How Can Hot Water Freeze Faster Than Col...

Some U.S. cities and states have officially changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day. Learn why -- and why some Americans disagree with the change -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays- ... Show More

The English-language terms for different baked goods vary based on where English is being spoken. Learn why an American cookie is a British biscuit, an American biscuit is a British scone, our muffins have nothing to do with each other, and pudding doesn't have to involve pudding ... Show More

When dark spots appear on the surface of the Sun, we're actually seeing the result of massive distortions in solar magnetic fields caused by roiling plasma -- and they appear in regular(ish) 11-year cycles. Learn what we know (and don't know!) about sunspots in today's episode of ... Show More

Why does water seem to freeze faster when it starts out warmer?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

<p><strong>#140</strong></p> <p>Ice is water right? It's just that it's solid. So why does it float in liquid water? And also why does water expand when it freezes, when typically things contract when they freeze? These are things we are used to observing daily, but they actually ... Show More

Daniel and Jorge get the chills when they discover how little we know about water.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Let's say you put two containers of water in a freezer. Water in one container is at room temperature, while water in the other container is hot. Which one will freeze first? Many people would understandably assume the cooler water would be the first to freeze -- and that assumpt ... Show More

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a handful of novel ice formations and how scientists believe they form. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

<p><strong>#154</strong></p> <p>When you're young in science class, you probably learned the phrase &quot;freezing point,&quot; but is that even a thing? Is there a specific temperature at which things go from liquid to solid? Spoiler alert: Melissa thinks that's actually a huge ... Show More

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss a handful of novel ice formations and how scientists believe they form -- as well as some other STBYM angles on ice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

“I don’t really understand why water has so many properties on different scales ranging from very large and cosmic to very small quantum and quarky - Could you help by zooming in and out on water to explain what is known about it? "Asks Neil Morton in Stirling. “Why does boiling ... Show More

“I don’t really understand why water has so many properties on different scales ranging from very large and cosmic to very small quantum and quarky - Could you help by zooming in and out on water to explain what is known about it? Asks Neil Morton in Stirling.“Why does boiling wa ... Show More

<p>Just like water changing to ice when it freezes, there were times in the universe&apos;s early history when reality changed in almost an instant. Today we dive into these cosmological phase transitions, and speculate about the strange objects these types of instant changes can ... Show More