logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2022
36m 6s

Super Soakers and Rocket Science

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

How did a nuclear engineer end up inventing the Super Soaker water gun? This is the story of Lonnie Johnson, an inventor and engineer who, among many other things, revolutionized the backyard water pistol fight.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Mar 4
No Such Thing: Why Do Tesla Door Handles Suck?
This week, we’re bringing you an episode from the podcast No Such Thing. Join Manny, Noah, and Devan — three best friends and journalists — as they settle dumb arguments by actually doing the research. Each week, they start with a debate or discussion. In this episode, they ask: ... Show More
52m 9s
Feb 27
Hollywood’s Afraid of Tilly Norwood. Should They Be? - The Story
Tilly Norwood caused quite a stir when she was introduced in late 2025. Her creator, actor-producer Eline Van der Velden, said she wanted Tilly to be the “Scarlett Johansson” of AI actors. But she immediately felt the backlash from Hollywood. Emily Blunt called Tilly “really, rea ... Show More
25m 15s
Feb 25
How Soon Until AI Out-Diagnoses Your Doctor? - The Story
How often do you use ChatGPT to evaluate your ailments? Did it work? More and more people are turning to chatbots to diagnose their illnesses — with varied success. But when it does work, it can be life-changing. Dr. Dhruv Khullar heard of a case where ChatGPT identified the caus ... Show More
35m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2020
The Accidental Invention of the Super Soaker
As the dog days of summer wear on, many of us grow nostalgic for the hours spent blasting our friends with one of the best-selling toys of the early '90s: the Super Soaker. This pressure filled water blaster is all thanks to a nuclear scientist who worked for NASA and the Air For ... Show More
18m 52s
Jan 2022
From the Vault: Heavy Water
Nope, “Heavy Water” isn’t the new bottled beverage for headbangers. It’s actually an alternate form of water called deuterium oxide that plays a key role in nuclear power plants and the creation of nuclear weapons. In this classic episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Jo ... Show More
1 h
Dec 2020
Heavy Water
Nope, “Heavy Water” isn’t the new bottled beverage for headbangers. It’s actually an alternate form of water called deuterium oxide that plays a key role in nuclear power plants and the creation of nuclear weapons. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe get to ... Show More
1 h
Jan 2024
Rescue Tech
Sonar and AI have been brought together in a hand-held device that can find humans underwater. We speak to its inventor and an underwater search team leader. Chris Vallance examines voice cloning and has a telephone conversation with artificial intelligence. Shiona McCallum repor ... Show More
27m 32s
Apr 2023
How Did Hazardous Nuclear Testing Help Science?
Aboveground nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and '60s has exposed every living thing on Earth to harmful radiation -- but has also made dating the remains of living things much more accurate. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.how ... Show More
8m 46s
Apr 2022
If Birds Can Perch, Why Can't Drones?
Designing drones that can land and perch anywhere would be really useful, but it's harder than it may sound. Learn how researchers have pulled it off in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/perchiing-drones-news.htmSee omnystudio.co ... Show More
4m 5s
Dec 2020
Listener Mail: Occult Rocket Science and the Mystery of the Lake Vostok Squid Monster
<p>What exactly was renowned rocket scientist Jack Parsons getting up to in his free time... and how did he know Aleister Crowley? Whatever happened to those Russian scientists rumored to have discovered a super-intelligent, squid-like cryptid in Antarctica's subglacial Lake Vost ... Show More
36m 54s
Dec 2021
Лонгрид. "Головой ударился и стал строить корабли". Как устроен удивительный мир гаражных инженеров
tail spinning
38m 5s
Jun 2023
What happens if you explode a nuclear bomb in space?
Daniel and Katie touch on the explosive question of nuclear weapons and explain the impact of space-based explosions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
52m 22s
Oct 2021
The Weirdness of Water, Part 2
“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
40m 20s