The BrainFood Show

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we skip the quick fact because this one took forever to research and put together and I ran out of time. Instead we jump right into the main topic which is a very real phenomenon that popped up off and on for several hundred years called Dance Mania or St. Vitus’ Dance. While it might sound like a bit of a joke, it was surprisingly deadly at times and had a fascinating cure.

We then look at the probable cause of this phenomenon, along with many other similar ones, including a couple in modern times, that all seem to have the same root.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post The Forgotten Plague- DANCE MANIA!!! appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at whether or not male humans can get pregnant and carry a baby to full term naturally. (Spoiler- yes and yes. And even breastfeed too! It doesn’t even require fancy science or advanced medical techniques.)

Moving on to the meat of today’s episode, we jump into a variety of bizarre animal mating practices, starting with the somewhat humorous mating practices of the giraffe, looking at how porcupines mate without serious injury, banana slugs, the evil that is the male duck, and more!

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post How Porcupines Mate, the Bizarre Sex Habits of Giraffes (and Much, Much More) appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sorry for the long gap between episodes. We’ll be getting a bit more regular going forward.  Also apologies for my audio quality in this one. Adobe kept crashing on me, so we had to use the audio Simon was receiving which isn’t ideal. Also a bit under the weather and lost my voice before recording, so maybe for the best that I wasn’t coming through in pristine quality. Next episode will sound much, much better!

In any event, in this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at the real story behind the song In the Air Tonight.

Moving on to the meat of today’s episode, we jump into the fascinating story of one Willie Francis, a young man convicted for murder, executed, then executed again about a year later, despite the fact that it would very much seem as if he was innocent the whole time.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post Twice Executed appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at how exactly Al Capone got the scars that got him the nickname “Scarface”.

Moving on to the meat of today’s episode, we jump into the rather interesting story behind one of the many so called “trial of the century” of the 20th century.  In this case involving a housewife and her lover and their plot to murder her husband. We also discuss the case of the first woman ever to be executed in an electric chair and one of the most iconic journalistic photos ever taken.

In the Bonus Facts today, we look at the first two women ever to be sentenced to death via the electric chair, what they did to get that sentence, and how they both got off.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post Taking the Mystery Out of Murder- A Couple of Dumbbells appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at the interesting story behind where the Monopoly pieces came from.

Next we discuss our sponsor, RetailMeNot. Visit http://bit.ly/2BXvyAk to download the free RetailMeNot Genie browser extension today and start saving the easy way.

Moving on to the meat of today’s episode, we jump into the truth about who actually invented Monopoly, which is not the person who has long been given credit for it. That guy, it turns out, flat out stole it from someone else and then proceeded to get rich off it while the original creator mostly got nothing.

We then move into the many, many ways everyone plays Monopoly wrong which is largely why it takes so long to play and lends itself to why it has a reputation for being a game sure to make everyone angry who plays it. If people would just read the rule book, turns out it’s a lot more fun when played the way it’s supposed to be played.

Finally we discuss Simon and Daven’s favorite movies, as well as get around to answering the question of whether horses actually sleep standing up, or just seem like they do.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post How Everyone Plays Monopoly Wrong Which Makes It Worse, Where the Game Pieces Came From, Who Really Invented It and Much More appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at the massive creature that has a doughnut shaped brain with its esophagus running right through the middle.

Next we discuss Wix! Go to https://www.wix.com/go/brainfood to get started on your website today!

Next up we begin by looking at the fascinating reason Dung Beetles do a little happy dance after they find and roll up some poop. We then move on to a myriad of fascinating facts about various ants, including their absolutely remarkable ability to find the most efficient route to something, which has in recent years been used by humans to come up with more efficient algorithms for a variety of applications. We follow all that up discussing a rather unique and hilarious way school swimming herring talk to each other.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post Animal Facts Part 3: A Doughnut Brain, Dung and the Milky Way, Ant Overlords and More appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at the mind blowing things caterpillars get up to while in the chrysalis.

Next we discuss Wix! Go to https://www.wix.com/go/brainfood to get started on your website today!

Next up we begin by looking at the fascinating way in which honey bees, which are cold blooded, manage to keep their hives warm and the variety of fascinating things they do with their rather unique heating abilities. We then look at the rather amazing vulture and, among other things, why they don’t get sick when they eat dead things and what integral role this plays in keeping humans alive. Finally we look at the mysterious Kentucky meat shower, which unfortunately has nothing to do with KFC.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post Animal Facts Part 2: Melting Caterpillars, Heating Bees, Why Vultures Don’t Get Sick, and More appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at a rather fascinating fact about dogs and cats that you probably didn’t know.

Next we discuss Wix! Go to https://www.wix.com/go/brainfood to get started on your website today!

Next up we begin by debunking a variety of common whale related myths, most notably frequently depicted in movies the world over.  Among other things, we then look at what exactly the uvula does (that dangly thing in the back of your throat), whether cats and dogs can actually see color, whether it’s physically possible for a human to tip a cow as is the common drunken game, and why you’d never, ever want to mess with an ostrich.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post Animal Facts Part 1: The Blowhole, Cow Tipping and Much, Much More appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start with a Simon rant, then look at what the M’s stand for in M&Ms.

Next we discuss one of our favorite sponsors, Dashlane! Get 10% off with the coupon code “brainfood”: http://www.dashlane.com/brainfood

Next up we look at when exactly humans started putting living things in food items for the purpose of entertainment, the origin of “That’s What She Said” and “Said the Actress to the Bishop”, and then all leading up to the first “Trial of the (20th) Century” and what exactly that had to do with the curious practice of having women jump out of cakes.

This is the story we discussed in the part we cut out at the end, which was in relation to a rather dark story Simon came across concerning soldiers/drinking, noting he had something “orders of magnitude” more disturbing than Nesbit’s youth, to which I apparently did not have a good enough imagination for, thinking that must be an exaggeration… It was not an exaggeration, and we ultimately decided to cut it out because of it.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post A Disturbing Tale and the “Trial of the Century” That Led to Women Jumping Out of Cakes appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*Apologies for the audio quality on this one, simultaneously our audio editor / producer was on vacation and a certain host was also a great distance away from his acoustically treated studio.

In any event, in this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at what exactly grog is, where it came from, and the origin of the name.

Next up we briefly mention our sponsor- go to https://wix.com/go/brainfood to get started on your Wix website today! And check out our new website for the Brainfood Podcast at https://www.brainfood.fm/

Moving on to the main content today we’re looking at the woman who was arguably the most successful pirate of all time, dominating both land and sea in the vast region she controlled, which all ultimately saw her have one of the most impressive exits to piracy in history as well.

We follow all this up with looking at the origins of a variety of sailor/pirate slang terms.

On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform you’re using (including hopefully giving us some feedback related to the new format), we would be extremely grateful. Thanks!

(You can also discuss this episode and view references on The BrainFood Show forum here.)

Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | Spotify | Google Play Music | Stitcher | RSS/XML

You can also find more episodes by going here: The BrainFood Show

The post The Woman Who was the Most Successful Pirate of All Time appeared first on Today I Found Out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices