Plants

Listener Gideon sent in this brilliant question: “How did ferns survive the dinosaur extinction and are they the same ferns we see now?”

These crispy crunchy sweet snacks are everywhere, but growing an apple is a lot harder than it sounds.

Humans need sleep to survive, but do plants doze off too?

It's just a normal day at Brains On headquarters, until Molly and co-host Aaliyah find Forever Ago host Joy Dolo in the midst of a full-blown stress attack.

Concrete is so much more than just a sidewalk. To celebrate this superlative substance, Molly and cohost Mark are joined by special guest Concreature, a being from the concrete dimension! Tune in for a dose of history, some magnificent moss, and some hot, hot science.

It’s our first annual awards show, the Mosties, where we seek out superlatives from fastest and tallest to oldest and slowest.

Pollination takes center stage in the second of our two-part bee episodes.

Trees are the strong, silent type but that doesn’t mean they can’t communicate. In this episode we’ll explore how trees send each other messages above ground and below.

Most plants get the energy and nutrients they need from water, sunlight, air and soil. But carnivorous plants get key nutrients from a different source: bugs. We’ll find out how they do it and talk about the mystery of how venus fly traps snap shut. Plus: Two gardeners – one very experienced and one just starting out – offer their tips for growing venus fly traps.

So that’s plants, but what about animals? Carnivores are animals that only eat other animals – so how do they get the vitamins, minerals and fiber that we humans get from eating plants? We take a trip to a salad bar with some animal pals to find out. This episode is sponsored by: Bona premium spray mop (bona.com/brainson), The Kevin Henkes book, ""Sweeping up the Heart,” Panama City Beach, (visitpanamacitybeach.com), Madison Reed hair color (madison-reed.com) - use promo code brainson at checkout for 10% off. You can support the show at brainson.org/donate

Oxygen is quite the savvy traveler. We explore how this gas travels all around the world and ends up pretty much everywhere for us to breathe. Plus we'll look at how plants and others make the stuff. And we learn how oxygen ended up on Earth in the first place (hint: it involves super space explosions!). We'll make friends with some molecules, hear about a tiny fart that changed the world and guess an all new mystery sound. Oh, and this week's Moment of Um asks: "if a poisonous snake bit itself, would it die?" This episode is sponsored by Visit Panama City Beach (VisitPanamaCityBeach.com), KiwiCo (kiwico.com/brainson), Quip (getquip.com/brainson) and Calm (calm.com/brainson). You can support the show at brainson.org/donate

We’re ready to get our hands dirty as we explore the stuff beneath our feet. Clay, sand, mud — soil is everywhere. And it’s alive! We’ll find out how it helps plants grow and learn about all the little organisms that are invaluable in the process (hint: it involves something called the “poop loop”). Plus: A brand new Moment of Um answers the question: “What’s inside of a tooth?” Today’s episode is sponsored by the CBC podcast Tai Asks Why and Quip (getquip.com/brainson). You can support Brains On at brainson.org/donate

The desert is hot, dry and deadly. But plenty of plants and animals thrive there. How do they do it? We’ll learn the tricks trees, bats and roadrunners use to make it in Joshua Tree National Park in California.

Most plants get the energy and nutrients they need from water, sunlight, air and soil. But carnivorous plants get key nutrients from a different source: bugs. We’ll find out how they do it and talk about the mystery of how venus fly traps snap shut.

How do trees make oxygen? How do they grow? How do evergreens stay green all year? Why do tree leaves change color? How long can trees live? We’re branching out to tackle all these questions in this episode.

If you look a little closer, listen a little harder, you’ll notice the secret life of things all around you. Want to know about the secret lives of bees, crickets, coral — and your own backyard? Give a listen!