Why are brains so squishy?

Summary

Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids

Episode Summary: Why Are Brains So Squishy?

Date: July 14, 2026
Host: Molly Bloom
Kid Co-Host: Penny (North Hollywood, CA)
Guests: Dr. Melissa Campbell (University of California, San Diego), Timmy Le (University of Massachusetts)
Special Character: Dwayne the Brain

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Episode Overview

This playful, fact-packed episode dives into the question: Why are our brains so squishy? With host Molly Bloom and co-host Penny, listeners explore the brain’s composition, its vital functions, the importance of protecting it, and tips for brain health—all explained in a kid-friendly, imaginative way. Interspersed with fun metaphors, skits (including a talking brain mascot), and expert interviews, the episode demystifies brain softness and celebrates the power of neuroplasticity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Are Brains Important?

• [00:16–04:33]
  • The brain is vital for every action, thought, and automatic bodily function (e.g., heartbeat, breathing, digestion).
  • Penny’s curiosity leads to questions about brain safety and helmets.
  • Quote:
    “Your brain is super important. You can’t do anything without it. From thinking thoughts to moving muscles, the brain does it all.”
    —Molly Bloom (00:16)

2. Meet Dwayne the Brain

• [04:33–10:14]
  • Dwayne the Brain, a talking and scooter-jumping brain, humorously demonstrates why brains are central to everything.
  • The brain is called the "conductor of the body," orchestrating movements, feelings, memories, and even automatic processes.
  • Quote:
    “Brains are also where your memories live, where you think your thoughts and where you feel your feelings.”
    —Dwayne the Brain (07:02)

3. What’s the Brain Made Of?

• [07:37–08:59]
  • Main cell types: neurons (send messages) and glia (helper cells).
  • Fun analogies: neurons are messengers; glia are the brain’s glue and caretaker.
  • The brain has roughly 86 billion neurons and about the same number of glia—more cells than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy!
  • Quote:
    “Your brain has a lot of both types. Some researchers think the human brain has around 86 billion neuron cells and around the same number of glia. That’s around 172 billion cells total!”
    —Molly Bloom & Dwayne the Brain (09:04)

4. Why Are Brains So Soft?

• [14:28–18:07]
  • Guest expert Dr. Melissa Campbell compares brain texture to “medium firm tofu” or “a bowl of cooked spaghetti,” highlighting its delicacy.
  • Unlike muscle cells, brain cells lack strong external structures (“no bento box walls”), making them softer but also granting more flexibility for cell growth and connection.
  • Quote:
    “It would be like cooked spaghetti all together…still easy to break.”
    —Melissa Campbell (16:17)
  • The advantages of softness:
    • Easier for neurons to connect, rewire, and store learning (neuroplasticity).
    • More cells can fit in the head, boosting memory and learning power.
    • Quote:
      “Our brain cells trade having strong protection around them for being able to make more connections and being able to squeeze more cells into our head.”
      —Molly Bloom (17:58)

5. Protecting Our Delicate Brains

• [19:48–21:08]
  • Guest expert Timmy Le stresses that the skull protects against minor bumps but helmets are critical for higher-speed activities (like biking or sports).
  • Quote:
    “Think of an egg… naturally it has a shell to protect what’s inside. However, it is not enough when we drop it… Similarly, our skull provides a natural layer of protection… but this is very important: Our skull is not enough to protect our brains when we are riding our bikes or running into each other at high speeds in sports like hockey. Therefore, we have to protect our brains using a helmet…”
    —Timmy Le (20:11)

6. How Do We Keep Brains Healthy?

• [21:22–25:56]
  • Brain is about 80% water—hydration keeps it working.
  • Sleep helps the brain “file away” information, like folding and putting away clothes.
  • Kids’ brains form new connections faster than grown-ups’, making it easier for kids to learn new things.
  • Neuroplasticity: The brain grows new connections when we learn new things—language, music, art, sports.
  • Creative activities like painting use many parts of the brain at once.
  • Healthy habits: wear helmets, get sleep, eat fruits/veggies, play outside, read, limit screen time.
  • Quotes:
    • “When you don’t drink enough water, you might have a headache. It’s basically your brain telling you that you need to drink more water.”
      —Timmy Le (22:13)
    • “Painting is such a creative activity. It means you use like every single different part of your brain… to make that picture on your canvas.”
      —Timmy Le (24:36)
    • “It is very important for you to listen to your trusted adult… go to bed, eat your fruits and vegetables and wear a helmet. Most importantly, with your trusted adult’s permission, it’s important to go outside and play… if you don’t like to go outside, you can ask… for a library card so you can borrow a book. It’s like YouTube and you do not need the Internet for it to work.”
      —Timmy Le (25:16)

