You can find micro-animals just about everywhere. They’re on your face and in your hair. They’re in puddles and in soil. One of the most famous of these microscopic creatures is the tardigrade. This episode zooms in on these adorable little animals, also known as moss piglets and water bears. The biggest tardigrade is about the size of the tip of a sharpened pencil, but most are smaller. More like the width of a hair. They’re kinda like a squishy pillow with eight legs, four on each side, with f...
Apr 26, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast How do hurricanes form? This episode dives into the eye of the hurricane to track down that answer and so much more. We also talk to hurricane hunter Major Joyce Hirai, who flies airplanes into hurricanes as part of the Air Force’s Weather Reconnaissance team. Also, we learn how humans have figured out how to be resilient in the face of increasing hurricanes (and hear from our friend Manuel the Mangrove). And get your dancing shoes on, because we’ve got a catchy tune that explains how hurricanes...
Apr 19, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can people actually read minds? Can we move objects with our brains like in the movies? We're exploring the history of shady psychics, sketchy seances, and secret superpower studies. Plus, hear from a scientist who is helping people regain the ability to pick up and move objects through the combined power of their brains and a special computer! You can support our show by donating, buying our book or telling your friends about us! Head to brainson.org If you’re in Los Angeles or the Twin Cit...
Apr 12, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re headed off to an owl sanctuary to meet up with Nolan the know-it-owl for a special night owl Tour. We hear the sound of owl wings and check out some super-tubular owl eye facts. Find out how owls can swivel their heads 270 degrees and why their ears are at uneven spots on their heads. We’ll meet a poetry-loving barn owl named Olive, who fills us in on why owls are considered wise. Fun fact: owls are sometimes classified by their sounds -- bigger owls are hooters and smaller owls are tooter...
Apr 05, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Forget those fancy awards shows. This episode of Brains On is exploding with the stars. Find out how each of us is related to these beautifully bright beacons. Plus, we’ll consider what happens when gravity weighs down on a star over millions, and even billions, of years. We’ll also meet a star detective, who was able to witness an exploding star (aka supernova). All that and a stellar, new Mystery Sound to tickle your ears. Now, let’s blast off!!! This episode was sponsored by: Indeed ( Indeed....
Mar 29, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is a real stinker, but it had to happen. We go behind the scenes on what makes butts and poop so funny. Why does the mere mention of them make us laugh? We all have butts and we all poop. Those are the facts. But human butts are different than almost any other animal. We look into the evolution of butts, and find out how our senses of humor develop when we're kids. And we hear from comic Tim Platt on why he thinks butts and poop will always be funny. Plus, we’ll check in with Ch...
Mar 22, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast The immune system is so cool and so important but it largely goes about its business without us knowing it. In this episode you'll get a front row seat as our immune cells (aka friendly monsters) fight off bacteria and viruses (aka bad robots). We'll also find out how vaccines provide important training for our immune cells. Plus, co-host Colin quizzes Molly on immune system facts and there's a brand new mystery sound! This episode was brought to you by Indeed ( indeed.com/BRAINSON )...
Mar 15, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast What’s up with worms? How do they sleep? Why are they slimy? How do they move? Here at Brains On, the only way to find out is to embark on an EPIC QUEST! Join co-host Ezra and the worm adventurer extraordinaire Sir Wormus on a journey to find the Golden Worm, a magical artifact! On the way, they’ll learn all about the noble earthworm from the Tome of Worms, a magic book containing all the knowledge of worm expert Emma Sherlock from the Natural History Museum in London! Will our heroes find the G...
Mar 08, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast The ExPLORERR was built to go everywhere. That’s why this vehicle’s full name is: the Extremely Practical Land and Ocean Rover Exploring Remote Realms. And guess what? It has a recording studio built on-board! Good thing, because this episode was recorded while traveling up, up, up a mountain! We discover some wildlife that lives at great heights as well as a rhyming ice cream salesman. Our pal and atmospheric scientist, Dr. Deanna Hence checks in to answer a popular question: if hot air rises, ...
Mar 01, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast There are many different types of snow. From the fluffy to the slushy, this slippery frozen stuff comes in all different shapes and sizes. From a distance, snowflakes may all look the same, but they are not. In fact, there are lots of different shapes of snowflakes — not just those classic shapes you might try to replicate with paper cut-outs. In this episode, Dr. Ken Libbrecht answers all of our snowflake questions: How are snowflakes made? Why are they different shapes? How is it that they’re ...
