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
What does the computer in a car do?
September 03, 2008 16:00 - 1 minute - 1.23 MBAll cars manufactured today contain at least one computer -- but what does it do? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about car computers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Water Softener Works
August 29, 2008 16:00 - 2 minutes - 2.63 MBThe idea behind a water softener is simple: the calcium and magnesium ions in hard water are replaced with sodium ions. Learn more about the harmful effects of hard water -- and the benefits of soft water -- in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Carbon Chains Work
August 27, 2008 16:00 - 2 minutes - 2.72 MBLearn how the length of hydrocarbon atom chains have different properties, producing substances such as kerosene, methane and other forms of fossil fuel. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about fossil fuels. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do the humps on camels hold water?
August 25, 2008 21:00 - 1 minute - 1.79 MBThe camel's hump is a giant deposit of fat that lets the camel survive up to 2 weeks without food. Learn more about camels in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why does Alka-Seltzer fizz?
August 20, 2008 16:00 - 1 minute - 1.08 MBThe fizzing you see when you drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet in water is the same sort of fizzing that you see from baking powder. This reaction is caused by an acid reacting with a base. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What causes the banging noise in my home's pipes?
August 18, 2008 16:00 - 2 minutes - 2.16 MBThe problem of pipes banging on a wall is often called "water hammer." Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about this phenomenon. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Catalytic Convertors Work
August 11, 2008 22:13 - 1 minute - 1.6 MBCatalytic convertors convert hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides into three harmless chemicals, making the exhaust of a vehicle much cleaner. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How 3-Way Lightbulbs Work
August 01, 2008 22:17 - 1 minute - 1.19 MBA 3-way bulb contains two filaments, and these filaments have differing wattages. Depending on the setting, the filaments operate separately or together to create the appropriate amount of light. Learn more about 3-way bulbs in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Breathing in a Submarine Work
July 30, 2008 22:18 - 2 minutes - 2.25 MBFor air in a submarine to remain usable, three things must happen: The oxygen must be replenished as it is consumed, the carbon dioxide must be removed from the air, and the moisture in human breath must also be removed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Fever Works
July 28, 2008 22:19 - 1 minute - 1.52 MBIn this podcast, learn what causes a fever and what actually happens to the body when a fever occurs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Fountains in Rome Work
July 25, 2008 22:20 - 1 minute - 1.4 MBBuilt before the invention of electric pumps, fountains in Rome were powered through an ingenious system of gravity, cisterns, and aqueducts. Learn more about fountains in Rome in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Nautical Miles Work
July 21, 2008 22:22 - 1 minute - 1.17 MBOne minute of arc on planet earth is equal to one nautical mile. Listen to this HowStuffWorks podcast and learn more about the measurement of nautical miles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Digital Answering Machines Work
July 18, 2008 22:23 - 1 minute - 1.35 MBToday, most answering machines are digital, and use the same technology as a CD or MP3 player. Learn more about digital answering machines in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Maple Syrup Works
July 16, 2008 22:24 - 2 minutes - 2.03 MBThe clear, thin sap of Maple trees must be boiled down to create maple syrup -- it takes about 30 to 40 gallons of sap to create one gallon of syrup. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about Maple syrup. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Glowing Watch Hands Work
July 14, 2008 19:57 - 1 minute - 1.16 MBIn many watches, phosphor is mixed with a radioactive element that continously charges the phosphor, powering glowing watch hands. Learn more about glowing watch hands in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Uninterruptible Power Supplies Work
July 14, 2008 17:43 - 1 minute - 1.79 MBAn uninterruptible power supply protects computers against surges, spikes, sags, and total power failure. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about uninterruptible power supplies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How the Corvette ZR1 Works
July 14, 2008 17:42 - 1 minute - 1.54 MBThe 2009 Corvette ZR1 combines several technical innovations to produce a turbo-charged, eight-cylinder engine. Learn more about the Corvette ZR1 in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How gas pumps work
July 14, 2008 17:41 - 1 minute - 1.48 MBNext time you're filling up your tank at a gas station, ask yourself this: how does the nozzle know when the tank is full? Learn more about gas pumps in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why the Sky is Blue?
July 14, 2008 17:40 - 2 minutes - 1.96 MBAs sunlight passes through the atmosphere, particles in the air scatter blue light more efficiently than any other color in the light spectrum, creating a blue sky. Learn more about the sky and light in this Brainstuff podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Radiation Works
July 14, 2008 17:39 - 1 minute - 1.58 MBAlthough most people are frightened by radiation, the truth is we are irradiated every day, both from cosmic rays in the sky, and radioactive elements in the ground. Learn more about radiation in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is the Difference Between a Carat and a Karat?
July 14, 2008 17:38 - 2 minutes - 1.9 MBCarats are used for diamonds, while karats are used for gold. Learn more about the difference between carats and karats in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Perceiving Earth as a Sphere Works
July 14, 2008 17:37 - 1 minute - 1.84 MBIs there any way that people could know the world is sphere while standing on the earth? Learn more about perceiving earth as a sphere in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Flatulance Works
July 14, 2008 17:36 - 2 minutes - 2.18 MBLearn about the causes of gas (flatulence) in this podcast from Marshall Brain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Leap Years Work
July 14, 2008 17:33 - 2 minutes - 2.62 MBA normal calendar years is 365 days long, but the earth actually takes 365.2422 days to completely orbit the sun. Learn more about leap years in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Red Eyes in Photographs Work
July 14, 2008 17:32 - 2 minutes - 2.26 MBThe flash of a camera is bright enough to cause a reflection off the human retina -- the red we see in these photos comes from the blood vessels in the eye. Learn more about red eyes and cameras in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is the Fastest Computer in the World?
July 14, 2008 17:30 - 2 minutes - 2.75 MBAlthough the speed of computers is growing exponentially, the human brain may handle roughly ten quadrillion instructions per second. Learn more about the world's fastest computer in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Vitamins Work?
July 14, 2008 17:29 - 1 minute - 1.07 MBA vitamin is a small molecule the body needs but cannot manufacture on its own. Learn more about vitamins in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Nanosolar Works
July 14, 2008 17:25 - 1 minute - 1.61 MBA company named Nanosolar is shaking up the alternative energy industry by offering solar technology at the lowest prices in history -- even cheaper than energy derived from coal. Learn more about Nanosolar in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Ultra Hi-Def Works
July 14, 2008 17:19 - 1 minute - 1.56 MBA standard HD screen has roughly 2 million pixels per frame -- but an ultra HD has four times that resolution. Learn more about ultra hi-definition in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Stealth Technology Work
July 14, 2008 17:15 - 2 minutes - 2.02 MBShaping an airplane a certain way -- or using materials that absorb radar waves -- causes a stealth aircraft to have the signature of a small bird, rather than an airplane. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.