Lots of creatures are able to glow, like fish, mushrooms, fireflies and even some bacteria! This special ability is called bioluminescence and it looks like magic, but it’s actually chemistry. In this episode, we’ll travel to the bottom of the ocean in the ExPLORERR to meet some super spectacular, bioluminescent friends and find out why so many animals make their own light. And we’ll hear from a scientist who uses bioluminescence in cancer research. Plus a brand new mystery sound!

This episode is sponsored by:

• Disney Plus Originals (Disneyplusoriginals.disney.com - Disney Plus Originals' Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur)




• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - Terms and conditions apply. Cost per application pricing not available for everyone.)




• Thrive Market (Thrivemarket.com/brains - For 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift.)

*****

Do you have your Smarty Pass yet?? Get yours today for just $4/month (or $36/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today!

Xuan June’s hearing aids have kept her company for pretty much her entire life. They go with her to school, tag along for a ride while she skateboards and sit snugly while she draws and dreams up goth-cute fashion designs.

In this episode, Xuan June is getting fitted for a new pair of hearing aids — and she’s invited Molly to come with her! Together they learn all about how these cool superpowered devices work. Plus, we find out how sound travels and get a chance to guess TWO mystery sounds.

This episode was sponsored by:

• Disney Plus Originals (Disneyplusoriginals.disney.com - Disney Plus Originals' Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur)




• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - Terms and conditions apply. Cost per application pricing not available for everyone.)




• Thrive Market (Thrivemarket.com/brains - For 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift.)

*****

Do you have your Smarty Pass yet?? Get yours today for just $4/month (or $36/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um, and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today!

It's just a normal day at Brains On headquarters, until Molly and co-host Aaliyah find Forever Ago host Joy Dolo in the midst of a full-blown stress attack. She has a lot on her agenda: it's her birthday month and Black History Month, she's producing a one-woman show, she's got episodes to host, parades to plan and a self-portrait made entirely out of found objects due for her art class! Joy isn't sure which way is up, if tacos are sandwiches and if she should re-think her entire life. Luckily, there are all sorts of amazing scientists who just happen to be hanging out at Brains On HQ happy to help. Chemist Joya Cooley, urban ecologist Jasmin Green, roboticist Randi Williams, entomologist Jessica Ware and space suit technician Sharon McDougle are on the case, ready to share their wisdom and superpowers with Joy.

This episode is sponsored by Disney Channel and Disney+. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur premieres Friday, February 10 at 8p on Disney Channel and available on Disney+ Wednesday, February 15. Visit disneyplusoriginals.disney.com for more info.

Imagine an exact copy of you, someone with the same hair, eyes and DNA. That’s a clone. Scientists have been able to make clones of some animals. In this episode, we’ll hear the story of Dolly the sheep, the most famous clone ever! We’ll also talk about why people think it would be ethically wrong to clone humans. But natural human clones DO exist! They’re called identical twins and even though they share the same DNA, they can be quite different. We’ll meet two identical twins to talk about their differences, plus an all new Mystery Sound for your ears!

This episode was sponsored by;

• Mathnasium (Mathnasium.com - Contact Mathnasium for a free in-center or online consultation.)




• Thrive Market (Thrive.com/brains - Join Thrive Market today and get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift.)

Concrete is so much more than just a sidewalk. We use it to build playgrounds and skateparks and even musical instruments! But how does it go from a powder to a sludge to the strong building material that we use all over the world? And can we come up with new recipes that are better for the environment?

To celebrate this superlative substance, Molly and cohost Mark are joined by special guest Concreature, a being from the concrete dimension! Tune in for a dose of history, some magnificent moss, and some hot, hot science.

Ancient Egyptians did lots of amazing things, from building pyramids to inventing a form of writing called hieroglyphics. They also mummified important people after they died. In this episode, we’ll explain how that process was done and why. We’ll also meet a museum curator who thinks it might be time to rethink how we study mummified people.

Plus, we’ll find out why so many things from ancient Egypt are still around, meet a biker club that loves respecting other cultures and hear an all new Mystery Sound.

Do insects see the world in slow motion? Do animals see the same rainbow we do? How do eagles see so far away?

Our listeners have a lot of questions about the way animals see the world, and this episode tackles lots of them. We'll visit a lab where scientists are observing predatory insects to find out how their brains work, we'll drop in on the Eyes Open Wider support group for animals, and give you a catchy melody that will help you remember the electromagnetic spectrum -- that's all the light that's both visible and invisible to us.

This episode was sponsored by:

• Elfster (Elfster.com/podcast - Set up a free Secret Santa gift exchange.)




• Shopify (Shopify.com/brainson - Sign up for a free 14-day trial and full access to Shopify's entire suite of features.)




• Storyworth (Storyworth.com/brains - Save $10 on your first purchase.)




• WOW in the World podcast by Wondery

Do you like games? Do you like space? Then this is the episode for you! We’ve got five space-inspired games for you: Cosmic Couplets, Infini-Trivia, First Things First, Stars in Space or Pasta Shapes and, of course, Mystery Sounds! Plus we’ll hear some of the super catchy, dance-your-pants-off space jingles you’ve been sending to us! Get your astronaut gear on, gaze up at the cosmos and get ready to play along!

This episode was sponsored by:

• Elfster (Elfster.com/podcast - Set up a free Secret Santa gift exchange.)




• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - For a $100 sponsored job credit Terms and conditions apply. Offer good for a limited time.)




• Shopify (Shopify.com/brainson - Click for a free 14-day trial and full access to Shopify's entire suite of features.)




• Storyworthy (Storyworth.com/brains - Save $10 on your first purchase.)




• WOW in the World podcast by Wondery

Every time you flush, your poo and pee start an epic journey. From the toilet, to the sewers, to a treatment plant, our waste travels quite a distance only to end up cleaner by the end. We'll hear from a "PooTube" star about her experience with "the flush." We'll also hear about ancient sewers, a "fatberg" under London and a toilet that cleans waste on site. Plus, our Moment of Um answers why you can feel your heart beating in your neck of all places.

This episode was sponsored by:

• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - For a $100 sponsored job credit Terms and conditions apply. Offer good for a limited time.)




• Shopify (Shopify.com/brainson - For a free 14-day trial and full access to Shopify's entire suite of features.)

When most bodies get hot, sweat starts pouring out. Why? In this episode, we'll hop in the Amazing Truck of Minimization (ATOM) to see how sweat glands work from the inside out, take a peek back in time to figure out how we evolved to be so sweaty, and we'll find out if there are any other animals as sweaty as we are. All that plus a brand new mystery sound!

This episode was sponsored by:

• Indeed (Indeed.com/BRAINS - For a $100 sponsored job credit Terms and conditions apply. Offer good for a limited time.)




• Shopify (Shopify.com/brainson - for a free 14-day trial and full access to Shopify's entire suite of features)




• Outschool (Outschool.com/brains - save $15 on your child's first class)




• Bombas (Bombas.com/brainson - get 20% off your first purchase)