who can do something remarkable almost overnight.

185: Crash at Crush

October 19, 2021 08:13 - 5 minutes - 3.95 MB

In September of 1896, the town of Crush was created for the sole purpose of crashing two steam trains together. Things did not go according to plan. Image: Baylor Collections

184: Dog Days of Summer

October 12, 2021 08:03 - 4 minutes - 3.17 MB

It's fall now, but we recorded this episode during the dog days of August. The sky wore a blanket of wildfire smoke and daytime lows were in the mid 90s. All that heat got Amy thinking about the reason why we call these hot days, dog days. We love a good phrase origin story. Sirius, also called Alpha Canis Majoris or the Dog Star, brightest star in the night sky, with apparent visual magnitude −1.46. It is a binary star in the constellation Canis Major. The bright component of the binary is...

183: Telling the Bees

October 05, 2021 08:45 - 4 minutes - 4.52 MB

The last episode with wonky sound. We got all the bugs out. (get it...bugs. cause its an episode about bees. *nudges in dad joke* Many cultures have long believed the humble honeybee was more than just a honey-making factory. It was thought those little bees might also be messengers to the Gods. The bee's important position in society as providers of food and medicine made them more than mere livestock. It became tradition to tell them when important life events occurred. US poet John Gree...

182: Squids In Space

September 28, 2021 08:25 - 4 minutes - 2.83 MB

We had four episodes where the sound quality was...odd (and this was one of them). Pretend you're listening to a NASA broadcast and that we're coming to you live from the International Space Station. On June 3, 2021 an intrepid group of baby bobtail squid hopped a ride on SpaceX and became tiny squid-stronauts! These bioluminescent critters glow blue with the help of a special bacteria. They aren't born with this bacteria so once in space, ISS researchers will introduce them to bioluminesce...

181: Goo From the Sky

September 21, 2021 08:35 - 4 minutes - 4.25 MB

Apologies--we had sound quality issues. We did not record from the bottom of a metal trash can while hiding from mystery blobs falling from the sky; we promise. In a place that gets rain up to 275 days a year, Oakville, WA. knows their precipitation. But on this day in 1994, Instead of the other 275 days a year that water falls from the sky, a torrent of jelly like blobs fell. No one knows for sure what they were. Mystery blobs image: BBC

Episodes

Books

Twitter Mentions