Brainstuff

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.

Before the late 1970s, almost all pistachios found in the U.S. were dyed bright red. Learn why -- and why a famous diplomatic standoff changed that -- in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This distant blue ice giant boasts incredible winds, storms, and moons. Learn why the coldest planet is so cool in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Agoraphobia is a complicated and difficult psychological condition that is easily misunderstood. Learn about life with agoraphobia in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juice can contain good stuff, and cleansing sounds like a good thing -- but can juice cleanses deliver the results they promise? Learn about how your body uses nutrients and removes toxins in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cleopatra is a fascinating historical figure, but a lot of stories about her were misinformation spread by her enemies. Learn what historians think the real Cleopatra was like in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems like a simple question, but the answer involves a combination of physics, geometry, electromagnetic radiation, and biology. Learn why we perceive the sky as blue in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For nearly 80 years, the New York Times Crossword puzzle has been an institution -- but the paper didn't even want to publish one at first. Learn the history and modern workings of the puzzle in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a modern myth that using your cell phone while pumping gasoline may cause a fire or explosion, but it's been debunked. Learn why (and why static electricity may have started the myth) in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't worry, there isn't any kind of shortage of food in the United States due to COVID-19 -- but our supply chain is changing. 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.

If every animal that ever lived became fossilized, we'd be swimming in seas of fossils right now. Learn why we aren't in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.