Vacuums are full of surprises! Did you know that they blow air out to suck things up? Or that old-fashioned vacuums were so huge, they had to be hauled from house to house by horses?! 
Join Molly and co-host Baker as they learn all about these awesome appliances. They’ll dig into vacuum history, shrink to the size of air molecules and explore the inside of this curious contraption, and even check out a vacuum museum in Missouri. All that, plus a tricky new mystery sound that will blow you away!
Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!
Today’s episode is sponsored by:
- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order
- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson 
- Inside Out 2 - Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th.




How do vacuums work?

Brains On!® is a science podcast for curious kids and adults from American Public Media. Each week, a different kid co-host joins Molly Bloom to find answers to fascinating questions about the world sent in by listeners. Like, do dogs know they’re dogs? Or, why do feet stink? Plus, we have mystery sounds for you to guess, songs for you to dance to, and lots of facts -- all checked by experts.

Kids & Family

Education for Kids

98.6 degrees is hot. If it were that hot outside, you’d be sweaty and want to go jump in a nice cold pool. But the insides of our bodies are that hot all the time! And that’s because there’s a lot going on in there that creates heat.
In this episode, Molly and co-host Saathvik find out how our bodies keep our insides at a nice steady temperature (and why that’s harder to do when it’s hot outside!). And we’ll talk with Dr. Joe Alcock about why humans and lots of other animals get fevers. Plus, a new mystery sound guaranteed to make you sweat!
Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!
Today’s episode is sponsored by:
- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order
- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson 
- Inside Out 2 - Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th
- PRX's Jamming on the Job - Check out new episodes of PRX's Jamming on the Job wherever you get your podcasts.
- Mrs. Wordsmith - Visit mrswordsmith.com and use code brainson15 to get 15% off your order.


If our bodies are 98 degrees, why does it feel so hot outside?

Looking for some sneaky sound puzzles to solve? Tune in to our all-new mystery sound extravaganza! Join co-host Maggie as she listens to recordings of sounds from Brains On listeners – and tries to figure out what they are. You’ll hear Maggie and her brother Sam go head-to-head in a sibling mystery sound battle and listen to podcast producers Nichole Hill and Yowei Shaw struggle to solve some sonic stumpers. Get your listening ears ready for this one!
Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!
Today’s episode is sponsored by:
- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order
- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson 
- Inside Out 2 - Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th.


It’s a mystery sound extravaganza!

Have you ever wondered why a guitar sounds different from a violin? Or why a banjo is twangy and a cello is mellow? Then this episode is for you!

Join Molly and co-host Ellie as they explore the ear-tickling world of string sounds! Together, they’ll learn about sound waves, and visit the Brains On instrument petting zoo, where they'll learn about all the amazing sounds that stringed instruments can make. Plus, a shiny new mystery sound!
Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!
Today’s episode is sponsored by:
- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order
- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson 
- Paramount’s IF - From writer and director John Krasinski comes a new film about what happens to our Imaginary Friends (IFs) when we grow up. Out in theaters on May 17th!

How do stringed instruments make sounds?

Looks like Marc has a beautiful new plant but doesn’t know where to put it. Direct sunlight or indirect sunlight? It’s too hard to figure out! But you know what’s not hard to figure out? Whether or not you should play Molly’s new game, Radical Design! Grab your Smarty Pass to see what producers Marc Sanchez and Rosie duPont think homes would look like on other planets!

How do vacuums work?

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