Moment Of Um

We’re back! Brains On Universe has a new headquarters

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’re back! We’ve officially moved into our new headquarters! Come unpack with us and get a tour while we fill you in on some big news. Plus, new ...

A big update about Moment of Um and the Brains On Universe

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're moving the Brains On Universe Headquarters, and that means we have to stop putting out new episodes until we get settled. We know: not cool. B...

How do braces work?

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They come in cool colors, catch popcorn kernels and sometimes even have spacers - it’s braces! Ever wondered how braces magically straighten teeth? ...

How did the solar system and all the planets get their names?

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Milky Way! Neptune! Uranus! Halley’s Comet! There are so many cool features in our solar system – but how did they get their names? We asked s...

How do stoplights know when to change?

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Waiting for a stoplight to turn green can be really annoying, especially when you’re running late. It would be awesome if you had a magic wand you c...

Can you control your dreams?

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever had a scary or weird dream and wished you could switch your brain-television to another channel? Great news! You can learn to use “luc...

How did people figure out how to make yogurt?

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are all different kinds of yogurt: Greek, vanilla bean, blueberry, even sheep’s milk yogurt! But how did people first figure out how to make t...

Why did snakes lose their legs?

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Snake Week! Every episode this week explores a different question about our slithery friends. Here’s a mind blower for you: did you know the a...

How do snakes make venom?

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Snake Week! Every episode this week explores a different question about our slithery friends. Did you know that, out of the roughly 3,000 total ...

Why are snakes shaped like a stick?

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Snake Week! Every episode this week explores a different question about our slithery friends. Snakes come in all sizes and colors, but they have...

What do zoos feed big snakes, such as pythons?

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Snake Week! Every episode this week explores a different question about our slithery friends. Zoos have to have all kinds of foods available to ...

What do snakes do when they hibernate?

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Snake Week! Every episode this week explores a different question about our slithery friends. Did you know snakes hibernate in the winter just l...

Why am I allergic to raw egg but not cooked egg?

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some people have allergic reactions to foods like peanuts, sesame, and raw eggs. But when people with egg allergies eat cooked eggs, there’s no reac...

How do mood rings work?

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever heard of a mood ring? It’s a little piece of jewelry that supposedly tells you what kind of a mood you’re in. But how the heck can i...

Why do we have weird dreams when we’re sick?

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When you’re sick, it’s important to get plenty of rest to help your body heal. But it can be hard to sleep when your brain keeps showing you bizar...

Are brains really pink?

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Quick, picture a brain! Did you imagine a rosy-colored little meatball? Us too! But are brains actually pink when they’re inside our skulls? We aske...

Where do poop and pee go on airplanes?

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dogs come in so many different sizes, from the tiniest teacup terrier to the giant Great Dane. How did we get such a delightful assortment of these fu...

Could you make a candle out of earwax?

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dogs come in so many different sizes, from the tiniest teacup terrier to the giant Great Dane. How did we get such a delightful assortment of these fu...

Does space affect an astronaut’s digestion?

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We chew our food, swallow it, and our stomach goes to work on digesting! Our bodies absorb the nutrients they need and then we poop out the rest. Here...

Why are some dogs so small and some so large?

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dogs come in so many different sizes, from the tiniest teacup terrier to the giant Great Dane. How did we get such a delightful assortment of these fu...

How does the earth support heavy buildings?

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know the tallest building in the world is a skyscraper in Dubai called the Burj Khalifa? It has 163 floors and weighs as much as 100,000 eleph...

Why is the moon white and why does it have different shapes?

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some planets have lots of moons. Others have none. Earth has just one moon, but it’s a really great one. It can glow bright and white and sometimes ...

Did dinosaurs fart?

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You fart. I fart. Your dog farts. We all fart! Or do we…? Birds don’t fart, and they’re the closest living descendants of the dinosaurs. So, did...

What was the very first dinosaur?

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dinosaurs went extinct around 65 million years ago after an asteroid crashed into Earth. So we know when dinosaurs disappeared from the planet, but wh...

How do we know what dinosaurs sounded like?

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Dinosaur Week! Every episode this week explores the ancient marvels that walked the Earth millions of years ago. Fossilized bones and footprints...

