Brainstuff

There are various theories about why you can hear ocean-like sounds when you hold a seashell up to your ear. Marshall Brain explains what you're probably hearing in that seashell -- and why you don't need a shell to hear it -- in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to the human body. Tune in to hear Marshall Brain explain the chemistry of fat molecules and fatty acids, Omega-3s in particular, in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Fire Protection Agency, or NFPA, uses these signs to indicate hazardous materials stored in an unknown building. Listen in to learn how the signs work -- and how they help firefighters -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to the question of whether or not you should turn off your computer when you're not using it, there's no simple answer. Tune in to get Marshall's thorough take on the topic in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If all the matter in the universe was pushed into one corner, how much space would it take up? Listen in as Marshall Brain explores the size of the universe in this podcast from HowStuffWorks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hydrogen peroxide's foaming action is due to the catalase in blood and cells. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn how hydrogen peroxide interacts with catalase. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Medical leeches are raised in captivity and help patients heal wounds. Discover how leeches and other parasites are used for medical purposes in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of the water on the planet is salty, so people have come up with various ways to turn it into freshwater. Explore three methods of desalinating water in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inside the hard drive of many computers, a small arm moves across the face of the hard disk. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to discover how the movement of this arm produces sound -- and why the arm must move to load files. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Space suits provide oxygen, pressurize air, and control an astronaut's temperature. Learn more about space suits in this classic HowStuffWorks podcast, one of our editors' hand-picked favorites. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A light year is a way of measuring distance -- specifically, the distance light can travel in one year. Just how far is that? Check out this classic Brainstuff podcast from HowStuffWorks' archives to learn more about astronomy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis, occur when charged electrons from the sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field. Learn more about auroras and solar activity in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about melting ice caps, global warming and rising sea levels in this episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In many cases, it's possible to recover files that have been deleted by using your computer's Recycle Bin. Marshall Brain reveals ways to recover deleted files -- and how to erase them permanently -- in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When white light hits a film of oil floating on water, most of it passes through the film, but some of the light is reflected off the top and bottom layers of the film. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about light wave interference. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phone companies use generators to ensure that landline phones will work, even in the event of a power outage. Learn more about phone systems in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By cooling smoke, the hydrocarbons forming smoke can be condensed, thinned, and bottled in a liquid form. Learn about the process of bottling liquid smoke in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It only takes two wires to connect a phone, but most house wiring contains four wires. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn why. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The embalming process is designed to keep the body preserved until the funeral, but how exactly does it work and what happens to bodily fluids like blood? Get the gory details in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yawning is a universal human behavior, yet scientists still don't know exactly why we do it or what purpose it serves. Marshall Brain explores some of the theories behind yawning in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.