Moment Of Um

Cephalopods are a group of marine creatures who all have a big head, a set of arms or tentacles, and can squirt ink. This group includes animals like squids and octopuses, but how do you know which is which? Marine biologist Sarah McAnulty gave us a few things to look for.  If you’ve got a Moment of Um question inked in your brain, send it our way at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll search for the...

Almond milk is more popular than ever these days, but have you ever wondered how they actually get milk from almonds? We asked Gemma Aguayo-Murphy , recipe developer and creator of the cooking blog Everyday Latina, how it’s done. Got a question that’s a real tough nut to crack? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find an answer that quenches your thirst! See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Goats are extremely important animals for lots of cultures around the world – they provide milk, meat, and even warm wool. Have you ever noticed that their eyes are unusual? Instead of round pupils like you and me, their pupils are shaped like horizontal lines. We asked vision scientist Martin Banks to explain why.  If you’ve got an eye-opening question for Moment of Um, send it our way at BrainsO...

There are all different kinds of ears in the world: big floppy elephant ears, fuzzy rabbit ears – even teeny squirrel ears smaller than a dime! But what about insects? Do they have ears? We asked insect expert Meredith Cenzer to help us find the answer. Got a question that sounds like a winner? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find an answer that’s music to your ears! See omny...

Bamboo is a type of grass that grows into big clusters of long, straight stalks. Those stalks are super strong, and are useful for making lots of things, from instruments to gardening tools, to building materials. And when a breeze blows through a bunch of bamboo, it makes a really cool chattering, rattling sound. How does it do that? And why? We asked biologist Lynn Clark to help us find the answ...

Tree rings are kind of like a tree’s personal diary – they record everything that happens to them - from the weather, to fires and insects. One of our listeners wanted to know how tree rings form, and if you can actually tell the age of a tree by counting the rings. We asked forest ecologist Diana Macias to help us with the answer.  Do you have a stumper of a question for Moment of Um? Send it to...

It seems like water always falls down. Rain and snow fall down from the sky. Watering cans pour water down on plants. Waterfalls – well, the water falls down! But when water is steam, it rises up. Why is that? We asked aerospace engineer Nicole Sharp to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s weighing you down? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find what’s up.   See omny...

Here at Moment of Um, we love fishing for questions, and the one we’re answering now is a great catch. It comes from Marc, in Miami Florida: When lakes form, how do fish get in them? Associate Professor Megan McPhee from the University of Alaska Fairbanks helps us get to the bottom of this topic. If you have a Moment of Um question, send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and you could hear the answ...

Sleep helps our brains and bodies rest. Lots of animals need sleep to survive, like birds, mice and even humpback whales! But what about insects, like butterflies? Do they doze off, too?  We asked insect expert Meredith Cenzer to help us find the answer. Got a question fluttering around in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we won’t sleep on it! See omnystudio.com/listener for...

If you’ve ever been on a long car trip, you may have noticed that you start to feel sleepy as the car moves. Is it because the seats are so comfy? Is the radio hypnotizing you? Are the floor mats sprinkled with secret sleepy dust? We asked neuroscientist Aurore Perrault to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s driving you nuts? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help dream u...

Black holes are one of the strangest things in space: gravity is so strong that nothing gets out, not even light, so learning about them is a big challenge for scientists. If black holes “eat” everything around them, could one black hole eat another black hole? We talked with astrophysicist Marcos Flores to shed some light on the subject.  Are you in the dark with a Moment of Um question? Send it...

Have you ever seen a Venus flytrap in action? An unsuspecting insect lands inside and BAM! The plant’s toothy leaves snap shut in a fraction of a second! But what happens to the insects that get stuck inside a Venus flytrap? We asked insect expert Meredith Cenzer to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s trapped in your mind? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help break down...

