Brains On! Science podcast for kids

Stickers are everywhere. They label our groceries, cover our car bumpers, and decorate our notebooks. But how do they stick? We’ll zoom in on a sticker to see how a special glue helps a sticker cling to a surface. Plus, we’ll hear about stickers that can help people heal from surgeries. We’ll also find out what kind of stickers Bob collects, and guess a new Mystery Sound.

Guest: Phillip Messersmith, professor of material science and engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
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There’s more to sloths than slowness. They’re great at saving energy, hanging upside down, and swimming! In this episode, Sloth Appreciation Society founder Lucy Cooke stops by to tell us all about these amazing animals. We also get into a sloth mystery: The Case of the Perilous Poop Journey. Luckily, there’s a sloth sleuth on the case. And sloths aren’t the only animals who aren’t in a hurry — a few others show off their slowest skills.
There’s also a Mystery Sound for you to guess. Stay sloooooooooow!
Guests
Lucy Cooke, zoologist and founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society
Jonathan Pauli, UW-Madison Forest and Wildlife Ecology
Dr. Sushma Reddy, Breckenridge Chair of Ornithology, Bell Museum
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Have you ever heard of Lake Natron? It’s located in Tanzania, Africa, and, if you believe the internet, it can instantly petrify anything that touches it. Lucky for us, we have a direct line to the Hoax Hunters (aka Sanden and Marc) - they love myths, and they hate getting tricked.
Along the way to saying yea or nay to this stoney phenomenon, the Hoax Hunters speak with Neovitus Sianga. Not only does he have firsthand knowledge of the lake, but he works for African People and Wildlife, where he helps protect the environment around Lake Natron.
We also have a brand new Mystery Sound… and Marc and Sanden start a cleaning service?!?
Guest: Neovitus Sianga
Want more Hoax Hunters? Here are a few more episodes featuring our hoax hunting pals:
Are UFOs real?
Lost Cities
Mermaids, Kraken and Loch Ness Monster
Bigfoot, Unicorns and Dragons
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Click here for a transcript of this episode.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.
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Click here for a transcript of this episode.
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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!
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.