BrainStuff

Researchers have created pee-powered fuel cells that can light outdoor portable bathrooms. Learn how (and why) in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/public-toilet-electricity-light-urine-chemical-reaction.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opioid drugs (like fentanyl) can cause death due to overdose -- but there is an antidote to opioid overdose, and it's easy and safe to administer. Learn how naloxone (including brands Narcan and Evzio) works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plate tectonics are responsible not just for the shape of Earth's continents, but for life as we know it. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/plate-tectonics.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. military has been collecting reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) for years. Learn what the public knows about them so far in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/space/aliens-ufos/ufos-news.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the problems with plastic trash ending up in our oceans is that some seabirds will eat it. But why? Learn what researchers have found in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/theres-a-stinky-reason-seabirds-eat-plastic.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2020 Olympic games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as of yet they haven't been canceled. Learn when the Olympics were canceled in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/olympics-skipped.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By 2050, half the world will be nearsighted. Researchers tracking this eye condition (also called myopia) have a few hypotheses about why it's happening. Learn more in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/eye/half-the-world-will-be-nearsighted-2050.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For everything that's weird and wondrous about the platypus, we probably shouldn't be surprised that its milk may help save countless lives, but here we are. Learn how in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/platypus-milk-best-hope-against-post-antibiotic-future.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's hearing aids incorporate all kinds of smart technology to help the deaf and hard of hearing community. Learn about the tech in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/ear/modern-hearing-aids.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Westminster Dog Show has been educating and enchanting the public for 145 years. Learn how it's going to be different this year in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/westminster-dog-show.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The LGBTQ+ Pride parades that happen throughout the U.S. every June are joyful celebrations today, but got their start as riots and protests against persecution. Learn the history of Pride in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/pride-parades.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Macaws are beautiful birds that can talk (yes, including bad words) and can make excellent pets for the right person. Learn about them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/macaw.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Common sense dictates that since light-colored clothing is more reflective than dark, it'll help keep you cooler in hot weather. Learn why this myth doesn't hold water in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/light-colored-clothes-in-hot-weather.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People with Type 1 diabetes are more likely to experience eating disorders, and the consequences can be serious. Learn why, and what can be done to help, in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/diabetes/why-diabulimia-is-so-dangerous.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plants use photosynthesis to survive, but some plants outsource that job to other living things, like fungus. Learn how it works in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/underground-plant-outsources-photosynthesis-fungus.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jackalopes are mythical creatures with the body of a jackrabbit and the horns of a deer or pronghorn. Learn how tales about them got started in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/jackalope.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might blame scary or surreal dreams on your bedtime snacks, but is there any scientific evidence to back that up? Learn about research into diet and dreams in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/pizza-nightmares-diet-determine-dreams.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A perfect storm of events in 2020 led to a chlorine shortage across America that has continued into 2021. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/us-chlorine-shortage-news.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This massive Jurassic-era predator may have grazed on flesh the way we pick at cheese plates. Learn about the allosaurus in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/dinosaurs/allosaurus.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you struggle with weeds in your home garden or landscaping, you don't have to turn to hazardous commercial herbicides. Learn how to make safer weedkillers at home in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/green-living/natural-weed-killers.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Durian fruit is prized as a delicacy and staple -- and it smells like rotting. Learn how researchers mapped its genome to get to the bottom of this stench (and hopefully find something medicinally useful) in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/durian-smell-origin-genome.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some animals mate for life -- and others decidedly don't. Learn what researchers have discovered about cheating by studying voles and humans alike in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/good-excuse-or-is-there-actually-cheating-gene.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humpback whales are back from the brink of extinction thanks to conservation efforts. Learn about their songs, acrobatics, and life cycle in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/humpback-whale.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hematite is a mineral that we've been using for pigments, as a source of iron, and in other applications for pretty much ever. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/hematite.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have heard that we swallow eight spiders a year in our sleep, but is that really true? We debunk this myth in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/arachnids/do-we-swallow-spiders-in-sleep.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cryptocurrency has many benefits, but currently comes at a high energy cost -- and a huge, negative environmental impact. Learn what the industry is doing about it in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/conservation/issues/cryptocurrency-climate-change-news.