How did Megalodon sharks go extinct?

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Megalodon was the biggest shark species that ever lived. The biggest ones were almost 60 feet long, which is longer than a school bus! These gigantic ...

Did dinosaurs lay colorful eggs?

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dinosaurs were reptiles, which means they laid eggs! But what did these eggs look like? Were they big? Small? Speckly? Colorful? We asked paleontologi...

How does an immortal jellyfish go back to being a baby?

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Way out in the deep blue sea, there is a remarkable creature called the immortal jellyfish. This buoyant little blob can deal with being hurt or stres...

Why can you hear the ocean in a seashell?

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The sounds of the ocean are so relaxing… the waves crashing on the sand, the gentle roar of the surf. And if you pick up a big seashell and put it t...

Why are we more closely related to fungi than plants?

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

All living things on Earth are related. To help keep track of how close those relationships are, scientists organize life on Earth into groups using a...

Would a poisonous snake die if it bit itself?

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We all know that bites from poisonous snakes can be really dangerous, but can a poisonous snake poison itself?  We asked snake expert Lawrie Arends t...

What are birthmarks?

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our skin is pretty incredible. It protects us and helps us sense the world around us. Some people have colored patches or dots on their skin called bi...

What makes dolphins so smart?

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dolphins are super cool sea creatures that can swim fast, jump high, and make all kinds of nifty noises. But did you know that they also have big comp...

Do we sneeze in our sleep?

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Being asleep is kind of a funny thing, because you don’t know if you’re doing anything in your sleep – because you’re asleep! Some people talk...

Do lizards smell with their tongues?

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The sense of smell is so powerful. Without it, we couldn’t sniff out freshly-baked muffins, stinky garbage, or smoky campfires. Some animals use the...

Do we have our own gravity?

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You might have heard of gravity as the force that keeps us firmly on the ground and not floating off the planet. Big things (like planets, moons, and ...

Why do beans give us gas?

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Beans are delicious. From edamame to lentils, there’s a bean for everyone! But they can also make us a little tooty. Why is that? We asked pediatric...

Why don’t scars go away?

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you get a cut or scratch that goes deep enough into your skin, your body will form a scar. But why don’t scars themselves heal and go away? We as...

How do boomerangs return?

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A boomerang is a specially curved wooden throwing stick that was originally used as a hunting tool by Indigenous Australians. Nowadays, you can find t...

What happens when paleontologists find a fossil?

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Make no bones about it – fossils are super cool! But what do you do if you find a fossil? We asked Jingmai O’Connor, the Associate Curator of Foss...

What is plastic made of?

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Plastic is a part of so many of the things we use every day. But just what IS it? We asked University of Minnesota professor Frank Bates to help us fi...

How does pasta turn from hard to tender?

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pasta is delicious, whether it’s rigatoni, linguine, macaroni or any shape at all! When you buy pasta from the store, it’s usually hard, crunchy, ...

How are our brains different from other animals' brains?

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever looked at an animal and wondered what they were thinking? Us, too! What’s going on in a bobcat’s brain, a newt’s noggin, or a mous...

Do zookeepers work at night?

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you go to the zoo during the day - you can see that things are hopping! Animals are being cared for, people are milling about, and there’s a lot ...

Why does corn have hairs on it?

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever peeled the leaves off of an ear of corn and noticed the white hairy-looking stuff tucked inside? What is that, anyway? We asked chef and...

Where does pepper come from?

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Black pepper is in just about everyone’s kitchen. It’s salt’s best buddy. It comes in shakers, grinders, and little paper packets. But where doe...

Why do donuts have “nut” in the name?

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you ask us, donuts are one of the most delicious treats in the world. Chocolate frosted with rainbow sprinkles, cinnamon twists, powdered sugar, st...

Why is cotton so fluffy?

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cotton is soft and strong. It comes from cotton plants, and gets turned into everything from t-shirts to cotton balls. But why is cotton so fluffy? We...

How is couscous made?

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Couscous is a delicious fluffy, starchy food that people enjoy all over the world. You can find the dried version in stores, but what if you wanted to...

Why do people stop growing taller?

