BrainStuff
2,727 episodes — Page 43 of 55
Why Don't All Skeletons Become Fossils?
Skeletons of ancient animals sometimes become fossilized. But if this happened to every animal that ever lived, wouldn’t we be swimming in a sea of fossils right now? BrainStuff explains why only a fraction of animal bones turn into fossils. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does TV Resolution Matter?
You’ve heard all the hype about high-definition TV, ultra-high definition and more. But does this mad race to jam more pixels on a screen actually matter? Tune in to learn more about the human eye and digital resolution. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What's The Most Expensive Book In The World?
Sometimes super-wealthy people like to spend millions on a single book. Which one cost the most? Hint: It’s about water and it's written backwards. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Will You Most Likely Die?
Death is the most mysterious and inevitable part of the human experience. But how will we go? Christian takes a closer look at the most common causes of death across the globe. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did the Brontosaurus Exist?
The Brontosaurus technically hasn't existed in the living/breathing sense of the word for 150 million years. But did it ever exist? Was this iconic dinosaur the result of misclassification? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why is Bird Poop White?
Bird poop: It’s the bane of cars, statues, awnings and occasional hapless pedestrians across the world. But what is this stuff anyway? Why does it look so unnatural? Why is it white? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can Your Eyes Pop Out Of Your Head When You Sneeze?
You’ve heard that if you can keep your eyes open during a sneeze, you’ll be rewarded with the sensation of both eyeballs popping out of their sockets. Is that true? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Crowds Can Kill You
People mean well, but in high-density situations we begin to risk our safety. Learn how a crowd can turn into a deadly disaster. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Agoraphobia Work?
Agoraphobia is a complicated and difficult psychological condition that is easily misunderstood. Learn about life with agoraphobia in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Fire Extinguishers Work?
Fire extinguishers are nearly ubiquitous, and they can be an invaluable, life-saving device. But what’s inside those little red cylinders, and how does it stop a fire? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Juice Cleanses Work?
Juice cleanses are all the rage. But do they actually provide any health benefits? Christian explains. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Is The Dwarf Planet Ceres?
What Is The Dwarf Planet Ceres? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Does Coffee Make You Have To Poop?
Christian explains why coffee makes many people have to go to the bathroom. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does The Placebo Effect Work?
A placebo is a phony drug used to test the efficacy of real drugs in clinical trials… but here’s the weird part. Sometimes, placebos can make patients better. How? Why? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Antiperspirants Work?
Every day, millions of people safeguard themselves against excessive sweat with a quick roll of antiperspirant. But what does this stuff do, exactly? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can You Reach The End of a Rainbow?
The end of the rainbow may be the best place to raid a leprechaun stash, but it proves a strangely difficult destination to reach. Christian explains why you can’t get there, and why there really isn’t even a a “there” there. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are Some People Afraid of Clowns?
Clowns are usually brightly-colored, goofy, raucous characters designed to be the life of any party. However, it’s no secret that they’re not universally adored. In fact, some people find clowns downright frightening. But why? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is a "Dog Year" Really 7 Years?
You may have heard that dogs age differently than humans. But is it true? Get the facts on your pooch without having that ever-awkward “so… how old are you really?” conversation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Jet Lag Work?
Yeah, your sleeping pattern gets screwy when you fly to different time zones. But what are the symptoms of jet lag? What causes it? And how can you remedy it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Does The Shower Get Hot When The Toilet Is Flushed?
Were you burned the last time someone flushed the toilet while you were showering? It's a simple plumbing fix. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do You Find Water In The Wild?
In case you ever get stranded in the wild without an obvious source of fresh water, here are a few things you can do to collect some. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Are Eye Boogers?
The gunk builds up at the inner corners of our eyes is residue of the stuff the coats and protects our eyeballs all the time. Learn what it’s made of and why it turns to sand overnight. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do We Get Morning Breath?
