BrainStuff

The way that applause starts and moves through a large crowd is scientifically predictable. Learn what the research shows about the influence of sound and psychology in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Millions of lives are saved by blood transfusions every year, but sometimes donations are in short supply. Learn how researchers are hoping to make more blood universally transferable in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans and other animals often hold superstitions -- but why? Could it have been biologically advantageous to our ancestors? Learn more about superstition in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The witches in Macbeth describe a disturbing brew -- eye of newt, toe of frog, etc. -- but that was just code for common plants. Learn what eye of newt really is in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans buy some 9 billion kernels of candy corn every year. Learn this candy's history plus how it's made in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some patients brought back from cardiac arrest describe seeing a bright light at the end of a tunnel, or other phenomena known as a near-death experience. Learn how some researchers have tried to explain this in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hawaiian folklore tells of the huaka'i pō, or night marchers -- ghostly warriors whose sense of duty has kept them on guard even after death. Learn the legend (and what to do if you hear them coming) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lab-created meat may help prevent harm to animals here on Earth, but it'd be even more helpful for feeding people in space. But can tech like 3-D printers work in space? Learn about the potential future of space burgers in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spiny on the outside and gooey on the inside, sea urchins are a weird and wonderful animal -- and delicacy. Learn more about them in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Venus is the hottest planet, its years are shorter than its days, and its atmospheric pressure is 92 times greater than that on Earth. Learn how researchers think Venus got this way in today’s episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sitting too much and not getting the right kinds of exercise can lead to gluteal tendinopathy — dead butt syndrome. Learn why (and what can be done about it) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nothing in our environment exists in a vacuum -- everything is interconnected. Learn how the study of ecosystems attempts to learn about things through those connections in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mystery of what happened to nine hikers one wintery night has gone unsolved for 60 years. Learn what evidence has been found -- and what's still unknown -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plants turn sunlight into food via photosynthesis, which is pretty amazing -- and its evolution is fairly mysterious. Learn how researchers think it happened 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 wake of America's many mass shootings, some states are enacting laws that allow police to confiscate citizens' firearms when a concern about violence is reported. Learn how these red flag laws work in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prostheses for humans are already in use, so why not for other animals? Learn how veterinarians are using 3-D printed limbs, fins, beaks, bones, and shells to help injured animals in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some U.S. cities and states have officially changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day. Learn why -- and why some Americans disagree with the change -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astronomers think there's an object in the far reaches of our solar system that's six times as massive as Earth. Learn why some think it's a planet and others propose it's a type of black hole in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This dog breed is known for its distinctive wrinkles, and genetic researchers have figured out why those wrinkles occur. Learn about it (plus whether a Shar-Pei might be a good dog for you) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Planting gardens, grasses, or wildflowers on urban roofs can solve a lot of problems, but it can cause a few along the way. Learn more about green roofs in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bobcat populations weren't doing so well a few decades ago, but these resilient wild cats are on the rebound. Learn about bobcats 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 a couple mathematically tested strategies for finding a parking spot that costs you the least time in terms of searching and walking to your destination. Learn what science has to say about parking in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although shoes with high heels are often coded feminine in modern culture, men wore them first -- military men, specifically. Learn the history of high heels in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few types of chickens are so pigmented that not just their feathers but their very flesh is a deep blue-black color. Learn how researchers think this 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.

In the United States, many states don't put a lower age limit on arrests, and children as young as six years of age have been arrested by police. Learn why, and how some lawyers and lawmakers are trying to change that, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.