BrainStuff

By iHeartRadio & HowStuffWorks

Technology Natural Sciences Science & Medicine

What's BrainStuff about?

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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How Do Birds Sing?

07.19.2019

Birds are the only creature in the world that have the specially evolved organ called the syrinx, and it's what lets them sing. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

BrainStuff episodes:

07.19.2019 How Do Birds Sing? Birds are the only creature in the world that have the specially evolved organ called the syrinx, and it's what lets them sing. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
07.18.2019 How Do Tidal Bores Work? Tidal bores are huge, fast waves that travel the wrong way up rivers, and they only form during very specific circumstances. Learn how they work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
07.17.2019 How Could Hypersonic Missiles Work? There's a new global arms race: to build missiles that could travel at hypersonic speeds. Learn where the technology stands and what it might be capable of in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
07.16.2019 How Health-Helpful Is Turmeric? Adding turmeric to recipes and taking supplements with it (or its active ingredient, curcumin) has become a global trend. Learn what science has to say about turmeric's medicinal properties in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
07.15.2019 How Do We Find Asteroids Inside Earth's Orbit? Although researchers think we've found most large asteroids whose orbits bring them near Earth, some are still surprising us. Learn why -- and how we find them -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
07.12.2019 Can You Live Without a Working Amygdala? The amygdala is a part of the brain that handles fear -- so would having one that doesn't fully function be a good thing or a bad thing? Learn about how fear hurts and helps us in this episode of ...
07.11.2019 What Is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? American soldiers have stood guard over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every minute of every day since July 2, 1937. Learn what this monument means and who's interred there in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices ...
07.10.2019 Who Was History's Most Successful Pirate? In the early 1800s, a woman known as Mrs. Cheng or Ching Shih commanded the world's largest-ever pirate crew -- and she managed to retire and live a long, peaceful life. Learn about Mrs. Cheng's pirate empire in this episode ...
07.09.2019 Is Raw Milk Better Than Pasteurized Milk? Proponents of raw milk (that is, milk that isn't pasteurized or homogenized) say it's healthier and tastes better, but the U.S. government still classifies raw milk as potentially hazardous. Learn both sides of the issue in this episode of BrainStuff. ...
07.09.2019 Why Do Cats Chase Laser Pointers? Something about the bright dot of a laser pointer is irresistible to many cats -- but why? And does this kind of play provide good entertainment for cats? Learn about lasers and the benefits of play for cats in this ...
07.05.2019 How Do Spaghetti Plots Help Predict Storms? There are as many ways to attempt to predict a storm's behavior, and none are perfect. Spaghetti plots help researchers visualize the probabilities of different predictions. Learn how they work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices ...
07.04.2019 Who Was Alan Turing, and What's the Turing Test? Alan Turing was the brilliant mathematician who designed a legendary test of artificial intelligence before computers as we know them even existed. Learn about his life and legacy in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
07.03.2019 Is Canned Food Really Worse Than Fresh or Frozen? Canning foods preserves them, but the texture and nutritive value can suffer -- and what about the potential dangers of BPA and botulism? Learn what's true and what's myth when it comes to canned food in this episode of BrainStuff. ...
07.02.2019 Could the Electoral College Become Obsolete? U.S. presidents are voted into office by the electoral college, made up of representatives from each state. Learn how changing the way electors choose a candidate – from the state’s popular vote winner to the national popular vote winner – ...
07.02.2019 How (And Why) Do Chameleons Change Color? Chameleons don't change color to blend it -- they change to stand out. Learn how they create those colorful patterns in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
06.28.2019 Can You Lactate from Areas Outside Your Breasts? Short answer: Yes. Ectopic lactation can occur when mammary tissue grows in different areas of your body. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
06.27.2019 Why Doesn't Alcohol Have Nutrition Labels? Alcohol contains calories and ingredients like any other beverage, but only rarely does its packaging list those ingredients and nutrition facts. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
06.26.2019 How Did Alchemy Create Chemistry? Alchemists may have never turned lead into gold, but they did create the field of chemistry. Learn how the study of alchemy worked in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
06.25.2019 How Has the Korean War Changed History? The Korean War began 70 years ago today, and remains unresolved. Learn how this war shaped the future of the powers involved in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
06.24.2019 Where's the Line Between Cultural Appropriation and Appreciation? The line between appreciating and appropriating someone else's cultural products can be a blurry one. Learn how respect and research can go a long way in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
06.21.2019 How Does the U.S. Presidential Motorcade Work? The American president's motorcade includes multiple armored vehicles driving in a virtual ballet to ensure its passengers' safety. Learn what goes into creating the presidential motorcade in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
06.20.2019 How Do Isotopes Work? Isotopes are variations on the same chemical element that have different numbers of neutrons. Learn how these variants can behave differently -- and why chemists, physicists, and paleontologists are all interested in them -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn ...
06.19.2019 How Was André the Giant Larger than Life? Professional wrestler and actor André the Giant had a reputation for kindness that outgrew his impressive stature. Learn about André Roussimoff's life and legacy in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
06.18.2019 Why Are Camel Spiders Harmless? Camel spiders have a fearsome reputation, but despite being large and fast, they're not a threat to humans. (Or camels. They're also technically not spiders.) Learn more about these fascinating creatures in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ...
