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BrainStuff

2,420 episodes - English - Latest episode: 29 days ago - ★★★★ - 1.6K ratings

Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.

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Episodes

Is Oxytocin Really A Love Drug?

February 28, 2024 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.5 MB

Our brains release the hormone oxytocin during pleasant circumstances and bonding experiences -- but can we really take it to induce those experiences? Learn why it's complicated in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: thttps://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/endocrine/oxytocin.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do Pistol Shrimp Work?

February 27, 2024 15:18 - 7 minutes - 6.5 MB

Pistol shrimp (aka snapping shrimp) can 'shoot' bubbles that go off louder than a gun and will stun prey or dig into rock. Learn more (including how they're inspiring nuclear fission research) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/pistol-shrimp.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Why Did London Once Have a Train for the Dead?

February 17, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.35 MB

As London grew throughout the 1800s, it became clear that there wasn't enough real estate for its deceased citizens. Learn how the London Necropolis Railway took the funerary show on the road in this classic episode of BrainStuff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Why Does Beer Foam Last Longer Than Soda Foam?

February 16, 2024 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.61 MB

Beer and soda both form sudsy bubbles when you pour them, so why does soda's foam dissipate while beer's forms a head? Learn about foam physics in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/beer-form-head-not-soda.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Did Maya Angelou Work?

February 15, 2024 10:00 - 9 minutes - 8.69 MB

Maya Angelou was a people's poet -- an artist, activist, and teacher whose words resonate from Supreme Court Justices to internet memes. Learn more about her through a few of her own quotes in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/maya-angelou-quotes.htm To hear more from today's writer, Yves Jeffcoat, listen to her podcast, On Theme: https://www.ontheme.show/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Does Scurvy Work?

February 14, 2024 10:00 - 9 minutes - 8.68 MB

Scurvy is a serious condition that's easily cured with access to vitamin C. Learn why humans get it (and why it was the scourge of the high seas) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/rare/scurvy.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do Cows Really Pollute As Much As Cars?

February 13, 2024 17:48 - 6 minutes - 6.28 MB

Cattle burp so much methane into our atmosphere that it's the equivalent of how much cars pollute every day. Learn what researchers are trying to do about the gassy situation in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/methane-cow.htm  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where Does Earth's Water Come From?

February 06, 2024 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.86 MB

The water cycle brings Earth's water from the clouds to the ground and back again -- but how did it get here in the first place? Learn about the leading theories in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/water-come-from.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Does the Orchid Mantis Imitate Flowers?

February 05, 2024 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.96 MB

These mantises look like beautiful, bright orchids -- and some use that to aggressively attract prey. Learn more in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/orchid-mantis.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: When We Lose Weight, Where Does It Go?

February 04, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.43 MB

When we lose weight, it doesn't just vanish. Learn how our bodies shrink fat cells in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/weight-loss/lost-weight.htm/printable See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: What Can Probiotics Really Do?

February 03, 2024 10:00 - 5 minutes - 5.07 MB

Some claims make it sound like probiotics are a cure-all, but what has research found so far? Learn more about these supplements for your microbiome in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/preventive-care/probiotic.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Jaywalking Still a Crime?

February 02, 2024 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.64 MB

As a pedestrian, crossing the street wherever you want can be dangerous -- which is why it's still technically illegal in many American jurisdictions. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/jaywalking-crime.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Is the Bradford Pear Tree Bad – Even Beyond the Smell?

February 01, 2024 15:01 - 6 minutes - 6.34 MB

Though beautiful, Bradford pear trees are invasive in the U.S., use up precious water, are brittle -- and smell decidedly funky. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/whats-that-smell-dreaded-bradford-pear.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Does Burns Night Work?

January 25, 2024 10:00 - 6 minutes - 6.03 MB

To celebrate the anniversary of poet Robert Burns' birth on January 25, 1759, Scottish people all over the world observe Burns Night each year. Learn about the verse, the bagpipes, and of course the haggis in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-other/get-out-haggis-its-burns-night.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do White Dwarf Stars Shred Planets?

January 24, 2024 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.53 MB

White dwarfs have almost all the mass of a normal star squished into a ball the size of our Earth -- and that comes with a lot of gravitational power. Learn how they can tear planets to shreds in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/white-dwarfs-shred-planets.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do Axolotls Work?

January 23, 2024 22:18 - 10 minutes - 9.24 MB

These adorable aquatic salamanders are voracious hunters -- and have myth-like powers of regeneration. Learn more about the axolotl in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/endangered-species/axolotl.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Why Are Stop Signs Red?

