Episodes

  • BrainStuff Classics: How Do Paleoartists Create Dinosaur Drawings?
    Nov 2 2025

    Short answer: Very carefully. Learn about the history and modern practices of paleoart in this classic episode of BrainStuff.

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    6 mins
  • BrainStuff Classics: Why Is the Winchester House Built So Strangely?
    Nov 1 2025

    We can't prove whether the Winchester Mystery House is really haunted, but it was definitely built for ghosts. Learn the story of how its strange construction was one woman's unending quest in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/afterlife/winchester-mystery-house.htm

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    7 mins
  • Is the 'Number of the Beast' an Ancient Riddle?
    Oct 31 2025

    The number 666 has been adopted by modern horror media as a demonic symbol, but what (or whom) does this number really refer to? Learn about the Book of Revelation and ancient wordplay via numbers in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/666.htm

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    7 mins
  • Could Piranhas Really Eat a Cow in Under a Minute?
    Oct 30 2025

    Piranhas are very efficient eaters, but their frothing feeding frenzy seen in horror movies is mostly based on a myth started by Theodore Roosevelt. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/piranha-eat-cows.htm

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    8 mins
  • Göbekli Tepe: How Does Humanity's Most Ancient Monument Work?
    Oct 29 2025

    In Turkey, a set of prehistoric columns rivals Stonehenge -- but they're 6,000 years older. Learn what we know (and don't know) about the hunter-gatherers who built Göbekli Tepe in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://history.howstuffworks.com/european-history/gobekli-tepe.htm

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    9 mins
  • Why Are There Sriracha Shortages?
    Oct 28 2025

    This blockbuster style of hot sauce started with the Huy Fong brand, but that original 'rooster sauce' is often out of stock. Learn how a combo of weather and legal drama are at the root in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/sriracha.htm

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    12 mins
  • How Do Levees Protect Us?
    Oct 27 2025

    Levee systems make it possible for us to live alongside bodies of water with less danger of flooding. Learn how engineers design them -- and why levees sometimes fail -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/levee.htm

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    10 mins
  • What's the Difference Between Socialism and Communism?
    Sep 27 2025

    Socialism and communism are often mentioned in the same breath, and they do share a common history, but socialists aren't necessarily communists -- and vice versa. Learn more about both concepts and how they've been put into practice in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/socialism-vs-communism.htm

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    11 mins