BrainStuff
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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.
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2592 episoodi
What's the Difference Between Socialism and Communism?
Socialism and communism are often mentioned in the same breath, and they do share a common history, but socialists aren't necessarily communists -- an...
How Do Vaccines Prevent Diseases?
Our bodies can often prevent us from catching the same illness twice, and vaccines use that bodily system to prevent us from getting sick in the first...
BrainStuff Classics: How Did Sealab Work?
In the 1960s, advances in technology allowed brave aquanauts to explore deeper into the ocean than ever before, but the project was shut down. Learn h...
How Do Slow Lorises Work?
The slow loris is the world's only venomous primate, but it looks like a cuddly plush toy. Learn why you shouldn't go in for a snuggle in this episode...
How Do Venus Flytraps Work?
Venus flytraps can photosynthesize like most other plants, but they supplement their diet by catching insects and arachnids. Learn what we know (and d...
How Did Jerry Lawson Change the Course of Video Gaming?
In the 1970s, Jerry Lawson was instrumental in creating the first cartridge-based video game console and the first digital joystick -- and he did it a...
Why Is Glass Transparent?
Glass windows are as solid as the materials that surround them, yet they let light through. Learn the physics of why glass can be so transparent -- an...
BrainStuff Classics: Should We Retest Licensed Drivers Periodically?
Although some driving skills can deteriorate with age, experienced drivers tend to be the safest drivers. To an extent. Learn when and how experts thi...
How Did President Jimmy Carter Work?
As a U.S. President, Jimmy Carter championed education and renewable energy as keystones of a healthy nation. Outside of office, he helped other natio...
Why Are Truffles So Expensive?
Truffles are fungi that grow underground, are almost exclusively foraged, and taste best extremely fresh. Learn about truffle biology, truffle flavori...
How Do Alligator Snapping Turtles Work?
This positively prehistoric-looking freshwater turtle is the largest in North America -- and it catches fish by wiggling a worm-like lure. Learn more...
Did Victorians Really Have a Language of Flowers?
In floriography, flowers and other plants are associated with meanings or sentiments (like physical emoji) -- but could you really send a message with...
How Did the Cowboy Gallop into American History?
Cowboy culture didn't start in the Wild West. Learn about the Spanish, Indigenous, and Black history of cowboys in this episode of BrainStuff, based o...
How Does Skin Tan and Burn?
When our skin deepens in color after sun exposure, it's trying to protect us from damage. Learn how it works -- plus why you should help it out with s...
BrainStuff Classics: Why Are Opossums Awesome?
They eat trash and they look a little freaky, but the North American opossum is a smart, clean, disease-fighting, and all-around fascinating creature....
BrainStuff Classics: What Happens to Donated Blood?
After you donate blood, it goes through a complex system of testing, processing, and storage before it can be delivered to patients who need it. Learn...
6 Historical Words That Don't Mean What You Think
Originally, Hedonists believed in moderation and Luddites were just looking to protect their job security. Learn about these and other words that've c...
How Do HeLa Cells Work?
Most of the human cells grown in labs that are used for scientific research come from samples taken from one woman in the 1950s. Learn about the amazi...
Why Is North Sentinel Island Totally Off-Limits?
This small island in the Bay of Bengal is home to one of the last uncontacted peoples on the planet -- and they seem to want to keep it that way. Lear...
How Have Obituaries Changed?
Public death notices about common people are a fairly recent development, and they've changed a lot since their inception. Learn how obituaries went f...
BrainStuff Classics: What Is the Mandela Effect?
When many people share a false memory, that's the Mandela Effect in action -- but how does it happen? Learn how our individual brains misremember stuf...
BrainStuff Classics: What's the History (and Future) of Toilets?
The 'modern' toilet was invented in the 1700s. So what was it like in the past, and how could we improve on it in the future? Learn more about waste t...
What Does Habeas Corpus Mean?
Habeas corpus is a centuries-old legal concept that basically means that the government has to have a valid legal reason if it's going to detain you....
Who Named the Planet Earth?
In most European languages, the planets are all named after Roman gods -- except for the planet you're hanging out on right now. Learn how Earth and t...
Does the Bunyip Really Roam Austraila's Wetlands?
A cryptid with a fearsome bellow, the bunyip is said to stalk the unwary who swim or walk alone at night in parts of Austraila and New Zealand. Learn...
How Does Foreign Accent Syndrome Work?
Patients with Foreign Accent Syndrome seem to develop a whole new accent overnight. Learn how it can happen in this episode of BrainStuff, based on th...
How Did Tetris Go from Soviet Passtime to Smashing Success?
During the Cold War, a programmer in the USSR created Tetris as a fun break for his coworkers. Learn how it became one of the best-selling video games...
BrainStuff Classics: Why Is Our Galaxy Warped?
Our galaxy isn't a flat disk -- it's warped like melted vinyl record. Learn how researchers discovered this and why they think it happened in this cla...
BrainStuff Classics: How Long Can Animals Hold Their Breath?
Humans tend to max out at a couple minutes of breath holding, but some air-breathing reptiles and even mammals have evolved to spend extreme lengths o...
How Did the Dawes Act Steal 90 Million Acres of Land from Native Americans?
In the 1880s, an unlikely collaboration between land-hungry capitalists and social progressives ended in the sale of over 60 percent of Native America...
How Do You Make Hummingbird Food Safely?
A hummingbird feeder can help out your local birds (and allow you some prime birdwatching), but it's important to keep one safely and responsibly. Lea...
How Do Ghana's Fabulous 'Fantasy' Coffins Work?
In parts of Ghana and Togo, it's common to send the deceased off in style with coffins carved and brightly painted to resemble anything from chili pep...
How Did Frances Perkins Create America's Social Safety Net?
FDR's Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins, pushed to create Social Security and expand workers' rights -- and she was the first woman to serve in a U....
How Did POGs Become a '90s Phenomenon?
For a brief period in the 1990s, a simple game played with flashy paperboard discs ruled American playgrounds. Learn the history behind POGs in this e...
BrainStuff Classics: Can the Fear of Public Speaking Be Conquered?
As many as 7 in every 10 Americans have a fear of public speaking. Learn how this type of social anxiety develops -- and what you can do to fight it -...
BrainStuff Classics: Why Are Sloths' Toilet Habits So Dangerous?
Sloths only defecate once a week or so, and more sloths die during the process than at any other time. Learn why in this classic episode of BrainStuff...
How Did 'Uncle Tom' Go from Hero to Traitor?
In the 1850s, the abolitionist novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' was America's first bestseller, and its enslaved character Uncle Tom was a heroic martyr. Lea...
Could Orbital Chaos Make the Planets Collide?
Our solar system runs pretty smoothly, but even tiny changes to how the planets, moons, and asteroids move could potentially cause Earth to collide wi...
How Did Woolly Mammoths Work?
These cold-adapted cousins of modern elephants coexisted with humans for thousands of years. Learn what we know (and don't know) about them -- and why...
What Makes You Dizzy When You Stand Up?
If you've ever gotten dizzy and seen stars for a second after standing or moving quickly, don't worry, it's just your heart adjusting to the sudden ch...