January 22, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.4 MB

Stop signs were always the red octagons we know today -- so how was the color chosen, and why has it stuck? Learn about the history and psychology of red traffic signals in this classic episode of BrainStuff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Why Do We Test Middle Schoolers' Fitness?

January 21, 2024 10:00 - 5 minutes - 5.43 MB

From the outdated Presidential Fitness Test to today's FITNESSGRAM, Americans have been giving standardized fitness tests to middle school kids for decades. Learn the past and present of these exams in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise/could-pass-kids-middle-school-fitness-test.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are Burner Phones Really Anonymous?

January 20, 2024 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.49 MB

Buying a cheap phone containing prepaid minutes and texts with cash can help you preserve anonymity in some ways, but companies and governments still have ways of listening in. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/burner-phones.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Did Scientists Hide Under Beds to Do Research?

January 19, 2024 22:00 - 5 minutes - 5.54 MB

In the early 1900s, psychologists went to great lengths to study their subjects without letting them know they were being watched. Learn more about their research (and about how ethical standards would prevent it from happening today) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/ridiculous-history-when-scientists-hid-beds-do-research.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Can Bacteria Change the World?

January 18, 2024 10:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MB

Bacteria may be tiny, but we can harness them to create food and medicine, to detect landmines and make blood safe for transfusions. Learn what we're still learning about how bacteria shape us and our world in this episode of BrainStuff, based on these articles: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/bacteria-communication.htm https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/10-weirdest-sources-antibiotics.htm https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-m...

What Animals Reshape Earth's Waterways?

January 17, 2024 10:00 - 8 minutes - 8.08 MB

Eco engineers are animals that vastly change the ecosystems they live in when they create their preferred habitats. Learn about a few, from hippos to tiny crabs, in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/5-animals-that-can-reshape-waterways.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Could Neanderthals Laugh?

January 16, 2024 15:07 - 4 minutes - 3.97 MB

Neanderthals were more like us than we previously thought, but could they laugh? Learn why researchers think they could in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/yes-neanderthals-could-laugh.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do They Get the Fat Out of Fat-Free Foods?

January 13, 2024 10:00 - 7 minutes - 7.09 MB

Fat provides a lot of flavor and texture in foods, so making something fat-free usually means reformulating it from the ground up. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/how-do-they-get-fat-out-of-fat-free-foods.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: How Do We Define the Kilogram?

January 11, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.61 MB

The kilogram used to be measured against an agreed-upon chunk of metal stored in France, but no longer. Learn the new measure of this standard unit of measurement in today's classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/math-concepts/kilogram-is-dead-meet-kilogram-20.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who Were the Baddest Bank Robbers You've Never Heard Of?

January 10, 2024 10:00 - 10 minutes - 9.22 MB

The Newton Boys were a gang of brothers who made a business of robbing banks and trains in the 1920s. Learn how they largely got away with it in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/newton-boys-bank-robbers.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do Banyan Trees Work?

January 09, 2024 22:03 - 6 minutes - 6.14 MB

 These giant trees grow trunk-like roots down from their branches and can cover the area of city blocks. Learn more about banyan trees in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/understanding-roots-banyan-tree.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do Male Seahorses Give Birth?

January 06, 2024 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.37 MB

Male seahorses are the ones that carry babies to term and give birth, but the process is fairly different from most pregnancies. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/male-seahorses-give-birth.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Laws Apply on a Cruise Ship?

January 05, 2024 10:00 - 6 minutes - 6.33 MB

When crime and other legal tangles occur on a cruise ship, what laws apply depend on where the ship is registered and where it was located at the time. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/cruise-ship-law.htm/printable See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Does Marzipan Work?

January 04, 2024 10:00 - 5 minutes - 5.21 MB

Marzipan is a sweet, moldable almond paste that gets worked into all kinds of holiday traditions. Learn about it (and about Glücksschwein, the good luck pig of the New Year) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article and podcast: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/marzipan.htm; https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-savor-28019899/episode/the-marzipan-episode-is-shaping-up-90864626/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Why Does Ice Get Cloudy?

December 27, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutes - 5.79 MB

Water usually appears clear, but ice cubes and ice on lakes often looks cloudy. Learn what has to happen for ice to freeze clear (like black ice does on roads) in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/why-ice-usually-freezes-cloudy-and-not-clear.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Why Are Christmas Trees That Shape?

