Today we have a special episode featuring an old friend of ours -- scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao. Time Magazine recently named her the first-ever Kid of the Year!

We first met Gitanjali back in 2018, when she was the co-host for a series of episodes we did all about water. Back then, she was a 12 year old who had recently won 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

Now, she's a very busy 15 year-old who is an inventor, STEM advocate and author. Molly and Gitanjali chat about how kids can turn their ideas into reality, and why kids shouldn't be afraid to share their viewpoints and skills with the world -- we need them!

Gitanjali has also written a book, which you can check out here.

Also, you can hear Gitanjali judge a very science-y Smash Boom Debate: Helium vs Neon!

Check out the water series that Gitanjali co-hosted:

• What’s in your water?
• The wonderful weirdness of water
• Keeping water healthy, one clue at a time
• Burning rivers of fire

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Synthesizers are a very recent invention, especially when you compare them to acoustic instruments, like pianos and guitars. In this episode, we learn how these machines with keys, knobs, switches, buttons and sliders actually make sound. We’ll also travel back to the 1960’s and hear how synth pioneers like Bob Moog helped bring these sound making devices into the mainstream. Plus, we’ll check in with Suzanne Ciani, who has been using her synthesizer to create iconic sounds for movies, television and video games for over 50 years! All that plus a striking Mystery Sound and Moment of Um that answers the question: Do airplanes have a speed limit?

Want to take a deeper dive into the world of synthesizers? Check out Francis Preve’s digital book, AudioKit Synth One: The Ultimate Guid‪e‬. It’s free!

Today’s episode is sponsored by Sun Basket (sunbasket.com/brainson promo code: brainson)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If habits are really stuck, we don't think much about them -- we just do them! Some habits are good (like brushing your teeth in the morning) and others are not as good (like biting your nails).

Today we find out what parts of our brains help us form habits and why it's actually super useful to not have to think so hard about everything. Gungador tries to break a bad habit, and we find out the best tips for ditching habits we want to leave behind.

Plus: A brand new mystery sound and a Moment of Um that answers the question: "How do 3D glasses work?


If you want to join the Brains On fan club and get a mailing of awesome temporary tattoos, have an adult sign up or update your mailing address at brainson.org/fanclub

Today’s episode is sponsored by KiwiCo (kiwico.com and promo code BRAINSON) and Purple (purple.com/brainson10 and promo code BRAINSON10).

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We’ll be back with new episodes in January. But we wanted to share another show with you that we’ve been working on: Smash Boom Best!

It’s a debate show where we take two cool things, smash them together and let you decide which one is best. Today we’re sharing with you an excerpt from a debate featuring our very own Sanden Totten: Flowers vs Rainbows

Sanden is repping team flowers and our good friend Joy Dolo, host of Forever Ago, is arguing for team rainbows.

To hear the rest of the debate, find Smash Boom Best wherever you listen to podcasts. There are over 30 debates ready for your binge listening this holiday season! Play along at home by yourself -- or with your family! You can find score sheets and other fun stuff at smashboom.org

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Bones! They’re spooky. They’re creepy. They’re utterly fascinating!

This episode we dig up the science behind skeletons. We’ll look at how our bones grow, what happens when we break a bone and why bones last so long. Plus, we’ll meet a talking skeleton who will help us bone up on bone trivia!

And we have a mystery sound to tickle your auditory ossicles and a Moment of Um that answers the question: Why does time fly when you're having fun?

We’re taking a break after this episode and will be back with new episodes on Jan. 5th. Until then, we’d love for you to go check out our sister show Smash Boom Best (smashboom.org).

We’re also going to be doing a live virtual hangout in November where you can ask Molly, Marc, Sanden and Menaka all your questions. Anything you want to ask, we’ll answer! If you want to join us, the first step is to sign up for our totally free fan club (brainson.org/fans). In November we’ll send an email out to the fan club with more details about this free, virtual hang out. So keep an eye out for that!

This episode is sponsored by KiwiCo (kiwico.com/brainson), Ancestry (ancestry.com/brainson), Purple (purple.com/brainson10), Guardian Bikes (guardianbikes.com/brains), and Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls (pillsbury.com/products/cinnamon-rolls).

