BrainStuff

Hand sanitizer is a good alternative to hand washing when running water isn't available, but as it turns out, it's also great at preserving the DNA in insect samples. Learn how this may help citizen science in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We often receive very little warning about impending tornadoes, making these storms all the more dangerous. Learn how researchers are figuring out how to use infrasound to detect tornadoes long before they form in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During her time as a Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg didn't always agree with the majority opinion of the Court. Learn about a few of her dissents in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The most venomous snakes in the world live in the oceans, but they still breathe air, drink fresh water, and some can even crawl on land. Learn about sea snakes in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A bronze disk found near Nebra, Germany may be the oldest know scientific depiction of the night sky -- or it may be a thousand years younger than that. Learn the story of this mysterious disk in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When is -- and isn't -- a crime considered terrorism? The legal, political and moral definitions are often at odds. We explore why in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If the sound of leaf blowers makes you angry, you're not alone -- and there's science behind why. Learn about it in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an assumption that cats can help control pesky rodent populations, but it turns out that they're pretty bad at catching rats. Learn why, and why cats can make a rat infestation appear lesser, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anhedonia is a disorder in which a person doesn't experience pleasure from usually pleasurable things, like music or friendship or the sense of taste. Learn what researchers know (and don't know) about anhedonia in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the two World Wars, knitting became an important way to encode and send messages in secret. Learn about the history of wartime knitting in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When cyclists collide with a carelessly opened car door, the results can be deadly. Learn how the simple Dutch Reach can save lives in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The refrigerator is perfect for keeping some foods fresh and tasty -- but it'll do other foods more harm than good. Learn what foods are best kept out of the fridge in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glow sticks use a chemical reaction to create that soft, colorful glow. Learn how it works -- and how to make your glow sticks last longer -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astronomers detected hints of Einstein's theory of general relativity in the Milky Way's supermassive black hole. Learn more in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mortgage forbearance can help keep a homeowner in their home, but it's not a permanent free pass on mortgage payments. Learn why it's good for both borrowers and banks -- and how to get one if you need it -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Betelguese is one of the brightest stars in the night sky, but in 2019 it dimmed -- a lot. Learn what researchers think caused this and what it could mean in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The official U.S. government definitions of 'Hispanic' and 'Latino' differ from how people often refer to themselves in real life -- and new terms like 'Latinx' are gaining popularity, too. Learn what these terms mean and how language is evolving in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

Spiritualism is a 19th-century belief system that holds that the living can communicate with spirits of the dead through mediums. Learn about the community where spiritualism is famously practiced, Lily Dale, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple million years ago, species of bear-sized beavers roamed North America. Learn more about how Castoroides lived in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neanderthals distilled tar more than 100,000 years before modern humans created glue. Learn how archaeologists compared three potential ways they might've done it in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Captain America's indestructible shield may be a work of fiction, but that won't stop us from trying to figure out how it might work in the real world. Learn more about the history and science behind Cap's shield in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The South Pole's frigid desert continent bears very little natural life, but hundreds of researchers and support staff live and work there. Learn what that's like in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scattered throughout the U.S. are small towns built to look like old-timey European villages. Learn the stories behind a few such towns in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pilgrims who came to America on the Mayflower were supposed to start their colony further south, but dwindling rations made them settle for Plymouth Rock. Learn why beer was so key in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the world's most precious antiquities and works of art aren't in museums or private homes -- they're stored away in freeports. Learn how freeports work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.