The Brain Candy Podcast

Today's the day! Our 500th episode is here, and we are SOOO thankful! What a special achievement, and we couldn't have done it without you! To celebrate, Sarah made a Best of the Worst Tournament of Champions March Madness Bracket, and it is H I L A R I O U S! Who will be the winner (?) of the thing we hate the most??? Will it be the patriarchy? Johnny Bananas? Whistlers???? There are so many...

Today we find out why mother nature is a sneaky bitch, and you should be careful about your resolutions. Sarah reveals why she is "grounding" herself. Susie describes an incident on Road Rules that was unsafe, but she didn't realize it at the time. We learn about the Paranormal Challenge, and why no one has claimed the $250K prize. Susie discusses a documentary about art forgeries, and why it make...

Today we find out why Sarah is living the Pura Vida, but getting there wasn't easy. We hear how lucid dreamers are able to do math problems in their sleep. We learn about an experiment that turned a living cat into an ACTUAL telephone, and while it sounds gruesome, it actually helped a lot of people with disabilities. Sarah is wound up about companies who are preventing their employees from unioni...

Today we hear why Sarah has always been teacher's pet, and Susie has, of course, not ever been a teacher's pet. We find out why there is a mystery inscription on Edvard Munch's Scream, and we learn who put it there. Plus, Susie convinces Sarah to like the "Mona Lisa of modern art." We discuss the story of the Lady and the Dale, and how a trans woman changed the face of the automobile industry in t...

Today we find out about the mysterious disappearance of a sex doll. We debate what could've happened to the pretend girlfriend. Sarah reveals who made the original butt plug, and how it was marketed. Apparently, people thought butt plugs were miraculous in the early days. We find out what weird stuff people can do with their bodies, and why Sarah thinks curling her tongue is a superpower. We learn...

Today we revisit the Framing Britney documentary and the reason society loathes beautiful women. We discuss the doxxing of a paramedic who had an OnlyFans account. Susie describes the strangest TEDTalk she's ever seen that wants to change the alphabet song. We learn about a relative of former President Warren G. Harding who wants to exhume his body for a reality tv show. We debate whether kids sho...

Today we find out about Sarah's secret art collection. Susie discusses life at the Playboy Mansion, and why it's not all it's cracked up to be. We discuss the complexities of paparazzi, fame, and mental health. We talk about the documentary Fake Famous, which unpacks & exposes influencer culture. We learn why spinach reveals how much we don't know about science and the natural world. We discus...

Today we find out why one thing is still coming between Susie & Sarah. Hear about the woman who mistook Gorilla Glue for hair gel, & it did not end well. Sarah reveals how dentists know you are sexually active, and now we're convinced we're doing *it* wrong. We hear why your income can change the hormones you secrete when you're pregnant, & we're freaked out by it. Sarah discusses a ne...

Today we find out why Sarah wants to get to know Rhen better, and she thinks everyone should "interview" their partners. We find out why you should trust your gut when it comes to creeps and predators. Hear the CrAzY details about a new sex doll for women that has Susie feeling a little judge-y and confused. Learn what women prefer in their sex dolls and why it's so different from men. Plus, hear...

Today we discuss the passing of Dustin Diamond aka Screech from Saved By the Bell, and how his career had difficulties and trauma. Susie tells us amazing facts about the ways humans smell, how we're far better at it than we realized, and it's traumatic when we lose our sense of smell. We discuss a recent retraction by Food & Wine magazine, and debate whether their food styling is racist. We he...

Today we find out why the Pixar documentary did not sit right with Susie, but a new one helped her see the light at the end of the patriarchal tunnel. We talk about why comedy is so male-dominated, and it's more obvious than ever. Susie describes a new show on Hulu that blew her mind. We learn the history of bubble wrap. We discuss the complexities of the human voice, and learn why it's so hard to...

Today we get an update on the ghost in Susie's house, and Sarah gives advice on how to make friends with her? We hear about signs from the dead, and how to watch for them. We discuss the surprising stats on fertility during COVID, and why they're calling it a "baby bust." Sarah talks about her latest Netflix obsession, and why she "loves love." Hear about a new lube that is a "triple threat" thank...

