BrainStuff

The internet is a daily fixture in our lives, and it all started with the diligent work of Department of Defense-funded researchers in the 1960s. Learn how ARPANET bloomed into the internet as we know it in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/internet-start.htm

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Every year on January 1, a new batch of movies, books, songs, and other works of art enters the public domain, meaning they're free to use and repurpose. (In 2024, after 95 years of copyright, we got the original Mickey Mouse cartoon, 'Steamboat Willy'.) Learn how public domain and copyright law intersect to encourage artists in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/what-does-public-domain-mean.htm

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Pelicans use their huge gular pouch to easily scoop up fish in water but consume only the fish. Learn more about them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/pelican-bill-vs-belly.htm

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Having a plan in place when a hurricane approaches can help keep you safe -- and take some of the stress out of these scary storms. Learn the basics of hurricane preparedness in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/prepare-for-hurricane.htm Go to Ready.gov for more info.

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Barbie is an American icon now -- but she wasn't an instant success, and she actually has roots in a slightly ribald German cartoon from the 1950s. Learn how Ruth Handler made Barbie a phenomenon in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/barbie-history.htm

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These blue-tongued lizards look like snakes with stubby legs -- and that's just one feature they use to make predators think they're more dangerous than they are. Learn more (including why they can make great pets for an experienced owner) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/blue-tongued-skink.htm

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Although wildfires can be scary, serious disasters, forests and the animals that inhabit them can actually benefit from fires. Learn how controlled burns work and why they help wildlife in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/how-forest-fire-benefit-living-things-.htm/printable

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Is light a particle or a wave? Or both? Or neither? Learn how humans have defined light throughout history -- including our best attempts today -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff.

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Human bodies buried in bogs can retain some features -- like perfectly preserved skin, right down to forehead wrinkles -- for thousands of years. Learn how this natural mummification process works in today's classic episode of BrainStuff.

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The word 'hack' was once simply a verb meaning to cut roughly -- it's now a noun and verb with several meanings, from a bad writer to computer criminal. Learn how it transformed in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/word-hack.htm

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