BrainStuff
2,726 episodes — Page 30 of 55
Would Turkey Be So Popular Without Thanksgiving?
Americans eat a LOT of turkey around the winter holidays, but why? Learn about turkey's festive history and when we eat the most of it 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 Dirty Is Soap?
It’s good hygiene to wash your hands after touching shared bathroom surfaces. But bars of soap are also a shared surface. Learn why soap is pretty clean in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Dogs Have Belly Buttons?
Spoiler alert: Yep, all placental mammals have belly buttons, but dogs' and cats' look a little different than ours. Learn how belly buttons 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: Are Plants Conscious?
Researchers have found evidence that plants have senses, memories, and can even communicate with each other. But does this mean they're conscious? Learn what science has to say in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Did Turducken Become a Thing?
A chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey. Yep. Learn the history of the turducken and what it takes to prepare one in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Your Brain Get Tired Like Your Muscles Do?
We've all felt it: the dreaded brain drain after a long or taxing day. Learn why this occurs -- and what you can do to help prevent burnout -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Why is Bird Poop White?
Bird poop: It’s the bane of cars, statues, and occasional hapless pedestrians across the world. But what is this stuff anyway? Learn about birds' amazingly efficient waste systems (and why their waste is white) 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: Will Soda Really Ruin My Teeth?
Soda may not dissolve teeth in 12 hours flat, but it can cause damage to your pearly whites. Learn how -- and how to avoid it without giving up your favorite drink -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Did the Ancient Land Blob Called Gondwana Become Today's Southern Continents?
Just looking at a world map makes it clear that today's continents were once a single mass, but scientists are still researching how they came together and apart. Learn about the history of the Southern Hemisphere's continents 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 Sleepwalking Work?
Researchers don't entirely understand why we humans sometimes walk around (or doing any number of other things) in our sleep, but there are a few myths that they can dispell. Learn more about sleepwalking, aka somnambulism, in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Don't Evergreen Trees Lose Their Needles?
Evergreens' needles are their leaves, so why don't they change color and drop in the fall? Learn how evergreen leaves work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Humans and Bananas Really Share Half Their DNA?
You may have heard that people share about 50 percent of their DNA with bananas, and while there's a seed of truth to that, it's not quite right. Learn about our genetic similarity to fruit and other life forms in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Why Do Dogs Yawn?
Dogs communicate by yawning, and it's complex to figure out what they might mean. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classic: What Creates the Northern Lights?
There are lots of misconceptions out there about what causes the stunning Aurora Borealis. Learn what's really up with the Northern Lights in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do You Deep Fry a Turkey?
Deep frying anything is a science -- but perhaps especially a whole turkey. Learn how to do it (and why it works) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Why Do I Need a Passport to Travel?
The vast (vast!) majority of humans need a passport in order to travel internationally. Learn why -- and who doesn't -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can 'Hypoallergenic' Dogs Still Trigger Allergies?
Spoiler alert: Yes, breeds of dogs said to be hypoallergenic can still set off your allergies -- but they may be better for you than other breeds. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Are Less Experienced People More Confident?
You may have heard about the supposed inverse relationship between confidence and knowledge -- but is it true? Learn more about the Dunning-Kruger effect in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could We Recycle Excess Subway Heat?
Heating homes and other human hangouts requires a huge carbon footprint -- but meanwhile, we're wasting heat every day (and sweating) in systems like subways. Learn how one project hopes to use that excess heat for the greater good in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Why Is Bacon Considered a Breakfast Food?
Bacon and eggs are a traditional breakfast -- but that tradition only goes back about a century. Learn how Sigmund Freud's nephew invented public relations and changed the way we eat breakfast in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can We Win the War on Cockroaches?
Cockroaches are, if nothing else, admirably persistent -- they can spring back from a 90% population loss just a couple generations. Learn how hardy they are in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Wolverines Work?
Wolverines may not have adamantium-reinforced skeletons, but this species of weasel boasts a few superpowers of its own. Learn more about wolverines in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Should You Stop Raking Fall Leaves?
Something has to be done with all those fall leaves, but the best option for the environment (and your lawn) isn't raking, it's mulching. Learn why, and how to get started, in this 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 Hornets and Wasps?
We often use the terms 'wasp' and 'hornet' interchangeably, but that's not quite right, and knowing the difference can save you a sting. Learn about these insects 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 a Hen Turn into a Rooster?
In cases of spontaneous sex reversal, an animal born male can become female, or vice versa, due to genetic or hormonal changes. Learn the story of how one hen became a rooster in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Could Artificial Glaciers Hydrate the Himalayas?
