x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

BrainStuff

Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.

science natural sciences

All Episodes

10:06

How Do Butterflies Get Their Brilliant Colors?

BrainStuff ·

2026/06/10

Butterfly wings often come in striking, iridescent colors -- but it's not from pigments (or not entirely). Learn how microscopic structures give butterfly wings their flash in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/butterfly-colors.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

11:36

How Did William the Conquerer Transform England?

BrainStuff ·

2026/06/08

In the year 1066, the illigitimate son of a Norman duke conquered England and became its king, changing English history (and language!) forever. Learn how William the Conquerer rose and ruled in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/european-history/william-conqueror.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

9:28

Could Dilophosaurus Really Spit Poison?

BrainStuff ·

2026/06/05

OK, we're almost sure the answer is no. But there was a fossil-based reason that 'Jurassic Park' included this detail. Learn about the real-life Dilophosaurus in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/dinosaurs/dilophosaurus.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

6:42

Do Our Pinky Toes Serve a Purpose?

BrainStuff ·

2026/06/03

Your pinky toes are actually powerhouses of locomotion. Learn how they help us move -- and what can go wrong if they get injured -- in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/parts/surprise-pinky-toe-does-serve-purpose.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

9:04

Where Did the At Symbol Come From?

BrainStuff ·

2026/06/01

The @ sign goes by many names today, but it's only so commonplace because of medieval merchants and one 1970s programmer. Learn more about the at sign (or arroba, Klammeraffe, strudel, grisehale, or gül) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/arroba.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

5:03

BrainStuff Classics: What Can Babies See in the Womb?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/30

A human fetus doesn't develop retinas until around gestational week 28. Learn how researchers have tried to figure out what babies can see in the few remaining weeks before they're born in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/pregnancy/fetal-development/what-do-babies-see-before-birth.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

10:21

Can You Really Escape an Alligator by Running Zigzag?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/29

You could probably outsprint an alligator no matter what pattern you ran in -- but it's extremely unlikely that you'd ever need to. Learn how alligators do and don't attack in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/reptiles/alligator-zigzag.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

12:15

What Fueled the Feud of the Hatfields and McCoys?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/28

The 30-year feud between these two families is more dramatic than fiction -- and may be the starting point of negative stereotypes about Appalachia. Learn about the story behind the Hatfields and McCoys in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/hatfields-and-mccoys.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

10:04

How Does Mayonnaise Work?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/27

Love it or hate it, mayo achieves a creamy texture without any dairy thanks to the science of emulsions. Learn how it works -- and why it's not the real danger in potato salad -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/question617.htm Listen to the Savor episode about mayo here (or wherever you get your podcasts): https://omny.fm/shows/savor/mayonnaise-and-mayo-naysSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

10:45

How Did a Wisconsin Woman Lead a German Resistance to...

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/20

Mildred Harnack was an American literature professor living in Berlin when the Third Reich took control. Learn how she and her husband led a resistance ring that enraged Hitler in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/mildred-harnack.htm Find the book 'All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days' here: https://www.rebeccadonner.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

13:03

Are Lobsters Functionally Immortal?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/19

It's true that lobsters don't age, but that doesn't quite make them immortal, and it's far from the only fabulously weird thing about them. Learn about lobsters -- including why they're biologically immortal, and how that might help human health in the future -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on these articles: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/400-pound-lobster.htm; https://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/10-weird-facts-lobsters.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

5:19

Is It 'Jerry-Rigged' or 'Jury-Rigged'?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/18

Both of these terms are actually valid, though they have slightly different meanings, and only one of them is based in sailors' slang. Learn the history of 'jury-rigged' and 'jerry-rigged' -- and how to use them correctly -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/jury-rigged-vs-jerry-rigged.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

10:08

How Did Beer Help Sell the Myth of Custer's Last Stand?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/12

The idea of General George Custer's deadly military blunder being a heroic last stand was constructed over decades to encourage U.S. colonization of the West. Learn how Anheuser-Busch helped in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/custers-last-stand.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

12:16

How Does Bioluminescence Work?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/11

When organisms like fireflies, fungi, and fish glow with cold light, there's chemistry at work. Learn what we know (and don't know!) about bioluminescence -- including how humans are harnessing it -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/bioluminescence.htm/printableSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

9:28

How Is Maillardet's Automaton Still Wowing Us After...

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/08

Around the year 1800, Swiss clockmaker Henri Maillardet created a mechanical doll that moves like a person as it produces drawings and poems with a pen on paper -- it's programmed for seven in total, without having any electrical parts. Learn how it and other automata work in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/maillardets-automaton.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

6:36

How Do Tiny Capers Pack Such a Big Flavor Punch?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/04

Capers are the flower buds of a spiny shrub, and though they have a lot of flavor on their own, they're often amped up by being pickled or packed in salt. Learn more about capers and how to cook with them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/capers.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

9:18

What Do A.M., P.M., and SOS Stand For?

BrainStuff ·

2026/05/01

OK, this is a trick question -- 'SOS' doesn't stand for anything at all. Learn the history of these three terms, including what astronomy and telegraphy have to do with it, in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/am-pm.htm; https://people.howstuffworks.com/what-does-sos-mean.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

9:04

How Do Fainting Goats Work?

BrainStuff ·

2026/04/23

Fainting goats don't really faint -- their muscles just lock up for a few extra seconds when they startle or get excited. Learn how myotonia works and why it can actually be a useful trait in goats in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/fainting-goat.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

8:23

Does Smog Make Sunsets More Beautiful?

BrainStuff ·

2026/04/22

Although a little air pollution can bring out brilliant colors in sunsets, most of it just causes a washed-out haze. Learn how both sunsets and smog work in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/smog-sunset.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

8:00

Why Does Albania Have Hundreds of Thousands of Bunkers?

BrainStuff ·

2026/04/21

When Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha started building concrete bunkers during the Cold War, it was part paranoia and part propaganda. Learn more about these mysterious bunkers and how they're being repurposed today in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/european-history/albania-bunkers.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

2,702 results

Similar Podcasts

Sean Carroll"s Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

Sean Carroll

Natural Resources University

Collaboration of land-grant universities

BrainStuff

iHeartPodcasts

Science Fiction Radio

solgoodmedia.com

Autobiography of an Electron

Charles R. Gibson