If you've ever heard an old recording of a NASA space mission, then you've heard a Quindar tone. Those are the beeps that we hear behind the voices of mission control and astronauts orbiting space. Today we find out why these tones exist and how they've inspired a couple modern-day musicians. This episode is the inaugural Brains On Curio - a sh ...…

Would you like retire to Mars? It may be possible in the not-so-distant future. Mars is more Earth-like than any other planet in our solar system. In fact, billions of years ago it was warmer and wetter and life may have developed there. Scientists are trying to figure out why it changed and if we could change it back so humans could live there ...…

There are some basic ingredients to make thunderstorms and tornadoes. We'll find out what they are - and how to observe these powerful and amazing storms safely. Plus: A brand new Moment of Um will tackle the question, "How do zippers work?"

Just like humans, most animals have to fart. Some use their gas as a warning to predators, while others use it to dive in the water. And beware, there is a real-life killer fart out there. It gives a whole new meaning to silent but deadly. With help from zoologists Dani Raibiotti and Nick Caruso, who have compiled the "Does it Fart" database, w ...…

We're taking a look at skin cells, and molecules and electrons to understand how the sun causes our skin to burn. And we explore the different ways to prevent burning in the first place. Plus, in our "moment of um" we tackle this question: What is the farthest that a human can see?

On Monday, August 21, a total solar eclipse will be visible on a path that crosses the U.S., from Oregon on the west coast to South Carolina on the east coast. In this episode, we cover all your eclipse essentials: What causes an eclipse? What happens during an eclipse? How do you safely view it? Spoiler alert: Don't stare at the sun without sp ...…

It's time for the next Brains On debate! Our listeners sent in over 100 possible matchups and we whittled the list down to ten. You voted and chose this intense matchup from the depths of darkness, under the water and beyond our earth's atmosphere. Who will prevail? This epic episode includes three rounds of heated debate, two mystery sounds, a ...…

Just in time for fireworks, we're bringing back one of our most-requested episodes. It's a blast from the past encore show. Enjoy! Is farting good for us? Where do farts come from? Why do only some make sounds? And what's up with the smell? We tackle your questions about the gas we all pass - plus the mystery sound (it's not what you thing)!…

In the final leg of our road trip, we explore what happens to our bodies when we travel in cars. Why do some people feel queasy during the ride? Why do cars far away look like they're moving slower than they actually are? Why do roller coasters feel faster than cars? And how do seat belts keep us safe? Bob and Sanden take an epic drive in searc ...…

On the fourth leg of our road trip, we figure out where traffic comes from and what it would take to make it finally go away. We learn how far back in history traffic jams were happening (spoiler: very far) and how "phantom jams" occur. We visit a room deep underground Los Angeles, the traffic capital of the US, where engineers are trying to ea ...…

From the headlights to door locks, cars are obsessively designed. But that hasn't always been the case. Find out about innovations like windshield wipers, rearview mirrors and fancy paint. Ralph Gilles knows a thing or two about the look and feel of cars. He's the head of design at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Designing for cars off the road brin ...…

In this episode, we're answering a question from listener Katelynn: "Why is car exhaust bad for the planet?" Our planet NEEDS some carbon dioxide, but cars are pumping more into the atmosphere than our carbon cycle can handle. We'll explore what all this carbon means for our planet. And we talk to Anne Co, a scientist who is working to change h ...…

On the first leg of our road trip, we'll explore the history of engines and how they work, with a little help from Car Talk's Ray Magliozzi. The fundamentals of the internal combustion (or exploding) engine, haven't really changed since it was first invented in the 1800s. We'll find out how tiny explosions power our cars and hear how gas-powere ...…

Regular listeners of Brains On know all about our mystery sounds. Every episode we test your ears with some puzzling noise and give you a chance to guess what it is. There are so many great mystery sounds in the world -- and many, many of them have been sent to us by our listeners. So many, in fact, that we decided to devote an entire episode t ...…

What happens in your head when you read? Short answer: A LOT. From recognizing shapes as letters and words to discovery of empathy and new worlds, our brains really get a workout when we read books. Ben Bergen drops by to shed some light on how our brain processes the meaning of words. He runs the Language and Cognition Lab at UC San Diego. We ...…

Homemade slime is sticky, gooey and all the rage, but what is it? When you combine ingredients like glue and laundry detergent you get a strange, flubbery substance. We'll explain what's happening on a molecular level to make this stuff. We'll also hear theories on why so many of us are obsessed with slime. Plus, a brand new slime rap, a myster ...…

What was the first lifeform like? What was very first the first fish or mammal? Is it even possible to know? In this episode, we look to the fossil record to help us trace our roots back to the Last Universal Common Ancestor. Paleontologist Neil Shubin joins us to talk about discovering a remarkably cool fossil that helped us understand how lif ...…

Behind every piano's polished exterior are thousands of parts. From keys to strings, they work together to produce a sound. In this episode, we take a field trip to a piano shop, peek behind the walls at a world-famous piano factory and have an EPIC FIGHTING BATTLE to discover how sound travels.

Elevators are like magic. You walk in, the door shuts and when it opens again, you are suddenly someplace new! Ta da! But it's not magic that does this trick, it's science and engineering. In this episode we explain how elevators work and we talk about how they've changed over time. For instance, did you know the first elevators had no walls? W ...…

If you've ever been the ocean, you've tasted that salt. But where does it come from? And why aren't lakes and rivers salty too? A sea shanty is probably the best way to explain, right? Plus: we learn about the weird and wonderful world of deep ocean hot springs.

We have a lot to learn from ants. This episode digs into the hierarchy of ant colonies (spoiler alert: there is none) and why they walk in a straight line (spoiler alert: they don't). Scientists are also studying how ants spread out and search. This work is teaching us about how cancer spreads, how the internet can be improved, and could even g ...…

What if the color that you call blue and the color I call blue don't look the same at all? When our brains see color, we're really just seeing waves of light. Sure, we may be seeing the same waves when we look at the color blue, but do we know if our brains are interpreting those waves in the same way? Maybe my blue is your orange! We talk to a ...…

Why do cat eyes look the way they do? Can cats really see in the dark? And what are they trying to tell us with that purr (you know the one)? We've got the answers -- cat behavior expert Mikel Delgado help us decode cat quirks and producer Sanden Totten teaches us what's behind cats' glowing eyes. Plus: We learn about other cool powers that ani ...…

Fossil dating is a lot like eating a delicious ice cream cake. Well, sort of. We find out how scientists look at the rock and elements AROUND a fossil to figure out its age. Plus: We talk to a scientist who studied one of the coolest fossils discovered recently: a dinosaur tail trapped in amber, complete with feathers!…

We don't know much about the long life of a sea turtle, since it's mostly spent in the ocean. When they do come ashore to lay their eggs, we know the babies use the moon and stars to guide them back to sea. But what happens when hotels and houses and streetlights compete for their attention? A citizen science group at Gulf Islands National Seas ...…

The desert is hot, dry and deadly. But plenty of plants and animals thrive there. How do they do it? We'll learn the tricks trees, bats and roadrunners use to make it in Joshua Tree National Park.

When an avalanche happens at the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, it sounds like the sand is singing. Huh? How? Why? We learn about the special sand and the specific conditions that make this acoustic phenomenon possible. This is the third of five episodes looking at some of the coolest science happening at our National Parks.…

The wild horses at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland are very popular, but they're also an invasive species. We find out how park rangers are giving people a chance to see the horses while also protecting the native plants and animals FROM the horses. This is the second of five episodes looking at some of the coolest science happe ...…

Producer Marc Sanchez finds out what it's like to explore one of the biggest networks of caves in the world -- and new branches are still being discovered. Marc will show us the wonders hidden underground and how tricky it can be to go to uncharted territory with only a headlamp to light the way. This is the first of five episodes on some of th ...…

This podcast comes to you thanks to the internet. But how does it get to us? And where is it coming from? We'll find out how a system of cables around the globe (and deep in our oceans) brings websites, songs, videos and podcasts to our phones and computers.

Think of the cutest puppy, kitten or baby you've ever seen. Now what sound did you just make? Was it an "Awwwww?" Or did you want to pinch, bite or squeeze it? In this episode, we'll find out why these are natural reactions to cuteness and why we're so easily distracted by cute things.

Time for our next debate: fire vs lasers! Listeners sent us over 100 topics to choose from, they voted and this was the winning showdown. Fire and lasers are both cool -- but which is COOLER? Producer Marc Sanchez has tricks up his sleeve for team fire and Sanden Totten gives his all for team laser. Plus: Two mystery sounds that play a pivotal ...…

The sounds whales make underwater are super cool, and also very important for them to locate prey, navigate and communicate with each other. We find out how they make those sounds and what scientists think they mean. We also learn how a blowhole is like a human nose. A human nose that talks.

