BrainStuff
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.
Episodes
Since the early days of space exploration, some of NASA's greatest have pulled some great pranks. Learn about our favorites, from a smuggled sandwich to a space gorilla, in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/ridiculous-history-5-nasa-greatest-pranks.htm
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When you shiver, your fingers and toes go numb, or you get goosebumps in the cold, that's actually your body trying to keep you warm. Learn how it works -- and how you habituate to chilly temperatures over time -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nervous-system/body-learn-frigid-temperatures.htm
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The War of 1812 between the U.S. and the British Empire ended in a stalemate, but it established the U.S. as an independent nation and economic power -- and allowed Americans to colonize the West. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/war-1812.htm
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Geoducks are large clams that can live for over a century, are eaten as delicacies, and look incredibly NSFW. Learn more about these amazing mollusks in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/geoducks.htm
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Van Gogh didn't find fame or financial success during his life. But after he died, his widowed sister-in-law, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, worked for decades to bring his life and work to the spotlight. Learn more about her in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/johanna-van-gogh-bonger.htm
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Building muscle isn't just about getting ripped -- it's a way all of us can be healthier. Learn about the facts and fictions behind building muscle (aka mucle hypertrophy) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise/hypertrophy.htm
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The discovery of Deinonychus, an agile theropod that may have hunted in packs, changed the way we think about dinosaurs -- and inspired 'Jurassic Park' to boot. Learn about Deinonychus and the real (smaller) Velociraptor in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/dinosaurs/deinonychus.htm
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Scales range from simple machines that weigh your produce to precision instruments that measure anything from molecules to massive cargo -- but they all work on related principles. Learn how different types of scales work in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/fitness/digital-scale.htm
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In South Carolina, the first school for formerly enslaved people during the Civil War shifted to become a center for social activism during the Civil Rights movement, and stands today as a landmark of African American culture and history. Learn more about the Penn Center in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-civil-war/penn-center-strategic-secret-pivotal-to-civil-rights-mov...
Cramming for a test or other deadline may give you decent short-term results, but research shows it sacrifices long-term comprehension and memory. Learn why study methods like spacing and interleaving are better in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/why-cramming-is-worst-way-to-study.htm
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Over a few hundred years, real stories about secretive agents developed into the legend of the ninja. Learn how this myth captured the world's imagination -- and about the work being done at the world's first International Ninja Research Center -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/first-ninja-research-center-out-to-solve-myth-behind-legend.htm
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The French word 'bourgeois' originally just meant a middle-class town dweller, but it's taken on a lot of different (and often derogatory) connotations over the centuries, including in the English slang term 'bougie'. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/bourgeoisie.htm
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When abortion was illegal throughout the U.S., it was still perfomed -- just dangerously or expensively. Learn about the Jane Collective -- an underground network that helped people access safe, affordable, illegal abortions -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/jane-collective.htm
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Ducks can hold extra air in their feathers and bodies, making it easy for them to float -- and to squeeze out the air and dive when they want to. Learn more about ducks and bouyancy in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/duck-float.htm
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Following World War II, Austrialia became embroiled in another war -- with a population of emu. Learn how the Emu War unfolded in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/ridiculous-history-emu-war.htm
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Neurologists and philosophers alike may argue that altruism doesn't exist because no act is ever completely unselfish. Learn why -- and why humans may have evolved this way -- in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/unselfish-act.htm
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Just outside Los Angeles, Forest Lawn Memorial Park is the resting place of many celebrities -- and also home to art, architecture, and celebrations of life. Learn about it in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/funerals/forest-lawn-memorial-park.htm
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Not all animals have red blood -- it can also come in green, blue, clear, and even dichroic varieties. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/5-animals-whose-blood-isnt-red.htm
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At a girls' boarding school in what's now Tanzania, a fit of giggles expanded into a months-long epidemic of stressed-out laughter affecting hundreds of people. Learn what we know (and still don't know) about this mass psychogenic illness in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/behavior/1962-tanganyika-laughter-epidemic.htm
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Today, we use remote controls for everything from televisions to car doors to Mars rovers. Learn about the history and technologies behind them (including radio-frequency, ultrasonic, and infrared remotes) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on these articles: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/repurposed-inventions/history-of-remote-control.htm; https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/remote-control.htm
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