Brainstuff

Gingko biloba trees have changed so little over the past few hundred million years that researchers can use their leaves to track how the environment has changed over that time. Learn how in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investigating murders right here on planet Earth can be tricky -- how would it be handled in space? Who would even be in charge? (Do we need space cops??) Learn what current and future laws may apply in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maggots are undeniably gross, but black soldier fly maggots are a more efficient source of protein than anything else on the planet. Learn how researchers hope to get more people eating insects in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fish live in water, but, just as our land-dwelling bodies have to carefully regulate our water and salt levels, so do fish bodies. Learn how fish stay hydrated in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though he was the father of psychoanalysis, Freud and his theories don't hold up so well today. Learn about his famous Oedipus complex concept and what modern psychiatrists and psychologists think in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York state recently banned cat declawing. Learn what the process entails and why veterinary groups recommend against it in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American presidents can opt to affix the presidential seal to official documents and have used it as an official decoration. Learn the how and why the seal was created, plus the symbolism behind it, in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There hasn't been any official research into the effects of alcohol on the body in space, but at least a few astronauts and cosmonauts have imbibed. Learn about the history and potential future of booze in space in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Motion-activated porch lights and app-controlled interior lights are commonly used to prevent burglaries, but do they really work? Learn what burglars themselves say in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These legends of the deep are notoriously shy, but researchers have recently captured images and video of living giant squid. Learn how they did it in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The element cobalt is responsible for brilliant blue paints and rechargeable batteries alike. Learn how it works and why its supply is uncertain in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Socks aren't just a fashion accessory -- they can help keep your feet healthy! Learn how to stay safe while sockless in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sagrada Familia Basilica was started by Antoni Gaudí in 1882 and is still undergoing its initial construction today. Learn more about the architect and his long-running project in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you guessed 'gravity' you're right -- but a few specific factors make Jupiter so much moonier than planets like Earth. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before scientists fully understood how important the Everglades are to Florida's weather and ecosystem, Marjory Stoneman Douglas campaigned to preserve them. Learn about this journalist and activist in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rumor has it that a jab to the nose will stop anything from a shark to a bear from attacking you, but how effective would that really be? Learn the circumstances under which nose punching might actually help in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cells that make up plants and animals are incredibly similar considering how different a carrot is from a corgi. Learn the small factors that make all the difference in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For most mammals, aging increases our probability of dying -- it seems like a given. Learn about one animal, the naked mole rat, for which age has no impact on mortality in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the last Wednesday in August every year, up to 30,000 people participate in La Tomatina, a massive tomato fight in Buñol, Spain. Learn how it goes down in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fancy science word for building muscle is hypertrophy, but it's not inaccessible. Learn how hypertrophy works and why building muscle keeps us healthy in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.