We’ve had a hell of a good time spending the past 6 years scrounging up weird science and history junk for you to listen to! It’s been a privilege knowing there a lots of fact junkies out there like us, […]
Amy lives for a good shenanigan so of course she adores MIT’s tradition of playing hacks (aka pranks) on Harvard and Yale. The biggest one you’ve ever heard of turned out to be a fake but don’t worry, there’s still […]
In a weird turn of events, it’s ants performing surgery when one of them has a leg injury instead of scientists whacking the legs off. Okay,we lied, the scientists are doing it too… Show Notes: Episode 71: Ants on Stilts […]
Imagine rolling up to excavate an ancient ruin only to spend the day carrying out buckets full of crabs! Today we get to know the Potamon fluviatile crab. Show Notes: National Geographic article: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/river-crab-ancient-rome Musei In Commune Roma, The sculpture […]
Have you ever wondered if a hit of helium would change the sound of an alligator’s bellows? Lucky for us, there are scientists out there who wanted to know. Show Notes: BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54197198 Kyoto University Ig Nobel announcement: https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/news/2020-09-29 YouTube […]
Amy looks into how companies change over time. Start making glass jars, segue into making aerospace technology, and end up only doing metal fabrication. We look at a few other companies too! Show Notes: Ball historical timeline: https://www.ball.com/our-company/our-story/history-timeline Wikipedia on […]
Scientists wanted to know if plants scream and tortured tomatoes to find out the answer. Beckett (Trace’s youngest spawn) wanted to know, if plants do scream, can our pets hear it and is this why cats knock plants off shelves? […]
Amy laid the perfect web of “lies”; she lured Trace into an episode about shapeshifting women and then sprang the trap…this episode is about the Joro spider. We talk about the convergence of giant invasive spiders and Japanese mythology. Show […]
How do we define and study the little voice in your head? Is it something you HEAR, hear or is it something you think? For some of us, there’s no inner monologue, for others, it’s so loud in there, it’s […]
Who knew that a simple combination of oats, water and salt could make for a yearly competition that’s lasted for 30 years? We dive into the history of oats in Scotland and the famous Golden Spurtle competition! Show Notes: Golden […]
We’re heading into the end of summer break so it’s time for a mash up of wacky facts. Fake navels, cheetahs in heat, the weenus and MORE. Oh yes, we adore a good internet fact deep dive. Also, Trace does […]
It’s tiny, inscrutable, made with spider silk, and we really don’t know much about the mysteries of it’s intricate construction. Show Notes: Nat Geo https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/silkhenge-spiders-ecuador-mystery Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkhenge Internet archive https://web.archive.org/web/20201108125631/https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2014/01/09/mystery-picket-fence-in-amazon-explained-2/ Earthtouch news network https://www.earthtouchnews.com/discoveries/discoveries/remember-those-mystery-silkhenge-spiders-now-you-can-watch-them-hatch/ Youtube spiders hatching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unc-g9AHl2Y&t=106s Linkedin post […]
In the spring, fish like perch travel through the rivers in the Netherlands to find places to spawn. They used to get stuck behind Weerdsluis lock: waiting for it to open. But not anymore! A virtual doorbell was created to […]
It’s a super long length summertime episode with the sex lives of penguins, periods in space, Humpback whale sex, swearing parrots, terminal velocity poop, & penis size vs. nose size. Buckle up! Show Notes: Dr. George Murray Levick (1876–1956): unpublished […]
Smarter than the mafia, more cunning than a pickpocket in Paris, long-tailed macaques in Bali are all about snatching valuables from tourists and bargaining for tasty snacks. Show Notes: Long tailed macaques info from the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center […]
Amy’s bringing the BATS. We’ve got more cool facts about bat communication and how some of them compete for food (it’s sonic warfare for sure). Show Notes: Episode 214 Sky Puppies Mama fruit bats and their kiddos Episode 242 Bat […]
Did Trace complain about clickbait titles in this episode? Yes. Did she ALSO use a clickbait title for this very episode? Absolutely. Sea scallops like light and it turns out that works in the favor of fisheries and the environment. […]
While doing the show notes for this episode, Trace looked into tips and tricks for when you take a vacation and have to drive on the opposite side of the road. The advice? Don’t panic and purchase travel insurance LOL. […]
Nothing like rubbing yourself down with snakeskin jerky to keep yourself from getting eaten. Today we check out the parallel evolution of the California ground squirrel and rattlesnakes. It’s an olfactory camouflage arms race that on a bad day, ends […]
Nighttime waking and scattered thoughts are problem solving’s evil twin. If you find yourself awake at 3 am obsessing over your problems, remember that stress and hormonal imbalances can really damage the quality of your sleep. Show Notes: IFL Science: […]
2024 is the 100th anniversary of Band-aids. But before they were the little strips in cool tins, they came in a roll you could cut to size. Show Notes: Johnson & Johnson history of Band-aids Wikipedia: Band-aid history Disposable America […]
From poker to games played to pass the time, those 52 cards are so ubiquitous it’s hard to figure just when we started using them. We go all the way back to ancient China for a possible origin of cards. […]
Call them slippahs, flip flops, chanclas, slops, plakkies, slaps, pantofles, or thongs…whatever word you choose says a lot about your age and what part of the world you grew up in. We came up with this episode topic as kind […]
It’s easy to believe that a snake might be a deadly mimic. But butterflies that start life as carnivorous caterpillars? Oh heck yeah! Show Notes: YouTube BBC: Ants Adopt a Caterpillar YouTube Entomological Society of America: Ants and Blues The […]
If you haven’t figured it out by now, Amy is not afraid to ask tough questions! Today she talks butt health, bidets, and the dangers of wet wipes. It’s funnier than you’d think, we promise. Show Notes: Business Insider: interview […]
Trace found some delightful random facts about birds! Today we’re talking “anting”, talons locked to the death, and musical cockatoos. Show Notes: Journal of Ornithology: Anting behavior in birds Video of crow anting: aka the spicy spa Bird Note: anting […]
We recorded IN PERSON! Trace brought back a whole bunch of fun flavored chips from Uwajimaya, a fantastic Asian grocery store in Seattle! Check out the show notes for our 5 other taste test episodes! Show Notes: P.S. If you […]
From wheat to mice to rabbits to…you won’t believe the techniques we’ve used to determine if a woman is pregnant. The history of detecting pregnancy is long, inexact, and strange. Buckle up for some crazy science. Show Notes: Harvard University […]
We’re officially pros now right?!?! We dug deep into the internet’s brain junk drawer for a random smash-up of whatever facts tickled our fancy. Thank you for listening and loving this show as much as we do. Show Notes: Check […]
We might quit Brain Junk and run off to the University of Exeter for their brand new Masters program in MAGIC. Not Hogwarts (darn) but you’d be studying the role of magic in society. Listen to our podcast while you […]
Apologies for the sound quality. Trace solemnly swears this is our last Zoom recorded episode. In 1886, the US government decided it was time we cataloged every fruit. Lacking the ability to take color pictures, a small group of artists, […]
Hold onto your top hats, we’re striding into the historical world of competitive race walking! Can you even imagine walking 1000 miles in 1000 hours (FYI 1000 hours is nearly 42 days) Image: Emma Sharp Show Notes: BBC: The strange […]
Go look up the Carl Straat diving bell ship. It’s insane to think that it’s possible for people to walk on the bottom of a river in regular clothes and rubber boots. There’s no special equipment except for the boat […]
Up until 2020, If you loved cats but your allergies didn’t love them back, you had to live with runny eyes, hop yourself up on Benadryl, or live a sad cat free life. Now there’s something that might reduce the […]
Are you team killer whale or team crab eating seal? We’re cheering for both… Watch the movies in the show notes if you dare. There’s no blood and guts but the hunting style of the B1 pod is still a […]
From Sugar the long lost Australian sheep to an unfortunate Bulgarian man who became mummified way faster than scientists would expect, Amy’s bringing it with a fact double header! P.S. Sugar the sheep had 28 pounds of wool shorn off. […]
