Brains On Podcast

A pair of ghost shoes visit Molly with a message: it's time to think about garbage. They predict that Molly will be visited by three visions of garbage, one from the past, one from the present and one from the future.

Explore the ins and outs of breathing

When one of our listeners wrote in with an animal sound mystery (What sound does a giraffe make?) we set out to find an answer. We came back with lots of other fascinating animal sounds, so we decided it was time for an all-animal mystery sound extravaganza! Open up your ears and get ready to play!

From wigglers to lost teeth traditions, we're looking at all things chompers. Chew on this!

A fire can be super useful or cozy or even magical. But it can also be dangerous -- and in the case of wildfires, if they burn long and hot enough, they can destroy ecosystems and send lots of harmful smoke into the air.

Today we’re sharing an episode with you from our friends at Million Bazillion, the podcast that answers the questions kids have about money. They help dollars make more sense and they’re back for a whole new season! 

Have you been itching to find out more about mosquitoes? Check out this buzz-riffic episode all about those pesky skeeters.

You know that feeling where you get a snippet of a song stuck in your head and it loops over and over? Those hard to shake songs are also known as earworms, and in this episode Molly has a particularly sticky one in her brain. We'll find out why some songs are catchier than others and, most importantly, scientifically-proven ways to get rid of them.

Adults around the world are getting vaccinated against the coronavirus, and now, in a handful of countries (including the U.S.) kids over 12 can get vaccinated too.

We hear from a 13-year-old who participated in a clinical trial for a vaccine and get tips for how to navigate the world when only some people in your family are able to be vaccinated. Plus, Kara and Gilly share expert advice on how to handle big feelings as the world starts to open back up.

We treat dogs like they're part of the family. But do they know they are a different species, or do they think they're just short, four-legged people?

In this episode, canine cognition researcher Alexandra Horowitz helps us puzzle out this question. We’ll also find out what happens (or doesn’t) when a dog looks in the mirror. Dogs are always dozing, and we’ll check in to see if they are dreaming too. And, we take a quick trip around the world in the language of barks.

All that, plus a brand new Mystery Sound and moon-filled Moment of Um.

For our 200th episode, we get an up close and personal look at the sun.

Can the same cloud you see travel halfway across the world?

Slow moving sloths and their perma-smiles have captured the heart and minds of people everywhere. Find out what makes this slowest moving mammal tick.

Microchips are in our phones and laptops. They’re in our cars and refrigerators. They’re in our watches and vacuum cleaners. They are everywhere, but where did they come from?

Wow, it’s been almost 10 years since we put out our first episode about eating. We’re revisiting the episode with some behind the scenes commentary.

Picnics wouldn’t be picnics without fungus. Bread, cheese and salami all incorporate our fungal friends!

Molds and fungi have been responsible for everything from medicines to that mystery that’s been in your fridge for too long. This episode looks at how the kingdom of fungus thrives.

Who hasn’t dreamed of going to the past or taking a peek into the future? This episode takes a look at the ins and outs of time travel.