TED Talks
Vilayanur Ramachandran: The neurons that shaped civilization
Neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran outlines the fascinating functions of mirror neurons. Only recently discovered, these neurons allow us to learn complex social behaviors, some of which formed the foundations of human civilization as...
TED Talks
Nina Tandon: Could tissue engineering mean personalized medicine?
Each of our bodies is utterly unique, which is a lovely thought until it comes to treating an illness -- when every body reacts differently, often unpredictably, to standard treatment. Tissue engineer Nina Tandon talks about a possible...
TED Talks
Tony Wyss-Coray: How young blood might help reverse aging. Yes, really
Tony Wyss-Coray studies the impact of aging on the human body and brain. In this eye-opening talk, he shares new research from his Stanford lab and other teams which shows that a solution for some of the less great aspects of old age...
SciShow
Plants. Can't. Count. - ...except they kinda can...
It seems silly to ask if plants can count, but even the New York Times has called Venus flytraps 'Plants That Can Count.' Is counting a thing plants can do?
SciShow
8 of the Worst Stinging Insects
Generally, humans try to avoid getting stung by insects. However, in the name of science, the betterment of humanity, and pure curiosity, there are brave people out there who willingly subject themselves to the business end of the most...
SciShow
This Fruit Could Treat Parkinson's... Even Though It Causes Parkinson's Symptoms
In the 90s, patients displaying symptoms similar to, but not exactly like Parkinson's Disease left doctors scratching their heads. But when they took a look at their patients' diets, they found the culprit in the form of a popular and...
TED Talks
Kay M. Tye: What investigating neural pathways can reveal about mental health
Neuroscientist Kay M. Tye investigates how your brain gives rise to complex emotional states like depression, anxiety or loneliness. From the cutting edge of science, she shares her latest findings -- including the development of a tool...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do schools of fish swim in harmony? - Nathan S. Jacobs
How do schools of fish swim in harmony? How do the tiny cells in your brain give rise to the complex thoughts, memories, and consciousness that are you? Oddly enough, those questions have the same general answer. Nathan S. Jacobs...
SciShow
Does a Bigger Brain Make You Smarter?
In some cartoons, the one with a bigger brain is often described as "smart," but is it true in real life?
SciShow
Octopuses Are Ridiculously Smart
Octopuses are smart! They play with toys, pull off daring escapes, and are masters of disguise. But they're also smart in a lot of ways that the human mind probably can't comprehend. For example, they basically have independent brains in...
SciShow
Your Brain Once Had a Superpower. Could You Get It Back?
A lot of the adaptability of children's brains diminishes as they age. But researchers are looking for ways they might be able to restore some of that flexibility later in life.
SciShow
Researchers Reverse Alzheimer’s Memory Loss (in Mice) | SciShow News
As many as 50 million people worldwide may live with Alzheimer's and similar forms of dementia, and while we still don't understand a lot about it, scientists may be one step closer to an effective treatment.
SciShow
Do You Need a Brain to Sleep?
You might think you need a brain to be able to sleep, but organisms with super simple neural networks can still "sleep" sort of like we do. So, if these organisms can sleep too, then what is sleep anyway?
TED-Ed
TED-ED: What are mini brains? - Madeline Lancaster
Shielded by our thick skulls and swaddled in layers of protective tissue, the human brain is extremely difficult to observe in action. Luckily, scientists can use brain organoids - pencil-eraser-sized masses of cells that function like...
SciShow
New Genetic Clues to the Mystery of Your Giant Brain
Big-brained scientists have found the mechanism that may have allowed their brains (and all humans') to get so big.
SciShow
Sleep: Why We Need It and What Happens Without It
What happens when you don't sleep? And why do we need to do it anyways? Hank explains the science of sleep: the cause, the benefits, and who holds the record for going without it!
SciShow
Old Pill, New Trick
One team of researchers may has found a promising lead in the fight to cure or prevent Alzheimer's. And another team is helping us understand how Hydras regrow their heads.
SciShow
Pain-Killing Hunger and Superpowered Diabetic Fish
Animals that eat things are at the forefront of this week’s news, from mice with pain-killing hunger to fish with signs of diabetes.
Crash Course
Training Neural Networks
Today we’re going to talk about how neurons in a neural network learn by getting their math adjusted, called backpropagation, and how we can optimize networks by finding the best combinations of weights to minimize error. Then we’ll send...
SciShow
Why Is Yawning Contagious?
When you see someone yawn, you're probably pretty likely to follow suit. But what makes it so contagious?
SciShow
Want to Speak a Foreign Language Better? Have a Drink
Drinking could help you master the complexities of speaking a new language, and might actually help you memorize your flashcards!
TED Talks
TED: Could you recover from illness ... using your own stem cells? | Nabiha Saklayen
What if diseases could be treated with a patient's own cells, precisely and on demand? Biotech entrepreneur Nabiha Saklayen explains how we could harness advances in biology, machine learning and lasers to create personalized stem cell...
SciShow
Is Your Brain Ready for Mars?
Thanks to science and technology, our dream to go to Mars has almost come true! But are our brains ready for it yet?
SciShow
Science for Getting Swole: An Exercise Compilation
New Year's resolutions often include a goal to exercise more, so we've put together a few of our favorite fitness-themed episodes into one place for our lovely viewers!