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

Were Turtles Once the Size of Cars?

Spoiler alert: Yep. A prehistoric species of freshwater sea turtles was a hundred times heavier than its modern relatives. Learn more about this giant in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 19, 20203 min

Farts Can Be Silent, But Can They Be Deadly?

It's highly unlikely that most farts spread disease, but there is one strange case in the medical records. Learn why passing gas is almost always safe (except for our noses) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 18, 20205 min

Why Are Four-Leaf Clovers Considered Lucky?

Four-leaf clovers have long been held as a symbol of good fortune. Learn why they're so rare (and why Saint Patrick used three-leaf clovers in his teachings) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 17, 20206 min

Is Old Faithful Becoming Less Faithful?

The famous Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park has been changing its eruption patterns over the past few decades -- but it's still incredibly predictable. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 17, 20207 min

BrainStuff Classics: How Do Bed Bugs Work?

These insects live in your furniture, drink your blood, and stain your sheets. Learn how they thrive -- and how to get rid of 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.

Mar 15, 20204 min

What Is Pi?

Today is Pi Day -- a celebration of the number pi (and pies, and mathematics in general). Learn what pi is and how this holiday came about in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 14, 20205 min

Why Are We Afraid of Friday the 13th?

Many Westerners are wary of any Friday that falls on the 13th of a month for reasons rooted in pop culture and ancient theology alike. Learn how these ancient memes got started in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 13, 20206 min

How Does Saturn Work?

Saturn is our solar system's second-biggest planet, the most elliptical in shape, and has a stunning set of rings. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 12, 20208 min

Why Do Cars Have Alarms If We Ignore Them?

People who live in areas that depend on cars for transportation may be so used to car alarms that they ignore them completely -- but that doesn't mean the alarms aren't useful. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 11, 20206 min

What Else Did Shel Silverstein Write?

Most people know Shel Silverstein for his books of children's poetry like "Where the Sidewalk Ends," but he was a prolific writer. Learn more about Silverstein's life in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 10, 20205 min

What Is Coronavirus?

There's a lot of (valid, understandable) fear about novel Coronavirus in the news -- it can be deadly, but you can protect yourself and your community. Learn how -- and what Coronavirus is -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 09, 20207 min

BrainStuff Classics: How Does Jet Lag Work?

Our bodies are used to fairly regular patterns of sleep and wakefulness, and moving across time zones can mess that up royally. Learn why -- and what you can do to prevent 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.

Mar 08, 20207 min

BrainStuff Classics: Can We See the Stuff Astronauts Left on the Moon?

Astronauts have left over a hundred items on the moon's surface. Learn what telescopes are powerful enough to spot 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.

Mar 07, 20203 min

Do Other Animals Have Blood Types Too?

We humans have blood types that help determine what transfusions we can give and receive -- and other animals do too. Learn about cat, dog, and horse blood types, among others, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 06, 20204 min

Why Are Legal Pads Yellow?

Legal pads' defining characteristics all date back to the turn of the 20th century. Learn how they came about in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 05, 20204 min

How Did an Enslaved Man Help Save Colonial Boston from Smallpox?

Smallpox epidemics swept the colonies several times, but one African-American man known as Onesimus helped save Boston from the brunt of it. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 04, 20207 min

Is There a Best Time of Day for Making Decisions?

Everyone's brain works a little differently, but research shows that there's a time of day when most of us make decisions quickly, and another when most of us make decisions accurately. Learn when both occur in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 03, 20204 min

Could Sonic the Hedgehog Survive His Own Speeds?

Most hedgehog bodies are not meant for supersonic speeds, but most hedgehogs are not Sonic. Learn how Sonic's speed compares with other animals and how he might survive in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 03, 20204 min

BrainStuff Classics: What Would Space Do to the Human Body?

All the times a character in science fiction has gotten tossed out an airlock got us wondering: What would really happen to the human body if it were exposed to space without a protective suit? Learn what we found in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 01, 20205 min

BrainStuff Classics: Why Do We Get Brain Freeze?

You're enjoying a delicious frozen treat, and then, suddenly, it hits: brain freeze! Learn why this short, stabbing pain occurs 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.

Feb 29, 20204 min

Who Put the Baby in King Cake?

King cake is a tasty part of Mardi Gras celebrations today, but the traditions behind it go way back. Learn about the history of king cake, and why many now come with a small plastic baby, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 28, 20206 min

Could We Turn Air Pollution Into Ink?

Air pollution can carry the same compound that we use to make ink -- so why not capture that pollution and turn it into art? Learn how an innovative technology is making it possible in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 27, 20204 min

What Was the First Cat in Space?

You may have heard of other animals' trips into space, but France's spacefaring cat, Félicette, has been all but lost to history. Learn about her journey in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 26, 20204 min

Can You Put Emoji on License Plates?

Vermont is considering a bill that would allow its drivers to add emoji to license plates -- and Queensland, Australia already has that option. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 25, 20203 min

Why Is Black History Month During February?

Black History Month helps celebrate the achievements and contextualize the experiences of black people in America, past and present. Learn the history behind it in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 24, 20204 min

BrainStuff Classics: Is WiFi Safe?

You may have heard rumors that wireless internet is a health hazard, but, spoiler alert: It's probably just fine. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 23, 20205 min

BrainStuff Classics: How Do Car Horns Work?

Car horns are both important safety feature and an instrument of rage. Learn the physics behind the honk in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 22, 20204 min

How Did Indigo Help Start America's Slave Trade?

Crops like sugar and cotton are notoriously tied to slavery in the U.S. (and around the world), but indigo deserves infamy, too. Learn the dark history of this natural dye in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 21, 20206 min

What's the History of the Tooth Fairy?

Throughout history, different cultures have had all kinds of ceremonies surrounding the loss of a first baby tooth. Learn where the Tooth Fairy fits in in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 20, 20207 min

How Do Scientists Know What's Inside Dinosaur Eggs?

For dinosaur eggs to have survived until now, they must have fossilized -- which makes cracking them open to see what's inside a difficult prospect. Learn how researchers tackle it (and when they don't have to) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 19, 20205 min
Hosted on Omny Studio
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android