The Best of Stuff

Latest Episodes:

FunStuff Playlist 07: Why Do Books Smell So Good? Mar 20, 2020

Show notes

Researchers have set out to catalog the scent compounds that make books and libraries smell so welcoming. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Offbeat History: Hennig Brand and the Discovery of Phosphorus Mar 20, 2020

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It's a 2019 show about urine! Spoiler alert: Hennig Brand discovered phosphorous by boiling pee. But he was trying to do something else: He thought the secret to the philosopher’s stone might be found in urine.

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Offbeat History: The American Hippo Ranch Plan, Part 2 Mar 20, 2020

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We continue out offbeat 2015 story. Once the effort to import hippos to the U.S. got the backing of a politician, two men with intertwined histories, Frederick Russel Burnham and Fritz Duquesne, were brought on board to serve as experts and advocates.

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Offbeat History: Marchesa Luisa Casati Mar 20, 2020

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In 2017 we covered the offbeat life of Marchesa Luisa Casati. While many have admired heiress Casati over the years for her life led entirely based on her aesthetics, she was also entirely self-serving.

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Offbeat History: The American Hippo Ranch Plan, Part 1 Mar 20, 2020

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An offbeat episode from 2015: In 1910, the U.S. a meat shortage, and a water hyacinth overgrowth problem. The obvious solution to the dilemma: Import hippos from Africa.

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Offbeat History: A Culinary History of Spam Mar 19, 2020

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Back in 2014, we tackled SPAM's story. This famous Hormel Foods product was invented in the 1930s to make use of a surplus of shoulder meat from pigs. It played a huge role in WWII, and shaped the cuisines of many Pacific Island nations.

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