First off, we recorded on Zoom ( I KNOW it’s 🙄). Sorry about the sound quality. Trace is working on a new platform for us. But okay, magnets! You asked & we are here to demystify those wacky magnets you’ve […]
It’s our last week of Thanksgiving break! Hope this finds you contentedly full from a good meal and hanging out with the people you adore. Trace pulled out all the stops with audio buffet of animal episodes. The bell bird, […]
Brain Junk is still on break but whooo-boy we’ve got a trip down memory lane for y’all! Picture it, September 2020, Trace and Amy sitting a million socially distant miles apart while tasting the flavor sensation of the season–turkey flavored […]
Brain Junk is taking Thanksgiving break! Trace has some writing projects she needs to get off the ground and Amy has a teenager at home(do we need to say more?) We’ve got some fun episode mashups coming the next three […]
We’ve got a vocab “argument” when it comes to the beauty industry. They say that super hydrating lotion has snail mucins. Scientists say mucins are in a protein family secreted by animals for a whole host of reasons. Come clean […]
It’s the 31st of October and we’ve got some tricks and treats for you! We’ve dug up a whole bag of weird facts from ghost month in China to brain worms to devil’s chairs. Settle in with your pile of […]
Let’s look into the past with time capsules! People have stashed important items in clay pots or the walls of buildings for centuries. It wasn’t until 1939 that the phrase “time capsule” became popular as a way to explain the […]
In Wisconsin’s Chippewa Flowage (what the heck is that? OMG it’s amazing) there are floating islands of peat. Covered with trees and doing what they want. You’ve got to check out the videos in our show notes! P.S. Today is […]
Back in 1984, Coca-Cola and Pepsi started a very short space race. In 1985, Cans and soda went on the STS 51-F shuttle flight. It was sticky and fizzy and burping was a DISASTER. Amy takes us on a Vomit […]
We’ve decided the Hoatzin is Brain Junk’s new mascot! It’s the weirdest, cow poop smelling, leaf-burping bird from the Andes. We adore them. image: Pixabay, Herbert Bieser Show notes: Video of climbing baby Hoatzin: Youtube Current Biology: Hoatzin quick guide […]
It’s October 1910 and the first attempt to cross the Atlantic in an airship is all ready to go. They’ve got a crew of six, a fancy new radio, and a…cat. We’ll give you three guesses as to which of […]
Back in 1881, two young towns in Eastern Washington wanted to be the county seat in newly created Spokane county. Spokane vs. Cheney had rich businessmen turning out to vote. What happened next is still hotly contested (depending which city’s […]
We’ve plucked a bunch of random facts from the junk drawer! Tree rings, platypusary, and death by salt are just a few of the super cool facts curated for your ears! Care to share a little Brain junk with your […]
A huge reason you have a touch screen on your smart phone is because of a pigeon and a bomb? Let’s talk about WWII pigeon pilots! Show Notes: TikTok pigeon pilot footage NIST history report on pigeons and invention Wikipedia: […]
Napkins! While recording this episode, we discovered that economic class influences what you use to wipe your face way more than we thought. You might use paper or cloth or maybe no napkin at all, but whatever you use, the […]
An oak gall might look like an apple growing on the bottom of a leaf, but it’s really a snug home for baby oak gall wasps. Turns out, a gall is more than just a baby-bug playpen. Oak galls have […]
If you thought a person always has only one male parent and one female parent, well…you’d be wrong. Most of the time the two parent thing is the rule, but occasionally it is possible, mostly in a lab, to have […]
The Sandbox tree, Water Hemlock, and Giant Hogweed are the mean girls of the plant world. They don’t care about your feelings. If you get too close you might experience rashes, blindness, third degree burns, and/or death. These plants say, […]
Turns out, in less than 20 years of pumping underground water sources for agriculture and drinking water, we’ve changed the tilt of the Earth. Yikes! Need some cheering up? Listen to the Quahog Wild episode! Show Notes: 258: Quahog Wild […]
Known locally as a valtoare, this bowl built into a river has been used to wash clothes for hundreds of years. Click the links, it’s something to see! This week we start in a river washing clothes and dive into […]
In Northern Europe, up to 30% of men over the age of 60 can be affected by Dupuytren’s Disease. Hand and finger tendons thicken and contract causing permanent loss of mobility. Turns out this disease is a leftover from Neanderthal […]
Okay this title is a reach, but it was too good to not use. Turns out coastal critters are hitching rides around the world on our floating trash. From dramatic events like Japan’s 2011 tsunami, to the stuff we toss […]
Welcome to the wonderful “ology” created when bored and curious scientists were trapped in their apartments by the pandemic. It’s Oreology! Is the creamy filling a liquid or a solid? Grab a bag of Oreos and help us answer burning […]
We’re circling back to the African Giant Pouched Rat! Turns out, in addition to being super great at detecting land mines, these rats also have very interesting vaginas. Show Notes: Step into the way back machine and give our 100th […]
Amy protecting all those precious brain wrinkles (special appearance by her husband, Chris). Turns out more isn’t always better– for optimal brain function, at least for people, we need just the right amount of brain folds. Kind of like Goldilocks. […]
Amy asked for zombies. Next to Cordyceps (and the Last of Us), Toxoplasma gondii comes pretty close to taking over mammal brains. A 2022 study in Yellowstone showed wolves are affected by toxoplasmosis in unexpected ways. Show Notes: Communication Biology: […]
While there are lots of other animals that feel wetness; buckle up, friends, humans can’t. When you spill a glass of water on yourself, you are feeling something, but it’s not the water. We don’t like it either, but it […]
Some Anoles have the most awesome “in case of emergency” trick! Anoles living near bodies of water can jump in, sink to the bottom, and rebreathe their breath long enough to stay under for over 10 minutes. The science is […]
We LOVE the delightful and sometimes confounding process of scientific discovery. What makes science even better is when kids get to ask big questions and have access to ways to find answers. Show Notes: We mention The Muppet Show: if […]
Who knew that attempts to discover ways for humans to regrow organs or limbs might send a group of scientists in the direction of trying to grow sitka deer antlers on naked mice? Not us that’s for sure. Buckle up, […]
Turns out the old school calculation for dogs aging seven years to every one of our human years isn’t quite accurate. There are better ways to calculate aging with epigenetics (FYI epigenetics is the study of how your behaviors and environment […]
From the 1960s to the early 2000s, if you needed to make sensitive equipment like a Geiger counter or even sensing equipment for hospital tests, you needed low-background steel. BUT WHAT IS IT? Listen and find out! Show Notes: Need […]
Maybe you know Monty Python from their 1975 movie Holy Grail. They didn’t just make movies! From 1969 to 1974 they also did a comedy tv show. A classic sketch was Ministry of Silly Walks. Turns out, it might’ve been […]
Creepy trigger warning! We talk a bit about spiders. I don’t like them either (TK) but it’s worth it. We swear! If you google cranberry harvesting you’ll quickly run into posts about spiders in the bogs. Turns out, they aren’t […]
Aber-clam Lincoln is a 214 year old quahog clam (look, we don’t make the dad jokes, we just share them). Did you know you can count shell ridges like tree rings to determine age? Clams pictured are not quahogs, but […]
Are you Team Amy, who adores getting wrinkled fingers or are you on Team Trace, who can’t STAND having pruney fingers because they’re gross (there’s no right answer here, except Trace is right). We were surprised to learn the science […]
A fear of clowns is called coulrophobia. If you’re like us, maybe you don’t find clowns bone-chillingly scary but they still give you a case of the ick. This week we’re looking into clowns and fears. Stick around to the […]
Art isn’t just in museums! Sometimes it’s hidden behind walls, inside a piece of furniture, or sadly, in a dumpster. Today we explore the remarkable circumstances that come together to find lost or forgotten art. Show Notes: Francis Mattson Hines […]
We’ve talked wombats and binturongs before but we’ve learned MORE and had to share! Past episodes: 244: Stinky Critters for binturong and 34: Wombat Poop Wombat mama and baby! image by budgme on pixabay Binturongs hanging out in the sun. […]