7. Celebrating Brains!

• [26:14–27:12]
  • Dwayne the Brain proposes “Brain Day”—a weekly (or intergalactic!) holiday for healthy brain activities: walking in nature, reading, puzzles, and “brain-healthy snacks” like berries and salmon.
  • Quotes:
    • “On Brainy day Sundays, you do things brains love. Take us for a walk in nature, let us read a book. Give us puzzles and brain healthy snacks like salmon, avocados, and berries. Tell us how pretty and wrinkly we are.”
      —Dwayne the Brain (26:35)

8. Summary Recap

• [27:15–27:49]
  • The importance and delicacy of the brain revisited:
    • Billions of interconnected neurons and glia
    • Softness enables learning and memory
    • Protect brains with helmets, sleep, hydration, and creative activity
  • Quotes:
    • “The brain is super important, but it is also super delicate.”
      —Penny (27:15)
    • “It’s important to wear helmets to protect our brains. Sleep, water and reading and painting help your brain too.”
      —Molly Bloom (27:42)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Food Metaphors:

  • “It feels like tofu… maybe like medium firm tofu.” —Melissa Campbell (00:36, 15:05)
  • “More like a bowl of cooked spaghetti, with the noodles all loose in there, just oodles of noodles.” —Molly Bloom (16:08)

• Analogy Overload:

  • “Neurons and glia. A dream team… Like peanut butter and jelly, or peanut butter and chocolate. Or peanut butter and anything, really.” —Dwayne the Brain (08:34)

• Brain Cell Count vs. Galaxy:

  • “Our brains might have more cells than there are stars in the galaxy.” —Molly Bloom (09:16)

• Brain Health Advice:

  • “Your brain needs more information than just being on your iPad all day.” —Timmy Le (25:16)
  • “It's like YouTube and you do not need the Internet for it to work.” —Timmy Le on library books (25:54)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction of Squishy Brain Question: 02:27 – 03:28
• What Brains Do (with Dwayne): 04:33 – 10:14
• What Brains Are Made Of: 07:37 – 10:14
• Cell Count/Astronomy Comparison: 09:04 – 09:29
• Expert Explanation (Dr. Campbell): 14:52 – 18:07
• Protecting the Brain/Helmets (Timmy Le): 19:55 – 21:08
• Water Content in the Brain: 22:13 – 22:27
• Sleep’s Impact on the Brain: 22:30 – 23:05
• Kid vs. Grown-up Brains/Neuroplasticity: 23:10 – 24:31
• Painting and Brain Health: 24:31 – 24:36
• Tips for Brain Health: 25:16 – 25:54
• “Brain Day” Discussion: 26:14 – 27:12
• Final Recap of Lessons: 27:15 – 27:49

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Overall Tone

Fun, playful, and imaginative, balancing silliness (talking brains, scooter stunts, food metaphors) with solid, accessible science explanations.

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Summary Table

| Segment | Key Takeaways | |----------------------------------------------|---------------| | What brains do | Everything from thoughts to breathing; brain = boss | | Brain structure | Billions of neurons + glia, ultra soft texture | | Why brains are squishy | Flexibility for learning; dense cell packing | | Protecting brains | Skull + helmets, especially for fast-moving activities | | Caring for brains | Hydration, sleep, creative activities, outdoor play, learning new things | | Celebrate your brain! | “Brain Day” every Sunday—brain-healthy fun |

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Perfect For…

• Kids and grown-ups curious about the human body
• Anyone wondering why brains aren’t sturdy like bones
• Listeners who love imaginative explanations and expert-backed answers

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For more episodes or to send your questions, visit brainson.org!

Transcript

[Molly Bloom]

Lemonade.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Brains on Universe.

[Penny]

You're listening to Brains on, where we're serious about being curious.

[Molly Bloom]

Your brain is super important.

[Penny]

You can't do anything without it.

[Molly Bloom]

From thinking thoughts to moving muscles, the brain does it all.

[Penny]

But your brain is also super delicate. It can get hurt pretty easily if you're not careful.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, because the brain itself is just a soft, squishy blob sitting in your skull.