December 26, 2023 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.51 MB

Most of the trees decorated for Christmas don't naturally grow in a perfect cone shape -- so how do they get that way, and why did we decide on that shape in the first place? Learn about the history of Christmas trees in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/do-christmas-trees-get-shape.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Did the 1800s Create Christmas as We Know It?

December 25, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.89 MB

Although this holiday has been around for a long time, the way we celebrate in the U.S. largely developed during the 1800s. Learn about the books, celebrities, and political cartoons that made Christmas in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/19th-century-invented-modern-christmas.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Far Can the Human Eye See?

December 24, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.6 MB

The human eye is basically only limited by the curvature of the Earth and stuff that gets in its way. (Well, and various medical conditions.) Learn how far we can see in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/question198.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Can Be Found at the Paris Bureau of Found Objects?

December 23, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.58 MB

Paris has a centralized lost-and-found station that's received everything from umbrellas to human skulls. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/paris-lost-and-found.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Is a 19th-Century Obscenity Law Being Used to Ban Reproductive Health Care?

December 22, 2023 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.84 MB

The Comstock Act was designed to criminalize anything considered indecent in the 1870s, from saucy personal letters to pamphlets about contraception. Learn how it's being revived today by anti-abortion activists in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/comstock-act.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do Sailfish Work?

December 21, 2023 20:00 - 7 minutes - 6.59 MB

These beautiful billfish have fins almost as big as their whole bodies. Learn more about sailfish in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/sailfish.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Can Cheese Actually Make Wine Taste Better?

December 06, 2023 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.17 MB

Spoiler alert: Yes! Learn the science that makes wine and cheese go so well together in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/happy-hour-alert-cheese-really-improves-the-taste-wine.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Who Is Krampus?

December 05, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutes - 6.03 MB

This horned holiday demon has entered our pop culture consciousness, but where do Krampus legends come from? Learn about the history of Krampusnacht in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/where-did-krampus-come-from.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

December 04, 2023 10:00 - 5 minutes - 5.53 MB

We think we have a solid scientific answer to this fun puzzler. Learn about the evolution of eggs and chickens in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/question85.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Does Terracotta Work?

December 03, 2023 10:00 - 5 minutes - 5.5 MB

From humble planters to ancient statuary, terracotta is a seriously useful material. Learn more about this earthenware in today's epidose of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/gardening/garden-design/terracotta.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Does Buzz Aldrin Work?

December 02, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 8.83 MB

The short answer here is 'very efficiently'! Though perhaps best known as the second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin is a tireless champion of space exploration. Learn more in this episode of BrainsStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/buzz-aldrin.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do Poinsettias Work?

December 01, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.42 MB

These bright winter houseplants are better known for their leaves than their flowers, and they only get their color by being kept in the dark. Learn the history and science behind poinsettias in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/poinsettia.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Is Zionism?

November 27, 2023 10:00 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MB

Zionism is the nationalist movement that established Israel and continues to support Judiaism's claim to that aland. It's also one of the most controversial and complex movements of our time. Learn how it got started in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/world-history/zionism.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Do Marmosets Work?

November 26, 2023 10:00 - 6 minutes - 6.43 MB

These social, tree-dwelling monkeys are some of the smallest in the world. Learn more about them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/marmoset.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: How Did the Inca Knot Language Work?

November 25, 2023 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.62 MB

The Inca never developed a system of writing, but they kept records and told stories through intricate knotwork. Learn what researchers know -- and what they're still looking to find out -- about Inca khipu in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/unraveling-khipu-inca-knot-language.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainStuff Classics: Does Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?

November 24, 2023 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.01 MB

You may have heard that the tryptophan in turkey causes holiday naps, but it might not be the real culprit. Learn some turkey science in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/question519.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the History of Thanksgiving?

November 23, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.61 MB

A lot of what's taught about 'the first Thanksgiving' is actually more Civil-War-era propaganda than true fact. Learn how this brief moment of peace might've gone down, plus how we got today's traditions, in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-other/10-thanksgiving-history-myths.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Can Bugs Help Solve Murders?

November 22, 2023 17:39 - 7 minutes - 7 MB

It's a gross but very useful fact that some insects will eat deceased humans, because scientists can observe those insects to learn about where and when a person died. Learn about forensic entomology in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/forensic-entomology.htm/printable See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Does the Saguaro Cactus Work?

November 17, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.56 MB

This cactus is a source of food and construction material for people and animals alike, especially during the dry season in the Sonaran Desert. Learn more about it in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/saguaro-cactus.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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