Animals

How do planes stay in the air? And how did humans figure out that it wasn’t enough to just strap wings to our arms and flap them like birds?

We’ll find out about the invention of airplanes and our co-hosts will share the frustrations and joys of being inventors themselves. Plus: An aviation-inspired mystery sound and paper airplane tips! Plus a new Moment of Um answers the question: “What’s the most sour thing in the world?”

Today’s episode is sponsored by Madison Reed (madison-reed.com and offer code BRAINS). You can help us find new sponsors by filling out this anonymous survey: podsurvey.com/brains

In this episode, we climb up, down and all around our evolutionary family tree. When did we branch off from our more ape-like ancestors? And will we evolve one day into a different species altogether? We'll meet a bearded scientist from 160 years ago (no, not Charles Darwin) and eat some sundaes (thanks lactase persistence!). Plus a brand new Moment of Um answers the question: Do insects have the same blood as humans? This episode is sponsored by Calm (calm.com/brainson), Quip (getquip.com/brainson) and the podcast Josie and Jonny are Having a Baby With You. You can support Brains On at brainson.org/donate

We are very vocal about this episode, and that’s because it’s all about voices. We look into how our bodies produce sound and talk to a voice recognition expert. And we find out what’s happening when helium enters the equation. Plus, humans don’t have the voice market cornered -- what about other animals? We’ll drop in on a few creatures and find out how they make sounds too. All that plus a brand new Mystery Sound and berry delicious Moment of Um. Today’s episode is sponsored by Quip (getquip.com/brainson), KiwiCo (kiwico.com/brainson), and Bombas (bombas.com/brains). You can support Brains On at brainson.org/donate

Last week, we heard about the tale of the Cuyahoga River -- a river in Ohio that caught on fire multiple times because it was so polluted. The river is now doing much better, but beyond the fact that it’s not on currently fire -- how do we actually know it’s healthier today? That’s when being a water detective really comes in handy. Plus: Our Moment of Um answers the question: "Why do dogs wag their tails?" Today’s episode is sponsored by Vamousse Lice (vamousselice.com) and Roshambo Baby (roshambobaby.com and offer code BRAINS).

Wings out, eyes wide -- we’re swooping in on a battle between a perfect pair of creatures of the night. Which is cooler: Bats? Or owls? We’re going to hear lots of facts and feelings from our debaters: Brandi Brown and Katie McVey. Who will be chosen the Smash Boom Best? Listen to hear what our judge decides and then head over to smashboom.org to share your opinion with us!

For humans, being left-handed or right-handed can definitely affect the way we experience life. Usually, that mismatch is just a minor nuisance — but sometimes, sidedness can change the future of an entire species, as is the case for Sandy.

Two of our planet’s most amazing animals go head to head in our latest debate.

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.

Your body is making and using electricity all the time — but how do we do it? We’ll take a look at how bioelectricity helps our brain sends signals and our hearts pump blood. And we’ll learn about some amazing animals that use electricity in weird and wild ways.

What superpowers does our skin have to repair itself? And what about other animals like salamanders that can do some pretty extreme healing? We’re going under the skin for this one.

The sea lamprey, with its concentric rows of sharp teeth, is part vampire and part alien invader. Would you let it suction to your arm? Reporter Dan Kraker did. Find out if he lived to tell about it.

Most animals fart. And some animals put those farts to work.

It’s time for the next Brains On debate! This intense matchup brings us to the depths of darkness, under the water and beyond our earth’s atmosphere. Who will prevail?

Is farting good for us? Where do farts come from? Why do only some make sounds? And what’s up with the smell? We tackle your questions about the gas we all pass in this episode.

There are a whopping 10 sounds for you to guess in this episode. Are your ears up to the challenge?

What if the color that you call blue and the color I call blue don’t look the same at all? When our brains see color, we’re really just seeing waves of light. Sure, we may be seeing the same waves when we look at the color blue, but do we know if our brains are interpreting those waves in the same way?