HARVEY, our omnipresent virtual voice assistant, gets a software update that makes him go bananas for bananas. And if we talk about anything except bananas, he turns the microphones off! We talk to geneticist Dr. Janina Jeff about how much DNA we share with a banana, find out why bananas make other fruits ripen, how bananas grow, and where that slipping on a banana peel joke came from. Speaking of jokes, we'll hear a bunch of banana jokes from listeners too! Plus: The Moment of Um answers the question: "Why are peaches fuzzy?"

You can hear more from Dr. Jeff on her podcast In Those Genes.

Silent film expert Lea Stans has a wonderful blog post about the history of the banana peel joke that you can read right here. You can see some of those early comics that featured the joke!

https://www.youtube.com/watch/RMDgmHB4znc

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Want to see Brains On live?!? We are probably coming to a city near you. For a complete list of shows and links to tickets head to our events page. More shows announced soon!

March 7 - Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI

March 8 - Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, MN

March 28 - Center Stage, Atlanta, GA

March 29 - Amaturo Theater, Fort Lauderdale, FL

April 11 - Walker Theater, Chattanooga, TN

April 12 - Carolina Theater, Durham, NC

April 25 - Marines Memorial, San Francisco, CA

April 26 - Newmark Theater, Portland, OR

May 30 - Electric City, Buffalo, NY

May 31 - Royal Theatre, Toronto, ON

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re all part of a generation, that’s a large group of people born around the same time as us. These generations have names too, like Gen X, Baby Boomers or Gen Alpha. Who came up with these generations and why do we have them? We’ll speak to experts and learn what makes each generation unique. Plus, what if you could rename your generation? Plus, Mr. Bonejangles can’t remember his birthday so he has no idea what generation he’s part of! All this and a timeless mystery sound. Enjoy!

Guests:Dr Jean Twenge: Professor of psychology at San Diego State University, and author of iGen, Generations, and 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World.

Kim Parker: Director of social trends research at Pew Research Center.

Corey Seemiller: Professor of leadership studies in education and organizations at Wright State University, and author of Generation Z.

Want to support Brains On and all of the shows in the Brains On Universe? Sign up for Smarty Pass. You'll get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus content, virtual hangouts, discounts on merch and more!

Want to see Brains On live?!? We are probably coming to a city near you. For a complete list of shows and links to tickets head to our events page. More shows announced soon!

Feb 21 - Just for Laughs Festival, Vancouver, BC

Feb 22 - The Neptune, Seattle, WA

March 7 - Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI

March 8 - Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, MN

March 28 - Center Stage, Atlanta, GA

March 29 - Amaturo Theater, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Click here for a transcript of this episode

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our stomachs are full of a powerful acid, one that can burn your skin and even melt metal. So why doesn’t this stuff burn a hole through our bellies? We’ll find out how our stomachs protect the rest of us from this acid. Plus, we’ll learn about some of the wildest ways animals digest food and learn about how a serious accident helped us. Don't forget to listen to the Mystery Sound and the latest suggestions for new rooms in our headquarters.

Want to support Brains On and all of the shows in the Brains On Universe? Sign up for Smarty Pass. You'll get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus content, virtual hangouts, discounts on merch and more!

Want to see Brains On live?!? We are probably coming to a city near you. For a complete list of shows and links to tickets head to our events page. More shows announced soon!

Feb 21 - Just for Laughs Festival, Vancouver, BC

Feb 22 - The Neptune, Seattle, WA

March 7 - Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI

March 8 - Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, MN

March 28 - Center Stage, Atlanta, GA

March 29 - Amaturo Theater, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Click here for a transcript of this episode

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re stepping into the ring for a battle of the insect world. Molly and co-host Kiaan try to find out if a spider can eat a wasp. They speak with Dr. Paula Cushing. She has been researching spiders for over three decades. Plus, we flip the script and ask if a wasp can eat a spider. Then, Molly goes full game show mode and puts Kiaan in the contestant chair to play Spidey Sense. We also have a brand new Mystery Sound and a big mailbag reveal.

Want to support Brains On and all of the shows in the Brains On Universe? Sign up for Smarty Pass. You'll get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus content, virtual hangouts, discounts on merch and more!

Want to see Brains On live?!? We are probably coming to a city near you. For a complete list of shows and links to tickets head to our events page. More shows announced soon!

Feb 21 - Just for Laughs Festival, Vancouver, BC

Feb 22 - The Neptune, Seattle, WA

March 7 - Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI

March 8 - Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, MN

March 28 - Center Stage, Atlanta, GA

March 29 - Amaturo Theater, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Click here for a transcript of this episode

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stickers are everywhere. They label our groceries, cover our car bumpers, and decorate our notebooks. But how do they stick? We’ll zoom in on a sticker to see how a special glue helps a sticker cling to a surface. Plus, we’ll hear about stickers that can help people heal from surgeries. We’ll also find out what kind of stickers Bob collects, and guess a new Mystery Sound.

Guest: Phillip Messersmith, professor of material science and engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Click here for a transcript of this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s more to sloths than slowness. They’re great at saving energy, hanging upside down, and swimming! In this episode, Sloth Appreciation Society founder Lucy Cooke stops by to tell us all about these amazing animals. We also get into a sloth mystery: The Case of the Perilous Poop Journey. Luckily, there’s a sloth sleuth on the case. And sloths aren’t the only animals who aren’t in a hurry — a few others show off their slowest skills.

There’s also a Mystery Sound for you to guess. Stay sloooooooooow!

Guests

Lucy Cooke, zoologist and founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society

Jonathan Pauli, UW-Madison Forest and Wildlife Ecology

Dr. Sushma Reddy, Breckenridge Chair of Ornithology, Bell Museum

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Have you ever heard of Lake Natron? It’s located in Tanzania, Africa, and, if you believe the internet, it can instantly petrify anything that touches it. Lucky for us, we have a direct line to the Hoax Hunters (aka Sanden and Marc) - they love myths, and they hate getting tricked.

Along the way to saying yea or nay to this stoney phenomenon, the Hoax Hunters speak with Neovitus Sianga. Not only does he have firsthand knowledge of the lake, but he works for African People and Wildlife, where he helps protect the environment around Lake Natron.

We also have a brand new Mystery Sound… and Marc and Sanden start a cleaning service?!?

Guest: Neovitus Sianga

Want more Hoax Hunters? Here are a few more episodes featuring our hoax hunting pals:

Are UFOs real?
Lost Cities
Mermaids, Kraken and Loch Ness Monster
Bigfoot, Unicorns and Dragons

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Click here for a transcript of this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skunks can stink, no doubt about it. But that stink is actually a superpower! Join Molly and co-host Diya as they find out how these critters use their smell to scare away enemies, what the smell is made of, and how to make your own de-skunking potion. Plus, Wombat Pete drops by to promote his new music festival, we speak to some skunk experts, and we try our best to guess a new Mystery Sound.

Don't forget the de-skunking potion mnemonic:

4 Cats Had Problems

Queen Coughed Beside Suzie's Tenth Lasagna, Don't Sneeze

Translation:

4 Cups hydrogen peroxide

Quarter Cup baking soda

Teaspoon Liquid Dish Soap

Guest: Marie Tosa, Research Scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Guest: Ted Stankowich, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and CSU Long Beach.

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Click here for a transcript of this episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.