We’re both married to redheads and have kids with that redhead gene! From ginger beards to coppery locks, is there any truth to the belief that redheads handle pain meds and anesthesia differently? Show Notes: NIH report on Redheads and […]
Uguisubari aka nightingale floors were a Japanese innovation. This super squeaky floor was an early version of an alarm. The specially constructed floors were in only a select number of castles, but they would alert guards and residents to a […]
When your city is used to having smoke and coal dust and fog all mix together into a “pea soup” yellow fog that chokes the city for days each year, life goes on through the murk. But the Great Smog […]
It’s our TWO-HUNDRED and FIFTIETH episode!!!!! AND we’ve made it this far because of your love and support for the show. Thank you so so much! To celebrate we’ve got a long Valentine deep dive into the history and weird […]
Found for the first time in Upper Michigan by rock hound, Erik Rintamaki in 2017, this accidental finding is SO COOL. Under UV light they look like fiery dragon eggs. We mentioned the yooperlite store in our episode too. There […]
Paul Bunyan: hero of North American oral tradition, origins of our stories about a burly logger and his big blue ox came from multiple versions. Paul Bunyan might’ve been based on a man, but whatever his beginning, his stories came […]
Most headstones have a person’s name, some significant dates and maybe a quote. But imagine if your family made it possible for you to share your very best recipe with delighted strangers. Our research adventure into headstone recipes began with […]
We know continents shift around like furniture in a room. But can you believe that Australia is on the planet’s fastest moving tectonic plate and it’s moving on the scale of inches per year? Far enough and fast enough that […]
Often when we talk about historical corset wearing, the first thing we think of is the patriarchy. Because corsets are objects of waist cinching oppression known for mutilating a woman’s internal organs. Right? Turns out, not always. Many women wore […]
Happy 2023!!! We’re starting the year with an episode to satisfy your inner 12 year old! Pop some popcorn and join us in exploring the weirdly unexpected scents of Bear Cats (aka Binturong), lemon ants, copperhead snakes, and so many […]
Just like sea horse dads, some poison dart frog dads take a hand in helping to raise their children. We talk about a Stanford University study designed to figure out how and if these little tropical frogs have a mental […]
It sounds like impossibly futuristic sci-fi but, a machine learning algorithm and videos of bat behavior were used to partially decode the language of Egyptian Fruit Bats. I KNOW! You have to give this a listen. image by David Mark […]
Also known as devil squid because of the bright red color they sometimes display: Humboldt squid have on occasion attacked divers. But mostly they hunt in packs for fish. Mostly. (What’s up Aliens reference?! 😉 ) If you want a […]
Let’s talk about people who look remarkably similar. For example: Bryan Cranston and Mr. Kerr (Don’t tell Chas we’re matching him up with Breaking Bad’s Walter White again. 😂) Turns out people who look similar look the same for a […]
In 1964 researchers discovered the sharp beaked ground finch aka the vampire finch. FOR REAL!!! These finches have adapted to long hot dry seasons by drinking blood. Take a look at these blood thirsty birbs on Galapagosislands.com National Geographic vid […]
Trace here: I’ve got one arm trapped under a grumpy old-man-cat named Jack. Jack does not care about science or glowing glass or the fact that my back is starting to cramp. Enjoy this trip down the fancy serving ware […]
Look grammar police, it’s octopuses and we don’t have to like it, BUT you are going to love learning that just like humans, octopuses do seem to have a preferred hand. Arm? Tentacle? OMG here we go again. Just listen […]
Grab a snack and listen to how sneaky research was done on hungry people. It’s devious and a great example of how being hungry influences mood. Also Amy mentions Larks and Owls do a fun quiz on yourself to find […]
Itchy fish scratching wherever they can! Even on the nubby sides of SHARKS!! Need to know more about those other episodes we mentioned? Episode 93: Farting Herring & 206:The Smartest Fish? Measuring Cough Rates in Fish : from the EPA […]
That’s right! We’re back with a little more NSFW (Not Safe For Work)! We had so much fun doing Episode #222 After Dark that we just had to do a part two. It’s longer and weirder and we definitely need […]
We’re digging deep into right brain / left brain communication! But metaphorically, not like…with a spoon. Want to get really into the weeds on this Brain Storm? Check out the PubMed.gov abstract: Running speed and REM sleep control two distinct […]
Brach’s has done it again with the flavors you’d savor at a tailgate party. There’s hot dog and hamburger candy corn that is…well, if not good, at least fun to talk about. The fruit punch was a particular favorite of […]
If you follow XKCD you know the author, Randall Monroe, applies science to absurd questions. One of those questions had to do with the possibility of soccer ball size hail. Cover up with your steel umbrella and listen to find […]
Okay, they’re really falling with style. But it’s still cool that the Wandering salamander in the redwood forests of north western California can glide. Check out the Current Biology paper if you want to read more! And OF COURSE there’s […]
Amy shares the solved mystery and history of Ponyhenge in Lincoln, MA. Atlas Obscura article by Jessica Hester ! Click the link🐎🐎🐎
Wouldn’t it be cool if we could just put our eggs in a warmer instead of being pregnant for months and months?!?! We dive into some big science and BIG science words. Get ready for syncytin and viruses. Check out […]
Why won’t your teenager listen to you? Their brain. For real. Insert teenage eye roll here. Want to know the deets? Mom’s Voice study from Stanford
In the mood for a LONG episode?!?! Wish granted! We’re snacking on packages of Taco flavored jellybeans from Brach’s as we snack our way through fun facts about food trucks, the history of the pique-nique, and just what’s in horchata. […]
Fresh off the research presses in early 2022, a new study on how honey bees navigate the world while they fly. Turns out still water and mirrors are equally vexing for bees. Check out the paper: Honeybees Flying Over a […]
We don’t know about you, but 2022 has been a MOOD so we’re starting Halloween a little early this year. Be prepared! Starting Aug 17th, we have a season of witches and cat nights. Amy also tosses a few fun […]
It’s 1576 and you don’t have a young boy to spare to turn your meat while it cooks. So what could you use? A dog.
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a naughty summer break episode. If you’re of an age that hasn’t covered human growth and development yet, this warning is for you and your parents: we are talking about everything […]
Harriet lived from around 1835 to 2006! She is believed to be one of the Earth’s longest lived creatures ever recorded. image from Australia Zoo via the AP file of Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, and Harriet
If you grew up on the east coast of the US, you might’ve had Hellmann’s mayo and on the west coast you’d have Best Foods. But here’s the thing, it’s the same product. The reasons why we have similar foods […]
In the 16 and 1700s, wife selling was a type of marital separation that people did when they couldn’t afford divorce. It was shaming, mysoginistic, and patriarchal (basically it was a terrible time to be female). BUT wife selling was […]
Seldom written about, female gladiators fought for glory and Rome from around 509 BCE to 200 AD. What little information we have about them was in a few historical writings and one remaining frieze. image: Amazonia and Achillea
2012 published research detailed how you could influence someone’s honesty on say, a test. It all depended on if they signed an agreement to be truthful at the beginning or the end of the test. A lot of what is […]
In 1948, Idaho Fish and Game got the bright idea to transport beavers into the back country with PARACHUTES. It was a wild and wacky compromise to save dwindling beaver populations, promote healthy forests, and keep beavers out of post […]
It’s 1789 and the beginning of bureaucracy in the United States. James Madison is writing letters to smooth the path of George Washington’s disorganized congress. The way it all went down is hilarious. Not one of the 4 letters BUT […]
While baby Egyptian fruit bats start life getting carried around, once they get too heavy, their mothers leave them in a cave while they forage. It’s tough love that gets them out of the cave and learning how to find […]
The first roller skates were patented by John Joseph Merlin in 1760. He showed off his new fangled wheeled shoes with an epic entrance to a party that ended not quite how he thought it would.
