BrainStuff

We usually think of fertilizer as being a good thing -- so how can it cause so much destruction? Learn why ammonium nitrate can cause deadly explosions in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Research shows that doctoral programs can incite some serious problems. Learn how getting a Ph.D. affects mental health in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The magnificent bryozoan is a colonial organism that usually lives in warm ponds and lakes east of the Mississippi River. Learn what it's doing in western Canada in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hair is much softer than steel. So how can shaving cause a razor blade to dull? Learn how a few researchers figured out the answer -- and how they may provide a solution -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spoiler alert: Marie and Pierre Curie started the family that has won more Nobel prizes than any other in history. Learn the Curie family's story in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In some countries, important fossils are considered shared cultural heritage and can't be privately owned; in others, private sellers can make millions off dino fossils at auction. Learn more about owning dinosaur remains in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White House's Rose Garden is a presidential sanctuary and event space for gatherings big and small -- but how did it get started? Learn about the history of the Rose Garden in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an urban myth that daddy longlegs are the world's most venomous spiders, but most creatures by this name are neither venomous nor spiders. Learn more about daddy longlegs in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hurricanes are the strongest storms on the planet, but there's a big difference between a Category 1 and a Category 5 (and all the storms in between). Learn more about how we classify hurricanes in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ancient Plesiosaurs moved through the water unlike any other animal since. Learn what recent research found about them in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In America, most of the Underground Railroad moved enslaved people north to freedom -- but Florida's Saltwater Underground Railroad moved people south, to the Bahamas. Learn how it worked in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know sunscreen can help save our skin, but new research indicates that most of us aren't using it correctly. Learn how to get the most out of your UV protection in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are adventures to be had everywhere, but we've picked a few of our favorite science-themed road trip destinations to spark your curiosity. Learn about beautiful places to explore fossils, geology, and rocket science in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tanuki are East Asian animals that look like a dog with the face of a raccoon. Learn about their behavior and the myths surrounding them in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new rover is on its way to Mars to search for signs of ancient life. Learn about the Perseverance and its mission (including testing the Ingenuity robotic helicopter) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent research has deepened our understanding of balloons' hair-raising effect. 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.

Do people who back their cars into parking spaces slow down the flow, or are they the smartest in the lot? Learn what science has to say 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.

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, but it's often also the closest planet to Earth. Learn why -- and lots of other strange-but-true facts about Mercury -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has been experiencing a shortage of coins in circulation. Learn why -- and what may help fix it -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andean condors are seriously fuel efficient -- they only flap their wings for one percent of their total time in the air! Learn more about these amazing birds in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These two alcohols can both be used to make hand sanitizer, but only ethyl alcohol is drinkable. Learn how ethanol and isopropanol differ in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frederick Douglass's skills as a writer an orator made him a face of the abolitionist movement and went on to help inform and inspire the Civil Rights movement. Learn more about Douglass in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As casual computer use shifts to touchscreens, the wear patterns on computer keyboards have evolved. Learn what keys now wear out first in this classic episode of BrainStuff Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scents affect how we experience different cultures and places, which means they have historical value. Learn how researchers are setting about preserving them in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This genus of plant-eating dinosaurs had awesomely heavy armor, might've had a great sense of smell, and some had a serious defensive weapon in their tail. Learn more about ankylosaurs in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prior to flight becoming common, 'SOS' was the standard distress call. Learn how the code 'mayday' was invented in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not having a permanent address or access to identifying documents can make voting in U.S. elections nearly impossible. Learn more about these challenges -- and what some organizations are doing to help -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The surviving records about who Druids were and what they did aren't considered reliable. Learn what we know and don't know about Druids in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meteors can put on a spectacular show, but many of the pieces of debris that cause them are the size of pebbles -- or dust. Learn more about meteorites in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the course of one frigid winter, green anole lizards in Texas changed their genetic makeup to better tolerate cold. Learn about this example of super-quick vertebrate evolution in today's classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Folk wisdom dictates that you should avoid eating oysters, especially raw, in months that don't contain the letter R in their name. Learn why there's some logic there in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1897, a plaster replica of the Parthenon built in Nashville for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition proved so popular that it was rebuilt in a more permanent form. Learn more about Nashville's Parthenon in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Staple grains, like wheat and rice, can wear out the soil — and most have to be replanted from seed each year. Learn how researchers are seeking to create new varieties (like Kernza) to save the environment in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although the term 'grandfathered in' is applied in many situations today, it originally referred to laws about voting rights. Learn the history of this phrase in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Betta fish are popular aquarium pets, but there are a few common misconceptions about these beautiful critters. Learn how these 'fighting fish' can be peaceful and more in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1920, before many women in the U.S. could even vote, a frontier town in Wyoming elected an all-women ticket into office. Learn about the Petticoat Rulers in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We humans have lots of nicknames for dogs -- but how did 'Fido' become one of them? Learn about the history of the term in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Goldfish can survive in icy lakes and your poorly cleaned aquarium in part because they make their own alcohol. Learn more about how goldfish work in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great social, intellectual, and artistic invention that deeply impacts our world to this day. Learn how it got started and why it was so important in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moths pollinate more of our food than researchers previously realized. Learn more about insect pollination in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Popular music and video often use rain as a metaphor for melancholy, but does rainy weather really affect our mood? Learn about the psychology (or lack thereof) behind the rainy-day blues in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Titanoboa cerrejonensis was a massive snake related to modern boas -- but it might've grown to 47 feet (14 meters) in length. Learn about this extinct South American serpent in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The massive, historic Liberty Bell wasn't always cracked, and wasn't always named that. Learn what history knows (and doesn't know) about the Liberty Bell in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What we now call grandfather clocks were around for a long time before they got that name. Learn how a pop song renamed them -- and a few legends that may have inspired the song -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tyrannosaurus rex was a giant predator, but its arms weren't much bigger than a human being's. Learn a few hypotheses about T. rex's arms in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coal fires have burned beneath this Pennsylvania town for decades, driving away inhabitants with continual smoke, ash, and cave-ins. Learn how coal-seam fires work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Real vanilla is much more expensive than synthetic vanilla. Learn about the delicate orchid that vanilla comes from and why most vanilla flavoring is synthetic in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new bill aims to make Washington, D.C. the U.S.'s 51st state -- but why wasn't it created as a state to begin with, and why have similar bills failed in the past? Learn the history of the District of Columbia in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hellbender salamander isn't nearly as scary as it sounds. Learn why they're mostly harmless -- and some of their populations are in danger -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 'Streisand Effect' is when some powerful entity tries to repress information, but winds up publicizing it instead. Learn the history of the term and how the effect works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.