BrainStuff
2,648 episodes — Page 21 of 53
What's Really in the Flu Vaccine?
There are lots of rumors about potentially harmful ingredients in vaccines, but once you understand what those ingredients are and how little are used in vaccines, it's easy to see why vaccines are safe. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does the Maillard Reaction Make Food Tastier?
The Maillard reaction gives foods from toast to coffee to seared steak some of their flavors. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who's the Only Woman to Receive a Medal of Honor?
After the Civil War, surgeon Mary Edwards Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor for her service. Learn her story in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Is There Another Reason You Shouldn't Eat Raw Cookie Dough?
Research has revealed another danger lurking in uncooked dough: Tenacious E. coli can survive in dry flour. Learn how scientists figured it out in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Why Do We Find Symmetry So Pleasing?
What is it about the arrangement of petals on a flower or a perfectly symmetrical display of soup cans that catches our eye? Learn how our brains seem wired for it in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Has 'A Wrinkle in Time' Inspired Real Scientists?
The story 'A Wrinkle in Time' by Madeline L'Engle has been inspiring young scientists for generations. We spoke with three for this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is It So Difficult to Overturn a Guilty Verdict?
Sometimes innocent people wind up in prison, and even if genetic evidence comes to light, it can still take years (and a lot of money) to secure their freedom. Learn how the Innocence Project helps in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Should We All Be in the Same Time Zone?
Time zones sometimes seem to cause more confusion than they fix. Learn how they came about -- and why some researchers want to get rid of them -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Would We Need Artificial Gravity in Space?
Long-term space missions would need to figure out a way to create artificial gravity for their astronauts. Learn why -- and how it may be possible -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Are the Differences Between COVID-19 and the Flu?
Symptoms of influenza and the novel coronavirus are fairly similar, but there are a few key differences you should look for -- and each should be treated a little differently. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Is There a Real Witches' Curse in 'Macbeth'?
You may have heard that Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth" is cursed. Learn how this superstition came about in today's classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Why Can't Some People Sleep Without a Fan?
Some people find it impossible to sleep without background noise, like a fan whirring. Researchers have identified the possible culprit. Learn how it works in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Did Bootleggers Once Smuggle Margarine?
Due in large part to pressure from the diary industry, margarine was once outlawed in Canada and parts of the United States. Learn more about the Oleo Wars in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Is the World's Longest-Living Vertebrate?
Spoiler alert: There are Greenland sharks alive today that were likely born in the 1600s. Learn more about these fascinating sharks in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does the Nitrogen Cycle Work?
Living things need nitrogen in order for our cells to function, and there's plenty in the air, but it's impossible for most of us to access. Learn how the nitrogen cycle brings it to us in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Big Was Giganatosaurus?
Giganatosaurus is one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that ever lived, rivaling the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. Learn more about these dinos in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What's the Difference Between Gold and Pyrite?
Pyrite is often called fool's gold, but it's easy to tell the two apart if you know what to look for. Learn more about these two minerals in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Do We Need to Redefine the Four Seasons?
As climate change affects the planet's weather patterns, some parts of the world will see the seasons bleed together. Tune in to learn how we define the seasons now, and how some researchers think that should change. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Are Other Animals Superstitious?
Humans have all kinds of superstitious beliefs -- so are other animals superstitious, too? Learn more about superstition works in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Is 1968's Poor People's Campaign Reviving Today?
In the 1960s, civil rights leaders organized the Poor People's Campaign to bring awareness and change to economic injustices in the United States. Learn how it began and how it's being revived today in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Cats and Dogs Perceive Time?
Cats and dogs know their humans' schedules, but do they really have a sense of time similar to ours? Learn about how non-human animals perceive time in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When Is Paranoia Normal, and When Is It a Problem?
Many people experience paranoid feelings sometimes, but more rarely, those feelings can seem to take over a person's life. Learn about what paranoia is and how it's treated in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Does the U.S. Hold Elections on Tuesdays?
The United States holds elections the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November because that was deemed most convenient for the citizen farmers of the 1800s, when election dates were written into law. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Will the PROTEUS Underwater Station Work?
Fabien Cousteau, one of Jacques Cousteau's grandsons and himself an aquanaut, is helping plan the largest, most advanced underwater research station yet. Learn how the PROTEUS station will work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Was George Washington Almost King of the United States?
Did the generals of the Revolutionary War really try to hand George Washington a monarchy? Learn the truth behind this slightly tall tale in today's classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Why Do We Carve Pumpkins Around Halloween?
