Mon, 31 December 2012
The weirdest, the poopiest, the funniest, and the silliest moments of Good Job, Brain! all in one end-of-year episode. We share are favorite quizzes, facts, and histories. That's right, there ain't no shame in having a clips show! Have a happy and brainy new year! |
Mon, 24 December 2012
Brown paper packages tied up with string...these are a few of my favorite things! Chris shares his Nintendo expertise and that old box of videogames in your attic might be worth lots of money! Colin quizzes us on his love of typography. Karen's favorite thing is actually extremely poisonous. And Dana schools us on her favorite thing: wordplay. ALSO: how to prepare for a quiz bowl, genetic hybrids (ZORSE!), the trivia-heavy story of Fleetwood Mac, and "Painter? Or Cheese?" |
Mon, 17 December 2012
Put on your stretchy pants and prepare to feast on these holiday food facts: fermented shark from Iceland's midwinter festival, superstitions around Christmas pudding, Jell-O (with cheese?), and the prowess of the Easter hare. ALSO: Country name quiz, 42 & antipodes, and our failed attempts at coming up with alternate names for vegetarian haggis. |
Mon, 10 December 2012
Unwind with us while we indulge in the guilty pleasure of weird celeb gossip: famous stars with crazy high IQ, why you should not let Prince rent your house, intriguing human body anomalies and the famous people who have them, stage names vs. real names. ALSO: Music Round, eyeball mnemonic, and the BONOBOS SMARTY PANTS LISTENER CHALLENGE! |
Mon, 3 December 2012
Turn up the Trivia Newton John because your brain's about to get PHYSICAL! Can you name the popular hang-out spots from TV shows? See if you know any of Dana's weird words for weird things segment. Karen's get into character for a round of literature. Chris schools us on video game consoles, and Colin asks, "What's the Difference?" ALSO: military stinkbombs, and Scooby Doo's real name. |
Mon, 26 November 2012
Hey, who farted? We sniff out the story behind scents and smells! How our brains associate smells with memories, Smell-o-vision at the movies, bizarre perfume ingredients, the odd world of celebrity fragrances, how stores are manipulating you with scents, anosmia, and can you trademark a smell? ALSO: fantastic old-timey words, "First in Line" quiz. |
Mon, 19 November 2012
Grrah! Get ready to punch trivia in the face with your MANLINESS because we are celebrating MAN stuff: important moments in beard history, etymology behind BBQ, snacks designed for men only, innovations in urinals, and the classic(?) American folktale of Paul Bunyan. ALSO: Pepsi's new fat-blocking soda, collective nouns, and what exactly does "begging the question" mean? |
Tue, 13 November 2012
Let's have fun fumbling through the English language! Think you know when to use i.e., e.g., [sic], etc.? Misheard lyrics, "eggcorns," finger fumblers, and more! Is there a special profession meaning behind YOUR last name? Drink your can of Bite the Wax Tadpole while Karen quizzes the gang on mind-bogglingly stellar examples of translation. |
Mon, 5 November 2012
Zippadeedoodah! Our mind-blowing offbeat Disney episode: the tale behind early Lucas/Disney collaboration, the secret psychology of waiting in lines in Disney parks, Disney song quiz, Walt Disney's lesser-known roots, Michael Jackson, and.... A REAL-LIFE VIDEOGAME ISLAND?! ALSO: Album art music challenge, CSI: GJB! |
Mon, 29 October 2012
Let's get hopped up on sugar GUYS, GALS, & GILA MONSTERS. Controversy! Intrigue! Hot molten explosions in your face! We dive into the weird world of candy just in time for Halloween. Serving the sweet scoop on Cadbury Creme Eggs, Tootsie Roll Pops, Gobstoppers, and more. ALSO: "Wonka? Or Urban Dictionary?," candy name quiz, a very special comics quiz formulated for extra awesomeness and gamma radiation. |
Mon, 22 October 2012
Get out your sandpaper because this one's for the quiz buffs! So many individual quiz segments. Karen rounded up her favorite film scores for a special Music Round, Chris grills us on burgers, Colin's got travel on the mind, and Dana describes dancing diddies. ALSO: the best punctuation mark, license plates, brain anagram puzzles, and more! |