With enough pressure and heat, just about anything with enough carbon in it could become a diamond. And thankfully for us, when a scientist was asked, could he turn peanut butter into a diamond, he decided to find out. How […]
How do whales open their mouths to grab a mouthful of food without drowning?! Because it’s not just krill that goes in, but hundreds of gallons of water. Amy digs into why. The adaptation is remarkable. Check out Science News […]
In 2007, a woman’s 5,000 year old skeleton was found in Burnt City, Iran. She was at least six feet tall and had what researchers think may be the first example of a prosthetic eye. image: Check out the original […]
In cases of emergency, lizards pop off their tails to get away. Evolution made it possible for that tail to stay on when tugged but not twisted. It all comes down to physiology and a cool adaptation called nanopores. Close […]
It wasn’t just fame and glory that inspired Lewis and Clark’s expedition across this great land. It took a “medication” so powerful that people would pray before they took it. Researchers figured out how to locate campsites from that 1804-1805 […]
Anything that scatters when you turn on the light…does it have a personality? Is the cockroach urge to run an indicator of a bold or timid world view? So many questions. Of course Amy found us some answers. Cockroaches with […]
Set aside your mammal bias because this week we’re celebrating the unexpected smarts of archerfish and goldfish! Turns out, goldfish might be able to drive a car and archerfish might just be able to count. Sit back and get ready […]
Amy pulled out all the stops for this shenanigan filled episode. Don’t be an April’s Fool like Trace. image from Snopes Amy’s Sources (aside from her shenanigan-filled heart): Snopes.com Blandx.com 1936 Olympics Article
In 1978, Dr. Alexander Schauss and a research assistant mixed 1 gallon of white latex paint with a pint of shiny red and created P-618 aka Baker Miller Pink. They thought it would relax people, especially people in stressful situations, […]
We always hear about research “wins”. Rarely do we discuss “failures”–and we should. Today we dive into a few examples of how not getting the “right” answer isn’t wrong. Loma Pendergraft: Fussing Over Food Amy’s Sources: Clever Hans:Wikipedia: Observer Expectancy EffectWikipedia […]
Imagine you’re an ant living in an arid climate. There’s no grocery stores! How do you keep enough food on hand for when things are scarce? You won’t believe it. Watch the below IF YOU DARE Amy’s Sources: Nat Geo: […]
What happens when you are the Emperor of France and your hunting party plans go completely wrong? You get attacked by rabbits. This isn’t a Monty Python skit, its history! Napoleon meets his Bunnyloo image from CuriousRambler
To celebrate our 200th episode, we’re going back to 1822 to share cool facts from two-hundred years ago! Listen in to a cornucopia of historical cooking, human experimentation, the discovery of stork migration, general Amy and Trace wackiness, one of […]
Gifts. Just because that decorative paper is slapped on with yards of tape doesn’t mean what’s inside isn’t something you’d want. Amy dives into a study about how we feel about gifts based on shabby wrapping paper.
Mary McLeod Bethune was the daughter of former slaves and a founder of Bethune-Cookman University. She was often the only woman of color with a seat at the table in the early political history of the 1900s. Mary McLeod Bethune […]
Give a captive gorilla tasty food, they often vocalize in ways that sound a lot like singing. It’s so charming! But scientists thought this “singing” was a response to living close to humans. Turns out, wild gorillas sing too. Check […]
One of the highest achievements in martial arts is the black belt. And Amy, OUR Amy Barton has reached that pinnacle in Taekwondo. How cool is that?!? To celebrate we’re talking about the history of the belt system. Raise your […]
We’re diving into a long episode chock-a-block full of weird facts. Get ready for German phrases, the history of bullion, hot dogs, neurons, and more (and OF COURSE a little Chuck Norris!) image: journal with the literal bug in the […]
You might think you’re special because you can flex your nostrils or flap your ears–but it turns out that there is a person out there who can voluntarily move their pupillary sphincters. What the heck are those? Listen to this […]
The US military uses more than boats to protect our Naval bases. This episode brings a whole new meaning to “Navy seals”. Check out this AP archive video — it’s remarkable! More cool resources! Marine Mammal Program
Welcome to 2022!! Over the next few episodes we’re changing things up a bit. Let us know what you think! Email us at Brainjunkpodcast@gmail.com or drop us a message on our Instagram This week we dive into the origin of […]
We don’t know about y’all, but 2020 and 2021 have been a whole thing. Right?! So Trace and Amy are taking the month of December to recharge their love of facts and weirdness. We’ll be back on Jan 4, 2022 […]
Those of you with a thick beard, that hair does more than make you look suave or rugged. Turns out, a beard might be protecting your face. There’s even an Ig Nobel winning study to prove it. Feeling super scientific? […]
It’s an underwater Brain Storm today with Disco Clams! It’s a 4 inch long clam with fancy red mantle and a line of rippling “disco ball”. It has a sneaky defense against predators, you’ll be surprised. We promise. Disco calm […]
Forget raccoons digging into your trash cans, Australia has giant parrots snacking out of trash bins. Some family groups of Sulfur-crested cockatoos are teaching each other how to hack people’s trash. See one of these wily birds in action!
In an unexpected turn of events, two predators with very different hunting styles work cooperatively. During the summer months, badgers and coyotes will sometimes team up during the summer months to find and catch more food than they could by […]
Imagine waking up from a nap to discover that you can compose music in your head. What a shock that would be! There are people who are born with savant type art or mathematics abilities, but there is also the […]
In September of 1896, the town of Crush was created for the sole purpose of crashing two steam trains together. Things did not go according to plan. Image: Baylor Collections
It’s fall now, but we recorded this episode during the dog days of August. The sky wore a blanket of wildfire smoke and daytime lows were in the mid 90s. All that heat got Amy thinking about the reason why […]
The last episode with wonky sound. We got all the bugs out. (get it…bugs. cause its an episode about bees. *nudges in dad joke* Many cultures have long believed the humble honeybee was more than just a honey-making factory. It […]
We had four episodes where the sound quality was…odd (and this was one of them). Pretend you’re listening to a NASA broadcast and that we’re coming to you live from the International Space Station. On June 3, 2021 an intrepid […]
Apologies–we had sound quality issues. We did not record from the bottom of a metal trash can while hiding from mystery blobs falling from the sky; we promise. In a place that gets rain up to 275 days a year, […]
On September 12, 1992, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison became the first Black female astronaut. She’s an engineer, a scientist, a physician, and an educator. We figure she can do anything she sets her mind to. Check out her Instagram! @therealmaejemison […]
This episode is marked explicit because we go into details that might lead to a person catching on fire. It’s interesting science and we don’t get graphic, but it might be too much for a younger listener. If you are […]
You know what happens when Amy and Trace are finally back in the same recording studio? We talk about farts. Our inner twelve-year-old selves love all things gross and we had the best time laughing about animals that pass gas […]
Stop snickering Americans, it’s not what you think. Starting with the industrial revolution in the UK, people were employed as human alarm clocks, waking people up for their shifts at work. It was a job that was particularly popular with […]
If you’re like Trace, the thought of math makes you want to run and hide; that anxiety, that tightness in your chest, the weird shooting pains (wait, is that just Trace?!). You’ll be relieved to know that those pains aren’t […]
It’s the Civil War and you’re in the medical tent. In the darkness the man next to you has wounds glowing an eerie blue. Turns out, the men who had the glow were more likely to survive. The curious reason […]
Tues August 30th, 1904: Why NOT start an Olympic marathon in the middle of a hot summer afternoon? Because people aren’t going to finish. It was a complete disaster. Some of the marathon contestants before the 1904 race. Show Notes: […]
There’s a long tradition of Japanese folklore around the possible relationship between large mushroom harvests and lightning. Researchers decided to put stories to the test. What they discovered was shocking. 😉 image: Shitake mushrooms growing on logs. By Saravut Biacharas […]
During the 1300-1500s there were several accounts of people being afflicted with spontaneous dancing. One group of 400 people were struck with the strange affliction, spent an entire month dancing, and some even died. Amy dives into the hows and […]
Talk about teamwork! Bacteria and a tiny snail work together to make an iron sulfide infused shell and scaly foot. These intrepid snails live super deep in the ocean the volcanic vents. Nature is so weird and excellent!
Middle Island off the south-western shore Victoria, Australia had a fox problem. A man by the name of Swampy Marsh had the bright idea to protect endangered penguins with Maremma sheepdogs. Penguin meets dog. image by: Global Screen Learn more […]
This episode is probably not safe for work. Could your middle schooler listen and giggle like only a 12-year-old could? Certainly. But we’re marking it explicit so you don’t accidentally have your littles listening to something you aren’t ready for. […]
Once again we dive into a piece of history that should be explored in schools. Thousands of American born Japanese defied prejudice and hate to fight for the US in segregated units during WWII. Want to learn more? Go For […]
This amazing image by Tiffanie Fisher says everything you need to know about today’s episode. And no, this isn’t an X-file or the Magnus Archives. This is nature at her weirdest. Show Notes: Ethology: A Case of Consensual Decision: Collective […]
It’s that time again for all those bits and pieces that aren’t quite long enough for their own episodes! We’ve mashed together etymology, space toilets, polar bears, an unusual festival where people attack each other with flour and eggs, and […]
In a pitched battle against the voracious tomato fruit worm, (aka. corn earworms or cotton bollworm) tomato plants have one sneaky defense…a wasp. It’s a slow plan, but it’s a plan that works.
