We’ve been catching colds for millennia – but it wasn’t until fairly recently that we actually understood how and why we get sneezy, coughy, and achy.

In this episode, we find out more about the common cold: Does standing outside in the cold actually make it easier to get sick? Is there a cure that really works? Could there be a benefit to catching the rhinovirus? Listen for all the answers + the mystery sound!

And we want you to send us a recording of your sneeze! We’re going to take the sneezes we get and remix them into a super sneeze mix. Send your recording to brainson [at] mpr [dot] org

Brains On! is an award-winning audio show for kids and families from American Public Media.