Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids

Episode: Let’s Go Bananas

Date: February 24, 2026
Host(s): Molly Bloom, Regan (kid co-host from Toronto)
Special Guests: Dr. Janina Jeff (Geneticist), Maneka Wilhelm, Mark Sanchez, Gabriel Sachter Smith (Banana scientist/farmer), Various Voice Actors

Episode Overview

Let’s Go Bananas is a playful, science-rich exploration of the world of bananas—covering everything from banana DNA and why bananas make fruits ripen, to the truth behind slippery banana peels and how bananas are farmed and cloned. A glitchy virtual voice assistant named Harvey (who becomes obsessed with bananas thanks to a software update) sets the whole episode firmly in the banana zone, resulting in a hilarious, fact-packed adventure for curious kids and adults alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why are we talking about bananas?

[00:07 - 03:28]

• A programming mishap with Harvey, the show's virtual voice assistant, leads to the selection of only banana-related questions.
• Harvey goes banana-crazy—ordering crates of bananas, banana-flavored toothpaste, starting the blender for banana smoothies, and forcing the team to devote the entire episode to bananas.

Notable Quote:

"This day is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S this day." – Harvey (03:00)

2. Do Humans and Bananas Share 50% of their DNA?

[03:33 - 08:15]

• Regan’s listener question: “Is it true that humans and bananas share 50% of the same DNA? And if so, how is that possible?”
• Dr. Janina Jeff explains:
  • All living things have DNA, built from four chemical bases (A, T, C, G).
  • While humans and bananas share 50% similarity in gene-coding regions, not in their entire genomes.
  • The similar genes are those that make necessary proteins for basic functions (e.g., consuming oxygen).
  • Humans are 99.9% identical to one another, while we share fewer similarities with other plants in total.

Notable Quotes:

“DNA is the makeup of who we are. You can think of DNA as every character, a letter or so in a book.” – Dr. Janina Jeff (04:55)
“Yes, all living things have DNA.” – Dr. Janina Jeff (05:43)
“About half of that [gene-coding DNA] is actually similar to a banana.” – Dr. Janina Jeff (06:05)

3. Why Do Bananas Make Fruits Ripen Faster? (Ethylene Gas)

[08:37 - 14:13]

• New listener question: “Why do bananas make other fruits ripen faster?”
  • Blonde, goofy fruit-bowl skit: Bananas Barry and Gwen interact with Frank the Apple, who is annoyed at how bananas make all the other fruit ripen and rot faster.
  • Mark, in character as Frank, explains that bananas release a lot of ethylene gas, which triggers ripening in themselves and nearby fruit.
  • Ethylene changes fruit color, texture, and sweetness, but once ripening starts, it can’t stop—eventually leading to overripening and rot.

Notable Quote:

“Ethylene is the chemical that makes a fruit turn ripe. All fruits produce ethylene, but bananas are notorious for putting out a lot.” – Mark Sanchez as Frank the Apple (11:13)

Memorable Segment:
Fruits personified! Bananas excited to be eaten, bananas go green to yellow in a bag, apple gripes about 'those bananas', all end up in banana bread—adorable and educational. (08:58 - 14:13)

4. Banana Facts, Fictions & History (Quiz Show)

[17:04 - 22:40]

• “Banana Bing, Banana Boom” quiz segments led by Maneka Wilhelm.
• Fact 1: Bananas first grew in Southeast Asia (true—specifically Papua New Guinea as a crop).
• Fact 2: Modern bananas (Cavendish) replaced sweeter, more flavorful “Big Mike” (Gros Michel) bananas after a fungus wiped out the older variety.
• Fact 3: There’s an “ice cream banana” with a vanilla flavor, found in Hawaii and the South Pacific (also true).

Notable Quotes:

“The reason we switched from Big Mike Bananas to Cavendish bananas was that a fungus wiped out pretty much all the Gros Michel bananas in Central and South America.” – Maneka Wilhelm (18:46)
“Today, people farm bananas in tropical places all over the world, like Asia, Latin America, and even Africa.” – Maneka Wilhelm (17:41)

5. How Do Bananas Reproduce? Where Are the Seeds?

[19:22 - 22:35]

• Rhyme quiz explains: Bananas we eat don’t have full seeds. The little black dots are undeveloped seeds.
• Farm-grown bananas are all clones: new plants are grown from “pups” (offshoots), so every banana is genetically identical to its parent.
• Wild bananas have seeds, but edible ones do not.