Feb 22, 2022•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast It might sound impossible, but you can walk around the world! Rosie Swale-Pope has done it, and we get a chance to hear about her adventures in this episode. She tells us how she survives, and remains upbeat, on the road. Guess how many shoes she went through on her trip? Listen and find out. We also hear from D’Wayne Edwards, who helped design some of the most iconic shoes ever (Air Jordan anyone?). And see if you can guess the Mystery Sound. It’s a doozy! Plus, Molly, Marc and Sanden begin the...
Feb 15, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Marshmallows, lollipops, gummi bears -- we want them all! But we’ve all heard that eating a lot of sugar isn’t that healthy for us. So what’s the deal? Why do we like sugar so much in the first place? We’ll find out why our bodies evolved to seek out sweet things, and how clever humans invented a way to make food even sweeter. And we’ll get to the bottom of a confectionary conundrum from our co-host Zoe: are sugar rushes a real thing? Plus: Sanden cooks up some very sweet schemes and we have a n...
Feb 08, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Get ready to learn the science behind the multiverse! That’s the idea that our universe isn’t the only universe out there. What if there were other, different universes existing alongside our own? Ones with different laws of physics, different planets and stars… or maybe even different versions of us! In this episode we explain a few different theories behind this popular idea. Plus, we’ll learn some quantum mechanics, hear about string theory and meet many different versions of Sanden. All that...
Feb 01, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Wow, wow, wow! Our new Moment of Um podcast is finally here. Check out this sample episode, and subscribe to Moment of Um in your podcast player. There are already five episodes just waiting for you to listen, and there’s a new one every weekday. Do you have a head-scratcher that you think would make a great Moment of Um episode? Head over to BrainsOn.org/contact to let us know about it.
Jan 25, 2022•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're super excited for you to hear our newest podcast: Moment of Um! What’s that? You’ve already heard of Moment of Um featured on Brains On! You’re correct, congratulations! Moment of Um has been answering head scratchers for years on Brains On. Since our listeners send in so many Moment of Um questions, we thought it was time to give it a podcast of its own. Bitesized episodes drop every weekday, starting January 24th. Follow on your favorite podcast app or YouTube ....
Jan 18, 2022•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast In space, will a feather stay still? Fall down? Float away? Turns out, the answer depends on where you are! But one thing affects your feather no matter what: gravity! So Galileo is joining us all the way from the 1500s to fill us in on his theory about gravity. Then, we’re heading to space, and dropping a feather in a few different places to see what happens. Listen closely for a listener-submitted mystery sound, and a moment of um that answers this question: If you pick a flower, fruit or vege...
Nov 23, 2021•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s episode is all about your belly button aka navel aka umbilicus. And not just your belly button -- every single person you can think of has one. This means our listeners have LOTS of questions about them. We're going to tackle several of these fascinating navel-gazing questions like: is your belly button connected to your insides? Where does belly button fuzz come from? Why do some belly buttons stick out? And do cats and dogs have belly buttons? Plus, we have a tricky mystery sound f...
Nov 16, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kids over 5 can now get a COVID vaccine in the U.S. We know a lot of you have been waiting for this day and lots of you have sent us questions about the vaccine since the pandemic started: like what's in the COVID vaccine? How does it work? How do scientists know it's safe? And even if the vaccine isn’t available to you where you live yet, this episode will answer those questions -- and there are some fun games you can play along with us! If you have more questions about how COVID, the v...
Nov 09, 2021•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we’re asking sharks to say “aaaah”, and taking a close look at their chompers. We’ll see how shark teeth grow, and what those teeth can teach us about sharks of the past. We’ll also play a game of Jaws Jeopardy, and find out how sharks help keep the ocean helping with their super snacking. Stick around for a listener-submitted mystery sound and a Moment of Um: why does steam rise in the air? This episode was sponsored by: Shopify ( shopify.com/brainson )...
Nov 02, 2021•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Just in time for spooky season, it’s an episode all about superstitions! Do you avoid the number 13? Or maybe it’s your lucky number, like Taylor Swift? In this episode we’ll look at why we have such strong feelings toward 13, and we’ll hear about other unlucky and lucky numbers around the world. Plus, Marc and Sanden will explain why our brains latch on to superstitions in the first place. Oh, and our favorite talking skeleton, Mr. Bonejangles, is back with a spine-tingling quiz! All that and a...
