Brain Junk

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 Broke This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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 Movement in EarthwormsLiveScience.com: Squirming Worm Tornado  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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 so much more into this almost 29 minute monstrosity of facts!Show Notes (in no particular order):Blue Dragon nudibranch: NO TOUCH!Pug Nosed Tree Frog If you want to read the paper about the frogs.Image from Viking burial under the kitchen from Norland County newsHow to use a toilet in space Also?Image from NASASuper tough Diabolical Ironclad Beetle This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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 the scientific paper is you want to know more: Proceedings of the national Academy of Sciences Of the United States of America (Whew…big title This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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 our oldies and give it a listen.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 relax. Your amygdala believes there’s a danger and you’re fight-or-flighting before you even know it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

There’s a strange connection between King penguins, one of their favorite islands, and Nitrous Oxide gas. Penguin image by Sybille H. on Pixabay. Map by Google Maps This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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.image: Pixabay This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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.image: Joe Myers ( Reptile Magazine ) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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 Manohar (pixabay)Terribly Lazy Show Notes -by Amy BartonScience Alert Cuttlefish Cognitive TestRoyal Society Publishing Cuttlefish Cognitive TestNeed a refresher on the Marshmallow Test?The Marshmallow TestWant a video about the Cephalopod Cognitive Test?Cephalopod Cognitive Test This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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 cool to miss so you should too.Want to know more? Here’s the paper. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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.from the Roanoke Pinball Museum, pixabay images, and the B&W is pinballers from 1941Show Notes:Trace has done a whizz bang job of documenting awesome pinball machines, so for show notes you just get my links so you can read my source articles.ABRipleys.com Illegal Pinball Thoughtco.com History of PinballHistory.com That Time American Outlawed Pinball This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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 at deCODE Genetics in Reykjavik and their colleagues scoured the DNA of more than 11,000 people in Iceland for genetic variants that influence odor perception.  Here’s the link for the paperDried Fish by Taken on Pixabay“Tastily Rotten” food like: Bleu Cheese, Kimchi, and Kombuchaimages from Petr Rys, Dongtan Ko, and Melanie Rodriguez (pixabay) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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, and get ready to RIDE!Show notes: How Stuff Works-Questions-Gallon of Gas in Calories.Riding a bicycle at 15 miles per hour burns 0.049 calories per pound per minute. 175-pound person burns 515 calories in an hour-about 34 calories per mile.A gallon of gasoline contains about 31,000 calories. If a person could drink gasoline, then a person could ride about 912 miles on a gallon of gas normal car gets about 30 miles per gallonOne gallon of vegetable oil: 31,744 Tour de France riders hitting more like 25 mph100 calories per mile versus more sedate 34 calories per mile.100 mile race consumes between 8,000-10,000 caloriesTDF racer would only get about 300 miles to the gallon.A gallon of some other stuff:I mathed out the calories in an ounce and added up-if you’re listening and my math is a little off, yo

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 of strange and cool stuff. Really, all you need to know is “death farts” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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. We dive into the cool history of thermapolia and early fast food.(FYI thermapolia is plural and thermapolium is singular. Gotta love that Latin)An undated photo made shows the thermopolium in the Pompeii archeological park.—AP This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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 in person to recording remotely. It was a huge learning curve changing how we work, but there was one shining star in the whole experience so far–I had so much footage to mine for content. Enjoy a longer listen of the the two of us being our weird and wacky selves. Getting to laugh with Amy makes Brain Junk one of my most favorite things to do. TKP.S. Again, apologies for the occasional grainy recording–it took us a while to sort out our long distance recording bugs. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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 up for a fight to the death. BUT WAIT…there’s so much more!Show Notes:The shrew (image by Rhae on Pixabay)Shrew Train! Thank you Richard Attenborough (we love you) Skip to 2:33 for the mama shrew and babies train.Shrews in action: Attacking a snake (1 minute mark) and epic shrew battle (2 minutes in) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

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.image: AnnaliseArt from PixabayEven goats like a little bandana fashion This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com