BrainStuff - podcast cover

BrainStuff

iHeartPodcastswww.iheart.com
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.
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Floating Fire Ant Rafts Are Both Dangerous and Cool

Learn about the dangers of floating fire ant colony rafts on this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 20, 20174 min

Why Did The T. Rex Have Tiny Little Arms?

Tyrannosaurus rex was a giant predator that roamed the earth, so why did it have such tiny arms? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 19, 20174 min

Is Not Having A Job Better Than A Bad Job?

Unemployment has negative health effects, but having a bad job can cause stress that's detrimental to well-being. Learn more in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 18, 20173 min

Do We Need Treatment Centers For Internet Addiction?

Internet addiction is classified as an epidemic in some Asian countries, but not in the U.S. This episode of BrainStuff looks at internet addiction treatment centers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 17, 20174 min

How Did a Dinosaur Killing Asteroid Change The Environment?

A new model describes in more detail how the Chicxulub asteroid affected our planet, from dropping temperatures to pausing photosynthesis, with soot playing an integral part. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 16, 20174 min

When Can You Use The Emergency Lane?

That driver who uses the highway shoulder in bad traffic could face penalties. Learn when driving in the emergency lane is legal in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 13, 20174 min

Do People Walk In Predictable Paths?

What guides the direction a person chooses to move? Learn about what habit and handedness have to do with it in this BrainStuff episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 12, 20173 min

How 'Fido' Became The Name For A Dog

Why is Fido shorthand for a friendly dog? Learn more about the origins of the dog name Fido in this BrainStuff episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 11, 20174 min

How Did The Grandfather Clock Get Its Name?

In this episode, we’ll look at the history behind how the grandfather clock got its name — and it's probably not what you expect. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 10, 20174 min

When is it Safe to Eat Raw Oysters?

In this episode, BrainStuff looks at if there's any truth behind the old wives' tale that you can't eat oysters in months without the letter 'R.' Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 09, 20174 min

How Gut Bacteria Could Become Your Next Sports Drink

Do microbes inside our body have their own circadian rhythms? Learn more about the gut microbiome and circadian rhythms in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 04, 20174 min

Einstein's Right Again

Astronomers have detected hints of Einstein's general relativity in the Milky Way's supermassive black hole. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 02, 20174 min

Defining Personal Space

How close is too close? In this episode, BrainStuff looks at personal space around the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 27, 20173 min

Swift Lizard Evolution

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 25, 20174 min

Should You Eat A 106-Year-Old Fruitcake?

What relics of South Pole expeditions have turned up? Learn more about Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic fruitcake in this BrainStuff episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 20, 20174 min

Why Goldfish Make Their Own Alcohol

How do goldfish survive in icy lakes and your poorly cleaned aquarium? Learn more about goldfish and alcohol on this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 18, 20174 min

Separating Ninja Facts From Ninja Fiction

A new ninja research center opened in Japan. This episode looks at the myth of the ninja and what the research center hopes to solve and study. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 13, 20174 min

Can NASA Hit An Asteroid with a DART?

In 2022, NASA is planning on ramming a spacecraft into an asteroid to knock it off course. Learn more about the DART mission on this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 11, 20174 min

Millennials Buy Homes For Their Dogs

Millennials are buying real estate, but not for reasons you'd expect. A third of them say they bought their house for their dog. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 06, 20173 min

How Many People Take and Misuse Prescription Opioids?

For the first time in our history, more adults are dying from overdoses than from car accidents or gun violence. New statistics shine a light on the reasons behind the tragic trend. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 05, 20174 min

Why Is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky?

In countries like the United States, people have a superstitious fear of one particular date: Friday the 13th. But why? In this episode, Christian discusses the two main fears that have fueled the Friday the 13th superstitions, as well as their origins. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 30, 20176 min

Why Do We Have Eyebrows?

Eyebrows are prominent human features, but what purpose do they serve? Scientists think they help keep stuff out of our eyes and aid in nonverbal communication, among other things. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 28, 20173 min

Why Can't We Breathe Underwater?

Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, so why aren't we able to breathe underwater? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 23, 20174 min

Is Chocolate Poisonous To Dogs?

Under the right conditions, chocolate can indeed be deadly for dogs. Tune in to learn more about the compound in chocolate that makes it dangerous for dogs (and how much is too much) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 21, 20173 min

Why Are There 60 Minutes In An Hour Instead of 100?

Do clocks really follow a system inherited from ancient Sumeria? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 16, 20174 min

Why is Dry Ice Dangerous?

Dry ice is different from regular ice in several ways. Find out what makes dry ice so unique, along with why it can be dangerous, on this week's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 14, 20173 min

Is Dry Cleaning Actually Wet?

Spoiler Alert: No, dry cleaning isn't dry. Instead, it uses a petroleum solvent in place of water. Learn more about dry cleaning in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 09, 20173 min

Why Is It Painful To Bite Aluminum Foil?

When (dental) metal in your mouth comes in contact with aluminum foil, your teeth get a painful shock from the electricity produced. Christian Sager explains how the voltaic effect plays out in your mouth 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, 20173 min

Are Some People Immune To Mosquitoes?

Ugh. Mosquitoes, right? They’re the worst. They pester everyone… or do they? Tune in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 02, 20176 min

What are Sea Monkeys?

Sea Monkeys are a type of brine shrimp. These shrimp create remarkably resilient eggs called cysts. Check out this BrainStuff episode and learn more about the secret behind Sea Monkeys. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 01, 20172 min
Hosted on Omny Studio
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android