BrainStuff

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Latest Episodes:

Why Is Elephants' Skin So Wrinkly? Nov 01, 2018

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Elephants have a thick hide that's wrinkled from birth, but why? Learn about the new research that's revealed the secrets to elephant skin in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Why Do We Trick-Or-Treat on Halloween? Oct 31, 2018

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The American practice of kids dressing up and demanding candy from neighbors on October 31st is fairly new, but it's based in centuries of evolving beliefs and traditions. Learn the history of trick-or-treating in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Are Any Superstitions Universal? Oct 30, 2018

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Do you knock on wood or avoid particular numbers? People around the world adhere to superstitions to attempt to change their luck -- and some of those superstitions are remarkably similar. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Would You Really Stay Conscious After Being Decapitated? Oct 29, 2018

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For everything we know about the human brain, consciousness is still mysterious. Could reports of people remaining conscious after being executed by decapitation be true? Learn what science has to say in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Would Cannibalism Have Been Calorically Worthwhile? Oct 28, 2018

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Our paleolithic ancestors ate people sometimes. But did they partake because they were really that hungry, or for some other, cultural reason? Learn what researchers think in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Why Is the Winchester House Built So Strangely? Oct 27, 2018

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We can't prove whether the Winchester Mystery House is really haunted, but it was definitely built for ghosts. Lean the story of how its strange construction was one woman's unending quest in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Why Do We Carve Pumpkins Around Halloween? Oct 26, 2018

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The tradition of carving jack-o'-lanterns around Halloween goes back centuries to a folktale about a stingy man who outwits the devil. Learn the tale (and why pumpkins weren't the original carving vegetables) in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Why Do We Make Our Monsters Cute? Oct 25, 2018

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Pop culture loves making horrific figures adorable, from Cthulhu plushies to 'cute' Freddy Krueger costumes. But why? Learn what researchers think about the spectrum of cute to monstrous in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Would Psychic Powers Really Cause Nosebleeds? Oct 24, 2018

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You've seen the trope: a character strains their psychic powers and gets a nosebleed to show for it. But would this actually happen if psychic powers were real? Learn the hypothetical science in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Were Unicorns Always Sweet? Oct 23, 2018

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The modern image of the elegant, gentle unicorn is a relatively recent invention. Learn about the history of unicorn myths and legends in this episode of BrainStuff.

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