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What would happen if you dropped a feather in space?

We’re heading to space, and dropping a feather in a few different places to see what happens!


In space, will a feather stay still? Fall down? Float away? Turns out, the answer depends on where you are! But one thing affects your feather no matter what: gravity! So Galileo is joining us all the way from the 1500s to fill us in on his theory about gravity. Then, we’re heading to space, and dropping a feather in a few different places to see what happens. Listen closely for a listener-submitted mystery sound, and a moment of um that answers this question: If you pick a flower, fruit or vegetable, is it still alive or is it dead?

White feathers float against a black background

What happens if you drop a feather in space?

The innies and outies of belly buttons

Today’s episode is all about your belly button aka navel aka umbilicus. And not just your belly button -- every single person you can think of has one. This means our listeners have LOTS of questions about them. We're going to tackle several of these fascinating navel-gazing questions like: is your belly button connected to your insides? Where does belly button fuzz come from? Why do some belly buttons stick out? And do cats and dogs have belly buttons? Plus, we have a tricky mystery sound for you to guess and a Moment of Um that answers the question: How do carrots grow if they don't have seeds?


Today’s episode is all about your belly button aka navel aka umbilicus. And not just your belly button -- every single person you can think of has one. This means our listeners have LOTS of questions about them. We're going to tackle several of these fascinating navel-gazing questions like: is your belly button connected to your insides? Where does belly button fuzz come from? Why do some belly buttons stick out? And do cats and dogs have belly buttons? Plus, we have a tricky mystery sound for you to guess and a Moment of Um that answers the question: How do carrots grow if they don't have seeds?

A guide to getting your COVID shot

Vaccines for kids and silver linings: Our second COVID summer

Kids over 5 can now get a COVID vaccine in the U.S. We know a lot of you have been waiting for this day and lots of you have sent us questions about the vaccine since the pandemic started: like what's in the COVID vaccine? How does it work? How do scientists know it's safe? And even if the vaccine isn’t available to you where you live yet, this episode will answer those questions -- and there are some fun games you can play along with us! 

If you have more questions about how COVID, the vaccines or anything else, you can send them to us here.


Kids over 5 can now get a COVID vaccine in the U.S. We know a lot of you have been waiting for this day and lots of you have sent us questions about the vaccine since the pandemic started: like what's in the COVID vaccine? How does it work? How do scientists know it's safe? And even if the vaccine isn’t available to you where you live yet, this episode will answer those questions -- and there are some fun games you can play along with us! Plus we've got some tips for how to distract yourself if you're feeling nervous, and an original song designed to help you shake that arm after the shot so it doesn't get as sore. Dance those ouchies away! Also: Three (3!) mystery sounds and a Moment of Um that answers the question: How does concrete harden?

Adults around the world are getting vaccinated against the coronavirus, and now, in a handful of countries (including the U.S.) kids over 12 can get vaccinated too.

We hear from a 13-year-old who participated in a clinical trial for a vaccine and get tips for how to navigate the world when only some people in your family are able to be vaccinated. Plus, Kara and Gilly share expert advice on how to handle big feelings as the world starts to open back up.

And a new Moment of Um answers the question: What are eye boogers?


How do the COVID vaccines work? // Brains On! Science Podcast For Kids

How effective are the COVID vaccines? // Brains On! Science Podcast For Kids

Brains On Podcast

Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On! Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best.


Smash Boom Best

Julie and her daughter, children’s author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. Authors, kids and other special guests chime in, too! 


Julie's Library

A history show for the whole family! Every episode explores the origin of just one thing — like sandwiches, video games, clocks and more — while teaching listeners to think critically about history.


Forever Ago

Other APM Podcasts

Brains On is back with a picture book about our planetary best friend: Earth! When Earth has a problem it turns to its pals, the humans, for help. This beautifully illustrated story is packed with smarts and humor. Pre-order today!


Pre-order Earth Friend Forever!

Molly, Marc, and Sanden present a humorous, fact-and fun-filled look at life on Earth — from deep-sea creatures and carnivorous plants to the human body and stinky bacteria. Get your own copy to explore!


Get the Brains On Book Today!

Listen to all the episodes in our series on the coronavirus, get resources and more.


Coronavirus Episodes and Resources

Want to learn Spanish or build up your bilingual brainpower? This is a great place to start! Puedes escuchar al podcast aquí.


Brains On en español

Brains On teamed up with the Science Museum of Minnesota, with funding from the National Science Foundation, to launch a groundbreaking study looking at how families use podcasts.


NSF Research Summary

PHASE 1: Analysis of Secondary Data (Click Here)

PHASE 2: Listener Survey (Click Here)

Brains On! Exploratory Research: Impacts of Listening to a Children's Science Podcast

Brains On Research!

Fart Smarts: Understanding the gas we pass

Fire vs. Lasers!

Cats: Glowing eyes, puffy tails and secret purrs (Encore)

Books: How they're made and how your brain reads them

Mystery sound extravaganza!

Got curiosity? You've found the right place. Brains On is a science podcast that answers questions from kid listeners around the world. Find a few of our personal favorites to get you started here.


Is farting good for us? Where do farts come from? Why do only some make sounds? And what’s up with the smell? We tackle your questions about the gas we all pass in this episode.

Time for our next debate: fire vs lasers! Listeners sent us over 100 topics to choose from, they voted and this was the winning showdown. Fire and lasers are both cool -- but which is COOLER? Producer Marc Sanchez has tricks up his sleeve for team fire and Sanden Totten gives his all for team laser. Plus: Two mystery sounds that play a pivotal role in the debate.

Why do cat eyes look the way they do? Can cats really see in the dark? And what are they trying to tell us with that purr (you know the one)? We've got the answers -- cat behavior expert Mikel Delgado help us decode cat quirks and producer Sanden Totten teaches us what's behind cats' glowing eyes. Plus: We learn about other cool powers that animal eyes have, that ours don't.

There is so much happening in your brain when you read. From recognizing shapes as letters to discovering empathy, our brains really get a workout when we read books.

In this episode, Ben Bergen from the Language and Cognition Lab at UC San Diego drops by to shed some light on how our brains process the meaning of words. We also learn how printing books has evolved and how the invention of the printing press brought worldwide change. And recent Newberry Award-winning author Kelly Barnhill shares a little of what’s going on in HER brain as she’s writing a story.

Regular listeners of Brains On know all about our mystery sounds. Every episode we test your ears with some puzzling noise and give you a chance to guess what it is. There are so many great mystery sounds in the world -- and many, many of them have been sent to us by our listeners. So many, in fact, that we decided to devote an entire episode to these magical, magnificent, mellifluous mystery sounds.

There are a whopping 10 sounds for you to guess in this episode. Are your ears up to the challenge?

If you're the kind of person that likes a little friendly competition, make a score sheet with your answers. We'd love to see which ones you got and, better yet, what you guessed for the ones you got wrong. Upload pics of your scoresheet with #BrainsOn. Happy guessing!

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