Researcher Sridhar Ravi of UNSW Canberra looks to the humble bumblebee to answer questions about how to program a more nimble drone. The way he and his researchers studied bumbles is totally charming. Check out these Bumblebees in action! Here’s […]
Way back in August of 2018, Phobia was our 16th episode. We were in person (thanks COVID 19) and still working out how to actually do this podcast thing. We thought it would be fun to dust off one of […]
There’s a strange connection between King penguins, one of their favorite islands, and Nitrous Oxide gas.
Our best topics come from late night dinner table conversations with our kids. Amy attempts to answer the question: Are there herds of hamsters roaming the wilds? The answer might surprise you.
Imagine if you could block out loud noises at a party by taking a really deep breath. That’s how the female American Green Tree Frog manages to filter out interesting male love songs from among all other competing singers.
Can a cuttlefish master a test that very young children often struggle to pass? Instead of using marshmallows like we do with people, scientists used tasty shrimp to test if cuttlefish know how to delay gratification. Image: Cuttlefish by Naveen […]
Arachnophobes BEWARE! Imagine a spider that uses special silk to lift something that’s 50 times bigger than itself. There is a video! You must watch after you listen to the episode. Come on–don’t be a chicken–Trace watched & it’s too […]
Our longest Brainstorm YET! Who knew there was so much to know about pinball?! Amy dives into the origins, history, and shady past of this quintessential arcade game.
What is that weird smell? It’s called trimethylamine (TMA) and for most of us it stinks like rotten fish. For a small percentage of people it smells very different. The reason is in your genes. Rosa Gisladottir and Kari Stefansson […]
What if we burned calories the same way cars use gas for fuel? Amy fell down the comparison hole trying to figure out the “car calories” for humans in motion. Get your bicycles tuned up, make a gallon of bananas, […]
It’s Spring Break over at Brain Junk! We’re taking the week off and bringing you one of our oldie but goodies: #21 Grab Bag. This super long episode (29 minutes!!!) originally aired in September of 2018 and has all sorts […]
Here we all thought the drive-thru window was something new and innovative. And it was…in Pompeii in 79AD. Back in the day the Romans and Greeks and probably other large civilizations had walk up restaurants that catered to busy citizens. […]
Warning: Content of a slightly more adult kind. We use a few swear words, talk about illuminated manuscript penis trees, and yes, we may have talked about undescended testicles. Friends, no lie, 2020 was A YEAR. We went from working […]
Traffic lights, a hair relaxant, gas masks, the zig-zag stitch on sewing machines…all of these important inventions have one thing in common, Garrett A. Morgan. Give this episode about a prominent Black innovator and inventor a listen!
Who knew a tiny animal could contain such a multitude of cool facts? For our 150th episode we dive into the life of the shrew. It’s a phenomenal creature with a 1500 heart beat per minute metabolism who is always […]
Originating in India, the western version of the red bandana began in 1800s England with the use of snuff. Over the years the pattern has changed slightly, but that red bandana has become ubiquitous.
We catch you up with an update on fluorescing animals and then jump right into new research on Longfin Damsel fish that use Mysid shrimp to farm algae. Check out more about this mutualistic relationship here: https://theconversation.com/we-found-algae-farming-fish-that-domesticate-tiny-shrimp-to-help-run-their-farms-151615
In WWI and WWII women were super sneaky and ingenious using their yarn and knitting needles to covertly transport coded messages. That’s right, today we’re talking about steganography.
There are over 70 examples of knights fighting snails in illuminated manuscripts from the 1300s. But why? First meme? A silly inside joke? A weird allegory? Listen to the episode and check out our link in the show notes. Or […]
When music comes on, can you clap along or do you struggle to find the beat? If you have a hard time keeping up with the rhythm, there’s a reason and it’s happening in your auditory cortex. Show Notes: […]
Col. William H Jackson had a favorite tree. So, somewhere around 1832, Colonel Jackson gave the white oak tree to itself (and the city of Athens, GA played along). As of this broadcast, that tree’s offspring still grows on the […]
Help us lean into the New Year with the many Scottish traditions surrounding Hogmanay! There are wee drams of whiskey and balls of fire and cleaning out the house to get ready for the coming year. Raise a glass with […]
Happy almost New Year! Amy and Trace got together to socially distance snack. We try some dried mushrooms, chips, a surprise snack, and some candy. We had a fantastic time getting back together in person!
Tired of cold feet and longs nights huddled under not quite warm enough blankets? Maybe you need a box bed. Originating in medieval times, making a bed walled in on all sides made for a cozy night’s sleep. And sorry […]
There are only approximately 400,000 elephants left in the world. Frustrated and saddened by this stark statistic, Dr. Lucy King set out to find a way to make elephants less of a threat to people and crops. Her ingenious solution […]
Ramesses II (Also known as Ramses or Rameses) became Pharaoh at the age of 14, had more children than any other Egyptian ruler, and reigned during the golden age of Egypt. But of course his history isn’t exactly what we’re […]
When we tried to start recording, the neighbors revved up their engines and insisted on mowing their lawns–so we had all the wacky background noise! For Thanksgiving we got together to taste test Brach’s Turkey Dinner flavored candy corn. It […]
On July 6th, 1930 Fred Newton dipped a toe into the Mississippi river and explained to reporters that he planned to swim from Minneapolis to New Orleans. Along the way he encountered floating rafts of manure and other hazards. It […]
In 1532 the Spanish found out what everyone in South America already knew–potatoes are amazing. But when they brought them back to Europe the reception wasn’t so great. No one was impressed by a food harvested out of the dirt. […]
A word on sound quality: We’re still recording remotely. Just pretend Amy is on the moon, reporting from her own personal lunar module. Besides the lander modules left by each mission, there’s a lot of unexpected junk and treasures left […]
An accidental discovery by scientist Jonathan G. Martin lead to a surprise at his bird feeder. Turns out Flying Squirrels in the United States have a special trait. Under ultraviolet light they glow. If you want to know more about […]
Letting you know straight out the gate that the sound quality of this episode is…eh. We had some remote recording issues again–thanks Covid–but (get it? Butt Music and but? HA! Dad joke for the win). But, Amy had too much […]
The tomato traveled a long strange road of misunderstanding and admiration all the way from the New World to the old and back again. Why did it become the iconic pin cushion shape we all remember and how in the […]
During WWII, special super secret decks of playing cards were used to help American prisoners of war escape from Nazi camps. Show Notes: Check out the articles for some great pictures! No one knows for sure how many decks were […]
Amy and Trace dug deep into their “this is too gross for a podcast” files and decided there was just too much quality disgustingness not to do it anyway!!! WARNING! We aren’t kidding. This stuff is all about glowing mouse […]
This hard to stop insect can shoot a caustic mix 212 degree chemicals out of it’s abdomen at 500 times a second. Seriously! Trace shares some super cool facts about this little bug. Great video of a variety of beetles […]
How did we go from no green spaces in city neighborhoods to the perfectly manicured lawn that defines American suburbia? It all comes down to Frederick Law Olmsted and properties in a housing development in 1860’s Illinois. Show Notes: The […]
No joke, the best and last line of defense to protect the drinking water for an entire city in Poland is eight clams. Let’s chat about bivalve science!