Notable Quote:

“A banana pup has the same DNA as the plant it’s cut from...they’re all copies of each other. Each one is a clone.” – Maneka Wilhelm (21:38)

6. So Many Bananas: The Incredible Diversity

[22:54 - 25:08]

• Gabriel Sachter Smith (banana farmer and scientist) shares his love for banana diversity.
  • He has over 150 varieties: wild, ornamental, giant and tiny, with colors from yellow to blue, green, red and orange. Some are sweet, some starchy.
  • Wild bananas have seeds and can be used to breed hardier or more disease-resistant cultivated bananas.

Notable Quotes:

“There will never be a point in time where I’ve said, ‘Yep, I’ve seen all the bananas. I guess I’ll study apples now.’” – Gabriel Sachter Smith (24:41)

7. Banana Peel Slipping: Truth & Pop Culture History

[25:56 - 29:41]

• Mystery sound guessing game: The sound is someone slipping on a banana peel in a cartoon.
• Listener question: “Why are bananas used as a joke for people slipping?”
  • Mark Sanchez traces the history: In the 1800s, people threw peels on streets, and real banana peel slips became common, inspiring slapstick humor.
  • Early bananas (Gros Michel) were even more slippery!
  • Banana slips became a standard comedy gag in theater and eventually, film, especially in silent movies.

Notable Quotes:

“The phenomenon of people slipping on banana peels left as litter on the street was so common that people naturally started making jokes about it...before movies were even invented, this joke had been around for decades.” – Mark Sanchez (27:59)
“With a stoplight, green means go, and yellow means slow down. With a banana, however, it is quite the opposite. Yellow means go, green means whoa, slow down. And red means where the heck did you get that banana.” – Regan quoting comedian Mitch Hedberg (20:24)

Memorable Moments & Kid-Approved Jokes

• Bananas in pajamas, banana smoothies, banana-flavored toothpaste, and banana bread—all as a result of Harvey’s hilarious banana fixation.
• Bananas and apples talk back in the fruit bowl skit.
• Listener jokes throughout: “What do you get when you cross a banana peel with another banana peel? A pair of slippers.” (08:15, Regan)
• Recurring theme: “Banana Bing, Banana Boom!” quiz and rhyme segments.

Notable Quotes & Attribution

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 03:00 | “This day is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S this day.” | Harvey (Virtual Assistant) | | 04:55 | “DNA is the makeup of who we are... a letter or so in a book.” | Dr. Janina Jeff | | 06:05 | “About half of that is actually similar to a banana.” | Dr. Janina Jeff | | 11:13 | “Ethylene is the chemical that makes a fruit turn ripe. All fruits produce ethylene, but bananas are notorious for putting out a lot.” | Mark Sanchez as Frank the Apple | | 17:41 | “Today, people farm bananas in tropical places all over the world, like Asia, Latin America, and even Africa.” | Maneka Wilhelm | | 21:38 | “They’re all copies of each other. Each one is a clone.” | Maneka Wilhelm | | 24:41 | “There will never be a point in time where I’ve said, ‘Yep, I’ve seen all the bananas. I guess I’ll study apples now.’” | Gabriel Sachter Smith | | 27:59 | “This was a real thing... before movies were even invented, this joke had been around for decades.” | Mark Sanchez | | 20:24 | “With a stoplight, green means go, and yellow means slow down. With a banana, however, it is quite the opposite. Yellow means go, green means whoa, slow down...” | Regan (quoting Mitch Hedberg) |

Segment Timestamps

• 00:07 – 03:28: Harvey's banana obsession sets off chaos at Brains On! HQ
• 03:33 – 08:15: DNA deep dive with Dr. Janina Jeff
• 08:37 – 14:13: "Fruity" skit explains ethylene and ripening
• 17:04 – 22:40: Banana quiz (origins, types, clones, seeds)
• 22:54 – 25:08: Banana diversity with Gabriel Sachter Smith
• 25:56 – 29:41: The history of banana peel slipping jokes

Key Takeaways

• Humans and bananas share about 50% of their protein-coding genes, reflecting the shared foundations of life—DNA’s “alphabet”—across species.
• Bananas emit lots of ethylene gas, which causes themselves and nearby fruits to ripen (and overripen) quickly.
• The bananas we eat don’t have functional seeds; they reproduce via cloning, resulting in crops that are genetically identical.
• There are hundreds of banana varieties worldwide, with wild, seeded types and a rainbow of colors and flavors.
• The “slipping on a banana peel” joke is rooted in reality: 19th-century streets were actually hazardous with peels, making the gag a classic in slapstick comedy.

For More Fun

• Want to hear more mystery sounds, send your own joke, or submit a science chant? Visit Brains On!.

“That is bananas. So sorry.” – Molly Bloom (22:35)

Episode Rating:

Highly recommended for banana lovers, science fans, and anyone who enjoys a good fruit-based pun! 🍌