Paul Andersen explains the process of anaerobic respiration. This process involves glycolysis and fermentation and allows organisms to survive without oxygen. Lactic acid fermentation is used in animals and bacteria and uses lactate as...

Why does fire burn? What's the chemistry and physics of a flame? This week, learn about the beautiful science happening inside a flame!

Different fuels create different types of fires, and each one needs to be extinguished using a specific strategy. Do you know which class of extinguisher is needed for different fires?

Paul Andersen explains how paraffin vapor combusts in a candle. He also describes energy and mass conversion and almost burns himself.

Poisoning has always been a popular method of getting rid of one’s enemies, but is there actually a “perfect” poison capable of being completely undetectable? Here are 6 of the poisons that have confounded doctors throughout...

Mount Everest is unquestionably the highest point on earth, but it doesn't always feel that way.

Paul Andersen explains the importance and location of interstitial fluid. He describes both the hydrostatic and osmotic pressures that move fluid between the interstitial fluid and the capillary. He also explains the major function of...

When you burn fat, where does it go? Many people, even some doctors, think it's just "burned up." But that's not possible! Find out where your fat really goes!

If we want to establish a colony on the Moon, coming up with enough water is a huge challenge. Scientists have long suspected there might be water hiding on the lunar surface. Were they right? Plus, some quick recovery work led to...

Paul Andersen explains how enzymes are used to break down substrates. The correct shape of the active site allows a key/lock fit between the enzyme and the substrate. The enzyme catalase is used to break down hydrogen peroxide. The...

Mr. Andersen shows you how write the chemical formula for chemical names.

Approximately seven million people around the world die from heart attacks every year. And cardiovascular disease, which causes heart attacks and other problems like strokes, is the world's leading killer. So what causes a heart attack?...

Mr. Andersen explains the concept of a limiting reactant (or a limiting reagent) in a chemical reaction. He also shows you how to calculate the limiting reactant and the percent yield in a chemical reaction.

Paul Andersen describes how life could have formed on our planet through natural processes. The progression from monomers, to polymers, to protocells and finally to cells is described. The Miller-Urey experiment is described in detail...

You might not believe it, but the same chemistry that brought us bulletproof vests and modern sailing sails also gave us the technology to build your smart phone. But that doesn’t mean these chemists were thinking about these...

Insects outnumber humans by a lot and we only like to think we're in charge because we're bigger than they are. But insects and other arthropods weren't always so small. About 315 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period, they...

Hank teaches us why water is one of the most fascinating and important substances in the universe.

This week, Hank elaborates on why Fugu can kill you by illustrating the ideas of solutions and discussing molarity, molality, and mass percent. Also, why polar solvents dissolve polar solutes, and nonpolar solvents dissolve...

Does your heart rate have an upper limit and could you ever reach it?

What makes crystals grow into their signature shapes? Dig into the atomic patterns and unique properties of crystals. -- Many crystals have signature shapes— like the cascade of pointed quartz or a pile of galena cubes. Every...

In this video Paul Andersen explains the importance of oxygen in accepting electrons. He begins with a brief description of combustion. He then explains the role of oxygen in aerobic cellular respiration.

One of the problems with the whole idea of a single Scientific Revolution is that some disciplines decided not to join any revolution. And others just took a long time to get there.

Paul Andersen explains how organs work together to form organ systems and how organ systems work together to form organisms. The kidney and bladder work together to filter blood in the excretory system. The circulatory and respiratory...

Science has come a long way in understanding how our universe works and that road has been full of wrong turns and dead ends. Here are 6 scientific explanations that turned out to be way off track.

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