BrainStuff

Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.

Introducing: TechStuff Trailer

Hi, BrainStuff listeners! iHeartPodcasts has a new and improved hit franchise, TechStuff, hosted by Karah Preiss and OZ! TechStuff is the podcast where technology meets culture. We speak to the folks building the future to understand what tomorrow will look like and how our technology changes us: how we live, love, work, and even die. With a healthy dose of drama, too, as tech titans clash over their interstellar ambitions. Tune in to this top-tier true crime story, but don't just take our word for it, check out the trailer to decide for yourself!     Listen to TechStuff on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

01-24
02:09

How Do Our Eyes Get Their Color?

There are no blue or green pigments in the human eye, so how do those eye colors occur? Learn about the complex genetics and light scattering that give our eyes their color (plus how rare different eye colors are) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/eye/rarest-eye-colors.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

01-22
13:18

Who Actually Wins (and Loses) in a Trade War?

Governments impose tariffs (which are border taxes paid by the importer) to help protect their nation's businesses from foreign competition. Learn how tariffs work, how they don't work, and why they can actually hurt local businesses and consumers in this episode of BrainStuff, based on these articles: https://money.howstuffworks.com/who-wins-loses-in-trade-war.htm; https://money.howstuffworks.com/who-wins-and-loses-if-us-imposes-steel-tariffs.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

01-21
16:52

Why Are Komodo Dragons So Deadly?

We used to think Komodo dragons harbored bacteria in their mouths that made their bites deadly, but it turns out they have venom and iron-tipped teeth to thank. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/komodo-bite.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

01-20
11:38

Do Other Planets Have Tectonic Plates?

Some scientists think tectonic plates are a prerequisite for life as we know it. Learn what we know about plate tectonics elsewhere in our solar system in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/is-earth-only-planet-with-tectonic-plates.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

01-04
10:08

Why (and How) Does Paper Crumple?

It turns out that thin, bendy sheets like paper crumple in predictable ways -- and we can learn a lot from the process. Learn more about the protective physics of crumpling in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/crumple-theory.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

01-03
11:30

BrainStuff Classics: What Exactly Are Frankincense and Myrrh?

Frankincense and myrrh play a part not only in the story of Christmas, but in lots of other religious traditions as well -- and a few practical ones, too. Learn more about these aromatic substances in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this episode: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/question283.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-26
10:38

How Does Fruitcake Work?

Whether you love it, hate it, or hurl it with a trebuchet, fruitcake holds a dense place in holiday traditions. Learn how it came to be (and where to win prizes for throwing it) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/fruitcake.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-25
12:30

Why Carve Radishes for Christmas?

In Oaxaca, Mexico, a pre-Christmas tradition has hundreds of artists carving radishes into fun and festive figures every Dec. 23. Learn about La Noche de Rábanos in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/mexicos-night-of-radishes.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-24
11:06

BrainStuff Classics: Why Don't Evergreen Trees Lose Their Needles?

Evergreens' needles are their leaves, so why don't they change color and drop in the fall? Learn how evergreen leaves work in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/evergreen-trees-dont-shed.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-20
08:41

BrainStuff Classics: How Do Cold-Blooded Animals Survive the Winter?

Reptiles and amphibians have all sorts of adaptations for surviving cold weather, even in places where temperatures dip below freezing. Learn how they manage the cold in this classic episode of BrainStuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-19
11:38

How Did Transcendentalism Shape America?

Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement in the 1800s that has had lasting effects in American society. Learn how it worked in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/transcendentalism.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-18
16:17

How Can We Help Prevent Suicide?

Suidice is a serious public health issue in the U.S., but there are lots of things we can do about it. Learn how communities and individuals can help in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/mental-disorders/us-needs-to-have-ongoing-conversation-about-suicide.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-17
13:26

Which of Today's Animals Lived Alongside Dinosaurs?

When the non-avian dinosaurs died out, a lot of other animals went with them -- but some sturdy species survived. Learn how they evolved and thrived in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/dinosaur-contemporary.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-16
12:29

How Has Honey Been Used in Warfare?

Ancient armies set traps of hallucinogenic honey and mead to incapacitate their enemies. Learn how mad honey works in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/history-hallucinogenic-mad-honey-warfare.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-15
10:39

What Happens During a Supernova?

Supernovae are the spectacular deaths of giant stars -- and they create the elements that make up our universe. Learn how they work and what we learn from them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/supernova.htm/printableSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-14
16:40

Why Does Poison Ivy Cause a Rash?

Poison ivy isn't poisonous -- it causes an allergic reaction that can take days to appear. Learn about poison ivy and how to avoid it in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/poison-ivy.htm/printableSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-08
15:45

What's the History of Frozen Dinners?

Frozen meals have become a near-daily part of many people's lives in less than a century. Learn how refrigeration, food science, and television came together to make frozen foods a thing in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/history-tv-dinner.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-07
14:46

How Do We Build Tunnels Underwater?

It's relatively common for cars and trains to pass through underwater tunnels, but these structures are marvels of modern engineering. Learn how they're blasted, bored, and built from prefab pieces in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/build-underwater-tunnel.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-06
12:43

How Do Platypuses Work?

This creature's amazing amalgam of traits includes fur like a mammal, webbed feet like a bird, eggs like a reptile, electroreception like a shark, and venom that may teach us how to build better painkillers. Learn more about the platypus in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/platypus-poison.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11-30
11:46

Blue Dude

I wish you guys had longer episodes

01-19 Reply

Jeri Bitney

thank you for ending this episode with the reminder to vote.

08-25 Reply

GunsDontKill

Just stick to what you're good with.

04-04 Reply

David Sklar

z

01-18 Reply

Fatemeh Mosalanezhad

چرا هیچی نمیفهمم

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