BrainStuff

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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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BrainStuff Classics: What Can Babies See in the Womb? May 30, 2026

Show notes

A human fetus doesn't develop retinas until around gestational week 28. Learn how researchers have tried to figure out what babies can see in the few remaining weeks before they're born in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/pregnancy-and-parenting/pregnancy/fetal-development/what-do-babies-see-before-birth.htm

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Can You Really Escape an Alligator by Running Zigzag? May 29, 2026

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You could probably outsprint an alligator no matter what pattern you ran in -- but it's extremely unlikely that you'd ever need to. Learn how alligators do and don't attack in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/reptiles/alligator-zigzag.htm

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What Fueled the Feud of the Hatfields and McCoys? May 28, 2026

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The 30-year feud between these two families is more dramatic than fiction -- and may be the starting point of negative stereotypes about Appalachia. Learn about the story behind the Hatfields and McCoys in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/hatfields-and-mccoys.htm

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How Does Mayonnaise Work? May 27, 2026

Show notes

Love it or hate it, mayo achieves a creamy texture without any dairy thanks to the science of emulsions. Learn how it works -- and why it's not the real danger in potato salad -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/question617.htm Listen to the Savor episode about mayo here (or wherever you get your podcasts): https://omny.fm/shows/savor/mayonnaise-and-mayo-nays

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How Did a Wisconsin Woman Lead a German Resistance to Nazis? May 20, 2026

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Mildred Harnack was an American literature professor living in Berlin when the Third Reich took control. Learn how she and her husband led a resistance ring that enraged Hitler in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/mildred-harnack.htm Find the book 'All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days' here: https://www.rebeccadonner.com/

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Are Lobsters Functionally Immortal? May 19, 2026

Show notes

It's true that lobsters don't age, but that doesn't quite make them immortal, and it's far from the only fabulously weird thing about them. Learn about lobsters -- including why they're biologically immortal, and how that might help human health in the future -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on these articles: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/400-pound-lobster.htm; https://animals.howstuffworks.com/marine-life/10-weird-facts-lobsters.htm

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Is It 'Jerry-Rigged' or 'Jury-Rigged'? May 18, 2026

Show notes

Both of these terms are actually valid, though they have slightly different meanings, and only one of them is based in sailors' slang. Learn the history of 'jury-rigged' and 'jerry-rigged' -- and how to use them correctly -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/jury-rigged-vs-jerry-rigged.htm

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How Did Beer Help Sell the Myth of Custer's Last Stand? May 12, 2026

Show notes

The idea of General George Custer's deadly military blunder being a heroic last stand was constructed over decades to encourage U.S. colonization of the West. Learn how Anheuser-Busch helped in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/custers-last-stand.htm

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