Stay ConnectedBrains On!® is a science podcast for curious kids and adults from Brains On Universe. Each week, a different kid co-host joins Molly Bloom to find answers to fascinating questions about the world sent in by listeners. Like, do dogs know they’re dogs? Or, why do feet stink? Plus, we have mystery sounds for you to guess, songs for you to dance to, and lots of facts — all checked by experts.
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We listen to music with our ears – and that amazing electric meatball between our ears: our brain! But why do our brains find some music scary?
We’re born with some fears baked into our brains, because our ancestors thought they were scary too! That’s why sudden loud noises startle us sometimes. But there’s another reason certain sounds freak us out – we’ve been taught to find them scary.
We’ll hear how composer Heather McIntosh uses these fears to write scary film scores, and we’ll explore some of the ways scary sounds make their way into music with pianist and musical magician, Jae Kyo Han. Plus an extra mysterious mystery sound!
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This episode was sponsored by:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today’s episode is all about one of the most dynamite dinosaurs, the Brontosaurus! This long-necked icon has been featured in books, cartoons, movies, and even logos. But did the Brontosaurus really exist in the first place? We’ll dig into that question and uncover the history of Brontosaurus with science writer and bronto-enthusiast Riley Black. We’ll also learn about taxonomy from a ghost and catch up with Mr. Bone Jangles. Plus, a new mystery sound to discover!
Don’t forget to check out Forever Ago, where we have a companion episode to this Brontosaurus tale. It’s called The Bone Wars: A dino-discovery duel, and it’s all about two competing paleontologists, who get a little carried away.
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In this episode we check out three different zoos after visitors leave and the gates are locked. We’ll hear about some adventurous penguins, learn how chimps tuck themselves in and find out why it’s important to smell a gorilla first thing in the morning. Oh, and did you know sometimes zoo animals need a ride from the airport? All this and a brand new mystery sound!
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Picture this: a pickle with a cowboy hat. It has cute little arms and legs -- let’s make them orange. And this pickle is riding a horse on the beach as the sun sets. #PickleLife, am I right? Now think about this: you just imagined that whole scene in your head!
Imagination can engage every one of our senses. It sprouts from the things we’ve experienced in life, then collages itself into new thoughts… like a pickle on a horse. This episode goes into the far reaches of the brain and examines how imagination works and what role it plays in our lives. If you want a fun game to play with friends, try an Imagine Off. That’s when you take turns trying to come up with something that nobody else can imagine. We’ll also meet some of our listeners’ imaginary friends and learn why some people have these companions. U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón also stops by and tells us how she puts her imagination to use. Plus, there’s a brand new Mystery Sound to guess.
We always love hearing from you. Keep sending in your questions, drawings and Mystery Sounds. We’re currently looking for your best jingle about space. If you have an out-of-this-world tune about space, record it and send it to us at www.brainson.org/contact.
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Today we're looking at why there are so many different ways to pronounce the same words and where our accents come from. How did British and American accents become different? Why do some kids have different accents than their parents? We're going to answer these questions and find out how our accents tell the stories of our communities and our ancestors. Plus: A brand new mystery sound!
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Have you ever noticed that different people have different scents? Go on, sniff your friend, we’ll wait. Today’s episode dives nose-first into what makes up our personal scents. With the help of Candace, a one-of-a-kind candle maker interested in making podcast-scented candles, we get the lowdown on body odor. We’ll also hear about super-sniffing animals and some other creatures that thrive on stink. And there’s a new Mystery Sound -- this one is definitely not a stinker!
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Glass is a magic thing that is both solid as a wall and clear as the air. It starts out as sand and with tons of heat, and a few key ingredients, it becomes the super useful material we know and love. In this episode we look at how glass is made, why it's clear and how nature makes glass too. Plus, hear about Sanden's latest invention and guess the all new Mystery Sound.
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Today’s episode has something for everyBODY. It's the Body Bonanza where we answer a ton of your questions about our human bodies! This time around, we’ll hear from some of our favorite body parts: the heart beats, the stomach rumbles, the appendix writes a poem. The ear brings us a new Mystery Sound, a foot gives us the lowdown on how it falls asleep, the tongue sings a song… and there’s even an appearance from the “anti-mouth.” Wow!
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We've all had to deal with stress. It can feel bad and overwhelming, but it’s actually really important. In this episode, we'll hear why our bodies evolved to deal with danger in this way and how it still affects us today. We'll climb a metaphorical mountain to find out how stress can help us sometimes. Oh, and there are lots of monsters that suddenly showed up a Brains On headquarters and maybe they were released by an ancient artifact and no one can find the instruction manual and ohmigoodness the monsters have gotten into the kitchen and what is that smell and oh no what just crashed and why isn't anyone helping deal with these monsters????
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