

How Does Building Muscle Work?
Building muscle isn't just about getting ripped -- it's a way all of us can be healthier. Learn about the facts and fictions behind building muscle (aka mucle hypertrophy) in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise/hypertrop…

Deinonychus: The Dinosaur That Sparked a Renaissance
The discovery of Deinonychus, an agile theropod that may have hunted in packs, changed the way we think about dinosaurs -- and inspired 'Jurassic Park' to boot. Learn about Deinonychus and the real (smaller) Velociraptor in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuff…

How Do Scales Measure Weight?
Scales range from simple machines that weigh your produce to precision instruments that measure anything from molecules to massive cargo -- but they all work on related principles. Learn how different types of scales work in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://electronics.how…

How Did the Penn Center Become a Civil Rights Sanctuary?
In South Carolina, the first school for formerly enslaved people during the Civil War shifted to become a center for social activism during the Civil Rights movement, and stands today as a landmark of African American culture and history. Learn more about the Penn Center in this episode of BrainStu…

BrainStuff Classics: Why Is Cramming the Worst Way to Study?
Cramming for a test or other deadline may give you decent short-term results, but research shows it sacrifices long-term comprehension and memory. Learn why study methods like spacing and interleaving are better in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffwo…

How Can We Separate Ninja Fact from Ninja Fiction?
Over a few hundred years, real stories about secretive agents developed into the legend of the ninja. Learn how this myth captured the world's imagination -- and about the work being done at the world's first International Ninja Research Center -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this articl…

How Did 'Bourgeois' Become a Bad Word?
The French word 'bourgeois' originally just meant a middle-class town dweller, but it's taken on a lot of different (and often derogatory) connotations over the centuries, including in the English slang term 'bougie'. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.h…

How Did the Jane Collective Work?
When abortion was illegal throughout the U.S., it was still perfomed -- just dangerously or expensively. Learn about the Jane Collective -- an underground network that helped people access safe, affordable, illegal abortions -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.ho…

How Do Ducks Float?
Ducks can hold extra air in their feathers and bodies, making it easy for them to float -- and to squeeze out the air and dive when they want to. Learn more about ducks and bouyancy in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/duck-float.htm

BrainStuff Classics: What Was the Emu War?
Following World War II, Austrialia became embroiled in another war -- with a population of emu. Learn how the Emu War unfolded in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/ridiculous-history-emu-war.htm