You can support the show and help us keep making new episodes at brainson.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having a sibling is a special thing -- but, wow, can they be annoying! In this episode we’ll look at why our brothers and sisters are so good at pushing our buttons. Plus, is there any truth to the idea that oldest kids are the most mature and the youngest ones are the most charming? We’ll look at the science of personality and birth order. We also visit a sibling drive-thru, get quizzed about animal relationships and answer this question in our Moment of Um: why does rain come in small droplets?

This episode is sponsored by:

KiwiCo (https://kiwico.com/brainson)

Ancestry (https://ancestry.com/brainson)

White Hat Jr. (https://www.whitehatjr.com/)

General Mills Pillsbury (https://www.pillsbury.com/products/cinnamon-rolls)

If you want to find out more about how to stop bullying, please go to Stop Bullying Speak Up: http://includesomeone.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The flu shot changes every year. But why is the flu special, if other illnesses have much longer-lasting vaccines? This episode takes us into the world of viruses and immunity.

We released this episode about flu vaccines last year but we wanted to share it with you again since it’s flu vaccine season but also because vaccines are in the news a lot lately. Scientists are testing a bunch of vaccines for the new coronavirus right now. This episode gets into the details of how vaccines work and how they’re made.

A friendly lymphocyte fills us in on how flu shots work, and science journalist Anna Rothschild shares how vaccines started around the world. We'll hear from some virus-busting detectives to see how scientists solve the case of how to make next year’s flu shot as effective as possible. Author Maryn McKenna will stop by and drop some flu knowledge, too!

Get your ears ready for a good, thumping mystery sound, and a new Moment of Um: how do straws work?

This episode is sponsored by KiwiCo (KiwiCo.com/brainson), Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls, Guardian Bikes (GuardianBikes.com/brains) and Varsity Tutors (VarsityTutors.com/brainson). You can support the show at brainson.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If time feels weird to you lately, you’re not alone. The pandemic has changed the pace of life for people around the world. We’ll talk to a psychologist about how our sense of time works. We’ll look back into the past to see how a similar pandemic played out 100 years ago. Plus, we’ll ask experts to tell us what they think life will be like six months from now.

Oh yeah, and virus podcasters Kara and Gilly are back to tell you how you can be a part of history! Warning: Boogers are involved. Our Moment of Um answers the question: why do your arms move when you walk?

This episode is sponsored by:

Stop Bullying Speak Up (http://includesomeone.com)

KiwiCo (https://kiwico.com/brainson)

Laurel Springs Online School (https://laurelsprings.com/brainson)

AncestryHealth (https://ancestryhealth.com/brainson)

Daily Harvest (https://dailyharvest.com)

General Mills Pillsbury (https://www.pillsbury.com/products/cinnamon-rolls)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are mountains made? What causes an earthquake? How does hot lava come bubbling up? The answer in each case is…tectonic plates!

These are giant, moving slabs of rock covering the Earth’s surface. When they slide past or smash into each other it shakes the planet. But, they also helped shape the land we live on.

Find out how they work with an extreme cooking demonstration (you’ll never see peanut M&Ms the same way). Meet the scientist who thought long ago all the continents were smushed together in a super-continent (spoiler: he was right!). Plus an interview with a USGS scientist about what our planet might look like in a million years.

All that plus a mystery sound and a Moment of Um about stinky breath. Listen up and rock on!

This episode is sponsored by:

Guardian Bikes (https://guardianbikes.com/brains)

Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (https://www.pillsbury.com/products/cinnamon-rolls)

Hank the Cowdog podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hank-the-cowdog/id1529174742)

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A listener asked how making  Brains On is different during the pandemic. So with this episode we're giving you a peek into how we're making the show while staying safe. Spoiler alert: we're doing it all from our homes!

What's the best way to record crystal clear sound at home? (Hint: Lots of soft surfaces!) How do we make sound effects? How do we get all the animals, humans and machines in our homes to keep it down while we tape? Plus: We asked our co-hosts to share what it was like for them to record and episode from home. All that, plus a brand new mystery sound and a Moment of Um that answers the question: how do rocks form?

This episode is sponsored by:

Purple.com (https://purple.com/brainson10 Promo code: brainson10)

Daily Harvest (https://dailyharvest.com Promo code: brainson)

PayPal - you can download the PayPal app at https://paypal.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.