Why are we allergic to things?

Lots of people have allergies! Some people can’t be around specific foods, like peanuts, or certain fabrics or metals. Others might notice that they start sneezing or coughing in the springtime, because of all the pollen in the air. But what are allergies, anyway? And what causes them? We spoke to allergy expert Dr. Purvi Parikh to find out!
Got a question that you’re itching to get answered? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find someone who nose the answer!  

Why are dogs so protective of their owners?

As dog owners, it’s our job to take care of and protect our little buddies. But sometimes doesn’t it feel like they’re the ones taking care of us? We asked Dr. Lena Provost to help us discover why dogs can be  so protective of their owners.
Got a question that’s pawing at your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help dig up an answer. 

Do whales drink and if so, how?

We know that whales swim in the water. They eat  underwater. But do they…drink water? We got this fantastic question from a listener, so we reached out to  whale expert Joy Reidenberg from the  Icahn  School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s leaving you parched? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help quench your thirst for knowledge. 

How long has the storm on Jupiter existed?

For over 200 years now, astronomers have seen a Great Red Spot hanging out in the atmosphere above Jupiter.  We now know this “spot” is really a giant storm. But how long has it been there? We reached out to planetary scientist Shawn Brueshaber to get the answer!
Have a question storming your brain? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll search the planet for the answer!

What happens if you hold your pee for too long?

We’ve all been there: on a long car trip with no rest stop in sight, but you really have to pee! Listener Aya wanted to know what happens if you hold it for too long, and we asked Dr. Jonathan Dickman to help us find the answer.
Have a question that you just can’t hold in? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll flush out the answer!  

How does a zipper work?

Zippers are everywhere – holding your backpack closed, keeping you snug in your sleeping bag and of course, on your pants! But how exactly does a zipper work? We asked Bryon Robinson of YKK (the world’s largest zipper manufacturer!) to help us find the answer. 
Got a question that you’d like to sink your teeth into? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find a fasten-ating answer.

Why do we lose our baby teeth?

Everyone eventually loses their baby teeth – but how does your mouth know when it’s time for a new tooth to come in? Is there a little toothy calendar in there that’s setting the pace? We asked Dr. Jonathan Dickman to give us the lowdown on baby teeth.

Have a question that you want to sink your teeth into?  Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll help you bite into this topic. 

Everyone eventually loses their baby teeth – but how does your mouth know when it’s time for a new tooth to come in? Is there a little toothy calendar in there that’s setting the pace? We asked Dr. Jonathan Dickman to give us the lowdown on baby teeth.

Have a question that you want to sink your teeth into? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll help you bite into this topic. 

Why do dogs and cats mostly hate each other?

Maybe you’re one of those lucky pet parents who has a dog and a cat that magically get along. It does exist out there! But some cats and dogs truly don’t seem to like each other. Is this true? We asked veterinarian Dr. Carlo Siracusa to help us find the answer.
Got a question that you hate not knowing the answer to? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we won’t be kitten around with the answer! 

How do you move your eyes?

Happy Eye Week! We heard from a listener who asked “How do you move your eyes?” and we asked optometrist Dr. Kelsea Brown to shed some light on this answer.

Got a question that really moves you? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and eye will try to help!

How do screens damage our eyes?

Happy Eye Week! Sometimes it feels like screen time, all the time! From the phone, to the TV, to the computer… It makes a person wonder: is all that blue light damaging my eyes? We reached out to optometrist Dr. Kelsea Brown to help us find the answer. 

Got a question unlike any we’ve ever screen? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll do our best to shed light on the answer!

Happy Eye Week! Sometimes it feels like screen time, all the time! From the phone, to the TV, to the computer… It makes a person wonder: is all that blue light damaging my eyes? We reached out to optometrist Dr. Kelsea Brown to help us find the answer. 
Got a question unlike any we’ve ever screen? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll do our best to shed light on the answer!

How do our eyes get color?

Happy Eye Week! Jeepers creepers, let’s learn about peepers! Everyone has their own unique eye color, from blue to brown to green and everywhere in between! Sometimes, people can even have two different-colored eyes. So where does that color come from? We asked Dr. Kelsea Brown to help us find the answer.
Got a question that you’ve been eyeballing? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll find an answer in the blink of an eye. 


Do your eyes close all the way every time you blink?

Happy Eye Week! We got a wonderful question from a listener - “Do your eyes close all the way every time you blink?” and we asked optometrist Dr. Kelsea Brown to help us find the answer. 

Curious about something that makes you feel like a smart pupil? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll help you in the blink of an eye!


Do your eyes close all the way every time you blink? 

How do glasses lenses work?

Happy Eye Week! We are excited to bring you a whole week of episodes all about the spectacular ocular eye. For today’s episode, we know that glasses help people see, but exactly how do those little lenses work? We reached out to optometrist Dr. Kelsea Brown to help us find the answer. 