Mon, 15 October 2012
Let's spend a day at the office! We find out how the modern office cubicle came into being, the shockingly old history behind the vending machine, office movie trivia, coffee breaks, and the not-so-nice origin of the Scotch tape. ALSO: secrets to identifying major African nations, science quiz, the world's fastest clown, and a very special listener challenge! |
Mon, 8 October 2012
Still remember how to do the Macarena? We reminisce and discuss the origins of Pogs, singing raisins, ridiculous trend diets, Sanrio, and Hello Kitty. If you think modern fads are nuts, we also talk about the ridiculous crazes from the old-timey days like collecting limes, portable marionettes, and the first 3D movie mania. ALSO: bizarre headlines, and we finally caught Carmin San Mateo and got our music quiz back! |
Mon, 1 October 2012
Roses are red / violets are blue / we can't talk about color / without mentioning poo. We dive into the world of color: weird color names, chameleons, the legitimacy of purple, cheddar cheese vs. flamingos, color character name quiz, Crayola crayon controversy, heterochromia, and why we'd want to take Monet to a rave party. ALSO: animal collective nouns, wine quiz |
Mon, 24 September 2012
SWEAT. Flex those Adonis mental muscles because it's another All Quiz Bonanza! Video game trivia, "Belgium or Not Belgium?," Tarantino flicks, famous scientist anagrams, name that X-Men power, rockstar alter egos, and movie trivia GALORE. This episode is dedicated to our superfriend and superlistener Fred G who's our top Kickstarter backer! |
Mon, 17 September 2012
Prepare for the inevitable robot uprising by learning about...well, robots! Eymology, first appearances in culture, hanging out in the uncanny valley, historical Japanese tea-serving automatons and French duck robots. Inspiration behind C3PO & R2D2, TV + Movie Robot quiz, and of course, our own robot E.L.V.I.S. is back! ALSO: Brainiacs Book Club, and a *VERY AWESOME* music round. |
Mon, 10 September 2012
Watch out for those ACME anvils because we're transporting everyone into the world of TV cartoons this week! Brief history of animation, why you have to thank the government for the 80's cartoon explosion, mind-blowing origins behind our favorites, Villains quiz, cartoon bands, how Simpsons was created in a moment of panic, and more! ALSO: "What's in a Name?" quiz |
Mon, 3 September 2012
All aboard! Mind-blowing facts about transportation. We find out what's up with those old-timey bikes with the humongous front wheel, airplane secrets, the Hindenburg, JK Rowling's minor error, and train facts that will make your brain go OOoOooOooOoO! ALSO: "Whose Ride is it Anyways" quiz, and "One Letter Off" word puzzle and new listener challenge. |
Mon, 27 August 2012
DO IT, ROCKAPELLA. We celebrate our half-birthday milestone by talking about our favorite world landmarks: Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China, Giza Pyramids, and Chris reveals his Statue of Liberty obsession. And of course, the gang relives the golden sleuthing days of Carmen Sandiego. ALSO: Our new favorite words, special edition listener challenge, easy trick for memorizing the colors of the eBay and Google logos in order |
Mon, 20 August 2012
Our most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational all-quiz show! Dana's got a round of Muppets trivia, Colin's got a geography and mononym celebrity names, Karen mixes things up with a mash-up round, and Chris quizzes us on very MAN-ly superhero names. ALSO: mind-blowing history behind the fortune cookie, the best/worst/sleaziest International Date Line pick-up line ever, and of course, a mini-segment of our favorite animal sex facts. |
Mon, 13 August 2012
Go for the gold with these lesser known Olympics trivia and history tidbits: hot air ballooning, mascot quiz, the weird link between pole vaulting and Donkey Kong, Olympic ring color mnemonic, Fatso the Wombat, and the strange science behind official equipment. ALSO: the cure for jet-lagged hamsters, Oklahoma's state vegetable, "Hey! That Sounds Familiar!" Music Round, and GO BANANAS with our very special announcement! |
