Good Job, Brain! - podcast cover

Good Job, Brain!

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Part quiz show, part offbeat trivia, and all awesome. We here are nuts about trivia and pub quiz! And we are darn sure there are people out there who share our unusual obsession. Play along and laugh along as Karen, Colin, Dana, and Chris school each other on some of the weirdest and most interesting facts about our funny little world. Do you relish beating your friends at Trivial Pursuit? Do you blab out the answers at the gym when Jeopardy! is on? And don't you just loathe badly worded questions? Gggrraahhh! Then this podcast, fellow trivia nut, is the ultimate mental nutrition for your very big brain. So eat up!
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Episodes

32: Ugh, It's Just a Fad

Still remember how to do the Macarena? We reminisce and discuss the origins of Pogs, singing raisins, ridiculous trend diets, Sanrio, and Hello Kitty. If you think modern fads are nuts, we also talk about the ridiculous crazes from the old-timey days like collecting limes, portable marionettes, and the first 3D movie mania. ALSO: bizarre headlines, and we finally caught Carmin San Mateo and got our music quiz back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 08, 201249 min

31: Color Me Bad!

Roses are red / violets are blue / we can't talk about color / without mentioning poo. We dive into the world of color: weird color names, chameleons, the legitimacy of purple, cheddar cheese vs. flamingos, color character name quiz, Crayola crayon controversy, heterochromia, and why we'd want to take Monet to a rave party. ALSO: animal collective nouns, wine quiz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 01, 201250 min

30: ALL QUIZ BONANZA! #6

SWEAT. Flex those Adonis mental muscles because it's another All Quiz Bonanza! Video game trivia, "Belgium or Not Belgium?," Tarantino flicks, famous scientist anagrams, name that X-Men power, rockstar alter egos, and movie trivia GALORE. This episode is dedicated to our superfriend and superlistener Fred G who's our top Kickstarter backer! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 24, 201250 min

29: Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

Prepare for the inevitable robot uprising by learning about...well, robots! Eymology, first appearances in culture, hanging out in the uncanny valley, historical Japanese tea-serving automatons and French duck robots. Inspiration behind C3PO & R2D2, TV + Movie Robot quiz, and of course, our own robot E.L.V.I.S. is back! ALSO: Brainiacs Book Club, and a *VERY AWESOME* music round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 17, 201249 min

28: We're All a Little Looney

Watch out for those ACME anvils because we're transporting everyone into the world of TV cartoons this week! Brief history of animation, why you have to thank the government for the 80's cartoon explosion, mind-blowing origins behind our favorites, Villains quiz, cartoon bands, how Simpsons was created in a moment of panic, and more! ALSO: "What's in a Name?" quiz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 10, 201248 min

27: Ticket to Ride

All aboard! Mind-blowing facts about transportation. We find out what's up with those old-timey bikes with the humongous front wheel, airplane secrets, the Hindenburg, JK Rowling's minor error, and train facts that will make your brain go OOoOooOooOoO! ALSO: "Whose Ride is it Anyways" quiz, and "One Letter Off" word puzzle and new listener challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 03, 201247 min

26: Where in the World is...

DO IT, ROCKAPELLA. We celebrate our half-birthday milestone by talking about our favorite world landmarks: Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China, Giza Pyramids, and Chris reveals his Statue of Liberty obsession. And of course, the gang relives the golden sleuthing days of Carmen Sandiego. ALSO: Our new favorite words, special edition listener challenge, easy trick for memorizing the colors of the eBay and Google logos in order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 27, 201243 min

25: ALL QUIZ BONANZA! #5

Our most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational all-quiz show! Dana's got a round of Muppets trivia, Colin's got a geography and mononym celebrity names, Karen mixes things up with a mash-up round, and Chris quizzes us on very MAN-ly superhero names. ALSO: mind-blowing history behind the fortune cookie, the best/worst/sleaziest International Date Line pick-up line ever, and of course, a mini-segment of our favorite animal sex facts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Aug 20, 201244 min

24: OMGlympics!

