Episódios

  • Why is being right-handed more common?
    Sep 19 2024

    Are you left-handed or right-handed? Chances are you’re right handed, because more people are (though if you’re left-handed, that’s cool too!). So why are more people right-handed? We asked paleontologist Alexander Claxton to help us get to the bottom of this question.


    Got a question whose answer you can’t quite put your finger on? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help point out the answer.

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    7 minutos
  • Could you make a real-life lightsaber?
    Dec 29 2022

    A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away… we wondered, could you ever build a real lightsaber like the ones in Star Wars? A lightsaber is a glowing sword that can cut through metal – and pretty much anything else you can think of. It’s the favorite tool of heroes like Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, as well as villains like Darth Vader. That’s just in the movies, but could we make them real? We asked mechanical engineering professor Sayan Biswas to help us find the answer.

    Got more questions than Luke when he was training with Yoda? Send them to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help use the force to find an answer!

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    7 minutos
  • How do butterflies get their designs?
    Sep 18 2024

    There are thousands of species of butterflies, all with unique patterns of color on their wings. How did those designs get there? We asked butterfly collection curator Blanca Huertas to help us find the answer.


    Got a question that’s cocooned in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll send an answer winging your way!

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    6 minutos
  • Do cats go to the dentist?
    Sep 17 2024

    An inevitability of life is that humans have to go to the dentist. Some people love it, some hate it! But taking care of our teeth is super important. Do our kitty friends have to do the same thing? Large animal surgeon Whitney Cutrone answers this very question.


    Got a question that’s got some bite? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find an answer right meow!

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    5 minutos
  • What is lava made of?
    Sep 16 2024

    Lava is the red-hot gloop that comes pouring out of an erupting volcano. But what is it made out of? Some sort of supercharged Silly Putty? Volcano guts? Super-spicy habanero sauce? We asked geoscience grad student Kelsey Woody to help us find the answer.


    Got a real scorcher of a question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, we’d LAVA to find the answer for you.

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    5 minutos
  • Why do gorillas beat their chests (and why is science so great)?
    Sep 13 2024

    It’s impressive to see a gorilla beat its chest. But why do they do it? We’ve tackled this question before, but there’s a new scientific scoop about this primate percussion! We asked primatologist Andrea DiGiorgio to tell us about it.


    Got a question that you want to get off your chest? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll get an answer ready to GO(rilla).




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    5 minutos
  • Why are cactuses prickly?
    Sep 12 2024

    Lots of plants are smooth to the touch, and some are even soft and feathery like flowers! So why are cactuses prickly and sometimes even painful? We asked botanist Rachel Jabaily from Colorado College to answer this spine-tingling question.


    Got a question that’s prickling at your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help sharpen you up.

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    7 minutos
  • Are bananas radioactive?
    Sep 11 2024

    Bananas are a delicious, nutritious fruit! You can pack them in a picnic lunch or bake them into a sweet nutty banana bread. But are bananas radioactive? We asked Dr. Robert Chin to help us find the answer.


    Got a really a-PEEL-ing question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find bunches of answers for you!

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    6 minutos