How can mold be used for medicine?

Scientists develop medicines to help fight disease and keep people healthy. Some medicines are made in a lab, some come from plants, and some…even come from mold! So how does that work? We asked microbiologist Christine Salomon to help us find the answer.
Got a question that totally breaks the mold? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll send you our most cultured answer. 

Why do our ears pop on airplanes?

Have you ever been on an airplane and noticed that pressure in your ears? And then, as you’re taking off…they pop! Just like a balloon or a bubble or a freshly opened can of dough! Why does that happen? We asked infectious disease physician Dr. Frank Rhame to help us find the answer.
Got a question that popped in your head? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll fly in to help answer it for you.

Why does the bowl get hotter than the food in the microwave?

If you’ve ever grabbed a flaming hot bowl of soup out of the microwave and then slurped a spoonful of icy liquid from the middle of it, you’re not alone. In fact, it feels like one of life’s great mysteries! Why does this happen to food in the microwave? We asked ceramic artist Matthew Katz to help us find the answer.
Got a scalding hot question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll bowl you over with the answer.  

How do frogs' tongues stretch so far?

Ever wish you had a frog's tongue? You wouldn’t even have to pick up a cookie with your hand…your tongue would grab it for you! How amazing is that? But really, how DO frog tongues stretch so far? We asked Kiisa Nishikawa, a professor at Northern Arizona University, to help us find the answer.
Got a sticky question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll slurp up an answer for you!

When did people start using makeup?

Colored eyeshadow, glossy lipstick, rosy blush – people use all sorts of makeup to change how they look. But when did we start using makeup? And how has it changed over time? We asked archaeologist and Brains On producer Anna Goldfield to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s making you blush? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you face the answer! 

When did people start wearing makeup?

How do minerals form in caves?

Caves are full of amazing stuff: bats, hidden passageways and of course – spectacular rock formations! So where do these rock structures come from? We asked geologist Hazel Barton to help us find the answer.
Got a rock-solid question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find the answer under the surface.

How do minerals form in caves? 

How do sticks make fire?

People rubbing two sticks together and a fire magically appearing is a common thing you might see in movies or on television. But does it actually work? We asked engineer Vi Rapp to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s flickering in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help put out the fire. 

How do green screens work?

Movies can take us to extraordinary places, sometimes using technology! Filmmakers create new worlds, incredible creatures, and mind-bending action scenes using something called a green screen. A green screen is just what it sounds like: a bright lime green background used to create special effects! So how does a green screen make movie magic? We asked movie-maker and film professor Jeremy Royce to help us find the answer.
Got a question playing in the theater of your mind? Direct it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help screen out the answer.  

Do babies understand words?

Babies. They’re cute little peanuts, huh? Babbling and drooling while their parents talk to them in widdle baby voices. But do babies understand what people say to them? When do they start learning how to communicate with language? We asked child psychologist Dr. Beverly Goldfield to help us find the right words to explain the answer. 
Got a question that’s really verbing your noun? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you find an adjective answer. 

Why does mold have different colors?

Mold is a type of fungus, which means it’s related to mushrooms. And it can be kind of pretty, if you’re not grossed out by it. Sometimes mold is green or white or even pink! Why does it have so many colors? We asked professor Jonathan Schilling from the University of Minnesota to help us find the answer.
Got a question in your brain that’s taking up too mushroom? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll find an answer that isn’t past its expiration date.

What makes food organic?

Ever wandered around the supermarket and noticed that some of the food is marked “organic?” What does that mean? And why are the organic fruits and veggies in their own special section? We asked organic food expert Chris Schreiner to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s food for thought? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you arrive at the answer organically.

How does soap make bubbles?

We know how important it is to wash our hands with soap and warm water. Get between the fingers, under the nails, all that good stuff. But why does soap get all foamy when you add water? Where do those bubbles come from? We asked University of Minnesota professor Frank Bates to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s bubbling up in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help pop the question!

Why does your skin itch when it’s healing?

If you’ve ever gotten a cut or a scrape, you might’ve noticed that your skin feels itchy while it’s healing. Why does that happen, anyway? We asked pediatrician Dr. Emma Gerstenzang to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s a cut above the rest? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll scratch our heads ‘til we find the answer!

Why does your skin itch when it's healing?

Why does blood taste like metal and why are we not magnetic?

Sometimes we get questions from listeners that are so intertwined that we just have to include them both in one episode, and today is one of those days! Cardiologist Dr. Courtney Jordan Baechler helps us figure out the answer to two questions – why does blood taste like metal, and why are we not magnetic? And as a bonus, Dr. B. includes a super fun experiment that you can do at home.
Got a question that’s meddling with your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help iron out the answer. 

