Most plants get the energy and nutrients they need from water, sunlight, air and soil. But carnivorous plants get key nutrients from a different source: bugs. We’ll find out how they do it and talk about the mystery of how venus fly traps snap shut. Plus: Two gardeners – one very experienced and one just starting out – offer their tips for growing venus fly ... Show More
Nov 3
Brains On presents Smash Boom Best: American Robin vs Mourning Dove
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 differ ... Show More
39m 42s
Oct 2025
Why Did Venus Flytraps Develop a Taste for Meat?
From plants that eat rats and frogs, to the strange reason bats curl up in pitcher plants, Will and Mango explore the eerie world of carnivorous plants. This episode originally aired on November 9, 2018. Got a question you’d like us to answer? A rabbit hole you think we should ex ... Show More
35m 2s
Jan 2023
Carnivorous Plants Will Ruin Your Life
Inside the flourishing world of online plant fanclubs lies a deep, dark obsession: people who dedicate their entire lives to caring for Nepenthes, or carnivorous pitcher plants. On this week’s episode, Brian Howey, a former “Nephead” tells us about the carnivorous plant subcultur ... Show More
29m 16s