The BrainFood Show

⁠⁠In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we’re looking at the story of an intelligent, sweet little girl who was given up to an orphanage and then grew up to have a rather successful career as a nurse… and just so happens to be one of the most notorious female serial killers in history. On another note, if you could do us a huge favor and rate and review this show in whatever podcasting platform...

In the video today, we're looking at who invented the assault rifle, why do people drop when shot, can you make a gun that shoots around corners, how dangerous are rubber bullets and stun guns, the Canadian genius who attempted to launch satellites using an absolutely massive gun, a deep dive into the bullet proof vest and how they work, the story of the Tommy Gun, shooting guns in space, how to s...

Discover the incredible story of how the world's greatest archaeological rescue mission saved Egypt’s ancient wonders from destruction—engineering marvels, lost temples, and an unprecedented battle to preserve history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While there are a few dates that could be pointed to for the sun setting on the British Empire, in fact, it's never literally been the case... But all that's set to change- after centuries of the sun always shining on some part of the British realm, this year, that will end. Here now is the story of the origin of the expression "the sun never sets on..." and the twisting, turning way it's been tru...

Instant ramen: a global staple born from postwar hardship. Discover how Momofuku Ando revolutionized fast food, from Chikin Ramen to Cup Noodles, shaping history one slurp at a time! 🍜 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

⁠In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we begin by discussing a random quick fact involving the parents of Ferris Bueller on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Next we move into the main content for today’s episode which is discussing how exactly people used to get human heads to shrink and why they did this in the first place. Moving on from that, we look at the fascinating saga of famed philosopher Jer...

In the video today we're looking at what happens in the real world when you find a buried treasure. What happens when someone objects during a wedding and why ministers ask. What happens if you commit a crime aboard an aircraft or in International waters. What happens when you give a homeless person $100,000. What happens if a cemetery goes under. What exactly happens to animals swallowed alive. W...

Discover the untold story of WWII's Lookout Air Raids—Japan’s daring bombing of U.S. soil—and the unexpected journey from fear and devastation to forgiveness and reconciliation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are countless bizarre guns that have been created since humans began gunning, but few are as bad, or as famous and widely produced, as one in WWII produced with the hope of equipping insurgents against their German overlords. This is the story of the worst gun of WWII The Second World War was by far the deadliest and most destructive conflict in modern history in part as it saw the combat de...

The laugh track: a bizarre, reviled, yet oddly influential piece of television history. How did it rise, why did it fall, and—most importantly—did it ever actually work? Let’s find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

⁠In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we begin by discussing a random quick fact involving the curious old practice of mailing children. Next we move into the main content for today’s episode which is the gruesome tale of William Burke and William Hare and their year long murder spree. Moving on from that, we look at a man who decided to raise his son as a native speaker of Klingon and how that...

In today's episode, we're looking at how Switzerland managed to remain neutral with WWI and WWII raging around them, how Germany was so successful at the start of WWII against vastly superior numbers, the forgotten harrowing peace flight that nearly torpedoed the Japanese surrender, and much more! 0:00 How Switzerland Managed to Remain Neutral with WWI and WWII Raging Around Them 16:09 How was the...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm excited to share a preview of a new podcast we think you’d enjoy: No Such Thing No Such Thing is a show where three best friends and journalists settle their dumb arguments — and yours — by actually doing the research. Hosts Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph start each episode with an argument using just their gut feelings. Then they go out into the world, investigate, talk to exper...

Ever wonder what the best way to survive a nuclear blast is? Well, wonder no more! There was a turtle by the name of Bert, and Bert the turtle was very alert. When danger threatened him he never got hurt, he knew just what to do: He'd duck and cover! Duck and cover! So goes the title tune of the infamous Cold War instructional film Duck and Cover, released by the United States Federal Civil Defens...

Is the phenomenon of toast always landing buttered side down actually real, or is it a myth, a product of selective memory and general pessimism? Surprisingly, this supposedly trivial question has attracted a large amount of rigorous scientific research - the results of which may surprise you, including the millions year old reason buttered side down toast was inevitable. Author: Gilles Messier Ho...

In the video today we're looking at World War 2's slightly absurd secret weapons and the Japanese battleship with guns that weighed more than entire American battleships. Moving on from there we cover the Russian KV Tanks that were so tough they literally would take out anti-tank guns by driving over them. Next up we do a dive into the German space shuttle, that time Germany teamed up with IBM for...

Popular history gets the War of the Currents wrong pretty fundamentally. This is the real story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A relatively common trope today is that of the noble and honorable Samurai warrior opposed by their shadowy brother from another mother, the mystical and morally corrupt, black garbed assassin warrior known as the ninja. These fabled shadow warriors of Japanese history have been a staple of modern pop culture since around the 1960s when super-spy James Bond encountered them on a trip to Japan in Y...

In the video today we're looking at a variety of interesting stories from WWII from the man who fought in WWII with a sword and bow, to the kids who led the resistance movement in Germany, to how flatulence decided the outcome of WWII. 0:00 Why Did Japan Join the Nazis? (Given, You Know, the Nazis Explicitly Hated Non-Aryans) 40:09 The Women Who were Used for Breeding by the Nazis 57:25 How Do Ger...

It is a classic war movie trope: a squad of soldiers are marching through the jungle when, suddenly, they hear an ominous click. One of the soldiers freezes and, glancing down, spots a telltale metal disk under his foot. His heart begins to beat furiously: he has just stepped on a landmine. His comrades urge him to stay perfectly still, for if he moves even an inch the mine will explode, blowing o...

The years 2010 to 2014, saw the release of the three Expendables films, throwback action romps starring a roster of aging 1980s action stars including Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as retired mercenaries back for one final job - and, presumably, easy nostalgia-fuelled paycheques. While the notion of assembling a tea...

History remembers Thomas Edison as one of the greatest inventors of all time. The Internet thinks he was a fraud. Which is true? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As horrific as a nuclear war would be in the immediate, a common idea is that the real troubles for humanity, and the world, would actually occur in the long aftermath, triggering what is now commonly known as nuclear winter- a nightmarish scenario in which atmospheric temperatures would drop dramatically, crops would fail, and widespread famine, disease, and unrest would follow, leading to a cata...

In the video today, we're looking at a variety of fascinating stories from WWII, everything from what the German public actually knew about the holocaust during WWII to the biggest POW camp breakout, to that time the U.S. government teamed up with the mafia against the Germans, to the young war gamers who changed the course of the war with their games and much, much more. 0:00 What Did the German...