Sure, night vision looks cool in the movies - but what is it, exactly? Learn how can a scope or a pair of goggles help you see in near-absolute darkness in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 09, 2020•4 min
The largest jigsaw puzzles in the world have hundreds of thousands of pieces, but the hardest have less than a dozen. Learn about record-breaking jigsaw puzzles -- including the first one in history -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 08, 2020•7 min
Motor vehicles need to be driven to keep them in working order. Learn how just 20 minutes a week can help, plus other tips for maintenance, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 07, 2020•4 min
NASA has announced the first launch of American astronauts from U.S. soil in almost a decade -- and it will be on a privately developed spacecraft. Learn about the mission and what it could mean in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 06, 2020•7 min
Plankton can barely be seen with the naked eye, but they're responsible for the air we breathe and the energy we use. Learn more about these tiny aquatic organisms in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 05, 2020•6 min
In the late 17- and early 1800s, rumors of vampires ran rampant through New England. Learn what happened (and why tuberculosis was to blame) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 04, 2020•7 min
Some people seem to attract tons of mosquito bites -- others, none at all. Learn what factors attract more mosquitoes -- and why they 'bite' us in the first place -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 03, 2020•7 min
Do animals have a sixth sense that can detect earthquakes and tsunamis -- or do they just make better use of their other senses than humans? Learn what research has 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.
May 02, 2020•5 min
Long before Lewis Carroll wrote 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' hatters had a reputation for health issues -- mental and physical. 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.
May 01, 2020•4 min
This Australian marsupial has officially been deemed extinct since 1936, but reports of sightings continue to this day. Learn about the uncertain existence of the thylacine in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 30, 2020•8 min
Although thousands of lynchings were committed after the American Civil War, Emmett Till's shook America's conscience and became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. 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.
Apr 29, 2020•7 min
Before the late 1970s, almost all pistachios found in the U.S. were dyed bright red. Learn why -- and why a famous diplomatic standoff changed that -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 28, 2020•4 min
This distant blue ice giant boasts incredible winds, storms, and moons. Learn why the coldest planet is so cool in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 27, 2020•7 min
Agoraphobia is a complicated and difficult psychological condition that is easily misunderstood. Learn about life with agoraphobia in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 26, 2020•8 min
Juice can contain good stuff, and cleansing sounds like a good thing -- but can juice cleanses deliver the results they promise? Learn about how your body uses nutrients and removes toxins in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 25, 2020•4 min
Cleopatra is a fascinating historical figure, but a lot of stories about her were misinformation spread by her enemies. Learn what historians think the real Cleopatra was like in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 24, 2020•7 min
It seems like a simple question, but the answer involves a combination of physics, geometry, electromagnetic radiation, and biology. Learn why we perceive the sky as blue in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 24, 2020•5 min
For nearly 80 years, the New York Times Crossword puzzle has been an institution -- but the paper didn't even want to publish one at first. Learn the history and modern workings of the puzzle in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 22, 2020•7 min
There's a modern myth that using your cell phone while pumping gasoline may cause a fire or explosion, but it's been debunked. Learn why (and why static electricity may have started the myth) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 21, 2020•4 min
Don't worry, there isn't any kind of shortage of food in the United States due to COVID-19 -- but our supply chain is changing. 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.
Apr 20, 2020•10 min
If every animal that ever lived became fossilized, we'd be swimming in seas of fossils right now. Learn why we aren't in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 19, 2020•6 min
If you've ever gotten a painful shock from biting down on a piece of aluminum foil, it's becauce dental metal in your mouth formed a type of battery with the foil. Learn how it works in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 18, 2020•3 min
A bridge connecting San Francisco to the Marin Headlands was proposed 60 years before construction actually began. Learn how it finally happened (and why you shouldn't call the iconic Golden Gate Bridge 'red') in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 17, 2020•9 min
Tortoises are a type of turtle, but the differences among these reptiles aren't always clear. Learn more about these shelled reptiles in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 16, 2020•6 min
Of all things to run low on during a pandemic: Why toilet paper? Learn the reasons behind the perceived shortage and empty shelves in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 16, 2020•8 min
Glass isn't a liquid, but it's not quite a normal solid, either. Learn why glass is an amorphous solid (and why old window panes have ripples) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 14, 2020•3 min
In the early 1800s, one swindler tricked hundreds of people into investing in a nonexistent country -- and even into moving there. Learn about Gregor MacGregor's invented kingdom of Poyais in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 13, 2020•5 min
Dressing up to feel powerful may have been a fashion fad of the 1970s and '80s, but do we really think and act differently if we wear formal clothes? Learn the psychology of power dressing in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 12, 2020•5 min
Clowns are usually goofy, raucous characters designed to be the life of any party. But they’re not universally adored. Learn why some people find clowns downright frightening in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 11, 2020•5 min
The American dollar has been the de facto world currency for decades. Learn why -- and what would need to happen for that to change -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 10, 2020•6 min