Brainstuff

What is silica gel? Why are packets of it included in lots of packaging? And what would happen if you ate it? Learn how silica gel keeps moisture at bay in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For some, winter means a daily battle against cracking, peeling lips. Learn what causes this -- and what you can do to prevent it -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a dreaded part of job interviews: "What did you make at your last job? What are your salary requirements?" Learn the science behind navigating this tricky topic in today's episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The End Of The World with Josh Clark is a 10-part podcast series on existential risks – threats that could bring humanity to a sudden and untimely end in the near future. Check out this preview, featuring a clip about our potential to spread from Earth. Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, or on the iHeartRadio app, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bulletproof vests have certainly saved lives, but exactly how bulletproof are they? Learn what they're made of and how they can fail to protect wearers in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Genetics says "probably." In this episode of BrainStuff, learn what researchers found when they submitted supposed Yeti samples for genetic testing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Computer systems can indeed help traffic flow better by syncing stop lights' cycles. But how well does it work, and what does it take to implement? Learn how researchers hope to get you out of traffic jams in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil, derived from cannabis, is being touted as a treatment for everything from migraines to insomnia. But how effective is it? Learn what research has (and hasn't) shown in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A battle between two brothers created the second- and third-largest sneaker companies in the world. Learn the story of the brothers Dassler in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Besides weird. Or, including weird? Learn some of the strangest features of sea cucumbers in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brightly colored fruit stands out against green leaves, but why is some red or pink, while others skew yellow or purple? And why are some fruits smellier than others? Learn what new research says about fruits' evolution in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elephants have a thick hide that's wrinkled from birth, but why? Learn about the new research that's revealed the secrets to elephant skin in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American practice of kids dressing up and demanding candy from neighbors on October 31st is fairly new, but it's based in centuries of evolving beliefs and traditions. Learn the history of trick-or-treating in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you knock on wood or avoid particular numbers? People around the world adhere to superstitions to attempt to change their luck -- and some of those superstitions are remarkably similar. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For everything we know about the human brain, consciousness is still mysterious. Could reports of people remaining conscious after being executed by decapitation be true? Learn what science has to say in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our paleolithic ancestors ate people sometimes. But did they partake because they were really that hungry, or for some other, cultural reason? Learn what researchers think in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can't prove whether the Winchester Mystery House is really haunted, but it was definitely built for ghosts. Lean the story of how its strange construction was one woman's unending quest in this episode of BrainStuff.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The tradition of carving jack-o'-lanterns around Halloween goes back centuries to a folktale about a stingy man who outwits the devil. Learn the tale (and why pumpkins weren't the original carving vegetables) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've seen the trope: a character strains their psychic powers and gets a nosebleed to show for it. But would this actually happen if psychic powers were real? Learn the hypothetical science in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.