BrainStuff

BrainStuff

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BrainStuff episodes

  • Why Did Fruit Evolve in Different Colors?
    Brightly colored fruit stands out against green leaves, but why is some red or pink, while others skew yellow or purple? And why are some fruits smellier than others? Learn what new research says about fruits' evolution in this episode of BrainStuff.
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    5 min
  • Why Is Elephants' Skin So Wrinkly?
    Elephants have a thick hide that's wrinkled from birth, but why? Learn about the new research that's revealed the secrets to elephant skin in this episode of BrainStuff.
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    5 min
  • Why Do We Trick-Or-Treat on Halloween?
    The American practice of kids dressing up and demanding candy from neighbors on October 31st is fairly new, but it's based in centuries of evolving beliefs and traditions. Learn the history of trick-or-treating in this episode of BrainStuff.
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    5 min
  • Are Any Superstitions Universal?
    Do you knock on wood or avoid particular numbers? People around the world adhere to superstitions to attempt to change their luck -- and some of those superstitions are remarkably similar. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff.
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    4 min
  • Would You Really Stay Conscious After Being Decapitated?
    For everything we know about the human brain, consciousness is still mysterious. Could reports of people remaining conscious after being executed by decapitation be true? Learn what science has to say in this episode of BrainStuff. 
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    8 min
  • Would Cannibalism Have Been Calorically Worthwhile?
    Our paleolithic ancestors ate people sometimes. But did they partake because they were really that hungry, or for some other, cultural reason? Learn what researchers think in this episode of BrainStuff.
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    4 min
  • Why Is the Winchester House Built So Strangely?
    We can't prove whether the Winchester Mystery House is really haunted, but it was definitely built for ghosts. Lean the story of how its strange construction was one woman's unending quest in this episode of BrainStuff. 
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    8 min
  • Why Do We Carve Pumpkins Around Halloween?
    The tradition of carving jack-o'-lanterns around Halloween goes back centuries to a folktale about a stingy man who outwits the devil. Learn the tale (and why pumpkins weren't the original carving vegetables) in this episode of BrainStuff.
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    4 min
  • Why Do We Make Our Monsters Cute?
    Pop culture loves making horrific figures adorable, from Cthulhu plushies to 'cute' Freddy Krueger costumes. But why? Learn what researchers think about the spectrum of cute to monstrous in this episode of BrainStuff.
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    6 min
  • Would Psychic Powers Really Cause Nosebleeds?
    You've seen the trope: a character strains their psychic powers and gets a nosebleed to show for it. But would this actually happen if psychic powers were real? Learn the hypothetical science in this episode of BrainStuff.
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    6 min

About BrainStuff

From the publisher's feed

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.