One man's very, very unfortunate accident made him one of the most famous patients of all time. Dr. Rachel Berman shares the story of how this man helped scientists figure out what the brain does. Music in this episode is by Podington Bear. Photo of Phineas Gage from the collection of Jack and Beverly Wilgus.
Aug 22
Tumble Mailbag: The Science of Questions and What State of Matter Is Fire?
Is fire a liquid, a solid, or is it even matter at all? And what is the science of asking good questions? Lindsay and Marshall dig into the Tumble mailbag to answer listener questions with the help of Tumble's science advisors, and respond to reviews! Somehow, the whole "cats are ... Show More
24m 6s
Jul 25
Tumble Mailbag: Four-Leaf Clovers, Brains, Fish & Infinity!
Do you know why four leaf clovers are so rare? Or if just one side of our brain can fall asleep? Why do fish have different colors, and how big is infinity? Lindsay & Marshall dig into the Tumble mailbag to answer listener questions with the help of Tumble’s science advisors, and ... Show More
29m 23s
May 2022
A Mystery in the Air
When a little girl, Ella Kissi-Debrah, suddenly got sick and landed in the hospital, doctors were stumped. In this episode, her mom, Rosamund, takes on the fight to find out what exactly happened to Ella. And the answer has BIG implications — for us all. We’ll hear from Rosamund ... Show More
40m 39s
Sep 2022
The Man With The Hole In His Head
Phineas Gage, a foreman on the New England railroads, was pierced through the head with a 13-pound tamping iron on 13th September, 1848. The rod went straight through his skull and landed several yards away.Despite this, Gage was able to present himself at a physician, and antici ... Show More
12m 4s
Oct 2022
The Mystery of the Man Who Died Twice
A dead body turns up with a stolen identity. We tell the story of how a grandmother tracked down the truth — and helped create a whole new and controversial world of crime fighting. To tell this story, we talk to U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott, Dr. Margaret Press, and Phil Nichols. [ ... Show More
41m 32s
Oct 2021
Chronic Pain: Can Our Brains Fix It?
People with chronic pain often struggle with it for years while doctors scour their bodies for the cause. But are we looking in the wrong spot? For some of us, could an answer — and the solution — actually be in our brains? To find out, we talked with Professor Lorimer Moseley, D ... Show More
32m 13s
Apr 2021
Havana Syndrome: Did a Secret Weapon Fry Diplomats' Brains?
Back in 2016, U.S. Embassy workers in Cuba were struck by a mysterious noise, followed by symptoms like headaches, dizziness and memory problems. This sent the U.S. scrambling to try to find the culprit. Could it have been an ear-piercing sonic weapon? Or something even sneakier ... Show More
44m 20s