BrainStuff
2,727 episodes — Page 35 of 55
How Can We Make Better Resolutions?
Humans have been making New Years' resolutions for millennia, but we're still bad at keeping them. Learn some science behind building better resolutions 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 Don't Humans Have Tails?
Lots of other mammals make great use of their tales, so why don't humans have them? Learn about the science of tails 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 Noise Loud Enough To Kill You?
You've probably experienced a noise loud enough that it hurt your ears, but could a noise be so loud that it could actually kill you? Spoiler alert: Yes. Learn more in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Whales Have Pop Songs?
Whale songs are eerie, beautiful, and -- as it turns out -- completely on-trend. Learn how humpback whales share tunes among herds 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 Words Funny?
Words like 'poop' and 'wiggle' are inherently humorous, and science may have figured out why. Learn what research has to say about why some words tickle us in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Does Beer Foam Last Longer Than Soda Foam?
Beer and soda both form sudsy bubbles when you pour them, so why does soda's foam dissipate while beer's forms a head? Learn about foam physics in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Exactly Are Frankincense and Myrrh?
Frankincense and myrrh play a part not only in the story of Christmas, but in lots of other religious traditions as well -- and a few practical ones, too. Learn more about these aromatic substances in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are Christmas Trees That Shape?
Most of the trees decorated for Christmas don't naturally grow in a perfect cone shape -- so how do they get that way, and why did we decide on that shape in the first place? Learn about the history of Christmas trees in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is Holly a Christmas Decoration?
Why exactly do folks deck the halls with boughs of holly during the Christmas season? Learn about the history and legends behind holly 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 Accents Work?
Everybody has an accent -- some are just considered neutral by native speakers. Learn how accents develop and how they influence us in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Happens When Elevator Cables Break?
Elevators cables are inspected on the regular, but what happens when one breaks? Learn about the ingenious systems that keep elevators safe when even the worst happens in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do We Sing in the Shower?
It's somewhere between tempting and inevitable to break into song in the shower. But why? Learn about the psychology and physiology of shower singing in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is Palm Oil in So Many Things?
Palm oil is in lots of foods, cosmetics, and household products -- and that's a very serious thing. Learn the problems (and solutions) that palm oil presents in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Dogs Get Embarrassed When We Put Them in Costumes?
The photos on social media are arguably the cutest, but how do dogs feel when we dress them up? Can dogs feel emarrassment? 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.
When We Lose Weight, Where Does It Go?
When we lose weight, it doesn't just vanish. Learn how our bodies shrink fat cells in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: What Is The Oldest Living Thing?
To be fair, the answer to this question depends on what you consider 'living' and 'thing' to mean. Learn a few possible answers 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 We Sleep?
We spend somewhere around a third of our lives sleeping, but why? Learn what happens when you sleep (and what happens when you don't) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are Stop Signs Red?
Stop signs were always the red octagons we know today -- so how was the color chosen, and why has it stuck? Learn about the history and psychology of red traffic signals in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who Is Krampus?
This horned holiday demon has entered our pop culture consciousness, but where do Krampus legends come from? Learn about the history of Krampusnacht in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Have Funerals Changed Since the '60s?
The ways we think about funerals are bound to change over time, but the 1960s was a real turning point. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Neanderthals Laugh?
Neanderthals were more like us than we previously thought, but could they laugh? Learn why researchers think they could in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Gelatin Work?
Gelatin makes Jell-O wiggle and provides texture to all sorts of products, but what is it made of? Learn what's happening on a molecular level when you use gelatin 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 People Go Bald?
Humans are one of the only mammals to commonly experience balding. Learn the science behind thinning hair 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 You Hate the Sound of Your Own Voice?
Your voice sounds different in recordings than it does to your own ears, but why? Learn the science behind this phenomena in today's classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do We Define the Kilogram?
The kilogram used to be measured against an agreed-upon chunk of metal stored in France, but no longer. Learn the new measure of this standard unit of measurement 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 I Donate My Brain to Science?