[Melissa Campbell]

It feels like tofu if you've ever felt tofu. Maybe like medium firm tofu.

[Molly Bloom]

That's Melissa Campbell. She studies the brain and coming up,

[Penny]

she'll tell us why it's so helpful to have a soft, squishy brain and

[Producer/Announcer]

why protecting that tofu like blob in

[Molly Bloom]

your skull is super important. So get ready to use your brains to learn about brains.

[Mark]

Hey, Mark here. Have you heard our new puberty podcast? It's a limited series that answers questions from kids and features teens who share tips and stories from their own lives. This is the kind of thing we can make thanks to our SmartyPass subscribers. These are the folks who chip in to fund everything we do at Brainson Universe. And you can be one too. Just go to smartypass.org/ when you sign up, you can get access to the video of a special live event that we did just for parents of kids about to start puberty. Molly talked with experts who answered questions on everything from whether or not to talk about crushes to how to start the puberty conversation in the first place.

[Molly]

We tend to want to ask open ended questions instead of yes, no questions. So do you know what puberty is? Is not as good as tell me what you know about this word puberty. And you see what they say after they crawl out from under the table

[Mark]

to watch the full video. Sign [e-mail] plus you'll get more bonus stuff and invites to virtual hangs with me, Molly and sandit. That's smartypass.org thanks.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Brains on.

[Molly Bloom]

You're listening to Brains On. I'm Molly Bloom and my co host today is Penny from North Hollywood, California. Hi, Penny.

[Penny]

Hello, everybody.

[Molly Bloom]

You're here because you asked us a really interesting question.

[Penny]

Yeah, I asked why our brains are squishy. Do I really have to wear a helmet every time I go on wheels?

[Molly Bloom]

So what made you think of it?

[Penny]

I was going to school and just thinking and thinking and thinking. And then I just said to my mom, hey, this is a good question for Brains On.

[Molly Bloom]

Perfect. So I'm guessing you wear a helmet.

[Penny]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

What does your helmet look like?

[Penny]

I Actually brought it.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, cool. Can you describe it?

[Penny]

Shining purple.

[Molly Bloom]

Very cool.

[Penny]

And I put a sticker that I got from Yosemite on it.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, cool. So what do you ride that you need to wear a helmet during the.

[Penny]

A bike. Roller blades and stuff that goes on wheels.

[Melissa Campbell]

Nice.

[Molly Bloom]

So do you mind wearing a helmet? Do you find it uncomfortable?

[Penny]

I like wearing a helmet.

[Molly Bloom]

Tell me some of the other cool things that you like to do with your brain besides ride wheeled things.

[Penny]

I like to think of what I should paint.

[Molly Bloom]

What are some things you've painted recently?

[Penny]

A sunset a bunch of times, and like, ponds and stuff.

[Molly Bloom]

So, do you ever have conversations with yourself in your brain?

[Penny]

No, but I sometimes when I'm watching a show or a movie with nobody else, but I think someone's with me, I start laughing, then start talking, and then I look behind myself and then I notice nobody's there.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, interesting. Well, clearly your brain is always busy thinking of cool questions too, because this question is exceptionally good. And before we get to why our brains are squishy, let's learn more about this important part of the body.

[Dwayne the Brain]

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. Livers and gentlemen, kidneys and kids, I, Dwayne the Brain, will attempt the most death defying stunt in the history of brains.

[Molly Bloom]

On.

[Penny]

Is that a talking brain with legs and arms, wearing a helmet?

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, that's Dwayne. He can walk and talk.

[Producer/Announcer]

Please don't ask any further questions because

[Molly Bloom]

I can't answer them.

[Penny]

Understood.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Watch as I ride my scooter off this ramp, fly into the air over a pit of hungry badgers, then over a pit of hungry sharks, then over a pit of snakes who aren't really that hungry, but can maybe go for a snack. Then I'll fly through a hoop covered in Tabasco sauce, do a triple flip, and land unharmed in that chair next to Molly.

[Penny]

Is he really gonna do all that?

[Dwayne the Brain]

Yes, I really am going to do all that. While also playing the piccolo here. I.

[Molly Bloom]

Wow.

[Penny]

That's amazing.

[Molly Bloom]

Bravo, Dwayne. Truly the most extra entrance in Brainzan history.

