Pop culture loves making horrific figures adorable, from Cthulhu plushies to 'cute' Freddy Krueger costumes. But why? Learn what researchers think about the spectrum of cute to monstrous in this classic episode of BrainStuff.

Pop culture loves making horrific figures adorable, from Cthulhu plushies to 'cute' Freddy Krueger costumes. But why? Learn what researchers think about the spectrum of cute to monstrous in this classic episode of BrainStuff.

Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.

BrainStuff

BrainStuff Classics: Why Do We Make Our Monsters Cute?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/80c9f05c-7120-4bb2-a907-b21100edf6ce/transcript

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 BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/maillardets-automaton.htm

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 BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/maillardets-automaton.htm

How Is Maillardet's Automaton Still Wowing Us After 200 Years?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6df0eb48-2fb5-4314-8e48-b43d000f1ba1/transcript

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.htm

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.htm

How Do Tiny Capers Pack Such a Big Flavor Punch?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5262a432-adea-4e3f-9f3a-b43d000f1ba0/transcript

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.howstuffworks.com/what-does-sos-mean.htm

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.howstuffworks.com/what-does-sos-mean.htm

What Do A.M., P.M., and SOS Stand For?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c7ee57d3-3a1b-4f79-9597-b43d000f1ba0/transcript

BrainStuff Classics: Why Do We Make Our Monsters Cute?

In 1 playlist(s)

BrainStuff

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips