BrainStuff

Learn more about the anatomy (and chemistry) behind that popping sound your knuckles make when you crack them 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 shone a flashlight beam from Earth, would you be able to see it from the moon? It depends. Find out why -- and get a lesson in how light works -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tools that say "drop forged" have been created using a technique called drop forging. Find out how drop forging and several other kinds of forging work, and why drop forging is a sign of a sturdy tool, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A barbeque grill has a push-button lighter that relies on piezoelectricity to generate a spark. Learn more about how piezoelectricity works -- and the kinds of devices that use piezoelectric materials -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of BrainStuff, Marshall reveals three common techniques for measuring the height of tall objects like towers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the moon is near the horizon, it appears to be much bigger than when it's high in the sky. But is it really larger? Tune in to find out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Photochromatic lenses darken when exposed to the sun. Discover where these lenses came from, how they work and why they're commonly referred to as "transition" lenses in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A movie clapperboard isn't just a placemarker; this device helps movie makers synchronize a movie's audio and video elements. Find out how a traditional movie clapperboard works, as well as a digital one, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since gasoline is a liquid formed of carbon and hydrogen, it's possible to trace the chemical reactions in car exhaust and understand what types of pollutants are created by a car's engine. Tune in and learn more about the science behind burning gas. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever watched a jet engine start, you've probably noticed that the blades begin to rotate slowly before spinning up to full speed -- but why? Listen in as Marshall Brain breaks down the science behind jet engines in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've probably heard of this trick before: Connecting two cans with a piece of string in the bottom of each can will supposedly allow people to speak over a distance to one another. Tune in as Marshall Brain explains how it works in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One night, Marshall went outside with a headlight lamp on his head and discovered that his backyard was full of sparkling reflections. What were these sparkles? Discover the surprising answer in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are lots of articles and research on happiness these days, but what about unhappiness? What makes us unhappy, and will avoiding it make us happy? In this episode, Marshall points out three behaviors that are sure to create unhappiness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to differentiating between hardwoods and softwoods, it's not a matter of hardness or density -- it's all about plant reproduction. Marshall explains what angiosperms and gymnosperms are in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stabilizer bars are designed to keep your car from rolling when you make sharp turns. Learn more about how these bars work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A citizens band (CB) radio is often used by truck drivers to communicate while on the road, but how does it work? Marshall Brain gives a detailed explanation of how a CB radio's antenna works in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skin covers our bodies, so it's very easy for this delicate organ to get irritated. In this episode, Marshall explains why our bodies respond to irritants with an itching sensation -- and why we're programmed to scratch. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A digital signature is a way to authenticate electronic documents. Find out what 'authentic' means in this context -- and how encryption is involved in the authentication process -- in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most car engines use a wet sump oil system, but some rely on a dry sump system. Find out how a dry sump system works -- and why it's advantageous -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many cutting tools are made of materials like steel but have carbide tips, which stay sharper longer. Learn more about carbide tips in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaf blowers are convenient, but are they living up to their potential? In this podcast, Marshall examines superchargers, explaining how a leaf blower can (theoretically) perform the same duties. Tune in and learn more about hacking leaf blowers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The QWERTY keyboard is the standard for most computers today, but why are the letters arranged in such a peculiar way? Learn more about the QWERTY keyboard's unusual layout -- and how it compares to the Dvorak design -- in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fiber optic cables make long-distance telephone communication and Internet access much more affordable and accessible. Get Marshall's explanation of fiber optic cables in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Airing out rugs and mattresses outdoors is a great way to disinfect them, thanks to a little thing called ultraviolet light. Find out how UV light can disinfect everything from rugs to water in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liquid motion lamps -- or lava lamps -- use heat to create slight differences in the density of two liquids. Learn more about lava lamps and density in this Brainstuff podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.