[Dwayne the Brain]

I'm amazing. I know. Now I'm here and I can help explain the brain.

[Penny]

Perfect.

[Molly Bloom]

We're all ears.

[Dwayne the Brain]

That's silly. You are so much more than just ears, Molly. You're also noses and other things. But not me. I'm all brain. Right now, the important thing to know

[Penny]

about that brain is that it's like

[Dwayne the Brain]

the conductor of the body. The director, the top dog. It helps you move and feel.

[Penny]

That's right. The brain controls your body. By sending signals to your various parts. So it makes your arms and legs move, for example.

[Dwayne the Brain]

But the brain doesn't just send out signals. It also takes in signals from your body. So when a bug lands on your arm or you stub your toe, those body parts send a signal to the brain to tell you what you are feeling.

[Molly Bloom]

Right. Brains also take in signals from your eyes and ears. Then the brain makes sense of all that information so you know what's going on around you.

[Penny]

Truly an amazing thing.

[Dwayne the Brain]

That's what it says on my business card. See, Dwayne the brain, he's truly an amazing thing. Here, Penny, you can have this card. It's scented.

[Penny]

It just smells like paper.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Exactly. Paper is a scent. But back to how amazing brains are. Brains are also where your memories live, where you think your thoughts and where you feel your feelings.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, and the brain does a lot that we don't control, too.

[Penny]

Your brain helps you with your breathing

[Molly Bloom]

and your heartbeat, Even your body temperature and how you digest food. The brain deals with lots of stuff that feels like it's just happening automatically in your body.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Yep. Brains pretty much keep everything on track. Like the boss. Like the coach, the train conductor. Choo choo.

[Molly Bloom]

So what is the brain made out of?

[Dwayne the Brain]

Sugar, Spice, and everything. Nice. Nah. Jk. Like everything in the body, the brain is made up of tiny pieces called cells.

[Molly Bloom]

There are a few different kinds of cells in the brain. We're gonna teach you the names of the two main types. 1 group is called the neurons.

[Melissa Campbell]

Neurons.

[Dwayne the Brain]

I love those.

[Penny]

And the other group is called glia.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Glia.

[Penny]

I love those too.

[Molly Bloom]

The neurons are the cells that send signals around the brain. They're like that let us think and feel and move. They're always communicating with other cells to make your thoughts and actions.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Neurons, the messenger cells and the glia

[Producer/Announcer]

are cells that help take care of the neurons. They bring nutrients and oxygen. They stop germs from attacking, and they

[Molly Bloom]

act like the glue holding the brain together.

[Penny]

Glia, the helper cells.

[Molly Bloom]

So those are the main cells in the brain.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Neurons and glia. A dream team if I ever heard one. Like peanut butter and jelly, or peanut butter and chocolate. Or peanut butter and anything, really. I'd eat paper if it was covered in peanut butter. Oh, new business card idea. Peanut butter flavored paper. Dwayne, you're a genius.

[Molly Bloom]

So those are the cells. And get this. Your brain has a lot of both types.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Oh, yeah. Like, a lot a lot.

[Molly Bloom]

Some researchers think the human brain has around 86 billion neuron cells and around

[Dwayne the Brain]

the same Number of that's around 172 billion cells total.

[Molly Bloom]

Now, think of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Some scientists think it has around 100 billion stars. That means our brains might have more cells than there are stars in the galaxy.

[Penny]

That's a lot of cells all squeezed into that not so giant space between your ears. So, basically, the brain is like a

[Dwayne the Brain]

big galaxy of cells in your head,

[Molly Bloom]

and it's constantly sending signals and communicating with itself and with the rest of the body all the time.

[Penny]

And those billions of cells in the brain makes all your memories, thoughts, and feelings.

[Molly Bloom]

Plus, they help keep all your important body functions running, like breathing and digesting and pumping blood.

[Dwayne the Brain]

So, given all that, I deserve a raise. All brains do. We're literally the best.

[Penny]

I couldn't agree more.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Well, I'm so impressed with myself, I'm gonna go journal about how great I am.

[Penny]

Do you mind if I leave my

[Dwayne the Brain]

stunt set up here for now? Thanks. Oh, and can you feed the tank of hungry badgers and hungry sharks for me? The snake should be fine. Later.

[Molly Bloom]

So now that we know a little about what the brain does and what it's made of, we. We can find out why it's so soft. But first, a challenge for the billions of cells in your noggin. It's the

[Penny]

mystery sound.