During the 13th century, in the part of the world that would become Germany, husbands and wives could settle marital disagreements with an elaborate battle that used clubs and rocks. It was a drastic argument resolution of last resort. Amy […]
Trace dug deep for this animal symbiosis extravaganza. Frogs and tarantulas, blind snakes and owls; it’s so so good. Show Notes: Bonus content: an article with a sound recording of screech owls. Some info on blind snakes from the Smithsonian […]
In 1836, the Belville family began their business of selling time. It started with Ruth Belville’s father and passed down to his daughter, Ruth. She sold time until 1939. Give it a listen, you know you want to learn more. […]
There might be longer names, but Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff Sr. probably comes the closest. Amy reads it all. Because there’s more. SO MUCH MORE to his very long name. Show notes: Wikipedia Record for Longest Personal Name […]
In the movie Good Will Hunting, Will is a janitor at MIT–he solves some impossible math problems and shocks the professors. That origin story is taken straight from real life (sort of). George Dantzig was a brilliant mathematician who got […]
In this time of COVID19 and staying at home (if you happen to be at home with more than just yourself) you might be finding family harmony is getting a little rough around the edges. Amy has the perfect solution […]
In 1930, the Kutol company came up with a putty to clean coal dust off of walls. Impending bankruptcy forced them to shift gears to find news ways of making a profit. A new company was formed and Play-Doh was […]
Margaret and Matilda Roumania Peters were sisters and tennis champions in the 1930s, long before Serena and Venus Williams. While still in high school, they were recruited by Tuskegee University’s tennis coach, Cleve Abbott. The Peters sisters were accepted into […]
It’s one of those episodes where you think you know where your research is leading and then it takes a sharp right turn. Trace follows a trail from shoving boulders downhill to the 18th century sport of hoop rolling. P.S. […]
The science of how bubbles work changes a bit when they go into space. Amy explains why. Show Notes: These show notes are super cool. Click all the links and watch all the videos. You’ll go down a space bubbles […]
Welcome to a socially distanced Brain Junk Episode. Hopefully by the time this comes out, Amy and I are back to recording face to face. This was tapped at the end of April and we were each in our own […]
If you’re stuck in the house social distancing–never fear–we’ve got the distraction you need. Ask yourself this question: Can snakes breathe while they swallow their food? Close up YouTube vid of a snake’s glottis Feeling daring? Here’s a Gaboon Adder […]
This episode was a struggle-and-a-half to get into the world. It was one of the first we recorded remotely because of COVID19 and I (Trace. Me, I did it!) lost the first TWO versions we did due to technical glitches. […]
Trace is a self styled CCL and when she combined that with a microphone and her noisy cats, Brain Junk took a deep dive into the weird world of cat vocalizations. Show Notes: In 1944 Mildred Moelk published Vocalizing in […]
In the interest of science and to protect the health of children who are always sticking things into their mouths; six intrepid doctors swallowed Lego heads and recorded just how long it takes them to pass. Oh yeah. Science is […]
Might it be possible to teach a pigeon how to “read” a label for a person who can’t read? Is there the possibility of a future where pigeon service animals look out for which bottle of medication you need to […]
Bees like sugary nectar. Turns out, it’s their own buzzing that makes flowers sweeter.
Epaulette sharks–making quick strides in evolution. Get it?!? Strides! Because they can walk. Insert bad sitcom dad-laugh here. Show Notes: National Geographic Land Sharks Science Alert Land Sharks
Say hello to the White Bellbird and his 125 decibels of love. Show Notes:
You’ve probably seen a dog sleeping soundly with their legs pedaling. Is Fido really dreaming of chasing a tennis ball? Let’s find out.
Necco Wafers and Jelly Beans were candies that citizens were urged to “send to the troops” during the Civil War. Easy to transport and not likely to melt or spoil, they were a sweet treat that reminded the Union soldiers […]
From 1920 to 1933, the United States had a ban against the sale and import of alcohol. Almost immediately the whole nation began to find innovative ways to smuggle booze past the law. Image Courtest Wikimedia Commons: Creative Commons SHOW […]
Amy’s dug to the bottom of her pockets to find us a linty handful of random coin fact gems. Did you know there was a white cent or that coins are pickled before they get printed? Let’s see if I […]
If you grew up in the 80s and early 90s, you were certain that someday you’d fall into a pit of quicksand. It was everywhere. In cartoons, in tv shows, in our favorite movies. Turns out, quicksand isn’t quite as […]
It’s freezing but that flock of ducks is standing barefoot on an icy pond. Why don’t they have frostbite? Turns out, ducks (any many other birds) have something in their legs humans don’t, rete mirabile.
I’ve heard so many of these from my Dad around the kitchen table, we should call these “dad-isms” instead of aphorisms. Those pithy phrases that are so true, they’re almost a cliche. Trace and Amy explore a few of their […]
The term Jimmy Legs describes both a syndrome and the restless leg bumping up and down that some of us do when nervous or full of energy. Let’s find out where the name comes from! SHOW NOTES:
Welcome to our gigantic, fact filled 100th episode!!!! Thank you, Brain Junkies, we couldn’t have done it without you! We’ve gathered together ther weirdest & wackiest bunch of 100 facts from pop culture, history, animals and science to pack your […]
What happens when you cross a intestinal invading fungus or bacteria with carbohydrates? You get very very drunk. Trace explores the weird world of Auto-brewery syndrome.
If you’re thinking, wait, I thought it was tenderhooks, you’re not alone. Amy explains this early 18th century idiom that describes having a sense of anxious anticipation. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenterhook Tenterhooks or tenter hooks are […]
On Feb 3rd, 1945, The all women of color, Six-Triple-Eight, was sent overseas to clear a two year backlog of mail. They were told it would take six months to a year to get every letter and package sorted and […]
Call them, donuts, or doughnuts, or olykoeks, or pete de souer, they are deep fried doughy goodness and we’re taking an entire episode to sing their praises and sling some facts about donuts. Probably not the best choice for the […]
Can living in a more enriching environment increase your ability to learn and make you more relaxed? Dr. Kelly Lambert set out to answer this question with rats, tiny cars, and a handful of Froot Loops. SHOW NOTES:
During the 1960s when we were racing to the moon, computing tech made a huge leap. Computers had to be small to fit in the Apollo capsules and it was seamstresses who sewed the super precise hardware together with copper […]
Happy New Year! Welcome to our funniest episode yet. Scientists avert international tension between Sweden and Russia, learn something we didn’t know about herring, and win an Ig Nobel. GO SCIENCE! Show Notes: The Guardian-Farting Herring Huff Post Fish […]
It’s the LAST episode of 2019! Brain Junk has grown so much over the past twelve months & we are so grateful to have you all along for the ride. We’re winding up the year with a huge outtakes special […]
Whether you celebrate your winter solstice on Dec 21st in the northern hemisphere or June 21st in the southern, cultures around the world love to gather together to celebrate the return of the sun in wacky and unusual ways. In […]
Barn owls come in three colors, a tawny brown, a mix of brown a white, and all white. It didn’t make sense to researchers how a white owl could be a successful nighttime hunter…but they are. If you need to […]
That’s right. Way back in the early 1900s, when women were protesting for the right to vote, there was a four-foot eleven-inch woman teaching the Suffragettes how to defend themselves. Make way for Edith Margaret Garrud. Image Courtesy Mary […]
Who is the brightest, the most likely to crush the SAT, the one pet who has the brains to out think them all? Is it your cat or your dog? SHOW NOTES:
Either way you spell it, you either love that black candy or can’t get away fast enough. Amy dives into why. Image Credit: Pixaby -gate74 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode NCCIH Licorice HuffPost Licorice Episode Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk. I’m Trace Kerr, […]
Bad dad mushroom jokes, a “bleeding” mushroom, the world’s largest organism, and so many fungus facts! That little brown mushroom on your pizza has fungal cousins that are more unexpectedly interesting than you would have thought. Image: Hydnellum peckii – […]
In the late 19th century, London had the beginnings of homeless shelters. They weren’t always comfortable (try sleeping in a four-penny coffin), but it was better than being left drunk and alone out in the cold.
Trend setting science from 1975. We can’t tell you anything else, it would spoil the surprise!
