Brainstuff

We humans have blood types that help determine what transfusions we can give and receive -- and other animals do too. Learn about cat, dog, and horse blood types, among others, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legal pads' defining characteristics all date back to the turn of the 20th century. Learn how they came about in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smallpox epidemics swept the colonies several times, but one African-American man known as Onesimus helped save Boston from the brunt of it. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone's brain works a little differently, but research shows that there's a time of day when most of us make decisions quickly, and another when most of us make decisions accurately. Learn when both occur in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most hedgehog bodies are not meant for supersonic speeds, but most hedgehogs are not Sonic. Learn how Sonic's speed compares with other animals and how he might survive in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All the times a character in science fiction has gotten tossed out an airlock got us wondering: What would really happen to the human body if it were exposed to space without a protective suit? Learn what we found in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're enjoying a delicious frozen treat, and then, suddenly, it hits: brain freeze! Learn why this short, stabbing pain occurs in today's classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King cake is a tasty part of Mardi Gras celebrations today, but the traditions behind it go way back. Learn about the history of king cake, and why many now come with a small plastic baby, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air pollution can carry the same compound that we use to make ink -- so why not capture that pollution and turn it into art? Learn how an innovative technology is making it possible 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 of other animals' trips into space, but France's spacefaring cat, Félicette, has been all but lost to history. Learn about her journey in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vermont is considering a bill that would allow its drivers to add emoji to license plates -- and Queensland, Australia already has that option. Learn how it works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black History Month helps celebrate the achievements and contextualize the experiences of black people in America, past and present. Learn the history behind it 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 rumors that wireless internet is a health hazard, but, spoiler alert: It's probably just fine. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Car horns are both important safety feature and an instrument of rage. Learn the physics behind the honk in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crops like sugar and cotton are notoriously tied to slavery in the U.S. (and around the world), but indigo deserves infamy, too. Learn the dark history of this natural dye in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Throughout history, different cultures have had all kinds of ceremonies surrounding the loss of a first baby tooth. Learn where the Tooth Fairy fits in in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For dinosaur eggs to have survived until now, they must have fossilized -- which makes cracking them open to see what's inside a difficult prospect. Learn how researchers tackle it (and when they don't have to) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lactose intolerance is rare in the U.S., but worldwide it's way more common. Learn what causes this and how researchers explain the divide in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though we've all heard about how Rosa Parks' small act of resistance on a Montgomery bus sparked a boycott that spurred the civil rights movement, a lot of us get the details wrong. Learn the real story of Rosa Parks in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The so-called Birthday Paradox isn't a true paradox -- it's a fascinating example of how bad humans are at off-the-cuff probability. Learn what the Birthday Paradox is and how it works in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.