[Molly Bloom]

Are you ready for the mystery sound, Penny?

[Penny]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, here it is. What do you think?

[Penny]

I have two guesses. Okay, one guess was, like, really quickly. Unpausing, pausing, Unpausing, pausing, unpausing, Pausing the tv.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, okay.

[Penny]

And my second guess was playing laser tag.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Whoa.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, I'm gonna give you a hint. Okay, this is happening.

[Penny]

I heard some singing.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay.

[Penny]

And like, like, in the background, the singing and, like, maybe, like, people riding a horse, kind of.

[Molly Bloom]

I like that guess a lot.

[Producer/Announcer]

I do know the answer for this

[Molly Bloom]

one, so I can't make my own guess. But we will be back. We'll play it again, give you another chance to guess and hear the answer at the end of the show.

[Penny]

So stick around.

[Molly Bloom]

Hey, friends.

[Producer/Announcer]

We're working on an episode about why humans love to dance, and we want

[Molly Bloom]

you to be in it.

[Producer/Announcer]

There have been lots of dance crazes over the years, from the Charleston to the moonwalk.

[Molly Bloom]

Now you make one up, think up

[Producer/Announcer]

a new dance move and tell us all about it. Record yourself telling us about the dance and send it to [e-mail] contact can't

[Molly Bloom]

wait to hear about your slick new moves.

[Producer/Announcer]

You can also send us questions and mystery sounds. There. Again, that's brainson.org contact thanks.

[Molly Bloom]

Today's episode is sponsored by Shopify. When Brains on Universe went independent recently, we had a lot of decisions to

[Producer/Announcer]

make and one of them was trying

[Molly Bloom]

to figure out what to do with

[Producer/Announcer]

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[Molly Bloom]

And we turned to Shopify. Shopify's templates and tools get you a stunning site up and running fast. And you don't need to know how to code Shopify.

[Producer/Announcer]

Checkout means more customers actually buy stuff and returning ones can do it in

[Molly Bloom]

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[Producer/Announcer]

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[Molly Bloom]

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[Producer/Announcer]

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[Molly Bloom]

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[Producer/Announcer]

Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, from

[Molly Bloom]

household names like Mattel and Gymshark to small businesses just getting started and independent kids podcasts like us. All you need is the idea. Shopify handles the rest. Start your free [e-mail] brainson Again, that's shopify.com brainson. Brains on this is Brains On. I'm Molly.

[Penny]

And I'm Penny, and we're talking about brains.

[Molly Bloom]

Brains are super important. They help control our body and keep us alive.

[Penny]

And they're packed with billions of special cells called neurons and galea.

[Molly Bloom]

The brain is also very soft. It's actually one of the softest things in the human body.

[Penny]

Yeah, even with our hard skull around it, the brain is delicate. We need to be very careful with our heads.

[Molly Bloom]

So why isn't the brain more stiff and sturdy so we don't have to worry so much?

[Penny]

To find out, we spoke to someone who knows a thing or two about brains.

[Melissa Campbell]

I have touched many brains. It feels like tofu. If you've ever felt tofu. Maybe like medium firm tofu. They're soft and smooth.

[Penny]

That's Dr. Melissa Campbell.

[Molly Bloom]

She studies the brain and teaches about it at the University of California, San Diego.

[Melissa Campbell]

I've touched mostly mouse brains, but I have touched human brains too. When I was in medical school, we, you know, some people, when they die, they donate their body so that medical students can learn about the brain. And we actually got to touch and look at human brains that people have donated after they passed away so we can learn about what's inside human brains.

[Molly Bloom]

Melissa says one reason the brain is so soft is because the cells of the brain don't have as much structure around them.

[Penny]

That means they have less packaging or housing to protect them.

[Molly Bloom]

Sticking with food metaphors, picture a lunchbox, the kind with little sections for Each

[Producer/Announcer]

snack, you know, like little walls separating

[Molly Bloom]

the carrot sticks from the blueberries.

[Penny]

That's what moose cells in your body are like. They're the snacks with the little walls

[Melissa Campbell]

around them, like a little bento box with each of the cells in their own little spot.

[Penny]

Those walls help protect the cells and make them stronger so they can't be damaged that easily.

[Molly Bloom]

But brain cells are different. They don't have those little walls. They're more like a bowl of cooked spaghetti with the noodles all loose in there, just oodles of noodles.

