Brains On! Science podcast for kids

Listeners send us LOTS of questions. Like hundreds a month! We read every single one — and we love all of them! Every now and then, we get a special kind of question that starts with “Is it true that…?” These questions are special because they’re skeptical. They’re designed to seek out the truth. In this episode, Molly and co-host Meyer tackle three “Is it true that…” questions. First, they’ll explore whether twins can feel each other’s pain. Then, they’ll find out if the Vikings had horns on their helmets! They’ll end their quest by discovering whether dogs can see color like we do. All that, plus a tricky new mystery sound! Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts! Today’s episode is sponsored by: Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson

Baleen whales sing. Toothed whales click. But how and why do they make these musical sounds? Join Molly and co-host Tyler as they dive into the wonderful world of whale sounds. First, they run into Anna Goldfield on her way to audition for a whale choir. She teaches them about the voice boxes of baleen whales. Then, biologist Shane Gero talks about sperm whale communication, and how humans are only just beginning to understand the complexity of the sounds they make. All that, plus a whale of a mystery sound! Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts! Today’s episode is sponsored by: Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson

It’s almost midnight and Mr Bone Jangles has snuck into the studio to debut his new show -- Bones On! His plans are foiled when Molly pops in and asks him to guess some mystery sounds instead!

Molly’s got a case of poetry fever, and she’s ready to rhyme! She’s testing out her newest stash of stanzas on her pals, Marc and Sanden. They’ll have to guess the animals featured in four of Molly’s poems. It’s a case of versus AND verses in the…MYSTERY ANIMAL POETRY SLAM CHALLENGE!

Grab your traveling gear because Brains On and Smash Boom Best host Molly Bloom and Forever Ago host Joy Dolo are going on a road trip. Not only will this be a fun-filled video romp with two buddies cruising the highway, but this trip has a theme that everybody loves: SNACKS! Mmmmmm, yum! The third Brains On Universe Field Trip is called, what else, Snacktacular Roadtrip, and you’re invited! Molly and Joy will be joined by Sanden and Marc as they cruise through a history of sandwiches, discover what beaver butts have to do with slushies and check out a Smash Boom Best debate between ketchup and maple syrup. Plus, someone from the Brains On Universe will join in live, at the end of the show, to answer questions, play some Mystery Sounds and tell you who won the debate. Whoa! Tickets are $19.99, and there’s a 20% offer if you’re a Smarty Pass member. Spots are limited, but we have multiple dates and times to choose from. Head to brainson.org/fieldtrips to get the details.

Who’s ready for a stinkin’ good time? Join the crew from Brains On, Smash Boom Best and Forever Ago on their next virtual Field Trip - What’s that smell? There’s a mighty stank a comin’ from somewhere deep inside Brains On headquarters, and Sanden Totten is going to track down the source. On his journey, he’ll encounter Marc Sanchez’s fancy new fart pants, Joy Dolo’s historic (non-flushing) toilets and witness a genuinely yuck-tastic debate between slime mold and dung beetles! You have three chances to join the adventure. Head to brainson.org/fieldtrips to pick your stinkin’ date and your stinkin’ time. But hurry - like a fart in the wind, these shows will soon be gone. Smell ’ya later!

Wow, wow wow have we got some big news! Brains On!, Smash Boom Best and Forever Ago are coming together for the Big Dig - an archeological, paleontological extravaganza that you can participate in through YouTube. The show has it all: Megaladons vs Giant Sloths, dinosaurs covered in cake AND lemonade being slurped through a straw! Go to brainson.org/fieldtrips to secure your space and check out the other events we have planned this fall. Plus, Smarty Pass members can take 20% off!

Pollen, peanuts, dust mites. These things aren't poisonous - so why do some people's bodies act like they are? In this episode, we'll find out what happens during an allergic reaction, explore why only some people have allergies and hear about new treatments. Plus: a brand new Moment of Um answers the question "Why do sunsets have so many colors?" and we'll read a new group of listeners to be added to the Brains Honor Roll! Brains On is sponsored today by Acer Swift 5 (visit acer.com,...

