Moment of Um – Details, episodes & analysis

Outer space is far from empty. There are chunks of space rock zipping around, and occasionally one of them finds its way through our atmosphere to smack into Earth’s surface. There’s usually metal contained within those space rocks…but where does the metal come from? We asked planetary geologist Paul Byrne to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s totally metal?  Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll STARt looking for an answer!

So there’s this big, bumpy muscle inside of our mouths and we know it’s important and that we have to take great care of it. But what’s it even for? We asked Otolaryngologist Laura Orvidas from the Mayo Clinic to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s got you all tongue tied? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll muscle an answer out of an expert.

A thermometer is a handy dandy little device that measures temperature. We use them for lots of things, from telling us when we have a fever to making sure our roast chicken is cooked to perfection. But how does a thermometer actually measure how hot or cold something is? We asked physics graduate student Nicolas Dronchi to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s heating up your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll work feverishly to find the answer. 

Is it the wings? Is it the feathers? Is it how light they are? If you’ve ever wondered why birds can fly, this is the episode for you! We asked ornithologist Drew Lanham to help us find the answer.

Got a question that you’re egg-cited about? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll do more than wing it.

Have you ever noticed your tummy sometimes makes a little grumbly rumbly sound when it’s time for a snack? What’s up with that? We asked Dr. Lily Dara to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s hard to stomach? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact – we’ve got a gut feeling we’ll be able to answer it!

In the United States, you can’t get a tattoo until you’re 18 years old. If that seems unfair, just think about it - it’s permanent! As in…forever and ever! For all time! So how does it actually stay on your skin? We asked dermatologist Roopal Kundu to help us find the answer.

Got a question that feels like it’s permanently etched in your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help (th)ink of an answer.

You might have heard the word “radiation” in science class or even in superhero movies. It’s something that we’re often warned about, since too much of some kinds of radiation can be bad for our health. But what is radiation? We asked physics graduate student Nicolas Dronchi to help us find the answer.

Got a question radiating from your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll get up and ATOM to find the answer!

Caffeine is a chemical that occurs naturally in drinks like tea and coffee. It can make you feel wide awake and energetic, so it’s also often added to other things like sodas and energy drinks. But how do energy drink manufacturers put caffeine into their products? We asked food scientist Adam Johnson to help us find the answer.

Got a buzzworthy question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find an answer faster than you can say LIGHTNING LASER LEMON LIME

Sloths are really, really good at hanging upside down. They practically make it seem effortless! Why is that? Do they love it? Is the world just more fun from that angle? We asked zoologist Lucy Cooke to help us figure it out.

Got a question that’s clawing at your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and hang in there - we’ll help you find the answer.

Octopuses are incredible and intelligent ocean creatures. They’ve got talented tentacles, three hearts, and can become almost invisible to predators and prey by blending in with their surroundings. But how does an octopus do that? We asked squid biologist and science communicator Sarah McAnulty to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s a ten out of TENtacles? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll answer it on this very cephaloPODCAST.