[Melissa Campbell]

Some parts of the brain are a little bit harder, but never very hard. It would be like cooked spaghetti altogether if you had like a whole stretch of a bunch of spaghetti together. And that feels a little hard, but it's still easy to break.

[Penny]

So brain cells are soft and have less protection than other cells. But there must be a reason, right?

[Molly Bloom]

Turns out there is. Here's Melissa again.

[Melissa Campbell]

So one of the things that's really awesome about brains is that they are always growing and learning and changing.

[Penny]

Brains grow and learn and change by making connections between those neuron cells. We talked about.

[Molly Bloom]

The more connections the cells make, the more they can communicate with each other and the more information they can share.

[Penny]

Think of it this way. Those neuron cells are like roads, and information and ideas are like cars that use those roads to get around.

[Molly Bloom]

The more the roads are connected, the more places the cars can go. So in your brain, the more the

[Producer/Announcer]

neurons can add and change connections, the

[Molly Bloom]

more information can zip around.

[Penny]

And being soft helps those brain cells make those connections.

[Molly Bloom]

If the brain cells were stiffer, they wouldn't be able to stretch, grow, and

[Producer/Announcer]

branch out as easily.

[Molly Bloom]

Plus, because brain cells don't have as much support around them, they take up less space.

[Melissa Campbell]

If we built more structure into the brain so that it had more support, each cell had more support. We probably have fewer cells, or if we wanted to have the same number of cells, and our brains would be huge, and then they're already pretty huge. We have some of the biggest brains in the animal kingdom relative to our body size.

[Molly Bloom]

So it's sort of a trade off. Our brain cells trade having strong protection around them for being able to make more connections and being able to squeeze

[Penny]

more cells into our head.

[Molly Bloom]

Coming up, more tips on how to take care of that bowl of cooked spaghetti in your head. But first, let's check the mailbag.

[Sandon]

Hi, Brianzom buddies. Sandon here to check the mailbag. Let's see what we got. Oh, here's one for Bob. Let's see. Ah, okay, so it's from Jackson in Tucson. And it says, jackson found this price tag on a bottle of sauce that we got from the grocery store and thought Bob would like to have it in his collection. Okay, cool. Oh, and it comes with a note that says, this is for Bob. Oh, and there's the price tag. Aw, snap. It's a $4.99 price tag. You know, Bob is gonna love it. Bob collects price tags. And this one is minty, pristine condition. Great classic price tag font. This is an A tag Jackson. He will adore it. Thank you so much. Well, if you have something you want to send to us at Brainson, just go to brainson.org contact. You can also send us drawings, mystery sounds, or ideas for new rooms in our headquarters. All right, can't wait to hear from you. Thanks. And until next time, Sandin out.

[Molly Bloom]

Want to support this kind of show and get ad free versions of everything we make? Join Smartypass. It's quick and easy. Just go to smartypass.org thanks. Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba.

[Timmy Le]

Brains on.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, back to brains. If you have one, and I hope you do, then you should take good care of it.

[Penny]

Here to give us tips on doing that is Timmy Le.

[Molly Bloom]

He studies the brain at the University of Massachusetts. Hi, Timmy.

[Timmy Le]

Hi. Great to be here.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, we're so happy to have you here. So, first up, can you tell us why it's important to protect our brains with a helmet?

[Timmy Le]

Yeah, helmets are very important. So even though nature give us a natural barrier to protect our brains in the form of a skull, it is still not enough for one second. I would like you to think of an egg. Naturally. It has a shell to protect what's inside of it. However, it is not enough when we drop it from a high kitchen counter or throw against the floor at high speed. Similarly, our skulls provide a natural layer of protection when we accidentally bump our head against a wall. But please, do not do this on purpose. It's not good for your brain because the effect can add up in the long run. Even though accidentally bumping our heads do hurt a lot afterwards, the skull did its job in protecting our brains. But this is very important. Our skull is not enough to protect our brains when we are riding our bikes or running into each other at high speeds in sports like hockey, therefore, we have to protect our brains using a helmet, because our helmet acts as an extra layer of protection.

[Molly Bloom]

So, like a little bump here and there, your skull is enough. But if you're moving fast, you gotta protect it better.

[Timmy Le]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Gotcha.

[Penny]

I hear the brain has lots of water in it. Is that true?