Got a question whose answer you just can’t see? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact and we’ll help lens a hand!

What is lipstick made of?

Pucker up, pals, let’s learn about lipstick! Applying tinted goop to make your face fancy and your mouth mesmerizing has been in style for thousands of years. But what’s in that stuff? Crayons? Strawberries? Petunias? We asked cosmetic chemist Amanda Lam to help us find the answer.
Got a question and can’t makeup your mind whether to ask for help? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help lip-stick the landing.

Why do turtles move so slowly?

Turtles often look like they’re walking in slow motion, using their stubby little legs to scoot across the ground. But why do they move so slowly? We asked scientist Nicole Mazouchova to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s slowing you down? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll shell out the answer. 

Why do turtles move so slowly? 

Are mangos really related to poison ivy?

Picture a delicious, juicy mango. Mmmm. Now, picture the shiny, itchy-rash-causing leaves of poison ivy. Ack! Couldn’t be more different, right? Well, get ready for a fact that’s going to boggle your bean! Mangoes and poison ivy are actually plant cousins! How does that work?  We asked botanist Dr. Eve Emshwiller to help us find the answer.
Got a question that’s making your mind itch? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll scratch up an answer. 

What is the farthest a human can see?

We get so many fantastic questions sent in to Moment of Um, but today’s is a real sight for sore eyes! One listener wrote in asking what is the farthest distance a human can see, and we asked Sue Keirstead from the University of Minnesota to help us search for the answer.
Got a question whose answer is hard to envision? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and eye personally will help you find the answer! 

Why does hot sauce make your nose run?

If you’re an adventurous eater you might have tried spicy cuisine, or maybe added hot sauce to your meals. Did your eyes water? Did your nose run? If so, that’s a totally normal response, and  Otolaryngologist Erich P. Voigt is here to help us understand why that is.
Got a burning Moment of Um question for us? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you find the answer. 

Do dogs always lift the same leg to pee?

Woof woof woof! It’s Woof Week here on Moment of Um, where we’re ready to learn about all things related to dogs! In today’s episode, Dr. Carlo Siracusa answers the question “Do dogs always lift the same leg to pee?”
Got a topic that urine-to? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help get you a leg up on the answer! 

How do dogs sense emotions like fear or tenderness?

Woof woof woof! It’s Woof Week here on Moment of Um, where we’re ready to learn about all things related to dogs! In today’s episode, Dr. Carlo Siracusa answers the question “How do dogs sense emotions like fear or tenderness?”
Got a question you’ve been chewing on? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help dig up the answer. 

Why do dogs sniff each other’s butts?

Woof woof woof! It’s Woof Week here on Moment of Um, where we’re learning  about all things related to dogs! In today’s episode, Dr. Carlo Siracusa answers the question “Why do dogs sniff each other’s butts?”
Got a question that’s hounding you?  Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you answer it–it’s the leash we can do.  

Why can dogs learn tricks but cats can’t?

Woof woof woof! It’s Woof Week here on Moment of Um, where we’re ready to learn about all things related to dogs! In today’s episode, Dr. Lena Provost answers the question “Why can dogs learn tricks but cats can’t?”
Got a tricky question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you fetch the answer. 

Why are dogs so energetic?

Woof woof woof! It’s Woof Week here on Moment of Um, where we’re ready to learn about all things related to dogs! In today’s episode, Dr. Lena Provost answers the question “Why are dogs so energetic?”
Got a question that you’re excited about? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help you embark on the journey to the answer! 

Why do we snore?

We hope you’ve enjoyed the episodes this week because for the next two weeks we’re taking a short break. We’re headed to Moment of Um camp, where we organize all of your questions, interview a whole bunch of experts, and get ready for a fall and winter FULL of amazing episodes for you. We’ll be back on August 29! Now, on with the show.

Snoring isn’t boring – usually it’s kinda funny and harmless! But it can also be disruptive and a sign of breathing troubles. We wanted to find out WHY it happens, so we asked sleep medicine physician Dr. Andrew Stiehm to explain snoring mechanics.

Got a question keeping you awake at night? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact. We’ll get you an answer you can’t ig-snore!

All Episodes

Why are we allergic to things?

Why are dogs so protective of their owners?

Do whales drink and if so, how?

How long has the storm on Jupiter existed?

What happens if you hold your pee for too long?

How does a zipper work?

Why do we lose our baby teeth?

Why do dogs and cats mostly hate each other?

How do you move your eyes?

How do screens damage our eyes?

How do our eyes get color?

Do your eyes close all the way every time you blink?

How do glasses lenses work?

What is lipstick made of?

Why do turtles move so slowly?

Are mangos really related to poison ivy?

What is the farthest a human can see?

Why does hot sauce make your nose run?

Do dogs always lift the same leg to pee?

How do dogs sense emotions like fear or tenderness?

Why do dogs sniff each other’s butts?

Why can dogs learn tricks but cats can’t?

Why are dogs so energetic?

Why do we snore?