Brains On

All About Feelings

Brains On! is an award-winning audio show for kids and families. Each week, a different kid co-host joins Molly Bloom to find answers to fascinating questions about the world. Our mission is to encourage kids’ natural curiosity and wonder using science and history…but there’s no age limit on curiosity and episodes of Brains On can be enjoyed by anyone.

Where do feelings come from? And why do we have them? In this four-part collaboration between Brains On! and Call to Mind, we're digging deep into our emotions.

Part 1: Happy

In this first episode, we're getting happy! We'll get a play-by-play of the chemicals in our brain that trigger joyful feelings, and use the zoom ray to see what good vibes do for our bodies. We'll also hear about how each of us have different emotional thermostats and why thinking about our feelings can help us figure out what to do with them.

Part 2: Sad

This is the second episode in our four-part series on feelings! In this episode, we're covering the small and big parts of sadness.

We'll learn about how social animals -- from goldfish and penguins, to humans -- all seem to get sad sometimes. We'll talk about some ways to help handle sad feelings (doctor-approved pet cuddles, anyone?). And Neptune and Pluto will join us to cover a few ways to help friends or family members who are feeling blue.

Part 3: Angry

Today we're learning why we all get angry and what to do with that emotion. We'll get in touch with our inner Super You Person and learn what physical reactions anger can trigger in our bodies.

We'll also hear how our listeners describe their anger and talk to NPR reporter Michaeleen Doucleff about the different flavors of anger that people describe around the world.

Part 4: Nervous

You know that feeling when you have butterflies in your stomach? Or maybe you get sweaty and hot? Or maybe you get fidgety and your heart beats really fast? Yeah, we know those feelings too. Today we're finding out why being anxious can make our bodies feel that way.

We'll find out why fear has been really useful to our survival as a species and what you can do if that fear and anxiety is too much to handle.