Go for the gold with these lesser known Olympics trivia and history tidbits: hot air ballooning, mascot quiz, the weird link between pole vaulting and Donkey Kong, Olympic ring color mnemonic, Fatso the Wombat, and the strange science behind official equipment. ALSO: the cure for jet-lagged hamsters, Oklahoma's state vegetable, "Hey! That Sounds Familiar!" Music Round, and GO BANANAS with our very special announcement! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 13, 201250 min

23: I'll Drink to That

We invite you to lean back, relax, and indulge in a nice refreshing beverage with us! Quench your thirst with amazing facts about beloved beverages: milkshakes, boba tea, sodas, and hot chocolate. Dana tries to stump us with Snapple lid factoids, and Chris hosts the game "Coke or Pepsi?" ALSO: 80's quiz battle, and a very special round of New York City trivia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 06, 201243 min

22: DO NOT PASS GO

Breaking bulletin, boardgame buffs! Facts and origin stories of our favorite classic boardgames: Monopoly, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit. Boardgames modification quiz, the importance of Monopoly "house rules", and we venture back into a bit of Star Wars trivia. Also: a VERY special 80's version Pop Quiz, Hot Shot!, how to memorize the Bill of Rights, and we announce the winner of our Singing Robot naming contest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 30, 201252 min

21: Plants Are Messed Up

Ironic to describe our plants show as "meaty" but boy oh boy, we cover LOTS of fantastic topics in this episode: poisonous plants, stinky plants, drug plants, and yes, we even named a plant our A-Hole of the Week! Also: plant character quiz, "Whose Ride is it Anyways?," LSD baseball, and a special Encyclopedia Brown tribute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 201255 min

20: ALL QUIZ BONANZA! #4

So many segments in our 4th All Quiz Bonanza show: Chris schools us on "bookkeeping" and crazy English words derived from Japanese, Karen has a mystery round ("Mysteround?"), Dana challenges us to a dance-off, and Colin made us a round of "Sports Trivia for Non-Sports Fans." And guess who's back? THE CRAZY SINGING ROBOT. Also: "backronyms," why Karen is mad at Siri, and one bizarre headline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 16, 201246 min

19: The Most Important Meal of the Day

We salivate over bountiful breakfast trivia: cereal mascots, waffles, Pop-Tarts, and Cap'n Crunch. Dig into the historical facts behind bagels, Aunt Jemima, and the intense beef between Kellogg's & Post! Also: weird words, Chris' first Music Round attempt, and ...yogurt in uncomfortable places. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 09, 201248 min

18: Splish Splash I Was Taking A Bath

Squeaky clean fun facts behind the things you use in the bathroom: why does orange juice taste weird after brushing your teeth? Mind-blowing truth behind shampoo, what Listerine was really made for, toilet tidbits, and both low and high tech regarding the Japanese public bathrooms. ALSO: Band name origin quiz, and the trick to identifying the countries in Central America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 02, 201249 min

17: Off With Their Heads

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I'LL TALK! We explore the history and validity behind classic and historical execution and torture methods: guillotine, iron maiden, Catherine wheel, walk the plank, and Chinese water torture. More importantly, find out how Van Halen and Barney the dinosaur saved the day! ALSO: Music Round takes a trip to the movies, "Um...Actually" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 25, 201254 min

16: Don't You...Forget About Me

HEY HEY HEY HEY. It's our Sweet Sixteen show, and we're all about teen movies- trivia about Ferris Bueller's Day Off, American Pie, and more! Did you know many teen movies out there are actually based on classic literature? Also: "Common Thread" quiz, how to correctly identify the four Teletubbies, and awesome celebrity anagrams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 18, 201247 min

15: ALL QUIZ BONANZA! #3

Zip up that fly, Smarty Pants, because we're trying out some new stuff for this episode! Fascinating factoids and quizzes about ice cream, humble beginnings, Disney, and...robot voices? Suprises GALORE so we don't want to spoil too much. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 11, 201242 min

14: You Betcha, Dollface

...BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL! Join us as we skip down memory lane and talk about the delightful origins and facts behind our favorite dolls and action figures. Learn how Star Wars and Barbie revolutionized the toy industry, how Cabbage Patch dolls get fertilized, and WHAT EXACTLY IS STRETCH ARMSTRONG MADE OUT OF?! Also: toy name quiz, and see if you can find the two Mel Brooks references Karen made in the episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 03, 201250 min

13: It's a Monster Mash!