The tradition of carving jack-o'-lanterns around Halloween goes back centuries to a folktale about a stingy man who outwits the devil. Learn the tale (and why pumpkins weren't the original carving vegetables) in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Samhain Work?
Samhain is a pagan holiday celebrated between the fall equinox and winter solstice that helped form modern, secular Halloween celebrations. Learn about Samhain in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do You Sense Your Own Body -- And How Can That Go Wrong?
There's a sixth sense that we're not often aware of -- the sense of controlling and owning our own bodies. Learn how proprioception works -- and what happens to people when it doesn't work -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who Pressed Records onto Human X-Ray Vinyl?
The USSR banned lots of music after WWII, but young Soviet culture hounds called stilyagi bootlegged black market records onto discarded X-ray sheets. Learn about these bone records in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is There a Real Legend About Nosferatu?
There are vampire legends all over the world, but 'nosferatu' isn't a word from any of them. Learn where Bram Stoker may have gotten it, and how 'Dracula' popularized it, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Was Speed Surgery a Thing, and How Fast Could It Get?
Before modern anesthesiology, sterilization, and other medical technology, the quicker a surgery was the better your odds for survival. Learn about Robert Liston, an infamously fast surgeon, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: How Does Salt Prevent Food Spoilage?
Salt has kept entire civilizations alive thanks to its abilities to preserve food and protect it from harmful germs. Learn how in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Is There a Better Alternative to Cash Bail?
Cash bail punishes the poor by setting a high price on freedom -- literally. But are there any better alternatives that won't break local governments' budgets? We explore in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Hand Sanitizer Help Preserve Insects for Science?
Hand sanitizer is a good alternative to hand washing when running water isn't available, but as it turns out, it's also great at preserving the DNA in insect samples. Learn how this may help citizen science in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Can We Detect Tornadoes Earlier?
We often receive very little warning about impending tornadoes, making these storms all the more dangerous. Learn how researchers are figuring out how to use infrasound to detect tornadoes long before they form in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Are Some of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Harshest Dissents?
During her time as a Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg didn't always agree with the majority opinion of the Court. Learn about a few of her dissents in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Sea Snakes Work?
The most venomous snakes in the world live in the oceans, but they still breathe air, drink fresh water, and some can even crawl on land. Learn about sea snakes in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is the Nebra Sky Disk the Oldest Star Chart?
A bronze disk found near Nebra, Germany may be the oldest know scientific depiction of the night sky -- or it may be a thousand years younger than that. Learn the story of this mysterious disk in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: What Is (and Isn't) Terrorism?
When is -- and isn't -- a crime considered terrorism? The legal, political and moral definitions are often at odds. We explore why in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Why Are Leaf Blowers So Annoying?
If the sound of leaf blowers makes you angry, you're not alone -- and there's science behind why. Learn about it in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are Cats Actually Good at Catching Rats?
There's an assumption that cats can help control pesky rodent populations, but it turns out that they're pretty bad at catching rats. Learn why, and why cats can make a rat infestation appear lesser, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Anhedonia Work?
Anhedonia is a disorder in which a person doesn't experience pleasure from usually pleasurable things, like music or friendship or the sense of taste. Learn what researchers know (and don't know) about anhedonia in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Has Knitting Been Used for Subterfuge?
During the two World Wars, knitting became an important way to encode and send messages in secret. Learn about the history of wartime knitting in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Can the Dutch Reach Save Cyclists' Lives?
When cyclists collide with a carelessly opened car door, the results can be deadly. Learn how the simple Dutch Reach can save lives in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Foods Should Be Kept Out of the Fridge?
The refrigerator is perfect for keeping some foods fresh and tasty -- but it'll do other foods more harm than good. Learn what foods are best kept out of the fridge in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: How Do Glow Stick Work?
Glow sticks use a chemical reaction to create that soft, colorful glow. Learn how it works -- and how to make your glow sticks last longer -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: How Can a Black Hole Help Prove General Relativity?
Astronomers detected hints of Einstein's theory of general relativity in the Milky Way's supermassive black hole. Learn more in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Mortgage Forbearance Work?
Mortgage forbearance can help keep a homeowner in their home, but it's not a permanent free pass on mortgage payments. Learn why it's good for both borrowers and banks -- and how to get one if you need it -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Betelgeuse About to Go Supernova?
Betelguese is one of the brightest stars in the night sky, but in 2019 it dimmed -- a lot. Learn what researchers think caused this and what it could mean in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What's the Difference Between Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx?
The official U.S. government definitions of 'Hispanic' and 'Latino' differ from how people often refer to themselves in real life -- and new terms like 'Latinx' are gaining popularity, too. Learn what these terms mean and how language is evolving in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.