Narwhals are sometimes called “the unicorns of the sea” because of their giant spiral tusks. It turns out that those tusks are actually a big tooth that grows right out of the narwhal’s mouth! One of our listeners wanted to know if narwhals were born with a hole in their head for the tusk, and if not, does it hurt the narwhal when the tusk comes through? We spoke with marine biologist Kristin Laid...

Some teens’ personalities seem to change more frequently than the weather in April! Why is that? What’s going on in the brains and bodies of growing humans that changes how they interact with friends and family? We asked child development expert Dr. Ed Greene to tell us about the mighty forces that shape a young person’s personality.  Got a question that will boost your mood? Send it to us at Brai...

Picture this: you’re enjoying a perfect day by your favorite lake. The sun is shining, the water is calm, and everything is peaceful … until SPLASH! A fish flies out of the water like a silver torpedo and flops back down into the lake. Why do fish do that, anyway? We asked aquatic biologist Keegan Lutek to help us find the answer. Got a question that you’re POND-ering? Send it to us at BrainsOn.or...

Picture this: you’re outside with a friend, and you both see a little insect flying around. It’s got a small dark body, some tiny antennae, and big colorful wings. You say, “What a beautiful butterfly!” But your friend says, “No, that’s a moth!” How can you tell the difference? We got entomologist Brian Brown to give us the key.  If you’ve got a Moment of Um question fluttering around in your brai...

Swimming in the pool can be a blast, whether you’re floating peacefully, splishing and splashing, or doing the doggy paddle. But have you ever wondered why you feel lighter in the water than out of it? We asked physicist Xie Chen to help us find the answer. Got a question swimming around in your noggin? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll pool our resources to find the answer! See omn...

Do you know how to wiggle your ears? It might seem like one of those things that some people can do and other people just can’t, but neuroscientist Steve Hackley says he thinks anyone can learn – and he’s got your instructions! Plus, he tells us why it’s potentially an important skill.  If you’ve got a question for Moment of Um wiggling around in your brain, send it our way at BrainsOn.org/contact...

Our planet is shaped like a big blue marble. But when we’re standing on the Earth’s surface, the ground looks pretty flat. So why doesn’t the Earth look round to us? We asked astrophysicist Ian Hall to help us find the answer. Got a question that you can’t wrap your head a-round? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll answer it in no time flat! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

If your family celebrates Christmas, you’re probably familiar with the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree. Some trees are reusable and can be stored in the closet or basement, and others are real. Just how long does it take real trees to grow to their full size? We asked science communicator and plant expert Brandi Cannon-Force to help us find the answer. Pining for the answer to a tree-mend...

Our galaxy is amazing, but it’s not the only one. Astronomers think there could be two trillion others out there. So, what’s up with those other galaxies? Are they just standing still, or do they orbit something? We asked astrophysicist Ian Hall to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s circling around in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find a universally...

Black holes are created when a giant star explodes into a supernova. The gravity of a black hole is so incredibly strong that it pulls in anything that gets close – even light! But what’s it like inside a black hole? Is it hot or cold? We asked astrophysicist Ian Hall to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s a hole lot of fun? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find an...

Did you know there is a microscopic animal that can live up to 30 years without food? And that can survive in the vacuum of space? They are called tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, and they are hardy creatures. How much DNA do these adaptable and almost indestructible organisms share with humans? We asked biologist Kalia Gabriel to help us find the answer. Got a question you...

Our universe is enormous and filled with lots of planets. We call planets outside our solar system exoplanets. Could one of these distant places have aliens living on it? We asked astrophysicist Ian Hall to help us find the answer. Got an enterprising question making a trek through your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll boldly go looking for the answer. See omnystudio.com/lis...

There’s nothing like a cozy cup of tea. Have you ever noticed that the longer you leave the tea bag in, the more flavorful the tea gets? How does that happen? We asked Dr. Stuart Farrimond, a science writer, doctor and educator, to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s steeping in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll pour out an answer. See omnystudio.com/listener...