BrainStuff

Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.

Science
Natural Sciences
Technology
2001
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: April 29th, 2011
With billions of people on the planet and millions of astonishing events happening each day, it's tough to keep track of everything. Luckily, Marshall's here to keep you up-to-date with the latest news in his weekly news roundup. Tune in and learn more.
12 min
2002
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: April 22nd, 2011
From the Dukan Diet to gigantic super organisms, there's no shortage of fascinating news stories each week -- so how can you keep track of the best? Never fear: Tune in as Marshall catches you up to speed with his weekly news roundup.
16 min
2003
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: April 15th, 2011
With billions of people on the planet and millions of astonishing events happening each day, it's tough to keep track of everything. Luckily, Marshall's here to keep you up-to-date with the latest news in his weekly news roundup. Tune in and learn more.
17 min
2004
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: April 7th, 2011
With billions of people on the planet and millions of astonishing events happening each day, it's tough to keep track of everything. Luckily, Marshall's here to keep you up-to-date with the latest news in his weekly news roundup. Tune in and learn more.
14 min
2005
How many people does it take to do a Formula 1 ...
If you've ever seen a Formula 1 race, then you know the race isn't just between cars -- it's also between pit stop crews. In seven seconds these crews perform an entire pit stop. But how does it work, and how many people does it take? Tune in to find out.
3 min
2006
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: April 1st, 2011
With billions of people on the planet and millions of astonishing events happening each day, it's tough to keep track of everything. Luckily, Marshall's here to keep you up-to-date with the latest news in his weekly news roundup. Tune in and learn more.
12 min
2007
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: March 25th, 2011
From streaming photo albums to Rebecca Black, this week has been chock-full of fascinating (or, at least in Rebecca's case, unavoidable) events. Tune in as Marshall Brain helps you catch up on the latest and most interesting news from around the world.
16 min
2008
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: March 18th, 2011
As the nuclear situation in Japan continues to deteriorate, Marshall explores how a similar earthquake could affect the United States. And that's not all: Tune in and catch up on the latest, most fascinating news of the past week in this podcast.
13 min
2009
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: March 4th, 2011
Want to catch up on the biggest news stories of the week? If so, tune in as Marshall Brain analyzes the latest breaking news from around the world in this weekly news roundup. Tune in to learn more.
15 min
2010
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: February 25th, 2011
Will the USB port become a thing of the past? How far will the price of solar power fall? Join Marshall Brain as he brings you the latest world news, from the death of the Guinea worm or the growth of private space exploration.
16 min
2011
Marshall Brain's News Roundup 2-18-2011
From Jeopardy's first nonhuman contestant to the secret recipe for Coca-Cola, this week has been packed with fascinating stories. Tune in as Marshall helps you catch up on the week's most interesting news.
14 min
2012
Marshall Brain's News Roundup No. 2
Each Friday, Marshall Brain brings you the latest news of the week in one handy podcast. Want to know what's shaking in the world of technology, science and more? Then tune in for a dose of BrainStuff.
20 min
2013
Marshall Brain's News Roundup No. 1
What's the deal with the UFO sighting in Jerusalem? Will the high schools of the future be filled with telepresence robots? Tune in and join Marshall Brain as he reviews the week's most fascinating news.
11 min
2014
Anti-reflective Coatings
Anti-reflective coatings are used to eliminate any light reflective off the back of the lenses. Learn about anti-reflective coatings in this BrainStuff episode.
3 min
2015
What is the coolest stuff from the 2011 edition...
When it came to gadgets, the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show did not disappoint. But which new products were the coolest? Tune in as Marshall Brain breaks down the latest and greatest of the CES in this podcast.
8 min
2016
What is a cyberwar, and what tactics do cyber w...
Modern warfare has expanded beyond its tradtional venues and tactics, infiltrating the world of cyberspace. In this episode, Marshall discusses the many forms of cyber warfare, from computer hacking to viruses.
5 min
2017
Is it possible to get free land and free houses...
In the 1860s, the Homestead Act provided free land to settlers. Is there anything like that in 2010? In this episode, Marshall explains why and how it's possible to acquire land and houses for free -- or really cheaply -- in the United States today.
5 min
2018
Is there a way to make my sunglasses scratch-re...
Sunglasses have various special coatings: Some are reflective, while others are scratch-resistant. In this episode, Marshall explains how these different coatings work.
3 min
2019
how does a direct-injection 2-stroke engine work?
In a previous episode, Marshall explained how 4-stroke, direct-injection engines work; In this one, he takes a look at 2-stroke engines that utilize direct injection technology.
5 min
2020
How did instant cameras work?
Instant cameras made it possible to see a photograph almost immediately after you'd taken it. But how? In this episode, Marshall explains the chemical processes behind regular and instant photographic film.
6 min
2021
What is a Nor'easter?
Nor'easters are storm systems that frequently occur in the eastern United States during winter. In this episode, Marshall explains where Nor'easters get their name, how they work and why some Nor'easters are more powerful than others.
3 min
2022
How do they backlight LCD screens?
In this episode, Marshall explains the two technologies that are used to backlight LCD panels.
4 min
2023
What exactly is jello made from?
Jello is tasty, colorful and fun to eat, but what's in it? One of its ingredients, gelatin, comes from animals. Marshall Brain breaks down the chemistry of jello and gelatin in this episode.
4 min
2024
What's the best way to get Twitter or Facebook ...
In this episode, Marshall Brain launches the first of a series of experiments with social media. Tune in to learn more about the new BrainStuff Twitter and Facebook accounts and Marshall's social media experiments.
2 min
2025
When I pay for groceries by check, where does t...
When you write a check to purchase goods and services, it passes through the hands of several banks before the process is complete. Marshall explains how checks are processed through intermediary banks in this episode.
4 min