Grrarr! We find scientific theories about the existence of popular monsters such as cyclops, unicorns, and the Loch Ness monster. We do some unnecessarily extensive research on how exactly would mermaids make merbabies, and sexy vampire lore. Also: monster body part quiz, what "Godzilla" actually means, a mnemonic that will help you memorize all of the 12 labors of Hercules in order, and the "Black & Blue" quiz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 28, 201253 min

12: ALL QUIZ BONANZA! #2

Hey Smart Cookies - LET'S GET READY TO CCRRUUMMMBLLLEEEE. An all-quiz episode to keep your noggin nimble. Movies! Literature! Animal superlatives! Dogs! Famous Final Lines! ...and of course...the Music Round is back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 21, 201250 min

11: Hey, Your Fly is Open

Remember when Hypercolor and acid-wash jeans were cool? Lots of laughs in this episode about ridiculous fashion trends and their origins. Learn about intriguing facts behind a simple pair of blue jeans, the bikini, powdered wigs, and more. ALSO: pop culture style quiz, new listener challenge, and impressive tricky geography trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 14, 201250 min

10: Animals Are Weird

Chris said it best: nothing that man can think up in science-fiction stories is crazier, creepier, and more disgusting than nature. Mother Nature is a very odd gal. We share our research on weird animals and behavior, and shocking animal ingredients in our everyday lives. ALSO: pop quiz!, famous paradoxes, and how to memorize very specific parts of the male anatomy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 07, 201250 min

9: Finger Lickin' Good

DOH! You might end up getting a food coma just from listening to this episode. Greasy and sugary origin tales behind junkfood and outrageous snack finds: donuts, maltballs, Cheetos, and other delicious offenders. ALSO: Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, double-letter quiz, and new listener challenge! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 30, 201251 min

8: Very Superstitious...

Gold underwear, chopsticks, and rabbit's foot. Everyone has their own crazy superstitions and lucky charms. We confess to our own rituals, talk about really nutty ones in the world of sports and theatre, and find out about the origins of classic superstitions like black cats and triskaidekaphobia. Hope you enjoy the show, FINGERS CROSSED! (Har har.) ALSO: bizarre headlines, name the famous pooch, Chris' special challenge! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 23, 201250 min

7: Willy Wonka & the Wax Tadpole Factory

What do wax tadpoles and Wonka have in common? Find out in this big advertising episode! Our favorite unsuccessful marketing campaigns, advertisement urban legends, ridiculous informercials, company mascot/spokesperson quiz, our own shameless plugs, the ultra-useful mnemonic for identifying the Rice Krispies Elves, and the mysterious anatomy of the Starbucks lady creature. BONUS: Our pub trivia tactics! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 16, 201252 min

6: Word Nerds Rejoice!

Crossword champ Tyler Hinman joins us for a fantastic fest fawning over words. We talk about the history and process of constructing crosswords, why Noah Webster is our A-hole of the week, and we introduce you to your new ultimate favorite word of THE FOREVER! ALSO: pop quiz, odd spelling bee, Chris Hansen, movie titles lost in translation, and how to memorize the biological taxonomy order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 09, 201254 min

5: ALL QUIZ BONANZA!

An all-quiz episode! Movie portrayals, psychic trivia, food+drink, rhymes, and Music Round is back. Ladies and Gentlemen, fire up those brains! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 02, 201245 min

4: Thomas Butt-Headison and Other Invention Tales

That Tommy Edison sure was a class-A jerkface! We also gab about the invention of cornflakes, air-conditioning, tampons, Ouija board, Viagra, and more. ALSO: pop quiz, etymology factoids, highest-rated movies, and top film quotes of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 26, 201251 min

3: You Want Truffle Fries With That?

Oh boy. How do we even begin to describe this episode? The original idea was to talk about expensive and luxurious gourmet food and the opulent stories behind them... but... well, let's just say we took a few intriguing turns and found ourselves in the absolutely eccentric (and dark) sector of the haute cuisine world. Castoreum, kopi luwak civet coffee, ortolans… we really can't give too much away. ALSO: pop quiz, foreign food translations, weird name origins of companies Learn more about your a...

Mar 19, 201255 min
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