Flying snakes don't really fly, but they can glide long distances from rainforst treetops. Learn what we know (and don't know!) about them in this episoe of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/snakes/flying-snakes.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This stern, patriotic character goes back to the early 1800s, but became an icon thanks to American propaganda during WWI. Learn more about Uncle Sam in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/uncle-sam-man-myth-legend.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Short answer: Yeah, probably. Most Westerners have traded squatting for sitting and standing, to the detriment of our backs and joints. Learn the benefits of a good squat -- and how you can incorporate them into your day -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Standing barefoot on a glacier, human feet would freeze solid -- but penguin feet are fine. Learn why in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/why-penguin-feet-dont-freeze.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Marine biologist Rachel Carson published lots of books about the environment, but her investigation of DDT, 'Silent Spring', cracked open the insecticide industry. Learn about her life and work in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/famous-scientists/biologists/10-things-should-know-about-rachel-carson.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sports drinks are a multibillion-dollar business that traces back to just two brands: Lucozade from the 1920s, and Gatorade from the 1960s. Learn how they were conceived in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/who-invented-sports-drinks.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From lab monkeys to zoo flamingos to very clever orangutans, animals have made some great escapes. Learn about them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/animals-escapes.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ultraviolet (UV) light is both useful and hazardous. Learn why sunscreen is helpful on Earth but not in space in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/do-astronauts-need-sunscreen-in-space.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
During World War II, the U.S. military recruited diverse multilingual Americans -- including many immigrants -- to be trained as intelligence officers at Camp Ritchie. Learn how the Ritchie Boys helped the Allies win the war in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-ii/ritchie-boys.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are no blue or green pigments in the human eye, so how do those eye colors occur? Learn about the complex genetics and light scattering that give our eyes their color (plus how rare different eye colors are) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/eye/rarest-eye-colors.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Governments impose tariffs (which are border taxes paid by the importer) to help protect their nation's businesses from foreign competition. Learn how tariffs work, how they don't work, and why they can actually hurt local businesses and consumers in this episode of BrainStuff, based on these articles: https://money.howstuffworks.com/who-wins-loses-in-trade-war.htm; https://money.howstuffworks.com/who-wins-and-loses-if-us-imposes-steel-tariffs.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...
We used to think Komodo dragons harbored bacteria in their mouths that made their bites deadly, but it turns out they have venom and iron-tipped teeth to thank. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/komodo-bite.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Some scientists think tectonic plates are a prerequisite for life as we know it. Learn what we know about plate tectonics elsewhere in our solar system in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/is-earth-only-planet-with-tectonic-plates.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It turns out that thin, bendy sheets like paper crumple in predictable ways -- and we can learn a lot from the process. Learn more about the protective physics of crumpling in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/crumple-theory.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Frankincense and myrrh play a part not only in the story of Christmas, but in lots of other religious traditions as well -- and a few practical ones, too. Learn more about these aromatic substances in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this episode: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/question283.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Whether you love it, hate it, or hurl it with a trebuchet, fruitcake holds a dense place in holiday traditions. Learn how it came to be (and where to win prizes for throwing it) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/fruitcake.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In Oaxaca, Mexico, a pre-Christmas tradition has hundreds of artists carving radishes into fun and festive figures every Dec. 23. Learn about La Noche de Rábanos in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/mexicos-night-of-radishes.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Evergreens' needles are their leaves, so why don't they change color and drop in the fall? Learn how evergreen leaves work in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/evergreen-trees-dont-shed.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Reptiles and amphibians have all sorts of adaptations for surviving cold weather, even in places where temperatures dip below freezing. Learn how they manage the cold in this classic episode of BrainStuff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement in the 1800s that has had lasting effects in American society. Learn how it worked in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/transcendentalism.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Suidice is a serious public health issue in the U.S., but there are lots of things we can do about it. Learn how communities and individuals can help in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/mental-disorders/us-needs-to-have-ongoing-conversation-about-suicide.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When the non-avian dinosaurs died out, a lot of other animals went with them -- but some sturdy species survived. Learn how they evolved and thrived in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/dinosaur-contemporary.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ancient armies set traps of hallucinogenic honey and mead to incapacitate their enemies. Learn how mad honey works in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/history-hallucinogenic-mad-honey-warfare.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Supernovae are the spectacular deaths of giant stars -- and they create the elements that make up our universe. Learn how they work and what we learn from them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/supernova.htm/printable See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Poison ivy isn't poisonous -- it causes an allergic reaction that can take days to appear. Learn about poison ivy and how to avoid it in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/poison-ivy.htm/printable See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Frozen meals have become a near-daily part of many people's lives in less than a century. Learn how refrigeration, food science, and television came together to make frozen foods a thing in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/history-tv-dinner.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's relatively common for cars and trains to pass through underwater tunnels, but these structures are marvels of modern engineering. Learn how they're blasted, bored, and built from prefab pieces in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/build-underwater-tunnel.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This creature's amazing amalgam of traits includes fur like a mammal, webbed feet like a bird, eggs like a reptile, electroreception like a shark, and venom that may teach us how to build better painkillers. Learn more about the platypus in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/platypus-poison.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Almost every type of living creature relies on mucus to help keep itself healthy. Learn what snot can teach us in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/respiratory/mucus.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You can buy all kinds of fancy meat thermometers, but many turkeys are packaged with a simple pop-up timer that tells you when the bird is done. Learn how they work (and why Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving in the first place) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/pop-up-timer.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