[Timmy Le]

Yeah, that's true. So let me start by explaining that the brain is an organization which is something that's in your body that works to really control how you're living. The brain is an organ that's made up of very tiny living things called cells. And they're so small that we would need a microscope to see them. Although these brain cells are very small, they're mighty when they work together. This is the ultimate example of teamwork, like playing on FIFA World cup soccer team. Or you can also think of them as Lego blocks. Individually, our brain cells do not do much, but when you put them together, they help us think, breathe, and have the conversation that we are having right now. And like all living things, they need water to work properly.

[Penny]

When we drink water, does some of it go up to the brain?

[Timmy Le]

So the brain inside our heads right now is approximately 80% water. So this is why, like, when you don't drink enough water, you might have a headache. It's basically your brain telling you that you need to drink more water.

[Penny]

What does sleep do for the brain?

[Timmy Le]

Yeah, so sleep is very important for your brain because throughout the day our brain's taking so much information. When taking so much information, it needs time to rest and process the information for us to recall later where like, ask ourselves, oh, what happened during the day? So think about it as folding our clothes and putting it away in a drawer. If we do not fold our clothes and put it away properly, it'll be very difficult to find them later. Similarly, our brains need sleep or a break from the day in order to put all the information away that we took during the day.

[Molly Bloom]

Would you say there are big differences between kid brains and grown up brains?

[Timmy Le]

Ooh, this is a very interesting question and this is a topic that I studied a lot when I was in school. So yes, there is a big difference. So kids brains are more likely to form connections better and quicker between the brain cells than adult brains. This is why it's much easier for kids to learn new things like learning a new language than it is for an adult. Adult brains, however, have stronger and more efficient connections. This is because adults have more life experiences. However, this strong and efficient connection that allows adult brain to think much quicker tend to slow down when adults get older, which is approximately when they turn 60 or 70 years old.

[Penny]

Can you encourage your brain to grow more connections?

[Timmy Le]

Yes, the brain is a very amazing organ that's constantly changing. These changes are what we Call neuroplasticity, or the process in which the brain grows new connections between other brain cells. We can encourage our brains to grow new connections between the brain cells by learning. You can do this through learning a new topic at school, or how to play a new instrument in the band, or being active and learning new skills like playing a sport like baseball or softball.

[Penny]

I really like the paint. Is painting good for your brain?

[Timmy Le]

Yes, it's very good for your brain. The reason behind that is painting is such a creative activity. It means that you use like every single different part of your brain. You use the part that control your paintbrush so like the part of the brain that controlled your hands so you can do each stroke of painting. It also causes your brain to imagine things like what you want to paint and all that part of the brain work together so that you can work on that paint stroke so you can make that picture on your canvas.

[Molly Bloom]

Wow, that's really cool.

[Penny]

Do you have any tips for keeping our brains healthy for far into the future?

[Timmy Le]

Yes. The stuff you choose to do now will have a big impact on your brain as it becomes an adult brain. So it is very important for you to listen to your trusted adult like your parents when they tell you to go to bed, eat your fruits and vegetables and wear a helmet. Most importantly, with your trusted adult's permission, it's important to go outside and play. Your brain needs more information than just being on your iPad all day. But however, if you don't like to go outside because it's too hot, cold or rainy, you can ask your trusted adult for a library card so you can borrow a book. It's like YouTube and you do not need the Internet for it to work.

[Molly Bloom]

Thank you for making time to chat with us.

[Penny]

Thank you for coming on the show.

[Timmy Le]

It was my pleasure.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Bye bye, Penny. Hey Molly. Hey Penny. It's me, Dwayne the brain. I'm back.

[Molly Bloom]

Hey Dwayne.

[Dwayne the Brain]

How are the badgers and sharks doing?

[Penny]

We fed them some cheese curds and now they're all sleeping peacefully.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Nice. So I've been thinking about what you said. You know how brains are the best.

[Molly Bloom]

Uh huh.

[Dwayne the Brain]

I agree, obviously. And I propose we make a holiday just for brains.

[Penny]

I like that idea. Brain day.

[Dwayne the Brain]

When would it be? Sunday.

[Molly Bloom]

You mean this Sunday?

[Dwayne the Brain]

No, every Sunday. Once a week seems fair for something as epic as your brain. On Brainy day Sundays, you do things brains love. Take us for a walk in nature, let us read a book. Give us puzzles and brain healthy snacks like salmon, avocados and berries. Tell Us how pretty and wrinkly we are. That kind of stuff.