Mon, 6 August 2012
We invite you to lean back, relax, and indulge in a nice refreshing beverage with us! Quench your thirst with amazing facts about beloved beverages: milkshakes, boba tea, sodas, and hot chocolate. Dana tries to stump us with Snapple lid factoids, and Chris hosts the game "Coke or Pepsi?" ALSO: 80's quiz battle, and a very special round of New York City trivia |
Mon, 30 July 2012
Breaking bulletin, boardgame buffs! Facts and origin stories of our favorite classic boardgames: Monopoly, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit. Boardgames modification quiz, the importance of Monopoly "house rules", and we venture back into a bit of Star Wars trivia. Also: a VERY special 80's version Pop Quiz, Hot Shot!, how to memorize the Bill of Rights, and we announce the winner of our Singing Robot naming contest. |
Mon, 23 July 2012
Ironic to describe our plants show as "meaty" but boy oh boy, we cover LOTS of fantastic topics in this episode: poisonous plants, stinky plants, drug plants, and yes, we even named a plant our A-Hole of the Week! Also: plant character quiz, "Whose Ride is it Anyways?," LSD baseball, and a special Encyclopedia Brown tribute. |
Mon, 16 July 2012
So many segments in our 4th All Quiz Bonanza show: Chris schools us on "bookkeeping" and crazy English words derived from Japanese, Karen has a mystery round ("Mysteround?"), Dana challenges us to a dance-off, and Colin made us a round of "Sports Trivia for Non-Sports Fans." And guess who's back? THE CRAZY SINGING ROBOT. Also: "backronyms," why Karen is mad at Siri, and one bizarre headline. |
Mon, 9 July 2012
We salivate over bountiful breakfast trivia: cereal mascots, waffles, Pop-Tarts, and Cap'n Crunch. Dig into the historical facts behind bagels, Aunt Jemima, and the intense beef between Kellogg's & Post! Also: weird words, Chris' first Music Round attempt, and ...yogurt in uncomfortable places. |
Mon, 2 July 2012
Squeaky clean fun facts behind the things you use in the bathroom: why does orange juice taste weird after brushing your teeth? Mind-blowing truth behind shampoo, what Listerine was really made for, toilet tidbits, and both low and high tech regarding the Japanese public bathrooms. ALSO: Band name origin quiz, and the trick to identifying the countries in Central America. |
Mon, 25 June 2012
ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I'LL TALK! We explore the history and validity behind classic and historical execution and torture methods: guillotine, iron maiden, Catherine wheel, walk the plank, and Chinese water torture. More importantly, find out how Van Halen and Barney the dinosaur saved the day! ALSO: Music Round takes a trip to the movies, "Um...Actually" |
Mon, 18 June 2012
HEY HEY HEY HEY. It's our Sweet Sixteen show, and we're all about teen movies- trivia about Ferris Bueller's Day Off, American Pie, and more! Did you know many teen movies out there are actually based on classic literature? Also: "Common Thread" quiz, how to correctly identify the four Teletubbies, and awesome celebrity anagrams. |
Mon, 11 June 2012
Zip up that fly, Smarty Pants, because we're trying out some new stuff for this episode! Fascinating factoids and quizzes about ice cream, humble beginnings, Disney, and...robot voices? Suprises GALORE so we don't want to spoil too much. |
Sun, 3 June 2012
...BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL! Join us as we skip down memory lane and talk about the delightful origins and facts behind our favorite dolls and action figures. Learn how Star Wars and Barbie revolutionized the toy industry, how Cabbage Patch dolls get fertilized, and WHAT EXACTLY IS STRETCH ARMSTRONG MADE OUT OF?! Also: toy name quiz, and see if you can find the two Mel Brooks references Karen made in the episode! |
Mon, 28 May 2012