06.17.2019 What Happens If You Ignore a Subpoena? Subpoenas are orders that help courts and Congress obtain information necessary to cases and investigations -- and they're legally binding. So can you really ignore one? Learn what could happen if you do in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more ...
06.14.2019 Can the Same Animal Evolve Twice? Remote islands are excellent laboratories for observing evolution at work -- and in the case of a flightless bird called the Aldabra rail, we can observe how its evolution happened twice. Learn about iterative evolution in this episode of BrainStuff. ...
06.13.2019 What Is a Swedish Death Clean? We humans tend to accumulate a lot of stuff -- to the point that it's a burden on our mental health. Learn about a method for lightening your life (and removing a future burden on your loved ones) in this ...
06.12.2019 What Is an Oligarchy (and Are We One)? An oligarchy is a society ruled by a few wealthy, powerful people – the media has applied the term to countries from Saudi Arabia to Brazil to the United States. Learn about oligarchies and whether the U.S. has become one ...
06.11.2019 What Are Honey Badgers Really Like? The honey badger is internet famous, but it’s actually a fairly mysterious creature. Learn what we know (and don’t know) about honey badgers in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
06.10.2019 How Does NASA Schedule Space Launches? To launch a spacecraft successfully, the stars (and moon, and planets) must literally align. Learn about all the factors that are taken into account to schedule a space launch in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
06.07.2019 Why Should You Bring Ear Plugs to Music Festivals? Of all the accessories you might think of bringing to a music festival, ear plugs might not be high on your list. Learn why they should be -- and how else you can prevent hearing damage -- in this episode ...
06.06.2019 Could the Great Depression Happen Again? There were many factors that led to the depth and length of the Great Depression, but some of these mistakes are being repeated today. Learn what historians and economists are saying we should watch out for in this episode of ...
06.05.2019 How Did Clickers Save Lives on D-Day? Tiny, handheld boxes that make a sharp clicking noise saved countless American lives during the confusion of D-Day in WWII. Learn how they were used and what to do if you have one in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more ...
06.04.2019 Do Dogs Experience Puberty Like We Do? Dogs do indeed go through emotional changes and gain independence during puberty -- it just happens within the first couple years of their life. Learn how you can help your 'teen' pup grow up in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn ...
06.04.2019 Could Earthly Lava Structures Help Us Colonize Space? Tunnels made from lava flows in Hawaii and Iceland are being studied by researchers in fields from geology to astrobiology. Learn how these lava tubes could help us explore space and even find extraterrestrial life in this episode of BrainStuff. ...
05.31.2019 How Bad Is Prison Food? Serving inmates low-quality food is cheap in the short term, but it can lead all kinds of health problems that prisons (and taxpayers) pay for in the long run. Learn how cheap American prison food is and why that's a ...
05.30.2019 Why Did Victorians Collect Hair? In the mid-1800s, many people saved loved ones' hair -- but the collection of Peter A. Browne went much, much further than that. Learn why he thought it had scientific merit -- and why it actually does today -- in ...
05.29.2019 Should You Be Afraid of Wolf Spiders? Short answer: Nope! Although wolf spiders may sound (and look) fearsome, they're excellent helpers around your house, getting rid of more bothersome pests. Learn about wolf spiders in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
05.29.2019 How Did Jane Goodall Get Her Start(s)? In July of 1960, 26-year-old Jane Goodall began setting up her field station at Gombe, which would become the site of the longest-running wildlife research project in history. Learn more about Jane Goodall's life and legacy in this episode of ...
05.28.2019 Are There Winners and Losers in a Trade War? On May 10, 2019, the Trump administration increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese exports from 10 percent to 25 percent. But what does that mean for the global economy? Learn about trade wars in this episode of BrainStuff. ...
05.24.2019 How Many Legs Do Millipedes Have? Millipedes don't literally have a thousand legs, but how many do they really have? Learn about these fascinating arthropods in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
05.23.2019 How Hazardous Is Peeing in the Pool? Urinating in chlorinated swimming pools isn't just sorta gross -- it's actually a health hazard. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
05.22.2019 Can Galaxies Exist Without Dark Matter? We previously thought that all galaxies form with the help of dark matter, but researchers just found a galaxy that doesn't seem to contain any. Learn why that's so weird and what it might mean in this episode of BrainStuff. ...
05.21.2019 Why and How Are Documents Redacted? Court and other government documents are often presented with redactions -- that is, with some text blacked out or otherwise made unreadable. Learn how this is done -- and why -- in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ...
05.20.2019 Why Does Measles Reset Your Immune System? After the measles vaccine spread, researchers noticed that the death toll from many other diseases dropped. Learn how the measles destroys your immunity to other diseases, and why the vaccine is safe for most people, in this episode of BrainStuff. ...
05.18.2019 Introducing: Math & Magic How do the smartest marketers cut through the noise? And how do they manage to do it again and again? Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman as he analyzes the Math and Magic of marketing—sitting down with today's most ...
05.17.2019 What Is Relative Humidity? Relative humidity can make pleasant temperatures unbearable (and vice versa). Learn why -- and what the dew point has to do with it -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
05.16.2019 Could Transplanted Organs Be Reused? People who receive organ transplants often die with that organ working perfectly, but today, those organs are rarely retransplanted. Learn why -- and how some researchers are hoping to change that -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about ...
05.15.2019 What Is Agnosticism? Some people think that there are no effective differences between religious agnosticism and atheism, but the two standpoints are distinct. Learn how both work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers
05.14.2019 How Does Henry Ford's Feud with the Dodge Brothers Affect Businesses Today? The legal feud between carmakers Henry Ford and the Dodge brothers wasn't just deeply personal -- it changed the way Americans do business. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Older episodes

