Brainstuff

From an uncertain start to an empire of kitsch, Chia Pets have become an American icon. Learn the history behind the trend in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s almost impossible to trick your brain in order to tickle yourself. Learn why, and how tickling works to begin with, in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anxiety is a normal, healthy response in the human body, but when it interferes with daily life it can become a disorder. Learn about anxiety's symptoms and biochemistry -- and how you treat it -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff.. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Antibodies are an important part of our immune system's toolkit in identifying and fighting infections. Learn how they work -- and what antibody tests can tell us -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yes, NASA has a beach house, and yes, it's the setting for some fabulous stories. Learn the history of the the Kennedy Space Center Beach House and Conference Center in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

African American folk spirituals were participatory music meant not just to comfort but to convey messages among enslaved people. Learn how historians think they worked -- and how they influenced modern music -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever heard a group of birds cawing their little lungs out for minutes on end, you may have heard a bird mob. Learn how bird mobs work in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tales of honorable samurai and unscrupulous ninja abound, but are these legends based in reality? (Spoiler alert: uh, sorta.) Learn about the real history of samurai and how the stories came about in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have heard that if you keep your eyes open during a sneeze, they could pop out of their sockets -- but is that true? Learn the science of how your eyes stay in your head -- and why they can pop out -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sure, night vision looks cool in the movies - but what is it, exactly? Learn how can a scope or a pair of goggles help you see in near-absolute darkness in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The largest jigsaw puzzles in the world have hundreds of thousands of pieces, but the hardest have less than a dozen. Learn about record-breaking jigsaw puzzles -- including the first one in history -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Motor vehicles need to be driven to keep them in working order. Learn how just 20 minutes a week can help, plus other tips for maintenance, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA has announced the first launch of American astronauts from U.S. soil in almost a decade -- and it will be on a privately developed spacecraft. Learn about the mission and what it could mean in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plankton can barely be seen with the naked eye, but they're responsible for the air we breathe and the energy we use. Learn more about these tiny aquatic organisms in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 17- and early 1800s, rumors of vampires ran rampant through New England. Learn what happened (and why tuberculosis was to blame) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people seem to attract tons of mosquito bites -- others, none at all. Learn what factors attract more mosquitoes -- and why they 'bite' us in the first place -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do animals have a sixth sense that can detect earthquakes and tsunamis -- or do they just make better use of their other senses than humans? Learn what research has found in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before Lewis Carroll wrote 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' hatters had a reputation for health issues -- mental and physical. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Australian marsupial has officially been deemed extinct since 1936, but reports of sightings continue to this day. Learn about the uncertain existence of the thylacine in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although thousands of lynchings were committed after the American Civil War, Emmett Till's shook America's conscience and became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.