Moment Of Um

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How do shells get their shape? May 02, 2024

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Shells come in so many amazing shapes and sizes - spirals, sand dollars, sundials, ones that whirl around, ones that twirl around, ones that twist to the side and some that even look like cookies! Our listener Lily had a great question about these shapes, and Mike Sanchez, a Naturalist at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, helps us get to the bottom of this twisted subject!

Got a Moment of Um question whose shell you just can’t crack? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help get to the bottom of it.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do snakes barf? May 01, 2024

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Throwing up isn’t fun, but it happens to everyone. Sometimes we vomit if we’re sick with a virus or an infection – and other times, it happens because we’re feeling dizzy or carsick. But do other animals barf too? Like snakes? We asked wildlife biologist Laura Kojima to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s retch-edly hard to figure out? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll spew out an answer!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you pour salt on a snail? Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

You might have heard a rumor that snails have a big reaction when you pour salt on them. But curator Tim Pearce from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History wants you to know that it’s cruel to do so. And he’ll tell you why!

Got a Moment of Um question that wants to come out of its shell? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help slug out an answer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes a good paper airplane? Apr 29, 2024

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If you fold a sheet of paper just right, you can create a paper airplane that zooms through the air! But how do you make sure that your plane zooms across a room instead of nose-diving into the couch cushions? What makes a good paper airplane? We asked physics grad student Angie Huerta to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s just plane fun? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll launch an answer your way!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do birds make their eggs? Apr 26, 2024

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Bird eggs come in all shapes and sizes, from speckled hummingbird eggs smaller than a jellybean to mango-sized emu eggs. But how do birds make them? We asked bird expert Paul Bartell to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s ova-whelming? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help crack the case!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do spiders have ears? Apr 25, 2024

Show notes

Have you ever screamed when you saw a spider in the house? First of all, don’t be scared, that spider isn’t looking for you. But second of all, did you wonder if the spider even heard you? Most of us haven’t gotten close enough to a spider to see if it has any ears at all. We asked spider expert Paul Shamble to explain how spiders hear.

If you’ve got a question about spiders or anything else, send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll do our best to find the answer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would happen if it rained oobleck? Apr 24, 2024

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Oobleck is a mix of cornstarch and water that can act like a solid or a liquid. On its own, it’s gloopy and squishy, but if you squeeze it, it turns into a solid ball in your hand! So what would happen if oobleck fell from the sky like rain? We asked meteorologist Ginger Zee to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s clouding your mind? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll bRAINstorm an answer!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do mice really like cheese? Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

We’ve all seen cartoon images of a mousetrap loaded with a big wedge of delicious cheese, but is that what mice actually like to eat? Maybe they like spaghetti, or tacos, or chocolate pudding. We asked veterinarian Kate Pritchett-Cornett what we should serve next time we’re having a family of mice over for dinner.

Got another cheesy question for us? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll try to do a gouda job of answering it.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How is wood made into paper? Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

Paper is made out of trees! But… how? Those tall, leafy, shade-giving beauties in your backyard don’t look anything like the piece of white paper coming out of your computer printer. We asked forest expert and educator Sanford Smithto help us find the answer.
Got a question printed on the inside of your brain? Send it to us at Brainson.org/contact, and we’ll help you uncrumple the answer!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How far has any astronaut traveled? Apr 19, 2024

Show notes

About 60 miles above Earth is a line where our atmosphere ends and space begins. That boundary is called the Karman line. Of course, rockets that astronauts take go much farther than that. But just how far from earth have astronauts gone? And what do they need to bring for the trip?! We asked spacesuit designer Pablo de Leon to help us find the answer!

Got a question that’s far out? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll shoot for the moon to find the answer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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