Researchers, like zombies, are interested in brains of all kinds. Learn a few basics about how donating your brain to science works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Cheap Magnets Help Save Sharks?
The fishing industry accidentally kills millions of sharks every year, but researchers think they've found a seriously inexpensive solution. Learn how it could work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do We Test Middle Schoolers' Fitness?
From the outdated Presidential Fitness Test to today's FITNESSGRAM, Americans have been giving standardized fitness tests to middle school kids for decades. Learn the past and present of these exams in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Can Probiotics Really Do?
Some claims make it sound like probiotics are a cure-all, but what has research found so far? Learn more about these supplements for your microbiome in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Will Amazon's Corporate Megadeal Change How Business Works?
Why are some politicians so eager for large businesses to set up shop in their districts? What are those businesses' real motivations in making selections? Learn what some researchers think about corporate megadeals in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is the Meaning of Life '137'?
Both scientists and mystics revere the number 137, but why? Learn the significance of this seemingly humble number in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Did the Inca Knot Language Work?
The Inca never developed a system of writing, but they kept records and told stories through intricate knotwork. Learn what researchers know -- and what they're still looking to find out -- about Inca khipu in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Cheese Actually Make Wine Taste Better?
Spoiler alert: Yes! Learn the science that makes wine and cheese go so well together in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Did London Once Have a Train for the Dead?
When a city's cemeteries start filling up, one solution is to take the funerary show on the road. Learn about London's Necropolis Railway of 1854-1941 in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do Dogs' Paws Smell Like Corn Chips?
Dog enthusiasts sometimes revel in how their pup's paws smell gloriously of corn chips, but what causes this scent? Learn the science behind Frito paws in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are E-Cigarette Liquids Safe?
The flavorings added to vape liquids are considered safe for ingestion, but what happens when we breathe them in? Learn what researchers can and can't say about the safety of vaping 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 Saliva Work?
Your saliva is a serious multitasker -- it keeps bacteria at bay, helps you digest your food, and even makes your food taste better. 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.
BrainStuff Classics: Why Do We Fart?
We all pass gas, but why? Learn what's happening in your digestive system when you fart in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Black Friday the Busiest Shopping Day?
It's true that millions of Americans go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, but it's not the biggest shopping day of the year. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?
You may have heard that the tryptophan in turkey causes holiday naps, but it might not be the real culprit. Learn some turkey science 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 Best Way to Load the Dishwasher?
Which way should the plates face? What about the silverware -- handles up or down? Do you need to pre-rinse? Learn how to make your dishwashing machine work its best in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Does Hot Food Seem More Satisfying?
Warm foods can feel more filling than chilled foods, but why? Learn the possible explanations behind the cravings in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does Apple Cider Vinegar Really Help With Weight Loss?
Some proponents say that drinking apple cider vinegar is the 'secret' to losing weight. Learn what science has to say in this episode of BrainStuff. And hey, take care of yourself, OK? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: How Does LASIK Work?
It’s one of the common vision correction surgeries accomplished with lasers, but how does it work? Is it really safe? Learn about LASIK eye surgery in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
BrainStuff Classics: Do You Really Need to Wash Your Jeans?
It may seem like an obvious ‘yes’, but denim producers often recommend washing your jeans as little as possible — if at all. Learn why (and what they recommend instead) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Carrots Really Help Your Eyesight?
Conventional wisdom says that eating carrots will give you better vision, but how true is that? Learn where the idea came from in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Will Temperature Changes Make You Sick?
When the temperature drops (or bounces), are you more likely to get sick? Learn the science behind the old wives’ tale in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are Dogs’ Noses Wet?
Dogs’ noses are often wet, but why? And does a dry nose mean your pup is sick? Learn what science has to say about dogs’ noses in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could We Build A Real Gundam?
Science fiction tells us our future depends on giant, humanoid robots protecting us and punching monsters. But could we really build those machines? Learn how close we are in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Does Ice Get Cloudy?
Water usually appears clear, but ice cubes and ice on lakes often looks cloudy. Learn what has to happen for ice to freeze clear (like black ice does on roads) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.