Brains On! Science Podcast For Kids

Have you ever seen an aurora? These spectacular night-time displays can fill our skies with dancing lights and bursts of color. But why do they happen in the first place?Join Molly and co-host Mariam as they learn about what makes an aurora (hint: it starts with spicy sun burps) and chat with scientist Dr. Liz MacDonald about the best places to see them. Stick around for aurora trivia with Gameshow Molly and a dazzling new mystery sound!Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson

Uh-oh, Molly’s new pets are missing! And to make matters worse, Molly won’t tell us what her missing animals are. Although, she is willing to give hints. It’s up to producers Rosie duPont and Ruby Guthrie to find Molly’s missing pets and figure out what they are! Grab your smarty pass to hear this hair-raising episode!

Seahorses can be as tiny as a grain of rice or more than a foot long. They also beat their small fins up to 70 times per second – about as fast as hummingbird wings. These cowboys of the sea are full of surprises!Join Molly and co-host Noemi as they swim through an episode full of seahorse facts. They’ll hear from seahorse expert Heather Koldewey about what it’s like to swim with these fabulous little fish. Then they’ll head down to the beach to chat with a seahorse dad who’s expecting! Plus, an all-new mystery sound.Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson

Whether you hum in the shower or yodel on stage, you can make music with your voice! But what’s going on inside of your body when you do it? And are there ways to change how your voice sounds?Molly and co-host Kate will explore these questions and more in this episode all about singing. They’ll join Marc to watch a famous opera star do her thing and learn about what happens in our bodies when we sing. They’ll hear samples of everything from throat singing to rock and roll. Plus they'll chat with voice teacher and opera singer Mikalia Bradberry about all the ways we can learn to control our voice and sing in different styles – from Broadway belting to crooning like Taylor Swift. Plus, a noteworthy mystery sound!Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson

Curious about cats? Us too! Join Molly and co-host Lynx as they sniff out the answers to some of your most pressing cat questions. They’ll head to a chaotic cat café to learn the history of house cats, they'll hear a song all about cat breeds, and chat with cat expert Mikel Delgado about catnip, cat naps, and why cats love to lick themselves! Plus a purr-plexing new mystery sound.Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson

Molly is working on a musical about trees that live in cities. But she can’t finish her rhymes! So she enlists Ruby and Anna to help. Molly gives them some of her unfinished lyrics and it’s up to them to help her turn a single sentence into a fact-filled musical couplet!

Did you know that more than half the people in the world lives in cities? The hustle and bustle of a city can be awesome, but cities can also be hot and polluted. Luckily, there’s a solution we can all get behind – trees! Join Molly and co-host Nallini as they learn how these magnificent towering giants make our cities better places to live and help fight climate change. They’ll also visit an urban orchard that grows fruit in the middle of Philadelphia. All that plus a tree-mendous mystery sound!Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson - Inside Out 2 - Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th- PRX's Jamming on the Job - Check out new episodes of PRX's Jamming on the Job wherever you get your podcasts.- Mrs. Wordsmith - Visit mrswordsmith.com and use code brainson15 to

98.6 degrees is hot. If it were that hot outside, you’d be sweaty and want to go jump in a nice cold pool. But the insides of our bodies are that hot all the time! And that’s because there’s a lot going on in there that creates heat.In this episode, Molly and co-host Saathvik find out how our bodies keep our insides at a nice steady temperature (and why that’s harder to do when it’s hot outside!). And we’ll talk with Dr. Joe Alcock about why humans and lots of other animals get fevers. Plus, a new mystery sound guaranteed to make you sweat!Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson - Inside Out 2 - Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th- PRX's Jamming on the Job - Check out new episodes of PRX's Jamming on the Job wherever you get your podcasts.- Mrs. Wordsmith - Visi

Looking for some sneaky sound puzzles to solve? Tune in to our all-new mystery sound extravaganza! Join co-host Maggie as she listens to recordings of sounds from Brains On listeners – and tries to figure out what they are. You’ll hear Maggie and her brother Sam go head-to-head in a sibling mystery sound battle and listen to podcast producers Nichole Hill and Yowei Shaw struggle to solve some sonic stumpers. Get your listening ears ready for this one!Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson - Inside Out 2 - Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th- PRX's Jamming on the Job - Check out new episodes of PRX's Jamming on the Job wherever you get your podcasts.- Mrs. Wordsmith - Visit mrswordsmith.com and use code brainson15 to get 15% off your order.

Vacuums are full of surprises! Did you know that they blow air out to suck things up? Or that old-fashioned vacuums were so huge, they had to be hauled from house to house by horses?! Join Molly and co-host Baker as they learn all about these awesome appliances. They’ll dig into vacuum history, shrink to the size of air molecules and explore the inside of this curious contraption, and even check out a vacuum museum in Missouri. All that, plus a tricky new mystery sound that will blow you away!Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson - Inside Out 2 - Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 is coming to theaters, June 14th.

Have you ever wondered why a guitar sounds different from a violin? Or why a banjo is twangy and a cello is mellow? Then this episode is for you!Join Molly and co-host Ellie as they explore the ear-tickling world of string sounds! Together, they’ll learn about sound waves, and visit the Brains On instrument petting zoo, where they'll learn about all the amazing sounds that stringed instruments can make. Plus, a shiny new mystery sound!Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson - Paramount’s IF - From writer and director John Krasinski comes a new film about what happens to our Imaginary Friends (IFs) when we grow up. Out in theaters on May 17th!