Sounds abound all around. Do you think your ears are up to the task? We have an episode chock full of nothing but mystery sounds to challenge and stretch your listening powers. Also, did you hear that the Brains On store is open? We couldn't be happier with the t-shirts and other goodies we have to offer. Have a look! Brains On is sponsored today by: • ButcherBox (butcherbox.com/brainson and enter "BRAINSON" at checkout) • Squarespace (enter offer code BRAINSON)

Our lungs are great at getting oxygen out of the air, but if we needed to do that underwater, we'd be sunk. So how do fish, shrimp, jellyfish and other marine animals breathe underwater? And what happens when there is no oxygen in the water for them to breathe? We answer those questions plus a brand new Moment of Um tackles this sticky one: "Why do we have earwax?" And a new group of listeners gets inducted into the Brains Honor Roll! Give a listen!Today Brains On is sponsored by: • Acer...

Sometimes we're in the mood for a good story, so we're turning our show over to Circle Round this week. It's a podcast produced by WBUR in Boston that tells folktales from around the world. These stories are funny, surprising, suspenseful and downright charming. Here's one we think you'll dig. It stars a kid who loves making jokes, so you know it's up our alley. In the meantime, we're hard at work on some exciting new episodes -- including a brand new show. We'll be able to tell you more...

Circadian rhythms keep our bodies on schedule. But what about the rest of the animal and plant world? Turns out, most living things run on similar cycles. In this episode we take a look at why some animals hibernate. There's also an interview with a plant. Wait, what?!? You read that right: A PLANT!!! All that and a trip back to pre-history, to see how staying up late might have helped mammals survive all those dinosaurs. Three-word hint: nocturnal bottleneck hypothesis.

You know how important music can be when it comes to gaming. But what if you choose to play without music? Or, what if you replace the music with your own soundtrack? How does that affect your playing? We're going to dig into the psychology of video game music, explain how the interactivity of video game music works and figure out what "8-bit" means. You can find all of that in this episode, plus a new group of names added to the Brains Honor Roll and brand new Moment of Um answers the...

Think about it: the answer to the question "Is it opposite day?" will always be no. It's a head-scratcher. So how do you figure out if it is, in fact, opposite day? We talk to two philosophers who walk us through how questions like these can bend and twist the truth -- and our minds. We learn about the sinister-sounding "Liar Paradox." And we find out that it's not only our brains that use logic, it's used by the machines all around us too. Plus: A brand new mystery sound and an answer to...

Sandy is a mutant snail whose shell coils to the left instead of the right. For humans, being left-handed or right-handed can definitely affect the way we experience life, though that mismatch is usually just a minor nuisance. But sometimes, sidedness can change the future of an entire species.

Two of Earth's most amazing animals go head to head in our latest debate. We're asking you to decide which animal reigns supreme. Is it the eight-armed, three hearted, shape-shifting octopus? Or the speed swimming, echo-locating, super-jumping dolphin? Listen along as Marc argues for #TeamOctopus and Sanden fights for #TeamDolphin. We'll learn amazing facts about both sides along the way. Plus an aquatic Mystery Sound, some deep-sea stand up comedy and a Moment of Um answering why...

If you've ever seen a dog, you know they like to sniff -- the ground, people, each other's butts. They like to smell just about everything. But why? We're digging into the science of smell and how dogs are able to decode things we can't even begin to imagine. Plus a brand new Honor Roll and a new Moment of Um: How do bees make honey?

Frankenstein has become a pop culture mainstay and it all started off as a novel written by an 18-year-old woman written in the early 1800s. As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the novel's publication, we look at how Mary Shelley was inspired by science and how the lessons of the book still resonate with the scientific world today. And for more on electricity, check out our four-part series from December.

Ancient dinosaurs were some of the biggest creatures to ever stomp the Earth. But how and why did they get so giant? Was there more food to help them grow? Was the planet itself somehow different, allowing them to reach epic proportions? In this episode we talk to dino-experts Femke Holwerda and Brian Switek for answers. We also tackle some other questions, like what color were dinosaurs and how were the first ones discovered? Speaking of which, listen for an introduction to one of the...

Have you ever wondered what's beyond the edge of the universe? Or better yet: IS there an edge of the universe? And what does it mean that the universe is expanding? In this episode we ponder some big questions from Brains On listeners about the vastness of space. We also cover what we know and don't know about gravity. All that plus a brand new mystery sound, Moment of Um (do we get taller when we jump?) and honor roll!