Grrarr! We find scientific theories about the existence of popular monsters such as cyclops, unicorns, and the Loch Ness monster. We do some unnecessarily extensive research on how exactly would mermaids make merbabies, and sexy vampire lore. Also: monster body part quiz, what "Godzilla" actually means, a mnemonic that will help you memorize all of the 12 labors of Hercules in order, and the "Black & Blue" quiz. |
Mon, 21 May 2012
Hey Smart Cookies - LET'S GET READY TO CCRRUUMMMBLLLEEEE. An all-quiz episode to keep your noggin nimble. Movies! Literature! Animal superlatives! Dogs! Famous Final Lines! ...and of course...the Music Round is back. |
Mon, 14 May 2012
Remember when Hypercolor and acid-wash jeans were cool? Lots of laughs in this episode about ridiculous fashion trends and their origins. Learn about intriguing facts behind a simple pair of blue jeans, the bikini, powdered wigs, and more. ALSO: pop culture style quiz, new listener challenge, and impressive tricky geography trivia. |
Mon, 7 May 2012
Chris said it best: nothing that man can think up in science-fiction stories is crazier, creepier, and more disgusting than nature. Mother Nature is a very odd gal. We share our research on weird animals and behavior, and shocking animal ingredients in our everyday lives. ALSO: pop quiz!, famous paradoxes, and how to memorize very specific parts of the male anatomy. |
Mon, 30 April 2012
DOH! You might end up getting a food coma just from listening to this episode. Greasy and sugary origin tales behind junkfood and outrageous snack finds: donuts, maltballs, Cheetos, and other delicious offenders. ALSO: Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, double-letter quiz, and new listener challenge! |
Mon, 23 April 2012
Gold underwear, chopsticks, and rabbit's foot. Everyone has their own crazy superstitions and lucky charms. We confess to our own rituals, talk about really nutty ones in the world of sports and theatre, and find out about the origins of classic superstitions like black cats and triskaidekaphobia. Hope you enjoy the show, FINGERS CROSSED! (Har har.) ALSO: bizarre headlines, name the famous pooch, Chris' special challenge! |
Mon, 16 April 2012
What do wax tadpoles and Wonka have in common? Find out in this big advertising episode! Our favorite unsuccessful marketing campaigns, advertisement urban legends, ridiculous informercials, company mascot/spokesperson quiz, our own shameless plugs, the ultra-useful mnemonic for identifying the Rice Krispies Elves, and the mysterious anatomy of the Starbucks lady creature. BONUS: Our pub trivia tactics! |
Mon, 9 April 2012
Crossword champ Tyler Hinman joins us for a fantastic fest fawning over words. We talk about the history and process of constructing crosswords, why Noah Webster is our A-hole of the week, and we introduce you to your new ultimate favorite word of THE FOREVER! ALSO: pop quiz, odd spelling bee, Chris Hansen, movie titles lost in translation, and how to memorize the biological taxonomy order. |
Mon, 2 April 2012
An all-quiz episode! Movie portrayals, psychic trivia, food+drink, rhymes, and Music Round is back. Ladies and Gentlemen, fire up those brains! |
Mon, 26 March 2012
That Tommy Edison sure was a class-A jerkface! We also gab about the invention of cornflakes, air-conditioning, tampons, Ouija board, Viagra, and more. ALSO: pop quiz, etymology factoids, highest-rated movies, and top film quotes of all time. |
Mon, 19 March 2012
Expensive gourmet food and the opulent stories behind them. Let's just say we took a few intriguing turns and found ourselves in the absolutely eccentric (and dark) sector of the haute cuisine world. ALSO: pop quiz, foreign food translations, weird name origins of companies |
Mon, 12 March 2012
We dish about classic fairytales along with their more scandalous and gruesome folklore origins. Find out what "Rapunzel" actually means, and learn why Charles Dickens hates Hans Christian Andersen's face. ALSO: Pop Quiz, how to memorize pi, "First in Line" |
Sun, 4 March 2012
Kanpai! Slainte! Cheers! Douse yourself in eccentric facts about liquor, spirits, and libations. Seagull wine, beer laws, cocktail origins, "alternative" imbibation methods, and more. Also: pop quiz, music round, and how to memorize the provinces of Canada. |