Looks like Marc has a beautiful new plant but doesn’t know where to put it. Direct sunlight or indirect sunlight? It’s too hard to figure out! But you know what’s not hard to figure out? Whether or not you should play Molly’s new game, Radical Design! Grab your Smarty Pass to see what producers Marc Sanchez and Rosie duPont think homes would look like on other planets!

Humans have visited the Moon but we’ve never lived there. Could we build a home on our lunar neighbor? Join Molly and co-host Ira as they find out why the Moon can be a dangerous place, and what it would take to live there. We’ll imagine a visit to a lunar hotel, hear about all the stuff humans have left up there and even hear a song sung by the Moon herself!Featured Expert: Phil Plait, astronomer, journalist and author of several books, including, Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer’s Guide to the Universe, which uses science and imagination to paint a picture of what it would be like to vacation on the moon.Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson - Paramount’s IF - From writer and director John Krasinski comes a new film about what happens to our Imaginary Friends (IFs) when we grow up. Out in theaters on

Looking for an escape? Join Molly and co-host Julian as they explore Antarctica! They’ll learn about Antarctica’s massive ice sheets and active volcanoes — plus they’ll meet the largest land animal on the continent! (Hint: it’s black, shiny, and can perch on a pencil eraser!) Then they’ll chat with scientist Dr. Jennifer Mercer about what it’s like to live and work in one the coldest places on the planet and explore what Antarctica was like 90 million years ago. (Hint: It was a lot like a beach resort!) And stick around for a  mystery sound that’s so cool it’ll give you goosebumps!Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Sitkaseafoodmarket.com - Use promo code Molly35 to receive $35 off your first order.- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson- Poshpeanut.com/brainson - Receive 20% off your first order

Have you ever taken a big ol’ whiff of rotten milk? It probably smelled like dirty socks or stinky garbage. Blech! But why does food go bad, and how can we be sure that something is fresh and safe to eat?Join Molly and co-host Rachel as they explore the world of food expiration dates — those little numbers and dates on food packages that help us figure out how old food is! Together, they’ll find out why food goes bad, listen to a rotten egg sing about the power of the sniff test, and learn about the history of expiration dates from Forever Ago host Joy Dolo! All that plus a treat for your ears — an all-new mystery sound!Check out this food safety chart for more information on how long different types of foods typically stay fresh in the fridge or freezer.Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Sitkaseafoodmarket.com - Use promo code Molly35 to receive $35 off your first order.- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit w

Ouch! If you’ve ever stubbed your toe, gotten a paper cut or fallen off your bike, you know that getting hurt is no fun. Sometimes we can take medicine to help feel better, like ibuprofen. But how does that medicine know where to go in our bodies to stop the pain? In this episode, Molly and kid co-host Skylar explore where pain comes from and chat with expert Dr. Amanda C de C Williams about why it’s useful. Then they’ll eavesdrop on an ibuprofen pill on its first day of work to find out how it does its job. And of course, an all new mystery sound!Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Sitkaseafoodmarket.com - Use promo code Molly35 to receive $35 off your first order.- Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson

Oh no! It looks like Brains On host Molly Bloom and producer Marc Sanchez are in some deep trouble, and the only way to get out of it is with an extra special game of Mystery Sound. Will either of them be able to guess the right sound? Grab your Smarty Pass to find out!

We love a good mystery, and UFOs are magnificently mysterious! But are they real? In this episode, Marc and Sanden take over the Brains On feed with a new episode of their radio show, Hoax Hunters. They’ll look into the myths and hoaxes surrounding UFOs (which stands for unidentified flying objects). Plus, they’ll talk about what kinds of things often get mistaken for UFOs and how you can stay smart and skeptical when hearing shocking information. And of course, an episode about mystery will have an all-new Mystery Sound!Read more about Val Johnson from MPR News.And if you love Hoax Hunters, check out our Making Sense of Myths series!Bigfoot, Unicorns and DragonsLost CitiesMermaids, Kraken and the Loch Ness MonsterAliens and UFOsCome see Brains On live in Washington, DC, Princeton, NJ, and Brooklyn, NY! Get tickets here: brainson.org/eventsSubscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:- Sitkaseafoodmarket.com - Use promo code Molly35 to receiv

Hello friends! We're so excited to announce that Brains On is coming to the east coast! We’re doing three live shows -- in Washington DC, Princeton, New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York!Our live show is a super fun journey through the brain, featuring magic tricks, a game show, mystery sounds and even dancing! You can get tickets at brainson.org/eventsPlus, after each show, we're having a VIP party, where you can meet and play games with me, Marc and Sanden.And -- if you're not able to make it to our live shows in person, we'll be doing a virtual event in April that anyone can join! Tickets for that are also available at brainson.org/eventsThanks so much for listening to Brains On and we can't wait to meet you in Washington, DC, Princeton, New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York! Again, you can get your tickets at brainson.org/events. Hope to see you there!

Laughter is like a language and humans are really good at understanding it. In this episode, Molly and co-host Milla decode different kinds of laughs, from uncontrollable goofy laughter to chuckles that make others feel good. They’ll meet laugh experts Sophie Scott and Adrienne Wood and test their knowledge in three rounds of the game show: Laugh Attack! Plus, a new mystery sound for you to guess!Come see Brains On live in Washington, DC, Princeton, NJ, and Brooklyn, NY! Get tickets here: brainson.org/eventsSubscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free feeds, bonus episodes, and ticket discounts!Today’s episode is sponsored by:Sitkaseafoodmarket.com - Use promo code Molly35 to receive $35 off your first order.Indeed.com/brainson - Receive a $75 sponsored job credit with code brainson