BrainStuff

Elephants have a thick hide that's wrinkled from birth, but why? Learn about the new research that's revealed the secrets to elephant skin in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American practice of kids dressing up and demanding candy from neighbors on October 31st is fairly new, but it's based in centuries of evolving beliefs and traditions. Learn the history of trick-or-treating in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you knock on wood or avoid particular numbers? People around the world adhere to superstitions to attempt to change their luck -- and some of those superstitions are remarkably similar. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For everything we know about the human brain, consciousness is still mysterious. Could reports of people remaining conscious after being executed by decapitation be true? Learn what science has to say in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our paleolithic ancestors ate people sometimes. But did they partake because they were really that hungry, or for some other, cultural reason? Learn what researchers think in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can't prove whether the Winchester Mystery House is really haunted, but it was definitely built for ghosts. Lean the story of how its strange construction was one woman's unending quest in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The tradition of carving jack-o'-lanterns around Halloween goes back centuries to a folktale about a stingy man who outwits the devil. Learn the tale (and why pumpkins weren't the original carving vegetables) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pop culture loves making horrific figures adorable, from Cthulhu plushies to 'cute' Freddy Krueger costumes. But why? Learn what researchers think about the spectrum of cute to monstrous in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've seen the trope: a character strains their psychic powers and gets a nosebleed to show for it. But would this actually happen if psychic powers were real? Learn the hypothetical science in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The modern image of the elegant, gentle unicorn is a relatively recent invention. Learn about the history of unicorn myths and legends in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Millennials approach their jobs differently than previous generations, but research shows it's not how they were raised -- it's a mark of their youth. Learn how age and generational differences intersect in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the United Kingdom in the 1800s, anatomists wanted to study real bodies, but laws and cultural stigma made bodies hard to come by. Learn how the shocking Burke & Hare murder trials changed that in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ver gotten the strange feeling that you’re repeating an experience, researchers have about 40 theories for what was going on in your brain. Learn how déjà vu might work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sadly, not all animals make it through major storms like hurricanes, but some have impressive survival skills. Learn how they manage in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many presidents' nominations of justices to the Supreme Court go through uncontested, but some have gotten seriously sticky. Learn the history of Supreme Court nominations in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newly researched cosmic rays seem to behave differently than the laws of physics say they should. Learn how this could help us fill in some blanks about our universe in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rainbows may look like they touch the ground somewhere off in the distance, but it's impossible to find that spot. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent guidelines from the American Heart Association warn that coconut oil is not a healthy food, despite popular claims that it's a miracle worker. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of course, everybody's voice varies, but in general male humans develop lower-pitched voices than female humans starting around puberty. Learn 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.

Sudden exposure to bright light makes some people sneeze -- but why? Learn the leading theory in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first machine for computation was designed in the 1800s! Learn how its creators, Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace, set about inventing it in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may seem like folks make too big of a deal over blackface, but its history puts that outrage into perspective. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We humans are fairly squishy, and we eat fairly squishy food. So how do we grow hard bones? Learn how it happens in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fluffy biscuits are a cornerstone of Southern cuisine, but they're a relatively recent invention. Learn the history behind this baked good in today's episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tales of squid attacking ships go way back, and there are some known instances of squid attacking subs, but could a cephalopod really take down a modern vessel? Learn what researchers think in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.