BrainStuff

Latest Episodes:

BrainStuff Classics: How Did Fish & Chips Become England's National Dish? Sep 19, 2026

Show notes

Light and tender fried fish plated with crisp fried potatoes is a classic English comfort meal, but it's only a little over a century old. Learn the history of fish and chips in today's classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/fish-and-chips.htm

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Do Lemmings Really Jump Off Cliffs? Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Lemmings are small, fierce rodents that make their home in Arctic environments -- and (spoiler alert) the idea that they kill themselves by following each other off cliffs is a myth. Learn what Disney had to do with it (and what lemmings are really like) in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/lemmings.htm

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What Would Happen If You Drank Saltwater? Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Our bodies need salt and our bodies need water, so why is drinking saltwater not good for you? Learn what salt does in our bodies and why seawater will actually dehydrate you in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/what-if/what-if-you-drink-saltwater.htm

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How Is Tungsten So Hard and Heat-Resistant? Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Tungsten's boiling point is over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and as tungsten carbide, it's one of the hardest materials we know. Learn how it's used for everything from armor-piercing bullets to electron microscopes to ballpoint pens in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/tungsten.htm

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BrainStuff Classics: How Does the Hippocampus Work? Sep 13, 2026

Show notes

Without the hippocampus, our brains have serious trouble recalling and recording certain types of long-term memories. Learn how this brain structure works in today's classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nervous-system/hippocampus.htm

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What Happened During Agatha Christie's Mysterious Disappearance? Sep 12, 2026

Show notes

In 1926, detective novelist Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days under strange circumstances. Learn about her life and record-setting, best-selling works (second only to the Bible and Shakespeare) in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/literature/agatha-christies-disappearance.htm

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How Does Escargot Work? Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Escargot is just one of many ways that humans enjoy eating land snails -- and we've been eating them for 30,000 years. Learn about the snails in question, how they're farmed, and why it's so hard to find them fresh in the U.S. (outside of your garden, anyway) in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/escargot.htm

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How Does a Geiger Counter Work? Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

The Geiger counters we use to detect harmful radiation today are 100-year-old technology that works based on simple behaviors of electrons and ions. Learn about ionizing radiation and the invention of the Geiger-Müller counter (including why it clicks) in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/geiger-counter.htm

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BrainStuff Classics: How Do Starling Murmurations Work? Sep 05, 2026

Show notes

Starlings flock in swooping, harmonious groups of thousands of birds called murmurations. Learn how these birds pull off such an amazing feat through simple actions in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/starling-murmurations.htm

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Why Was Rome's Emperor Commodus So Hated? Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

You may know him as the villain in the film 'Gladiator', but the real-life Emperor Commodus is said to have been even more cruel and megalomaniacal. Learn about his unusual upbringing, how he made himself into a gladiator and an image of Hercules, and his eventual assassination in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/commodus.htm

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