Can dogs read our minds?

Get ready for a Smash Boom Best bird bonanza. Tommy Siegel and Billy Libby have gone bananas for birds in the last few years. They’re real-life friends and musicians, who host the podcast Extremely Accurate Bird Songs. Today, however, friends become foes as they each rep a different bird. It’s Mourning Dove vs American Robin. Judging today’s debate is cat-lover, harpist and gymnast, Iva from New Haven, CT. Whose song will Iva choose? Listen and find out, then cast your own vote! Special thanks to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library for birdsound used in this episode. Click here for a transcript of this episode. Smash Boom Best is a completely independent podcast, and we rely on your contributions to help make all of our shows. You can do that by joining Smarty Pass. As a member you get ad-free versions of all the Brains On Universe shows, bonus episodes, online hangouts with the Smash Boom Best crew, discounts on merch and more. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠smartypass.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more and sign up.

This week Brains On is giving you an extra helping of Mystery Sounds… with a twist! Listen as our pals at Forever Ago try to stump you with history Mystery Sounds! Joy Dolo and co-host Gabi are having a history sound extravaganza! Join them as they listen to mystery sounds from the past and learn a little about the history behind them. Plus, a special musical First Things First to transport you back in time.  Click ⁠here⁠ to read a transcript of this episode. Brains On is a completely independent podcast, and we rely on your contributions to help make all of our shows. You can do that by joining Smarty Pass. As a member you get ad-free versions of all the Brains On Universe shows, bonus episodes, online hangouts with the Brains On crew, discounts on merch and more. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠smartypass.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more and sign up. Want to see Brains On or Smash Boom Best live? We're about to head out on our fall tour. For links to tickets go to⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠brainson.org/events⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 11/7 Norfolk, VA 12/6 Evanston, IL (two shows) 1/31 Princeton, NJ

Molly Bloom as a debater? It’s true! This is a sneak peek at a bonus episode we just shared in our Smarty Pass feed. Molly debates Sanden in a Smash Boom Best showdown between Cheetahs and Sloths. To hear the full, ad-free episode, join Smarty Pass. You also get access to all the other Brains On Universe shows, online hangs with the crew, discounts on merch and fun surprises. Thanks for the support!

Spooky stuff may make you cover your eyes in fright, but many of us find ourselves peeking through our fingers to get another glimpse. Why are we drawn to things that make us jump? In this episode, we'll find out how fear can actually be fun. We visit a scientist who helps design haunted houses for ultimate scares, chat with an author who writes ghost stories about how he crafts the creepy crawlies, and play a rousing game of Name That Phobia! Plus we help Gungador get rid of his hiccups and answer the Moment of Um question: "Why do raspberries have little hairs?" Spoiler alert! ⁠To learn more about the mystery sound, click here. Brains On is a completely independent podcast, and we rely on your contributions to help make all of our shows. You can do that by joining Smarty Pass. As a member you get ad-free versions of all the Brains On Universe shows, bonus episodes, online hangouts with the Brains On crew, discounts on merch and more. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠smartypass.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more and sign up. Want to see Brains On or Smash Boom Best live? We're about to head out on our fall tour. For links to tickets go to⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠brainson.org/events⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 11/7 Norfolk, VA 12/6 Evanston, IL (two shows) 1/31 Princeton, NJ

The hair on our heads is on our minds. We have fun with follicles and learn about how they make hair. Our experts help us decipher what makes hair black or brown, blonde or red, and even why it turns gray. From eye lashes to ear and nose hair, this episode has it all. Why do humans have hair and not fur? Why is there hair on the top of our heads? How does hair grow? How does hair become curly or straight? Guests: Dr. Shani Francis, dermatologist and the director of the Hair Center of Excellence Sandy Cook evolutionary biologist of hair at Penn State University Click ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ for a transcript of this episode. Brains On is a completely independent podcast, and we rely on your contributions to help make all of our shows. You can do that by joining Smarty Pass. As a member you get ad-free versions of all the Brains On Universe shows, bonus episodes, online hangouts with the Brains On crew, discounts on merch and more. Go to⁠⁠⁠ ⁠smartypass.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more and sign up. Want to see Brains On or Smash Boom Best live? We're about to head out on our fall tour. For links to tickets go to⁠⁠⁠ ⁠brainson.org/events⁠⁠⁠⁠. 10/11 Dallas, TX* 10/17 Colorado Springs, CO (two shows) 11/7 Norfolk, VA 12/6 Evanston, IL (two shows) 1/31 Princeton, NJ *Smash Boom Best show