BrainStuff
2,727 episodes — Page 40 of 55
Can Losing Sleep Make You Gain Weight?
Research indicates that sleep is one of the many factors in how our bodies create, store, and burn fat. We explore (and offer a few tips for getting the most out of your sleep) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Happens to the Unclaimed Dead?
When people die without family, or without identification, their local government lays them to rest. Learn about these fascinating traditions and how they've developed over the centuries in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are the Oceans Salty?
Seawater is salty because of several quirks in Earth's water cycle. Learn the reasons why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Technology Replace Animal Testing?
Trying potential medical treatments on animals was once the best that science could do, but new technologies could make animal testing obsolete. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Can We Recycle More, and Smarter?
China has long bought waste plastic for recycling from North America and Europe, but their policies are changing. What can we do with a surplus of waste, and how can we make the situation better in the future? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Can We Learn from Fish about Walking?
Some fish that strut the seafloor share a common ancestor with humans, so researchers are hoping that studying these fish could help us understand how we walk. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does Technology Make Us Worse Drivers?
Any high-tech car feature that takes your attention away from the road is a distraction, but are even our automatic safety systems actually making driving more dangerous? We explore in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Boogers Form?
Snot is a crucial part of our immune system and sinus health, and boogers are a byproduct of that system. Learn how they form (plus, why eating them might be advantageous) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are Mass Shootings Happening in U.S. Schools?
Beyond the U.S. gun control debate, another question deserves examination: Why are schools so frequently the sites of mass gun violence in America? We explore the psychology and potential solutions in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Room-Temperature Pizza Safe to Eat?
Leftover pizza can be an excellent snack or even a staple -- if it's treated correctly. Learn why refrigerated leftovers are safer than slices left at room temp, plus what toppings hold up best, 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 Better Alternative to Cash Bail?
Cash bail punishes the poor by setting a high price on freedom -- literally. But are there any better alternatives that won't break local governments' budgets? We explore in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cuttlefish Camouflage Is an Energy-Efficient Superpower
Researchers have found that cuttlefish's ability to change their color and texture at will is even more impressive than previously thought. Learn why -- and how technology might copy these abilities -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Where Did Middle Names Come From?
Having a first, middle, and last name is common in the West, but this wasn't always the case. Learn the history of middle names in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are Stars and Planets Nearly Spherical?
Planets and stars are basically spheres, but why? We explore the science in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Female Praying Mantises Really Decapitate Mates?
The female praying mantis: maneater or misaligned? Learn the science behind this popular semi-myth in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do Humans Dream?
The human brain is full of mysteries, and why we dream is a big one. Learn the leading theories about why we dream in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does Hot Yoga Need to Be So Hot?
Do students of hot yoga, who practice at 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), reap more health benefits than room-temperature practitioners? Learn what the research says in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Humans Control Volcanic Eruptions?
Spoiler alert: Not yet. But researchers are working on it. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sea Turtles Are Hatching Up to 99 Percent Female
A sea turtle's sex is determined by the temperatures in its hatching site, and global warming is making the Great Barrier Reef warmer than ever before. What could this mean for the future of sea turtles? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are We Getting Lonelier?
Experts are divided on whether modern lifestyle factors, like social media use and smaller family units, are leading to greater lonliness. Either way: What can we do about it? We explore in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Human Waste Feed Astronauts?
It sounds gross, but stick with us: Researchers are working on recycling astronauts' waste into food for edible stuff. Learn how (and why) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Autonomous Vehicles Break the Speed Limit?
In the incredible future, robots may be able to drive your car -- but will they be able to speed? Today's self-driving cars can. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An Ice Cream that Doesn't Melt
Researchers and chefs in Japan have invented an ice cream that doesn't melt on sunny days -- and it's all thanks to deformed strawberries. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Used Books Spread Germs?
Libraries are bastions of knowledge -- but are they also bastions of germs? Short answer: Nope! For the long answer, tune in to this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did Velociraptors Really Hunt in Packs?
Did real-life raptors work together they way they do in 'Jurassic Park' movies? Do we even have the right raptors? Learn the leading theories in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Can Technology Help Stop Rhino Poachers?
A database of rhinoceros DNA is helping catch violent poachers looking to sell rhino horns on the black market. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Magic Mushrooms Help Stop Depression?