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kids grow super fast and get taller and taller and taller and then – all of the sudden they stop! How do our bodies know when it’s time to stop? W...

Why can’t we feel our hair growing?

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Heads up! Your hair is always growing. Like your fingernails, hair is a part of our body that will grow and grow unless you cut it. But how come we do...

Do plants have DNA?

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

DNA is the secret recipe that makes you…YOU! The color of your hair…whether you like cilantro…so many traits have something to do with this micr...

How do flat rocks skip across water?

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Throwing a flat rock juuust right so that it skips across the surface of a pond or river is super satisfying. How many hops can you get? Two? Seven? S...

Why do flightless birds have wings?

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fish swim. Frogs hop. Birds fly. Well, not all birds. Penguins and ostriches, for instance, can’t spread their wings and soar. So then, why do they ...

How are cheetahs so fast?

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever raced a cheetah? Hopefully not, that sounds dangerous. But if you have, that cheetah probably left you in her dust. We asked Rick Schwar...

Why does cutting onions make you cry?

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Onions add zesty flavor to lots of different foods, like soups, salads, omelets, and much more! But sometimes, chopping them up can make your eyes wat...

How do lizards detach their tails?

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lizards are awesome creatures. Some have long forked tongues, others can move their eyeballs in opposite directions. And get this: some lizards can ev...

Why is chocolate poisonous for dogs?

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you have a dog, want a dog, don’t like dogs, or are a dog…one thing's for sure. Dogs can’t eat chocolate! Why is it so bad for them? We ...

Why do we faint?

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You might have seen someone faint in a movie. It usually happens after they see something shocking. They close their eyes and suddenly fall to the gro...

Why do we feel dizzy when we twirl around?

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Spinning around in circles is really fun right? And then a weird thing happens. When you stop, it’s like the world is turned upside down and you don...

How do caves form?

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are caves all over Earth. And people discover more every day!  They’re found in rock, lava, ice, and even sand. But how do caves form? We a...

Bedtime on Dragon Mountain

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a little bit different from a regular Moment of Um. It’s a story that is specially designed to help you relax. Research shows that u...

Why do we talk in our sleep?

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of people talk in their sleep, especially kids!  Have you ever heard anyone babbling away in the middle of the night?  Or maybe someone has tol...

How long would it take a whale to swim from California to Japan?

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Whales are some of the biggest animals on the planet, and they often migrate incredible distances. But how fast can they go? Like, let’s say a whale...

How do we know dreams aren’t real?

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever had a dream that felt so real you thought it actually happened? Our brain can cook up some really vivid images while we sleep, complete ...

Why do people cuddle?

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of people love a good cuddle. Whether it’s snuggling with a teddy bear, or cozying up with family – cuddles can make folks feel safe and comf...

How do polaroids develop pictures so quickly?

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever used a Polaroid camera? It’s a special kind of camera that takes physical photos almost instantly. As soon as you snap the button, a l...

How do ballerinas stand on their toes?

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ballet dancers inspire us with their grace, twirls, and leaps. But how do they stand on their tip-toes? We asked contemporary ballet dancer and choreo...

How do scientists know how old fossils are?

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever seen a dinosaur fossil from millions of years ago and wondered how scientists figured out the age of those big ol’ bones? Us too! So w...

Does water have a taste?

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever been really thirsty on a hot day? Nothing beats that thirst better than a cold glass of good old H2O. We can’t live without it! Water ...

What is silica gel and why shouldn’t you eat it?

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever gotten a new toy or pair of sneakers and noticed there’s a little white paper packet inside the box filled with tiny clear balls? It’...

How can mold be used for medicine?

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists develop medicines to help fight disease and keep people healthy. Some medicines are made in a lab, some come from plants, and some…even c...

Why do our ears pop on airplanes?

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever been on an airplane and noticed that pressure in your ears? And then, as you’re taking off…they pop! Just like a balloon or a bubble...

Why does the bowl get hotter than the food in the microwave?

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever grabbed a flaming hot bowl of soup out of the microwave and then slurped a spoonful of icy liquid from the middle of it, you’re not...

How do frogs' tongues stretch so far?

