BrainStuff

Are the buttons we push to cross streets, close elevator doors, and nudge the office thermostat really connected to anything? Some aren’t! Learn how these placebo buttons (don’t) work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have retreats for everything else, so why not survival post-breakup? Learn how these camps hope to help the broken hearted, plus what emotional work they won't cover, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Squid can communicate via patterns they flash on their skin, and the way they create those patterns is stranger than anyone thought. Learn what researchers are learning about it in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever had to apologize for what you said when you were hungry, you may be comforted to know that hanger is real. Learn what causes is -- and how you can stop or even prevent it -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a phrase: big bada-boom. Learn how hurricanes and volcanoes intensify each other in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Implicit biases change the way we act without us even realizing it, and doctors aren't immune. Learn how researchers are trying to help us all identify and change our unconscious biases in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Science has proven that we can be aware of our dreams while we’re in them. But can we really control our dreams? We break it to you gently 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 a camera's flash make your eyes glow red? Tune in to learn how it works -- and how to prevent it -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confirming what dog owners already know, new research shows that dogs really do want to help us when we're sad or upset. Learn how the experiments worked in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some gesticulations come naturally -- scratching your head when you're thinking is so common that it's basically a cliche. But why? Learn what researchers have to say 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 spending money on experiences instead of objects can make you happier, but can it make you a better person? Learn what scientists have found in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phytoplankton are responsible for a lot of the oxygen we breathe, and their wellbeing is made possible by... deserts. Yes. Learn how the Saraha Desert and other dusty debris feeds our oceans in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gender roles of traditional stage magicians and 'lovely assistants' can seem outdated, but behind the scenes, the work has always been pretty equal. Learn how being a magician's assistant works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sitcoms use laugh tracks all the time. But where do they come from? Do they really make us laugh along? Learn about the origins and psychology of laugh tracks in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is this adorable behavior rooted in sensory necessity or purposeful gesticulation? We explore what may be the cutest research ever in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers have set out to catalog the scent compounds that make books and libraries smell so welcoming. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spoiler alert: Totally. Bees and other insects can learn, and thus be trained, using scents. Learn how they could sniff out everything from bombs to cancer in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's bandages work pretty well, but is it time for an upgrade? Learn how researchers are creating smart bandages in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a clear night, the stars seem to wink and twinkle in the sky. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plastics clog our ecosystems and our roads need maintenance -- could fixing one problem help solve the other? Learn how researchers are recycling plastics into useful materials in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does aspirin target your pain? The plants that aspirin were derived from have been used as medicine for about 6000 years, we finally discovered how it works in 1971, and we explain it in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can a single piece of glass look like a mirror from one side but a window from the other? Learn how materials technology makes it possible in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birds and other animals can learn to "talk" to one another, and even work together to spread warnings about predators nearby. 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.

The bigger that numbers get, the harder they are for us to conceive of -- but that doesn't mean they can't be useful. Learn about some just ridiculously huge numbers in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Better out than in. Learn why a politely covered sneeze beats holding one back in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Figuring out what foods were on ancient menus can be tricky, but a mummy called Ötzi the Iceman was preserved with his last meal still intact. Learn what scientists found out about his eating habits in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sports stadiums have a lot of grass that needs to be fertilized, and a lot of urine to dispose of. Learn how researchers are working to solve both problems at once in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erasers lift our mistakes right off the page, but it's not magic -- it's the microscopic physics of stickiness. Learn how erasers work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every day, millions of people safeguard themselves against excessive sweat with a quick roll of antiperspirant. But what does this stuff do, exactly? 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.

Plenty of things are scary these days, so why do people pay good money to see horror movies and go to 'haunted' houses? Learn why psychologists say these fearful experiences are helpful in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fitness enthusiasts often talk about macros and micros. Learn what they are and how much you should be eating in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hypothesis that today's birds evolved from dinosaurs isn't new, but recent research has filled in clues about exactly how that happened. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A president's approval rating may seem like just another number, but statistically speaking, it can have a huge impact on American politics. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Toothpaste actually predates the toothbrush in dental hygiene's history. Learn the long history behind this everyday item in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sure, scent hounds' noses are powerful tools -- but their ears may be the secret to their success. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Process cheese, often called American cheese, is super inexpensive, consistent, shelf-stable, and orange. Learn how this science cheese is made in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celebrities and Instagrammers have been singing the praises of activated charcoal as a health supplement, but why? Can it really help make you healthier? Learn the science behind the activated charcoal fad in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Museums collect all kinds of art and artifacts -- this one collects pieces of broken hearts. Learn about some of the items and stories held in the Museum of Broken Relationships in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like many fringe theories, the idea that there's a massive conspiracy to conceal a known cure for cancer is mostly misplaced wishful thinking. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite their name and their somewhat scary appearance, 'Vampyroteuthis infernalis' squid aren't blood-suckers. Learn why they're pretty cool anyway in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carbon dioxide is a waste product of gasoline- and coal-burning engines, and it's a serious pollutant. But what if we could capture that carbon and recycle it into usable fuel? Learn why researchers say we're getting close in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The border between the United States and Mexico is at the center of much political and social debate in 2018 -- but how did we get here? How much crime really crosses the border? Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We attribute lots of potential health effects to green tea, but the Victorians had a strange one: they thought it caused hallucinations. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a young age, male and female bullies develop different ways of getting under their targets' skin. Learn more -- plus how to help kids combat girl-style bullying -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robotic animals can help law enforcement agents catch poachers in the act -- but only if the robots are convincing enough. Learn a few things engineers are doing to make their robots more realistic in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some researchers are calling a previously overlooked type of tissue a new human organ. Learn what it does and why it was never identified before in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fashion designers and their work are everywhere these days, from our closets to the runways. But one man started it all: Charles Frederick Worth. Learn who he was and how he created haute couture in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over two-thirds of gun-related deaths in America are suicides. This stunning fact is bringing gun rights and gun control advocates together for a common cause. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Waterbeds were a mainstay of opulent '80s culture, but why did they fall out of fashion? How have they evolved since then? Could they climb back from the pits of public disfavor? Explore in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spoiler alert: The answer is probably 'climate change' -- but some of the world's oldest and hardiest baobab trees are dying, and researchers aren't entirely sure why. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.