Moment Of Um

*/ ?>

Latest Episodes:

What is plastic made of? Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

Plastic is a part of so many of the things we use every day. But just what IS it? We asked University of Minnesota professor Frank Bates to help us find the answer.

Got a question you’ve been bottling up? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll pla-stic to the topic.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does pasta turn from hard to tender? Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

Pasta is delicious, whether it’s rigatoni, linguine, macaroni or any shape at all! When you buy pasta from the store, it’s usually hard, crunchy, and dry. But after cooking it, the pasta is tender and toothsome! How does that work? We asked cookbook author and cooking teacher Julia Turshen to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s spa-GHETTING you all worked up? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll explore the PASTAbilities to find the answer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are our brains different from other animals' brains? Apr 11, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever looked at an animal and wondered what they were thinking? Us, too! What’s going on in a bobcat’s brain, a newt’s noggin, or a mouse’s mind? We asked science writer and author of Innovative Octopuses, Half-Brained Birds, and More Animals with Magnificent Minds Christina Couch to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s a real thinker? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll enter our mind palace to find the answer!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do zookeepers work at night? Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

If you go to the zoo during the day - you can see that things are hopping! Animals are being cared for, people are milling about, and there’s a lot of action to observe. But what happens at night? Who takes care of the animals then? Or is everyone just sleeping? We asked Nancy Hawkes, Director of Animal Care at Woodland Park Zoo to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s zookeeping you up at night? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you find the truth – we won’t be lion!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does corn have hairs on it? Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever peeled the leaves off of an ear of corn and noticed the white hairy-looking stuff tucked inside? What is that, anyway? We asked chef and cookbook author Kenji Lopez-Alt to help us find the answer.

Got an a-MAIZE-ing question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find an answer that’s a cut above the rest!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where does pepper come from? Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

Black pepper is in just about everyone’s kitchen. It’s salt’s best buddy. It comes in shakers, grinders, and little paper packets. But where does black pepper come from? We asked historian Jenna Schultz from the University of St. Thomas to help us find the answer.

Want to pepper us with questions? Drop us a line at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll serve you some freshly-ground facts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do donuts have “nut” in the name? Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

If you ask us, donuts are one of the most delicious treats in the world. Chocolate frosted with rainbow sprinkles, cinnamon twists, powdered sugar, strawberry jelly-filled, we love them all! But why are they called donuts? We asked food historian Sarah Lohman to help us find the answer.

Got a question that has you feeling glazed and confused? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find an answer you like a hole lot.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is cotton so fluffy? Mar 28, 2025

Show notes

Cotton is soft and strong. It comes from cotton plants, and gets turned into everything from t-shirts to cotton balls. But why is cotton so fluffy? We asked biologist Candace Haigler to help us find the answer.

Got a question threading through your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help spin up an answer for you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How is couscous made? Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

Couscous is a delicious fluffy, starchy food that people enjoy all over the world. You can find the dried version in stores, but what if you wanted to make it fresh? How does couscous actually get made? We asked cookbook author Kenji Lopez-Alt to help us find the answer.

Hungry for answers to your questions? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll dish up an answer!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do people stop growing taller? Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

Kids grow super fast and get taller and taller and taller and then – all of the sudden they stop! How do our bodies know when it’s time to stop? Why don’t we just keep growing until we reach the sky? We asked Dr. Frank Rhame to help us find the answer.

Got a question that you think is a tall order? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll answer it shortly.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.