[Penny]

Honestly, that sounds like a perfect Sunday.

[Molly Bloom]

You had me at reading and snacking.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Perfect. Let's just go ahead and make it a national. Wait, no. An international. No, wait. Intergalactic holiday.

[Penny]

Cool, cool.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Okay. See you later.

[Molly Bloom]

Bye, Dwayne.

[Penny]

The brain is super important, but it is also super delicate.

[Molly Bloom]

It's made up of billions of special cells called neurons and glia.

[Penny]

The brain learns and changes by making more connections between those neuron cells.

[Molly Bloom]

And being soft lets those cells make more connections.

[Penny]

And because neurons don't have a ton of structure around them, we can fit more of them in our heads.

[Molly Bloom]

It's important to wear helmets to protect our brains. Sleep, water and reading and painting help your brain, too.

[Producer/Announcer]

That's it for this episode of Brains On. This episode was produced by me, Molly Bloom, Marc Sanchez, and Sandon Totten. It was sound designed by Mark Sanchez

[Molly Bloom]

and he also wrote our theme music.

[Producer/Announcer]

We had voice acting by Lulu. Special thanks to Susie Sandrew and Levi and Ken Taborski at Code of the north for their website help.

[Molly Bloom]

So, Penny, are you ready for the mystery sound again?

[Dwayne the Brain]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, here we go. Okay.

[Penny]

It kind of sounds like wood on the top of a ping pong table. Or just having the ping pong hitter and just hitting it up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down.

[Molly Bloom]

I like that. And you also thought last time that

[Penny]

it might be a horse also singing in the background. Like maybe a party.

[Molly Bloom]

Ooh, I love that idea. A party where there's a horse and a ping pong table present. We don't know. Do you ready for the answer?

[Dwayne the Brain]

Sure.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay.

[Penny]

I'm Ellie from North Carolina, and that was the sound of horses pulling a wagon. The reason why I like this sound is there are bells, and it makes me feel very jingly inside. I got the horse. Correct?

[Molly Bloom]

You sure did. And it was pulling a wagon. And it had jingle bells on it.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Jingle, jingle, jingle.

[Molly Bloom]

I love the sound of those bells.

[Producer/Announcer]

It's very soothing. Now it's time for the brains honor roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings and high fives. Elliot from raleigh, carolina. Warren from wesley chapel, florida.

[Molly Bloom]

Diego from boston.

[Producer/Announcer]

David from bethesda, maryland. Evelyn from lakewood, colorado. Emory grace from houston, texas. Beatrix from san francisco. Uli from madison, wisconsin. Aurelia from portsmouth, rhode island. Rhea rose from portland, oregon. Carter from san diego. Francis and cedar from lincoln, nebraska. Alice from san francisco. Zoe samara from houston, texas. Ben from liberty, lake, washington harper grace from conway, arkansas aiden from woodinville, washington lucia from chicago mateen from san francisco izzy and morgan from springfield, virginia wesley from tucson, arizona rose from richmond, virginia jamie and from cortland manor, new york adeline from brisbane, australia wesley from cincinnati vera from herndon, virginia kira from sammamish, washington trent from del mar, new york oliver and elliot from boone, north carolina sebastian from greenwood, south carolina amelia from renton, washington bodie from newton, massachusetts charlotte and ruby from smyrna, tennessee taryn from st. Paul, minnesota griffin from east selkirk, manitoba maverick from goshen, new york ian from davis, california june from union city, california kai from honolulu, hawaii natalie, josiah and mariana from lancaster, pennsylvania eleanor from catletsburg, kentucky brogan from law, in oklahoma porter from lady smith, british columbia amelia from los angeles alex from modesto, california bryn and mikey from piedmont, oklahoma logan from danville, indiana anders from dodgeville, wisconsin indigo from livingston, texas ruth and hazel from atlanta kennedy from covington, georgia hannah from san antonio, texas liam from gig harbor, washington vivianne from vancouver ewan and imogene from germantown, maryland ella from alcoa, tennessee willa from nanaimo, british columbia annika from sacramento june and grayson from placerville, california julia and leo from castleberry, florida cora from skokie, illinois and nev from thousand oaks, california. We'll be back next week with a

[Molly Bloom]

visit from the hoax hunters.

[Dwayne the Brain]

Thanks for listening.