BrainStuff

The bigger that numbers get, the harder they are for us to conceive of -- but that doesn't mean they can't be useful. Learn about some just ridiculously huge numbers in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Words like 'poop' and 'wiggle' are inherently humorous, and science may have figured out why. Learn what science has to say about why some words tickle us in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As it turns out, most flying squirrels glow hot pink in ultraviolet light. Learn what researchers think may be the reason in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might sound gross, but it's eco-friendly: Paper is made from plant pulp. Animals that eat plants excrete plant pulp. Learn why some scientists have high hopes for poo-pyrus in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers have set out to catalog the scent compounds that make books and libraries smell so welcoming. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucille Ball's ex-husband wasn't just her 'I Love Lucy' co-star and writing partner -- Desi Arnaz changed the way television is produced and watched. Learn about his contributions to the industry in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spoiler alert: Yep. A prehistoric species of freshwater sea turtles was a hundred times heavier than its modern relatives. Learn more about this giant in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's highly unlikely that most farts spread disease, but there is one strange case in the medical records. Learn why passing gas is almost always safe (except for our noses) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four-leaf clovers have long been held as a symbol of good fortune. Learn why they're so rare (and why Saint Patrick used three-leaf clovers in his teachings) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The famous Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park has been changing its eruption patterns over the past few decades -- but it's still incredibly predictable. 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.

These insects live in your furniture, drink your blood, and stain your sheets. Learn how they thrive -- and how to get rid of them -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is Pi Day -- a celebration of the number pi (and pies, and mathematics in general). Learn what pi is and how this holiday came about in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many Westerners are wary of any Friday that falls on the 13th of a month for reasons rooted in pop culture and ancient theology alike. Learn how these ancient memes got started in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saturn is our solar system's second-biggest planet, the most elliptical in shape, and has a stunning set of rings. 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.

People who live in areas that depend on cars for transportation may be so used to car alarms that they ignore them completely -- but that doesn't mean the alarms aren't useful. 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.

Most people know Shel Silverstein for his books of children's poetry like "Where the Sidewalk Ends," but he was a prolific writer. Learn more about Silverstein's life in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a lot of (valid, understandable) fear about novel Coronavirus in the news -- it can be deadly, but you can protect yourself and your community. Learn how -- and what Coronavirus is -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our bodies are used to fairly regular patterns of sleep and wakefulness, and moving across time zones can mess that up royally. Learn why -- and what you can do to prevent 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.

Astronauts have left over a hundred items on the moon's surface. Learn what telescopes are powerful enough to spot them in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We humans have blood types that help determine what transfusions we can give and receive -- and other animals do too. Learn about cat, dog, and horse blood types, among others, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legal pads' defining characteristics all date back to the turn of the 20th century. Learn how they came about in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smallpox epidemics swept the colonies several times, but one African-American man known as Onesimus helped save Boston from the brunt of it. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone's brain works a little differently, but research shows that there's a time of day when most of us make decisions quickly, and another when most of us make decisions accurately. Learn when both occur in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most hedgehog bodies are not meant for supersonic speeds, but most hedgehogs are not Sonic. Learn how Sonic's speed compares with other animals and how he might survive in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All the times a character in science fiction has gotten tossed out an airlock got us wondering: What would really happen to the human body if it were exposed to space without a protective suit? Learn what we found in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.