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wish you had a frog's tongue? You wouldn’t even have to pick up a cookie with your hand…your tongue would grab it for you! How amazing is tha...

When did people start wearing makeup?

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Colored eyeshadow, glossy lipstick, rosy blush – people use all sorts of makeup to change how they look. But when did we start using makeup? And how...

How do minerals form in caves?

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Caves are full of amazing stuff: bats, hidden passageways and of course – spectacular rock formations! So where do these rock structures come from? ...

How do sticks make fire?

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People rubbing two sticks together and a fire magically appearing is a common thing you might see in movies or on television. But does it actually wor...

How do green screens work?

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Movies can take us to extraordinary places, sometimes using technology! Filmmakers create new worlds, incredible creatures, and mind-bending action sc...

Do babies understand words?

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Babies. They’re cute little peanuts, huh? Babbling and drooling while their parents talk to them in widdle baby voices. But do babies understand wha...

Why does mold have different colors?

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mold is a type of fungus, which means it’s related to mushrooms. And it can be kind of pretty, if you’re not grossed out by it. Sometimes mold is ...

What makes food organic?

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wandered around the supermarket and noticed that some of the food is marked “organic?” What does that mean? And why are the organic fruits an...

How does soap make bubbles?

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We know how important it is to wash our hands with soap and warm water. Get between the fingers, under the nails, all that good stuff. But why does so...

Why does your skin itch when it’s healing?

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever gotten a cut or a scrape, you might’ve noticed that your skin feels itchy while it’s healing. Why does that happen, anyway? We as...

Why does blood taste like metal and why are we not magnetic?

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes we get questions from listeners that are so intertwined that we just have to include them both in one episode, and today is one of those day...

How do cars go backwards?

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isn’t it cool that cars can go forwards and backwards? Backwards and forwards go can cars that cool it isn’t? All joking aside, these huge, heavy ...

Why can’t kids go to space?

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

So far, only adults have been to space. But there are plenty of kids who’d love to travel to space, so what gives? Why can’t kids walk on the moon...

How do you make clay for pottery?

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Clay is neat stuff. You can knead it, shape it, carve it, sculpt it, and make all kinds of beautiful creations. It goes from soft and squishy to hard ...

Why don’t robots have tickle spots?

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We love when our listeners send in super unique questions. We also love robots. So we had to answer this head-scratcher of a question from listener Lu...

What do scientists in Antarctica eat?

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Antarctica. Home of the South Pole and an incredibly diverse population of sea life. You know what there’s not a lot of in Antarctica? People! But t...

Why do dogs like to roll in stinky things?

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever taken a dog on a walk, or let them run around the woods, you know that they LOVE to roll around in stinky stuff! And it’s one heck ...

If dragons were real, how would they fly and breathe fire?

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dragons are fantastical fairytale creatures that fly and breathe fire. They aren’t real, but there are animals that can do the things dragons do! So...

How does soil get made?

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We know that soil helps many things grow -- but how is it made? It must come from somewhere, right? We talked to farmer Angel Papineu to find the answ...

What would happen if everyone on Earth went to the same place and jumped?

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are more than 8 billion people living on our big wonderful planet. What if all of those people traveled to the exact same spot on Earth and jump...

Did dinosaurs have baby teeth?

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Teething, losing teeth, growing new teeth. It’s a part of life that every human goes through! But what about dinosaurs? Did they experience the same...

Could you use up all the energy in the universe?

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Energy powers our entire universe, whether it’s light from a star or energy stored in the food we eat. But could we ever run out? Will there be a ti...

Why do clothes shrink in the wash?

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever noticed how sometimes when you wash and dry a piece of clothing, it comes out a little smaller? Why does that happen? We asked science p...

Why don't ears have bones?

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are your ears burning? ‘Cause we’ve been thinking about them. Sure, they’re an incredible self-cleaning marvel that we can wax poetic about all ...

How does antivenin work?

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some snakes make a chemical in their bodies called venom. They use it to hunt and protect themselves. Sometimes, if a human gets bitten by a snake, th...

Why are there holes in Swiss cheese?

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you noticed that there’s a kind of cheese that’s holier than all the rest? Swiss! Why does it have all those holes anyway? We asked Jenny Eas...