BrainStuff

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.

Transcribed - Published: 3 June 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 1 June 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 30 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 29 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 28 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 27 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 20 May 2026

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 information.

Transcribed - Published: 19 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 18 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 4 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 1 May 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 2026

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.

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2026

Since the early days of space exploration, some of NASA's greatest have pulled some great pranks. Learn about our favorites, from a smuggled sandwich to a space gorilla, in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/ridiculous-history-5-nasa-greatest-pranks.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2026

When you shiver, your fingers and toes go numb, or you get goosebumps in the cold, that's actually your body trying to keep you warm. Learn how it works -- and how you habituate to chilly temperatures over time -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nervous-system/body-learn-frigid-temperatures.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 30 March 2026

The War of 1812 between the U.S. and the British Empire ended in a stalemate, but it established the U.S. as an independent nation and economic power -- and allowed Americans to colonize the West. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/war-1812.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2026

Geoducks are large clams that can live for over a century, are eaten as delicacies, and look incredibly NSFW. Learn more about these amazing mollusks in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/geoducks.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2026

Van Gogh didn't find fame or financial success during his life. But after he died, his widowed sister-in-law, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, worked for decades to bring his life and work to the spotlight. Learn more about her in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/johanna-van-gogh-bonger.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2026

Building muscle isn't just about getting ripped -- it's a way all of us can be healthier. Learn about the facts and fictions behind building muscle (aka mucle hypertrophy) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise/hypertrophy.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 9 March 2026

The discovery of Deinonychus, an agile theropod that may have hunted in packs, changed the way we think about dinosaurs -- and inspired 'Jurassic Park' to boot. Learn about Deinonychus and the real (smaller) Velociraptor in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/dinosaurs/deinonychus.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2026

Scales range from simple machines that weigh your produce to precision instruments that measure anything from molecules to massive cargo -- but they all work on related principles. Learn how different types of scales work in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/fitness/digital-scale.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 2026

In South Carolina, the first school for formerly enslaved people during the Civil War shifted to become a center for social activism during the Civil Rights movement, and stands today as a landmark of African American culture and history. Learn more about the Penn Center in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-civil-war/penn-center-strategic-secret-pivotal-to-civil-rights-movement.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 23 February 2026

Cramming for a test or other deadline may give you decent short-term results, but research shows it sacrifices long-term comprehension and memory. Learn why study methods like spacing and interleaving are better in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/why-cramming-is-worst-way-to-study.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 21 February 2026

Over a few hundred years, real stories about secretive agents developed into the legend of the ninja. Learn how this myth captured the world's imagination -- and about the work being done at the world's first International Ninja Research Center -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/first-ninja-research-center-out-to-solve-myth-behind-legend.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 20 February 2026

The French word 'bourgeois' originally just meant a middle-class town dweller, but it's taken on a lot of different (and often derogatory) connotations over the centuries, including in the English slang term 'bougie'. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/bourgeoisie.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 19 February 2026

When abortion was illegal throughout the U.S., it was still perfomed -- just dangerously or expensively. Learn about the Jane Collective -- an underground network that helped people access safe, affordable, illegal abortions -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/jane-collective.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 18 February 2026

Ducks can hold extra air in their feathers and bodies, making it easy for them to float -- and to squeeze out the air and dive when they want to. Learn more about ducks and bouyancy in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/duck-float.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 17 February 2026

Following World War II, Austrialia became embroiled in another war -- with a population of emu. Learn how the Emu War unfolded in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/ridiculous-history-emu-war.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 1 February 2026

Neurologists and philosophers alike may argue that altruism doesn't exist because no act is ever completely unselfish. Learn why -- and why humans may have evolved this way -- in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/unselfish-act.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2026

Just outside Los Angeles, Forest Lawn Memorial Park is the resting place of many celebrities -- and also home to art, architecture, and celebrations of life. Learn about it in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/funerals/forest-lawn-memorial-park.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 28 January 2026

Not all animals have red blood -- it can also come in green, blue, clear, and even dichroic varieties. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/5-animals-whose-blood-isnt-red.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 27 January 2026

At a girls' boarding school in what's now Tanzania, a fit of giggles expanded into a months-long epidemic of stressed-out laughter affecting hundreds of people. Learn what we know (and still don't know) about this mass psychogenic illness in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/behavior/1962-tanganyika-laughter-epidemic.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 26 January 2026

Ever freeze when the pharmacist asks, “Any questions?” Beyond the Script is here to help.  Hosted by Dr. Jake Goodman, this podcast answers the health questions you meant to ask—and the ones you didn’t know you should. Each episode features CVS pharmacists sharing trusted advice, busting myths, and unpacking the trends shaping your health. No white coats. No lectures. Just real talk, real answers, and a few unexpected laughs. Follow Beyond the Script now—coming soon from CVS Pharmacy and iHeartMedia’s Ruby Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 24 January 2026

Today, we use remote controls for everything from televisions to car doors to Mars rovers. Learn about the history and technologies behind them (including radio-frequency, ultrasonic, and infrared remotes) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on these articles: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/repurposed-inventions/history-of-remote-control.htm; https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/remote-control.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 23 January 2026

During WWII, a diplomat by the name of Aristides de Sousa Mendes disobeyed his government in order to provide safe passage to thousands of people fleeing fascist violence in Europe. Learn how his descendents are working together with descendents of those he saved to tell his story in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/aristides-de-sousa-mendes.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 22 January 2026

When every minute counts, search-and-rescue dogs can help locate disaster victims far faster than humans alone. Learn about how they're trained in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/sar-dog.htm/printableSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 1 January 2026

The tradition of dropping a ball in Times Square to mark the beginning of a new year only goes back about a century. Learn about the history -- plus four weird things that other cities drop instead -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 31 December 2025

No, you can't literally die of boredom -- but it can lead to some high-risk behaviors. Learn more about boredom, ennui, and how to shake them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on these articles: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/bored-to-death.htm; https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/ennuiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 30 December 2025

Cashmere can be more expensive than other wools because producing it is such an intensive process -- for the goats that grow it and the humans who care for them. Learn more in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/why-is-cashmere-so-expensive.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 26 December 2025

In Catalonia, there's a two-hundred-year-old tradition of including a figurine of a man pooping in the shadows of Nativity scenes. Learn about el caganer in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/pooping-man-catalan-nativity-scene.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 25 December 2025

These small appliances help home cooks achieve excellent rice via two categories of technology: ingeniously simple physics, or incredibly complex algorithms. Learn about heat-sensitive switches and fuzzy logic in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/rice-cooker.htm/printable For more about the history of rice cookers, check out this episode of Lauren's other podcast, Savor: The Warm and Fuzzy Rice Cooker EpisodeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 24 December 2025

Mudlarking means sifting through riverbank muck in hopes of finding lost or discarded historical artefacts. Learn how it works, especially in the River Thames, in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/archaeology/mudlarking.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2025

These arctic animals have complex social structures and may eat 6,000 clams in a single meal. Learn more walruses in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/walrus.htm/printableSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 22 December 2025

Your adaptive immune system remembers specific germs and fights them really effectively -- but it can sometimes make mistakes and attack your own healthy cells. Learn how the adaptive immune system works (and how it can go wrong) in this episode of BrainStuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 9 December 2025

Slime molds are collectives of single-celled organisms that don't have neurons, much less brains, but they can move, solve mazes, and remember where food is located. Learn what we know (and don't know!) about them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/biology-fields/slime-mold-facts.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 8 December 2025

Although there can be small differences, all of these are local names for the same species of cat, Puma concolor. Learn about them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/cougar-vs-mountain-lion.htmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcribed - Published: 5 December 2025