Oct 26, 2021•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode shines a light on crystals, and they’re sparkling right back at us! We’ll zoom way in on a diamond to understand the structure that makes crystals special, and hear about some unexpected crystals, too (hint: chocolate chip cookies contain a few different crystals!). Then, we take a look at how crystals form and get their cool colors. Plus, Marc and Sanden hunt down a hoax about Mesoamerican crystal skulls. And! A mystery sound and a moment of um: why does sugar taste sweet? This epi...
Oct 19, 2021•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast In many places, tree squirrels are extra busy these days. It’s time for them to collect nuts to prepare for winter! So we’re heading to a squirrel-themed adventure course and practicing a few of the skills they use to survive: gathering nuts, traveling in trees, and speaking like a squirrel. We’ll also learn about how squirrels evolved, and hear about some of their surprising relatives. Plus, a mystery sound and a moment of um: what chemical in apples mixes with oxygen to turn brown? You can sup...
Oct 12, 2021•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Eighteen months into our fight with this coronavirus, it may feel frustrating that we're still in this battle, but there are many reasons to feel hopeful. One reason is that we know a lot about this virus now and have plenty of tools to fight it. We meet the superheroes prepared to help us defeat the coronavirus: Sgt. Socially Distanced, the Masked Mentor, the Testmaster and the Vaxinator! Plus: Gilly, one half of the hit podcast Going Viral with Kara and Gilly , and a special guest explain ...
Oct 05, 2021•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast After getting a firsthand look at the history of trash, we’re having visions from garbage’s present and future this week. Producer Kunsang Dorjee visits a landfill to see what happens to our trash after we throw it away, and producer Ruby Guthrie shows us how we can make less trash and dispose the trash we do make in ways that are better for the planet. Plus: we hear from a kid who helped her class produce almost no waste during the school year. And our Moment of Um answers the question: if ants...
Sep 28, 2021•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast A pair of ghost shoes visit Molly with a message: it's time to think about garbage. They predict that Molly will be visited by three visions of garbage, one from the past, one from the present and one from the future. Today, Producer Sanden Totten takes us on a time traveling journey to see how we started making all this trash in the first place. Plus: the Moment of Um answers the question: Are yawns contagious to animals? Next week, we'll be back with a look at the present and future of...
Sep 21, 2021•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Breathing is a really cool thing. We breathe automatically without thinking about it, but we can also control our breath and play with it. We'll learn how our lungs work and why our bodies need this air in the first place. We'll also hear from a singer and a free diver about how they've trained their breath to do remarkable things -- and how you can too! And we'll talk to a doctor about how deep breathing can help you feel less stressed and she'll teach us an exercise you can...
Sep 14, 2021•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast When one of our listeners wrote in with an animal sound mystery ( What sound does a giraffe make? ) we set out to find an answer. We came back with lots of other fascinating animal sounds, so we decided it was time for an all-animal mystery sound extravaganza! Open up your ears and get ready to play! Plus, our Moment of Um answers the question: Why do daddy long legs have such long legs? Our sponsors: Indeed ( Indeed.com/brainson ) KiwiCo ( KiwiCo.com/brainson )...
Sep 07, 2021•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re looking at a phenomenon that happens to all of us: losing our baby teeth and getting new ones! So how do our teeth grow in and what makes them fall out? Naturally, a group of wandering teeth helps us explain. We'll also find out why we have two sets of teeth in the first place. A chatty tooth travel agent will introduce us to all the different ways to send our baby teeth off in style and we'll play a game that will test your knowledge of animal teeth. Plus, the Moment of Um a...
Jul 27, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast A fire can be super useful or cozy or even magical. But it can also be dangerous -- and in the case of wildfires, if they burn long and hot enough, they can destroy ecosystems and send lots of harmful smoke into the air. In this episode, we're going to find out why wildfires are getting bigger and why wildfire season is lasting longer now. We'll learn how the tribes who've lived in what is now called Northern California managed the forests and kept fire in check for thousands of year...
Jul 20, 2021•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re sharing an episode with you from our friends at Million Bazillion, the podcast that answers the questions kids have about money. They help dollars make more sense and they’re back for a whole new season! In today’s episode, hosts Jed and Bridget answer a question from two curious listeners who want to know why we pay taxes. In answering the question, they come across the legendary Robin Hood, known for his hatred of taxes. Back in his day, tax-collecting sheriffs forced people to pay...
Jul 15, 2021•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
