Moment Of Um

Latest Episodes:

What is lava made of? Sep 16, 2024

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Lava is the red-hot gloop that comes pouring out of an erupting volcano. But what is it made out of? Some sort of supercharged Silly Putty? Volcano guts? Super-spicy habanero sauce? We asked geoscience grad student Kelsey Woody to help us find the answer.

Got a real scorcher of a question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, we’d LAVA to find the answer for you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do gorillas beat their chests (and why is science so great)? Sep 13, 2024

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It’s impressive to see a gorilla beat its chest. But why do they do it? We’ve tackled this question before, but there’s a new scientific scoop about this primate percussion! We asked primatologist Andrea DiGiorgio to tell us about it.

Got a question that you want to get off your chest? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll get an answer ready to GO(rilla).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are cactuses prickly? Sep 12, 2024

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Lots of plants are smooth to the touch, and some are even soft and feathery like flowers! So why are cactuses prickly and sometimes even painful? We asked botanist Rachel Jabaily from Colorado College to answer this spine-tingling question.

Got a question that’s prickling at your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help sharpen you up.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are bananas radioactive? Sep 11, 2024

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Bananas are a delicious, nutritious fruit! You can pack them in a picnic lunch or bake them into a sweet nutty banana bread. But are bananas radioactive? We asked Dr. Robert Chin to help us find the answer.

Got a really a-PEEL-ing question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find bunches of answers for you!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when parts of your body fall asleep? Sep 10, 2024

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If you’ve ever stood up quickly and felt a little wobbly and tingly in your legs, you might be familiar with the sensation of having a body part that has fallen asleep! Why does that happen and how can we fix it? Otolaryngologist Karen Litzy helps us get to the bottom of this mystery.

Got a question that you just can’t stand not knowing the answer to? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you get a leg up on that topic!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How heavy is North America? Sep 09, 2024

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You can use a scale to measure how heavy something is…but what if that something is really big? Like, really, REALLY big? Like the WHOLE continent of North America? There’s no scale big enough, so you gotta use science and math! We asked geoscience grad student Kelsey Woody to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s weighing heavily on you? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help lighten the load by finding the answer!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are keyboards in QWERTY order? Sep 06, 2024

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Have you ever looked at the keyboard on a phone or computer and wondered why the letters are arranged the way they are? The English alphabet starts with A-B-C-D-E, so why do keyboards start with Q-W-E-R-T-Y? We asked historian and museum curator Kristen Gallerneaux to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s just the right type? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help spell out the answer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do horses need horseshoes? Sep 05, 2024

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You don’t see most horses wearing pants, jackets or hats but one thing is for sure - they’re almost always wearing shoes! You know, those u-shaped things attached to their hooves. Why is that? Large animal surgeon Whitney Cutrone helps us find the answer.

Are you saddled with a big equestrian? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll get to the mane issue.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is carbonation? Sep 04, 2024

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It’s so satisfying to pour a glass of sparkling water. All those tiny bubbles, popping in rapid succession, creating a soothing fizz. Sparkling drinks are also called carbonated beverages. But what is a carbonated beverage? Where do the bubbles come from? We asked food scientist Adam Johnson to explain.

Got a question floating around in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll make sure an answer pops up!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could a popcorn kernel grow into a popcorn plant? Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

If you plant certain seeds in the right condition - a plant or tree might grow. But what happens if you plant a popcorn kernel? Will a bowl of popcorn grow right out of the ground? We needed to know, so we asked Phil Fox of Popcornopolis to help us find the answer.

Are you searching for a kernel of truth? Send your question to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and you butter believe we’ll help find the answer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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