Trace and Amy try to stump each other with the wildest, weirdest, most outrageous animal facts they could find. There’s chemical warfare snails, bird arsonists, toads with babies bursting out of their backs and MORE. Listen in and play along. […]
Before they even hatch, Yellow Legged Gull chicks seem to be communication to their nest mates. Amy dives into the how and why. Show Notes: https://www.sciencealert.com/baby-birds-can-communicate-with-each-other-from-inside-their-unhatched-eggs Science Alert – Michelle Starr Unhatched bird embryos can not only hear the […]
Would you pay eight-thousand dollars to impress your friends with a pineapple? No? Well, the Victorians did. Show Notes:
What do those rain percentages they give you on the news really mean? Why does the snow in Europe sometimes turn orange? Have you ever heard of a firenado? So many things you never knew you wanted to know about […]
When the US and Canadian governments decided the border between our two countries, a few places got left on the “wrong” side of the line. Those places are called exclaves. On the west coast, Point Roberts became one of those […]
Turn up the Skrillex to ward off some pesky bloodsucking insects. And possibly your neighbors. Show Notes: Smithsonian Mag Skrillex Mosquitos Photo Credit: Michael Nusbaum, www.mikenusbaum.com Corrections: Skrillex is not EDM according to my husband. I argue that he is […]
Born in Kansas in 1877, Maud grew up to be the first white female tattoo artist in the United States. Show Notes: image: https://allthatsinteresting.com/maud-wagner Maud Stevens Wagner http://www.theheroinecollective.com/maud-wagner/ List Episode Transcript: Welcome to brain junk. I’m Amy Barton and […]
A half-marathon running dog, Japan’s pet cafes, cats maybe recognizing their names (because cats am I right?), and expensive pet pampering. We’ve got it all in this end of summer, back to school episode. Show Notes: Ikefukurou Cafe: Owls! You […]
This episode will have you outside with a sharpened stake, a hammer, a slab of metal and an empty coffee can. That’s right, we’re going to be talking about charming worms right out of the ground and explaining the science […]
Absorbing oxygen through their “skin” and pumping blood with their guts, the Giant Sea Spider isn’t a true spider, but it’s close. Too close for Trace. Show Notes: Live Science Sea Spider Study Image Courtesy Live Science. Episode […]
Just in time for vacation season here in the US, Brain Junk goes on the road (metaphorically) to bring you cool places we’ve been or want to go. Carlsbad Caverns, the Seattle gum wall, a visit to the Weeki Watchee […]
Ants hunt for food, but how do they know how to get back? Content warning: Science is messy. Some ants were harmed and we talk about it. Not in great detail, but we thought you should know. Episode Transcript: […]
Like a scaly cheetah, galloping crocs were a terror both on land and in the water. Good thing they lived 100 million years ago.
Where Trace shows how much she can’t math OR spell and Amy reveals she multitasks better with a high cognitive load. We also look into the science of how infants acquire language while asleep and how to build muscle without […]
Sending a little love to our listeners in the Southern Hemisphere. It might be summer here, but it’s the middle of winter down south. Turn on some lights, friends, and get to feeling better.
Hope ya’ll are getting out there in the world to enjoy some of the summer heat. Those of you in the Southern parts of the world, pull on some mittens and send us a little cool air. ‘Cause I am […]
When Henry the Eighth died, he left behind an estate totalling millions. And not entirely what you’d expect. Is it possible for a king to be bougie? Maybe yes. Episode Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk. I’m Trace Kerr, and […]
Big word for a genetic mutation where an animal is split with one side being entirely female and the other male. This can happen in some species of birds, crustaceans, snakes, and insects. Episode Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk, […]
Medical science on the fly. Turns out you only need to pull a few G’s to loosen that stubborn kidney stone. Episode Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk. I’m Trace Kerr, and I’m Amy Barton, and this is a brainstorm. […]
In this longer, old school Brain Junk episode, we go around the world from Thailand to Germany and a few countries in between. We explore a huge variety of cool traditions used to celebrate a couple’s love.
Dug out of the Siberian permafrost completely by chance, two female round worms appear to revive after 41,000 years. Episode Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk! I’m Trace Kerr, and I’m Amy Barton, and this is a Brain Storm about […]
In 1804 Dr. Troxler discovered he could make pastel dots disappear if he stared at them. Blink, and they would reappear. Trace puts Amy to the test…will she experience the Troxler Effect? Episode Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m […]
Need to string some wire through your house or clean a particle accelerator? You might need a science ferret. Episode Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk! I’m Trace Kerr, and I’m Amy Barton, and this is a Brain Storm. AB:Today […]
It’s our one year podcast-aversary! We thank you for your love with an episode on accidental swallowings and some…not so accidental. Trace also remembers the time when she had an ice cube stuck in her throat. You Swallowed What? […]
Can Flatworms remember how to find food after re-growing their heads? Science rolled up its sleeves and found out. Flatworms Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m Trace Kerr, and I’m Amy Barton, and this is a Brain Storm. […]
Why do we want to crush-hug cute things like babies and young animals? It may have something to do with adorableness overload and how our brains compensate to get things done. Cuteness Aggression Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m […]
Born in 1832, Mary Fields was the first African-American female Star Route mail carrier in the United States. Wearing two guns that she sometimes belted over men’s clothing, Stagecoach Mary had no time for mail thieves in 1890s Montana. […]
Amaryllis and her bleeding heart, the origin of the Milky Way, Maori style, Thor and Loki crash a wedding and hippo poop. They didn’t teach these myths in school.
Two percent of the population has the almost uncanny ability to recognize and remember faces from chance meetings even years before. We talk about how and why AND tell you about a test you can take to see where you […]
Meet C. explodens; where worker ants rupture their own abdomens–filled with toxic goo–to protect the colony from predators. Exploding Ants Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m Trace Kerr, and I’m Amy Barton and this is a Brain Storm. And […]
One more example of how farmers MacGyver everything. No phone lines? Use the fence. Barbed Wire Phones: Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m Amy Barton. And I’m Trace Kerr, and it’s time for a Brain Storm. This was a subject […]
The internet claims lobsters are immortal. Amy pulls a Dana Scully and debunks the heck out of that idea. Long Lives of Lobsters Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m Trace Kerr. And I’m Amy Barton, and this is a […]
We explore a study that explains how sometimes, if you look at the data in just the right way, backpacks are as safe as parachutes. Jump out of an airplane transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m Amy Barton. And […]
Not the big yawn that you’d think. These 100,000 or so codes are used to determine your bill. Some of those codes are hilarious. Bit by cow and struck by orca, just to name a few. Medical Insurance Codes […]
The rings of icy dust around Saturn are so much younger than the planet. Where did they come from and why are they going away? Saturn’s Rings Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m Amy Barton, and I’m Trace Kerr […]
Ostriches, honey badgers, spiders pretending to be ants and even tiny honey bees, there’s no telling who will come out on top in this animals vs. episode.
Friends, On Sunday Feb. 17, Brain Junk had the privilege of being on Spokane Public Radio during their morning programming. IT WAS AMAZING! via GIPHY Sneeze Voting got its slightly more than two minutes of fame and we couldn’t be […]
This chemical is no joke. Amy talks about how 1930’s scientists discovered the explosive and insanely dangerous compound while trying to find a more stable version of fluorine. Mistakes were made. Chlroine Trifluoride Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m […]
We went on an epic field trip around our home town of Spokane and found all sorts of canned gems, like a whole chicken, silkworms and cheese in cans. Amy also discovers that Trace is a mountain woman who doesn’t […]
African Wild Dogs appear to vote on pack activities by sneezing. Sneeze Voting Transcript: Welcome to Brain Junk! I’m Amy Barton. And I’m Trace Kerr and it’s time for a Brain Storm. AB: I’m just going […]
Brain Storms about an MRI study of dog brains and Zebra Finches singing in their sleep. SO GOOD! Animal Brains Transcript: Welcome to Brian Junk, I’m Amy Barton, TK: And I’m Trace Kerr, and it’s time for a Brain […]
Trace and Amy talk about the history of puppets in Britain and explore the giant (not kidding, they’re over twenty feet tall) marionettes of Royal de Luxe.
Learn a bit about the women and men of the IIP who monitor icebergs in the northern reaches of our Atlantic ocean. International Ice Patrol Transcript: AB: Welcome to Brain Junk. I’m Amy Barton. TK with enthusiasm: And I’m […]
Smash cuts of Brain Storms #8 Devil Frogs and #9 Skinks in honor of Trace’s dad’s birthday. Frank (Trace’s dad) is a freak for amphibians and reptiles…we hope you enjoy these as much as he did. Devil Frogs and […]
Happy New Year! Trace and Amy talk about those royals on the other side of the pond.