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though they were denied the ability to even apply for citizenship for decades, Asians and Pacific Islanders helped shape civil rights and workers' rights in America. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/asian-american-history.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ancient ruins, long grown over by massive forests, can be found painlessly -- thanks to lasers. Learn how LiDAR is preserving forests and uncovering lost Mayan infrastructure in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/future-tech/scientists-use-lidar-to-discover-massive-lost-mayan-city.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've probably heard you should cut back on salt, but we need it to survive -- we're hardwired to crave it. Learn how to reduce sodium and why in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/salt-breaking-up-is-hard-to-do.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poe was a writer known for his eerie and mysterious stories, but his own life ended just as strangely. Learn about him in this special episode of BrainStuff, with a reading of his poem 'The Raven' in iHeart 3D, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/edgar-allan-poe.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourism has taken a serious hit during COVID-19, but some port cities are glad for the loss of the crowding and pollution that the cruise industry brings. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://money.howstuffworks.com/cruise-ships-bans.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The story goes that one Captain Sluman Gray died during a voyage in the 1860s, and was laid to rest in a barrel of rum then shipped back home for burial -- barrel and all. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/ballad-pickled-whaling-captain-from-connecticut.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers are developing a paint that can reflect over 98 percent of sunlight, which could help keep buildings cool during hot summers. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/sustainable/ultra-white-paint.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rare animals called bilateral gynandromorphs can exhibit male traits on one side of their bodies and female traits on the other. Learn more about chimeras in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/yes-half-male-and-half-female-animals-do-exist.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Botox wrinkle therapy contains a tiny dose of a deadly bacterial toxin originally found in spoiled sausages. Learn the history of botulinum toxin, plus how it's used in non-cosmetic medicine, in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/digestive/rotten-sausages-botox-botulism.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we take medications, we sometimes excrete chemicals that get flushed into our oceans. Learn how fluoxetine (Prozac) is chilling crabs out -- which isn't great -- in this classic BrainStuff episode, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/prozac-water-ocean-crab-behavior.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before modern surgical techniques and materials, artists sometimes created realistic face masks for veterans and other patients. Learn about the work of Anna Coleman Ladd in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/anna-coleman-ladd-helped-disfigured-soldiers-live-better-lives.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American film, television, and music industries host award galas every year -- but how did these awards get their names? Learn the history in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/oscar-tony-emmy-award-names.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1850s, a newspaper published anonymous details about a mysterious set of encoded papers that supposedly point to buried treasure -- but they've never been cracked. Learn about the Beale Ciphers in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/beale-ciphers.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paprika is a lot more than a just pretty topping. Learn how paprika is made and where it comes from in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/paprika.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elephants get cancer so rarely that researchers went looking for a genetic reason, and they found one. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/zombie-gene-protects-elephants-from-cancer.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chicken eggs come in a spectrum of colors, but they all cook up the same. Learn how they're created in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/white-brown-green-chicken-eggs-whats-difference.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The most hazardous air pollution may be particles too tiny to see, but it also may be easily avoided. Learn more in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/when-it-comes-to-air-pollution-tiniest-particles-might-be-worst.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Koalas eat nothing but eucalyptus, which is poisonous to many mammals in large amounts. Learn how they do it (and how they smell) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/koala-smell-like-cough-drop.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lots of astronauts have performed music in space, just for fun or for wider audiences. Learn what considerations it takes in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/astronauts-play-music-in-space.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lots of attention is paid to an American president's first 100 days in office, but why? Learn the history (and why we have FDR to thank) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/why-do-we-care-the-first-100-days.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In some situations, whistling just makes more sense than talking. Learn about whistled languages in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/whistled-languages.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mesa Verde National Park, the only national park devoted primarily to a historic cultural site, is home to dwellings built impressively into steep cliffs. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/mesa-verde-national-park-ga.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being surprised by a roach in your kitchen (which is very clean, thank you) can be enough to wish the whole genus would just go away. Learn what the world would be like if it did in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/what-if/what-if-there-were-no-cockroaches.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Research indicates that sleep is one of the many factors in how our bodies create, store, and burn fat. We explore in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/sleep-obesity.htm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.