Videos
Podcasts
Blogs
Quizzes
GamesArchive for April, 2010
When you hear the word ‘genius,’ names like Einstein and Mozart probably spring to mind. Defining what makes them geniuses, however, is much more complicated. Josh and Chuck discuss the many theories about genius in this episode.
What if I had bought Apple stock instead? – ” Currently, Apple’s stock is at an all time high. A share today is worth over 40 times its value seven years ago. So, how much would you have today if you purchased stock instead of an Apple product? See for yourself in the table below…..” [...]
You Asked: How does a wet suit work? — Dori, Mckinney, Texas Marshall Brain Answers: When you are walking on a cold winter day, you wear a down coat. The coat provides an inch or so of still air around your body that acts as insulation. A wet suit works the same way in cold [...]
Should the government pay for your vacation?
by Amanda Arnold | April 26, 2010
Here’s an idea: The government pays for you to go on vacation. Because it just thinks you deserve it.
This is for real. TimesOnline (via writer Matt Gross’s tweet) reported that Brussels has decreed tourism “a human right.” And people who can’t afford to get out of town should have their way paid by the taxpayers. Whose idea is this?
You asked: How is gunpowder made? — Nick, Swansboro, N.C. Marshall Brain Answers: People have been making gunpowder for many centuries. The basic recipe is therefore well-known and looks like this: 75% Potassium nitrate, 15% Charcoal, 10% Sulfur What you are trying to create with gunpowder is a fast-burning solid fuel. So you need a [...]
A New Theory About Old Sex Differences in Jealousy
by Cristen Conger | April 26, 2010
It’s refreshing to run across new studies like this one from Pennsylvania State University that poke holes in the kneejerk theory that in relationships, men are ultimately motivated by sex and women live for love. That idea especially came up while Molly and I were researching for our episode on whether men and women cheat for different reasons. Time and again, the studies seemed to condense women down to soul mate-seekers straight out of Debra Messing movies, while the men play sex-hungry beasts.
737s are incredibly common in the airline industry, and if you fly a lot you probably fly on 737s all the time. But have you ever thought about how they put one together? It turns out that 737s are so common that they have an assembly line. Even the custom painting process is interesting: In [...]
This truly is amazing – it is a tiny apartment (344 square feet or 32 square meters) that the owner is able to reconfigure by moving the walls. So the same floor area can act like a kitchen or a bedroom, depending on how the walls are arranged. This is genius when you think about [...]
Here’s an idea – take a Minuteman 3 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), remove the nuclear warhead, put a big conventional bomb in its place, and then launch the missile at any target on the globe. The target would be destroyed in an hour or less. Hyperfast missile to hit anywhere in an hour HAUNTED by [...]
There are many different types of residential real estate: traditional houses, condos, mobile homes, etc. But what’s the difference between these types? Marshall Brain breaks it down for you in this episode of BrainStuff.
Recent Postings by Category
BrainStuff
- Thank You and Best Wishes to Marshall Brain
- Contest – Design a $300 house and win $25,000
- How the Philtrum works – the place under your nose where your face comes together
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
- Have a Coke and a Smile
- The Latest in Frugal Lodging: Camping in Somebody Else’s Backyard
- The Painted Beauties of Bucovina
Keep Asking
- Why can a 5 foot 8 inch man dunk a basketball on a 10 foot rim while some people of taller stature can’t?
- What happens to our sun once it runs out of fuel?
- How do we know the age of the universe?
Stuff Mom Never Told You
- Who invented the Christmas card?
- How the Kinsey Report Fueled Whiskey Sales
- How to Get Your Wedding Announcement into The New York Times
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
- Space Music: DJ Food and ‘The Search Engine’
- Stuff to Blow Your Mind: Hug it Out
- Space Music: Jay-Z and Beyoncé to Film Music Video in Orbit
Stuff You Should Know
- The Southern Death Cult, the Maya and Georgia
- Deformed Baby Spider Brains
- Amazing Medical Conditions: Maple Syrup Urine Disorder
The Stuff of Genius
CarStuff
- Why is NASA studying car safety?
- Tips for in-car Navigation Systems
- Tips for Using Bluetooth in the Car
How-to Stuff
- How to Swim with Dolphins (When Deep Water Terrifies You)
- How to Cure a Homemade Cookie Craving Without Turning on the Oven
- How to Know When It’s Time for a New Pet
PopStuff
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 36: Now Available in 3-D
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 35: Let’s do brunch!
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 34: Play it again, Sam
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Stuff to Change the World
- Who will own the Arctic?
- Obesity: The New Global Crisis
- Bill Gates Makes For A Pretty Decent Cartoon
Stuff You Missed in History Class
- Butch Cassidy: Should we read between the lines?
- Are we rooting for D.B. Cooper?
- Party Time: A Look at Unconventional Politics
