Moment Of Um

Wifi seems like magic! It lets us send information from routers to computers through the air!. But how does it work? Are there magical computer data tubes? Lasers? Tiny invisible falcons carrying messages incredibly quickly? We asked computer scientist Vikram Iyer to help us find the answer. Got a question about who, what, when, where, or WHY-fi? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll si...

Did you know there are thousands of different species of crabs on Earth? Most of them live in water, but there are plenty of species that can live outside the water, too. So how do crabs breathe, both in the water and on land? We asked biologist and science communicator Sarah McAnulty to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s got you feeling crabby?  Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact,...

For the most part, flowers smell really great, right? They give off scents that are sweet, syrupy, perfumy and fresh. But they don’t all smell the same. We asked botanist Josh Felton from Colorado College why that is. Got a question you’d like to sniff out? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find a budding expert to give the answer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

Our sun is a big fiery ball of gas. It is very bright and very hot. So hot that we can’t even send spacecraft there without them burning up! But how does the sun make all that heat? We asked physics grad student Raj Katti help us find the answer. Got a question that’s a real scorcher? ? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll get bRIGHT to work finding the answer. See omnystudio.com/liste...

Whale sharks are big. They’re the biggest fish in the whole ocean! Have you ever wondered how they got so big? We asked shark expert Amani Webber-Schultz to help us find out.  Do you have an ocean-sized question sloshing around in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll SEA what we can find! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever seen a dog get the zoomies? That big burst of energy makes them skitter around like furry lightning bolts! But how about wolves? Do they get the zoomies, too? We asked wolf researcher and educator Michelle Mancini to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s zooming around in your mind? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll  pack your brain full of answers! See omnyst...

Ever wondered how trees keep track of time? They don’t wear wristwatches, so…do they have a tree calendar? Or count their rings like candles on a birthday cake? We asked arborist Casey Clapp to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s budding in your mind? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help sprout the answer! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The paper money that we use in the United States is printed by the Department of the Treasury. But if money is printed…well, then why couldn’t someone print hundreds of dollars for themselves? How do you know if the crisp five dollar bill in your hand is the real deal or a fake-a-rooni? We asked money expert and Million Bazillion co-host Bridget Bodnar to help us find the answer. Got a question ba...

Human butts are divided into two cheeks that come in all shapes and sizes. Plus, they help us stand upright and move around! But what about dogs and cats? Why don’t they have butt cheeks like ours? We asked dog researcher Alexandra Horowitzto help us find the answer. Got a question you’ve been sitting on? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you crack it open! See omnystudio.com/l...

There are lots of things we can do to relax and get ready for bed at the end of the day: take a warm bath, curl up with a book, or even sip a steaming mug of chamomile tea! But why does chamomile tea make us feel so sleepy? We asked brain doctor and sleep expert Chris Winter to help us find the answer. Got ZZZZZ-illions of questions? Send them to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find the...

If you’ve ever had a ball tossed at your face, you probably flinched, tried to knock it away from your face, or jumped out of the way, right? That’s called a reflex, and most humans have them including tiny babies. We asked physical therapist Karen Litzy why that is. Got a question for us? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find the answer!  See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

People all over the world have little brown dots called freckles on their skin. You might notice that you get new freckles if you spend time out in the sun. So what are the deets on these dots? We asked dermatologist Kristen Kelley to help us find the answer. Got a question about something and you need help connecting the dots?  Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help spot the answer...

Owls are amazing. Most are nocturnal and hunt at night. They have incredible eyesight. And a group of them is called a parliament! One of our listeners was wondering how far they can turn their heads around. We asked Lauren Smith from the Owl Research Institute to help us find the answer. Got a Moment of Um question that’s turning you upside down? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll h...

Who doesn’t love a dog nose? They’re cute, often very wet and way better at smelling the world than our puny human noses. Dog noses are one of the few places dogs don’t have hair. But what about inside? Do they have nose hair like we do? We asked dog researcher Alexandra Horowitz to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s giving you a ruff time? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we...

The Earth is made up of giant masses of land called continents. There are seven continents, but which one came first? Where did it come from? We asked geologist Annie Bauer to help us find the answer. Got a groundbreaking question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll dig into it! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever noticed how we usually wear lighter colors in the warmer months, and darker colors once it gets cold? Like how your black shirt is perfect at keeping cozy in the winter, but far too sweaty for the summer. But why is that? We asked physicist Dr. Desiré Whitmore, aka the Laser Chick, to help us understand why black absorbs heat.  Got a Moment of Um question that’s absorbing your mind?...

Lots of people talk in their sleep, especially kids!  Have you ever heard anyone babbling away in the middle of the night?  Or maybe someone has told you that you do it?  Sleep talking is totally normal, but why do we do it?  We asked sleep specialist Chris Winter to help us find the answer. Got a question that you’ve been dreaming about? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll search thr...

Zippers are everywhere – holding your backpack closed, keeping you snug in your sleeping bag and of course, on your pants! But how exactly does a zipper work? We asked Bryon Robinson of YKK (the world’s largest zipper manufacturer!) to help us find the answer.  Got a question that you’d like to sink your teeth into? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find a fasten-ating answer....

A nosebleed is just what it sounds like: it’s when blood comes out of your nose. Lots of people get nosebleeds, but what causes them? We asked pediatrician Emma Gerstenzang to help us find the answer. Got a scent-sational question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we promise we won’t turn our noses up at it! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever tried stirring a liquid really fast with a spoon? Sometimes, it looks like it creates a tiny tornado in the cup! Why does that happen? We asked mechanical engineer Jacy Bird to help us find the answer. Got a question that has your brain spinning? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll TEAm up to find the answer! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever experienced the term "time flies when you’re having fun"? It’s an unfortunate reality of life that time seems to crawl by when we’re waiting for something to happen, and go too fast when we’re having a blast. We asked Ruth Ogden, a psychologist at John Moores University, why this happens. Is there a question you’ve been pondering for a minute? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, a...

Believe it or not, plants are sensitive things. They know when the sun is shining. They get stressed when an insect is munching on them. But do they feel things like an electric shock? We asked arborist Casey Clapp to help us find the answer. Got a question that’s firmly planted in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we won’t leaf you hanging See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

If you’ve ever been caught in the rain, it probably wasn’t a big deal, right? Lucky for us, rain typically falls from the sky in small droplets. Listener Joe was wondering why that is, so we reached out to Monique Robinson of Mississippi State University to help us find the answer. Got a Moment of Um question that’s raining on your parade? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help weat...

Have you ever started to fall asleep and then suddenly – whoa! – you jolt awake? What’s up with that? We asked sleep specialist Chris Winter to help us find the answer. Got a question that has you losing sleep? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll pull an all-nighter to find the answer! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Octopuses are some of the most incredible animals on Earth. They have three hearts and their blood is blue! Plus, they can taste and smell things with the suction cups on their powerful arms. But do octopuses have brains? We asked wildlife expert Paul Bartell to help us find the answer. Got a question for this cephalo-PODcast? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll blow your mind with th...