BrainStuff

Rainbows may look like they touch the ground somewhere off in the distance, but it's impossible to find that spot. 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.

Recent guidelines from the American Heart Association warn that coconut oil is not a healthy food, despite popular claims that it's a miracle worker. 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.

Of course, everybody's voice varies, but in general male humans develop lower-pitched voices than female humans starting around puberty. 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.

Sudden exposure to bright light makes some people sneeze -- but why? Learn the leading theory in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first machine for computation was designed in the 1800s! Learn how its creators, Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace, set about inventing it in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may seem like folks make too big of a deal over blackface, but its history puts that outrage into perspective. 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.

We humans are fairly squishy, and we eat fairly squishy food. So how do we grow hard bones? Learn how it happens in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fluffy biscuits are a cornerstone of Southern cuisine, but they're a relatively recent invention. Learn the history behind this baked good in today's episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tales of squid attacking ships go way back, and there are some known instances of squid attacking subs, but could a cephalopod really take down a modern vessel? Learn what researchers think in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You won't find the word 'popsicle' on the packaging for some ice pops -- instead, they're called 'quiescently frozen confections'. Learn why this sciencey term is used instead of the more simple one in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How high can helium balloons go before they burst? Do they always burst? Learn about the physics of escaped balloons in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When concepts are as intertwined as weather and climate, it can be easy to mix them up. Learn the difference, and why it matters so much in discussions about the environment, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did the generals of the Revolutionary War really try to hand George Washington a monarchy? Learn the truth behind this slightly tall tale in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No, it's not radioactive noodles -- nuclear pasta is the term for weird material produced in neutron stars. Learn why astrophysicists are so interested in 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.

If you wreck a car during a test-drive, would you have to pay for it? Learn how car dealers handle this surprisingly rare occurance in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a millennia-old idea that milk causes mucus production, and therefore that you should avoid milk if you're sick. Learn whether there's any truth to this snotty tale in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's happening when you get hiccups, and how can you stop them? Learn how hiccups work 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 hard to print with stuff like liquid metals and living cells using traditional inkjet-style machines, but new tech that uses sound waves may make it easier. 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.

Astronomers have long suspected that Jupiter contains lots of water, but they've never been able to prove it. Learn about the new research that could help -- and thus solve lots of questions about our solar system -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Statues of this jolly fellow adorn the register counters of many Chinese American restaurants, but he's not the Buddha. Learn about this Buddhist diety in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've heard of smallpox, but what was the great pox? And did Shakespeare have it? Learn about the spread of (spoiler alert) syphilis in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Snoring can root from a number of causes, but sleeping on your side can usually help prevent it. Learn the science of snores in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Water is essentially free, so why do Americans spend billions on bottles of it? Learn the history behind bottled water's popularity, from marketing to health scares, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sensation of itchiness can be maddening. Learn what's going on in your nerves and brain when you itch -- and when you scratch that itch -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For millions of moviegoers, memories visiting the local theater automatically conjures the smell of popcorn. But this wasn’t always the case – so why, out of all snacks, did popcorn become #1 for film? Learn the history in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.