BrainStuff

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Latest Episodes:

Did an 19th-Century Man Predict Your Death? Apr 19, 2018

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In the 1820s, an insurance actuary by the name of Benjamin Gompertz wrote an equation that reliably predicts when people are going to die. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Is the Human Brain Hardwired for Poetry? Apr 18, 2018

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Poems activate different parts of the human brain than other types of literature do, and our brains seem hardwired to enjoy the patterns in poetry. Learn why this may be in today's episode of BrainStuff.

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What Happens to Wine Grape Waste? Apr 17, 2018

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After winemakers extract grapes' juice, they're left with a lot of fruit skins and pulp. Learn what happens to all that goo in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Why Are So Many People Nearsighted? Apr 16, 2018

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By 2050, half the world will be nearsighted. Researchers tracking the spread of this eye condition (also called myopia) have a few hypotheses about why it's happening. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff.

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How Can a Plant Outsource Photosynthesis? Apr 13, 2018

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Plants use photosynthesis to survive, but some plants outsource that job to other living things, like fungus. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff.

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How Much Electricity Can Urine Provide? Apr 12, 2018

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Researchers have created pee-powered fuel cells that can light outdoor portable bathrooms. Learn how (and why) in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Could Platypus Milk Fight Antibiotic-Resistant Disease? Apr 11, 2018

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For everything that's weird and wondrous about the platypus, we probably shouldn't be surprised that its milk may help save countless lives, but here we are. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Does Diabetes Lead to Disordered Eating? Apr 10, 2018

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People with Type 1 diabetes are more likely to experience eating disorders, and the consequences can be serious. Learn why, and what can be done to help, in this episode of BrainStuff.

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What Makes Durian Fruit Smell So Bad? Apr 09, 2018

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Durian fruit is prized as a delicacy and staple -- and it smells like rotting. Learn how a group of cancer researchers mapped its genome to get to the bottom of this stench (and hopefully find something medicinally useful) in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Is There a Gene for Infidelity? Apr 06, 2018

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Some animals mate for life -- and others decidedly don't. Learn what researchers have discovered about cheating by studying voles and humans alike in this episode of BrainStuff.

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