BrainStuff

Latest Episodes:

What Would Happen If You Swallowed a Leech? Jun 24, 2026

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This isn't just the least-fun thought experiment, it's a medical malady common enough to have its own name. Learn how internal hirudiniasis works (and why you don't need to panic if if happens to you) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/swallow-leech.htm

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How Can Rhubarb Grow in the Dark? Jun 19, 2026

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We know rhubarb as a tart fruit that looks like pink celery, but it also has a bulbous underground storage unit that was used medicinally for millennia -- and lets it grow in complete darkness. Learn about the pie plant (and how rhizomes work) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/rhubarb.htm

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How Does the Blue-Footed Booby Work? Jun 17, 2026

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This marine bird carries the color of the ocean in its webbed feet, was named after an insult, and uses its excrement in creative ways. Learn about the blue-footed booby in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/blue-footed-booby.htm

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Who Was Helen of Troy? Jun 15, 2026

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Helen is a figure from Greek myth -- a daughter of Zeus with a mortal woman, and said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. Learn more about her (and how she perhaps inadvertently started the Trojan War) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/helen-of-troy.htm

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How Does Your Heart Get Blood? Jun 12, 2026

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Your heart needs blood as much as any other muscle in your body, and it receives it the same way -- just a little earlier than anyone else. Learn how the coronary arteries work (and what can go wrong when they don't) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/circulatory/heart-pump-blood.htm

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How Do Butterflies Get Their Brilliant Colors? Jun 10, 2026

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Butterfly wings often come in striking, iridescent colors -- but it's not from pigments (or not entirely). Learn how microscopic structures give butterfly wings their flash in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/butterfly-colors.htm

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How Did William the Conquerer Transform England? Jun 08, 2026

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In the year 1066, the illigitimate son of a Norman duke conquered England and became its king, changing English history (and language!) forever. Learn how William the Conquerer rose and ruled in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/european-history/william-conqueror.htm

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Could Dilophosaurus Really Spit Poison? Jun 05, 2026

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OK, we're almost sure the answer is no. But there was a fossil-based reason that 'Jurassic Park' included this detail. Learn about the real-life Dilophosaurus in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/dinosaurs/dilophosaurus.htm

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Do Our Pinky Toes Serve a Purpose? Jun 03, 2026

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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.htm

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Where Did the At Symbol Come From? Jun 01, 2026

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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.htm

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