BrainStuff

How does aspirin target your pain? The plants that aspirin were derived from have been used as medicine for about 6000 years, we finally discovered how it works in 1971, and we explain it in this episode of BrainStuff.

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How can a single piece of glass look like a mirror from one side but a window from the other? Learn how materials technology makes it possible in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Birds and other animals can learn to "talk" to one another, and even work together to spread warnings about predators nearby. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff.

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The bigger that numbers get, the harder they are for us to conceive of -- but that doesn't mean they can't be useful. Learn about some just ridiculously huge numbers in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Better out than in. Learn why a politely covered sneeze beats holding one back in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Figuring out what foods were on ancient menus can be tricky, but a mummy called Ötzi the Iceman was preserved with his last meal still intact. Learn what scientists found out about his eating habits in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Sports stadiums have a lot of grass that needs to be fertilized, and a lot of urine to dispose of. Learn how researchers are working to solve both problems at once in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Erasers lift our mistakes right off the page, but it's not magic -- it's the microscopic physics of stickiness. Learn how erasers work in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Every day, millions of people safeguard themselves against excessive sweat with a quick roll of antiperspirant. But what does this stuff do, exactly? Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Plenty of things are scary these days, so why do people pay good money to see horror movies and go to 'haunted' houses? Learn why psychologists say these fearful experiences are helpful in this episode of BrainStuff. 

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