BrainStuff

As public spaces begin to open, safety measures to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 are more important than ever. So how could a public pool or beach be safe? Learn about the CDC's recommendations in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mason-Dixon Line started as a tax-related land survey -- so how it come to stand as the barrier between slave states and free states during the Civil War? Learn the history of Mason and Dixon -- and how they contributed to science -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A study found that nearly half of all U.S. citizens have an immediate family member who's been incarcerated for at least one night. Learn how the numbers break down in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many myths about the Civil Rights movement have arisen in the past few decades, including the idea that MLK was always considered an American hero. Learn how public opinion was divided, and how that changed over time, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The tropical manchineel tree bears apple-like fruit, but eating it -- or just touching its leaves or bark -- can cause a world of hurt. Learn about the 'apple of death' in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Book collectors may spend thousands on signed copies or rare editions, but the biggest price tag in book-buying history was in the millions. Learn why the world's priciest book is essentially a treatise on plumbing in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Human blood is red -- yes, even when it's in your body. Learn why -- and why your veins appear blue through your skin -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Email systems are designed to keep BCC recipients hidden, but mistakes -- and attacks -- can happen. Learn about CCing, BCCing, etiquette, and email security 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 indeed gusts of wind strong enough to knock a person off their feet, but for most of us, it'd take a lot of wind. Learn more about how wind works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shangri-La began as a work of fiction, but it's loosely based in Buddhist mythology and has borne a couple namesakes in the real world. Learn about Shangri-La in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA tests everything it sends into space for a lot of things -- including stinkiness. Learn who NASA's odor volunteers are and what they do in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the Civil War, Americans have taken a day in late May to honor fallen soldiers. Learn two theories on how this tradition began in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever gotten a hot shock from someone flushing a toilet while you were taking a shower, there's an easy fix for that. Learn why it happens and how to fix 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.

Depending on the camera settings and recording technology used to film helicopters, the blades can appear to bend, fragment, stand still, or move backwards. 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.

Karl Marx was one of the most influential (and, ultimately, destructive) thinkers in history. Learn about his life, what he wrote, and why his ideas are still worthwhile in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The eighth planet in our solar system is fairly mysterious: Why is it tilted on its side? Why is it so much colder than similar planet? Learn what we know -- and what we don't know -- about Uranus in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cuttlefish are clever cephalopods that communicate with color. Learn the basics about cuttlefish in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Together, Mitsuye Endo and James C. Purcell -- a Japanese-American woman and her lawyer -- brought down Executive Order 9066, which interred Japanese Americans during WWII. Learn about the order and its demise in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From an uncertain start to an empire of kitsch, Chia Pets have become an American icon. Learn the history behind the trend in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s almost impossible to trick your brain in order to tickle yourself. Learn why, and how tickling works to begin with, in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anxiety is a normal, healthy response in the human body, but when it interferes with daily life it can become a disorder. Learn about anxiety's symptoms and biochemistry -- and how you treat 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.

Antibodies are an important part of our immune system's toolkit in identifying and fighting infections. Learn how they work -- and what antibody tests can tell us -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yes, NASA has a beach house, and yes, it's the setting for some fabulous stories. Learn the history of the the Kennedy Space Center Beach House and Conference Center in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

African American folk spirituals were participatory music meant not just to comfort but to convey messages among enslaved people. Learn how historians think they worked -- and how they influenced modern music -- 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 ever heard a group of birds cawing their little lungs out for minutes on end, you may have heard a bird mob. Learn how bird mobs work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.