BrainStuff

Just hearing about yawning can make you yawn, and no one is sure why. Learn more about yawns and yawning in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nobel Prizes are highly prestigious, valuable awards that have been given out to visionaries and pioneers in select fields since 1901. Tune in to find out more about the Nobel Prize in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your IQ, or intelligence quotient, is a reflection of how well you perform on a specific test that measures cognitive abilities. Learn more about IQ tests in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Different types of racing vehicles require different types of fuel. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the advantages and drawbacks of each fuel type. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes some ice cloudy and some perfectly clear? Discover the answer and learn how to make your own batch of clear cubes in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The purpose of a refrigerator is to slow the growth of bacteria -- since some foods don't freeze well, they can't be placed in a freezer. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn the ideal temperature for your refrigerator. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adding random access memory -- or RAM -- to your computer can, to a degree, make the machine faster. Check out this podcast from HowStuffWorks to learn how RAM affects your computer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The octane rating of gasoline indicates how much a fuel can be compressed before it ignites. When gas ignites due to compression, knocking occurs within the engine. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about octane and engines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steel is an amazing metal. Many different varieties of steel exist, and some types of steel are better for certain tasks. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn how case hardening allows manufactures to get the best of multiple types of steel. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Batteries -- particularly car batteries -- seem to go dead and then come back to life after a resting period. How does this self-recharging feature of batteries work? Find out in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you stand at the water's edge and look out toward the horizon, how far away can you actually see? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the horizon and the curvature of Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As of 1999, all TV sets sold in the Untied States are required to contain a viewer-control chip, also known as a v-chip. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about v-chips and television ratings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As hair cells form in follicles, they push other cells out of the follicle. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about your hair's growth and rest phases. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If a balloon was filled by a vacuum -- rather than helium or air -- would it float? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn the science behind balloons and vacuum. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The idea behind a gravity assist is to use a planet's motion to accelerate a satellite. Check out our article on HowStuffWorks to learn more about the effects of gravity on satellites. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wind farms and solar power plants are promising sources of renewable energy, but they're not as reliable as conventional power sources. In this episode, Marshall explains how large-scale storage technologies could make solar and wind power more viable. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Water is a very heavy substance -- just one gallon weighs 8 pounds. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about how the passage of water affects your weight. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The electric company bills its customer by the kilowatt-hour. The number of watts a device uses times the number of hours you leave it on tells you number of watt-hours it consumes, and divided by 1,000 will convert the measurement to kilowatt-hours. Listen to find out more in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystud...

Hurricanes are enormously destructive, and sometimes seem to have a mind of their own. Tune in to this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about hurricanes. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the heart is a muscle, it relies on the oxygen and nutrients contained in blood. This blood is supplied by arteries on the exterior of the heart -- when these arteries are blocked, a heart attack results. Listen to find out in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inkjet printers shoot extremely small droplets of ink -- thirty dots per millimeter or more -- onto paper to produce a picture. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about inkjet printers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every gasoline engine has valves that work with the camshaft to let air into and out of the engine. Learn how VTEC -- Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control -- allows engines to adapt their camshafts in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On average, human hair grows a small amount each day. Listen in as Marshall Brain explains hair growth in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sound of gunfire is incredibly loud, and it is amazing that anything is able to silence a firearm. However, the principle behind a gun silencer is surprisingly simple. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about silencers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The goal of headers is to make it easier for an engine to push out exhaust gasses. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn how exhaust headers channel exhaust gasses and improve engine efficiency. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.