Social network plasticity. Ohhh. Big words. Sick Ants Transcript: AB:Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m Amy Barton, TK: And I’m Trace Kerr. And it’s time for a Brain Storm. And this Brain Storm is special for two reasons. One, because […]
A bonded pair of male penguins make for unexpectedly great foster parents! Holiday Penguins Transcript: AB:Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m Amy Barton, TK: And I’m Trace Kerr. And it’s time for a Brain Storm. And this Brain Storm is […]
The unsinkable Violet. 3 ships, one girl who survived them all. 37_ Violet Jessup Transcript TK: Welcome to Brain Junk! I’m Trace Kerr, AB: and I’m Amy Barton, and this is a Brain Storm! Today I am talking […]
Cougars are beautiful stealthy hunters. Until they want to mate. Then they sound like a person being run through a garbage compactor. Have a listen. 36_ Cougar Screams Transcript Welcome to Brain Junk, I’m Amy Barton, TK: And I’m […]
When she isn’t talking about dentists, Amy has an eye for those dangerous doctors. FYI This episode has some up close discussion of amputation and the history behind why they had to do it fast so if you aren’t into […]
Welcome to the wonderful world of Brain Storms. Short, funny and TO THE POINT. Today is brought to you by those people who make you crazy and why your brain thinks they are moving soooo slooooow.
Hey Brain Junkies, Trace and I are going to take a brief hiatus as we enter Hans Gruber season. It’s a time of year when we remember the eponymous villain for his intelligence, style and sarcasm. (Bruce Willis, Nakatomi Plaza, Die […]
We’re going back to the 70s, 80s, & 90s. Don’t worry kids, It’ll totally explain why your parents are the way they are.
We fell down a Pinterest hole and found a whole bunch of women who we’d NEVER heard about in history classes. Ching Shih, an infamous Chinese pirate, a Viking fighter historians have dubbed, the Birka Warrior, Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell […]
Why wait to do those things on your “bucket list”? Amy got us both thinking about things we haven’t done, but would love to do. Juggling, riding a unicycle, travel, rally driving, who knows what trouble we could get up […]
Why do we do the things we do while in public? Simple actions like using the restroom or riding the bus get a lot more complicated when thinking about what other people might expect. Throw in the possibility of cross-cultural […]
Round two of bloopers. This time there is one swear…way at the end and after the outro. If you want to miss it (and you shouldn’t, it’s super funny) hit stop after we sign off. It’s part of the “Easter […]
The episode is FUN SIZE this week! Hand me that tiny Snickers bar and let’s have a listen to a fright night science experiment you can do at home. Amy dishes on spooky cats, we cover the history of the […]
It’s almost Halloween! Get in the mood with superstitions from around the world.
There are so many laws that are still on the books, but never enforced. Some of the MANY we touched on are: Blue Laws, Washington State concealed weapons over six feet are a no-no, windows in bathrooms, all computers banned […]
All those things that you simply MUST have! We might start out with the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL), but then it’s a hard right down memory lane. Tape clubs, cinnamon toothpicks, Han Solo season, Pinterest, cupcakes, Cabbage Patch Kids…so many […]
Pavlov’s dogs, Enclothed Cognition, and that phantom buzzing phone in your pocket feeling are just a taste of what we cover in this episode on your brain. Take the Stroop Test and learn all about selective attention. Did you see […]
We’re going back to the slightly shorter episode format, but don’t think we haven’t packed it with all the fun facts. Let’s adventure into Extreme Ironing, Fire Hula Hooping, and super daring hobbies for the retired set that are far […]
We’re not gonna tell you what’s in this episode. It’s SO much better if it’s a surprise.
Celebrate Trace’s birthday with a little slang and a lot of snark. We’ll be talking about Cockney rhyming slang and elbowing our way into the science of sarcasm.
From ancient China to Turkey, Anatolia and Victorian England, the language of flowers has added meaning and created controversy practically the world round. We dive into some history, make a few flower sentences of our own and explore the strange […]
Nurture your inner Olympian, stand upon the podium and feel that gold medal slide around your neck for sculpture or cannon shooting. How about try your hand at skiing behind a running horse. Perhaps YOU are an undiscovered solo synchronized […]
Ever wondered how they make Jelly Belly jelly beans? How ’bout where baby Volkswagens are made? Today we’re all about fun and interesting factory tours. Most we’ve been on and a few we haven’t. Hurry up and get your free […]
Your extreme and irrational fear of spiders or public speaking or of heights is called a phobia. It doesn’t make sense, often can’t be rationalized and woe betide the fool who tells you to just take a deep breath and […]
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the county fair, but sometimes, you need a more adventurous kind of festival where you defy death to chase a wheel of cheese or have a man jump over your baby to protect her […]
Yeah, Yeah, so your kid got a trophy. Mine won an Ig Nobel, got recognized for writing the world’s worst book title, and was awarded the Lanterne Rouge for coming in last place in the Tour de France. There are […]
To celebrate making it to the 13th episode, we bring you some bloopers and a few short stories too funny to leave on the cutting room floor. Word to the moms out there, no swears — we promise (although Trace […]
Don’t be shy, ladies and gentlemen! I stand before you with the 8th wonder of the world, Brain Junk Elixir. Sure to cure your boredom and quiet your children…who wouldn’t want to sample this fine product? Welcome to the shady […]
We welcome you to Camp Brain Junk! We’re mighty glad you’re here! We’ll set the air reverberating with a mighty cheer! That’s right campers, it’s summer and it’s time to pack your backpack with bug spray and sun screen and […]
Breaking all the rules on this one. Talking about spiders AGAIN. Doing a part two instead of coming up with a new theme. We even make a slightly tasteless joke about headless cockroaches. It’s sad really. And you should totally […]
No need to hide in your kitchen eating over the sink. Bring that crazy food into the light and be proud of your strange cravings. We’ve cooked up a buffet of the weird and wonderful for you to try. Koolickles, […]
Enter a world where spiders purr love songs and rats giggle. Where stomachs grumble and planets sing. And if that’s not enough for your tired and jaded ears, we’ve also written an “old timey” radio show complete with sound effects […]
Forget Friday night football and the company softball league! We’ve found the fast and furious of recreational activities. Find yourself wishing field hockey could be more dangerous…never fear, there’s Mayan fire hockey. Or perhaps you long to toss your significant […]
Books. Remember them? Paper and that great smell, wrapping up all those wonderful words. Amy and I dumpster dived and picked through dusty shelves for a few way-back gems. Old fairy tales, a children’s encyclopedia from 1963 (when Pluto was […]
If you haven’t listened to the new, Beauty: Then and Now podcast, you should! But wait, there’s more…a RAD contest.
CONTEST! Rate and Review us on iTunes (and leave a social media contact) for a chance to win an Amy’s mom, mom-made scrunchy! 5 random winners will be announced on next Tuesday’s podcast! Also, when you listen to this episode, […]
Looking for a more creative way to insult that guy who cut in front of you in the coffee line? Try some 15th century flyting to use your poetry skills and mince him into tiny pieces. Or, maybe you’d rather […]
A very merry un-birthday to all of us! Brain Junk is lighting the candles so make a wish and give this episode a listen. Slurp a longevity noodle, take an extra large slice of cake and come with us around […]
We’ve all fallen down an internet rabbit hole, landed on a fact and thought…this can’t possibly be true! But, every once in a while, those strange facts actually are. If you’ve ever wondered about hippo’s having pink sweat or if […]
Welcome to our first episode! Have you ever thought about how dinosaurs managed to sit on their eggs without squishing them? Or maybe wondered at what an ant sees when it looks in the mirror? Today we are going to […]
Welcome to the weird, wacky and sometimes gross world of Brain Junk. Amy and Trace will be coming at ya with episodes on Tuesdays about everything you never knew you wanted to know. We’ll be talking about the strange lives […]
Amy and I have been working up a storm. Got the new blanket fort. Ahem, studio all set up for better sound quality and we’re working on finding our rhythm for recording. We might even be able to, MAYBE, […]
WOOOAAHHHHHHH!!!! Brain Junk is an all new podcast in the teeny tiny baby stages of production! Research is underway for our first couple of episodes. We are digging way back in the stacks to find all those weird and wonderful […]