Farmers in the Himalayas depend on yearly snow melts to water their crops, but climate change means they're not getting enough snowfall to replenish natural glaciers. Learn how artificial glaciers are helping in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What's the Science Behind Applause?
The way that applause starts and moves through a large crowd is scientifically predictable. Learn what the research shows about the influence of sound and psychology in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Science Create a Better Blood Supply?
Millions of lives are saved by blood transfusions every year, but sometimes donations are in short supply. Learn how researchers are hoping to make more blood universally transferable in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did Humans Evolve To Be Superstitious?
Humans and other animals often hold superstitions -- but why? Could it have been biologically advantageous to our ancestors? Learn more about superstition in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Is Eye of Newt?
The witches in Macbeth describe a disturbing brew -- eye of newt, toe of frog, etc. -- but that was just code for common plants. Learn what eye of newt really is in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Exactly Is Candy Corn?
Americans buy some 9 billion kernels of candy corn every year. Learn this candy's history plus how it's made 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 Happening During A Near-Death Experience?
Some patients brought back from cardiac arrest describe seeing a bright light at the end of a tunnel, or other phenomena known as a near-death experience. Learn how some researchers have tried to explain this in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Is the Legend of the Hawaiian Night Marchers?
Hawaiian folklore tells of the huaka'i pō, or night marchers -- ghostly warriors whose sense of duty has kept them on guard even after death. Learn the legend (and what to do if you hear them coming) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can We 3-D Print Meat in Space?
Lab-created meat may help prevent harm to animals here on Earth, but it'd be even more helpful for feeding people in space. But can tech like 3-D printers work in space? Learn about the potential future of space burgers 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 Urchins Work?
Spiny on the outside and gooey on the inside, sea urchins are a weird and wonderful animal -- and delicacy. Learn more about them in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Venus Work?
Venus is the hottest planet, its years are shorter than its days, and its atmospheric pressure is 92 times greater than that on Earth. Learn how researchers think Venus got this way in today’s episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Is Dead Butt Syndrome?
Sitting too much and not getting the right kinds of exercise can lead to gluteal tendinopathy — dead butt syndrome. Learn why (and what can be done about it) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Ecosystems Work?
Nothing in our environment exists in a vacuum -- everything is interconnected. Learn how the study of ecosystems attempts to learn about things through those connections in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Were the Dyatlov Pass Hikers Murdered?
The mystery of what happened to nine hikers one wintery night has gone unsolved for 60 years. Learn what evidence has been found -- and what's still unknown -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Photosynthesis Power Life on Earth?
Plants turn sunlight into food via photosynthesis, which is pretty amazing -- and its evolution is fairly mysterious. Learn how researchers think it happened in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Red Flag Laws Help Prevent Mass Shootings?
In the wake of America's many mass shootings, some states are enacting laws that allow police to confiscate citizens' firearms when a concern about violence is reported. Learn how these red flag laws work 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 3-D Printing Help Save Animals?
Prostheses for humans are already in use, so why not for other animals? Learn how veterinarians are using 3-D printed limbs, fins, beaks, bones, and shells to help injured animals in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are Some Americans Cancelling Columbus Day?
Some U.S. cities and states have officially changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day. Learn why -- and why some Americans disagree with the change -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does Our Solar System Contain a Primordial Black Hole?
Astronomers think there's an object in the far reaches of our solar system that's six times as massive as Earth. Learn why some think it's a planet and others propose it's a type of black hole in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Did the Shar-Pei Get Its Wrinkles?
This dog breed is known for its distinctive wrinkles, and genetic researchers have figured out why those wrinkles occur. Learn about it (plus whether a Shar-Pei might be a good dog for you) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Should Cities Require Green Roofs?
Planting gardens, grasses, or wildflowers on urban roofs can solve a lot of problems, but it can cause a few along the way. Learn more about green roofs in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Did Bobcats Come Back from the Brink?
Bobcat populations weren't doing so well a few decades ago, but these resilient wild cats are on the rebound. Learn about bobcats in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What's the Best Strategy for Finding a Parking Spot?
There are a couple mathematically tested strategies for finding a parking spot that costs you the least time in terms of searching and walking to your destination. Learn what science has to say about parking in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who Wore High-Heeled Shoes First?
Although shoes with high heels are often coded feminine in modern culture, men wore them first -- military men, specifically. Learn the history of high heels in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Rare Are All-Black Chickens?
A few types of chickens are so pigmented that not just their feathers but their very flesh is a deep blue-black color. Learn how researchers think this came about in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.