Today we hear why Susie's mom is fine with the Biden situation--for now. We debate whether it's strange for kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart to be on Masked Singer. Susie talks about a cool study on aging goths, and the ways that their sullen expressions of emotion make them healthier. We learn the history of peanut butter, and it's weirder than we thought it would be. Susie reveals why there's...

Today we hear why Susie & Sarah get embarrassed by music. Sarah gets emotional about the movie Promising Young Woman, and learn why the movie gets it right about sexual assault. We find out the history of swear words, and Sarah shares why she has a new perspective on the word "bitch." Plus, we talk to Chris Hansen of To Catch a Predator about his work catching pedophiles, how he stays calm dur...

Today Sarah blows Susie's mind when she reveals that scientists have discovered identical snowflakes. Susie discusses the History Channel survival-based show, Alone, and how it reveals the foibles and victories of the human spirit. We hear why there is a sperm donor shortage, and Susie hilariously forgets that cis men typically don't have wombs. We delve into the unusual nature of of Armie Hammer'...

Today we hear why Sarah is at her wit's end about her living situation and she is getting litigious. We also realized that there's a small chance that Wes might be her landlord. She describes how her love of plants might get her out of this sticky situation. We discuss the difficulties of living with someone during lockdown. Sarah describes the science of love and the three stages therein, and she...

Today we find out what your musical preference says about your personality. Susie explains recent Twitter drama involving a dad, a can of beans, and people who think he's abusive. And Sarah agrees! We hear about a man who got so mad at his town that he created a tank and bulldozed the whole town. Susie shares a story of a toymaker who invented 800 toys, and why he's her new hero. We discuss the tr...

Today we hear how Sarah is coping with the death of Alex Trebek, and who she thinks should replace him. We hear her theory about why Ken Jennings is a creep. Sarah reveals why Pythagorus was afraid of beans and refused to consume them. We learn the scientific explanation for deja vu, and it explains why you can't predict what will come next during one. We find out why a man was hospitalized for sn...

Today we get some documentary recommendations from Susie including one that shows how a serial killer was unstoppable because the cops were sexist. We debate whether one couple should be fined for destroying their son's porn collection. Susie reveals what happens with illegible mail. We hear about snacks from 79AD, the real reason chess sets are so expensive, and the history of puzzles. Plus, we f...

Today we find out why Sarah is ready for a big change in her life. We learn why sometimes our brains just want to complete patterns, but we think it wants something else. We hear why Susie was touched by the movie Soul. Hear Sarah's thoughts on The Vow--the series about the Nexium cult, and our thoughts on whether cults will thrive in the digital age. We find out why Nostradamus has some seriously...

Today we find out why Smokey Robinson is definitely not Jewish and the Soup Nazi can finally make a living. We hear about a neighbor dispute about the Gilligan's Island theme song. They took spiders to space & found out why they need light more than we realized. Sarah teaches us how to survive an avalanche. Scientists claim crabs have the right idea about evolution. And Dippin' Dots paved the...

On our final episode of 2020 (thank heavens that's over!) we're posting the audio from our live event at the University of Pittsburgh. We talk with Larry Brilliant, M.D., and epidemiologist who worked on the team that eradicated smallpox. He is an expert on pandemics and has a life like Forrest Gump. We find out his thoughts on COVID-19, his advice on how to deal with people who think it's a "hoax...

Today we get all wound up about the Wall Street Journal op-ed which told Dr. Jill Biden to drop the "doctor" title even though she has a doctorate. Sarah discusses a humungous spider that some people adopted. We find out who discovered the treasure hidden by Forrest Fenn, & why the hunt captured the attention of so many. We hear about "repairability tags" that are being used in Europe to encou...

Today we discuss those dudes who wear shorts no matter how cold it is. Susie reveals why she thinks there's a ghost in her house. We learn why being a hermit might actually bring you closer to God. Susie shares what people eat as comfort foods around the world, and we learn a little too much about what Sarah's grandma made her eat when she was sick. We celebrate the baby who was born 27 years afte...

Today we talk about why reality tv doesn't really feature underdogs. Sarah has a theory about sports, and she's really worked up about it. We discuss how YouTubers are trying to be athletes. Susie learns what questions you should ask a prospective therapist before you go, & why it's ok to leave your therapist if you're unhappy. We hear about a racists dudes who are obsessed w/ the monolith. Sa...