How do cars go backwards?

Isn’t it cool that cars can go forwards and backwards? Backwards and forwards go can cars that cool it isn’t? All joking aside, these huge, heavy machines can switch directions with just the push of a lever! But how do they do it? We asked car expert Chaya Milchtein to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s driving you wild? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll steer you in the right direction!

Why can’t kids go to space?

So far, only adults have been to space. But there are plenty of kids who’d love to travel to space, so what gives? Why can’t kids walk on the moon? Or visit the International Space Station? We asked NASA engineer Varoujan Gorjian to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s moonwalking around your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll spaceCRAFT an answer for you.

Why can’t kids go to space? 

How do you make clay for pottery?

Clay is neat stuff. You can knead it, shape it, carve it, sculpt it, and make all kinds of beautiful creations. It goes from soft and squishy to hard and breakable when it’s baked in a kiln. But clay is…dirt, right? It comes from the ground! So how do you get it out of the ground and into the blocks that you find at an art supply store? We asked ceramic artist and educator Lauren Sandler to guide us through the process. 
Got a question that you just knead an answer to? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help mold an answer into shape for you! 

Why don’t robots have tickle spots?

We love when our listeners send in super unique questions. We also love robots. So we had to answer this head-scratcher of a question from listener Lucas: why aren’t robots ticklish? We asked pediatrician Emma Gerstenzang to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s tickling your fancy? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find the answer faster than a well-oiled machine!


What do scientists in Antarctica eat?

Antarctica. Home of the South Pole and an incredibly diverse population of sea life. You know what there’s not a lot of in Antarctica? People! But there are some adventurous scientists who go there for research. These folks  can’t just zip out to the grocery store when they want to make a meal…so what do they eat?  We asked scientist Cameron Hearn to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s just the tip of the iceberg? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll give you an ocean of knowledge! 

Why do dogs like to roll in stinky things?

If you’ve ever taken a dog on a walk, or let them run around the woods, you know that they LOVE to roll around in stinky stuff! And it’s one heck of a mess to clean up. Why do they do that? We asked researcher Elizabeth Carranza from the Arizona Canine Cognition Center to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s rolling around in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help sniff out the answer.  

Why do dogs love to roll in stinky things?

If dragons were real, how would they fly and breathe fire?

Dragons are fantastical fairytale creatures that fly and breathe fire. They aren’t real, but there are animals that can do the things dragons do! So … if dragons did exist, how would they fly and breathe fire?  We asked science professor Dr. Mark Lorch to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s DRAGON you down? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll fire off an answer! 

How does soil get made?

We know that soil helps many things grow -- but how is it made? It must come from somewhere, right? We talked to farmer Angel Papineu to find the answer. 
Got a question growing in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll dig for the truth! 

What if everyone on Earth went to the same place and jumped at the same time?

There are more than 8 billion people living on our big wonderful planet. What if all of those people traveled to the exact same spot on Earth and jumped at the same time? What would happen? Would we move the Earth? We asked physicist Dr. Kiley Kennedy to help us find the answer.
Got a question jumping around in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find an answer that moves you!

What if everyone on earth went to the same place and jumped?

What would happen if everyone on Earth went to the same place and jumped?

Did dinosaurs have baby teeth?

Teething, losing teeth, growing new teeth. It’s a part of life that every human goes through! But what about dinosaurs? Did they experience the same thing? We asked paleontologist Shaena Montanari to help us find the answer.
Got a dinomite question for us? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you out because we’re as smart as a thesaurus!

All Episodes

How can mold be used for medicine?

Why do our ears pop on airplanes?

Why does the bowl get hotter than the food in the microwave?

How do frogs' tongues stretch so far?

When did people start wearing makeup?

How do minerals form in caves?

How do sticks make fire?

How do green screens work?

Do babies understand words?

Why does mold have different colors?

What makes food organic?

How does soap make bubbles?

Why does your skin itch when it’s healing?

Why does blood taste like metal and why are we not magnetic?

How do cars go backwards?

Why can’t kids go to space?

How do you make clay for pottery?

Why don’t robots have tickle spots?

What do scientists in Antarctica eat?

Why do dogs like to roll in stinky things?

If dragons were real, how would they fly and breathe fire?

How does soil get made?

What would happen if everyone on Earth went to the same place and jumped?

Did dinosaurs have baby teeth?