BrainStuff
How Did a Wisconsin Woman Lead a German Resistance to Nazis?
Mildred Harnack was an American literature professor living in Berlin when the Third Reich took control. Learn how she and her husband led a resistance ring that enraged Hitler in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/mildred-harnack…
10:45
Are Lobsters Functionally Immortal?
It's true that lobsters don't age, but that doesn't quite make them immortal, and it's far from the only fabulously weird thing about them. Learn about lobsters -- including why they're biologically immortal, and how that might help human health in the future -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based…
13:02
Is It 'Jerry-Rigged' or 'Jury-Rigged'?
Both of these terms are actually valid, though they have slightly different meanings, and only one of them is based in sailors' slang. Learn the history of 'jury-rigged' and 'jerry-rigged' -- and how to use them correctly -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howst…
05:19
How Did Beer Help Sell the Myth of Custer's Last Stand?
The idea of General George Custer's deadly military blunder being a heroic last stand was constructed over decades to encourage U.S. colonization of the West. Learn how Anheuser-Busch helped in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/cus…
10:08
How Does Bioluminescence Work?
When organisms like fireflies, fungi, and fish glow with cold light, there's chemistry at work. Learn what we know (and don't know!) about bioluminescence -- including how humans are harnessing it -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-fact…
12:15
How Is Maillardet's Automaton Still Wowing Us After 200 Years?
Around the year 1800, Swiss clockmaker Henri Maillardet created a mechanical doll that moves like a person as it produces drawings and poems with a pen on paper -- it's programmed for seven in total, without having any electrical parts. Learn how it and other automata work in this episode of BrainS…
09:28
How Do Tiny Capers Pack Such a Big Flavor Punch?
Capers are the flower buds of a spiny shrub, and though they have a lot of flavor on their own, they're often amped up by being pickled or packed in salt. Learn more about capers and how to cook with them in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/capers…
06:35
What Do A.M., P.M., and SOS Stand For?
OK, this is a trick question -- 'SOS' doesn't stand for anything at all. Learn the history of these three terms, including what astronomy and telegraphy have to do with it, in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/am-pm.htm; https://people.howstuffwo…
09:18
How Do Fainting Goats Work?
Fainting goats don't really faint -- their muscles just lock up for a few extra seconds when they startle or get excited. Learn how myotonia works and why it can actually be a useful trait in goats in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/faint…
09:04
Does Smog Make Sunsets More Beautiful?
Although a little air pollution can bring out brilliant colors in sunsets, most of it just causes a washed-out haze. Learn how both sunsets and smog work in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/smog-sunset.htm
08:23