BrainStuff

What's BrainStuff about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

BrainStuff episodes:

How Do Birds Sing?

How Do Tidal Bores Work?

How Could Hypersonic Missiles Work?

How Health-Helpful Is Turmeric?

How Do We Find Asteroids Inside Earth's Orbit?

Can You Live Without a Working Amygdala?

What Is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?

Who Was History's Most Successful Pirate?

Is Raw Milk Better Than Pasteurized Milk?

Why Do Cats Chase Laser Pointers?

How Do Spaghetti Plots Help Predict Storms?

Who Was Alan Turing, and What's the Turing Test?

Is Canned Food Really Worse Than Fresh or Frozen?

Could the Electoral College Become Obsolete?

How (And Why) Do Chameleons Change Color?

Can You Lactate from Areas Outside Your Breasts?

Why Doesn't Alcohol Have Nutrition Labels?

How Did Alchemy Create Chemistry?

How Has the Korean War Changed History?

Where's the Line Between Cultural Appropriation and Appreciation?

How Does the U.S. Presidential Motorcade Work?

How Do Isotopes Work?

How Was André the Giant Larger than Life?

Why Are Camel Spiders Harmless?

What Happens If You Ignore a Subpoena?

Can the Same Animal Evolve Twice?

What Is a Swedish Death Clean?

What Is an Oligarchy (and Are We One)?

What Are Honey Badgers Really Like?

How Does NASA Schedule Space Launches?

Why Should You Bring Ear Plugs to Music Festivals?

Could the Great Depression Happen Again?

How Did Clickers Save Lives on D-Day?

Do Dogs Experience Puberty Like We Do?

Could Earthly Lava Structures Help Us Colonize Space?

How Bad Is Prison Food?

Why Did Victorians Collect Hair?

Should You Be Afraid of Wolf Spiders?

How Did Jane Goodall Get Her Start(s)?

Are There Winners and Losers in a Trade War?

How Many Legs Do Millipedes Have?

How Hazardous Is Peeing in the Pool?

Can Galaxies Exist Without Dark Matter?

Why and How Are Documents Redacted?

Why Does Measles Reset Your Immune System?

Introducing: Math & Magic

What Is Relative Humidity?

Could Transplanted Organs Be Reused?

What Is Agnosticism?

How Does Henry Ford's Feud with the Dodge Brothers Affect Businesses Today?

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