BrainStuff

The writers of the U.S. Constitution were, in part, influenced by the confederation of Native American nations called the Haudenosaunee (or the Iroquois). Learn about the Haudenosaunee Great Law in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sure it's tasty, but how exactly did spiced squash in a pie crust become part of American holiday celebrations? Learn about the history of pumpkin pie in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are lots of rumors about potentially harmful ingredients in vaccines, but once you understand what those ingredients are and how little are used in vaccines, it's easy to see why vaccines are safe. 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.

The Maillard reaction gives foods from toast to coffee to seared steak some of their flavors. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the Civil War, surgeon Mary Edwards Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor for her service. Learn her story in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Research has revealed another danger lurking in uncooked dough: Tenacious E. coli can survive in dry flour. Learn how scientists figured it out in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is it about the arrangement of petals on a flower or a perfectly symmetrical display of soup cans that catches our eye? Learn how our brains seem wired for 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.

The story 'A Wrinkle in Time' by Madeline L'Engle has been inspiring young scientists for generations. We spoke with three for this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes innocent people wind up in prison, and even if genetic evidence comes to light, it can still take years (and a lot of money) to secure their freedom. Learn how the Innocence Project helps in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time zones sometimes seem to cause more confusion than they fix. Learn how they came about -- and why some researchers want to get rid of them -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long-term space missions would need to figure out a way to create artificial gravity for their astronauts. Learn why -- and how it may be possible -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Symptoms of influenza and the novel coronavirus are fairly similar, but there are a few key differences you should look for -- and each should be treated a little differently. 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.

You may have heard that Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth" is cursed. Learn how this superstition came about in today's classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people find it impossible to sleep without background noise, like a fan whirring. Researchers have identified the possible culprit. Learn how it works in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Due in large part to pressure from the diary industry, margarine was once outlawed in Canada and parts of the United States. Learn more about the Oleo Wars 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: There are Greenland sharks alive today that were likely born in the 1600s. Learn more about these fascinating sharks in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Living things need nitrogen in order for our cells to function, and there's plenty in the air, but it's impossible for most of us to access. Learn how the nitrogen cycle brings it to us in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Giganatosaurus is one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that ever lived, rivaling the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. Learn more about these dinos in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pyrite is often called fool's gold, but it's easy to tell the two apart if you know what to look for. Learn more about these two minerals in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As climate change affects the planet's weather patterns, some parts of the world will see the seasons bleed together. Tune in to learn how we define the seasons now, and how some researchers think that should change. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans have all kinds of superstitious beliefs -- so are other animals superstitious, too? Learn more about superstition works in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1960s, civil rights leaders organized the Poor People's Campaign to bring awareness and change to economic injustices in the United States. Learn how it began and how it's being revived today in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cats and dogs know their humans' schedules, but do they really have a sense of time similar to ours? Learn about how non-human animals perceive time in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many people experience paranoid feelings sometimes, but more rarely, those feelings can seem to take over a person's life. Learn about what paranoia is and how it's treated in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States holds elections the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November because that was deemed most convenient for the citizen farmers of the 1800s, when election dates were written into law. 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.