Why Am I Afraid Of The Dark?
^{33:16 | Episode: 91 | May 10th, 2019}

Lots of people are afraid of the dark, including many kids who have shared that fear with us. In today’s episode we explore the fear of the dark with Daniel Handler, better known as Lemony Snicket, the author of the Series of Unfortunate Events books, and a picture book for young kids called The Dark.

The Hurricane of the Future
^{00:14:41 | May 3rd, 2019}

Why are hurricanes so powerful? Every year, monster storms develop in the Atlantic Ocean from June until November. It seems like they come out of nowhere. But scientists are working to predict them months, years, and even decades before they start. We’ll discover what makes hurricanes so destructive, and why they might become even more intense in the future. Might it have something to do with gnomes that ride on hamsters? Listen and find out!

Thinkin stinkin: Why we smell
^{00:28:19 | April 30th, 2019}

You may have noticed some strong smells coming from your feet, your friend’s breath, or your brother’s armpit. Where do these body odors come from? We’ll meet the microscopic organisms responsible and visit the kingdom of Footsteros. We’ll also find out why we might find these naturally occurring smells so disgusting. Plus: A brand new Moment of Um answers the question: Why do stink bugs stink? This episode is sponsored by Cloud Control Cat Litter by Arm & Hammer, Bona Premium Spray Mop (bona.com/brainson), and Quip (getquip.com/brainson). You can support the show at brainson.org/donate

S2, E5 – ANTEDILUVIAN
^{27:23 | Season: 2 | Episode: 5 | April 29th, 2019}

In this episode about the word, “antediluvian,” host Lynn Hickernell includes excerpts from the books The Velveteen Rabbit and The 14th Goldfish (courtesy of the folks from Book Power for Kids!), “Say What?” about the expression, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” “It Came From the Internet,” “GET IT?!?!?” and the Miss Lynn song, “Studebaker Truck.”

Why Is Sugar Bad For You?
^{29:32 | Episode: 90 | April 26th, 2019}

Why do we need to eat and how does food give us energy? Why do you have to eat vegetables? Why does junk food taste so good? So many questions about food and nutrition. We get answers from Wesley Delbridge, of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Forever echo: Can a sound wave go on forever?
^{00:36:54 | April 23rd, 2019}

Today we shout out our love for the ECHO! (echo echo) Discover how these curious callbacks happen and why we hear them in some places but not others. We’ll also play you the longest echo in the world and take you to an echo-proof room. Plus, an actual echo stops by to share its new podcast and we hear the answer to this Moment Of Um question: why can wild animals drink dirty water when humans need clean water? Today’s episode is sponsored by Loacker (loackerlove.com/powermom2019), Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls the Podcast (rebelgirls.co/podcast), Philo (philo.tv/brains) and New Cloud Control Cat Litter by Arm & Hammer. You can support the show at brainson.org/donate

Extinct Animals – Special Earth Day episode
^{18:47 | April 21st, 2019}

The Launch of the Irish Satellite
^{00:13:50 | April 19th, 2019}

How does a country start its own space program? Come with us to Ireland to find out, and meet one of the students whose childhood dreams of launching a satellite are about to come true. Lana Salmon is part of a team from University College Dublin building Ireland’s first-ever satellite. We get to step inside the lab and learn what it takes to design, engineer, and launch experiments into space.