BrainStuff
2,430 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★ - 1.6K ratingsWhether 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
BrainStuff Classics: What Makes Some Lakes Explode?
March 18, 2024 09:00 - 6 minutes - 5.98 MBGiven the right depth, temperature, and access to volcanic gases, lakes can explode and kill thousands in the process. Learn how these limnic eruptions happen in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/what-makes-killer-lake-explode.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Why Is Palm Oil in So Many Things?
March 17, 2024 09:00 - 6 minutes - 5.8 MBPalm oil is in lots of foods, cosmetics, and household products -- and that's a very serious thing. Learn the problems (and solutions) that palm oil presents in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/conservation/issues/palm-oil-is-everywhere-heres-why-that-matters.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Where Did the Word 'OK' Come From?
March 16, 2024 09:00 - 9 minutes - 8.75 MBOK may be the most frequently spoken word in the world -- but what does it stand for? How did it get here? Learn the etymology behind it in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article -- okay? Okay! https://people.howstuffworks.com/history-ok.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Should You Beware the Ides of March?
March 15, 2024 09:00 - 7 minutes - 7.25 MBThe Ides of March is an artifact of an ancient Roman calendar that's stuck with us thanks to Julius Caesar getting himself assassinated and William Shakespeare writing about it. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/ides-of-march.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Fruit Bats Work?
March 14, 2024 09:00 - 6 minutes - 6.43 MBThe many species of fruit bats around the world help pollinate our plants and spread their seeds far and wide. Learn more about these flying mammals in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/fruit-bats.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Are Meat Sweats?
March 13, 2024 18:06 - 4 minutes - 3.84 MBSometimes, foods that require more effort for our bodies to digest (like meats) can cause us to sweat. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/digestive/are-meat-sweats-real-thing.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Did Susan B. Anthony Work?
March 05, 2024 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.84 MBSusan B. Anthony went from a radical arrested for placing a vote to an honoree on U.S. currency within a century. Learn more about her life and work in both abolition and women's suffrage in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/susan-b-anthony.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: What Happens When Elevator Cables Break?
March 04, 2024 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.76 MBElevators cables are inspected on the regular, but what happens when one breaks? Learn about the ingenious systems that keep elevators safe when even the worst happens in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/question730.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: How Can I Donate My Brain to Science?
March 03, 2024 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.04 MBResearchers, like zombies, are interested in brains of all kinds. Learn a few basics about how donating your brain to science works in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nervous-system/5-things-didnt-know-about-donating-brain-to-science.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is the Ocean Different Colors?
March 02, 2024 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.68 MBThe ocean can appear to be many different shades of blue (and green, and even violet) -- but all water is clear. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/why-is-ocean-different-colors-different-places.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are You Picturing the Right Brachiosaurus?
March 01, 2024 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.85 MBConfusion about what a Brachiosaurus is started the moment paleontologists discovered one. Learn about these long-armed sauropods (and about the dino cousin they're often pictured as, Giraffatitan) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/dinosaurs/brachiosaurus.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Critical Race Theory Work?
February 29, 2024 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBThe term 'critical race theory' started causing a lot of buzz back in 2020, but what does it really mean? And is it being taught in schools? Learn about this academic theory in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/critical-race-theory-news.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Oxytocin Really A Love Drug?
February 28, 2024 10:00 - 7 minutes - 6.5 MBOur 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 MBPistol 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 MBAs 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 MBBeer 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 MBMaya 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 MBScurvy 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 MBCattle 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 MBThe 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 MBThese 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 MBWhen 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 MBSome 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 MBAs 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 MBThough 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 MBTo 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 MBWhite 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 MBThese 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 MBStop 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 MBFrom 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 MBBuying 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 MBIn 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 MBBacteria 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 MBEco 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 MBNeanderthals 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 MBFat 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 MBThe 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 MBThe 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 MBThese 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 MBMale 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 MBWhen 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 MBMarzipan 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 MBWater 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 MBMost 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 MBAlthough 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 MBThe 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 MBParis 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 MBThe 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 MBThese 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 MBSpoiler 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.