Brains On! Science podcast for kids

Why do skunks stink?

Skunks can stink, no doubt about it. But that stink is actually a superpower! Join Molly and co-host Diya as they find out how these critters use their smell to scare away enemies, what the smell is made of, and how to make your own de-skunking potion. Plus, Wombat Pete drops by to promote his new music festival, we speak to some skunk experts, and we try our best to guess a new Mystery Sound. Don't forget the de-skunking potion mnemonic:  4 Cats Had Problems Queen Coughed Beside Suzie's Tenth Lasagna, Don't Sneeze Translation:  4 Cups hydrogen peroxide Quarter Cup baking soda Teaspoon Liquid Dish Soap Guest: Marie Tosa, Research Scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Guest: Ted Stankowich, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and CSU Long Beach. Want to support Brains On and all of the shows in the Brains On Universe? Sign up for Smarty Pass [https://brainson.supercast.com/]. You'll get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus content, virtual hangouts, discounts on merch and more! Click here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1euOpi_6ZrB3pwxtEf2AI5ZjaUzR0qPBZ/view?usp=sharing] for a transcript of this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Brains On presents - Rocket women: How a secret program paved the way for female astronauts

We're on a little winter break and we're gonna be back with a new Brains On episode next week. This week we have an episode of our Sister show forever ago to share with you. If you're interested in origin stories or history, this is the show for you. You can subscribe wherever you listen to Brains On. Get ready for an out-of-this-world episode! Joy and co-host Elsa are trapped in a black hole with a baby elephant and a mountain of old junk!  They’ll explore the history of a super secret astronaut testing program for women called the “Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees.” This group of bold, highly-trained pilots spent years making a case for why women are just as qualified to become astronauts as men!  Want to support Brains On and all of the shows in the Brains On Universe? Sign up for Smarty Pass [https://brainson.supercast.com/]. You'll get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus content, virtual hangouts, discounts on merch and more!   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Brains On presents: Smash Boom Best - Hot Wheels vs Monster Trucks

We're on a little winter break here, but we're gonna be back with a new episode of Brains On January 6th. Until then, we have an episode of our sister podcast, smash Boom. Best to share with you the episode. Features some familiar voices. Me, mark, and Sandon, enjoy the show! Whether you like your wheels big or small, this debate is for you! It’s Monster Trucks vs Hot Wheels. It’s a battle between Brains On besties Marc Sanchez and Sanden Totten. Marc goes full throttle for Team Monster Trucks and Sanden speeds toward victory for Team Hot Wheels. Who will win? Head over to smashboom.org [http://smashboom.org] to vote and listen to see who our judge crowns the king of cars. Want to support the show? Join Smarty Pass [http://smartypass.org] to listen to ad-free episodes or donate! Click here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/18EeTFxbtwdQLHk21BWqjZ581SLSUaSXX/view?usp=sharing] or a transcript of this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Brains On is coming to a city near you!

The Brains On crew is hitting the road in 2026, and our first shows have just been announced. If you like fun, games, dancing, optical illusions and... Mystery Sounds, check out Your Brain is Magic. Head to brainson.org/events [https://brainson.org/events] to get tickets for the following shows: 1/17 Newark, NJ Victoria Theater 1/18 Red Bank, NJ The Vogel 1/23 San Diego, CA The Observitory 1/24 Aneheim, CA House of Blues 2/21 Vancouver, BC Playhouse Theater (JFL Festival) 2/22 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater If you don't see your city listed, we're adding more dates, so keep checking back! See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

How metal wires changed the world!

In our final look at metal, we explore how metal wires changed the world. Once humans figured out how to send little blasts of electricity through metal, we quickly developed lots of uses for this. One was a new way of communicating called the telegraph. Join Molly and co-host Ava as they team up with Dylan Thuras, co-founder of Atlas Obscura to learn how people laid hundreds of miles of wire in hopes of sending messages across oceans. Plus, the new Brains On Headquarters is having an opening ceremony, and there’s a brand new Mystery Sound to guess! Guest: Dylan Thuras, co-author of The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide to Inventing The World [https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-gifts/inventing-the-world]. Want to support the show? Join Smarty Pass [http://smartypass.org] to listen to ad-free episodes or donate! Click here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wbqcX6ArAAKNedbf-ZIqIxpCsA72kS8r/view?usp=sharing] for a transcript of this episode. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.