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BrainStuff

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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

How Did the Saltwater Underground Railroad Work?

In America, most of the Underground Railroad moved enslaved people north to freedom -- but Florida's Saltwater Underground Railroad moved people south, to the Bahamas. Learn how it worked in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 07, 20206 min

Are You Putting on Enough Sunscreen?

We all know sunscreen can help save our skin, but new research indicates that most of us aren't using it correctly. Learn how to get the most out of your UV protection in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 06, 20206 min

Where Should You Go on a Science Road Trip?

There are adventures to be had everywhere, but we've picked a few of our favorite science-themed road trip destinations to spark your curiosity. Learn about beautiful places to explore fossils, geology, and rocket science in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 05, 20206 min

How Do Tanuki Work?

Tanuki are East Asian animals that look like a dog with the face of a raccoon. Learn about their behavior and the myths surrounding them in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 05, 20207 min

How Will NASA's Perseverance Rover Search for Ancient Life on Mars?

A new rover is on its way to Mars to search for signs of ancient life. Learn about the Perseverance and its mission (including testing the Ingenuity robotic helicopter) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 03, 20207 min

BrainStuff Classics: Why Do Balloons Stick To Our Hair?

Recent research has deepened our understanding of balloons' hair-raising effect. Learn more in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 02, 20204 min

BrainStuff Classics: What's the Best Way To Park?

Do people who back their cars into parking spaces slow down the flow, or are they the smartest in the lot? Learn what science has to say about it in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 01, 20204 min

How Does Planet Mercury Work?

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, but it's often also the closest planet to Earth. Learn why -- and lots of other strange-but-true facts about Mercury -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 31, 20208 min

Why Is There a Coin Shortage in America?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has been experiencing a shortage of coins in circulation. Learn why -- and what may help fix it -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 30, 20204 min

How Long Can Andean Condors Fly Without Flapping Their WIngs?

Andean condors are seriously fuel efficient -- they only flap their wings for one percent of their total time in the air! Learn more about these amazing birds in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 29, 20204 min

What's the Difference Between Ethyl and Isopropyl Alcohol?

These two alcohols can both be used to make hand sanitizer, but only ethyl alcohol is drinkable. Learn how ethanol and isopropanol differ in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 28, 20205 min

How Is Frederick Douglass the Father of the Civil Rights Movement?

Frederick Douglass's skills as a writer an orator made him a face of the abolitionist movement and went on to help inform and inspire the Civil Rights movement. Learn more about Douglass in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 27, 20207 min

BrainStuff Classics: Which Computer Keys Wear Out First?

As casual computer use shifts to touchscreens, the wear patterns on computer keyboards have evolved. Learn what keys now wear out first in this classic episode of BrainStuff Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 26, 20204 min

BrainStuff Classics: How Do Researchers Preserve Smells?

Scents affect how we experience different cultures and places, which means they have historical value. Learn how researchers are setting about preserving them in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 25, 20205 min

How Did Ankylosaurus Work?

This genus of plant-eating dinosaurs had awesomely heavy armor, might've had a great sense of smell, and some had a serious defensive weapon in their tail. Learn more about ankylosaurs in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 24, 20205 min

Why Is 'Mayday' the International Distress Call?

Prior to flight becoming common, 'SOS' was the standard distress call. Learn how the code 'mayday' was invented in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 23, 20204 min

How Do Homeless Americans Vote?

Not having a permanent address or access to identifying documents can make voting in U.S. elections nearly impossible. Learn more about these challenges -- and what some organizations are doing to help -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 22, 20206 min

Why Don't We Know Much About Druids?

The surviving records about who Druids were and what they did aren't considered reliable. Learn what we know and don't know about Druids in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 21, 20206 min

How Big Does a Meteoroid Have to Be to Make It to the Ground?

Meteors can put on a spectacular show, but many of the pieces of debris that cause them are the size of pebbles -- or dust. Learn more about meteorites in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 20, 20205 min

BrainStuff Classics: How Fast Can Lizards Evolve?

Over the course of one frigid winter, green anole lizards in Texas changed their genetic makeup to better tolerate cold. Learn about this example of super-quick vertebrate evolution in today's classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 19, 20205 min

BrainStuff Classics: Are There Months When You Shouldn't Eat Raw Oysters?

Folk wisdom dictates that you should avoid eating oysters, especially raw, in months that don't contain the letter R in their name. Learn why there's some logic there in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 18, 20204 min

Why Is There a Parthenon in Nashville?

In 1897, a plaster replica of the Parthenon built in Nashville for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition proved so popular that it was rebuilt in a more permanent form. Learn more about Nashville's Parthenon in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 17, 20204 min

Could Science Build a Better Grain?

Staple grains, like wheat and rice, can wear out the soil — and most have to be replanted from seed each year. Learn how researchers are seeking to create new varieties (like Kernza) to save the environment in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 16, 20207 min

Where Did the Phrase 'Grandfathered In' Come From?

Although the term 'grandfathered in' is applied in many situations today, it originally referred to laws about voting rights. Learn the history of this phrase in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 15, 20204 min

How Do Betta Fish Work?

Betta fish are popular aquarium pets, but there are a few common misconceptions about these beautiful critters. Learn how these 'fighting fish' can be peaceful and more in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 15, 20206 min

Who Were the Wild West's 'Petticoat Rulers'?

In 1920, before many women in the U.S. could even vote, a frontier town in Wyoming elected an all-women ticket into office. Learn about the Petticoat Rulers in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 15, 20206 min

BrainStuff Classics: How Did 'Fido' Become a Generic Name for Dogs?

We humans have lots of nicknames for dogs -- but how did 'Fido' become one of them? Learn about the history of the term in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 12, 20204 min

BrainStuff Classics: Why Do Goldfish Make Their Own Alcohol?

Goldfish can survive in icy lakes and your poorly cleaned aquarium in part because they make their own alcohol. Learn more about how goldfish work in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 11, 20204 min

How Did the Harlem Renaissance Work?

The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great social, intellectual, and artistic invention that deeply impacts our world to this day. Learn how it got started and why it was so important in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 10, 20208 min

How Much of Our Food Do Moths Pollinate?

Moths pollinate more of our food than researchers previously realized. Learn more about insect pollination in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 09, 20206 min
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