Why Do We Say 'Close, But No Cigar'?

In the 1970s, Jerry Lawson was instrumental in creating the first cartridge-based video game console and the first digital joystick -- and he did it as one of the only Black engineers in Silicon Valley at that time. Learn about Lawson and the Fairchild Channel F in this episode o ... Show More

Glass windows are as solid as the materials that surround them, yet they let light through. Learn the physics of why glass can be so transparent -- and why it took humans thousands of years to create totally clear glass -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: htt ... Show More

Although some driving skills can deteriorate with age, experienced drivers tend to be the safest drivers. To an extent. Learn when and how experts think drivers should be retested in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-dri ... Show More

How did factory workers in the 1920s pass the time while rolling cigars?  Chris is on a mission to prove his creative genius as he interviews a man from 1925 Florida who proves that the key to making the perfect Cuban cigar isn’t in the tobacco, it’s in the art of storytelling. S ... Show More

Why is Neil trying to smoke a cigar in the studio? Learn an English expression about almost succeeding 

The Washington Post published an article revealing that the CIA secretly owned and operated an encryption company for decades. How did that happen and what does it mean? And what lessons should we learn from it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Saviez-vous qu'on fumait notre première cigarette à 14 ans et demi ? Saviez-vous qu'au bout de 48h d'arrêt on retrouvait le goût et l'odorat ? Voici 5 choses à savoir... sur le Tabac. Hébergé par Audion. Visitez https://www.audion.fm/fr/privacy-policy pour plus d’informations. 

Why are some words funnier than others? Well, one man has sought to figure that out. We'll tell you all about him and his project in today's episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

We've seen them in movies, but how close are we to having nanorobots in reality? And what will we do with them? We'll be unpicking the tiny details of nanotechnology! Plus in the news this week: as Omicron cases continue to rise, what can we learn about it from South Africa? Rese ... Show More

We humans are smart, to be sure, but if we’re so smart then how come we can’t figure how we got so smart in the first place? Think about that! We sure did and we go over some theories in this super interesting episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

#150 Peppermints. They seem innocent enough right? But if that's the case, then what common thread do they share with cigarettes? Don't worry, it's not an inherently bad connection. The common ingredient is one simple thing, menthol. Let's talk about it. References from this epis ... Show More