BrainStuff

Smartphone apps like Lyft and even Facebook seem able to identify our location with near-perfect accuracy, but the 911 emergency service still struggles. Learn why -- and what's being done about it -- in this episode of BrainStuff.

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The research facility on New York's Plum Island holds some of the most dangerous livestock diseases known to humankind. Learn about its history (and uncertain future) in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Bacteria can survive way longer than humans under the right conditions, so a team of researchers designed an experiment on microbes that will take 500 years to complete. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Short answer: Yeah, probably. Most Westerners have traded squatting for sitting and standing, to the detriment of our backs and joints. Learn the benefits of a good squat -- and how you can incorporate them into your day -- in this episode of BrainStuff.

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After 15 years, NASA has officially ended the mission of the Mars rover Opportunity. Learn what the little-robot-that-could helped us discover about the planet (and interplanetary missions) in this episode of BrainStuff.

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The oldest known intact Earth rock was collected on the moon in the 1970s. Learn how researchers think it got there it in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Researchers have found genes that help determine the shapes of fruits and vegetables. Learn how this could (and couldn't) change what you see at the grocery store in today's episode of BrainStuff. 

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About 500 years ago, creating clever collective nouns for groups of animals, objects, and people was trendy, and some of those nouns of assemblage stuck. Learn the history of this quirk of the English language in today's episode of BrainStuff.

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Some people hold that the number 23 has near-magical significance, but how did this fascination start? And can mere coincidences have real meaning? Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Sloths only defecate once a week or so, and more sloths die during the process than at any other time. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff.

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