Although psychadelic drugs are largely recreational these days, scientists are looking into potential therapeutic uses -- especially in patients for whom nothing else works. Learn how psilocybin may fight depression in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can You Be Addicted to Love?
Feelings of euphoria leading to obsessive behavior and potentially life-ruining decisions: Love can be as powerful as any drug. Learn how love affects the brain in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Automatic Toilets Waste Water?
Automatic-flush toilets are supposed to be more sanitary, but does that come at an environmental price? Learn why phantom flushes happen and what the industry is doing about it in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Happens to Mardi Gras Beads?
Festive beads are key to New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration, but they're also causing a major headache to the city's sanitation department. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can People Be Allergic to Water?
OK, it's not technically an allergy, but yes: People can have extreme skin reactions to water. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Much of the Internet Is Underwater?
Undersea internet cables connect continents and transmit virtual tons of data. Amidst concerns that these cables could be sabotaged, digital industry experts weigh in on this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are We in an Insect Armageddon?
A recent study found that bug biomass has been steadily decreasing -- in some areas, we may only have 25% of the insects that we had 30 years ago. But what's to blame, and what could this mean for the future? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What on Earth Are Skyquakes?
There are plenty of potential reasons for a boom to rumble through the air, but skyquakes don't seem to be attached to any of the usual suspects. Learn more about these mysterious phenomena on BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Vegetarians' Farts Smell Worse?
Not all flatulence is created equal -- your diet has a huge impact on the gas you pass. So whose farts are smellier: vegetarians or omnivores? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are Wine Glasses Getting Bigger?
People are drinking more wine than they used to. Could the ever-increasing size of wine glasses be behind this trend? Learn how today's average serving stacks up against history's in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Should You Give Cats Milk?
Pop culture often shows cats happily sipping saucers of milk, but giving a cat milk isn't actually the best treat for it -- or you. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Which States Get the Most Money from the Federal Government?
Due to states' differing taxes and needs, some give the U.S. federal government far more money than they receive, and some receive far more than they pay. Interestingly, this tends to fall along party lines. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Astronauts React to Lunar Landing Conspiracy Theories?
Fringe theorists sometimes question whether the 1969 moon landing actually happened. In this episode of BrainStuff, we explore how astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have reacted when asked whether it's all a conspiracy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Drones Replace News Helicopters?
Flying robotic drones equipped with cameras are a lot cheaper than helicopters for catching events as they happen. But they do have downsides. Could they really replace news choppers? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Some Fabrics Make Body Odor Worse?
Body odor happens when bacteria thrive in our sweat, so the ways your clothes deal with sweat can make a difference. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Is the 25th Amendment?
With some reports questioning the American president's mental stability, some pundits have asked whether the 25th Amendment might be enacted to remove him. But what does this Amendment say, and what can it really do? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Did a Parisian Lemonade Craze Fight the Plague?
While the black plague ravaged the rest of France, Paris remained relatively untouched -- and they may have had their fondness for lemonade to thank. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Colonists Dig Up Ice on Mars?
Spoiler Alert: Yes. Researchers have found nearly pure water ice just below the surface of Mars, in regions easy to reach by human explorers or colonists. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can the Speed of Video Make Us Look More Innocent or Guilty?
Slow-motion video is often used to show jurors how a possibly criminal event took place, but is this practice fair to the accused? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Animal Has the Best Echolocation Abilities?
Bats, dolphins, and other animals all use sonar to navigate, but the narwhal has them all beat, and it's thanks to narwhals' distinctive horns. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Anxiety Cause Underarm Sweat?
Anxiety can cause sweaty palms and armpits -- but why? And how can you combat it? Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Do (and Don't) We Know About the Pentagon's UFO Program?
Over the years, the U.S. government has funded several programs that investigate alleged UFO sightings. How much does the public know about what they found? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Green Is Your Favorite Superhero?
To draw attention to the average citizen's carbon footprint, a team of researchers calculated the eco-rating of a number of superheroes. Learn how they rank in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Doesn't Airline Food Taste Good?
If you've ever noticed that airplane food is a little lackluster, the recipe isn't necessarily to blame. Learn how a plane's altitude and even engine noise can affect flavors in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.