Moment of Um
Why is cotton so fluffy?
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 asked biologist Candace Haigler to help us find the answer. Got a question threading through your brain ? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact , and we’ll help spin up an answer for you .
28 3月 2025 - 07 分 17 秒
How is couscous made?
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 make it fresh? How does couscous actually get made? We asked cookbook author Kenji Lopez-Alt to help us find the answer. Hungry for answers to your questions? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact , and we’ll dish up an answer!
26 3月 2025 - 06 分 01 秒
Why do people stop growing taller?
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? Why don’t we just keep growing until we reach the sky? We asked Dr. Frank Rhame to help us find the answer. Got a question that you think is a tall order ? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact , and we’ll answer it shortly .
25 3月 2025 - 06 分 35 秒
Why can’t we feel our hair growing?
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 don’t feel it growing? We asked pediatrician Dr Wendy Hunter to help us find the answer. Got a question that has you tearing your hair out ? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact , and we’ll help comb through research for the answer.
24 3月 2025 - 06 分 53 秒
Do plants have DNA?
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 microscopic, spiralized instruction manual in your cells. But what about plants? Do they have DNA, too? We asked biologist Candace Haigler to help us find the answer. Question gotcha twisted ? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact , and we’ll help decode it for ya!
21 3月 2025 - 07 分 12 秒
How do flat rocks skip across water?
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? Sixty-five? But how does the right kind of throw cause a rock to NOT sink as soon as it touches the water? We asked Jon Lambert of Splash Lab to help us find the answer. Got questions skipping through your brain? Send your questions to us at BrainsOn.org/contact , and we’ll throw you some answers.
20 3月 2025 - 05 分 33 秒
Why do flightless birds have wings?
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 have wings? We asked paleontologist Jingmai O’Connor to help us find the answer. Is there a question that’s got your tail feathers all in a twist ? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll find a reliable answer – we promise not to wing it !
19 3月 2025 - 07 分 34 秒
How are cheetahs so fast?
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 Schwartz from the San Diego Zoo to help us figure out why cheetahs are so fast. Got a question that’s testing you ? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact , and we’ll help you find an answer so you don’t have to be a cheetah !
18 3月 2025 - 05 分 27 秒
Why does cutting onions make you cry?
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 water – ugh! Why does that happen, anyway? We asked chef and cookbook author Kenji Lopez-Alt to help us find the answer. Got a question ON-ion your mind? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll find such a great answer, you’ll weep for joy!
17 3月 2025 - 07 分 20 秒
How do lizards detach their tails?
Lizards are awesome creatures. Some have long forked tongues, others can move their eyeballs in opposite directions. And get this: some lizards can even drop their tails and grow new ones. But how and why do they do this? We asked lizard researcher Laura Kojima to help us find the answer. Got a question that you iguana know the answer to? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact , and we’ll help you find the de- tails .
14 3月 2025 - 06 分 25 秒