Ever wonder if your pet is lying to you, what's inside a black hole, or whether you'd survive being cryogenically frozen? With infectious curiosity, cartoonist and former roboticist Jorge Cham makes science fun and accessible as he answers your biggest questions. Listen here and subscribe to ScienceStuff on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get y…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Von iHeartPodcasts

Whales are some of the largest creatures on Earth -- but why? And why aren't they bigger? Learn a whale of a tale about ocean mammals in this classic episode of BrainStuff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Von iHeartPodcasts

The oldest known intact Earth rock was collected on the moon in the 1970s. Learn how researchers think it got there it in this classic episode of BrainStuff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Von iHeartPodcasts

Enormous, pig-like omnivores with bone-barbed faces and long tusks once hunted and fought throughout what's now North America, Eurasia, and Africa. Learn about the entelodonts in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/extinct-animals/prehistoric-hell-pigs-once-roamed-earth.htm See omnystudio.com/listene…

Sometime in the 1900s, Americans began referring to themselves as consumers more often than as citizens. Learn how this mindset can make a real difference in how we take responsibility for our communities in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/american-citizens-versus-consumers.htm See omnystudio.c…

Saliva is something you probably (hopefully?) don't think about too much, but it helps you speak, eat, taste, and even digest. Learn about the wonders of spit in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/digestive/saliva-change-food.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Harriet Tubman helped people escape slavery, ran intelligence missions for the Union during the Civil War, and set up the first nursing home for Black Americans. Learn more about her in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/harriet-tubman.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i…

Although the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto from a planet to a dwarf planet in 2006, some scientists think it deserves to be reinstated. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/pluto-is-it-planet-after-all.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Flying snakes don't really fly, but they can glide long distances from rainforst treetops. Learn what we know (and don't know!) about them in this episoe of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/snakes/flying-snakes.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

This stern, patriotic character goes back to the early 1800s, but became an icon thanks to American propaganda during WWI. Learn more about Uncle Sam in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/uncle-sam-man-myth-legend.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Short answer: Yeah, probably. Most Westerners have traded squatting for sitting and standing, to the detriment of our backs and joints. Learn the benefits of a good squat -- and how you can incorporate them into your day -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Standing barefoot on a glacier, human feet would freeze solid -- but penguin feet are fine. Learn why in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/why-penguin-feet-dont-freeze.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Von iHeartPodcasts

Marine biologist Rachel Carson published lots of books about the environment, but her investigation of DDT, 'Silent Spring', cracked open the insecticide industry. Learn about her life and work in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/famous-scientists/biologists/10-things-should-know-abo…

Sports drinks are a multibillion-dollar business that traces back to just two brands: Lucozade from the 1920s, and Gatorade from the 1960s. Learn how they were conceived in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/who-invented-sports-drinks.htm See omnystudio.com/listener f…

From lab monkeys to zoo flamingos to very clever orangutans, animals have made some great escapes. Learn about them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/animals-escapes.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Von iHeartPodcasts

Ultraviolet (UV) light is both useful and hazardous. Learn why sunscreen is helpful on Earth but not in space in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/do-astronauts-need-sunscreen-in-space.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Von iHeartPodcasts

During World War II, the U.S. military recruited diverse multilingual Americans -- including many immigrants -- to be trained as intelligence officers at Camp Ritchie. Learn how the Ritchie Boys helped the Allies win the war in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-ii/ritchie-boys.htm See omn…

There are no blue or green pigments in the human eye, so how do those eye colors occur? Learn about the complex genetics and light scattering that give our eyes their color (plus how rare different eye colors are) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/eye/rarest-eye-colors.htm See …

Governments impose tariffs (which are border taxes paid by the importer) to help protect their nation's businesses from foreign competition. Learn how tariffs work, how they don't work, and why they can actually hurt local businesses and consumers in this episode of BrainStuff, based on these articles: https://money.howstuffworks.com/who-wins-loses…

We used to think Komodo dragons harbored bacteria in their mouths that made their bites deadly, but it turns out they have venom and iron-tipped teeth to thank. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/komodo-bite.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Some scientists think tectonic plates are a prerequisite for life as we know it. Learn what we know about plate tectonics elsewhere in our solar system in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/is-earth-only-planet-with-tectonic-plates.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

It turns out that thin, bendy sheets like paper crumple in predictable ways -- and we can learn a lot from the process. Learn more about the protective physics of crumpling in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/crumple-theory.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Frankincense and myrrh play a part not only in the story of Christmas, but in lots of other religious traditions as well -- and a few practical ones, too. Learn more about these aromatic substances in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this episode: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/question283.htm See omnystudio.com/listener …

Whether you love it, hate it, or hurl it with a trebuchet, fruitcake holds a dense place in holiday traditions. Learn how it came to be (and where to win prizes for throwing it) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/fruitcake.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…