Brains On listeners have LOTS of questions about the human body so we've decided to answer nine - count em NINE - of these questions in one go. The terrific topics tackled: Hiccups, yawns, getting dizzy, goosebumps, fingerprints, limbs falling asleep, brain freeze, chattering teeth and why your voice sounds different when it's recorded. Plus: A ...…

If you filled a lake with lemonade, would it rain lemonade? This delicious head-scratcher does not have a straightforward answer, so we asked atmospheric scientist Deanna Hence to help out with this thought experiment. It's one-part water cycle, one-part delicious drink and if we're lucky, one-part lemonade rain. All that rain and a delicious m ...…

X-rays, part of the electromagnetic spectrum, help doctors see our bones -- but they also help scientists understand the very smallest particles and the most massive black holes. We'll follow the electrons, wind up at a synchrotron, get frozen in crystal and travel to the edges of the universe.

Most plants get the energy and nutrients they need from water, sunlight, air and soil. But carnivorous plants get key nutrients from a different source: bugs. We'll find out how they do it and talk about the mystery of how venus fly traps snap shut. Plus: Two gardeners â�" one very experienced and one just starting out â�" offer their tips for ...…

Sir Isaac Newton drops by and drops knowledge. He helps explain why the tides ebb and flow. Then, an oceanographer/surfer tells us where waves come from and how they get there shape - cowabunga! Plus we hear about what it's like for marine life that move to a new neighborhood once or twice a day. Sometimes it's underwater, sometimes it's not. D ...…

The process that turns sand into glass is very cool - or rather, we should say very hot. Very, very, very hot as it turns out. Humans have been turning minerals from the earth's crust into glass for 3,500 years. Find out how it's done and how it's evolved - from blowing glass by hand to a factory that makes hundreds of glass bottles every minut ...…

Pollen, peanuts, dust mites. These things aren't poisonous - so why do some people's bodies act like they are? In this episode, we'll find out what happens during an allergic reaction and hear about new treatments.

It's summer and our ankles are covered in mosquito bites. So we want to know: How and why do mosquitoes suck our blood? Why do their bites itch ALL the time? Why do some people get bitten more than others? And do these pesky and possibly dangerous insects serve any kind of useful purpose?

How do planes stay in the air? And how did humans figure out that it wasn't enough to just strap wings to our arms and flap them like birds? We'll find out about the invention of airplanes and our co-hosts will share the frustrations and joys of being inventors themselves. Plus: An aviation-inspired mystery sound and paper airplane tips!…

Have you ever wondered about what's beyond the edge of the universe? Or maybe a better question: is there even an edge of the universe? And what does it mean that the universe is expanding? Nine-year-old Thea talks with astrophysicist Katie Mack to find answers to her many questions about the universe. Plus a bite-sized mystery: The mystery sound!…

The hair on our heads is on our minds. We have fun with follicles and learn about how they make hair. Our experts help us decipher what makes hair black or brown, blonde or red, and even why it turns gray. From eye lashes to ear and nose hair, this episode has it all. All that and an eye brow-raising mystery sound.…

We're back with new episodes! Carnivores are animals that only eat other animals - so how do they get the vitamins, minerals and fiber that we humans get from eating plants? We take a trip to a salad bar with some animal pals to find out.

We've been catching colds for millennia - but it wasn't until fairly recently that we actually understood how and why we get sneezy, coughy, and achy. In this episode, we find out more about the common cold: Does standing outside in the cold actually make it easier to get sick? Is there a cure that really works? Could there be a benefit to catc ...…

Is there anybody out there? Like, WAAAAY out there? In this episode we hear from astronomer Laura Danly about the search for life on other planets. We'll also learn what that search has in common with a fairy tale (HINT: it involves three bears). And prepare to be wowed by an original story about aliens from an 11-year-old sci-fi writer. All th ...…

This is an encore presentation of our Extinction episode. In this episode, co-host Kate Wexler joins us to ask and answers some questions related to extinction: Did dinosaurs have feathers? What is extinction anyway? Could you bring back species that have gone extinct? Plus, Sam Keenan sings a song about our long-lost pal Australopithecus. And ...…

We hear from a lot of kids and parents saying they love Brains On! and they want more. We hear you, and we are hard at work trying to ramp up production. In the meantime, we thought we'd introduce you to some of our BFFs - our audio buddies. In this episode we'll get to know a few other kid-friendly audio makers and bring you snippets from thei ...…

The International Space Station sits 250 miles above Earth, but how did it get there? Astronaut Don Pettit tells us about what it's like to live on the ISS, and he should know. He's spent over a year of his life on various space missions. We'll also visit a high school science class preparing to send an experiment to the space station. We'll he ...…