BrainStuff

It's not your imagination: Some seasons and dates have more birthdays than others. Learn the most and least popular birthdates (and how they're changing) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/genealogy/most-popular-birthdays.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/could-build-own-gundams.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Prohibition came to an end, Al Capone's mobsters set their sights on the Chicago milk market. Learn about the Milk Wars in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/chicago-milk-wars.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the past hundred years, paleoartists have depicted T. rex with a mouth like a crocodile's -- toothy and lipless. But new research suggests these dinos may have had lizard-like lips. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/dinosaurs/t-rex-lips.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terms like 'alpha wolf' are misleading -- in the wild, wolf packs are ruled by the wolves' parents, not through a pecking order. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/wolf-pack-mentality.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Einsteinium is a heavy, radioactive element that only exists on Earth when humans create it. Learn how it was first discovered and what we're still learning about it in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/einsteinium.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/how-bulletproof-are-bulletproof-vests.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've teamed up with the podcast On the Job to bring you a preview of episode 4: If You Build A Pizza Oven, They Will Come. Jake Wright is a self-described rambling pizza rover. After a failed attempt at a career in music production, Jake decided to combine the two things in life that most excite him: pizza and welding. Now, he tows his mobile pizza oven around Texas, making pizzas at music festivals and rodeos.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before the U.S. Civil War, American mercenaries called 'filibusters' attempted to claim territory in Mexico and Central America for themselves. Learn about the well-deserved fate of one William Walker in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/william-walker.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The etymology of the term 'piggyback' goes back to the 1500s, when it had nothing to do with pigs. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/piggyback-ride.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/burke-and-hare-murderers-for-moneyand-science.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've teamed up with the podcast On the Job to bring you a preview of episode 3: Four Decades and Counting. Meet Terri Weldon, who has been working for Express Employment Professionals for over 40 years. She shares her secrets to long-term professional happiness -- ones that can apply to any workplace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Utahraptor was the largest known raptor -- up to 800 pounds, about the size of a large black bear or small grizzly. Learn how salt helped preserve their fossils in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/dinosaurs/utahraptor.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artists and sculptors have adorned their work with foliate heads for over a thousand years, but the myth of the Green Man only goes back a century. Learn how this motif became an icon in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/green-man.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of our ideas about Cleopatra are based in contemporary propaganda and later pop culture, from Shakespeare to cinema. Learn the truth behind some of these myths in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/cleopatra.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've teamed up with the podcast On the Job to bring you a preview of episode 2: A Mother to the Rescue. As a thrill seeker and born caretaker, Aysia Bly found her dream job as a pediatric flight nurse — where she performs her duties while soaring above Philly in a helicopter. But the job is inherently dangerous, and as a mom to a young son, Aysia must contend with that risk every day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 1800s, a Georgian businessman retooled a giant painting of the Battle of Atlanta to portray the South winning. Learn the history of this epic cyclorama -- and where you can see it today -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-civil-war/atlanta-cyclorama.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can miss a period for lots of reasons other than pregnancy. Learn how stress (be it mental or physical), illness, and other factors can prevent menstruation in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/pregnancy/conception/5-common-reasons-for-late-period.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cans make preserving and transporting food and drinks simple, but canning technology is very complex. Learn the history of pull-tabs and can openers in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://money.howstuffworks.com/food-cans-pull-tabs.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve teamed up with the podcast On the Job to bring you a preview of their new season. In this first episode, ‘Now’s the Time’, economist, author, and baseball fan Michael Walden gives us a macro look at an economy that has bounced back surprisingly well post-COVID, and offers a generally favorable outlook about what’s coming down the pike. You can purchase his 'economic thrillers' at this Amazon Author Page.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every May, the U.S. celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in recognition of the contributions of this diverse group, past and present. Learn how two women campaigned to get it started in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/aapi-month-may.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A genus of flatworms called banded broodsacs have a lifecycle that seems to involve purposefully getting eaten first by snails and then by birds, using a combination of biomimicry and biohacking. Learn about Leucochloridium worms in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/parasitic-worms-snails.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/inventions/who-invented-the-computer.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elephants have a thick hide that's wrinkled from birth, but why? Learn about the research that's revealed the secrets to elephant skin in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/scientists-figure-out-why-elephants-skin-so-cracked.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's slimmest skyscraper is in New York City, where it's less than one-third of the width of comparable buildings. Learn about Steinway Tower in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/architecture/steinway-tower-news.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aboveground nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and '60s has exposed every living thing on Earth to harmful radiation -- but has also made dating the remains of living things much more accurate. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-tests-bomb-pulse.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes our guts rumble when we're hungry, and sometimes when we're full. What gives? Learn about the digestive system and borborygmus in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/digestive/stomach-growling.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buying into disproven conspiracy theories has been scientifically linked with a few unhelpfully human patterns of thought, including illusory pattern perception and confirmation bias. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/conspiracy-theorists-brains-really-are-different.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Motor vehicle license plates have been in use since 1903 in the U.S., and they've changed a lot over the years, from lifetime leather plates to newfangled digital ones. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/cost-of-car-ownership/history-license-plates-in-us.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers have found tiny glass beads on the moon, created by meteorite strikes, with droplets of water attached. Learn how they work -- and how we might be able to harvest that water -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/moon-glass-beads-water.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sudden exposure to bright light makes some people sneeze -- but why? Learn the leading theory in this episode of BrainStuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hollywood bombshell Hedy Lamarr was as interested in engineering as she was in acting, but she's only recently been recognized for her scientific contributions. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this episode: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/famous-inventors/hedy-lamarr.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-science/maraschino-cherries.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even identical twins have different fingerprints -- that's because more than just genetics goes into their formation. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/why-even-identical-twins-have-different-fingerprints.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The spirituals created by enslaved African Americans as a means of expression and communication have impacted both artistic and social movements throughout U.S. history. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/slave-spiritual-music.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rainbows may look like they touch the ground somewhere off in the distance, but it's physically impossible for the viewer to reach the spot where it touches. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This angular, stemmed glass has been synonymous with the martini cocktail for nearly a hundred years. Learn more about the history of both the martini glass and cocktail in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/martini-glass.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you get the wind knocked out of you, your normally automatic breathing system is being temporarily interrupted. Learn how phrenospasm works in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/respiratory/wind-knocked-out.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers have identified at least one asteroid from another sun that's been hanging out in our solar system for billions of years. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/alien-asteroids-been-lurking-in-solar-system-since-beginning.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early 1900s, women who fell deathly ill from working with radioactive paint fought back when their employers denied responsibility. They changed workers' safety laws -- though many didn't live to see the results. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/radium-girls.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent health claims about coconut oil range from 'superfood' to 'pure poison'. Learn why the truth is somewhere in between in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/coconut-oils-superfood-pure-or-poison.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To crack ciphers written centuries ago, historical cryptologists have to be half artist, half accountant, and use some of the most powerful computing tools known today. Learn how a team cracked Mary, Queen of Scots's code in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/math-concepts/historical-cryptologists.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even seemingly passive activities (like listening to music) can interrupt our brains while we're doing something important (like driving). Learn why we're so bad at multitasking in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/turn-down-radio-when-lost.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, BrainStuff fans! Listen to Inner Cosmos hosted by David Eagleman! Neuroscientist David Eagleman tackles the big and totally unexpected questions that live at the intersection of our brains and our lives. Don't just take our word for it, check out the trailer to decide for yourself! About Inner Cosmos: Stanford neuroscientist and bestselling author David Eagleman explores wacky and insightful questions to reveal how modern brain science intersects with our lives, passions, and behaviors. Through thrilling journeys into your Inner Cosmos, Eagleman unfolds totally unexpected facets of our brains, allowing us to see the world from new angles. Listen to Inner Cosmos on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the earliest, most common medical treatments in history (and prehistory!) involved drilling a hole in the patient's skull. Learn more about trepaning in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/surgeries-procedures/trepanation.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These large, land-dwelling flatworms are invasive and toxic -- but they're not dangerous (unless you eat a lot of them, or happen to be an earthworm). Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/hammerhead-worms.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1781, Elizabeth Freeman successfully sued her enslaver for her own freedom. Learn how freedom suits worked pre- and post-American Revolution in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/mum-bett.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Short answer: No one is sure. But it may have once been practical during production, and the dents (a.k.a. punts) in wine bottles are certainly useful now. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/wine-bottle-dent-bottom.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A team of experts has come together to create a scholarly work that's long overdue: a dictionary detailing the historical and modern use of African American English. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/oxford-dictionary-african-american-english.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.