Every morning we wake up with bad breath. What does bacteria and a lack of saliva have to do with it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do Animals Laugh?
It’s no secret that some animal species are highly intelligent – but do they also “get” jokes? Can they laugh? Are laughter and intelligence even related? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Much Does It Cost To Run For President?
There’s a big difference between running for President and actually winning the election. So how much money will you need to have a decent shot at being Commander-in-Chief? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Can I See the Stuff Astronauts Left On the Moon?
Astronauts left over a hundred items on the moon's surface. But are today's telescopes powerful enough to see what's there? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Would Space Do To The Human Body?
Space without a suit? You’ll probably die from the lack of pressure in a vacuum. But other extreme hazards won’t help either. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does "Power Dressing" Actually Work?
Dressing up to feel powerful may have been a fashion fad of the 1980s, but do we still think differently if we wear formal clothes? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Dirty Is Soap?
It’s good hygiene to wash your hands after touching shared bathroom surfaces. But bars of soap are a shared surface. Does soap really help get you clean? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Hair Dye Work?
Some hair dyes are basically fine-grained paint. But dyes that stick with you for more than a couple weeks physically and chemically change each hair. Learn how with Christian Sager. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Tattoo Machines Work?
Tattoo machines (sometimes called guns) haven’t changed much since the 1890s because they’re such elegant devices. Tune in to learn how the most common types work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Could Alien Life Exist?
What makes a planet ideal for sustaining life? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Does the Human Body Really Replace Itself Every 7 Years?
The short answer is “no.” Tune in to learn how long it really takes, plus how nuclear weapons led scientists to the solution. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are Plants Conscious?
Scientists have found evidence that plants have senses, memories, and can even communicate with each other. But does this mean they're conscious? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are There So Many Different Kinds of Milk?
Christian explains the difference between common types of milk, looking at calories, fat and the rest of their composition. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Happens When You Get Ringing In Your Ears?
Tinnitus is what makes your ears ring after a loud noise. And it's really annoying. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Do We Get Brain Freeze?
We all know what an ice cream headache feels like. Christian's here to explain why they happen. It involves temperature (duh), nerves and lots of blood. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is Synesthesia?
It’s true – some people hear colors, or taste words. But what produces synesthesia? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is It So Difficult To Chug A Gallon of Milk?
It's one of the strangest - and potentially grossest - challenges out there. But what happens when you drink milk? Why does it make you throw up? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Vocal Fry Work?
You’ve probably heard people complaining about vocal fry, and you’ve certainly heard it used in conversation, but what causes it? Christian explains the science of fry and creak 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 Work?
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 Christian explains it to you now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Long Would It Take To Walk Around The World?
Christian explains what goes into calculating how long it would take to traverse the globe on foot, and tells us about some intrepid explorers who've tried to do it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Déjà vu Work?
Ever gotten the strange feeling that you’re repeating an experience? Researchers have over 40 theories about what’s going on in the brain during déjà vu, and Christian is here to explain the most popular ones. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Does Crooke's Radiometer Work?
Christian explains the science behind this seemingly magical gizmo. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What the Heck is GDP?
GDP, GNP – what does it all mean? Jonathan explains what economists mean when they bring up these common economic indicators. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Determines Your Hair Color?
There's a lot of natural variation in the color of human hair. What's the physical explanation for the difference? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Is Bacon Considered A Breakfast Food?
Sure, everyone knows that bacon and eggs are a traditional breakfast - but why? Listen in to learn how Freud's nephew invented PR and changed the way America eats breakfast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Are Brain Orgasms And ASMR Whisperers?
Christian delves into the euphoric sensations of the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) and reveals what triggers it and how science has responded so far. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Way We Think About Sugar Is Going To Change
The FDA recently changed their Nutrition Facts label to include added sugars. But why? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Do Erasers Erase?
Erasers lift our mistakes right off the page, but it's not magic - it's the microscopic physics of stickiness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.