BrainStuff

Shredded, chewed, exhumed, or burnt American bills aren't necessarily lost -- a service of the Department of Treasury may reimburse you for their cash value. Learn about the Mutilated Currency Redemption Service in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Light and tender fried fish plated with crisp fried potatoes is a classic English comfort meal, but it's only a little over a century old. Learn the history of fish and chips in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Ocean water can appear many dazzling shades of blue and green depending on where you are. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Starlings flock in swooping, harmonious groups of thousands of birds called murmurations. Learn how these birds pull off such an amazing feat through simple actions in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

More people are drinking fizzy water, both plain and in a boggling array of flavors. Learn about the different types of sparkling water and what you should watch out for in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Yes, there’s a cave shaped like a rhinoceros in Washington State. Learn how it was created and discovered in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Trees pull and store carbon, but lots of land that could support them is deforested. Learn how researchers think planting trees could help mitigate climate change in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Research shows that women are less likely to receive CPR when they need it, and fixing that might require introducing training mannequins with breasts. Learn about a project that’s trying to help in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Seashells are a pretty sight on beaches, but it turns out that they play an important role in seaside structures and ecosystems. Learn why -- and why shell poaching is a problem -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

A married couple packed up everything from their home in Chicago and bought an RV to travel the country full-time, with one goal: to visit as many national parks as possible along the way. With each stop in each park, Brad and Matt Kirouac immerse themselves and the listeners – and the Kirouac’s dog Finn! – in these beautiful, larger-than-life places and share our discoveries about what makes them truly special, from the intimidati... Read more

Humans have only very recently developed scientific ways of proving who a child's biological father is, but that didn't stop us from trying beforehand. Learn the weird history of paternity tests in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

The blue whale is the largest known animal to ever grace the planet -- they may be twice as big as Megalodon was! Learn what science knows (and doesn't know) about blue whales in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

In brief, peyote is a cactus with hallucinogenic properties that's been used in religious ceremonies for centuries. Learn how it works and why it's endangered in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

In brief, peyote is a cactus with hallucinogenic properties that's been used in religious ceremonies for centuries. Learn how it works and why it's endangered in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Most of the rest of the world uses the Celsius scale to describe temperature, but the U.S. uses Fahrenheit. Learn the origins and histories of these two scales in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

The concepts of ethnicity and race are both human inventions with no basis in science, but these concepts have huge impacts on us and our world. Learn the difference between ethnicity and race in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Also called the frequency illusion or recency illusion, the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon occurs when you learn something new, then notice instances of it everywhere. Learn how it works and how it got its name in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

As human civilization encroaches on wild animals' habitats, some face extinction. Learn how researchers hope to someday use frozen DNA sample taken from zoo animals to replenish wild populations in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Without the hippocampus, our brains have serious trouble recalling and recording certain types of long-term memories. Learn how this brain structure works in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers