BrainStuff
2,727 episodes — Page 36 of 55
BrainStuff Classics: How Does Silica Gel Work?
What is silica gel? Why are packets of it included in lots of packaging? And what would happen if you ate it? Learn how silica gel keeps moisture at bay 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 Causes Chapped Lips?
For some, winter means a daily battle against cracking, peeling lips. Learn what causes this -- and what you can do to prevent it -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Should You Answer When Asked 'What Are Your Salary Requirements'?
It's a dreaded part of job interviews: "What did you make at your last job? What are your salary requirements?" Learn the science behind navigating this tricky topic in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The End Of The World with Josh Clark Series Preview
The End Of The World with Josh Clark is a 10-part podcast series on existential risks – threats that could bring humanity to a sudden and untimely end in the near future. Check out this preview, featuring a clip about our potential to spread from Earth. Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, or on the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Effective Are Bulletproof Vests?
Bulletproof vests have certainly saved lives, but exactly how bulletproof are they? Learn what they're made of and how they can fail to protect wearers in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are Yeti Just a Bunch of Bears?
Genetics says "probably." In this episode of BrainStuff, learn what researchers found when they submitted supposed Yeti samples for genetic testing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does Syncing Traffic Lights Reduce Traffic?
Computer systems can indeed help traffic flow better by syncing stop lights' cycles. But how well does it work, and what does it take to implement? Learn how researchers hope to get you out of traffic jams in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does CBD Oil Really Work?
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil, derived from cannabis, is being touted as a treatment for everything from migraines to insomnia. But how effective is it? Learn what research has (and hasn't) shown in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Did a Family Feud Spawn Adidas and Puma?
A battle between two brothers created the second- and third-largest sneaker companies in the world. Learn the story of the brothers Dassler in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Are Sea Cucumbers?
Besides weird. Or, including weird? Learn some of the strangest features of sea cucumbers in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Did Fruit Evolve in Different Colors?
Brightly colored fruit stands out against green leaves, but why is some red or pink, while others skew yellow or purple? And why are some fruits smellier than others? Learn what new research says about fruits' evolution in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is Elephants' Skin So Wrinkly?
Elephants have a thick hide that's wrinkled from birth, but why? Learn about the new research that's revealed the secrets to elephant skin 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 Trick-Or-Treat on Halloween?
The American practice of kids dressing up and demanding candy from neighbors on October 31st is fairly new, but it's based in centuries of evolving beliefs and traditions. Learn the history of trick-or-treating in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are Any Superstitions Universal?
Do you knock on wood or avoid particular numbers? People around the world adhere to superstitions to attempt to change their luck -- and some of those superstitions are remarkably similar. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Would You Really Stay Conscious After Being Decapitated?
For everything we know about the human brain, consciousness is still mysterious. Could reports of people remaining conscious after being executed by decapitation be true? 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.
Would Cannibalism Have Been Calorically Worthwhile?
Our paleolithic ancestors ate people sometimes. But did they partake because they were really that hungry, or for some other, cultural reason? Learn what researchers think in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is the Winchester House Built So Strangely?
We can't prove whether the Winchester Mystery House is really haunted, but it was definitely built for ghosts. Lean the story of how its strange construction was one woman's unending quest 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 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 episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do We Make Our Monsters Cute?
Pop culture loves making horrific figures adorable, from Cthulhu plushies to 'cute' Freddy Krueger costumes. But why? Learn what researchers think about the spectrum of cute to monstrous in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Would Psychic Powers Really Cause Nosebleeds?
You've seen the trope: a character strains their psychic powers and gets a nosebleed to show for it. But would this actually happen if psychic powers were real? Learn the hypothetical science in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Were Unicorns Always Sweet?
The modern image of the elegant, gentle unicorn is a relatively recent invention. Learn about the history of unicorn myths and legends in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Boomers and Gen-Xers Really Work Harder Than Millennials?
Millennials approach their jobs differently than previous generations, but research shows it's not how they were raised -- it's a mark of their youth. Learn how age and generational differences intersect in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Did People Once Rob Graves for Science?
In the United Kingdom in the 1800s, anatomists wanted to study real bodies, but laws and cultural stigma made bodies hard to come by. Learn how the shocking Burke & Hare murder trials changed that 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 Déjà vu Work?
If you've ver gotten the strange feeling that you’re repeating an experience, researchers have about 40 theories for what was going on in your brain. Learn how déjà vu might work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Animals Survive Big Storms?
Sadly, not all animals make it through major storms like hurricanes, but some have impressive survival skills. Learn how they manage in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Often Have Supreme Court Nominees Been Rejected?
Many presidents' nominations of justices to the Supreme Court go through uncontested, but some have gotten seriously sticky. Learn the history of Supreme Court nominations in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Physics as We Know It About to Change?
Newly researched cosmic rays seem to behave differently than the laws of physics say they should. Learn how this could help us fill in some blanks about our universe in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Can't You Reach the End of a Rainbow?
Rainbows may look like they touch the ground somewhere off in the distance, but it's impossible to find that spot. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Coconut Oil a 'Superfood' or 'Pure Poison'?
Recent guidelines from the American Heart Association warn that coconut oil is not a healthy food, despite popular claims that it's a miracle worker. 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: Why Do Men Have Deeper Voices?
Of course, everybody's voice varies, but in general male humans develop lower-pitched voices than female humans starting around puberty. Learn why in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Can Sunlight Make You Sneeze?
Sudden exposure to bright light makes some people sneeze -- but why? Learn the leading theory in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Was the First Computer?
The first machine for computation was designed in the 1800s! Learn how its creators, Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace, set about inventing it in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is Blackface So Controversial?
It may seem like folks make too big of a deal over blackface, but its history puts that outrage into perspective. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Our Bones Grow?
We humans are fairly squishy, and we eat fairly squishy food. So how do we grow hard bones? Learn how it happens 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 History of Southern Biscuits?
Fluffy biscuits are a cornerstone of Southern cuisine, but they're a relatively recent invention. Learn the history behind this baked good in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could a Giant Squid Take Down a Submarine?
Tales of squid attacking ships go way back, and there are some known instances of squid attacking subs, but could a cephalopod really take down a modern vessel? Learn what researchers think in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are Ice Pops Called Quiescently Frozen Confections?
You won't find the word 'popsicle' on the packaging for some ice pops -- instead, they're called 'quiescently frozen confections'. Learn why this sciencey term is used instead of the more simple one in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Happens to Balloons When You Release Them?
How high can helium balloons go before they burst? Do they always burst? Learn about the physics of escaped balloons 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 Weather and Climate?
When concepts are as intertwined as weather and climate, it can be easy to mix them up. Learn the difference, and why it matters so much in discussions about the environment, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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 episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Is Nuclear Pasta?
No, it's not radioactive noodles -- nuclear pasta is the term for weird material produced in neutron stars. Learn why astrophysicists are so interested in 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.
What Would Happen If You Wrecked a Car on a Test-Drive?
If you wreck a car during a test-drive, would you have to pay for it? Learn how car dealers handle this surprisingly rare occurance in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does Milk Really Make Mucus Worse?
There's a millennia-old idea that milk causes mucus production, and therefore that you should avoid milk if you're sick. Learn whether there's any truth to this snotty tale in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do We Get Hiccups?
What's happening when you get hiccups, and how can you stop them? Learn how hiccups work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Printing with Sound the Wave of the Future?
It's hard to print with stuff like liquid metals and living cells using traditional inkjet-style machines, but new tech that uses sound waves may make it easier. 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.
Could Jupiter Have Water After All?
Astronomers have long suspected that Jupiter contains lots of water, but they've never been able to prove it. Learn about the new research that could help -- and thus solve lots of questions about our solar system -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who Is The Laughing Buddha?
Statues of this jolly fellow adorn the register counters of many Chinese American restaurants, but he's not the Buddha. Learn about this Buddhist diety in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Was The Great Pox?
You've heard of smallpox, but what was the great pox? And did Shakespeare have it? Learn about the spread of (spoiler alert) syphilis in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Side Sleeping Help Prevent Snoring?
Snoring can root from a number of causes, but sleeping on your side can usually help prevent it. Learn the science of snores 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 Drink So Much Bottled Water?
Water is essentially free, so why do Americans spend billions on bottles of it? Learn the history behind bottled water's popularity, from marketing to health scares, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.